s who had constructed it long before. Failing in this, Cabades
raised an artificial hill to threaten the city, considerably overtopping
the wall; but the besieged, starting from the inside of their defences,
made a tunnel extending under the hill, and from there stealthily
carried out the earth, until they hollowed out a great part of the
inside of the hill. However, the outside kept the form which it had at
first assumed, and afforded no opportunity to anyone of discovering what
was being done. Accordingly many Persians mounted it, thinking it safe,
and stationed themselves on the summit with the purpose of shooting down
upon the heads of those inside the fortifications. But with the great
mass of men crowding upon it with a rush, the hill suddenly fell in and
killed almost all of them. Cabades, then, finding no remedy for the
situation, decided to raise the siege, and he issued orders to the army
to retreat on the morrow. Then indeed the besieged, as though they had
no thought of their danger, began laughingly from the fortifications to
jeer at the barbarians. Besides this some courtesans shamelessly drew up
their clothing and displayed to Cabades, who was standing close by,
those parts of a woman's body which it is not proper that men should see
uncovered. This was plainly seen by the Magi, and they thereupon came
before the king and tried to prevent the retreat, declaring as their
interpretation of what had happened that the citizens of Amida would
shortly disclose to Cabades all their secret and hidden things. So the
Persian army remained there.

Not many days later one of the Persians saw close by one of the towers
the mouth of an old underground passage, which was insecurely concealed
with some few small stones. In the night he came there alone, and,
making trial of the entrance, got inside the circuit-wall; then at
daybreak he reported the whole matter to Cabades. The king himself on
the following night came to the spot with a few men, bringing ladders
which he had made ready. And he was favoured by a piece of good fortune;
for the defence of the very tower which happened to be nearest to the
passage had fallen by lot to those of the Christians who are most
careful in their observances, whom they call monks. These men, as chance
would have it, were keeping some annual religious festival to God on
that day. When night came on they all felt great weariness[9] on account
of the festival, and, having sated themselves