nents were unprepared, and gave orders to charge upon them
immediately at full speed. [Aug., 503 A.D.] Straightway, then, they fell
upon them feasting and unarmed. And the Romans did not withstand their
onset, nor did they once think of resistance, but they began to flee as
each one could; and some of them were captured and slain, while others
climbed the hill which rises there and threw themselves down the cliff
in panic and much confusion. And they say that not a man escaped from
there; but Patricius and Hypatius had succeeded in getting away at the
beginning of the onset. After this Cabades retired homeward with his
whole army, since hostile Huns had made an invasion into his land, and
with this people he waged a long war in the northerly portion of his
realm. In the meantime the other Roman army also came, but they did
nothing worth recounting, because, it seems, no one was made
commander-in-chief of the expedition; but all the generals were of equal
rank, and consequently they were always opposing one another's opinions
and were utterly unable to unite. However Celer, with his contingent,
crossed the Nymphius River and made some sort of an invasion into
Arzanene. This river is one very close to Martyropolis, about three
hundred stades from Amida. So Celer's troops plundered the country
thereabout and returned not long after, and the whole invasion was
completed in a short time.

IX

After this Areobindus went to Byzantium at the summons of the emperor,
while the other generals reached Amida, and, in spite of the winter
season, invested it. And although they made many attempts they were
unable to carry the fortress by storm, but they were on the point of
accomplishing their object by starvation; for all the provisions of the
besieged were exhausted. The generals, however, had ascertained nothing
of the straits in which the enemy were; but since they saw that their
own troops were distressed by the labour of the siege and the wintry
weather, and at the same time suspected that a Persian army would be
coming upon them before long, they were eager to quit the place on any
terms whatever. The Persians, on their part, not knowing what would
become of them in such terrible straits, continued to conceal
scrupulously their lack of the necessities of life, and made it appear
that they had an abundance of all provisions, wishing to return to their
homes with the reputation of honour. So a proposal was discussed between
th