e campaign.

When Perozes, having invaded the Ephthalite territory, fell in with the
army of the enemy, the latter pretended to be seized with a panic, and
at once took to flight. The retreat was directed upon a portion of the
mountain region, where a broad and good road led into a spacious
plain, surrounded on all sides by wooded hills, steep and in places
precipitous. Here the mass of the Ephthalite troops was cunningly
concealed amid the foliage of the woods, while a small number,
remaining visible, led the Persians into the cul-de-sac, the whole army
unsuspectingly entering, and only learning their danger when they saw
the road whereby they had entered blocked up by the troops from the
hills. The officers then apprehended the true state of the case, and
perceived that they had been cleverly entrapped; but none of them, it
would seem, dared to inform the monarch that he had been deceived by
a stratagem. Application was made to Eusebius, whose ambassadorial
character would protect him from an outbreak, and he was requested to
let Perozes know how he was situated, and exhort him to endeavor to
extricate himself by counsel rather than by a desperate act. Eusebius
upon this employed the Oriental method of apologue, relating to Perozes
how a lion in pursuit of a goat got himself into difficulties, from
which all his strength could not enable him to make his escape. Perozes
apprehended his meaning, understood the situation, and, desisting from
the pursuit, prepared to give battle where he stood. But the Ephthalite
monarch had no wish to push matters to extremities. Instead of falling
on the Persians from every side, he sent an embassy to Perozes and
offered to release him from his perilous situation, and allow him to
return with all his troops to Persia, if he would swear a perpetual
peace with the Ephthalites and do homage to himself as his lord and
master, by prostration. Perozes felt that he had no choice but to accept
these terms, hard as he might think them. Instructed by the Magi, he
made the required prostration at the moment of sunrise, with his face
turned to the east, and thought thus to escape the humiliation of
abasing himself before a mortal by the mental reservation that the
intention of his act was to adore the great Persian divinity. He then
swore to the peace, and was allowed to return with his army intact into
Persia.

It seems to have been soon after the conclusion of his disgraceful
treaty that seriou