spirit of the native inhabitants, to burn his works, and to
return home. The five hundred pounds of gold which he extorted at last
from Martinus, the commandant of the place, may have been a salve to
his wounded pride; but it was a poor set-off against the loss of men, of
stores, and of prestige, which he had incurred by his enterprise.

It was, perhaps, his repulse from the walls of Edessa that induced
Chosroes, in A.D. 545, seriously to entertain the proposals for an
arrangement which were made to him by the ambassadors of Justinian.
Throughout the war their had been continual negotiations; but hitherto
the Persian king had trifled with his antagonist, and had amused himself
with discussing terms of accommodation without any serious purpose.
Now at last, after five years of incessant hostilities, in which he
had gained much glory but little profit, he seems to have desired a
breathing-space. Justinian's envoys visited him at Ctesiphon, and
set forth their master's desire to conclude a regular peace. Chosroes
professed to think that the way for a final arrangement would be best
prepared by the conclusion, in the first instance, of a truce. He
proposed, in lieu of a peace, a cessation of hostilities for five years,
during the course of which the causes of quarrel between the two nations
might be considered, and a good understanding established. It shows the
weakness of the Empire, that Justinian not only accepted this proposal,
but was content to pay for the boon granted him. Chosroes received as
the price of the five years truce the services of a Greek physician and
two thousand pounds of gold.

The five years' truce seems to have been observed with better faith
by the Persian than by the Roman monarch. Alamundarus indeed, though
a Persian vassal, regarded himself as entitled, despite the truce, to
pursue his quarrel with his natural enemy, Arethas, who acknowledged the
suzerainty of Rome; but Chosroes is not even accused of instigating
his proceedings; and the war between the vassals was carried on without
dragging either of the two lords-paramount into its vortex. Thus far,
then, neither side had any cause of complaint against the other. If we
were bound to accept the Roman story of a project formed by Chosroes
for the surprise and seizure of Daras, we should have to admit that
circumstances rather than his own will saved the Persian monarch from
the guilt of being the first to break the agreement. But the tale told