rtant post of Phasis at the mouth of the
river. With some skill he succeeded in passing the Roman camp on the
island, and in establishing himself in the plain directly south of
Phasis before the Roman generals guessed his purpose. They, however,
were able by a quick movement to throw themselves into the town, and the
struggle became one between fairly balanced forces, and was conducted
with great obstinacy. The town was defended on the south by an outer
palisade, a broad ditch protected by sharp stakes and full of water, and
an inner bulwark of considerable height but constructed wholly of wood.
The Phasis guarded it on the north; and here a Roman fleet was stationed
which lent its aid to the defenders at the two extremities of their
line. The yards of the ships were manned with soldiers, and boats
were hung from them containing slingers, archers, and even workers of
catapults, who delivered their weapons from an elevation exceeding that
of the towers. But Nachoragan had the advantage of numbers; his men soon
succeeded in filling up part of the ditch; and the wooden bulwark could
scarcely have long resisted his attacks, if the contest had continued
to be wholly one of brute strength. But the Roman commander, Martinus,
finding himself inferior in force, brought finesse and stratagem to his
aid. Pretending to receive intelligence of the sudden arrival of a fresh
Roman army from Byzantium, he contrived that the report should reach
Nachoragan and thereby cause him to divide his troops, and send half of
them to meet the supposed reinforcements. Then, when the Persian general
nevertheless renewed his assault, Martinus sent secretly 5,000 men under
Justin to a short distance from Phasis; and this detachment, appearing
suddenly when the contest was going on at the wall, was naturally taken
for the newly arrived army, and caused a general panic. The Persians,
one and all, took to flight; a general sally was made by the Romans in
Phasis; a rout and a carnage followed, which completely disheartened
the Persian leader, and led him to give up his enterprise. Having lost
nearly one-fourth of his army, Nachoragan drew off to Kutai's, and
shortly afterwards, leaving the command of the Persians in Lazica to
Vaphrizes, retired to winter quarters in Iberia.

The failure of Nachoragan, following closely upon the decision of the
Lazi to maintain their alliance with Rome in spite of the murder
of Gubazes, seems to have convinced the Persian m