had to retire into cantonments.
The half-burnt Salban afforded a welcome shelter to his troops during
the snows and storms of an Armenian winter.

Early in the ensuing spring the indefatigable emperor again set his
troops in motion, and, passing the lofty range which separates the basin
of Lake Van from the streams that flow into the upper Tigris, struck
that river, or rather its large affluent, the Bitlis Chai, in seven days
from Salban, crossed into Arzanene, and proceeding westward recovered
Martyropolis and Amida, which had now been in the possession of the
Persians for twenty years. At Amida he made a halt, and wrote to
inform the Senate of Constantinople of his position and his victories,
intelligence which they must have received gladly after having lost
sight of him for above a twelvemonth. But he was not allowed to remain
long undisturbed. Before the end of March Shahr-Barz had again taken
the field in force, had occupied the usual passage of the Euphrates, and
threatened the line of retreat which Heraclius had looked upon as open
to him. Unable to cross the Euphrates by the bridge, which Shahr-barz
had broken, the emperor descended the stream till he found a ford,
when he transported his army to the other bank, and hastened by way of
Samosata and Germanicaea into Cilicia. Here he was once more in his own
territory, with the sea close at hand, ready to bring him supplies or
afford him a safe retreat, in a position with whose advantages he was
familiar, where broad plains gave an opportunity for skilful maneuvers,
and deep rapid rivers rendered defence easy. Heraclius took up a
position on the right bank of the Sarus (Syhuri), in the immediate
vicinity of the fortified bridge by which alone the stream could be
crossed. Shahr-Barz followed, and ranged his troops along the left bank,
placing the archers in the front line, while he made preparations to
draw the enemy from the defence of the bridge into the plain on the
other side. He was so far successful that the Roman occupation of the
bridge was endangered; but Heraclius, by his personal valor and by
almost superhuman exertions, restored the day; with his own hand he
struck down a Persian of gigantic stature and flung him from the bridge
into the river; then pushing on with a few companions, he charged the
Persian host in the plain, receiving undaunted a shower of blows, while
he dealt destruction on all sides. The fight was prolonged until the
evening and even