ere met by a dense shower of missiles from the walls;
and as may be conjectured, none were hurled in vain, falling as they did
among so dense a crowd. For while so many evils surrounded us, we fought
as I have said before, with the hope, not of procuring safety, but of
dying bravely; and from dawn to eventide the battle was evenly
balanced, both fighting with more ferocity than method, and there arose
the shouts of men striking and falling, so that from the eagerness of
both parties there was scarcely any one who did not give or receive
wounds.

14. At last, night put an end to the slaughter, and the losses on both
sides caused a longer truce. For when the time intended for rest was
allowed to us, continual sleepless toil still exhausted our little
remaining strength, in spite of the dread caused by the bloodshed and
the pallid faces of the dying, whom the scantiness of our room did not
permit us even the last solace of burying; since within the circuit of a
moderate city there were seven legions, and a vast promiscuous multitude
of citizens and strangers of both sexes, and other soldiers, so that at
least twenty thousand men were shut up within the walls.

15. So each attended to his own wounds as well as he could, availing
himself of whatever assistance or remedies came in his way. While some,
being severely wounded, died of loss of blood; and some, pierced through
by swords, lay on the ground, and breathed their last in the open air;
others who were pierced through and through the skilful refused to
touch, in order not to pain them further by inflicting useless
sufferings; some, seeking the doubtful remedy of extracting the arrows,
only incurred agonies worse than death.

III.

Sec. 1. While the war was going on in this manner around Amida, Ursicinus,
vexed at being dependent on the will of another, gave continual warning
to Sabinianus, who had superior authority over the soldiers, and who
still remained in the quarter of the tombs, to collect all his
light-armed troops, and hasten by secret paths along the foot of the
mountain chain, with the idea that by the aid of this light force, if
chance should aid them, they might surprise some of the enemy's
outposts, and attack with success the night watches of the army, which,
with its vast circuit, was surrounding the walls, or else by incessant
attacks might harass those who clung resolutely to the blockade.

2. But Sabinianus rejected this proposal as mischievous