ss of its garrison.

VII.

Sec. 1. After Singara had fallen, Sapor prudently avoided Nisibis,
recollecting the losses which he had several times sustained before it,
and turned to the right by a circuitous path, hoping either to subdue by
force or to win by bribes the garrison of Bezabde, which its founders
also called Phoenice, and to make himself master of that town, which
is an exceedingly strong fortress, placed on a hill of moderate height,
and close to the banks of the Tigris, having a double wall, as many
places have which from their situation are thought to be especially
exposed. For its defence three legions had been assigned; the second
Flavian, the second Armenian, and the second Parthian, with a large body
of archers of the Zabdiceni, a tribe subject to us, in whose territory
this town was situated.

2. At the beginning of the siege, the king, with an escort of glittering
cuirassiers, himself taller than any of them, rode entirely round the
camp, coming up boldly to the very edge of the fosse, where he was at
once a mark for the unerring bullets of the balistae, and arrows; but he
was so completely covered with thick scale-armour that he retired
unhurt.

3. Then laying aside his anger, he sent some heralds with all due
solemnity, courteously inviting the besieged to consult the safety of
their lives, and seeing the desperateness of their situation, to put an
end to the siege by a timely surrender; to open their gates and come
forth, presenting themselves as suppliants before the conqueror of
nations.

4. When these messengers approached the walls, the garrison spared them
because they had with them some men of noble birth, who had been made
prisoners at Singara, and were well known to the citizens; and out of
pity to them no one shot an arrow, though they would give no reply to
the proposal of peace.

5. Then a truce being made for a day and night, before dawn on the
second day the entire force of the Persians attacked the palisade with
ferocious threats and cries, coming up boldly to the walls, where a
fierce contest ensued, the citizens resisting with great vigour.

6. So that many of the Parthians[112] were wounded, because some of
them carrying ladders, and others wicker screens, advanced as it were
blindfold, and were not spared by our men. For the clouds of arrows flew
thickly, piercing the enemy packed in close order. At last, after sunset
the two sides separated, having suffered about equa