Ian Colvin

AGEN

Procopius Wars VIII.14 on the Siege of Archaeopolis

Ian Colvin /
  • Created on 2022-07-20 07:46:33
  • Modified on 2022-07-20 19:00:09
  • Translated by H.B. Dewing (1928)
  • Aligned by Ian Colvin
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg4029.tlg001.perseus-grc1:8.14
Κεῖται δὲ Ἀρχαιόπολις ἐπὶ λόφου τινὸς σκληροῦ
ἐσάγαν , καὶ ποταμὸς αὐτὴν παραρρεῖ ἐξ
ὀρῶν κατιὼν ἅπερ τῆς πόλεως καθύπερθέν ἐστι . πύλαι δὲ αὐτῇ αἱ μὲν κάτω εἰσί , φέρουσαι παρὰ
τοῦ λόφου τὴν ὑπώρειαν , οὐκ ἀπρόσοδοι μέντοι ,
ἀλλ̓ ὅσον ἄνοδον ἐκ τοῦ πεδίου τινὰ ἐς αὐτὰς
οὐχ ὁμαλῆ εἶναι : αἱ δὲ ἄνω ἐς τὸ κρημνῶδες
ἐξάγουσαι δυσπρόσοδοι ἐσάγαν εἰσί : χῶροι γὰρ
λοχμώδεις πρὸ τούτων τῶν πυλῶν εἰσίν , ἐπὶ
πλεῖστον διήκοντες . ἐπεί τε ὕδατος ἄλλου τοῖςτῇδε ᾠκημένοις οὐδαμῆ μέτεστι , τείχη δύο ἐνθένδε
οἱ τὴν πόλιν δειμάμενοι ἄχρι ἐς τὸν ποταμὸν
ἐτεκτήναντο , ὅπως ἂν σφίσιν ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ
τὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ ὕδωρ ἀρύεσθαι δυνατὰ εἴη .
Μερμερόης οὖν παντὶ σθένει τειχομαχεῖν
ἐνταῦθα σπουδάζων τε καὶ διατεινόμενος ἐποίει
τάδε . πρῶτα μὲν τοῖς Σαβείροις ἐπήγγειλε
κριοὺς παμπληθεῖς ἐργάζεσθαι , οἵους ἂν φέρειν
ἄνθρωποι ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων δυνατοὶ εἶεν , ἐπεὶ μηχανὰς
μὲν τὰς συνειθισμένας τρόπῳ οὐδενὶ ἐς Ἀρχαιοπόλεως
τὸν περίβολον ἐπάγεσθαι εἶχε , κατὰ τὸν
τοῦ ὄρους πρόποδα κείμενον , ἠκηκόει δὲ ὅσα τοῖς
Ῥωμαίων ἐνσπόνδοις Σαβείροις ἀμφὶ τὸ Πέτρας
τεῖχος ἐργασθείη οὐ πολλῷ ἔμπροσθεν , καὶ τοῖς
ἐπινενοημένοις ἑπόμενος τὴν ἐκ τῆς πείρας ὠφέλειαν
μετῄει . οἱ δὲ τὰ ἐπαγγελλόμενα ἐποίουν . κριούς τε αὐτίκα συχνοὺς ἐτεκτήναντο , ᾗπέρ μοι
ἔναγχος Ῥωμαίοις εἰργάσθαι Σαβείρους ἐρρήθη .
ἔπειτα δὲ τοὺς μὲν Δολομίτας καλουμένους κατὰ
τῆς πόλεως τὰ κρημνώδη στέλλει ἐνοχλεῖν ἐπιστείλας
τοὺς ταύτῃ πολεμίους δυνάμει τῇ πάσῃ . οἱ δὲ Δολομῖται οὗτοι βάρβαροι μέν εἰσιν , ᾠκημένοι
ἐν Πέρσαις μέσοις , οὐ μὴν κατήκοοι γεγόνασι
βασιλέως τοῦ Περσῶν πώποτε . ἱδρυμένοι γὰρ
ἐν ὄρεσιν ἀποτόμοις τε καὶ ὅλως ἀβάτοις αὐτόνομοι
ὄντες ἐκ παλαιοῦ διαγεγόνασιν ἐς τόδε
τοῦ χρόνου : μισθαρνοῦντες δὲ ἀεὶ συστρατεύουσι
Πέρσαις ἐπὶ πολεμίους τοὺς σφετέρους ἰοῦσι . καὶ
πεζοὶ μέν εἰσιν ἅπαντες , ξίφος τε καὶ ἀσπίδα
φέρων ἕκαστος καὶ ἀκόντια ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ τρία . θεῖν δὲ λίαν ἔν τε τοῖς κρημνοῖς καὶ τῶν ὀρῶν
ταῖς ὑπερβολαῖς ἐξεπίστανται , ὥσπερ ἐν πεδίῳ
ὑπτίῳ . καὶ διὰ τοῦτο Μερμερόης αὐτοὺς τῇδε
τειχομαχεῖν ἔταξεν , αὐτὸς δὲ παντὶ τῷ ἄλλῳ
στρατῷ ἐπὶ πύλας τὰς κάτω τούς τε κριοὺς καὶ
τοὺς ἐλέφαντας ἐπαγόμενος ᾔει . οἱ μὲν οὖν
Πέρσαι ξὺν τοῖς Σαβείροις ἐς τὸ τεῖχος συχνὰ
βάλλοντες , τοῖς τε τοξεύμασι καλύψαντες τὸν
ταύτῃ ἀέρα , οὐ μακράν που ἐγένοντο ἀναγκάσαι
τοὺς ἐνταῦθα Ῥωμαίους ἐκλιπεῖν τὰς ἐπάλξεις . οἱ δὲ Δολομῖται τὰ δοράτια ἐκ τῶν κρημνῶν
ἐκτὸς τοῦ περιβόλου ἐσακοντίζοντες πολλῷ ἔτι
μᾶλλον τοὺς κατ̓ αὐτοὺς πολεμίους ἐλύπουν . πανταχόθι τε Ῥωμαίοις τὰ πράγματα πονηρά τε
καὶ κινδύνων ἔμπλεα ἐγεγόνει , ἔσχατα ἐσχάτων
κακὰ πάσχουσι . Τότε δὴ Ὀδόναχός τε καὶ Βάβας , εἴτε ἀρετὴν
ἐνδεικνύμενοι εἴτε τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀποπειρᾶσθαι
βουλόμενοι , ἢ καί τι αὐτοὺς θεῖον ἐκίνησεν ,
εἴασαν μὲν τῶν στρατιωτῶν ὀλίγους τινάς , οἷς
δὴ ἐπέστελλον ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπάλξεων τοὺς τειχομαχοῦντας
ἀμύνασθαι , τοὺς πλείστους δὲ
ξυγκαλέσαντες βραχεῖάν τινα παρακέλευσιν
ἐποιήσαντο καὶ ἔλεξαν τάδε : Τὸν μὲν παρόντα
κίνδυνον , ἄνδρες συστρατιῶται , καὶ τὴν περιλαβοῦσαν
ἡμᾶς ἀνάγκην ὁρᾶτε . δεῖ δὲ ἡμᾶς τούτοις
δὴ τοῖς κακοῖς ὡς ἥκιστα εἴκειν . τοὺς γὰρ
εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν σωτηρίας ἐλθόντας τοῦτο ἂν
διασώσασθαι δύναιτο μόνον , τὸ μὴ τῆς σωτηρίας
ἐφίεσθαι : ἐπεὶ τῷ φιλοψύχῳ τὸ διαφθείρεσθαι
ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἕπεσθαι πέφυκε . καὶ τόδε
δὲ ὑμᾶς ἐννοεῖν ἐν τοῖς παροῦσι δεινοῖς δεήσει , ὡςἐκ τῶν ἐπάλξεων τῶνδε ἀμυνομένοις τοὺς πολεμίους
οὐκ ἐν βεβαίῳ τὰ τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῖν
κείσεται , ἢν καὶ τὴν ἀγωνίαν ὡς προθυμότατα
διενέγκωμεν . μάχη γὰρ ἐκ διεστηκότων ξυνισταμένη
ἀνδραγαθίζεσθαι οὐδενὶ ξυγχωρεῖ , ἀλλ̓ ἐς
τὸ τῆς τύχης ὡς τὰ πολλὰ περιίσταται κράτος . ἢν μέντοι ἡ ξυμβολὴ ξυσταδὸν γένηται , τά τε
τῆς προθυμίας ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον κρατήσει καὶ
μετὰ τῆς ἀνδρίας ἡ νίκη χωρήσει . ἄνευ δὲ τούτων
εὐημερήσαντες μὲν ἐν τῇ ξυμβολῇ οἱ ἀπὸ τοῦ
περιβόλου μαχόμενοι οὐδὲν ἄν τι τῆς εὐημερίας
ἀπόναιντο μέγα , ἐπεὶ ἐν μὲν τῷ παραυτίκα τοὺς
πολεμίους σφίσιν ἀπεῶσθαι ξυμβαίνει , ἐς δὲ τὴν
ὑστεραίαν ὁ κίνδυνος αὖθις ἐν ἀκμῇ γίνεται , καὶ
κατὰ μικρὸν δὲ σφαλέντες αὐτοῖς , ὡς τὸ εἰκός , συνδιαφθείρονται τοῖς ὀχυρώμασιν . ἐκ χειρὸς
δὲ τοὺς ἐναντίους νενικηκότες ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ τὴν
σωτηρίαν τὸ λοιπὸν ἕξουσιν . ὧν ἐνθυμηθέντες
ἴωμεν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους προθυμίᾳ τῇ πάσῃ ,
τὴν ἄνωθεν ἐπικουρίαν ἐπαγαγόμενοι , εὐέλπιδές
τε τῇ προσπεσούσῃ τανῦν ἀπογνώσει γεγενημένοι . τοὺς γὰρ ἐλπίδα σωτηρίας τινὸς ἐν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς
οὐδαμῆ ἔχοντας τὸ θεῖον ἀεὶ διασώζεσθαι μάλιστα εἴωθε . Τοσαῦτα Ὀδόναχός τε καὶ Βάβας παρακελευσάμενοι
τάς τε πύλας ἀνέῳγον καὶ τὸ στράτευμα
δρόμῳ ἐξῆγον , ὀλίγων ἀπολελειμμένων
ἐνταῦθά τινων ἐξ αἰτίας τοιᾶσδε . τῶν τις Λαζῶν
τῇ προτεραίᾳ , λόγιμος μὲν ὢν ἐν τούτῳ τῷ ἔθνει ,
ἐν Ἀρχαιοπόλει δὲ ᾠκημένος , ἔπρασσε πρὸς
Μερμερόην ἐπὶ τῇ πατρίδι προδοσίας πέρι . ὁ δέοἱ ἄλλο οὐδὲν ἐπήγγελλε χαρίζεσθαι Πέρσαις ,
πλήν γε δὴ ὅπως , ἡνίκα ἐς τειχομαχίαν καθιστῶνται ,
τὰ οἰκία ἐμπρήσῃ λάθρα , ἔνθα ὅ τε
σῖτος καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἀπέκειτο . ἐπέστελλε δὲ ταῦτα , δυοῖν γενήσεσθαι τὸ ἕτερον
λογισάμενος : ἢ γὰρ Ῥωμαίους περὶ τὸ πῦρ τοῦτο
σπουδάζοντάς τε καὶ διατριβὴν ποιουμένους
ἐνδώσειν σφίσι κατ̓ ἐξουσίαν ἐπιβατεύειν τοῦ
περιβόλου , ἢ τειχομαχοῦντας ἀποκρούεσθαι βουλομένους
Πέρσας ταῦτα δὴ τὰ οἰκία ἐν ὀλιγωρίᾳ
ποιήσεσθαι : καιομένων δὲ τῷ τρόπῳ τούτῳ τοῦ
τε σίτου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιτηδείων πόνῳ σφᾶς
οὐδενὶ πολιορκίᾳ ἐν χρόνῳ ὀλίγῳ Ἀρχαιόπολιν
ἐξαιρήσειν . τοιαύτῃ μὲν γνώμῃ ὁ Μερμερόης
τούτῳ δὴ τῷ Λαζῷ ταῦτα ἐπέστελλεν : ὁ δέ οἱ
τὴν ἐπίταξιν ὡμολόγει ἐπιτελῆ δράσειν , ἡνίκα
τὴν τειχομαχίαν ἀκμάζουσαν ἴδῃ , πῦρ ὡς λαθραιότατα
τοῖς δωματίοις τούτοις ἐνάψας . αἰρομένην
δὲ τὴν φλόγα ἐξαπιναίως Ῥωμαῖοι ἰδόντες
ὀλίγοι μέν τινες ἐβοήθουν ἐνταῦθα , καὶ πόνῳ
πολλῷ τὸ πῦρ ἔσβεσαν ἀμηγέπη λυμηνάμενον ,
οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ ἅπαντες , ὥσπερ ἐρρήθη , ἐπὶ τοὺς
πολεμίους ἐχώρησαν . Ἐμπεσόντες δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου καὶ τῷ
ἀπροσδοκήτῳ ἐκπλήξαντες πολλοὺς ἔκτεινον ,
οὔτε ἀμυνομένους οὔτε χεῖρας αὐτοῖς ἀνταίρειν
τολμῶντας . Πέρσαι γὰρ ὀλίγους κομιδῆ τοὺς
πολεμίους ὄντας ἐπεξιέναι σφίσιν ἐν ἐλπίδι
οὐδεμιᾷ ἔχοντες ἀλλήλων διεστηκότες ὡς ἐςτειχομαχίαν ἐτετάχατο ξὺν ἀκοσμίᾳ . καὶ οἱ μὲν
ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων τοὺς κριοὺς φέροντες ἄνοπλοί τε
καὶ τὰ ἐς μάχην ἀπαράσκευοι , ὡς τὸ εἰκός , ἦσαν ,
οἱ δὲ δὴ ἄλλοι τὰ τόξα ἐντεταμένα ἐν χερσὶν
ἔχοντες συσταδὸν ἐγκειμένους τοὺς πολεμίους
ἀμύνεσθαι μηχανῇ οὐδεμιᾷ εἶχον . οὕτω δὴ
κόπτοντες Ῥωμαῖοι ἐπιστροφάδην αὐτοὺς διεχρῶντο .
ξυνέβη δὲ τότε καὶ τῶν ἐλεφάντων
ἕνα πληγέντα , ὡς ἔνιοί φασιν , ἢ ἀπὸ ταὐτομάτου
ξυνταραχθέντα , περιστρέφεσθαί τε οὐδενὶ
κόσμῳ καὶ ἀναχαιτίζειν , καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἐπιβάτας
ῥίπτειν , τῶν δὲ δὴ ἄλλων τὴν τάξιν ἐκλύειν . καὶ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ οἱ μὲν βάρβαροι ἀνεπόδιζον ,
Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ ἀδεέστερον τοὺς ἐν ποσὶν ἀεὶ διεχρῶντο . θαυμάσειε δ̓ ἄν τις ἐνταῦθα δικαίως ,
εἰ Ῥωμαῖοι μέν , ἐξεπιστάμενοι καθ̓ ὅ τι χρὴ
ἀποκρούσασθαι τῶν πολεμίων τὴν διὰ τῶν
ἐλεφάντων ἐπίθεσιν , τῶν δεόντων οὐδὲν ἔδρασαν ,
τοῖς παροῦσι δηλονότι ξυνταραχθέντες , ἀπὸ
ταὐτομάτου δὲ τὸ τοιοῦτον σφίσι ξυνηνέχθη
γενέσθαι . ὅ τι δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν , αὐτίκα δηλώσω . Ἡνίκα Χοσρόης τε καὶ ὁ Μήδων στρατὸς
ἐτειχομάχουν ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἐδέσσης περίβολον , τῶν
τις ἐλεφάντων , ἐπιβεβηκότος οἱ ὁμίλου πολλοῦ
τῶν ἐν Πέρσαις μαχιμωτάτων , ἀγχοῦ τοῦ περιβόλου
γενόμενος ἐπίδοξος ἦν ὅτι δὴ δἰ ὀλίγου
βιασάμενος τοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐκείνῃ πύργου ἀμυνομένους
ἅτε κατὰ κορυφὴν συχνὰ βαλλομένους
τὴν πόλιν αἱρήσει . ἐδόκει γάρ τις μηχανὴ τὸ
τοιοῦτον ἑλέπολις εἶναι . ἀλλὰ Ῥωμαῖοι χοῖρονἐκ τοῦ πύργου ἐπικρεμάσαντες τὸν κίνδυνον τοῦτον
διέφυγον . κραυγμὸν γάρ τινα , ὤν , ὡς τὸ
εἰκός , ἠρτημένος , ὁ χοῖρος ἐνθένδε ἠφίει , ὅνπερ
ὁ ἐλέφας ἀχθόμενος ἀνεχαίτιζε καὶ κατὰ βραχὺ
ἀναποδίζων ὀπίσω ἐχώρει . ἐκεῖνο μὲν οὖν ταύτῃ
ἐχώρησε . νῦν δὲ τὸ παρειμένον τῇ Ῥωμαίων
ὀλιγωρίᾳ ἡ τύχη ἐπλήρου . ἀλλ̓ ἐπειδὴ Ἐδέσσης
ἐμνήσθην , οὐ σιωπήσομαι τὸ ἐκείνῃ τέρας πρὸ
τοῦδε τοῦ πολέμου ξυνενεχθέν . ἡνίκα γὰρ ὁ
Χοσρόης λύειν ἔμελλε τὰς ἀπεράντους καλουμένας
σπονδάς , γυνή τις ἐν πόλει βρέφος ἐκύει
τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἐπιεικῶς ἀνθρωπόμορφον , δύο δέ τοι
κεφαλὰς ἔχον . ὃ δὴ τοῖς ἀποβεβηκόσι φανερὸν
γέγονεν . Ἔδεσσά τε γὰρ καὶ ἡ ἑῴα σχεδόν τι
πᾶσα καὶ πρὸς βορρᾶν ἄνεμον ἡ πολλὴ Ῥωμαίων
ἀρχὴ βασιλεῦσι περιμάχητος δυοῖν γέγονε .
ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τῇδε ξυνέπεσεν . ἐγὼ δὲ ὅθενπερ
ἐξέβην ἐπάνειμι . Τῆς δὲ ταραχῆς οὕτως ἐπιπεσούσης τῷ Μήδων
στρατῷ , ὅσοι δὴ αὐτῶν ὄπισθεν ἐτετάχατο , τὴν
μὲν ταραχὴν τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ὄντων θεώμενοι , τὸ
δὲ ξυμβεβηκὸς οὐδαμῆ πεπυσμένοι , κατωρρώδησαν ,
ἔς τε ὑπαγωγὴν ξὺν πολλῇ ἀκοσμίᾳ
ἐτράποντο . ταὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ οἱ Δολομῖται
παθόντες ῾ἐξ ὑπερδεξίων γὰρ μαχόμενοι τὰ
ποιούμενα πάντα ἑώρων̓ αἰσχράν τινα φυγὴν
ἔφευγον , ἥ τε τροπὴ λαμπρὰ ἐγεγόνει . καὶ
τετρακισχίλιοι μὲν τῶν βαρβάρων αὐτοῦ ἔπεσον ,
ἐν τοῖς καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων τρεῖς τετύχηκεν εἶναι , τέσσαρα δὲ τῶν Περσικῶν σημείων Ῥωμαῖοι
εἷλον , ἅπερ εὐθὺς ἐς Βυζάντιον βασιλεῖ ἔπεμψαν . ἵππους δέ φασιν αὐτῶν οὐχ ἥσσους ἢ ἐς δισμυρίους
ἀπολωλέναι , οὐ βληθέντας οὐδὲ πληγέντας
πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων , ἀλλὰ μακρὰν μὲν
ὁδὸν πορευθέντας , κόπῳ δὲ ὡμιληκότας ἐν ταύτῃ
πολλῷ , τροφῶν δέ , ἐπεὶ ἐν Λαζικῇ ἐγένοντο , ὡς
ἥκιστα ἐς κόρον ἐλθόντας , οὕτω τε λιμῷ καὶ
ἀσθενείᾳ πιεζομένους πολλῇ διεφθάρθαι . Ταύτης δὲ τῆς πείρας ὁ Μερμερόης ἀποτυχὼν
παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἐς Μοχήρησιν ἀπεχώρησεν ,
ἐπεὶ καὶ Ἀρχαιοπόλεως ἀποτυχόντες , Λαζικῆς
τῆς ἄλλης τὴν ἐπικράτησιν ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον
οἱ Πέρσαι εἶχον . Ἀρχαιοπόλεως δὲ ἡ Μοχήρησις
ἡμέρας μιᾶς ὁδῷ ἀπέχει , πολλὰς καὶ
πολυανθρώπους κώμας ἔχουσα—καὶ γῆς τῆς
Κολχίδος αὕτη μάλιστα ἡ ἀρίστη ἐστίν : ἐπεὶ
καὶ οἶνος ἐνταῦθα καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι καρποὶ ἀγαθοὶ
φύονται , καίτοι τά γε ἄλλα τῆς Λαζικῆς οὐ ταύτῃ
ἔχει . ταύτην παραρρεῖ τὴν χώραν ποταμός ,
Ῥέων ὄνομα , οὗ δὴ καὶ φρούριον ᾠκοδομήσαντο
ἐκ παλαιοῦ Κόλχοι , οὗπερ ὕστερον αὐτοὶ τὸ
πλεῖστον ἐς ἔδαφος καθεῖλον , ἐπεὶ ἐν πεδίῳ
κείμενον ἐσάγαν ὑπτίῳ εὐέφοδον σφίσιν ἔδοξεν
εἶναι . Κοτιάϊον δὲ τότε τὸ φρούριον ὠνομάζετο
τῇ Ἑλλήνων φωνῇ , νῦν μέντοι Κόταϊς αὐτὸ
καλοῦσι Λαζοὶ τῇ τῆς φωνῆς ἀγνοίᾳ τὴν τοῦ
ὀνόματος διαφθείροντες ἁρμονίαν . ταῦτα μὲν
Ἀριανὸς οὕτως ἱστόρησεν . ἕτεροι δέ φασι πόλιν
τε γεγονέναι ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις τὸ χωρίονκαὶ Κοίταιον καλεῖσθαι : ἔνθεν τε τὸν Αἰήτην
ὡρμῆσθαι , καὶ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ τοὺς ποιητὰς αὐτόν
τε Κοιταϊέα καὶ γῆν τὴν Κολχίδα Κοιταΐδα καλεῖν . Τοῦτο Μερμερόης τανῦν ἀνοικοδομήσασθαι
ἐν σπουδῇ ἔχων , ἐπεὶ οὐδεμίαν παρασκευὴν τοῦ
ἔργου εἶχεν , ἅμα δὲ καὶ ὁ χειμὼν ἤδη ἐνέκειτο ,
ξύλινα τοῦ φρουρίου ὅσα καταπεπτώκει ὡς
τάχιστα ποιησάμενος αὐτοῦ ἔμενε . τοῦ δὲ
Κόταϊς ἄγχιστα φρούριον ἐχυρώτατόν ἐστιν ,
Οὐθιμέρεος ὄνομα : ἐν ᾧ δὴ φυλακτήριον ἐς τὸ
ἀκριβὲς οἱ Λαζοὶ εἶχον . μετεῖχον δὲ σφίσι τῆς
τοῦ φρουρίου φυλακῆς καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι στρατιῶται
ὀλίγοι τινές . ὁ μὲν οὖν Μερμερόης τῷ παντὶ
στρατῷ ἐνταῦθα καθῆστο , γῆς τε τῆς Κολχίδος
τὰ κάλλιστα ἔχων , ἐμπόδιός τε τοῖς ἐναντίοις
γινόμενος ἐς τὸ Οὐθιμέρεος φρούριον τῶν ἐπιτηδείων
τι ἐσκομίζεσθαι , ἢ ἐς χώραν τήν τε
Σουανίαν καὶ τὴν Σκυμνίαν καλουμένην ἰέναι , καίπερ σφίσιν αὐτῆς κατηκόου οὔσης . πολεμίων
γὰρ ἐν Μοχηρήσιδι ὄντων , Λαζοῖς τε καὶ
Ῥωμαίοις ὁδοῦ ἀποκεκλεῖσθαι τῆς εἰς τὰ ταύτῃ
χωρία ξυμβαίνει . τὰ μὲν οὖν στρατόπεδα ἐπὶ
Λαζικῆς ἐφέρετο τῇδε .
The city of Archaeopolis is situated on an exceedingly rugged hill , and a river flows by , coming down from the mountains which are above the city . And it has two gates , one of which is below , opening on the base of the hill , but this one is not inaccessible except in so far that the ascent to it from the plain is not smooth ; but the upper gate leads out to the steep slope and is extremely difficult to approach ; for the ground before the gate is covered with brush which extends to an indefinite distance . And since the inhabitants of this city can get no other water , those who built it constructed two walls which extend from the city all the way to the river , in order that it might be possible for them to draw water from it in safety .
Mermeroes , consequently , being eager and determined to assault the wall there with his whole strength , did as follows . He first commanded the Sabiri to build a great number of rams , of the sort which men would be able to carry on their shoulders , because he was quite unable to bring up the customary engines to the circuit-wall of Archaeopolis , lying as it did along the lower slopes of the hill ; for he had heard what had been achieved by the Sabiri who were allies of the Romans at the wall of Petra not long before , and he sought by following out the method discovered by them to reap the advantage of their experience . And they carried out his orders , constructing immediately a large number rams , such as I have said were recently made for the Romans by the Sabiri . Next he sent the Dolomites , as they are called , to the precipitous parts of the city , directing them to harass the enemy there with all their strength . These Dolomites are barbarians who live indeed in the middle of Persia , but have never become subject to the king of the Persians . For their abode is on sheer mountain-sides which are altogether inaccessible , and so they have continued to be autonomous from ancient times down to the present day ; but they always march with the Persians as mercenaries when they go against their enemies . And they are all foot-soldiers , each man carrying a sword and shield and three javelins in his hand . But they shew extraordinary nimbleness in running over cliffs and peaks of mountains , just as on a level plain . For this reason Mermeroes assigned them to attack the wall there , while he with the rest of the army went against the lower gate , bringing up the rams and the elephants . So then the Persians and Sabiri together , by shooting rapidly at the wall so that they filled the air round about it with their arrows , came not far from compelling the Romans there to abandon the parapet . And the Dolomites , hurling in their javelins from the crags outside the circuit-wall , were inflicting still more harm upon the Romans facing them . On every side , indeed , the situation of the Romans had become bad and full of danger , for they were in an extremely evil plight .
At that point Odonachus and Babas , either as making a display of valour or wishing to test the soldiers , or it may even be that some divine influence moved them , left only a few of the soldiers where they were , directing them to ward off the assailants of the wall from the parapet , and meanwhile called together the greater part of them and made a short exhortation , speaking as follows . " Fellow soldiers , you perceive the danger which is upon us and the necessity in which we are involved . But it is incumbent upon us not to yield in the least to these evils . For those who come into a situation where safety is despaired of could be saved only by not courting safety ; for a fondness for life is wont in most cases to be followed by destruction . And you will be obliged to consider this fact also in our present stress , that by simply warding off the enemy from this parapet your safety will by no means be firmly established , even though we carry forward the struggle with the greatest zeal . For a battle which is waged between armies standing apart gives no one opportunity to shew himself a brave man , but the issue as a general thing is determined by chance . If , however , the conflict becomes a hand-to-hand struggle , enthusiasm will in most cases prevail , and victory will appear where valour lies . And apart from this , even in the case of success in the conflict , men fighting from the wall would reap no great benefit from this success , because , while they have for the moment succeeded in repulsing the enemy , the danger will again be acute on the morrow , and , on the other hand , if they fail even by a little , they are naturally destroyed along with their defences . But once having conquered their opponents in hand-to-hand combat they will thereafter have their safety assured . Let us then with these thoughts in mind advance against the enemy with all zeal , calling to our aid the assistance from above , and with our hopes raised high by that desperate situation which has now fallen to us . For God is ever wont to save those men above all others who find no hope of safety in themselves . "
After Odonachus and Babas had thus encouraged the soldiers , they opened the gates and led the army forth on the run , leaving a few men behind for the following reason . One of the Lazi , who was a man of note in this nation , an inhabitant of Archaeopolis , had on the previous day negotiated with Mermeroes for the betrayal of his native land . Now Mermeroes had sent word to him to render the Persians only this service , that , whenever they began the assault on the wall , he should secretly set fire to the buildings where the grain and the rest of the provisions were stored . And he directed him to do this , reasoning that one of two things would happen , either that the Romans being concerned about this fire and devoting their attention to it would give his men opportunity to scale the circuit-wall unmolested or that in their eagerness to repulse the Persians storming the wall they would pay no attention to these buildings ; and if in this way the grain and other provisions were burned , he would with no difficulty capture Archaeopolis in a short time . With such purpose did Mermeroes give these instructions to this Laz ; and he , for his part , agreed to carry out the order when he saw the storming of the wall at its height , by setting fire as secretly as possible to these buildings . And when the Romans saw the flames rising suddenly , some few of them went to the rescue and with great difficulty quenched the fire , which had done a certain amount of damage , but all the rest , as stated , went forth against the enemy .
This force , by falling upon them suddenly and terrifying them by the unexpectedness of their attack , slew many , for the Persians offered no resistance ; indeed they did not even dare raise a hand against them . This was because the Persians , having no expectation that their enemy , who were few in number , would make sally against them , had taken up positions apart from one another with a view to storming the wall and so were not in battle array . And those who were carrying the rams upon their shoulders were quite naturally both unarmed and unprepared for battle , while the others , with only strung bows in their hands , were entirely unable to ward off an enemy pressing upon them in close array . Thus the Romans , slashing and turning from side to side , kept destroying them . At that moment also it so happened that one of the elephants , because he was wounded , some say , or simply because he became excited , wheeled round out of control and reared up , thus throwing his riders and breaking up the lines of the others . As a result of this the barbarians began to retreat , while the Romans continued without fear to destroy those who from time to time fell in their way . And one might wonder at this point that the Romans , though knowing well by what means they ought to repel a hostile attack by elephants , did none of the necessary things , being obviously confused by the situation , and yet this result was achieved without effort on their part . And what this is I shall now make clear .
When Chosroes and the Medic army were storming the fortifications of Edessa , one of the elephants , mounted by a great number of the most warlike men among the Persians , came close to the circuit-wall and made it seem that in a short space he would overpower the men defending the tower at that point , seeing they were exposed to missiles falling thickly from above , and would thus take the city . For it seemed that this was , in fact , an engine for the capture of cities . The Romans , however , by suspending a pig from the tower escaped this peril . For as the pig was hanging there , he very naturally gave vent to sundry squeals , and this angered the elephant so that he got out of control and , stepping back little by little , moved off to the rear . Such was the outcome of that situation . But in the present case the omission due to the thoughtlessness of the Romans was made good by chance . But now that I have mentioned Edessa , I shall not be silent as to the portent which appeared there before this present war . When Chosroes was about to break the so-called endless peace , a certain woman in the city gave birth to an infant which in other respects was a normally formed human being , but had two heads . And the meaning of this was made clear by the events which followed ; for both Edessa and practically the whole East and the greater part of the Roman empire to the north came to be fought for by two sovereigns . Thus did these things happen . But I shall return to the point from which I strayed .
When confusion thus fell upon the Medic army , those stationed in the rear , seeing the confusion of those before them , but having no real knowledge of what had happened , became panic-stricken and turned to retreat in great disorder . And the Dolomites also experience a like panic ( for they were fighting from the higher positions and could see everything which transpired ) , and they too began to flee in a disgraceful manner , so that the rout became decisive . Four thousand of the barbarians fell there , among whom , as it happened , were three of the commanders , and the Romans captured four of the Persian standards , which they immediately sent to Byzantium for the emperor . They say , moreover , that not less that twenty thousand of their horses perished , not from wounds inflicted by their enemy’s missiles or swords , but because in travelling a great distance they had become utterly exhausted and then had found no sufficiency of fodder since the time they had come into Lazica ; and so , they say , under the stress of both starvation and weakness they succumbed .
Having thus failed in this attempt , Mermeroes withdrew with his whole army to Mocheresis ; for , even though they had failed of getting hold of Archaeopolis , the Persians still held the mastery of the greater part of the rest of Lazika . Now Mocheresis is one day’s journey distant from Archaeopolis , a district which includes many populous villages . And this is really the best land in Colchis ; for both wine and the other good things produced there , though the rest of Lazika , to be sure , is not of such a sort .

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