The history of the warres of the Emperour Justinian in eight books : of the Persian, II, Vandall, II, Gothicke, IV / written in Greek by Procopivs of Caesarea ; and Englished by Henry Holcroft, Knight.

CHAP. IX.

ODONACHƲS and Babas having thus fayd, led out the Army: Some they left behinde, having suspition of one of the cheife Inhabitants of the City, a Lazian; who had been treated with by Mermeroes in the heat of the assault, to set the City-Magazines on fire. Mermeroes by this thought either to enter the Towne with lesse opposition, the Romans being busie to quench the fire, or if, being eager to defend the Towne, they neglected the fire, he should deprive them of their stores, and so easily in time get the Towne by Famine. The Lazian according to his promise to Mermeroes, when he saw the assault at the hot∣test, fired the Store-houses. The Romans left behinde, seeing the flame rise, ran to it, and with much toyle, and some hurt, put it out. Those who sallyed, frighted the E∣nemy with the suddennesse, and killed them without resistance. For the Persians sus∣pected no sally from so few Defendants, and were scatterd, and in disorder as upon an assault: Some with the Ramms upon their shoulders, and without their armes: others could do no Execution with their bowes, the Romans at the first running up close unto them; who slasht with their Swords on all sides, and cut them in peices. One of their Elephants also, either wounded, or otherwise starting, flew back, and cast his riders, breaking the rancks, and driving the Persians backward; whise the Romans securely cut off all in their way. It may seem strange, that the Romans know∣ing so well the means of resisting Elephants, did nothing now; confounded (it seems) with the present businesse. The means is that, which was practised upon Chosroes at Edessa: an Elephant there was brought close to the walls, with many of the gallantest Persians upon it: and appearing like a Tower, and the shot from it being made di∣rectly upon the Defendants heads, the taking of the town was certainly expected: when the Romans escaped this danger, only by hanging out a Hog from the Bulwark, which with his squeaking scared the Elephant so, that he turned about and retired fair and softly home. This now was omitted by the Romans; but their good fortune supplied their negligence. Having mentioned here Edessa, let me tell a strange pro∣digy which happened in that City a little before the breaking of the Perpetuall Peace; which was, the delivering of a woman with a child having two heads: the events since have made the meaning manifest. For the East, and much of the Roman Empire besides, have been disputed by two Emperours; but to return to the fight. The Persians being thus disordered, and they in the rear seeing the confusion in the van, and not knowing the matter, ran away in fear. The Dolomites also, who were upon high Ground, and saw all, ran away shamefully, and the overthrow was cleer. Four thousand Persians were slain, and three principall commanders, and four En∣signes were taken, which were sent to Constantinople. They lost 20000 horses, not all in fight; but being spent with running away, and not getting a belly full of meat in Lazica, they dyed with famine and weaknesse

Mermeroes having failed at Archaeopolis, was neverthelesse master of the feild in Lazica, and led his army into Muchirisis, a country distant from Archaeopolis a daies journey, having many populous villages, and the best land of Lazica, full of vines and other fruits, through which runs the River of Reon, upon which anciently the Lazians had a Castle; but they demolisht it, because standing in a plain it was easie to be taken. The Castle was called by the Grecians Cotyaeum, but now by the Lazi∣ans Cotaesis, as Arrianus in his history. Others say, it was anciently a City named-Coitaeum; where Aeaetes was born, whom the Poets call Coitaeensis, and Lazica, Coy∣taitis.

This Castle Mermerces was desirous to re-edifie, and wanting materialls, he staid till the winter was past, purposing to repaire it with Timber. Neer unto Cotae∣sis, stands Ʋchimerium, a strong Castle, guarded by Lazians with some Roman soul∣diers intermingled: Hereabout Mermeroes lay with his army, possessing the best land of Lazica, and cutting off the Romans from bringing victuall to Ʋchimerium, and from marching into the countries of Suania, and Scymnia, subject to the Persians; an Army in Muchirisis, crossing the passage into those countries. These were the successes of the armies in Lazica.

In Constantinople, in the mean time Isdigunas the Persian Ambassador, had many conferences with the Emperour touching a peace. And after a long time spent in disputes, at last they came to this agreement:

That in their proper Dominions there should be a cessation of armes for five years, and during the same, that sen∣ding to each other they should endeavour to compose the differences concerning Lazica and the Saracens; and that the Romans should pay to the Persians twenty Centenaries of Gold for this Cessation of five yeares, and for the eighteen months passed between the end of the first Quinquenniall Cessation, and their sending Ambassadors to each other sixe Centenaries more; the Persians alleadging, that they yeilded to a conference for truce upon that Condition.

These twenty Cente∣naries, Isdigunas would have presently paid, and the Emperour demanded to pay them by four Centenaries every year, and thereof to give caution; but in the end the Romans paid down the whole summe, that they might not seem to pay a yearly Tribute to the Persians.

Thus men are ashamed more of the dishonour of names, then things. Barsabes al∣so, a Persian of great quality, and much favoured by Chosroes, whom Valerianus had taken prisoner in a fight in Armenia, and sent to Constantionople, and for whom Chosroes had offered a great ransome, was now set at liberty upon the suit of Isdigunas, who promised to perswade Chosroes to remove his army out of Lazica. This Cessation concluded in the twenty fifth year of Justinians Raigne, much discon∣tented the Romans, whether unreasonable or no, (as Subjects use to censure the acti∣ons of their Princes) I will not determine. But they alleadged, that the Persians be∣ing now strong in Lazica, they might securely without the interruption of any, for five years to come, hold the fairest peices of it, and that the Romans would never afterward be able to drive them out of it, but the Persians have easy accesse even to Constantinople it selfe. These considerations troubled most men, but they could not help it; and likewise to see the ancient indeavour of the Persians, to make the Ro∣mans tributary, which by war they could never hope to effect, now established by the colour of a cessation of armes; Chosroes now taxing the Romans with a tri∣bute of four annuall Centenaries upon this fair pretence, untill his forty six Cente∣naries were paid, calling his Taxe a Truce, and shewing apparantly to have plot∣ted it from the beginning of the War. And yet still he used hostility in Lazica, as hath been said. From this Taxation the Romans had no hope ever to be freed, but saw themselves in the quality of plain Tributaries to the Persians. Isdigunas also having gotten more wealth then ever Ambassador did, and received the highest ho∣nours from the Emperour, together with immense gifts, was sent home the richest man (I think) in Persia. This only Ambassador had no Guard put upon him; himselfe and his followers freely conferred, and kept company with whom they would; and in the city bought and sold, and made any contracts, and were present at them, with all manner of license, no Roman attending them to observe their do∣ing, as was wont to be.

At this time also wer Heats, such as none ever remembred the like, the Roses towards the winter growing in abundance, as in the spring, with no manner of difference, and the weather as hot as at midsummer: And the vintage being long past, new Grapes came up. Some divined from hence at great accidents likely to succeed; but the naturall cause of it was the continuance of the Southerly winds, longer then was or∣dinary, from whence came those unusuall heats. If any strange matters were signi∣fied by them, we shall know the certainty by the Event.