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. X.

ANd the next day, Mirranes about Sun rising, calling his Souldiers, made a speech to them; That he knew Persians in dangers, not to take their courage from their Captains orations, but from their own vertue, and awe of one another. But seing them dispute, how the Romans, not using without tumult and disorder to come to fight, receaved the Persians now with an order so little belonging to them: Least upon a false conceipt they should commit error, he warned them, not to suppose the Romans upon the suddaine grown more valiant, and expert Souldiers, but ra∣ther cowards more then ever; being so affraid of Persians, that they dare not embat∣tle without making a trench to defend them; nor with it begin a fight, but are glad, and thinck their business spedd above their hopes, if they are able to retire to their walls, the Persians not charging them: Hence were they in no disorder, not coming to the hazard of a battell. But if the fight come to handy blows, then their cowar∣dize and want of experience will put them into their wonted disorder. And for them∣selves he bad them have their thoughts upon the judgement of their King of Kings, expecting a base punishment, if they doe not now fight as becomes the valour of Per∣sians.

Mirranes having thus encouraged his Souldiers, led on against the enemy. Belisarius also and Hermogenes, drawing out their troupes from their trench; ex∣horted them to consider by the former fight, that the Persians are not invincible, nor immortall; and that they were beaten by them formerly through their own diso∣bedience to their commanders, not by any advantage of valour or strong bodies in the enemy. Which fault they may easily amend. Indeed the crosses of fortune no industry can cure, but of a mans faults; his own will may be the Physician. So that if they resolve to obey directions; the day will be theirs: and the enemy failing in their one∣ly confidence, (the Romans disorder) will goe off, as they did in the former encoun∣ter. And for the enemies nombers (their greatesh scare-crow) he bad them despise it: Seing their foot was nothing els, but a multitude of miserable peasants, who come to the warre onely to sappe a wall, or riffle a dead body, and other things to serve the Souldier: having no armes to trouble much an enemy; and their bucklers no big∣ger then to ward a shot onely. So that if they fight bravely this day, they will both vanquish the Persians now, and restraine their insolence from invading the Ro∣mans. Belisarius and Hermogenes having made this exhortation, and seing the Persians coming on, ordred the Army, as before. The Persians stood oppo∣site in front; Mirranes, not placing so the whole Army, but the one halle one∣ly, the other shood behind him, to receave men from the fight, and to give on fresh, and so in their turnes to come all to fight. The band onely, named Im∣mortall, he commanded to stand still, till himself gave the signall: Who stood in the front, giving the command of the right wing to Pityazes, and of the left to Baresmanas. The Armies being thus embattell'd Charas came to Belisarius and

Hermogenes; and said thus: I see no great service I can doe upon the enemy, staying here with my Herulians: But if covering our selves under yonder ris∣ing ground, when the fight is begun, we shall suddainly from the hillock charge, shooting the enemies backs, in likelyhood we shall ruine them.

Bel••∣sarius approved it, and accordingly it was done. Neither side began the fight till noone, which being past, the Persians gave on: Who put it off to that time of the day, because themselves use to eat about evening, and the Romans at noone; and if they charged them fasting, they thought they would not endure the fight so well. At first the arrowes slew from both sides, and with their mul∣titude made a kind of duskiness a long time, and slew many. The Persians arrowes came much thicker, by reason of their fresh men still renewing, which the Romans did not marke: Who notwithstanding had not the worse, a strong wind blowing upon the Persians, and not suffering their shot to do much effect. The Arrowes being spent, they used their Lances, on both sides, and came up closer. The Romans left wing was in most distress, where the Cadisens, with Pityazes charging suddamely and furiously, routed them & kill'd many in the execution. Which Sunicas and Algas perceaving, gallopt amaine to them: But first the three hundred Herulians under Pharas came down from the hill upon the enemies backs, and did wonders, specially upon the Cadisens: who when they saw Sunicas too giving on upon their flanck, ran away. And there the overthrow being cleer, the Romans on that side joining, made a great slaughter among the Barbarians; so that of their right wing they lost about 3000. The residue escaped hardly to the Bataillion; and the Romans chasing no farther, both parts stood still in their orders; And such was the successe on that side. But Mirranes sent the Immortall band, and many others closely to the left side: which Belisarius, and Hermogenes perceaving, sent Sunicas and Algas, with their six hundred horse, to the angle of their right hand line, where Simas and Ascas stood, and behind them many troupers of Belisarius. The Persians left wing commanded by Baresmanas, with the Immortalls, charged the Ro∣mans with full career: who not abiding it, fled. Then from the Angle, the Romans, and those behind them gave on hotly upon the Barbarians sl••nck, as they pursued, and cut their Army in two, leaving the most to their right hand; the rest to the left, among whom was the Ensigne-bearer of Baresmana, whom Sunicas with his lance wounded. The Persians, who pursued foremost, seing their ill case, turned about, and leaving the chase, rode against these; and so came to be charged both wayes by the Romans; For they that fledd,

knowing what happened, turned head. The Immortall band, and the other Persians there, seing the great Ensigne taken down, and lying upon the ground; they with Beresmanas, presently charged the Romans; who receaved them; and first Sunicas kill'd Baresmanas, and threw him from his horse. Then the Bar∣barians struck with feare, thought no more of fighting, but ran away in con∣fusion. The Romans compassing them, as they could, kill'd about 5000. So the Armies moved, the Persians to their retreat, the Romans to the pursuit. The Persians foot in the overthrow threw away their bucklers, and surprized in confusion were cut in pieces! The chafe lasted not long, Belisarius and Hermogenes not suffering them to follow further, least the Persians might turn head, and rout them pursueing without order. They thought it enough to keep the victory entire: For before that day, t'was long since the Persians were overthrown by the Romans. Thus they parted then; nor would the Persians come to any more battells. Some skirmishings there were upon inroads, wherein the Romans had not the worst. And this was the success of the Ar∣mies in Mesopotamia.