not fall with it to the ground, but they fled and got inside the city wall.  And now it was possible for the enemy to storm the wall from the level, and thus with no trouble to take the city by force.  The Romans, therefore, in terror, opened negotiations with the barbarians, and receiving from Chosroes pledges concerning their lives and their property, they surrendered to him both themselves and the city. [541 A.D.] Thus Chosroes captured Petra.  And finding the treasures of John, which were extremely rich, he took them himself, but besides this neither he himself nor anyone else of the Persians touched anything, and the Romans, retaining their own possessions, mingled with the Median army.

XVIII

Meantime Belisarius and the Roman army, having learned nothing of what was being done there, were going in excellent order from the city of Daras toward Nisibis.  And when they had reached the middle of their journey, Belisarius led the army to the right where there were abundant springs of water and level ground sufficient for all to camp upon.  And there he gave orders to make a camp at about forty-two stades from the city of Nisibis.  But all the others marvelled greatly that he did not wish to camp close to the fortifications, and some were quite unwilling to follow him.  Belisarius therefore addressed those of the officers who were about him thus:  “It was not my wish to disclose to all what I am thinking.  For talk carried about through a camp cannot keep secrets, for it advances little by little until it is carried out even to the enemy.  But seeing that the majority of you are allowing yourselves to act in a most disorderly manner, and that each one wishes to be himself supreme commander in the war, I shall now say among you things about which one ought to keep silence, mentioning, however, this first, that when many in an army follow independent judgments it is impossible that anything needful be done.  Now I think that Chosroes, in going against other barbarians, has by no means left his own land without sufficient protection, and in particular this city which is of the first rank and is set as a defence to his whole land.  In this city I know well that he has stationed soldiers in such number and of such valour as to be sufficient to stand in the way of our assaults.  And the proof of this you have near at hand.  For he put in command of these men the general Nabedes, who, after Chosroes himself at least, seems to be first among the Persians in glory and in every other sort of honour.  This man, I believe, will both make trial of our strength and will permit of our passing by on no other condition than that he be defeated by us in battle.  If, therefore, the conflict should be close by the city, the struggle will not be even for us and the Persians.  For they, coming out from their stronghold against us, in case of success, should it so happen, will feel unlimited confidence in assailing us, and in case