to devote their thoughts not to safety, but to opposition to the enemy.”  So spoke John, and all the others expressed approval, and becoming disorderly, they demanded that the retreat be made with all speed.  Accordingly Belisarius laid the sick in the carts and let them lead the way, while he led the army behind them.  And as soon as they got into the land of the Romans, he learned everything which had been done by Arethas, but he did not succeed in inflicting any punishment upon him, for he never came into his sight again.  So ended the invasion of the Romans.

And after Chosroes had taken Petra, it was announced to him that Belisarius had invaded the Persian territory, and the engagement near the city of Nisibis was reported, as also the capture of the fortress of Sisauranon, and all that the army of Arethas had done after crossing the River Tigris.  Straightway, then, he established a garrison in Petra, and with the rest of the army and those of the Romans who had been captured he marched away into the land of Persia.  Such, then, were the events which took place in the second invasion of Chosroes.  And Belisarius went to Byzantium at the summons of the emperor, and passed the winter there.

XX

[542 A.D.] At the opening of spring Chosroes, the son of Cabades, for the third time began an invasion into the land of the Romans with a mighty army, keeping the River Euphrates on the right.  And Candidus, the priest of Sergiopolis, upon learning that the Median army had come near there, began to be afraid both for himself and for the city, since he had by no means carried out at the appointed time the agreement which he had made[15]; accordingly he went into the camp of the enemy and entreated Chosroes not to be angry with him because of this.  For as for money, he had never had any, and for this reason he had not even wished in the first place to deliver the inhabitants of Sura, and though he had supplicated the Emperor Justinian many times on their behalf, he had failed to receive any help from him.  But Chosroes put him under guard, and, torturing him most cruelly, claimed the right to exact from him double the amount of money, just as had been agreed.  And Candidus entreated him to send men to Sergiopolis to take all the treasures of the sanctuary there.  And when Chosroes followed this suggestion, Candidus sent some of his followers with them.  So the inhabitants of Sergiopolis, receiving into the city the men sent by Chosroes, gave them many of the treasures, declaring that nothing else was left them.  But Chosroes said that these were by no means sufficient for him, and demanded that he should receive others still more than these.  Accordingly he sent men, ostensibly to search out with all diligence the wealth of the city, but in reality to take possession of the city.  But since it was fated that Sergiopolis should not be taken by the Persians, one of the Saracens, who,