They provided screens of goat’s hair cloth, of the kind which are called Cilician, making them of adequate thickness and height, and attached them to long pieces of wood which they always set before those who were working on the “agesta"[22] (for thus the Romans used to call in the Latin tongue the thing which they were making).  Behind this neither ignited arrows nor any other weapon could reach the workmen, but all of them were thrown back by the screens and stopped there.  And then the Romans, falling into a great fear, sent the envoys to Chosroes in great trepidation, and with them Stephanus, a physician of marked learning among those of his time at any rate, who also had once cured Cabades, the son of Perozes, when ill, and had been made master of great wealth by him.  He, therefore, coming into the presence of Chosroes with the others, spoke as follows:  “It has been agreed by all from of old that kindness is the mark of a good king.  Therefore, most mighty King, while busying thyself with murders and battles and the enslavement of cities it will perhaps be possible for thee to win the other names, but thou wilt never by any means have the reputation of being ‘good.’  And yet least of all cities should Edessa suffer any adversity at thy hand.  For there was I born, who, without any foreknowledge of what was coming to pass, fostered thee from childhood and counselled thy father to appoint thee his successor in the kingdom, so that to thee I have proved the chief cause of the kingship of Persia, but to my fatherland of her present woes.  For men, as a general thing, bring down upon their own heads the most of the misfortunes which are going to befall them.  But if any remembrance of such benefaction comes to thy mind, do us no further injury, and grant me this requital, by which, O King, thou wilt escape the reputation of being most cruel.”  Such were the words of Stephanus.  But Chosroes declared that he would not depart from there until the Romans should deliver to him Peter and Peranius, seeing that, being his hereditary slaves, they had dared to array themselves against him.  And if it was not their pleasure to do this, the Romans must choose one of two alternatives, either to give the Persians five hundred centenaria of gold, or to receive into the city some of his associates who would search out all the money, both gold and silver, as much as was there, and bring it to him, allowing everything else to remain in the possession of the present owners.  Such then were the words which Chosroes hurled forth, being in hopes of capturing Edessa with no trouble.  And the ambassadors (since all the conditions which he had announced to them seemed impossible), in despair and great vexation, proceeded to the city.  And when they had come inside the city-wall, they reported the message from Chosroes, and the whole city was filled with tumult and lamentation.