rivers, and it spreads out to a great width.  Moreover it has such a strong current that when it empties into the sea, it goes on as a separate stream for a very great distance, without mingling at all with the sea-water.  Indeed, those who navigate in those parts are able to draw up drinking water in the midst of the sea.  Moreover, the Lazi have erected fortresses all along the right bank of the river, in order that, even when the enemy are ferried across in boats, they may not be able to disembark on the land.

The Emperor Justinian at this time sent to the nation of the Sabeiri the money which had been agreed upon, and he rewarded Goubazes and the Lazi with additional sums of money.  And it happened that long before this time he had sent another considerable army also to Lazica, which had not yet arrived there.  The commander of this army was Rhecithancus, from Thrace, a man of discretion and a capable warrior.  Such then was the course of these events.

Now when Mermeroes got into the mountains, as I have said, he was anxious to fill Petra with provisions from there.  For he did not by any means think that the victuals which they had brought in with them would suffice for the garrison there, amounting to three thousand men.  But since the supplies they found along the way barely sufficed for the provisioning of that army, which numbered no less than thirty thousand, and since on this account they were able to send nothing at all of consequence to Petra, upon consideration he found it better for them that the greater part of the army should depart from the land of Colchis, and that some few should remain there, who were to convey to the garrison in Petra the most of the provisions which they might find, while using the rest to maintain themselves comfortably.  He therefore selected five thousand men and left them there, appointing as commanders over them Phabrizus and three others.  For it seemed to him unnecessary to leave more men there, since there was no enemy at all.  And he himself with the rest of the army came into Persarmenia and remained quietly in the country around Doubios.

Now the five thousand, upon coming nearer to the frontier of Lazica, encamped in a body beside the Phasis River, and from there they went about in small bands and plundered the neighbouring country.  Now when Goubazes perceived this, he sent word to Dagisthaeus to hasten there to his assistance:  for it would be possible for them to do the enemy some great harm.  And he did as directed, moving forward with the whole Roman army with the River Phasis on the left, until he came to the place where the Lazi where encamped on the opposite bank of the river.  Now it happened that the Phasis could be forded at this point, a fact which neither the Romans nor the Persians suspected in the least because of their lack of familiarity with these regions; but the Lazi knew it well, and they made the crossing suddenly and joined the Roman army.  And the Persians chose out a thousand men