Goths who had not followed Theoderic when he went from Thrace into Italy, both of them men of the noblest birth and experienced in matters pertaining to warfare; many others, too, who were men of high station, joined this army.  For such an army, they say, was never assembled by the Romans against the Persians either before or after that time.  However, all these men did not assemble in one body, nor did they form a single army as they marched, but each commander by himself led his own division separately against the enemy.  And as manager of the finances of the army Apion, an Aegyptian, was sent, a man of eminence among the patricians and extremely energetic; and the emperor in a written statement declared him partner in the royal power, in order that he might have authority to administer the finances as he wished.

Now this army was mustered with considerable delay, and advanced with little speed.  As a result of this they did not find the barbarians in the Roman territory; for the Persians had made their attack suddenly, and had immediately withdrawn with all their booty to their own land.  Now no one of the generals desired for the present to undertake the siege of the garrison left in Amida, for they learned that they had carried in a large supply of provisions; but they made haste to invade the land of the enemy.  However they did not advance together against the barbarians but they encamped apart from one another as they proceeded.  When Cabades learned this (for he happened to be close by), he came with all speed to the Roman frontier and confronted them.  But the Romans had not yet learned that Cabades was moving against them with his whole force, and they supposed that some small Persian army was there.  Accordingly the forces of Areobindus established their camp in a place called Arzamon, at a distance of two days’ journey from the city of Constantina, and those of Patricius and Hypatius in a place called Siphrios, which is distant not less than three hundred and fifty stades from the city of Amida.  As for Celer, he had not yet arrived.

Areobindus, when he ascertained that Cabades was coming upon them with his whole army, abandoned his camp, and, in company with all his men, turned to flight and retired on the run to Constantina.  And the enemy, coming up not long afterwards, captured the camp without a man in it and all the money it contained.  From there they advanced swiftly against the other Roman army.  Now the troops of Patricius and Hypatius had happened upon eight hundred Ephthalitae who were marching in advance of the Persian army, and they had killed practically all of them.  Then, since they had learned nothing of Cabades and the Persian army, supposing that they had won the victory, they began to conduct themselves with less caution.  At any rate they had stacked their arms and were preparing themselves a lunch; for already the appropriate time of day was drawing near.  Now a small stream flowed in this place and in it the Romans began to wash the