the counsels of each king are looking toward peace, and although our envoys are already present in the neighbourhood, who will at no distant time settle all the points of dispute in talking over the situation together, unless some irreparable harm coming from your invasion proves sufficient to frustrate for us this hope.  But lead away as soon as possible your army to the land of the Persians, and do not stand in the way of the greatest blessings, lest at some time you be held responsible by the Persians, as is probable, for the disasters which will come to pass.”  When the mirranes saw this letter brought to him, he replied as follows:  “I should have been persuaded by what you write, and should have done what you demand, were the letter not, as it happens, from Romans, for whom the making of promises is easy, but the fulfilment of the promises in deed most difficult and beyond hope, especially if you sanction the agreement by any oaths.  We, therefore, despairing in view of your deception, have been compelled to come before you in arms, and as for you, my dear Romans, consider that from now on you will be obliged to do nothing else than make war against the Persians.  For here we shall be compelled either to die or grow old until you accord to us justice in deed.”  Such was the reply which the mirranes wrote back.  And again Belisarius and his generals wrote as follows:  “O excellent mirranes, it is not fitting in all things to depend upon boasting, nor to lay upon one’s neighbours reproaches which are justified on no grounds whatever.  For we said with truth that Rufinus had come to act as an envoy and was not far away, and you yourself will know this at no remote time.  But since you are eager for deeds of war, we shall array ourselves against you with the help of God, who will, we know, support us in the danger, being moved by the peaceful inclination of the Romans, but rebuking the boastfulness of the Persians and your decision to resist us when we invite you to peace.  And we shall array ourselves against you, having prepared for the conflict by fastening the letters written by each of us on the top of our banners.”  Such was the message of this letter.  And the mirranes again answered as follows:  “Neither are we entering upon the war without our gods, and with their help we shall come before you, and I expect that on the morrow they will bring the Persians into Daras.  But let the bath and lunch be in readiness for me within the fortifications.”  When Belisarius and his generals read this, they prepared themselves for the conflict.

On the succeeding day the mirranes called together all the Persians at about sunrise and spoke as follows:  “I am not ignorant that it is not because of words of their leaders, but because of their individual bravery and their shame before each other that the Persians are accustomed to be courageous in the presence of dangers.  But seeing you considering why in the world it is that, although the Romans have not