were they willing to receive his proposals. But there was a certain man
of the Arsacidae who was especially friendly with him, John by name, the
father of Artabanes, and this man, trusting in Bouzes as his friend came
to him with his son-in-law, Bassaces, and a few others; but when these
men had reached the spot where they were to meet Bouzes on the following
day, and had made their bivouac there, they perceived that they had come
into a place surrounded by the Roman army. Bassaces, the son-in-law,
therefore earnestly entreated John to fly. And since he was not able to
persuade him, he left him there alone, and in company with all the
others eluded the Romans, and went back again by the same road. And
Bouzes found John alone and slew him; and since after this the Armenians
had no hope of ever reaching an agreement with the Romans, and since
they were unable to prevail over the emperor in war, they came before
the Persian king led by Bassaces, an energetic man. And the leading men
among them came at that time into the presence of Chosroes and spoke as
follows: "Many of us, O Master, are Arsacidae, descendants of that
Arsaces who was not unrelated to the Parthian kings when the Persian
realm lay under the hand of the Parthians, and who proved himself an
illustrious king, inferior to none of his time. Now we have come to
thee, and all of us have become slaves and fugitives, not, however, of
our own will, but under most hard constraint, as it might seem by reason
of the Roman power, but in truth, O King, by reason of thy
decision,--if, indeed, he who gives the strength to those who wish to do
injustice should himself justly bear also the blame of their misdeeds.
Now we shall begin our account from a little distance back in order that
you may be able to follow the whole course of events. Arsaces, the last
king of our ancestors, abdicated his throne willingly in favour of
Theodosius, the Roman Emperor, on condition that all who should belong
to his family through all time should live unhampered in every respect,
and in particular should in no case be subject to taxation. And we have