extraordinary love (for she was exceedingly beautiful to look upon), and
had made her his wedded wife. He sent, accordingly, to Sergiopolis, a
city subject to the Romans, named from Sergius, a famous saint, distant
from the captured city one hundred and twenty-six stades and lying to
the south of it in the so-called Barbarian Plain, and bade Candidus, the
bishop of the city, purchase the captives, twelve thousand in number,
for two centenaria. But the bishop, alleging that he had no money,
refused absolutely to undertake the matter. Chosroes therefore requested
him to set down in a document the agreement that he would give the money
at a later time, and thus to purchase for a small sum such a multitude
of slaves. Candidus did as directed, promising to give the money within
a year, and swore the most dire oaths, specifying that he should receive
the following punishment if he should not give the money at the time
agreed upon, that he should pay double the amount and should himself be
no longer a priest, as one who had neglected his sworn promise. And
after setting down these things in writing, Candidus received all the
inhabitants of Sura. And some few among them survived, but the majority,
unable to support the misery which had fallen to their lot, succumbed
soon afterwards. After the settlement of this affair Chosroes led his
army forward.


VI

It had happened a little before this that the emperor had divided into
two parts the military command of the East, leaving the portion as far
as the River Euphrates under the control of Belisarius who formerly held
the command of the whole, while the portion from there as far as the
Persian boundary he entrusted to Bouzes, commanding him to take charge
of the whole territory of the East until Belisarius should return from