But the Emperor Justinian, upon learning of the inroad of the Persians,
immediately sent his nephew Germanus with three hundred followers in
great disorder, promising that after no great time a numerous army would
follow. And Germanus, upon reaching Antioch, went around the whole
circuit of the wall; and the greater part of it he found secure, for
along that portion of it which lies on the level ground the River
Orontes flows, making it everywhere difficult of access, and the portion
which is on higher ground rises upon steep hills and is quite
inaccessible to the enemy; but when he attained the highest point, which
the men of that place are accustomed to call Orocasias, he noticed that
the wall at that point was very easy to assail. For there happens to be
in that place a rock, which spreads out to a very considerable width,
and rises to a height only a little less than the fortifications. He
therefore commanded that they should either cut off the rock by making a
deep ditch along the wall, lest anyone should essay to mount from there
upon the fortifications, or that they should build upon it a great tower
and connect its structure with the wall of the city. But to the
architects of public buildings it seemed that neither one of these
things should be done. For, as they said, the work would not be
completed in a short time with the attack of the enemy so imminent,
while if they began this work and did not carry it to completion, they
would do nothing else than shew to the enemy at what point in the wall
they should make their attack. Germanus, though disappointed in this
plan, had some hope at first because he expected an army from Byzantium.
But when, after considerable time had passed, no army arrived from the
emperor nor was expected to arrive, he began to fear lest Chosroes,
learning that the emperor's nephew was there, would consider it more
important than any other thing to capture Antioch and himself, and for
this reason would neglect everything else and come against the city with