went into Cilicia. There too came Germanus not long afterwards, taking
with him some few men but leaving the most of them in Antioch.

Megas then came in haste to Beroea, and in vexation at what had taken
place, he charged Chosroes with having treated the Beroeans
outrageously; for while, as it seemed, he had sent him to Antioch to
arrange the treaty, he had both plundered the property of the citizens,
though they had committed no wrong at all, and had compelled them to
shut themselves up in that fortress, and had then set fire to the city
and razed it to the ground in defiance of right. To this Chosroes
replied as follows: "Verily, my friend, you yourself are responsible for
these things, in having compelled us to delay here; for as it is, you
have arrived, not at the appointed time, but far behind it. And as for
the strange conduct of your fellow-citizens, my most excellent sir, why
should one make speeches of great length? For after agreeing to give us
a fixed amount of silver for their own safety, they even now do not
think it necessary to fulfil the agreement, but placing such complete
confidence in the strength of their position, they are disregarding us
absolutely, while we are compelled to undertake the siege of a fortress,
as you surely see. But for my part, I have hope that with the help of
the gods I shall have vengeance upon them shortly, and execute upon the
guilty the punishment for the Persians whom I have lost wrongfully
before this wall." So spoke Chosroes, and Megas replied as follows: "If
one should consider that as king thou art making these charges against
men who are in pitiable and most dishonoured plight, he would be
compelled without a word of protest to agree with what thou hast said;
for authority which is unlimited is bound by its very nature to carry
with it also supremacy in argument; but if one be permitted to shake off
all else and to espouse the truth of the matter, thou wouldst have, O
King, nothing with which justly to reproach us; but mayst thou hear all