four generals: Areobindus, at that time General of the East, the
son-in-law of Olyvrius, who had been Emperor in the West not long
before; Celer, commander of the palace troops (this officer the Romans
are accustomed to call "magister"); besides these still, there were the
commanders of troops in Byzantium, Patricias, the Phrygian, and
Hypatius, the nephew of the emperor; these four, then, were the
generals. With them also was associated Justinus, who at a later time
became emperor upon the death of Anastasius, and Patriciolus with his
son Vitalianus, who raised an armed insurrection against the Emperor
Anastasius not long afterwards and made himself tyrant; also
Pharesmanes, a native of Colchis, and a man of exceptional ability as a
warrior, and the Goths Godidisklus and Bessas, who were among those
Goths who had not followed Theoderic when he went from Thrace into
Italy, both of them men of the noblest birth and experienced in matters
pertaining to warfare; many others, too, who were men of high station,
joined this army. For such an army, they say, was never assembled by the
Romans against the Persians either before or after that time. However,
all these men did not assemble in one body, nor did they form a single
army as they marched, but each commander by himself led his own division
separately against the enemy. And as manager of the finances of the army
Apion, an Aegyptian, was sent, a man of eminence among the patricians
and extremely energetic; and the emperor in a written statement declared
him partner in the royal power, in order that he might have authority to
administer the finances as he wished.

Now this army was mustered with considerable delay, and advanced with
little speed. As a result of this they did not find the barbarians in
the Roman territory; for the Persians had made their attack suddenly,
and had immediately withdrawn with all their booty to their own land.
Now no one of the generals desired for the present to undertake the