towns of Mesopotamia utterly unguarded, and himself with the rest of the
army went to meet the invasion; and crossing the River Euphrates they
moved forward in great haste. Now the Roman army amounted to about
twenty thousand foot and horse, and among them not less than two
thousand were Isaurians. The commanders of cavalry were all the same
ones who had previously fought the battle at Daras with Mirranes and the
Persians, while the infantry were commanded by one of the body-guards of
the Emperor Justinian, Peter by name. The Isaurians, however, were under
the command of Longinus and Stephanacius. Arethas also came there to
join them with the Saracen army. When they reached the city of Chalcis,
they encamped and remained there, since they learned that the enemy were
in a place called Gabboulon, one hundred and ten stades away from
Chalcis. When this became known to Alamoundaras and Azarethes, they were
terrified at the danger, and no longer continued their advance, but
decided to retire homeward instantly. Accordingly they began to march
back, with the River Euphrates on the left, while the Roman army was
following in the rear. And in the spot where the Persians bivouacked
each night the Romans always tarried on the following night. For
Belisarius purposely refused to allow the army to make any longer march
because he did not wish to come to an engagement with the enemy, but he
considered that it was sufficient for them that the Persians and
Alamoundaras, after invading the land of the Romans, should retire from
it in such a fashion, betaking themselves to their own land without
accomplishing anything. And because of this all secretly mocked him,
both officers and soldiers, but not a man reproached him to his face.

Finally the Persians made their bivouac on the bank of the Euphrates
just opposite the city of Callinicus. From there they were about to
march through a country absolutely uninhabited by man, and thus to quit
the land of the Romans; for they purposed no longer to proceed as