choose what is better instead of what is most shameful. Now, therefore,
when things stand thus, I consider that it befits you all to bear in
mind not only the enemy but also your own Lord and so enter this
battle."

After Azarethes also had uttered these words of exhortation, he
stationed the phalanx opposite his opponents, assigning the Persians the
right wing and the Saracens the left. Straightway both sides began the
fight, and the battle was exceedingly fierce. For the arrows, shot from
either side in very great numbers, caused great loss of life in both
armies, while some placed themselves in the interval between the armies
and made a display of valorous deeds against each other, and especially
among the Persians they were falling by the arrows in great numbers. For
while their missiles were incomparably more frequent, since the Persians
are almost all bowmen and they learn to make their shots much more
rapidly than any other men, still the bows which sent the arrows were
weak and not very tightly strung, so that their missiles, hitting a
corselet, perhaps, or helmet or shield of a Roman warrior, were broken
off and had no power to hurt the man who was hit. The Roman bowmen are
always slower indeed, but inasmuch as their bows are extremely stiff and
very tightly strung, and one might add that they are handled by stronger
men, they easily slay much greater numbers of those they hit than do the
Persians, for no armour proves an obstacle to the force of their arrows.
Now already two-thirds of the day had passed, and the battle was still
even. Then by mutual agreement all the best of the Persian army advanced
to attack the Roman right wing, where Arethas and the Saracens had been
stationed. But they broke their formation and moved apart, so that they
got the reputation of having betrayed the Romans to the Persians. For
without awaiting the oncoming enemy they all straightway beat a hasty
retreat. So the Persians in this way broke through the enemy's line and