it was that, considering everything else
of less account, he wished to allow the Roman soldiers freely to avail
themselves of the chance for flight. For this reason too the Persians
also made signs to the fugitives with their hands, urging them to flee
as quickly as possible. So the soldiers of the Romans together with
their commanders took a hasty departure, all of them, through the gate
which leads to Daphne, the suburb of Antioch; for from this gate alone
the Persians kept away while the others were seized; and of the populace
some few escaped with the soldiers. Then when the Persians saw that all
the Roman soldiers had gone on, they descended from the height and got
into the middle of the city. There, however, many of the young men of
Antioch engaged in battle with them, and at first they seemed to have
the upper hand in the conflict. Some of them were in heavy armour, but
the majority were unarmed and using only stones as missiles. And pushing
back the enemy they raised the paean, and with shouts proclaimed the
Emperor Justinian triumphant, as if they had won the victory.

At this point Chosroes, seated on the tower which is on the height,
summoned the ambassadors, wishing to say something. And one of his
officers, Zaberganes, thinking that he wished to have words with the
ambassadors concerning a settlement, came quickly before the king and
spoke as follows: "Thou dost not seem to me, O Master, to think in the
same way as do the Romans concerning the safety of these men. For they
both before fighting offer insults to thy kingdom, and when they are
defeated dare the impossible and do the Persians irreparable harm, as if
fearing lest some reason for shewing them humanity should be left in
thee; but thou art wishing to pity those who do not ask to be saved, and
hast shewn zeal to spare those who by no means wish it. Meanwhile these
men have set an ambush in a captured city and are destroying the victors
by means of snares, although all the soldiers have long since fled from
them." When Chosroes heard this, he sent a large number of the best
troops against them, and these not long afterwards returned and
announced that nothing untoward had come to pass. For already the
Persians had forced back the citizens by their numbers and turned them
to flight, and a great slaughter took place there. For the Persians did
not spare persons of any age and were slaying all whom they met, old and
young alike. At that time they say th