nt with an oath, and much
more ready to forget completely the things lately agreed to and sworn to
by him, and for the sake of money to debase his soul without reluctance
to every act of pollution--a past master at feigning piety in his
countenance, and absolving himself in words from the responsibility of
the act. This man well displayed his own peculiar character on a certain
occasion at Sura; for after he had hoodwinked the inhabitants of the
city by a trick and had destroyed them in the manner which I have
described, although they had previously done him no wrong at all, he
saw, while the city was being captured, a comely woman and one not of
lowly station being dragged by her left hand with great violence by one
of the barbarians; and the child, which she had only lately weaned, she
was unwilling to let go, but was dragging it with her other hand,
fallen, as it was, to the ground since it was not able to keep pace with
that violent running. And they say that he uttered a pretended groan,
and making it appear to all who were present at that time including
Anastasius the ambassador that he was all in tears, he prayed God to
exact vengeance from the man who was guilty of the troubles which had
come to pass. Now Justinian, the Emperor of the Romans, was the one whom
he wished to have understood, though he knew well that he himself was
most responsible for everything. Endowed with such a singular nature
Chosroes both became King of the Persians (for ill fortune had deprived
Zames of his eye, he who in point of years had first right to the
kingdom, at any rate after Caoses, whom Cabades for no good reason
hated), and with no difficulty he conquered those who revolted against
him, and all the harm which he purposed to do the Romans he accomplished
easily. For every time when Fortune wishes to make a man great, she does
at the fitting times those things which she has decided upon, with no
one standing against the force of her will; and she neither regards the
man's station, nor purposes to prevent the occurrence of things which
ought not to be, nor does she give heed that many will blaspheme against
her because of these things, mocking scornfully at that which has been
done by her contrary to the deserts of the man who receives her favour;
nor does she take into consideration anything else at all, if only she
accomplish the thing which has been decided upon by her. But as for
these matters, let them be as God wishes.

Chos