in great haste to Chosroes. And when the king
enquired of the priest whether it was the will of the citizens of Apamea
to marshal themselves on the wall against the army of the Medes, the
priest replied that no such thing had entered the minds of the men.
"Therefore," said Chosroes, "receive me into the city accompanied by a
few men with all the gates opened wide." And the priest said "Yes, for I
have come here to invite thee to do this very thing." So the whole army
pitched their tents and made camp before the fortifications.

Then Chosroes chose out two hundred of the best of the Persians and
entered the city. But when he had got inside the gates, he forgot
willingly enough what had been agreed upon between himself and the
ambassadors, and he commanded the bishop to give not only one thousand
pounds of silver nor even ten times that amount, but whatsoever
treasures were stored there, being all of gold and silver and of
marvellous great size. And I believe that he would not have shrunk from
enslaving and plundering the whole city, unless some divine providence
had manifestly prevented him; to such a degree did avarice overpower him
and the desire of fame turn his mind. For he thought the enslavement of
the cities a great glory for himself, considering it absolutely nothing
that disregarding treaties and compacts he was performing such deeds
against the Romans. This attitude of Chosroes will be revealed by what
he undertook to do concerning the city of Daras during his withdrawal at
this same time, when he treated his agreements with absolute disregard,
and also by what he did to the citizens of Callinicus a little later in
time of peace, as will be told by me in the following narrative[8]. But
God, as has been said, preserved Apamea. Now when Chosroes had seized
all the treasures, and Thomas saw that he was already intoxicated with
the abundance of the wealth, then bringing out the wood of the cross
with the chest, he opened the chest and displaying the wood said: "O
most mighty King, these alone are left me out of all the treasures. Now
as for this chest (since it is adorned with gold and precious stones),
we do not begrudge thy taking it and keeping it with all the rest, but
this wood here, it is our salvation and precious to us, this, I beg and
entreat thee, give to me." So spoke the priest. And Chosroes yielded and
fulfilled the request.

Afterwards, being filled with a desire for popular applause, he
commanded th