g to
those who were formerly their own, consider, O Most mighty King, that
such as these are the Lazi. For the Colchians in ancient times, as
allies of the Persians, rendered them many good services and were
themselves treated in like manner; and of these things there are many
records in books, some of which we have, while others are preserved in
thy palace up to the present time. But at a later time it came about
that our ancestors, whether neglected by you or for some other reason
(for we are unable to ascertain anything certain about this matter),
became allies of the Romans. And now we and the king of Lazica give to
the Persians both ourselves and our land to treat in any way you may
desire. And we beg of you to think thus concerning us: if, on the one
hand, we have suffered nothing outrageous at the hands of the Romans,
but have been prompted by foolish motives in coming to you, reject this
prayer of ours straightway, considering that with you likewise the
Colchians will never be trustworthy (for when a friendship has been
dissolved, a second friendship formed with others becomes, owing to its
character, a matter of reproach); but if we have been in name friends of
the Romans, but in fact their loyal slaves, and have suffered impious
treatment at the hands of those who have tyrannized over us, receive us,
your former allies, and acquire as slaves those whom you used to treat
as friends, and shew your hatred of a cruel tyranny which has risen thus
on our borders, by acting worthily of that justice which it has always
been the tradition of the Persians to defend. For the man who himself
does no wrong is not just, unless he is also accustomed to rescue those
who are wronged by others when he has it in his power. But it is worth
while to tell a few of the things which the accursed Romans have dared
to do against us. In the first place they have left our king only the
form of royal power, while they themselves have appropriated the actual
authority, and he sits a king in the position of a servant, fearing the
general who issues the orders; and they have put upon us a multitude of
soldiery, not in order to guard the land against those who harass us
(for not one of our neighbours except, indeed, the Romans has disturbed
us), but in order that they may confine us as in a prison and make
themselves masters of our possessions. And purposing to make more speedy
the robbery of what we have, behold, O King, what sort of a design