d. And the flame,
rising little by little, weakened the stones, and all of a sudden shook
the whole tower violently and straightway brought it down to the ground.
And the Romans who were on the tower perceived what was being done in
sufficient time so that they did not fall with it to the ground, but
they fled and got inside the city wall. And now it was possible for the
enemy to storm the wall from the level, and thus with no trouble to take
the city by force. The Romans, therefore, in terror, opened negotiations
with the barbarians, and receiving from Chosroes pledges concerning
their lives and their property, they surrendered to him both themselves
and the city. [541 A.D.] Thus Chosroes captured Petra. And finding the
treasures of John, which were extremely rich, he took them himself, but
besides this neither he himself nor anyone else of the Persians touched
anything, and the Romans, retaining their own possessions, mingled with
the Median army.

XVIII

Meantime Belisarius and the Roman army, having learned nothing of what
was being done there, were going in excellent order from the city of
Daras toward Nisibis. And when they had reached the middle of their
journey, Belisarius led the army to the right where there were abundant
springs of water and level ground sufficient for all to camp upon. And
there he gave orders to make a camp at about forty-two stades from the
city of Nisibis. But all the others marvelled greatly that he did not
wish to camp close to the fortifications, and some were quite unwilling
to follow him. Belisarius therefore addressed those of the officers who
were about him thus: "It was not my wish to disclose to all what I am
thinking. For talk carried about through a camp cannot keep secrets, for
it advances little by little until it is carried out even to the enemy.
But seeing that the majority of you are allowing yourselves to act in a
most disorderly manner, and that each one wishes to be himself supreme
commander in the war, I shall now say among you things about which one
ought to keep silence, mentioning, however, this first, that when many
in an army follow independent judgments it is impossible that anything
needful be done. Now I think that Chosroes, in going against other
barbarians, has by no means left his own land without sufficient
protection, and in particular this city which is of the first rank and
is set as a defence to his whole land. In this city I know well that he
has s