assailants with the greatest
vigour. Belisarius therefore called together all the officers and spoke
as follows: "Experience in many wars, fellow officers, has made it
possible for us in difficult situations to foresee what will come to
pass, and has made us capable of avoiding disaster by choosing the
better course. You understand, therefore, how great a mistake it is for
an army to proceed into a hostile land, when many strongholds and many
fighting men in them have been left in the rear. Now exactly this has
happened to us in the present case. For if we continue our advance, some
of the enemy from this place as well as from the city of Nisibis will
follow us secretly and will, in all probability, handle us roughly in
places which are for them conveniently adapted for an ambuscade or some
other sort of attack. And if, by any chance, a second army confronts us
and opens battle, it will be necessary for us to array ourselves against
both, and we should thus suffer irreparable harm at their hands. And in
saying this I do not mention the fact that if we fail in the engagement,
should it so happen, we shall after that have absolutely no way of
return left to the land of the Romans. Let us not therefore by reason of
most ill-considered haste seem to have been our own despoilers, nor by
our eagerness for strife do harm to the cause of the Romans. For stupid
daring leads to destruction, but discreet hesitation is well adapted
always to save those who adopt such a course. Let us therefore establish
ourselves here and endeavour to capture this fortress, and let Arethas
with his forces be sent into the country of Assyria. For the Saracens
are by nature unable to storm a wall, but the cleverest of all men at
plundering. And some of the soldiers who are good fighters will join
them in the invasion, so that, if no opposition presents itself to them,
they may overwhelm those who fall in their way, and if any hostile force
encounters them, they may be saved easily by retiring to us. And after
we have captured the fortress, if God wills, then with the whole army
let us cross the River Tigris, without having to fear mischief from
anyone in our rear, and knowing well how matters stand with the
Assyrians."

These words of Belisarius seemed to all well spoken, and he straightway
put the plan into execution. Accordingly he commanded Arethas with his
troops to advance into Assyria, and with them he sent twelve hundred
soldiers, the most of