made[15]; accordingly he went into the camp of the enemy and
entreated Chosroes not to be angry with him because of this. For as for
money, he had never had any, and for this reason he had not even wished
in the first place to deliver the inhabitants of Sura, and though he had
supplicated the Emperor Justinian many times on their behalf, he had
failed to receive any help from him. But Chosroes put him under guard,
and, torturing him most cruelly, claimed the right to exact from him
double the amount of money, just as had been agreed. And Candidus
entreated him to send men to Sergiopolis to take all the treasures of
the sanctuary there. And when Chosroes followed this suggestion,
Candidus sent some of his followers with them. So the inhabitants of
Sergiopolis, receiving into the city the men sent by Chosroes, gave them
many of the treasures, declaring that nothing else was left them. But
Chosroes said that these were by no means sufficient for him, and
demanded that he should receive others still more than these.
Accordingly he sent men, ostensibly to search out with all diligence the
wealth of the city, but in reality to take possession of the city. But
since it was fated that Sergiopolis should not be taken by the Persians,
one of the Saracens, who, though a Christian, was serving under
Alamoundaras, Ambrus by name, came by night along the wall of the city,
and reporting to them the whole plan, bade them by no means receive the
Persians into the city. Thus those who were sent by Chosroes returned to
him unsuccessful, and he, boiling with anger, began to make plans to
capture the city. He accordingly sent an army of six thousand,
commanding them to begin a siege and to make assaults upon the
fortifications. And this army came there and commenced active
operations, and the citizens of Sergiopolis at first defended themselves
vigorously, but later they gave up, and in terror at the danger, they
were purposing to give over the city to the enemy. For, as it happened,
they had not more than two hundred soldiers. But Ambrus, again coming
along by the fortifications at night, said that within two days the
Persians would raise the siege since their water supply had failed them
absolutely. For this reason they did not by any means open negotiations
with the enemy, and the barbarians, suffering with thirst, removed from
there and came to Chosroes. However, Chosroes never released Candidus.
For it was necessary, I suppose, that sinc