and
desire for peace, decided to invade the land of these barbarians, first
revealing their plan to the Persians. Then they fell upon them
unexpectedly and killed almost the whole population, old and young
alike. Thereupon Pacurius, who was overjoyed at the deed, sent certain
of his trusted friends to Arsaces, and giving him pledges of security,
invited him to his presence. And when Arsaces came to him he shewed him
every kindness, and treated him as a brother on an equal footing with
himself. Then he bound him by the most solemn oaths, and he himself
swore likewise, that in very truth the Persians and Armenians should
thenceforth be friends and allies to each other; thereafter he
straightway dismissed Arsaces to return to his own country.

Not long after this certain persons slandered Arsaces, saying that he
was purposing to undertake some seditious enterprise. Pacurius was
persuaded by these men and again summoned him, intimating that he was
anxious to confer with him on general matters. And he, without any
hesitation at all, came to the king, taking with him several of the most
warlike among the Armenians, and among them Bassicius, who was at once
his general and counsellor; for he was both brave and sagacious to a
remarkable degree. Straightway, then, Pacurius heaped reproach and abuse
upon both Arsaces and Bassicius, because, disregarding the sworn
compact, they had so speedily turned their thoughts toward secession.
They, however, denied the charge, and swore most insistently that no
such thing had been considered by them. At first, therefore, Pacurius
kept them under guard in disgrace, but after a time he enquired of the
Magi what should be done with them. Now the Magi deemed it by no means
just to condemn men who denied their guilt and had not been explicitly
found guilty, but they suggested to him an artifice by which Arsaces
himself might be compelled to become openly his own accuser. They bade
him cover the floor of the royal tent with earth, one half from the land
of Persia, and the other half from Armenia. This the king did as
directed. Then the Magi, after putting the whole tent under a spell by
means of some magic rites, bade the king take his walk there in company
with Arsaces, reproaching him meanwhile with having violated the sworn
agreement. They said, further, that they too must be present at the
conversation, for in this way there would be witnesses of all that was
said. Accordingly Pacurius straigh