trances into the
village and thus made it still more difficult of access. And in front of
it he dug a sort of trench and stationed the army there, having filled
some old cabins with ambuscades of infantrymen Altogether the Persian
army amounted to four thousand men.

While these things were being done in this way, the Romans reached a
place one day's journey distant from Anglon, and capturing one of the
enemy who was going out as a spy they enquired where in the world
Nabedes was then. And he asserted that the man had retired from Anglon
with the whole Median army. And when Narses heard this, he was
indignant, and he heaped reproaches and abuse upon his fellow-commanders
for their hesitation. And others, too, began to do the very same thing,
casting insults upon one another; and from then on, giving up all
thought of battle and danger, they were eager to plunder the country
thereabout. The troops broke camp, accordingly, and without the guidance
of generals and without observing any definite formation, they moved
forward in complete confusion; for neither had they any countersign
among themselves, as is customary in such perilous situations, nor were
they arranged in their proper divisions. For the soldiers marched
forward, mixed in with the baggage train, as if going to the ready
plunder of great wealth. But when they came near to Anglon, they sent
out spies who returned to them announcing the array of the enemy. And
the generals were thunder-struck by the unexpectedness of it, but they
considered it altogether disgraceful and unmanly to turn back with an
army of such great size, and so they disposed the army in its three
divisions, as well as the circumstances permitted, and advanced straight
toward the enemy. Now Peter held the right wing and Valerianus the left,
while Martinus and his men arrayed themselves in the centre. And when
they came close to their opponents, they halted, preserving their
formation, but not without disorder. The cause for this was to be found
in the difficulty of the ground, which was very badly broken up, and in
the fact that they were entering battle in a formation arranged on the
spur of the moment. And up to this time the barbarians, who had gathered
themselves into a small space, were remaining quiet, considering the
strength of their antagonists, since the order had been given them by
Nabedes not under any circumstances to begin the fighting, but if the
enemy should assail them, to defe