hen a great number of
Persians had come to the assistance of the Huns, the barbarians
succeeded in detaching something of a flock from there, but Roman
soldiers and some of the populace made a sally upon the enemy and the
battle became a hand-to-hand struggle; meanwhile the flock of its own
accord returned again to the shepherds. Now one of the Huns who was
fighting before the others was making more trouble for the Romans than
all the rest. And some rustic made a good shot and hit him on the right
knee with a sling, and he immediately fell headlong from his horse to
the ground, which thing heartened the Romans still more. And the battle
which had begun early in the morning ended at midday, and both sides
withdrew from the engagement thinking that they had the advantage. So
the Romans went inside the fortifications, while the barbarians pitched
their tents and made camp in a body about seven stades from the city.

Then Chosroes either saw some vision or else the thought occurred to him
that if, after making two attempts, he should not be able to capture
Edessa, he would thereby cover himself with much disgrace. Accordingly
he decided to sell his withdrawal to the citizens of Edessa for a great
sum of money. On the following day, therefore, Paulus the interpreter
came along by the wall and said that some of the Roman notables should
be sent to Chosroes. And they with all speed chose out four of their
illustrious men and sent them. When these men reached the Median camp,
they were met according to the king's order by Zaberganes, who first
terrified them with many threats and then enquired of them which course
was the more desirable for them, whether that leading to peace, or that
leading to war. And when the envoys agreed that they would choose peace
rather than the dangers of war, Zaberganes replied: "Therefore it is
necessary for you to purchase this for a great sum of money." And the
envoys said that they would give as much as they had provided before,
when he came against them after capturing Antioch. And Zaberganes
dismissed them with laughter, telling them to deliberate most carefully
concerning their safety and then to come again to the Persians. And a
little later Chosroes summoned them, and when they came before him, he
recounted how many Roman towns he had previously enslaved and in what
manner he had accomplished it; then he threatened that the inhabitants
of Edessa would receive more direful treatment at the han