e hoped that
the subjugation of Lazica would afford this advantage to the Persians,
that starting from there they might overrun with no trouble both by land
and by sea the countries along the Euxine Sea, as it is called, and thus
win over the Cappadocians and the Galatians and Bithynians who adjoin
them, and capture Byzantium by a sudden assault with no one opposing
them. For these reasons, then, Chosroes was anxious to gain possession
of Lazica, but in the Lazi he had not the least confidence. For since
the time when the Romans had withdrawn from Lazica, the common people of
the country naturally found the Persian rule burdensome. For the
Persians are beyond all other men singular in their ways, and they are
excessively rigid as regards the routine of daily life. And their laws
are difficult of access for all men, and their requirements quite
unbearable. But in comparison with the Lazi the difference of their
thinking and living shews itself in an altogether exceptional degree,
since the Lazi are Christians of the most thorough-going kind, while all
the Persian views regarding religion are the exact opposite of theirs.
And apart from this, salt is produced nowhere in Lazica, nor indeed does
grain grow there nor the vine nor any other good thing. But from the
Romans along the coast everything is brought in to them by ship, and
even so they do not pay gold to the traders, but hides and slaves and
whatever else happens to be found there in great abundance; and when
they were excluded from this trade, they were, as was to be expected, in
a state of constant vexation. When, therefore, Chosroes perceived this,
he was eager to anticipate with certainty any move on their part to
revolt against him. And upon considering the matter, it seemed to him to
be the most advantageous course to put Goubazes, the king of the Lazi,
out of the way as quickly as possible, and to move the Lazi in a body
out of the country, and then to colonize this land with Persians and
certain other nations.

When Chosroes had matured these plans, he sent Isdigousnas to Byzantium,
ostensibly to act as an envoy, and he picked out five hundred of the
most valorous of the Persians and sent them with him, directing them to
get inside the city of Daras, and to take their lodgings in many
different houses, and at night to set these all on fire, and, while all
the Romans were occupied with this fire, as was natural, to open the
gates immediately, and receive the