rest of the Persian army into the
city. For word had been sent previously to the commander of the city of
Nisibis to conceal a large force of soldiers near by and hold them in
readiness. For in this way Chosroes thought that they would destroy all
the Romans with no trouble, and seizing the city of Daras, would hold it
securely. But someone who knew well what was being arranged, a Roman who
had come to the Persians as a deserter a little earlier, told everything
to George, who was staying there at the time; now this was the same man
whom I mentioned in the preceding pages[25] as having persuaded the
Persians who were besieged in the fortress of Sisauranon to surrender
themselves to the Romans. George therefore met this ambassador at the
boundary line between Roman and Persian soil and said that this thing he
was doing was not after the fashion of an embassy, and that never had so
numerous a body of Persians stopped for the night in a city of the
Romans. For he ought, he said, to have left behind all the rest in the
town of Ammodios, and must himself enter the city of Daras with some few
men. Now Isdigousnas was indignant and appeared to take it ill, because
he had been insulted wrongfully, in spite of the fact that he was
dispatched on an embassy to the Roman emperor. But George, paying no
heed to him in his fury, saved the city for the Romans. For he received
Isdigousnas into the city with only twenty men.

So having failed in this attempt, the barbarian came to Byzantium as if
on an embassy, bringing with him his wife and two daughters (for this
was his pretext for the crowd which had been gathered about him); but
when he came before the emperor, he was unable to say anything great or
small about any serious matter, although he wasted no less than ten
months in Roman territory. However, he gave the emperor the gifts from
Chosroes, as is customary, and a letter, in which Chosroes requested the
Emperor Justinian to send word whether he was enjoying the best possible
health. Nevertheless the Emperor Justinian received this Isdigousnas
with more friendliness and treated him with greater honour than any of
the other ambassadors of whom we know. So true was this that, whenever
he entertained him, he caused Braducius, who followed him as
interpreter, to recline with him on the couch, a thing which had never
before happened in all time. For no one ever saw an interpreter become a
table-companion of even one of the more humble