Persians more sparingly than they were needed. For to the Romans who had
remained with them in the city, as I have stated above, they had decided
to dispense nothing at all from the time when their enemy began the
siege; and so these men at first resorted to unaccustomed foods and laid
hold on every forbidden thing, and at the last they even tasted each
other's blood. So the generals realized that they had been deceived by
the barbarians, and they reproached the soldiers for their lack of
self-control, because they had shewn themselves wanting in obedience to
them, when it was possible to capture as prisoners of war such a
multitude of Persians and the son of Glones and the city itself, while
they had in consequence attached to themselves signal disgrace by
carrying Roman money to the enemy, and had taken Amida from the Persians
by purchasing it with silver. [506 A.D.] After this the Persians, since
their war with the Huns kept dragging on, entered into a treaty with the
Romans, which was arranged by them for seven years, and was made by the
Roman Celer and the Persian Aspebedes; both armies then retired homeward
and remained at peace. Thus, then, as has been told, began the war of
the Romans and the Persians, and to this end did it come. But I shall
now turn to the narration of the events touching the Caspian Gates.

X

The Taurus mountain range of Cilicia passes first Cappadocia and Armenia
and the land of the so-called Persarmenians, then also Albania and
Iberia and all the other countries in this region, both independent and
subject to Persia. For it extends to a great distance, and as one
proceeds along this range, it always spreads out to an extraordinary
breadth and rises to an imposing height. And as one passes beyond the
boundary of Iberia there is a sort of path in a very narrow passage,
extending for a distance of fifty stades. This path terminates in a
place cut off by cliffs and, as it seems, absolutely impossible to pass
through. For from there no way out appears, except indeed a small gate
set there by nature, just as if it had been made by the hand of man,
which has been called from of old the Caspian Gates. From there on there
are plains suitable for riding and extremely well watered, and extensive
tracts used as pasture land for horses, and level besides. Here almost
all the nations of the Huns are settled, extending as far as the Maeotic
lake. Now if these Huns go through the gate which I have jus