assy openly and straight from the very first words means to make this
Chosroes, whoever he is, the adopted heir of the Roman Emperor. For I
would have you reason thus in this matter: by nature the possessions of
fathers are due to their sons and while the laws among all men are
always in conflict with each other by reason of their varying nature, in
this matter both among the Romans and among all barbarians they are in
agreement and harmony with each other, in that they declare sons to be
masters of their fathers' inheritance. Take this first resolve if you
choose: if you do you must agree to all its consequences."

Thus spoke Proclus; and the emperor and his nephew gave ear to his words
and deliberated upon what should be done. In the meantime Cabades sent
another letter also to the Emperor Justinus, asking him to send men of
repute in order to establish peace with him, and to indicate by letter
the manner in which it would be his desire to accomplish the adoption of
his son. And then, indeed, still more than before Proclus decried the
attempt of the Persians, and insisted that their concern was to make
over to themselves as securely as possible the Roman power. And he
proposed as his opinion that the peace should be concluded with them
with all possible speed, and that the noblest men should be sent by the
emperor for this purpose; and that these men must answer plainly to
Cabades, when he enquired in what manner the adoption of Chosroes should
be accomplished, that it must be of the sort befitting a barbarian, and
his meaning was that the barbarians adopt sons, not by a document, but
by arms and armour[14]. Accordingly the Emperor Justinus dismissed the
envoys, promising that men who were the noblest of the Romans would
follow them not long afterwards, and that they would arrange a
settlement regarding the peace and regarding Chosroes in the best
possible way. He also answered Cabades by letter to the same effect.
Accordingly there were sent from the Romans Hypatius, the nephew of
Anastasius, the late emperor, a patrician who also held the office of
General of the East, and Rufinus, the son of Silvanus, a man of note
among the patricians and known to Cabades through their fathers; from
the Persians came one of great power and high authority, Seoses by name,
whose title was adrastadaran salanes, and Mebodes, who held the office
of magister. These men came together at a certain spot which is on the
boundary line between