man of
patrician rank, with a great sum of money to Bosporus, that he might win
over with money an army of Huns and send them as allies to the Iberians.
This Bosporus is a city by the sea, on the left as one sails into the
so-called Euxine Sea, twenty days journey distant from the city of
Cherson, which is the limit of the Roman territory. Between these cities
everything is held by the Huns. Now in ancient times the people of
Bosporus were autonomous, but lately they had decided to become subject
to the Emperor Justinus. Probus, however, departed from there without
accomplishing his mission, and the emperor sent Peter as general with
some Huns to Lazica to fight with all their strength for Gourgenes.
Meanwhile Cabades sent a very considerable army against Gourgenes and
the Iberians, and as general a Persian bearing the title of "varizes,"
Boes by name. Then it was seen that Gourgenes was too weak to withstand
the attack of the Persians, for the help from the Romans was
insufficient, and with all the notables of the Iberians he fled to
Lazica, taking with him his wife and children and also his brothers, of
whom Peranius was the eldest. And when they had reached the boundaries
of Lazica, they remained there, and, sheltering themselves by the
roughness of the country, they took their stand against the enemy. And
the Persians followed after them but did nothing deserving even of
mention since the circumstance of the rough country was against them.

Thereafter the Iberians presented themselves at Byzantium and Petrus
came to the emperor at his summons; and from then on the emperor
demanded that he should assist the Lazi to guard their country, even
against their will, and he sent an army and Eirenaeus in command of it.
Now there are two fortresses in Lazica[15] which one comes upon
immediately upon entering their country from the boundaries of Iberia,
and the defence of them had been from of old in charge of the natives,
although they experienced great hardship in this matter; for neither
corn nor wine nor any other good thing is produced there. Nor indeed can
anything be carried in from elsewhere on account of the narrowness of
the paths, unless it be carried by men. However, the Lazi were able to
live on a certain kind of millet which grows there, since they were
accustomed to it. These garrisons the emperor removed from the place and
commanded that Roman soldiers should be stationed there to guard the
fortresses. And at