a, at the head
of an army of observation, while Galerius penetrated into Armenia and
engaged the forces of Persia. When he heard of his son-in-law's
great victory he crossed the Euphrates, and advancing through Western
Mesopotamia, from which the Persians probably retired, took up his
residence at Nisibis, now the chief town of these parts. It is perhaps
true that his object was "to moderate, by his presence and counsels, the
pride of Galarius." That prince was bold to rashness, and nourished an
excessive ambition. He is said to have at this time entertained a design
of grasping at the conquest of the East, and to have even proposed to
himself to reduce the Persian Empire into the form of a Roman province.
But the views of Diocletian were humbler and more prudent. He held
to the opinion of Augustus and Hadrian, that Rome did not need any
enlargement of her territory, and that the absorption of the East was
especially undesirable. When he and his son-in-law met and interchanged
ideas at Nisibis, the views of the elder ruler naturally prevailed; and
it was resolved to offer to the Persians tolerable terms of peace. A
civilian of importance, Sicorius Probus, was selected for the delicate
office of envoy, and was sent, with a train of attendants, into Media,
where Narses had fixed his headquarters. We are told that the Persian
monarch received him with all honor, but, under pretence of allowing
him to rest and refresh himself after his long journey, deferred his
audience from day to day; while he employed the time thus gained in
collecting from various quarters such a number of detachments and
garrisons as might constitute a respectable army. He had no intention of
renewing the war, but he knew the weight which military preparation ever
lends to the representations of diplomacy. Accordingly it was not until
he had brought under the notice of Sicorius a force of no inconsiderable
size that he at last admitted him to an interview. The Roman ambassador
was introduced into an inner chamber of the royal palace in Media, where
he found only the king and three others--Apharban, the envoy sent to
Galerius, Archapetes, the captain of the guard, and Barsaborsus, the
governor of a province on the Armenian frontier. He was asked to unfold
the particulars of his message, and say what were the terms on which
Rome would make peace. Sicorius complied. The emperors, he said,
required five things:--(i.) The cession to Rome of five provinces be