them to Justinian; they had
retaliated by accusing him of meditating desertion, and had obtained
the emperor's consent to his arrest, and to the use of violence if he
offered resistance. Armed with this mandate, they contrived in a little
time to fasten a quarrel upon him; and, when he declined to do as they
required, they drew their swords upon him and slew him. The Lazic nation
was, naturally enough, alienated by this outrage, and manifested an
inclination to throw itself absolutely into the arms of Persia. The
Romans, dispirited at the attitude of their allies, and at variance
among themselves, could for some months after Gubazes' death have
offered but little resistance to an enterprising enemy. So demoralized
were they that an army of 50,000 is said to have fled in dismay when
attacked by a force of Persians less than a twelfth of their number,
and to have allowed their camp to be captured and plundered. During
this critical time Nachoragan remained inactive in Iberia, and contented
himself with sending messengers into Lazica to announce his near
approach and to animate and encourage his party. The result was such as
might have been expected. The Lazi, finding that Persia made no effort
to take advantage of their abstention, and that Rome despite of it
maintained possession of the greater portion of their country, came to
the conclusion that it would be unwise to desert their natural allies
on account of a single outrage, however monstrous, and agreed to renew
their close alliance with Rome on condition that the murderers of
Gubazes should be punished, and his brother, Tzathes, appointed king in
his place. Justinian readily gave his consent; and the year A.D. 555 saw
the quarrel ended, and the Lazi once more heartily in accord with, their
Roman protectors.

It was when affairs were in this state, and he had exactly missed his
opportunity, that Nachoragan took the field, and, advancing from Iberia
into the region about Kutai's with an army amounting to 60,000 men,1
made preparations for carrying on the war with vigor. He was opposed by
Martinus, Justin, and Babas, the two former of whom with the bulk of
the Roman forces occupied the region on the lower Phasis, known as "the
Island," while Babas held the more central position of Archseopolis.
Nachoragan, after losing about 2,000 of his best troops in the vicinity
of this last-named place, resolved to challenge the Romans to a decisive
encounter by attacking the impo