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| A Second Overthrow of the Persians by the Romans.
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Chapter XX.—A Second
Overthrow of the Persians by the Romans.
Now the emperor of the Romans
dwelling in Constantinople being fully aware that God had plainly given
him the victory was so benevolent that although those under him had
been successful in war nevertheless he desired to make peace; and to
that end he dispatched Helion, a man in whom he placed the greatest
confidence, with a commission to enter into a pacific treaty with the
Persians. Helion having arrived in Mesopotamia, at the place where the
Romans for their own security had formed a trench, sent before him as
his deputy Maximin an eloquent man who was the associate of Ardaburius
the commander-in-chief of the army, to make preliminary arrangements
concerning the terms of peace. Maximin on coming into the presence of
the Persian king, said he had been sent to him on this matter, not by
the Roman emperor, but by his generals; for he said this war was not
even known to the emperor, and if known would be considered
insignificant by him. And as the sovereign of Persia had gladly decided
to receive the embassy,—for his troops were suffering from want
of provisions,—there came to him that corps among them which is
distinguished by the name of ‘the Immortals.’957
| 957A Persian body-guard called ᾽Αθάνατοι,
‘Immortals,’ existed during the period of the invasion of
Greece by the Persians (cf. Herodotus, VII. 31). The organization and
discipline of the later body must have been, of course, very
different.
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This is a body of brave men numbering about ten thousand—and
counselled the king not to listen to any overtures for peace, until
they should have made an attack upon the Romans, who, they said, were
now become extremely incautious. The king approving their advice,
ordered the ambassador to be imprisoned and a guard set over him, and
permitted the Immortals to put their design upon the Romans into
execution. They therefore, on arriving at the place appointed, divided
themselves into two bands, with a view to surround some portion of the
Roman army. The Romans observing but one body of Persians approaching
them, prepared themselves to receive it, not having seen the other
division, in consequence of their suddenly rushing forth to battle. But
just as the engagement was about to commence, Divine Providence so
ordered it, that another division of the Roman army under Procopius a
general emerged from behind a certain hill and perceiving their
comrades in danger, attacked the Persians in the rear. Thus were they,
who but a little before had surrounded the Romans, themselves
encompassed. Having utterly destroyed these in a short time, the Romans
turned upon those who broke forth from their ambuscade and in like
manner slew every one of them with darts. In this way those who by the
Persians were termed ‘the Immortals’ were all of them shown
to be mortal, Christ having executed this vengeance upon the Persians
because they had shed the blood of so many of his pious worshippers.
The king of the Persians on being informed of the disaster, pretended
to be ignorant of what had taken place, and ordered the embassy to be
admitted, he thus addressing the ambassador: ‘I agree to the
peace, not as yielding to the Romans, but to gratify you, whom I have
found to be the most prudent of all the Romans.’ Thus was that
war concluded which had been undertaken on account of the suffering
Christians in Persia, under the consulate of the two Augusti,958
being the thirteenth of Honorius, and the tenth of Theodosius, in the
fourth year of the 300th Olympiad: and with it terminated the
persecution which had been excited in Persia against the
Christians.
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