Nevertheless, they offered conditions which were difficult and involved, for they pretended that from feelings of humanity the most merciful of kings would allow the remnants of the army to return, if the emperor and his most distinguished generals would comply with his demands.

In reply to this ArintheusCf. xxiv. 1, 2. was sent to him with the prefect Salutius, but, while a deliberate discussion was going on as to what ought to be determined, four days passed by, full of torments from hunger and worse than any death.

If the emperor, before letting these envoys go, had used this space of time to withdraw gradually from the enemy’s territories, he could surely have reached the protection of Corduena,Cf. xviii. 6, 20; the distance was fourteen geographic, or nautical, miles. a rich region belonging to us, and distant only a hundred miles from the spot where all this took place.

Now the king obstinately demanded the lands which (as he said) were his and had been taken from him long ago by Maximianus; but, in fact, as the negotiations showed, he required as our ransom five provinces on the far side of the Tigris: Arzanena,In Armenia. Moxoëna,In Armenia. and Zabdicena,In Mesopotamia. as well as RehimenaUnknown. and Corduena with fifteen fortresses, besides Nisibis,A strong city thrice vainly besieged by the Persians. SingaraCf. xviii. 5, 7; xx. 6. and Castra Maurorum,xviii. 6, 9. a very important stronghold.

And whereas it would have been better to fight ten battles than give up any one of these, the band of flatterers pressed upon the timid emperor, harping upon the dreaded name of Procopius,Julian had named Procopius as his successor; see xxiii. 3, 2. and declaring that if he returnedHe was in hiding, probably at Chalcedon; cf. xxvi. 6, 3-5. on learning of the death of Julian, he would with the fresh troops under his command easily and without opposition make himself emperor.

Jovian, inflamed by these dangerous hints too continually repeated, without delay surrendered all that was asked, except that with difficulty he succeeded in bringing it about that Nisibis and Singara should pass into control of the Persians without their inhabitants, and that the Romans in the fortresses that were to be taken from us should be allowed to return to our protection.

To these conditions there was added another which was destructive and impious, namely, that after the completion of these agreements, Arsaces, our steadfast and faithful friendCf. note to xxiv. 7, 8. should never, if he asked it, be given help against the Persians. This was contrived with a double purpose, that a man who at the emperor’s orderCf. xxiii. 3, 6. had devastated Chiliocomum might be punished, and that the opportunity might be left of presently invading Armenia without opposition. The result was that later this same Arsaces was taken alive,Cf. xxvii. 12, 3. and that the Parthians amid various dissensions and disturbances seized a great tract of Armenia bordering on Media, along with Artaxata.