Res Gestae

Ammianus Marcellinus

Ammianus Marcellinus. Ammianus Marcellinus, with an English translation, Vols. I-III. Rolfe, John C., translator. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; W. Heinemann, 1935-1940 (printing).

This unexpected treachery and the unforeseen slaughter of the Persians aroused reasons for frightful hatred between ourselves and Sapor, which was made still worse because Papa, son of Arsaces,[*](See § 3, above.) at the persuasion of his mother,

v3.p.83

had departed with a few followers from the fortified town[*](Artogerassa; see § 5, above.) and been received by the emperor Valens, who advised that he stay a while at Neocaesarea, a wellknown city of Pontus Polemoniacus,[*](A Roman province, a division of the Diocese of Pontus; see Map 1, Vol. I.) where he was to receive liberal support and education. This act of clemency encouraged Cylaces and Arrabannes to send envoys to Valens to ask that he aid them and give them the said Papa as their king.

The aid, however, was denied them for the time, but Papa was sent back to Armenia through the general Terentius,[*](Cf. xxx. 1, 2, 4.) that he might rule the land for a time, but without any emblems of royal rank; a condition which was complied with for a legitimate reason, namely, that we might not be charged with breaking the treaty and violating the peace.

On learning of this course of events, Sapor was filled with superhuman wrath, and mustering greater forces began to devastate Armenia with open pillage. By his coming Papa, as well as Cylaces and Arrabannes, were seized with such fear that, after looking about and seeing no help from any source, they sought the refuge of the high mountains which separate our territory from Lazica.[*](The name given at the time to what was formerly Colchis.) There they remained concealed in the deep woods and defiles of the hills for five months, and eluded the many attempts which the king made to find them.

Since Sapor saw, as the winter stars were galling,[*](With cold; cf. urente, xvi. 12, 15.) that he was wasting his labour to no purpose, after burning the fruit-bearing trees and the fortified castles and strongholds that he had taken by force or by betrayal, he blockaded Artogerassa with the whole weight of his forces and after some battles of

v3.p.85

varying result and the exhaustion of the defenders, forced his way into the city and set it on fire, dragging out and carrying off the wife and the treasures of Arsaces.

For these reasons Count Arintheus[*](Called magister peditum in 5, 4; cf. equitum et peditum in 5, 9.) was sent to those parts with an army, to render aid to the Armenians in case the Persians should try to harass them in a second campaign.

Meanwhile Sapor, who was immensely crafty and according to his advantage either humble or arrogant, under pretence of a future alliance, upbraided Papa through secret messengers as regardless of his own interests in being the slave of Cylaces and Arrabannes under the semblance of royal power. Papa, in headlong haste, and using the allurements of flattering blandishments, had the two men killed, and, when they were slain, sent their heads to Sapor as a sign of his submission.