The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus - Coptic ...

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EVAGRIUS
positioned, and especially catapults that custom calls stone-throwers,
which ¢re from vantage points. With these indeed Chosroes captured
the city by force during the winter season, since John son of Timostratus
who was in charge of it had devoted minimal attention or even acted treacherously:
for both are said. Chosroes invested the city for ¢ve months
and more, with no interference. Accordingly he led forth everyone, a
countless number, some of whom he miserably slew while most he took
as prisoners; he occupied the city with a garrison since it was in a strategic
place, while he retired to his own territories. 45
11 When Justin had heard these events, after such delusion and pretension
he had no healthy or sane thoughts, nor did he endure what had
happened like a mortal, but he fell into mental disorder and madness,
and thereafter had no understanding of events. 46 Tiberius administered
the state, a Thracian by race, who held the most important positions
under Justin; the latter had earlier sent him against the Avars, after gathering
a great multitude of an army. He came close to capture since the
soldiers did not endure even the sight of the barbarians, but for the fact
that divine Providence miraculously preserved him and guarded him for
the Roman rule, which, together with the whole state as well, was in
danger of collapsing from the unreasonable enterprises of Justin and of
relinquishing such a great realm to the barbarians. 47
45 Throughout Adarmahan’s raid into Syria, Khusro was occupied with the siege of
Dara, the most important Roman fortress in the frontier region (Whitby, ‘Dara’). There is a
long account of the siege and capture of the city in Johnof Ephesus,EH vi.5:Khusrowas able
to use the Roman siege equipment captured outside Nisibis, which included several stonethrowers;
he managed todivert the city’s water supply, and tobuild a mound thatovertopped
the northern part of the defences; in November 573 he eventually exploited a moment when
the walls were poorly manned, the Persians scaled the defences and gradually gained the
upper hand; the desperate Roman resistance was ended by an agreement allowing the
Persian army into the city, though the Persians promptly broke their side of the bargain.
John, son of Timostratus (PLRE III. 675, s.v. Ioannes 87), is described by John of Ephesus
as a warlike man; the only hint of Roman treachery in John’s account is the failure of the
negotiator, Comes (perhaps a title rather than a name), to report to the defenders that
Khusro was prepared to accept a ransom of 500 pounds of gold.
46 The news of the loss of Dara will have travelled to Constantinople very rapidly, and
would have been known to Justin before the end of November. There is a long account of
Justin’s madness in John of Ephesus (EH iii.2^5); he apparently had occasional lucid spells.
For criticism of those unable to cope with sudden changes of fortune, cf. v.14^15, pp.
210:18^19, 211:22^33 (Khusro I), and contrast the resilience of Maurice (vi.17).
47 Tiberius (PLRE III. 1323^6, s.v. Tiberius 1) had been introduced to Justin by
Patriarch Eutychius; he was comes excubitorum at Justinian’s death, and so was well