Beate Dignas & Engelbert Winter - Kaveh Farrokh

140 4 The diplomatic solutions
else. For it is a noble attitude to adjust one’s behaviour to what is appropriate.’
After the Zich had spoken these words the interpreters 112 on both sides translated
both speeches and explained their meaning; many words were exchanged between
the two sides, partly in order to gain an advantage, partly in order to boast and
not to appear as the side who was not putting as much effort into the peace.
The Persians demanded that a permanent peace be concluded, and also that they
should be given an annual payment of gold by the Romans for not taking up arms.
Moreover, they would only agree to lay down arms after they had received in one
payment forty times, at least thirty times, the annual sum. The Romans in contrast
wanted to conclude a treaty for a few years only and were not willing to pay for
the peace. 113 This was discussed without agreement for a while and many words
were exchanged, but finally they decided to conclude the peace for fifty years and
that Lazika should be handed over to the Romans. The agreements should be firm
and lasting and valid on both sides, both in the East and in Armenia, and also
in Lazika itself, but under the condition that the Persians should receive for the
peace an annual sum of 30,000 gold coins 114 from the Romans. This was fixed in
a way that the Romans paid in advance the sum for ten years, that is immediately
for seven years and after the period of seven years without delay the sum for the
remaining three years, and subsequently so that the Persians received the required
sum annually. . .
It was agreed that both rulers should provide the documents which are called
sacrae litterae in Latin and which confirmed everything that had been established by
the ambassadors. And immediately a proclamation of these agreements took place.
In addition it was decided that the Roman emperor should produce a unilateral
document which confirmed that the Romans would give the Persians the additional
sum for three years after the end of the seventh year. The Persian king also had
to give his written consent that, as soon as the Persians had received the required
sum of gold for the three years, the Roman emperor would be given a letter
of confirmation in this regard. The declaration of peace of the Roman emperor
showed the customary prescript and is well known to us. The declaration of the
Persian king, which was written in the Persian language, in Greek translation began
like this: ‘The divine, virtuous, peace loving, powerful Xusrō, King of Kings, the
fortunate and pious man, benefactor to whom the gods have given great fortune and
a great kingdom, the giant among the giants, who was designated by the gods, to the
emperor Justinian, our brother.’ 115 Thus the prescript but the actual declaration was
the following. I shall give the precise wording because I think that this is necessary
so that nobody can be suspicious claiming that by a change in wording some of the
112 On the important role of interpreters in the ancient world see Herrmann and von Soden 1959:
24–49.
113 This passage reveals the fundamentally different interests pursued by the two sides during these and
other peace negotiations. Whereas the Persians are always keen on financial advantages, in particular
regular, long term revenues, in order to protect the borders and to finance their numerous campaigns,
the Romans preferred a short term peace in order to avoid long term financial commitments.
114 Güterbock 1906: 62–5 discusses the question if the 30,000 gold coins were solidi; the solidus had
been the most important gold nominal since Constantine the Great; see Brandt 1998: 126–7.
115 The emperor and the King of kings also address each other as brothers on other occasions; cf. 34.