ASpartanwouldhavepraisedandpitiedthevirtueoftheseheroicslaves；butthetediouswarfareandalternatesuccessoftheRomanandPersianarmscannotdetaintheattentionofposterityatthefootofMountCaucasus。TheadvantagesobtainedbythetroopsofJustinianweremorefrequentandsplendid；buttheforcesofthegreatkingwerecontinuallysupplied，tilltheyamountedtoeightelephantsandseventythousandmen，includingtwelvethousandScythianallies，andabovethreethousandDilemites，whodescendedbytheirfreechoicefromthehillsofHyrcania，andwereequallyformidableincloseorindistantcombat。ThesiegeofArchaeopolis，anameimposedorcorruptedbytheGreeks，wasraisedwithsomelossandprecipitation；butthePersiansoccupiedthepassesofIberia:Colchoswasenslavedbytheirfortsandgarrisons；theydevouredthescantysustenanceofthepeople；andtheprinceoftheLazifledintothemountains。IntheRomancamp，faithanddisciplinewereunknown；
andtheindependentleaders，whowereinvestedwithequalpower，disputedwitheachotherthepreeminenceofviceandcorruption。
ThePersiansfollowed，withoutamurmur，thecommandsofasinglechief，whoimplicitlyobeyedtheinstructionsoftheirsupremelord。TheirgeneralwasdistinguishedamongtheheroesoftheEastbyhiswisdomincouncil，andhisvalorinthefield。TheadvancedageofMermeroes，andthelamenessofbothhisfeet，couldnotdiminishtheactivityofhismind，orevenofhisbody；