[99] Cf. Procopius (loc. cit., 16), with Malala (pp. 449-450). He harked back to the old quarrel with Anastasius over the loan; see p. 176.
[100] Jn. Malala, pp. 445, 455; Procopius, Anecd., 11, 18. I pass over events in which religion was the chief question at issue, as the whole can be treated most instructively in a special chapter; see below, chap. xiv.
[101] Procopius, loc. cit., 18; cf. Malala, p. 462. The latter gives some details as to the mischief already done by the marauders, and states that the Antiocheans began to fly in terror to the sea coast. Gabbulae was about ninety miles east of Antioch.
[102] They were at this time almost exactly on the track of Xenophon when he accompanied Cyrus nearly a thousand years previously through a country then strange to the Greeks, but now become a part of their native land. His description is familiar to those of the old school: "In this place the earth was smooth all over, like the sea, and full of wormwood. Every other kind of shrub or reed was sweet-smelling and of the class of aromatics, but there was nothing in the way of a tree.... With the Euphrates on the right we arrived at Pylae. In these stages many of the beasts of burden perished of hunger; for there was no grass, nor any sort of tree, but the whole country was bare," etc.; Anabasis, i, 5. He adds that the only occupation the inhabitants had was digging up mill-stones, which they took to Babylon for sale.
[103] Hermogenes was also present at this time, but only through having fallen in with the army as he was on his way to Hierapolis, where Rufinus was constantly stationed as the most convenient post from which to open up diplomatic relations with Ctesiphon. Zachariah Myt. relates that Azarathes begged Belisarius to postpone the battle on account of the "Nazarenes and Jews" in the Persian army, who were also keeping the fast.
[104] Malala (p. 464), however, shows up Belisarius in a very unfavourable light. As soon as he saw that the day was lost, he seized his standard, jumped into a boat, and rowed away with all speed to Callinicus. But Sunicas, the leader of the cavalry he had abandoned, dismounted and sustained the attack of the enemy as described by Procopius. It is safest to believe the latter.
[105] Here again Zachariah and Malala (p. 466) differ from Procopius, and assert that Belisarius was superseded on account of his failure on the Euphrates. But subsequent events show that P. is more to be trusted, and that Justinian attached small blame to Belisarius.
[106] Procopius, loc. cit., 18.
[107] "Nejâshi" is the nearest transliteration of the Semitic title; see Nöldeke, op. cit., p. 195; Zotenberg, op. cit., p. 182, etc.
[108] Ela-Atsbeha is the correct name as found on coins; see Schlumberger, Rev. Numismat., 1886.