Roman History Roman History - Book XVI. IX. The question of peace with the Persians.
by Ammianus Marcellinus
But in the East, the
Persians now practising predatory inroads and forays, in preference to engaging
in pitched battles, as they had been wont to do before, carried off continually
great numbers of men and cattle: sometimes making great booty, owing to the
unexpectedness of their incursions, but at other times being overpowered by
superior numbers, they suffered losses. Sometimes, also, the inhabitants of the
districts which they had invaded had removed everything which could be carried
off.
But Musonianus,
the prefect of the praetorium, a man, as we have already said, of many liberal
accomplishments but corrupt, and a person easily turned from the truth by a
bribe, acquired, by means of some emissaries who were skilful in deceiving and
obtaining information, a knowledge of the plans of the Persians; taking to his
counsels on this subject Cassianus, duke of Mesopotamia, a veteran who had
served many campaigns, and had become hardened by all kinds of dangers.
And when, by the
concurrent report of spies, these officers had become certain that Sapor was
occupied in the most remote frontier of his kingdom in repelling the hostilities
of the bordering tribes, which he could not accomplish without great difficulty
and bloodshed, they sought to tamper with Tamsapor, the general in command in
the district nearest our border. Accordingly they sent soldiers of no renown to
confer with him secretly, to engage him, if opportunity served, to write to the
king to persuade him to make peace with the Roman emperor; whereby he, being
then secure on every side, might be the better able to subdue the rebels who
were never weary of exciting disturbances.
Tamsapor
coincided with these wishes, and, trusting to them, reported to the king that
Constantius, being involved in very
formidable wars, was a suppliant for peace. But it took a long time for these
letters to reach the country of the Chionites and the Euseni, on whose borders
Sapor had taken up his winter quarters.
