I. Sapor, while exhorting the citizens of Amida to surrender, is assailed with arrows and javelins by the garrison--And when king Grumbates makes a similar attempt, his son is slain.--II. Amida is blockaded, and within two days is twice assaulted by the Persians.--III. Ursicinus makes a vain proposal to sally out by night, and surprise the besiegers, being resisted by Sabinianus, the commander of the forces.--IV. A pestilence, which breaks out in Amida, is checked within ten days by a little rain--A discussion of the causes, and different kinds of pestilences.--V. Amida, betrayed by a deserter, is assailed both by assaults on the walls and by underground mines.--VI. A sally of the Gallic legions does great harm to the Persians.--VII. Towers and other engines are brought close to the walls of the city, but they are burnt by the Romans.--VIII. Attempts are made to raise lofty mounds close to the walls of Amida, and by these means it is entered--After the fall of the city, Marcellinus escapes by night, and flees to Antioch.--IX. Of the Roman generals at Amida, some are put to death, and others are kept as prisoners--Craugasius of Nisibis deserts to the Persians from love of his wife, who is their prisoner.--X. The people of Rome, fearing a scarcity, become seditious.--XI. The Limigantes of Sarmatia, under pretence of suing for peace, attack Constantius, who is deceived by their trick; but are driven back with heavy loss.--XII. Many are prosecuted for treason, and condemned.--XIII. Lauricius, of the Isaurians checks the hordes of banditti. I. § 1. The king, rejoicing at this our disaster and captivity, and expecting other successes, advanced from this castle, and marching slowly, on the third day came to Amida. 2. And at daybreak, everything, as far as we could see, glittered with shining arms; and an iron cavalry filled the plains and the hills. 3. And he himself, mounted on his charger, and being taller than the rest, led his whole army, wearing instead of a crown a golden figure of a ram's head inlaid with jewels; being also splendid from the retinue of men of high rank and of different nations which followed him. And it was evident that his purpose was merely to try the garrison of the walls with a parley, as, in following out the counsel of Antoninus, he was hastening to another quarter. 4. But the deity of heaven, mercifully limiting the disasters of the empire within the compass of one region, led on this king to such an extravagant degree of elation, that he seemed to believe that the moment he made his appearance the besieged would be suddenly panic-stricken, and have recourse to supplication and entreaty.