206

THE DECLINE AND FALL

CHAP.

XIX.

plain, watered by the natural and artificial chan-nels of the Tigris, of which the least inconsider-able stream bends in a semicircular form roundthe eastern part of the city. The emperor Con-stantius had recently conferred on Amida thehonour of his own name, and the additional foi-tifications of strong walls and lofty towers. Itwas provided with an arsenal of military en-gines, and the ordinary garrison had been rein-forced to the amount of seven legions, when theplace was invested by the arms of Sapor. 5 Hisfirst and most sanguine hopes depended on thesuccess of a general assault. To the severalnations which followed his standard their re-spective posts were assigned: the south to theVertae; the north to the Albanians; the east tothe Chionites, inflamed with grief and indigna-tion ; the west to the Segestans, the bravest ofhis warriors, who covered their front with aformidable line of Indian elephants. k The Per*sians, on every side, supported their efforts, andanimated their courage; and the monarch him-self, careless of his rank and safety, displayed,

a pasha with three tails. The epithet of Kara is derived from the black-nets of the stone which composes the strong and ancient wall of Amida.

1 The operations of the siege of Amida are very minutely describedby Ainmianus (xix, 1-9), w ho acted an honourable part in the defence,and escaped with difficulty when the city was stormed by the Persians .

* Of these four nations, the Albanians are too well known to requiteany description. The Segestans inhabited a large and level country,which still preserves their name, to the south of Khorasan, and thewest of Hindostan (see Geographia Nubiensis, p. 133, and d’Hcrbelot,Bibliotheqne Orientale, p. 797). Notwithstanding the boasted victoryof Bahrain (vol. i, p. 410), the Segestans, above fourscore tears aftei--wards, appear as an independent nation, the ally of Persia . AVe areignorant of the situation of the A'ertae and Chionites, but I am inclinedto place them (at least the latter) towards the confines of India andScythia. See Ammian . xvi, 9.