▁across ▁from ▁S irm ium , ▁and ▁began ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁bridge ▁to ▁cross ▁it . ▁The ▁city ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁was ▁largely ▁und ef ended ▁and ▁un prep ared ▁to ▁with stand ▁a ▁sie ge , ▁as ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁By z antine ▁forces ▁were ▁engaged ▁in ▁the ▁east ▁against ▁S ass an id ▁Pers ia . ▁The ▁By z antine ▁em peror ▁T iber ius ▁II ▁tried ▁to ▁forest all ▁the ▁A var ▁attack ▁by ▁diplom atic ▁means , ▁but ▁when ▁the ▁k h agan ′ s ▁ ▁amb assador ▁demanded ▁the ▁surrender ▁of ▁the ▁city , ▁he ▁replied ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁sooner ▁give ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁two ▁daughters ▁as ▁a ▁b ride ▁to ▁the ▁k h agan , ▁rather ▁than ▁surrender ▁S irm ium . ▁T iber ius ▁managed ▁to ▁send ▁in ▁a ▁few ▁officers ▁from ▁Dal mat ia ▁to ▁over see ▁the ▁city ' s ▁defence , ▁while ▁the ▁en voy ▁The ogn is ▁tried ▁un success fully ▁to ▁treat ▁with ▁Bay an . ▁Despite ▁the ▁weak ness ▁of ▁the ▁g arrison , ▁the ▁city ▁resist ed ▁for ▁almost ▁three ▁years , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁late ▁ 5 8 1 ▁or ▁early ▁ 5 8 2 , ▁shortly ▁before ▁his ▁death , ▁that ▁T iber ius ▁agreed ▁to ▁surrender ▁the ▁city ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁its ▁citizens . ▁The ▁Av ars ▁indeed ▁sp ared ▁the ▁population , ▁but ▁took ▁their ▁poss essions ▁and ▁ 2 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁solid i ▁from ▁the