▁Ab ask ir on ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁controlled ▁most ▁of ▁Lower ▁Egypt . ▁The odore ▁dedu ced ▁that ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁the ▁re bell ion ▁were ▁partly ▁motiv ated ▁by ▁the ▁recent ▁arrest ▁and ▁imprison ment ▁of ▁two ▁highly ▁respect ed ▁figures : ▁Cos mas , ▁son ▁of ▁Samuel ▁and ▁Ban on , ▁son ▁of ▁Am mon . ▁He ▁arranged ▁for ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁the ▁du o . ▁Cos mas ▁and ▁Ban on ▁joined ▁the ▁By z antine ▁army ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁the ▁Egypt ian ▁ins urg ents . ▁The ▁rival ▁forces ▁set ▁camp ▁on ▁oppos ing ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁N ile ▁River . ▁According ▁to ▁historian ▁Ed ith ▁L . ▁But cher , ▁Cos mas ▁and ▁Ban on ▁" address ed ▁the ▁ins urg ents ▁from ▁across ▁the ▁river , ▁entre ating ▁them ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁their ▁alleg iance , ▁ass uring ▁them ▁that ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁was ▁not ▁yet ▁en fe e bled ▁or ▁conquer ed , ▁and ▁that ▁their ▁ult imate ▁success ▁was ▁impossible ." ▁This ▁encourag ed ▁many ▁of ▁Ab ask ir on ' s ▁supp or ters ▁to ▁defect ▁towards ▁The odore ' s ▁camp . ▁ ▁But cher ▁also ▁states ▁that : ▁" The ▁three ▁brothers ▁were ▁left ▁alone ▁with ▁their ▁immediate ▁ad her ents , ▁but ▁they ▁bold ly ▁endeav oured ▁to ▁stand ▁their ▁ground , ▁and ▁met ▁the ▁attack ▁of ▁the ▁By z antine ▁army ▁with ▁des perate ▁courage . ▁They ▁fought ▁till ▁night ▁fell , ▁and ▁then ▁fled ▁from ▁the ▁field ▁to ▁Ab