▁on ▁without ▁much ▁progress , ▁pun ctu ated ▁by ▁frequent ▁ ▁sal lies ▁on ▁the ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁bes ie ged ; ▁one ▁of ▁these ▁claimed ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁their ▁king . ▁After ▁two ▁months ▁the ▁Kh az ars ▁retre ated ▁to ▁the ▁ste ppe , ▁prom ising ▁to ▁return ▁by ▁the ▁aut umn . ▁T ong ▁Y ab g hu ▁left ▁young ▁B ö ri ▁Sh ad , ▁either ▁his ▁son ▁or ▁nep hew , ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁remaining ▁forty ▁thousand ▁which ▁were ▁to ▁assist ▁Her ac lius ▁during ▁the ▁sie ge . ▁Before ▁long ▁these ▁depart ed ▁as ▁well , ▁leaving ▁the ▁By z ant ines ▁to ▁continue ▁the ▁sie ge ▁alone ▁and ▁prompt ing ▁je ers ▁from ▁the ▁bes ie ged . ▁▁▁ ▁When ▁the ▁Georg ians ▁iron ically ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁Emperor ▁as ▁" the ▁go at ," ▁hint ing ▁at ▁his ▁inc est uous ▁marriage , ▁Her ac lius ▁re called ▁a ▁passage ▁from ▁the ▁Book ▁of ▁Daniel ▁about ▁the ▁two - horn ed ▁ram ▁over th rown ▁by ▁the ▁one - horn ed ▁go at . ▁He ▁interpreted ▁this ▁as ▁a ▁good ▁sign ▁and ▁struck ▁south ward ▁against ▁Pers ia . ▁On ▁ 1 2 ▁December ▁ 6 2 7 ▁he ▁appeared ▁on ▁the ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁Tig ris ▁and ▁cl ashed ▁with ▁Pers ian ▁forces ▁near ▁the ▁ru ins ▁of ▁N ine ve h . ▁In ▁January ▁he ▁rav aged ▁the ▁en vir ons ▁of ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁capital ▁C tes i phon , ▁sign