an especial friend of the Emperor Augustus.  For, desiring to make a treaty with the Romans, he came to Rome; and when he conversed with Augustus, he so astonished him by the abundance of his wisdom that Augustus wished never more to give up his company; for he was an ardent lover of his conversation, and whenever he met him, he was quite unwilling to depart from him.  A long time, therefore, was consumed by him in this visit.  And one day when he was desirous of returning to his native land and was utterly unable to persuade Augustus to let him go, he devised the following plan.  He first went out to hunt in the country about Rome; for it happened that he had taken considerable interest in the practice of this sport.  And going about over a large tract of country, he captured alive many of the animals of that region, and he gathered up and took with him from each part of the country some earth from the land; thus he returned to Rome bringing both the earth and the animals.  Then Augustus went up into the hippodrome and seated himself as was his wont, and Augarus came before him and displayed the earth and the animals, telling over from what district each portion of earth was and what animals they were.  Then he gave orders to put the earth in different parts of the hippodrome, and to gather all the animals into one place and then to release them.  So the attendants did as he directed.  And the animals, separating from each other, went each to that portion of earth which was from the district in which it itself had been taken.  And Augustus looked upon the performance carefully for a very long time, and he was wondering that nature untaught makes animals miss their native land.  Then Augarus, suddenly laying hold upon his knees, said:  “But as for me, O Master, what thoughts dost thou think I have, who possess a wife and children and a kingdom, small indeed, but in the land of my fathers?” And the emperor, overcome and compelled by the truth of his saying, granted not at all willingly that he should go away, and bade him ask besides whatever he wished.  And when Augarus had secured this, he begged of Augustus to build him a hippodrome in the city of Edessa.  And he granted also this.  Thus then Augarus departed from Rome and came to Edessa.  And the citizens enquired of him whether he had come bringing any good thing for them from the Emperor Augustus.  And he answering said he had brought to the inhabitants of Edessa pain without loss and pleasure without gain, hinting at the fortune of the hippodrome.

At a later time when Augarus was well advanced in years, he was seized with an exceedingly violent attack of gout.  And being distressed by the pains and his inability to move in consequence of them, he carried the matter to the physicians, and from the whole land he gathered all who were skilled in these matters.  But later he abandoned these men (for they did not succeed in discovering any cure for the trouble), and finding himself helpless, he bewailed the fate which