Delphi Complete Works of Procopius

by Procopius of Caesarea

  IV

  So the Vandals, having wrested Libya from the Romans in this way, made it their own. And those of the enemy whom they took alive they reduced to slavery and held under guard. Among these happened to be Marcian, who later upon the death of Theodosius assumed the imperial power. At that time, however, Gizeric commanded that the captives be brought into the king’s courtyard, in order that it might be possible for him, by looking at them, to know what master each of them might serve without degradation. And when they were gathered under the open sky, about midday, the season being summer, they were distressed by the sun and sat down. And somewhere or other among them Marcian, quite neglected, was sleeping. Then an eagle flew over him spreading out his wings, as they say, and always remaining in the same place in the air he cast a shadow over Marcian alone. And Gizeric, upon seeing from the upper storey what was happening, since he was an exceedingly discerning person, suspected that the thing was a divine manifestation, and summoning the man enquired of him who he might be. And he replied that he was a confidential adviser of Aspar; such a person the Romans call a “domesticus” in their own tongue. And when Gizeric heard this and considered first the meaning of the bird’s action, and then remembered how great power Aspar exercised in Byzantium, it became evident to him that the man was being led to royal power. He therefore by no means deemed it right to kill him, reasoning that, if he should remove him from the world, it would be very clear that the thing which the bird had done was nothing (for he would not honour with his shadow a king who was about to die straightway), and he felt, too, that he would be killing him for no good cause; and if, on the other hand, it was fated that in later times the man should become king, it would never be within his power to inflict death upon him; for that which has been decided upon by God could never be prevented by a man’s decision. But he bound Marcian by oaths that, if it should be in his power, he would never take up arms against the Vandals at least. [450 A.D.] Thus, then, Marcian was released and came to Byzantium, and when at a later time Theodosius died he received the empire. And in all other respects he proved himself a good emperor, but he paid no attention at all to affairs in Libya. But this happened in later times.

  At that time Gizeric, after conquering Aspar and Boniface in battle, displayed a foresight worth recounting, whereby he made his good fortune most thoroughly secure. For fearing lest, if once again an army should come against him from both Rome and Byzantium, the Vandals might not be able to use the same strength and enjoy the same fortune, (since human affairs are wont to be overturned by Heaven and to fail by reason of the weakness of men’s bodies), he was not lifted up by the good fortune he had enjoyed, but rather became moderate because of what he feared, and so he made a treaty with the Emperor Valentinian providing that each year he should pay to the emperor tribute from Libya, and he delivered over one of his sons, Honoric, as a hostage to make this agreement binding. So Gizeric both showed himself a brave man in the battle and guarded the victory as securely as possible, and, since the friendship between the two peoples increased greatly, he received back his son Honoric. And at Rome Placidia had died before this time, and after her, Valentinian, her son, also died, having no male offspring, but two daughters had been born to him from Eudoxia, the child of Theodosius. And I shall now relate in what manner Valentinian died.

  There was a certain Maximus, a Roman senator, of the house of that Maximus who, while usurping the imperial power, was overthrown by the elder Theodosius and put to death, and on whose account also the Romans celebrate the annual festival named from the defeat of Maximus. This younger Maximus was married to a woman discreet in her ways and exceedingly famous for her beauty. For this reason a desire came over Valentinian to have her to wife. And since it was impossible, much as he wished it, to meet her, he plotted an unholy deed and carried it to fulfilment. For he summoned Maximus to the palace and sat down with him to a game of draughts, and a certain sum was set as a penalty for the loser; and the emperor won in this game, and receiving Maximus’ ring as a pledge for the agreed amount, he sent it to his house, instructing the messenger to tell the wife of Maximus that her husband bade her come as quickly as possible to the palace to salute the queen Eudoxia. And she, judging by the ring that the message was from Maximus, entered her litter and was conveyed to the emperor’s court. And she was received by those who had been assigned this service by the emperor, and led into a certain room far removed from the women’s apartments, where Valentinian met her and forced her, much against her will. And she, after the outrage, went to her husband’s house weeping and feeling the deepest possible grief because of her misfortune, and she cast many curses upon Maximus as having provided the cause for what had been done. Maximus, accordingly, became exceedingly aggrieved at that which had come to pass, and straightway entered into a conspiracy against the emperor; but when he saw that Aetius was exceedingly powerful, for he had recently conquered Attila, who had invaded the Roman domain with a great army of Massagetae and the other Scythians, the thought occurred to him that Aetius would be in the way of his undertaking. And upon considering this matter, it seemed to him that it was the better course to put Aetius out of the way first, paying no heed to the fact that the whole hope of the Romans centred in him. And since the eunuchs who were in attendance upon the emperor were well-disposed toward him, he persuaded the emperor by their devices that Aetius was setting on foot a revolution. And Valentinian, judging by nothing else than the power and valour of Aetius that the report was true, put the man to death. [Sept. 21, 454 A.D.] Whereupon a certain Roman made himself famous by a saying which he uttered. For when the emperor enquired of him whether he had done well in putting Aetius to death, he replied saying that, as to this matter, he was not able to know whether he had done well or perhaps otherwise, but one thing he understood exceedingly well, that he had cut off his own right hand with the other.

  So after the death of Aetius, Attila, since no one was a match for him, plundered all Europe with no trouble and made both emperors subservient and tributary to himself. For tribute money was sent to him every year by the emperors. At that time, while Attila was besieging Aquileia, a city of great size and exceedingly populous situated near the sea and above the Ionian Gulf, they say that the following good fortune befell him. For they tell the story that, when he was able to capture the place neither by force nor by any other means, he gave up the siege in despair, since it had already lasted a long time, and commanded the whole army without any delay to make their preparations for the departure, in order that on the morrow all might move from there at sunrise. And the following day about sunrise, the barbarians had raised the siege and were already beginning the departure, when a single male stork which had a nest on a certain tower of the city wall and was rearing his nestlings there suddenly rose and left the place with his young. And the father stork was flying, but the little storks, since they were not yet quite ready to fly, were at times sharing their father’s flight and at times riding upon his back, and thus they flew off and went far away from the city. And when Attila saw this (for he was most clever at comprehending and interpreting all things), he commanded the army, they say, to remain still in the same place, adding that the bird would never have gone flying off at random from there with his nestlings, unless he was prophesying that some evil would come to the place at no distant time. Thus, they say, the army of the barbarians settled down to the siege once more, and not long after that a portion of the wall — the very part which held the nest of that bird — for no apparent reason suddenly fell down, and it became possible for the enemy to enter the city at that point, and thus Aquileia was captured by storm. Such is the story touching Aquileia.

  Later on Maximus slew the emperor with no trouble and secured the tyranny, and he married Eudoxia by force. [455 A.D.] For the wife to whom he had been wedded had died not long before. And on one occasion in private he made the statement to Eudoxia that it was all for the sake of her love that he had carried out all that he had done. And since she felt
a repulsion for Maximus even before that time, and had been desirous of exacting vengeance from him for the wrong done Valentinian, his words made her swell with rage still more against him, and led her on to carry out her plot, since she had heard Maximus say that on account of her the misfortune had befallen her husband. And as soon as day came, she sent to Carthage entreating Gizeric to avenge Valentinian, who had been destroyed by an unholy man, in a manner unworthy both of himself and of his imperial station, and to deliver her, since she was suffering unholy treatment at the hand of the tyrant. And she impressed it upon Gizeric that, since he was a friend and ally and so great a calamity had befallen the imperial house, it was not a holy thing to fail to become an avenger. For from Byzantium she thought no vengeance would come, since Theodosius had already departed from the world and Marcian had taken over the empire. [Mar. 17, 455 A.D.]

  Γιζέριχος δὲ δἰ ἄλλο μὲν οὐδέν, ὅτι δὲ αὐτῷ χρήματα μεγάλα ἔσεσθαι ὑπετόπαζε, στόλῳ πολλῷ ἐς Ἰταλίαν κατέπλευσεν. ἀναβὰς δὲ ἐς Ῥώμην, ἐπεὶ οὐδείς οἱ ἐμποδὼν ἕστηκε, τῶν βασιλείων ἐκράτησε. [2] Μάξιμον μὲν οὖν φεύγοντα Ῥωμαῖοι λίθοις βαλόντες διέφθειραν, καὶ τήν τε κεφαλὴν τῶν τε ἄλλων μελῶν ἕκαστον ἀποτεμόμενοι διείλοντο σφίσι. [3] Γιζέριχος δὲ τήν τε Εὐδοξίαν ἅμα Εὐδοκίᾳ τε καὶ Πλακιδίᾳ, ταῖς αὐτῆς τε καὶ Βαλεντινιανοῦ παισίν, αἰχμάλωτον εἷλε, χρυσοῦ τε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων βασιλέως κτημάτων πολύ τι χρῆμα ἐν ταῖς ναυσὶν ἐνθέμενος ἐς Καρχηδόνα ἔπλει, οὔτε χαλκοῦ οὔτε ἄλλου ὁτουοῦν ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις φεισάμενος. [4] ἐσύλησε δὲ καὶ τὸν τοῦ Διὸς τοῦ Καπιτωλίου νεὼν καὶ τοῦ τέγους τὴν ἡμίσειαν ἀφείλετο μοῖραν. τοῦτο δὲ τὸ τέγος χαλκοῦ μὲν τοῦ ἀρίστου ἐτύγχανεν ὄν, χρυσοῦ δὲ αὐτῷ ὑπερχυθέντος ἁδροῦ ὡς μάλιστα μεγαλοπρεπές τε καὶ θαύματος πολλοῦ ἄξιον διεφαίνετο. [5] τῶν δὲ μετὰ Γιζερίχου νεῶν μίαν μέν, ἣ τὰς εἰκόνας ἔφερε, φασὶν ἀπολέσθαι, πάσαις δὲ ταῖς ἄλλαις οἱ Βανδίλοι ἐς τὸν Καρχηδόνος λιμένα κατῆραν. [6] Εὐδοκίαν μὲν οὖν Γιζέριχος Ὁνωρίχῳ τῷ τῶν παίδων πρεσβυτέρῳ ξυνῴκισε, τὴν δὲ δὴ ἑτέραν ῾ἀνδρὶ γὰρ ξυνῴκει Ὀλυβρίῳ, τῶν ἐν βουλῇ τῇ Ῥωμαίων δοκιμωτάτᾠ ἅμα τῇ μητρὶ Εὐδοξίᾳ, ἐξαιτησαμένου βασιλέως, ἐς Βυζάντιον ἔπεμψεν. [7] ἤδη δὲ τὸ τῶν ἑῴων κράτος ἐς Λέοντα περιεστήκει, Ἄσπαρος ἐς τοῦτο αὐτὸν καταστησαμένου, ἐπειδὴ Μαρκιανὸς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀπήλλακτο. [8] Ὕστερον δὲ Γιζέριχος ἐπενόει τοιάδε. τῶν ἐν Λιβύῃ πόλεων, πλὴν Καρχηδόνος, τὰ τείχη καθεῖλεν, ὡς ἂν μήτε αὐτοὶ Λίβυες τὰ Ῥωμαίων ἑλόμενοι ἔκ τε ἐχυροῦ ὁρμᾶσθαι καὶ νεωτερίζειν ἱκανοὶ εἶεν μήτε τοῖς ἐκ βασιλέως στελλομένοις ἐν ἐλπίδι ἔσται ὡς καὶ πόλιν καταλήψονται καὶ φρουρὰν ἐν αὐτῇ ποιησάμενοι πράγματα Βανδίλοις παρέξονται. [9] τότε μὲν οὖν εὖ τε ἔδοξε βεβουλεῦσθαι καὶ τὴν εὐημερίαν Βανδίλοις ὡς ἀσφαλέστατα διασώσασθαι, χρόνῳ δὲ τῷ ὑστέρῳ, ὅτε δὴ ἀτείχιστοι οὖσαι ῥᾷόν τε καὶ ἀπονώτερον πρὸς Βελισαρίου αἱ πόλεις αὗται ἡλίσκοντο, πολύν τε γέλωτα ἤδη Γιζέριχος ὦφλε καὶ ἡ τέως δοκοῦσά οἱ εὐβουλία ἐς ἄνοιαν αὐτῷ ἀπεκρίθη. [10] ταῖς γὰρ δὴ τύχαις ἀεὶ τὰς δόξας ἐπὶ τοῖς πρότερον βεβουλευμένοις ξυμμεταβάλλεσθαι φιλοῦσιν ἄνθρωποι. [11] τῶν δὲ Λιβύων εἴ τι μὲν δόκιμον ἐτύγχανεν ὂν καὶ πλούτῳ ἀκμάζον, αὐτοῖς ἀγροῖς τε καὶ πᾶσι χρήμασιν ἐν ἀνδραπόδων μοίρᾳ παρέδωκε τοῖς παισὶν Ὁνωρίχῳ τε καὶ Γένζωνι. Θεόδωρος γὰρ ὁ νεώτατος ἐτελεύτα ἤδη, ἄπαις τὸ παράπαν ἄρρενός τε καὶ θήλεος γόνου. [12] Λίβυας δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους ἀφείλετο μὲν τοὺς ἀγρούς, οἳ πλεῖστοί τε ἦσαν καὶ ἄριστοι, ἐς δὲ τὸ τῶν Βανδίλων διένειμεν ἔθνος, καὶ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ κλῆροι Βανδίλων οἱ ἀγροὶ οὗτοι ἐς τόδε καλοῦνται τοῦ χρόνου. [13] τοῖς δὲ δὴ πάλαι κεκτημένοις τὰ χωρία ταῦτα πένεσθαί τε ὡς μάλιστα καὶ ἐλευθέροις εἶναι ξυνέβαινεν: ἦν δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ καὶ ὅποι βούλοιντο ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι. [14] καὶ τὰ μὲν χωρία ξύμπαντα, ὅσα τοῖς τε παισὶ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις Βανδίλοις Γιζέριχος παραδεδώκει, οὐδεμιᾶς φόρου ἀπαγωγῆς ὑποτελῆ ἐκέλευσεν εἶναι. [15] τῆς δὲ γῆς ὅση οἱ οὐκ ἀγαθὴ ἔδοξεν εἶναι, ἀφῆκε τοῖς πρότερον ἔχουσι, τοσαῦτα ἐνθένδε τῷ δημοσίῳ φέρεσθαι τάξας ὥστε οὐδ̓ ὁτιοῦν περιῆν τοῖς τὰ χωρία τὰ σφέτερα αὐτῶν ἔχουσιν. [16] ἔφευγον δὲ πολλοὶ καὶ ἐκτείνοντο. αἰτίαι γὰρ αὐτοῖς πολλαί τε καὶ χαλεπαὶ προσεφέροντο: [17] πασῶν δὲ μία μεγίστη δὴ ἐδόκει εἶναι ὅτι χρήματά τις οἰκεῖα ἔχων ἀπέκρυπτεν. οὕτω τοὺς Λίβυας πᾶσα ἰδέα ξυμφορᾶς περιέστη. [18] Τοὺς δὲ δὴ Βανδίλους τε καὶ Ἀλανοὺς ἐς λόχους καταστησάμενος, λοχαγοὺς αὐτοῖς ἐπέστησεν οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ ὀγδοήκοντα, οὕσπερ χιλιάρχους ἐκάλεσε, δόκησιν παρέχων ἐς ὀκτώ οἱ μυριάδας συνιέναι τὸν τῶν στρατευομένων λεών. [19] καίτοι οὐ μᾶλλον ἢ ἐς μυριάδας πέντε τὸ τῶν Βανδίλων τε καὶ Ἀλανῶν πλῆθος ἔν γε τῷ πρὶν χρόνῳ ἐλέγετο εἶναι. [20] ἔπειτα μέντοι τῇ τε κατὰ σφᾶς παιδοποιίᾳ καὶ ἄλλους βαρβάρους ἑταιρισάμενοι ἐς μεγάλην τινὰ πολυανθρωπίαν ἐχώρησαν. [21] τὰ δὲ τῶν Ἀλανῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων βαρβάρων ὀνόματα, πλὴν Μαυρουσίων, ἐς τὸ τῶν Βανδίλων ἅπαντα ἀπεκρίθη. [22] τότε δὲ Γιζέριχος Μαυρουσίους προσποιησάμενος, ἐπειδὴ Βαλεντινιανὸς ἐτελεύτησεν, ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος ἦρι ἀρχομένῳ ἔς τε Σικελίαν καὶ Ἰταλίαν ἐσβολὰς ἐποιεῖτο καὶ τῶν πόλεων τὰς μὲν ἀνδραποδίσας, τὰς δὲ καθελὼν ἐς ἔδαφος, ληισάμενός τε ἅπαντα, ἐπεὶ ἀνθρώπων τε ἡ χώρα καὶ χρημάτων ἔρημος ἐγεγόνει, ἐς τὸ τοῦ ἑῴου βασιλέως ἐσέβαλε κ�
�άτος. [23] Ἰλλυριοὺς οὖν ἐληίζετο καὶ τῆς τε Πελοποννήσου τῆς τε ἄλλης Ἑλλάδος τὰ πλεῖστα καὶ ὅσαι αὐτῇ νῆσοι ἐπίκεινται. αὖθις δὲ ἔς τε Σικελίαν καὶ Ἰταλίαν ἀπέβαινεν, ἦγέ τε καὶ ἔφερεν ἐκ περιτροπῆς ἅπαντα. [24] καί ποτε αὐτὸν ἐς τὴν ναῦν ἐσβάντα ἐν τῷ Καρχηδόνος λιμένι, ἀνατεινομένων ἤδη τῶν ἱστίων, φασὶν ἐρέσθαι τὸν κυβερνήτην ἐπὶ τίνας ποτὲ ἀνθρώπων ἰέναι κελεύοι. [25] καὶ τὸν ἀποκρινάμενον φάναι, δηλονότι ἐφ̓ οὓς ὁ θεὸς ὤργισται. οὕτως ἐξ οὐδεμιᾶς αἰτίας ἐφ̓ οὓς ἂν τύχοι ἐσέβαλλε.