Delphi Complete Works of Procopius

by Procopius of Caesarea

  Ἕβδομον ἤδη ἔτος τὴν αὐτοκράτορα ἀρχὴν ἔχων Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἀμφὶ θερινὰς τροπὰς τὴν στρατηγίδα ἐκέλευσε ναῦν ὁρμίσασθαι ἐς τὴν ἀκτὴν ἣ πρὸ τῆς βασιλέως αὐλῆς τυγχάνει οὖσα. [2] ἐνταῦθα Ἐπιφάνιος ἀφικόμενος, ὁ τῆς πόλεως ἀρχιερεύς, εὐξάμενός τε ὅσα εἰκὸς ἦν τῶν τινα στρατιωτῶν ἄρτι βεβαπτισμένον τε καὶ τοῦ Χριστιανῶν ὀνόματος μεταλαχόντα εἰς τὴν ναῦν εἰσεβίβασεν. οὕτω τοίνυν ὅ τε στρατηγὸς Βελισάριος καὶ Ἀντωνίνα ἡ γυνὴ ἔπλεον. [3] ξυνῆν δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ Προκόπιος, ὃς τάδε ξυνέγραψε, πρότερον μὲν καὶ μάλα κατορρωδήσας τὸν κίνδυνον, ὄψιν δὲ ὀνείρου ἰδὼν ὕστερον ἣ αὐτὸν θαρσῆσαί τε ἐποίησε καὶ ἐς τὸ στρατεύεσθαι ὥρμησεν. [4] ἐδόκει γὰρ ἐν τῷ ὀνείρῳ εἶναι μὲν ἐν τῇ Βελισαρίου οἰκίᾳ, εἰσελθόντα δὲ ἀγγεῖλαι τῶν οἰκετῶν ἕνα ὡς ἥκοιέν τινες δῶρα φέροντες: καὶ Βελισάριον διασκοπεῖσθαι κελεύειν αὐτὸν ὁποῖά ποτε εἴη τὰ δῶρα, καὶ αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ μεταύλῳ γενόμενον ἄνδρας ἰδεῖν οἳ ἔφερον ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων γῆν αὐτοῖς ἄνθεσι. [5] τούτους δὲ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν εἰσαγαγόντα κελεῦσαι καταθεῖναι ἐν τῷ προστώῳ ἣν ἔφερον γῆν: οὗ δὴ Βελισάριον ἅμα τοῖς δορυφόροις ἥκοντα, αὐτόν τε κατακλίνεσθαι ἐν τῇ γῇ ἐκείνῃ καὶ τὰ ἄνθη ἐσθίειν, τοῖς τε ἄλλοις αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἐγκελεύεσθαι, κατακλινομένοις τε σφίσι καὶ ἐσθίουσιν ὥσπερ ἐπὶ στιβάδος ἡδεῖαν κομιδῆ τὴν βρῶσιν φανῆναι. τὰ μὲν δὴ τῆς ὄψεως τοῦ ὀνείρου ταύτῃ πη ἔσχεν. [6] Ὁ δὲ ξύμπας στόλος τῇ στρατηγίδι νηὶ εἵπετο, καὶ προσέσχον Περίνθῳ, ἣ νῦν Ἡράκλεια ἐπικαλεῖται, ἔνθα δὴ πέντε ἡμερῶν χρόνος τῇ στρατιᾷ ἐτρίβη, ἐπεὶ βασιλεὺς ἵπποις ὅτι μάλιστα πλείστοις τὸν στρατηγὸν ἐνταῦθα ἐδωρεῖτο ἐκ τῶν βασιλικῶν ἱπποφορβίων, ἅ οἱ νέμονται ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης χωρία. [7] ὅθεν δὴ ἀπάραντες Ἀβύδῳ προσωρμίσαντο, καὶ σφίσι ξυνέπεσε τῇδε διὰ τὴν νηνεμίαν ἡμέρας διατρίβουσι τέσσαρας πρᾶγμα τοιόνδε ξυνενεχθῆναι. [8] Μασσαγέται δύο τῶν τινα ἑταίρων ἐν τῇ ἀκρατοποσίᾳ ἐρεσχελοῦντα σφᾶς, ἅτε οἰνωμένω, ἀνειλέτην. πάντων γὰρ ἀνθρώπων μάλιστά εἰσιν ἀκρατοπόται οἱ Μασσαγέται. [9] Βελισάριος οὖν αὐτίκα τὼ ἄνδρε τούτω ἐν τῷ κολωνῷ ὃς ἄγχι Ἀβύδου ἐστὶν ἀνεσκολόπισε. [10] καὶ ἐπειδὴ οἵ τε ἄλλοι καὶ οἱ τοῖν ἀνδροῖν ξυγγενεῖς ἐδυσχέραινόν τε καὶ ἔφασκον οὐκ ἐπὶ τιμωρίᾳ οὐδ̓ ἐπὶ τῷ ὑπεύθυνοι εἶναι Ῥωμαίων νόμοις ἐς ξυμμαχίαν ἥκειν ῾τὰ γὰρ δὴ σφῶν νόμιμα οὐ τοιάσδε τῶν φόνων ποιεῖσθαι τὰς τίσεις᾿, ξυνεθρύλλουν δὲ αὐτοῖς τὴν ἐς τὸν στρατηγὸν αἰτίαν καὶ στρατιῶται Ῥωμαῖοι οἷς δὴ ἐπιμελὲς ἐγεγόνει τῶν ἁμαρτανομένων μὴ εἶναι δίκας, τούς τε Μασσαγέτας καὶ τὸ ἄλλο στράτευμα ξυγκαλέσας Βελισάριος ἔλεξε τοιάδε: [11] ‘Εἰ μὲν πρὸς ἄνδρας νῦν πρῶτον εἰς πόλεμον καθισταμένους οἱ λόγοι ἐγίνοντο, μακροῦ ἄν μοι ἐδέησε χρόνου λέξαντα πεῖσαι ὑμᾶς ἡλίκον ἐστὶν ἐφόδιον εἰς τροπαίου κτῆσιν τὸ δίκαιον. [12] οἱ γὰρ οὐκ ἐξεπιστάμενοι τὰς τῶν τοιούτων ἀγώνων τύχας ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ μόναις οἴονται εἶναι τὸ τοῦ πολέμου πέρας. [13] ὑμεῖς δέ, οἳ πολλάκις μὲν νενικήκατε πολεμίους οὔτε τοῖς σώμασιν ἐλασσουμένους καὶ πρὸς ἀνδρίαν ἱκανῶς πεφυκότας, πολλάκις δὲ τῶν ἐναντίων ἐν πείρᾳ γεγένησθε, οὐκ ἀγνοεῖτε, οἶμαι, ὡς μάχονται μὲν ἐξ ἑκατέρας ἀεὶ στρατιᾶς ἄνθρωποι, βραβεύει δὲ ὁ θεὸς ὅπως ποτὲ αὐτῷ δοκεῖ καὶ τὸ τοῦ πολέμου δίδωσι κράτος. [14] ὅτε τοίνυν ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει, τήν τε τοῦ σώματος εὐεξίαν καὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις ἐπιμέλειαν καὶ τὴν ἄλλην τοῦ πολέμου παρασκευὴν περὶ ἐλάσσονος προσήκει τοῦ τε δικαίου καὶ τῶν εἰς θεὸν ἡκόντων ποιεῖσθαι. [15] τὸ γὰρ μάλιστα ξυνενεγκεῖν τοῖς δεομένοις δυνάμενον μᾶλλον ἂν εἰκότως πρὸς ἐκείνων τιμῷτο. [16] πρῶτον δ̓ ἂν τοῦ δικαίου γένοιτο γνώρισμα ἡ τῶν ἀδίκως ἀνῃρηκότων ποινή. εἰ γὰρ τό τε δίκαιον καὶ τὸ ἄδικον κρίνειν τε καὶ ὀνομάζειν ἐκ τῶν εἰς τοὺς πέλας ἀεὶ πρασσομένων ἐπάναγκες, οὐδὲν ἂν γένοιτο μᾶλλον ἀνθρώπῳ τῆς ψυχῆς ἔντιμον. [17] εἰ δέ τις βάρβαρος, ὅτι τὸν ξυγγενῆ μεθύων ἀνεῖλεν, ἀξιοῖ συγγνώμονα ἔχειν τὴν δίκην, δἰ ὧν ἀπολύεσθαι τὰς αἰτίας φησὶ χείρω εἰκότως εἶναι ποιεῖ τὰ ἐγκλήματα. [18] οὔτε γὰρ οὕτω μεθύειν ἄξιον ἄλλως τε καὶ τὸν ἐν στρατοπέδῳ βαδίζοντα, ὥστε ἀναιρεῖν τοὺς φιλτάτους ἑτοίμως, ἀλλ̓ αὐτή γε ἡ μέθη, κἂν ὁ φόνος ἥκιστα ἐπιγένηται, ποινῆς ἀξία, τό τε ξυγγενὲς ἀδικούμενον περὶ πλείονος ἂν τῶν οὐ προσηκόντων ἐς τιμωρίαν τοῖς γε νοῦν ἔχουσι φαίνοιτο. [19] τὸ μὲν οὖν παράδειγμα καὶ ἡ τῶν πραττομένων ἀπόβασις ὁποία ποτέ ἐστιν ὁρᾶν πάρεστιν. [20] ὑμᾶς δὲ προσήκει μήτε χειρῶν ἄρχειν ἀδίκων μήτε τι φέρεσθαι τῶν ἀλλοτρίων: ὡς οὐ περιόψομαί γε οὐδὲ ὑμῶν τινα συστρατιώτην ἐμὸν ἡγήσομαι εἶναι, κἂν πάνυ φοβερὸς τοῖς πολεμίοις εἶναι δοκῇ ὃς ἂν μὴ καθαραῖς ταῖς χερσὶν ἐς τοὺς ἀντιπάλους δύνηται χρῆσθαι. [21] τὸ γὰρ ἀνδρεῖον οὐκ ἂν νικῴη μὴ μετὰ τοῦ δικαίου ταττόμενον.’ Βελισάριος μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπεν. [22] ἡ δὲ στρατιὰ ξύμπασα, ἐπειδὴ τά τε λεγόμενα ἤκουσαν καὶ ἐς τὼ ἀνεσκολοπισμένω ἀνέβλεψαν, ἐς δέος τι ἀμήχανον ἦλθον καὶ σωφρόνως βιοτεύειν ἐν νῷ ἔλαβον, ὡς οὐκ �
�ξω κινδύνου μεγάλου ἐσόμενοι, ἤν τι οὐκ ἔννομον ποιοῦντες ἁλοῖεν.

  XII

  [533 A.D.] In the seventh year of Justinian’s reign, at about the spring equinox, the emperor commanded the general’s ship to anchor off the point which is before the royal palace. Thither came also Epiphanius, the chief priest of the city, and after uttering an appropriate prayer, he put on the ships one of the soldiers who had lately been baptized and had taken the Christian name. And after this the general Belisarius and Antonina, his wife, set sail. And there was with them also Procopius, who wrote this history; now previously he had been exceedingly terrified at the danger, but later he had seen a vision in his sleep which caused him to take courage and made him eager to go on the expedition. For it seemed in the dream that he was in the house of Belisarius, and one of the servants entering announced that some men had come bearing gifts; and Belisarius bade him investigate what sort of gifts they were, and he went out into the court and saw men who carried on their shoulders earth with the flowers and all. And he bade him bring these men into the house and deposit the earth they were carrying in the portico; and Belisarius together with his guardsmen came there, and he himself reclined on that earth and ate of the flowers, and urged the others to do likewise; and as they reclined and ate, as if upon a couch, the food seemed to them exceedingly sweet. Such, then, was the vision of the dream.

  And the whole fleet followed the general’s ship, and they put in at Perinthus, which is now called Heracleia, where five days’ time was spent by the army, since at that place the general received as a present from the emperor an exceedingly great number of horses from the royal pastures, which are kept for him in the territory of Thrace. And setting sail from there, they anchored off Abydus, and it came about as they were delaying there four days on account of the lack of wind that the following event took place. Two Massagetae killed one of their comrades who was ridiculing them, in the midst of their intemperate drinking; for they were intoxicated. For of all men the Massagetae are the most intemperate drinkers. Belisarius, accordingly, straightway impaled these two men on the hill which is near Abydus. And since all, and especially the relatives of these two men, were angry and declared that it was not in order to be punished nor to be subject to the laws of the Romans that they had entered into an alliance (for their own laws did not make the punishment for murder such as this, they said); and since they were joined in voicing the accusation against the general even by Roman soldiers, who were anxious that there should be no punishment for their offences, Belisarius called together both the Massagetae and the rest of the army and spoke as follows: “If my words were addressed to men now for the first time entering into war, it would require a long time for me to convince you by speech how great a help justice is for gaining the victory. For those who do not understand the fortunes of such struggles think that the outcome of war lies in strength of arm alone. But you, who have often conquered an enemy not inferior to you in strength of body and well endowed with valour, you who have often tried your strength against your opponents, you, I think, are not ignorant that, while it is men who always do the fighting in either army, it is God who judges the contest as seems best to Him and bestows the victory in battle. Now since this is so, it is fitting to consider good bodily condition and practice in arms and all the other provision for war of less account than justice and those things which pertain to God. For that which may possibly be of greatest advantage to men in need would naturally be honoured by them above all other things. Now the first proof of justice would be the punishment of those who have committed unjust murder. For if it is incumbent upon us to sit in judgment upon the actions which from time to time are committed by men toward their neighbours, and to adjudge and to name the just and the unjust action, we should find that nothing is more precious to a man than his life. And if any barbarian who has slain his kinsman expects to find indulgence in his trial on the ground that he was drunk, in all fairness he makes the charge so much the worse by reason of the very circumstance by which, as he alleges, his guilt is removed. For it is not right for a man under any circumstances, and especially when serving in an army, to be so drunk as readily to kill his dearest friends; nay, the drunkenness itself, even if the murder is not added at all, is worthy of punishment; and when a kinsman is wronged, the crime would clearly be of greater moment as regards punishment than when committed against those who are not kinsmen, at least in the eyes of men of sense. Now the example is before you and you may see what sort of an outcome such actions have. But as for you, it is your duty to avoid laying violent hands upon anyone without provocation, or carrying off the possessions of others; for I shall not overlook it, be assured, and I shall not consider anyone of you a fellow-soldier of mine, no matter how terrible he is reputed to be to the foe, who is not able to use clean hands against the enemy. For bravery cannot be victorious unless it be arrayed along with justice.” So spoke Belisarius. And the whole army, hearing what was said and looking up at the two men impaled, felt an overwhelming fear come over them and took thought to conduct their lives with moderation, for they saw that they would not be free from great danger if they should be caught doing anything unlawful.

  Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἐφρόντιζε Βελισάριος ὅπως τε ὁ ξύμπας στόλος ἀεὶ κατὰ ταὐτὰ πλέοι καὶ ἐς χωρίον ταὐτὸ προσορμίζοιτο. [2] ᾔδει γὰρ ὡς ἐν μεγάλῳ στόλῳ, ἄλλως τε καὶ ἢν τραχεῖς σφίσιν ἄνεμοι ἐπιπέσοιεν, ἐπάναγκες ἀπολείπεσθαί τε τῶν νεῶν πολλὰς καὶ σκεδάννυσθαι ἐς τὸ πέλαγος, οὐκ εἰδέναι τε αὐτῶν τοὺς κυβερνήτας ὁποίαις ποτὲ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ἀναγομένων ἕπεσθαι ἄμεινον. [3] λογισάμενος οὖν ἐποίει τάδε. τριῶν νεῶν, ἐν αἷς αὐτός τε καὶ ἡ θεραπεία ἔπλει, τὰ ἱστία ἐκ γωνίας τῆς ἄνω καὶ ἐς τριτημόριον μάλιστα ἔχρισε μίλτῳ, κοντούς τε ὀρθοὺς ἀναστήσας ἐν πρύμνῃ ἑκάστῃ ἀπεκρέμασεν ἀπ̓ αὐτῶν λύχνα, ὅπως ἔν τε ἡμέρᾳ καὶ νυκτὶ αἱ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ νῆες ἔκδηλοι εἶεν: αἷς δὴ ἕπεσθαι τοὺς κυβερνήτας ἐκέλευε πάντας. [4] οὕτω τε τῶν νεῶν τῶν τριῶν ἡγουμένων παντὶ τῷ στόλῳ τετύχηκεν αὐτῶν οὐδεμίαν ἀπολελεῖφθαι. ὅτε μέντοι ἐκ λιμένος ἀπαίρειν μέλλοιεν, ἐσήμαινον αὐτοῖς αἱ σάλπιγγες τοῦτο. [5] Ἐκ δὲ Ἀβύδου ἀναχθεῖσιν αὐτοῖς ἄνεμοι σκληροὶ ἐπιπεσόντες ἤγαγον εἰς τὸ Σίγειον. αὖθίς τε νηνεμίᾳ χρησάμενοι σχολαίτεροι ἐς Μαλέαν ἦλθον, ἔνθα δὴ αὐτοῖς ἡ νηνεμία ξυνήνεγκεν ἐς τὰ μάλιστα. [6] ἅτε γὰρ ἐν στόλῳ μεγάλῳ καὶ ναυσὶν ὑπερμεγέθεσι, νυκτὸς ἐπιγενομένης, ἡ στενοχωρία ξυνετάραξέ τε ἅπαντα καὶ ἐς ἔσχατον κινδύνου ἤνεγκεν. [7] ἐνταῦθα οἵ τε κυβερνῆται καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ναῦται ἀρετὴν ἐπεδείξαντο, βοῇ τε καὶ πατάγῳ πολλῷ χρώμενοι καὶ τοῖς κοντοῖς διωθούμενοι, ἐμπείρως τε ἀπ̓ ἀλλήλων τὰς διαστάσεις ποιούμενοι, ὥστε εἰ καὶ πνεῦμα ἐπίφορον ἢ καὶ ἀπ̓ ἐναντίας αὐτοῖς ἐπεγένετο, μόλις ἂν οἱ ναῦταί μοι δοκεῖ σφᾶς τε αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰς ναῦς διεσώσαντο. [8] νῦν δὲ οὕτως ὥσπερ εἴρηται διαφυγόντες Ταινάρῳ προσέμιξαν, ἣ νῦν Καινούπολ
ις ἐπικαλεῖται. [9] εἶτα ἐνθένδε ὁρμηθέντες Μεθώνῃ προσέσχον, εὗρόν τε ὀλίγῳ πρότερον τοὺς ἀμφὶ Βαλεριανόν τε καὶ Μαρτῖνον αὐτόσε ἀφικομένους. [10] καὶ ἐπεὶ ἄνεμοι οὐκ ἐπέπνεον σφίσι, τὰς μὲν ναῦς Βελισάριος ἐνταῦθα ὥρμισε, τὸ δὲ στράτευμα ἀπεβίβασεν ἅπαν, καὶ ἀποβάντας τούς τε ἄρχοντας διεκόσμησε καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας διέτασσε. [11] ταῦτά τε αὐτοῦ διέποντος καὶ ἀνέμων ἥκιστα ἐπιγινομένων, ἐπῆλθε πολλοῖς τῶν στρατιωτῶν νόσῳ διαφθαρῆναι ἐξ αἰτίας τοιᾶσδε. [12] Ὁ τῆς αὐλῆς ἔπαρχος Ἰωάννης φλαῦρός τε ἦν τὸν τρόπον καὶ οὕτω δυνατὸς εἰς τὸ προσαγαγεῖν εἰς τὸ δημόσιον ἐπινοῆσαι χρήματα ἐπὶ λύμῃ ἀνθρώπων, ὡς οὐκ ἄν ποτε ἔγωγε φράσαι ἱκανῶς ἔχοιμι. [13] ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐρρήθη, ἡνίκα πρὸς τῆς ἱστορίας ἐς τόδε ἠγόμην τοῦ λόγου. [14] τὰ δὲ νῦν ὅτῳ ποτὲ τρόπῳ τούτους δὴ τοὺς στρατιώτας διεχρήσατο ἐρῶν ἔρχομαι. [15] τὸν ἄρτον ᾧ δὴ μέλλουσιν ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ οἱ στρατιῶται σιτίζεσθαι, δὶς μὲν ἐπάναγκες ἐς τὸν πνιγέα εἰσάγεσθαι, ἐπιμελῶς δὲ οὕτως ὀπτᾶσθαι ὥστε ἐξικνεῖσθαί τε ἐπὶ πλεῖστον καὶ μὴ χρόνῳ βραχεῖ διαφθείρεσθαι, τόν τε οὕτως ὀπτώμενον ἄρτον ἀνάγκη ἐλάσσω τὸν σταθμὸν ἕλκειν: καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐν ταῖς τοιαῖσδε ἀρτοδαισίαις εἰώθασιν οἱ στρατιῶται τοῦ συνειθισμένου σταθμοῦ τὸ τεταρτημόριον ἀποτέμνεσθαι. [16] Ἰωάννης οὖν λογισάμενος ὅπως ἐλάσσω τε τὰ ξύλα καὶ τὸν μισθὸν τοῖς ἀρτοποιοῖς ἥσσονα δοίη, καὶ ὅπως οἱ οὐκ ἐνδεὴς ὁ σταθμὸς εἴη, ὠμὸν ἔτι τὸν ἄρτον ἐς τὸ δημόσιον βαλανεῖον ἐσκομίσας τὸν Ἀχιλλέα, οὗ δὴ ἔνερθεν τὸ πῦρ καίεται, καταθέσθαι ἐκέλευσε. [17] καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἀμωσγέπως ὀπτᾶσθαι ἐδόκει, ἐμβαλὼν θυλακίοις ἐνθέμενός τε ἐν ταῖς ναυσὶν ἔστελλε. [18] καὶ ἐπεὶ ὁ στόλος ἐς Μεθώνην ἀφίκετο, διαρρυέντες οἱ ἄρτοι ἐπανῆκον αὖθις ἐς ἄλευρα, οὐχ ὑγιᾶ μέντοι, σεσηπότα δὲ καὶ εὐρωτιῶντα καί τινα ὀσμὴν ἤδη βαρεῖαν φέροντα. [19] ἐχορήγουν τε αὐτὰ τοῖς στρατιώταις πρὸς μέτρον οἷς προσέκειτο ἡ τιμὴ αὕτη, χοίνιξί τε ἤδη καὶ μεδίμνοις τὴν ἀρτοδαισίαν ποιούμενοι. [20] τούτοις δὲ οἱ στρατιῶται ὥρᾳ θέρους ἐν χωρίῳ αὐχμοὺς ἔχοντι σιτιζόμενοι ἐνόσησάν τε καὶ αὐτῶν ἀπέθανον οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ πεντακόσιοι: ὃ δὴ καὶ τοῖς πλείοσι ξυμπεσεῖν ἔμελλεν, ἀλλὰ Βελισάριος διεκώλυσεν, ἄρτους αὐτοῖς ἐπιχωρίους χορηγεῖσθαι κελεύσας. βασιλεῖ δὲ τὸ πρᾶγμα δηλώσας αὐτὸς μὲν ηὐδοκίμησεν, οὐ μήν τινα τότε Ἰωάννῃ ζημίαν ἤνεγκε. [21] Ταῦτα μὲν δὴ οὕτως ἐγένετο. ἐκ δὲ Μεθώνης ὁρμηθέντες ἀφίκοντο ἐς τὸν Ζακυνθίων λιμένα, ἔνθα δὴ ὕδωρ τε ἐμβεβλημένοι ὅσον σφίσιν ἐξικνεῖσθαι ἔμελλε τὸ Ἀδριατικὸν πέλαγος διαπλέουσι καὶ τὰ ἄλλα παρασκευασάμενοι ἔπλεον. [22] ἀνέμου δὲ σφίσι μαλακοῦ τε καὶ νωθροῦ κομιδῆ ἐπιπνεύσαντος ἑκκαιδεκαταῖοι κατέπλευσαν τῆς Σικελίας ἐς χῶρον ἔρημον, οὗ τὸ ὄρος ἐγγὺς ἡ Αἴτνη ἀνέχει. [23] ἐν δὲ τῷ διάπλῳ τούτῳ διατρίψασιν αὐτοῖς ὥσπερ εἴρηται, ξυνέπεσεν ἅπασι διαφθαρῆναι τὰ ὕδατα, πλήν γε δὴ οὗ Βελισάριός τε αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ ξυμπόται ἔπινον. [24] τοῦτο γὰρ διεσώσατο μόνον ἡ Βελισαρίου γυνὴ τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. ἀμφορέας ἐξ ὑάλου πεποιημένους ὕδατος ἐμπλησαμένη οἰκίσκον τε ἐκ σανίδων ποιήσασα ἐν κοίλῃ νηὶ ἔνθα δὴ τῷ ἡλίῳ ἐσιέναι ἀδύνατα ἦν, ἐνταῦθα ἐς ψάμμον τοὺς ἀμφορέας κατέχωσε, ταύτῃ τε ἀπαθὲς τὸ ὕδωρ διέμεινε. τοῦτο μὲν οὖν οὕτως ἔσχε.