Delphi Complete Works of Procopius

by Procopius of Caesarea

  XXI

  But then, since the hour was appropriate, Belisarius commanded that lunch be prepared for them, in the very place where Gelimer was accustomed to entertain the leaders of the Vandals. This place the Romans call “Delphix,” not in their own tongue, but using the Greek word according to the ancient custom. For in the palace at Rome, where the dining couches of the emperor were placed, a tripod had stood from olden times, on which the emperor’s cupbearers used to place the cups. Now the Romans call a tripod “Delphix,” since they were first made at Delphi, and from this both in Byzantium and wherever there is a king’s dining couch they call the room “Delphix”; for the Romans follow the Greek also in calling the emperor’s residence “Palatium.” For a Greek named Pallas lived in this place before the capture of Troy and built a noteworthy house there, and they called this dwelling “Palatium”; and when Augustus received the imperial power, he decided to take up his first residence in that house, and from this they call the place wherever the emperor resides “Palatium.” So Belisarius dined in the Delphix and with him all the notables of the army. And it happened that the lunch made for Gelimer on the preceding day was in readiness. And we feasted on that very food and the domestics of Gelimer served it and poured the wine and waited upon us in every way. And it was possible to see Fortune in her glory and making a display of the fact that all things are hers and that nothing is the private possession of any man. And it fell to the lot of Belisarius on that day to win such fame as no one of the men of his time ever won nor indeed any of the men of olden times. For though the Roman soldiers were not accustomed to enter a subject city without confusion, even if they numbered only five hundred, and especially if they made the entry unexpectedly, all the soldiers under the command of this general showed themselves so orderly that there was not a single act of insolence nor a threat, and indeed nothing happened to hinder the business of the city; but in a captured city, one which had changed its government and shifted its allegiance, it came about that no man’s household was excluded from the privileges of the marketplace; on the contrary, the clerks drew up their lists of the men and conducted the soldiers to their lodgings, just as usual, and the soldiers themselves, getting their lunch by purchase from the market, rested as each one wished.

  Afterwards Belisarius gave pledges to those Vandals who had fled into the sanctuaries, and began to take thought for the fortifications. For the circuit-wall of Carthage had been so neglected that in many places it had become accessible to anyone who wished and easy to attack. For no small part of it had fallen down, and it was for this reason, the Carthaginians said, that Gelimer had not made his stand in the city. For he thought that it would be impossible in a short time to restore such a circuit-wall to a safe condition. And they said that an old oracle had been uttered by the children in earlier times in Carthage, to the effect that “gamma shall pursue beta, and again beta itself shall pursue gamma.” And at that time it had been spoken by the children in play and had been left as an unexplained riddle, but now it was perfectly clear to all. For formerly Gizeric had driven out Boniface and now Belisarius was doing the same to Gelimer. This, then, whether it was a rumour or an oracle, came out as I have stated.

  At that time a dream also came to light, which had been seen often before this by many persons, but without being clear as to how it would turn out. And the dream was as follows. Cyprian, a holy man, is reverenced above all others by the Carthaginians. And they have founded a very noteworthy temple in his honour before the city on the sea-shore, in which they conduct all other customary services, and also celebrate there a festival which they call the “Cypriana”; and the sailors are accustomed to name after Cyprian the storm, which I mentioned lately, giving it the same name as the festival, since it is wont to come on at the time at which the Libyans have always been accustomed to celebrate the festival. This temple the Vandals took from the Christians by violence in the reign of Honoric. And they straightway drove out their priests from the temple in great dishonour, and themselves thereafter attended to the sacred festival which, they said, now belonged to the Arians. And the Libyans, indeed, were angry on this account and altogether at a loss, but Cyprian, they say, often sent them a dream saying that there was not the least need for the Christians to be concerned about him; for he himself as time went on would be his own avenger. And when the report of this was passed around and came to all the Libyans, they were expecting that some vengeance would come upon the Vandals at some time because of this sacred festival, but were unable to conjecture how in the world the vision would be realized for them. Now, therefore, when the emperor’s expedition had come to Libya, since the time had already come round and would bring the celebration of the festival on the succeeding day, the priests of the Arians, in spite of the fact that Ammatas had led the Vandals to Decimum, cleansed the whole sanctuary and were engaged in hanging up the most beautiful of the votive offerings there, and making ready the lamps and bringing out the treasures from the store-houses and preparing all things with exactness, arranging everything according to its appropriate use. But the events in Decimum turned out in the manner already described. And the priests of the Arians were off in flight, while the Christians who conform to the orthodox faith came to the temple of Cyprian, and they burned all the lamps and attended to the sacred festival just as is customary for them to perform this service, and thus it was known to all what the vision of the dream was foretelling. This, then, came about in this way.

  Οἱ δὲ Βανδίλοι λόγου παλαιοῦ ἀναμνησθέντες ἐθαύμαζον, ἐξεπιστάμενοι τὸ λοιπὸν ὡς ἀνθρώπῳ γε ὄντι οὔτ̓ ἂν ἄπιστός τις ἐλπὶς οὔτε κτῆσις βέβαιος γένοιτο. [2] ὅστις δὲ ἦν οὗτος ὁ λόγος καὶ ὅντινα ἐρρήθη τρόπον, ἐγὼ δηλώσω. [3] ἡνίκα Βανδίλοι κατ̓ ἀρχὰς τῷ λιμῷ πιεζόμενοι ἐξ ἠθῶν τῶν πατρίων ἀνίστασθαι ἔμελλον, μοῖρά τις αὐτῶν ἀπελείπετο, οἷς δὴ ὀκνήσει ἐχομένοις πρὸς ἡδονὴν Γωδιγίσκλῳ ἐπισπέσθαι οὐκ ἦν. [4] προϊόντος δὲ χρόνου τοῖς τε μείνασι τὰ ἐς τῶν ἐπιτηδείων τὴν ἀφθονίαν εὖ ἔχειν ἐδόκει καὶ Γιζέριχος ξὺν τοῖς ἀμφ̓ αὐτὸν Λιβύην ἔσχεν. [5] ὅπερ ἀκούσαντες οἱ Γωδιγίσκλῳ οὐκ ἐπισπόμενοι ἔχαιρον, τῆς χώρας λοιπὸν ἰσχυρότατα σφίσιν ἐς τὸ ἀποζῆν διαρκούσης. [6] δείσαντες δὲ μὴ χρόνῳ τινὶ πολλ̣̣̔̓ ὕστερον ἢ αὐτοὶ ὅσοι Λιβύην ἔσχον, ἢ οἱ τούτων ἀπόγονοι ὅτῳ δὴ τρόπῳ Λιβύης ἐξελαυνόμενο ἐπανήξουσιν ἐς τὰ πάτρια ἤθη ῾οὐ γάρ ποτ̣̣̔̓ Ῥωμαίους αὐτὴν ἐς ἀεὶ περιόψεσθαι ὑπετόπαζον̓ πρέσβεις ἔπεμψαν παῤ αὐτούς. [7] οἵ, ἐπεὶ Γιζἑ̣̣̓ ρίχῳ ἐς ὄψιν ἧκον, συνήδεσθαι μὲν τοῖς ὁμογενἕ̣̣̓ σιν οὕτω δὴ εὐημερήσασιν ἔφασκον, φυλάσσεἱ̣̣̓ δὲ περαιτέρω τὴν γῆν οὐχ οἷοί τε εἶναι ἧσπἑ̣̣̓ αὐτοὶ ὠλιγωρηκότες ἐπὶ Λιβύης ἱδρύσαντο. [8] ἐδἕ̣̣̓ οντο οὖν, εἰ μὴ γῆς τῆς πατρῴας μεταποιοῦνται κτήματι αὐτοὺς ἀνονήτῳ σφίσι δωρήσασθαι, ὅπὡ̣̣̓ δὴ κύριοι τῆς χώρας ὡς ἀσφαλέστατα γεγενη μένοι, ἤν τις κακουργήσων ἐπ̓ αὐτὴν ἴοι, ὡ̣̣̓ ἥκιστα ἀπαξιοῦν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς θνήσκειν. [9] Γιζερίχ̣̣̔̓ μὲν οὖν καὶ Βανδίλοις τοῖς ἄλλοις εὖ τε καὶ τ̣̣̔̓ δίκαια λέγειν ἔδοξαν, καὶ ξυνεχώρουν ἅπαντα ὅς῾
̣̣̓ οἱ πρέσβεις αὐτῶν ἔχρῃζον. [10] γέρων δέ τις ἀνἣ̣̣̓ ἐν αὐτοῖς δόκιμος καὶ δόξαν ἐπὶ ξυνέσει πολλἥ̣̣̓ τινα ἔχων τὸ τοιοῦτον ἐπιτρέψειν οὐδαμῆ ἔφη τῶν γὰρ ἀνθρωπείων οὐδ̓ ὁτιοῦν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀσφαλοὗ̣̣̓ ἵστασθαι, ἀλλ̓ εἶναι αὐτοῖς ἐς τὸν πάντα αἰῶν̣̣̔̓ βέβαιον μὲν τῶν ὄντων οὐδέν, τῶν δὲ οὐκ ὄντὡ̣̣̓ οὐδὲν ἀμήχανον. [11] ταῦτα ὁ Γιζέριχος ἀκούσἁ̣̣̓ ἐπῄνεσέ τε καὶ τοὺς πρέσβεις ἀπράκτους ἀπὁ̣̣̓ πέμπεσθαι ἔγνω. τότε μὲν οὖν αὐτός τε καὶ ῾̣̣̓ παραινέσας ἅτε τὰ ἀμήχανα προορώμενοι, πρὃ̣̣̓ πάντων Βανδίλων γέλωτα ὦφλον. [12] ἐπεὶ δὲ ταῦτ̣̣̔̓ ἅπερ ἐρρήθη ἐγένετο, μετέμαθόν τε τῶν ἀνθρωπείων πραγμάτων οἱ Βανδίλοι τὴν φύσιν κἁ̣̣̓ σοφοῦ τὸ ἔπος εἶναι ἀνδρὸς ἔγνωσαν. [13] Τούτων μὲν οὖν Βανδίλων οἳ ἔμειναν ἐν γῇ τῇ πατρῴᾳ, οὔτε μνήμη τις οὔτε ὄνομα ἐς ἐμ̣̣̔̓ σώζεται. ἅτε γάρ, οἶμαι, ὀλίγοις τισὶν οὖσιν ἢ βεβιάσθαι πρὸς βαρβάρων τῶν σφίσιν ὁμόρων ἢ ἀναμεμίχθαι οὔτι ἀκουσίοις τετύχηκε, τό τε ὄνομα ἐς αὐτούς πη ἀποκεκρίσθαι. [14] οὐ μὴν οὐδ̣̣̔̓ ἡσσημένοις τότε πρὸς Βελισαρίου Βανδίλοις ἔννοια γέγονεν ἐς ἤθη τὰ πάτρια ἐνθένδε ἰέναι. [15] οὐ γὰρ εἶχον ἐκ Λιβύης ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου, ἄλλως τε καὶ νεῶν οὐ παρουσῶν σφίσιν, ἐς τὴν Εὐρώπην κομίζεσθαι, ἀλλ̓ ἔτισαν ἐνταῦθα τὴν δίκην ἁπάντων ὧνπερ ἐς Ῥωμαίους εἰργάσαντο καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα ἐς Ζακυνθίους. [16] Γιζέριχος γάρ, ἐπισκήψας ποτὲ τοῖς ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ χωρίοις, Ταινάρῳ προσβαλεῖν ἐνεχείρησεν. ἐνθένδε τε κατὰ τάχος ἀποκρουσθεὶς καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν οἱ ἑπομένων ἀποβαλὼν ἀνεχώρησεν οὐδενὶ κόσμῳ. [17] διὸ δὴ τῷ θυμῷ ἔτι ἐχόμενος Ζακύνθῳ προσέσχε, καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν τῶν ἐν ποσὶ κτείνας, τῶν δὲ δοκίμων ἐς πεντακοσίους ἀνδραποδίσας δἰ ὀλίγου ἀπέπλευσεν. [18] ἐπειδή τε γέγονεν ἐν μέσῳ τῷ Ἀδριατικῷ καλουμένῳ πελάγει, ἐνταῦθα κρεουργήσας τῶν πεντακοσίων τὰ σώματα, πανταχῆ τῆς θαλάσσης οὐδὲν ὑπολογισάμενος ἔρριψεν. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις ἐγένετο.

  XXII

  And the Vandals, recalling an ancient saying, marvelled, understanding clearly thereafter that for a man, at least, no hope could be impossible nor any possession secure. And what this saying was and in what manner it was spoken I shall explain. When the Vandals originally, pressed by hunger, were about to remove from their ancestral abodes, a certain part of them was left behind who were reluctant to go and not desirous of following Godigisclus. And as time went on it seemed to those who had remained that they were well off as regards abundance of provisions, and Gizeric with his followers gained possession of Libya. And when this was heard by those who had not followed Godigisclus, they rejoiced, since thenceforth the country was altogether sufficient for them to live upon. But fearing lest at some time much later either the very ones who had conquered Libya, or their descendants, should in some way or other be driven out of Libya and return to their ancestral homes (for they never supposed that the Romans would let Libya be held for ever), they sent ambassadors to them. And these men, upon coming before Gizeric, said that they rejoiced with their compatriots who had met with such success, but that they were no longer able to guard the land of which he and his men had thought so little that they had settled in Libya. They prayed therefore that, if they laid no claim to their fatherland, they would bestow it as an unprofitable possession upon themselves, so that their title to the land might be made as secure as possible, and if anyone should come to do it harm, they might by no means disdain to die in behalf of it. Gizeric, accordingly, and all the other Vandals thought that they spoke fairly and justly, and they were in the act of granting everything which the envoys desired of them. But a certain old man who was esteemed among them and had a great reputation for discretion said that he would by no means permit such a thing. “For in human affairs,” he said, “not one thing stands secure; nay, nothing which now exists is stable for all time for men, while as regards that which does not yet exist, there is nothing which may not come to pass.” When Gizeric heard this, he expressed approval and decided to send the envoys away with nothing accomplished. Now at that time both he himself and the man who had given the advice were judged worthy of ridicule by all the Vandals, as foreseeing the impossible. But when these things which have been told took place, the Vandals learned to take a different view of the nature of human affairs and realized that the saying was that of a wise man.