Delphi Complete Works of Procopius

by Procopius of Caesarea

  I

  Gelimer, seeing all the Vandals gathered together, led his army against Carthage. And when they came close to it, they tore down a portion of the aqueduct, — a structure well worth seeing — which conducted water into the city, and after encamping for a time they withdrew, since no one of the enemy came out against them. And going about the country there they kept the roads under guard and thought that in this way they were besieging Carthage; however, they did not gather any booty, nor plunder the land, but took possession of it as their own. And at the same time they kept hoping that there would be some treason on the part of the Carthaginians themselves and such of the Roman soldiers as followed the doctrine of Arius. They also sent to the leaders of the Huns, and promising that they would have many good things from the Vandals, entreated them to become their friends and allies. Now the Huns even before this had not been well-disposed toward the cause of the Romans, since they had not indeed come to them willingly as allies (for they asserted that the Roman general Peter had given an oath and then, disregarding what had been sworn, had thus brought them to Byzantium), and accordingly they received the words of the Vandals, and promised that when they should come to real fighting they would turn with them against the Roman army. But Belisarius had a suspicion of all this (for he had heard it from the deserters), and also the circuit-wall had not as yet been completed entirely, and for these reasons he did not think it possible for his men to go out against the enemy for the present, but he was making his preparations within as well as possible. And one of the Carthaginians, Laurus by name, having been condemned on a charge of treason and proved guilty by his own secretary, was impaled by Belisarius on a hill before the city, and as a result of this the others came to feel a sort of irresistible fear and refrained from attempts at treason. And he courted the Massagetae with gifts and banquets and every other manner of flattering attention every day, and thus persuaded them to disclose to him what Gelimer had promised them on condition of their turning traitors in the battle. And these barbarians said that they had no enthusiasm for fighting, for they feared that, if the Vandals were vanquished, the Romans would not send them back to their native land, but they would be compelled to grow old and die right there in Libya; and besides they were also concerned, they said, about the booty, lest they be robbed of it. Then indeed Belisarius gave them pledges that, if the Vandals should be conquered decisively, they would be sent without the least delay to their homes with all their booty, and thus he bound them by oaths in very truth to assist the Romans with all zeal in carrying through the war.

  And when all things had been prepared by him in the best way possible, and the circuit-wall had been already completed, he called together the whole army and spoke as follows: “As for exhortation, fellow Romans, I do not know that it is necessary to make any to you, — men who have recently conquered the enemy so completely that Carthage here and the whole of Libya is a possession of your valour, and for this reason you will have no need of admonition that prompts to daring. For the spirits of those who have conquered are by no means wont to be overcome. But I think it not untimely to remind you of this one thing, that, if you on the present occasion but prove equal to your own selves in valour, straightway there will be an end for the Vandals of their hopes, and for you of the battle. Hence there is every reason why you should enter into this engagement with the greatest eagerness. For ever sweet to men is toil coming to an end and reaching its close. Now as for the host of the Vandals, let no one of you consider them. For not by numbers of men nor by measure of body, but by valour of soul, is war wont to be decided. And let the strongest motive which actuates men come to your minds, namely, pride in past achievement. For it is a shame, for those at least who have reason, to fall short of one’s own self and to be found inferior to one’s own standard of valour. For I know well that terror and the memory of misfortunes have laid hold upon the enemy and compel them to become less brave, for the one fills them with fear because of what has already happened, and the other brushes aside their hope of success. For Fortune, once seen to be bad, straightway enslaves the spirit of those who have fallen in her way. And I shall explain how the struggle involves for you at the present time a greater stake than formerly. For in the former battle the danger was, if things did not go well for us, that we should not take the land of others; but now, if we do not win the struggle, we shall lose the land which is our own. In proportion, then, as it is easier to possess nothing than to be deprived of what one has, just so now our fear touches our most vital concerns more than before. And yet formerly we had the fortune to win the victory with the infantry absent, but now, entering the battle with God propitious and with our whole army, I have hopes of capturing the camp of the enemy, men and all. Thus, then, having the end of the war ready at hand, do not by reason of any negligence put it off to another time, lest you be compelled to seek for the opportune moment after it has run past us. For when the fortune of war is postponed, its nature is not to proceed in the same manner as before, especially if the war be prolonged by the will of those who are carrying it on. For Heaven is accustomed to bring retribution always upon those who abandon the good fortune which is present. But if anyone considers that the enemy, seeing their children and wives and most precious possessions in our hands, will be daring beyond reason and will incur risks beyond the strength which they have, he does not think rightly. For an overpowering passion springing up in the heart in behalf of what is most precious is wont to diminish men’s actual strength and does not allow them to make full use of their present opportunities. Considering, then, all these things, it behooves you to go with great contempt against the enemy.”

  Τοσαῦτα Βελισάριος παρακελευσάμενος ἱππέἁ̣̣̓ μὲν ἅπαντας, πλὴν πεντακοσίων, ἡμέρᾳ τῇ αὐτ̣̣̔̓ ἔστειλε, τούς τε ὑπασπιστὰς καὶ τὸ σημεῖον, ὃ δ̣̣̔̓ βάνδον καλοῦσι Ῥωμαῖοι, Ἰωάννῃ ἐπιτρέψας τ̣̣̔̓ Ἀρμενίῳ καὶ ἀκροβολίσασθαι ἐπιστείλας, ἠ̣̣̔̀̓ καιρὸς γένηται. [2] αὐτὸς δὲ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ξὺν τ̣̣̔̓ πεζῷ στρατῷ καὶ τοῖς πεντακοσίοις ἱππεῦσἱ̣̣̓ εἵπετο. [3] τοῖς δὲ Μασσαγέταις, βουλευσαμένὁ̣̣̓ ἐν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς, ἔδοξεν, ὅπως δὴ εὐσυνθετεἷ̣̣̓ πρός τε Γελίμερα καὶ Βελισάριον δόξωσι, μήτ̣̣̔̓ μάχης ὑπὲρ Ῥωμαίων ἄρξαι μήτε πρὸ τοῦ ἔργὁ̣̣̓ ἐς Βανδίλους ἰέναι, ἀλλ̓ ἐπειδὰν ὁποτέρας στρἁ̣̣̓ τιᾶς τὰ πράγματα πονηρὰ εἴη, τηνικαῦτα ξὺ τοῖς νικῶσι τὴν δίωξιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἡσσωμένου ποιήσασθαι. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τοῖς βαρβάροἱ̣̣̓ ἐδέδοκτο τῇδε. [4] ὁ δὲ Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς κατέλαβ̣̣̔̓ τοὺς Βανδίλους ἐν Τρικαμάρῳ στρατοπεδεύσαν̣̣̔̓ τας, τεσσαράκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν σταδίους Καρχἡ̣̣̓ δόνος ἀπέχοντι. [5] ἔνθα δὴ μακράν που ἀπ̓ ἀλλἥ̣̣̓ λων ηὐλίσαντο ἑκάτεροι. ἐπειδὴ δὲ πόρρω ἦ τῶν νυκτῶν, τέρας ἐν τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατοπέδῳ ἐγεγόνει τοιόνδε. [6] τῶν δοράτων αὐτοῖς τὰ ἄκῥ̣̣̓ πυρὶ πολλῷ κατελάμπετο καὶ αὐτῶν αἱ αἰχμ̣̣̔̓ καίεσθαι ἐπὶ πλεῖστον σφίσιν ἐδόκουν. τοῦτο ὁ̣̣̓ πολλοῖς μὲν φανερὸν γέγονεν, ὀλίγους δὲ τοὺ θεασαμένους κατέπληξεν, οὐκ εἰδότας ὅπη ἐκβ̣̣̔̓ σεται. [7] ξυνέπεσε δὲ Ῥωμαίοις τοῦτο καὶ αὖθι ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ χρόνῳ πολλῷ ὕστερον. ὅτε δὴ αὐτ̣̣̔̓ καὶ νίκης ξύμβολον ἅτε πείρᾳ εἰδό�
�ες ἐπίστευὁ̣̣̓ εἶναι. τότε δέ, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, ἐπεὶ πρῶτον ἐγἑ̣̣̓ γόνει, κατεπλάγησάν τε καὶ ξὺν δέει πολλ̣̣̔̓ ἐνυκτέρευσαν. [8] Τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ Γελίμερ Βανδίλους ἐκέλευ παῖδάς τε καὶ γυναῖκας καὶ πάντα χρήματα ἐ̣̣̔̓ μέσῳ καταθέσθαι τῷ χαρακώματι, καίπερ ὀχὕ̣̣̓ ρωμα οὐδὲν ἔχοντι, καὶ ξυγκαλέσας ἅπαντας ἔλεξ̣̣̔̓ τοιάδε: [9] ‘Οὐχ ὑπὲρ δόξης ἡμῖν, ἄνδρες Βανδίλὁ̣̣̓ οὐδὲ ἀρχῆς στερήσεως μόνον ὁ ἀγών ἐστιν, ὥστ̣̣̔̓ κἂν ἐθελοκακήσασι καὶ ταῦτα προεμένοις δυνατὃ̣̣̓ εἶναι βιοῦν, οἴκοι τε καθημένοις καὶ τὰ ἡμέτεῥ̣̣̓ αὐτῶν ἔχουσιν: [10] ἀλλ̓ ὁρᾶτε δήπουθεν ὡς ἐς τοῦτ̣̣̔̓ ἡμῖν περιέστηκε τύχης τὰ πράγματα ὥστε, ἢν μὴ τῶν πολεμίων κρατήσωμεν, τελευτῶντες μἓ̣̣̓ κυρίους αὐτοὺς καταλείψομεν παίδων τῶνδε κἁ̣̣̓ γυναικῶν καὶ χώρας καὶ πάντων χρημάτων περιοῦσι δὲ ἡμῖν προσέσται τὸ δούλοις τε εἶνἁ̣̣̓ καὶ ταῦτα ἐπιδεῖν ἅπαντα: [11] ἢν δέ γε περιεσώμεθ̣̣̔̓ τῷ πολέμῳ τῶν δυσμενῶν, καὶ ζῶντες ἐν πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς βιοτεύσομεν καὶ μετὰ τὴν εὐπρεπῆ τὁ̣̣̓ βίου καταστροφὴν παισὶ μὲν καὶ γυναιξὶ τὰ τἧ̣̣̓ εὐδαιμονίας ἀπολελείψεται, τῷ δὲ τῶν Βανδίλὡ̣̣̓ ὀνόματι τὸ περιεῖναί τε καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν διασὥ̣̣̓ σασθαι. [12] εἰ γάρ τισι καὶ ἄλλοις πώποτε ὑπἓ̣̣̓ τῶν ὅλων τετύχηκεν ἀγωνίζεσθαι, καὶ αὐτοὶ νὗ̣̣̓ μάλιστα πάντων γινώσκομεν ὡς τὰς ὑπὲρ ἁπάν̣̣̔̓ των ἐλπίδας ἐφ̓ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς φέροντες ἐς τἣ̣̣̓ παράταξιν καθιστάμεθα. [13] οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῖς σώμας῾̣̣̓ τοίνυν τοῖς ἡμετέροις ὁ φόβος οὐδ̓ ἐπὶ τ̣̣̔̓ θνήσκειν ὁ κίνδυνος, ἀλλ̓ ὥστε μὴ τῶν πολεμίὡ̣̣̓ ἡσσῆσθαι. τῆς γὰρ νίκης ἀπολελειμμένοις τ̣̣̔̓ τεθνάναι ξυνοίσει. [14] ὅτε τοίνυν ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχἑ̣̣̓ μαλακιζέσθω Βανδίλων μηδείς, ἀλλὰ τῷ μἓ̣̣̓ φρονήματι προϊέσθω τὸ σῶμα, αἰσχύνῃ δὲ τῶ μετὰ τὴν ἧτταν κακῶν ζηλούτω τὴν τοῦ βίὁ̣̣̓ καταστροφήν. [15] τῷ γὰρ τὰ αἰσχρὰ αἰσχυνομέν̣̣̔̓ πάρεστιν ἀεὶ τὸ μὴ δεδιέναι τὸν κίνδυνον. μάχη δὲ τῆς πρότερον γεγενημένης μηδεμία ὑμᾶς εἰσίτ̣̣̔̓ μνήμη. [16] οὐ γὰρ κακίᾳ ἡμετέρᾳ ἡσσήθημεν, ἀλλ̣̣̔̓ τύχης ἐναντιώμασι προσεπταικότες ἐσφάλημεν ταύτης δὲ τὸ ῥεῦμα οὐκ ἀεὶ κατὰ ταὐτὰ φέρεσθ̣̣̔̓ πέφυκεν, ἀλλ̓ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἑκάστῃ ὡς τὰ πολλ̣̣̔̓ μεταπίπτειν φιλεῖ. [17] τῷ δὲ ἀνδρείῳ τοὺς πολἑ̣̣̓ μίους ὑπεραίρειν αὐχοῦμεν καὶ πλήθει παρὰ πολ̣̣̔̓ ὑπερβάλλεσθαι: [18] μέτρῳ γὰρ αὐτῶν περιεῖναι οὐ̣̣̔̓ ἧσσον ἢ δεκαπλασίῳ οἰόμεθα. καὶ τί προσθής῾̣̣̓ πολλά τε καὶ μεγάλα εἶναι τὰ νῦν μάλιστα ἡμἇ̣̣̓ ἐς ἀρετὴν ὁρμῶντα, τήν τε τῶν προγόνων δόξα καὶ τὴν παραδοθεῖσαν ἡμῖν ὑπ̓ ἐκείνων ἀρχήν [19] ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἐφ̓ ἡμῖν τῷ ἀνομοίῳ τοῦ ξυγγενοῦ ἐγκαλύπτεται, ἡ δὲ ὡς ἀναξίους ἡμᾶς ἀποφυγεἷ̣̣̓ ἰσχυρίζεται. [20] καὶ σιωπῶ τούτων τῶν γυναίὡ̣̣̓ τὰς οἰμωγὰς καὶ τῶν παίδων τῶν ἡμετέρων τ̣̣̔̓ δάκρυα, οἷς νῦν, ὡς ὁρᾶτε, περιαλγήσας μηκῦναι τὸν λόγον οὐ δύναμαι. [21] ἀλλ̓ ἐκεῖνο μόνον εἰπὼν παύσομαι, ὡς ἐπάνοδος ἡμῖν εἰς τὰ φίλτατα ταῦτα οὐκ ἔσται μὴ τῶν πολεμίων κρατήσασιν. [22] ὧν ἐνθυμηθέντες ἄνδρες τε ἀγαθοὶ γίγνεσθε καὶ μὴ καταισχύνητε τὴν Γιζερίχου δόξαν.’ [23] Τοσαῦτα εἰπὼν Γελίμερ Τζάζωνα τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἐκέλευσε Βανδίλοις τοῖς μετ̓ αὐτοῦ ἐκ Σαρδοῦς ἥκουσι παραίνεσιν ἰδίᾳ ποιεῖσθαι. [24] ὁ δὲ αὐτοὺς ξυναγείρας μικρὸν ἄποθεν τοῦ στρατοπέδου ἔλεξε τοιάδε: ‘Βανδίλοις μὲν ἅπασιν, ἄνδρες συστρατιῶται, ὑπὲρ τούτων ὁ ἀγών ἐστιν ὧν δὴ ἀρτίως λέγοντος τοῦ βασιλέως ἠκούσατε, ὑμῖν δὲ πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι καὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἁμιλλᾶσθαι ξυμβαίνει. [25] νενικήκατε γὰρ ἔναγχος ὑπὲρ τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἀγωνιζόμενοι καὶ τὴν νῆσον ἀνεκτήσασθε τῇ Βανδίλων ἀρχῇ: ὑμᾶς οὖν μείζω ποιεῖσθαι εἰκὸς τῆς ἀρετῆς τὴν ἐπίδειξιν. [26] οἷς γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῶν μεγίστων ὁ κίνδυνος, μεγίστην εἶναι καὶ τὴν ἐς τὸ πολεμεῖν προθυμίαν ἀνάγκη. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἀγωνιζόμενοι ἡσσηθέντες, ἂν οὕτω τύχῃ, οὐκ ἐν τοῖς ἀναγκαιοτάτοις ἐσφάλησαν: [27] οἷς δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν ὅλων ἡ μάχη, πάντως ὁ βίος πρὸς τὸ τοῦ πολέμου ῥυθμίζεται πέρας. ἄλλως τε, ἢν μὲν ἄνδρες ἀγαθοὶ ἐν τῷ παρόντι γένησθε, βεβαιοῦτε ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς ἀρετῆς ἔργον τὴν τοῦ τυράννου Γώδα γεγονέναι καθαίρεσιν: μαλακισθέντες δὲ νῦν καὶ τῆς ἐπ̓ ἐκείνοις εὐδοξίας ὡς οὐδὲν προσηκούσης στερήσεσθε. [28] καίτοι καὶ ἄλλως ὑμᾶς γε εἰκὸς τῶν λοιπῶν Βανδίλων ἐν ταύτῃ πλεονεκτεῖν τῇ μάχῃ. [29] τοὺς μὲν γὰρ σφαλέντας ἡ προλαβοῦσα τύχη ἐκπλήσσει, οἱ δὲ οὐδὲν ἐπταικότες μετ̓ ἀκραιφνοῦς τοῦ θάρσους ἐς τὸν ἀγῶνα καθίστανται. [30] κἀκεῖνο δὲ οἶμαι οὐκ ἀπὸ τρόπου εἰρήσεται, ὡς ἢν τῶν πολεμίων κρατήσωμεν, τὸ πλεῖστον τῆς νίκης ὑμεῖς ἀναδήσεσθε μέρος, σωτῆράς τε ὑμᾶς ἅπαντες τοῦ τῶν Βανδίλων καλέσουσιν ἔθνους. [31] οἱ γὰρ σὺν τοῖς πρότερον ἠτυχηκόσιν εὐδοκιμοῦντες εἰκότως αὐτοὶ τὴν ἀμείνω σφετερίζονται τύχην. [32] ταῦτα τοίνυν ἅπαντα λογιζομένους ὑμᾶς φημι χρῆναι παῖδάς τε καὶ γυναῖκας ἀπολοφυρομένους κελεύειν θαρσεῖν τε ἤδη καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἐς ξυμμαχίαν παρακαλεῖν, καὶ θυμῷ μὲν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἰέναι τοῖς δὲ ὁμοφύλοις ἐς ταύτην ἡγεῖσθαι τὴν μάχην.’