Delphi Complete Works of Procopius

by Procopius of Caesarea

  IV

  Then Belisarius, seeing the Roman army rushing about in confusion and great disorder, was disturbed, being fearful throughout the whole night lest the enemy, uniting by mutual agreement against him, should do him irreparable harm. And if this thing had happened at that time in any way at all, I believe that, not one of the Romans would have escaped and enjoyed this booty. For the soldiers, being extremely poor men, upon becoming all of a sudden masters of very great wealth and of women both young and extremely comely, were no longer able to restrain their minds or to find any satiety in the things they had, but were so intoxicated, drenched as they were by their present good fortunes, that each one wished to take everything with him back to Carthage. And they were going about, not in companies but alone or by twos, wherever hope led them, searching out everything roundabout among the valleys and the rough country and wherever there chanced to be a cave or anything such as might bring them into danger or ambush. For neither did fear of the enemy nor their respect for Belisarius occur to them, nor indeed anything else at all except the desire for spoils, and being overmastered by this they came to think lightly of everything else. And Belisarius, taking note of all this, was at a loss as to how he should handle the situation. But at daybreak he took his stand upon a certain hill near the road, appealing to the discipline which no longer existed and heaping reproaches upon all, soldiers and officers alike. Then indeed, those who chanced to be near, and especially those who were of the household of Belisarius, sent the money and slaves which they had to Carthage with their tentmates and messmates, and themselves came up beside the general and gave heed to the orders given them.

  And he commanded John, the Armenian, with two hundred men to follow Gelimer, and without slackening their speed either night or day to pursue him, until they should take him living or dead. And he sent word to his associates in Carthage to lead into the city all the Vandals who were sitting as suppliants in sanctuaries in the places about the city, giving them pledges and taking away their weapons, that they might not begin an uprising, and to keep them there until he himself should come. And with those who were left he went about everywhere and gathered the soldiers hastily, and to all the Vandals he came upon he gave pledges for their safety. For it was no longer possible to catch anyone of the Vandals except as a suppliant in the sanctuaries. And from these he took away their weapons and sent them, with soldiers to guard them, to Carthage, not giving them time to unite against the Romans. And when everything was as well settled as possible, he himself with the greater part of the army moved against Gelimer with all speed. But John, after continuing the pursuit five days and nights, had already come not far from Gelimer, and in fact he was about to engage with him on the following day. But since it was not fated that Gelimer should be captured by John, the following obstacle was contrived by fortune. Among those pursuing with John it happened that there was Uliaris, the aide of Belisarius. Now this man was a passionate fellow and well favoured in strength of heart and body, but not a very serious man, but one who generally took delight in wine and buffoonery. This Uliaris on the sixth day of the pursuit, being drunk, saw a bird sitting in a tree at about sunrise, and he quickly stretched his bow and despatched a missile at the bird. And he missed the bird, but John, who was behind it, he hit in the neck by no will of his own. And since the wound was mortal, John passed away a short time afterwards, leaving great sorrow at his loss to the Emperor Justinian and Belisarius, the general, and to all the Romans and Carthaginians. For in manliness and every sort of virtue he was well endowed, and he shewed himself, to those who associated with him, gentle and equitable to a degree quite unsurpassed. Thus, then, John fulfilled his destiny. As for Uliaris, when he came to himself, he fled to a certain village which was near by and sat as a suppliant in the sanctuary there. And the soldiers no longer pressed the pursuit of Gelimer, but they cared for John as long as he survived, and when he had died they carried out all the customary rites in his burial, and reporting the whole matter to Belisarius they remained where they were. And as soon as he heard of it, he came to John’s burial, and bewailed his fate. And after weeping over him and grieving bitterly at the whole occurrence, he honoured the tomb of John with many gifts and especially by providing for it a regular income. However, he did nothing severe to Uliaris, since the soldiers said that John had enjoined upon them by the most dread oaths that no vengeance should come to him, since he had not performed the unholy deed with deliberate intent.

  Thus, then, Gelimer escaped falling into the hands of the enemy on that day. And from that time on Belisarius pursued him, but upon reaching a strong city of Numidia situated on the sea, ten days distant from Carthage, which they call Hippo Regius, he learned that Gelimer had ascended the mountain Papua and could no longer be captured by the Romans. Now this mountain is situated at the extremity of Numidia and is exceedingly precipitous and climbed only with the greatest difficulty (for lofty cliffs rise up toward it from every side), and on it dwell barbarian Moors, who were friends and allies to Gelimer, and an ancient city named Medeus lies on the outskirts of the mountain. There Gelimer rested with his followers. But as for Belisarius, he was not able to make any attempt at all on the mountain, much less in the winter season, and since his affairs were still in an uncertain state, he did not think it advisable to be away from Carthage; and so he chose out soldiers, with Pharas as their leader, and set them to maintain the siege of the mountain. Now this Pharas was energetic and thoroughly serious and upright in every way, although he was an Erulian by birth. And for an Erulian not to give himself over to treachery and drunkenness, but to strive after uprightness, is no easy matter and merits abundant praise. But not only was it Pharas who maintained orderly conduct, but also all the Erulians who followed him. This Pharas, then, Belisarius commanded to establish himself at the foot of the mountain during the winter season and to keep close guard, so that it would neither be possible for Gelimer to leave the mountain nor for any supplies to be brought in to him. And Pharas acted accordingly. Then Belisarius turned to the Vandals who were sitting as suppliants in the sanctuaries in Hippo Regius, — and there were many of them and of the nobility — and he caused them all to accept pledges and arise, and then he sent them to Carthage with a guard. And there it came about that the following event happened to him.

  In the house of Gelimer there was a certain scribe named Boniface, a Libyan, and a native of Byzacium, a man exceedingly faithful to Gelimer. At the beginning of this war Gelimer had put this Boniface on a very swift-sailing ship, and placing all the royal treasure in it commanded him to anchor in the harbour of Hippo Regius, and if he should see that the situation was not favourable to their side, he was to sail with all speed to Spain with the money, and go to Theudis, the leader of the Visigoths, where he was expecting to find safety for himself also, should the fortune of war prove adverse for the Vandals. So Boniface, as long as he felt hope for the cause of the Vandals, remained there; but as soon as the battle in Tricamarum took place, with all the other events which have been related, he spread his canvas and sailed away just as Gelimer had directed him. But an opposing wind brought him back, much against his will, into the harbour of Hippo Regius. And since he had already heard that the enemy were somewhere near, he entreated the sailors with many promises to row with all their might for some other continent or for an island. But they were unable to do so, since a very severe storm had fallen upon them and the waves of the sea were rising to a great height, seeing that it was the Tuscan sea, and then it occurred to them and to Boniface that, after all, God wished to give the money to the Romans and so was not allowing the ship to put out. However, though they had got outside the harbour, they encountered great danger in bringing their ship back to anchorage. And when Belisarius arrived at Hippo Regius, Boniface sent some men to him. These he commanded to sit in a sanctuary, and they were to say that they had been sent by Boniface, who had the money of Gelimer, but to conceal the place where he was, until they should receive the pledges of Belisarius tha
t upon giving Gelimer’s money he himself should escape free from harm, having all that was his own. These men, then, acted according to these instructions, and Belisarius was pleased at the good news and did not decline to take an oath. And sending some of his associates he took the treasure of Gelimer and released Boniface in possession of his own money and also with an enormous sum which he plundered from Gelimer’s treasure.

  Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐς Καρχηδόνα ἀνέστρεφε, Βανδίλους τε ἅπαντας ἐν παρασκευῇ ἐποιεῖτο, ὅπως ἅμα ἦρι ἀρχομένῳ ἐς Βυζάντιον πέμψειε, καὶ στράτευμα ἔστελλεν ἐφ̓ ᾧ ἀνασώσοιντο Ῥωμαίοις ἅπαντα ὧν Βανδίλοι ἦρχον. [2] Κύριλλον μὲν οὖν ξὺν πλήθει πολλῷ ἐς Σαρδὼ ἔπεμψε, τὴν Τζάζωνος κεφαλὴν ἔχοντα, ἐπεὶ οἱ νησιῶται οὗτοι ἥκιστα προσχωρεῖν Ῥωμαίοις ἐβούλοντο, δεδιότες τε τοὺς Βανδίλους καὶ οὐκ ἂν οἰόμενοι ἀληθῆ εἶναι ὅσα σφίσι ξυνενεχθῆναι ἐν Τρικαμάρῳ ἐλέγετο. [3] τούτῳ δὲ τῷ Κυρίλλῳ ἐπήγγελλε μοῖραν τοῦ στρατοῦ ἐς Κουρσικὴν πέμψαντα τῇ Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῇ τὴν νῆσον ἀνακτήσασθαι, Βανδίλων κατήκοον τὰ πρότερα οὖσαν, ἣ Κύρνος μὲν ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις ἐπεκαλεῖτο, οὐ πόρρω δὲ ἀπὸ Σαρδοῦς ἐστιν. [4] ὁ δὲ ἐς Σαρδὼ ἀφικόμενος τήν τε Τζάζωνος κεφαλὴν τοῖς ταύτῃ ᾠκημένοις ἐπέδειξε καὶ ἄμφω τὰ νήσω τῇ Ῥωμαίων βασιλείᾳ ἐς φόρου ἀπαγωγὴν ἀνεσώσατο. [5] ἐς δὲ Καισάρειαν τὴν ἐν Μαυριτανοῖς Βελισάριος Ἰωάννην ξὺν λόχῳ πεζικῷ οὗ δὴ αὐτὸς ἡγεῖτο ἔπεμψεν, ἣ ὁδῷ μὲν ἡμερῶν τριάκοντα εὐζώνῳ ἀνδρὶ Καρχηδόνος διέχει, ἐς Γάδειρά τε καὶ τὰς ἡλίου δυσμὰς ἰόντι: κεῖται δὲ ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ, μεγάλη τε καὶ πολυάνθρωπος ἐκ παλαιοῦ οὖσα. [6] Ἰωάννην δὲ ἄλλον, τῶν οἰκείων ὑπασπιστῶν ἕνα, ἐς τὸν ἐν Γαδείροις πορθμὸν καὶ τὴν ἑτέραν τῶν Ἡρακλέους στηλῶν ἔπεμψε, τὸ ἐκείνῃ φρούριον, ὃ Σέπτον καλοῦσι, καθέξοντα. [7] ἐς δὲ τὰς νήσους αἵπερ ἀγχοῦ εἰσι τῆς ὠκεανοῦ ἐσβολῆς, Ἔβουσά τε καὶ Μαϊορίκα καὶ Μινορίκα ἐπιχωρίως καλούμεναι, Ἀπολλινάριον ἔστειλεν, ὃς ἐξ Ἰταλίας μὲν ὥρμητο, μειράκιον δὲ ὢν ἔτι ἐς Λιβύην ἀφῖκτο. [8] καὶ πολλοῖς χρήμασι πρὸς Ἰλδερίχου τότε Βανδίλων ἡγουμένου δεδωρημένος, ἐπεὶ παρελέλυτο τῆς ἀρχῆς Ἰλδέριχος καὶ ἐν φυλακῇ, ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐρρήθη, εἴχετο, ἐς Ἰουστινιανὸν βασιλέα ξὺν Λίβυσι τοῖς ἄλλοις οἳ τὰ Ἰλδερίχου ἔπρασσον, ἱκετεύσων ἦλθε. [9] στρατεύσας τε ξὺν τῷ Ῥωμαίων στόλῳ ἐπὶ Γελίμερα καὶ Βανδίλους, ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ τῷδε καὶ πάντων μάλιστα ἐν Τρικαμάρῳ ἐγένετο. καὶ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἔργου Βελισάριος τὰς νήσους οἱ τάσδε ἐπέτρεψε. [10] μετὰ δὲ καὶ ἐς Τρίπολιν Πουδεντίῳ τε καὶ Ταττιμοὺθ πρὸς τὧ̣̣̓ ἐκείνῃ Μαυρουσίων πιεζομένοις στράτευμα πέμ̣̣̔̓ ψας τὴν Ῥωμαίων δύναμιν ταύτῃ ἐπέρρωσε. [11] Στείλας δὲ καὶ ἐς Σικελίαν τινάς, ἐφ̓ ᾧ τ̣̣̔̓ ἐν Λιλυβαίῳ φρούριον ἅτε τῇ Βανδίλων ἀρχ̣̣̔̓ προσῆκον ἕξουσιν, ἀπεκρούσθη ἐνθένδε, Γότθὡ̣̣̓ ἥκιστα ἀξιούντων Σικελίας τινὰ ξυγχωρεῖν μὁ̣̣̓ ραν, ὡς οὐδὲν τὸ φρούριον τοῦτο Βανδίλοι προσῆκον. [12] ὁ δέ, ἐπεὶ ταῦτα ἤκουσε, πρὸς τοὺ ἄρχοντας οἳ ταύτῃ ἦσαν ἔγραψε τάδε: ‘Λιλύβαιο τὸ Βανδίλων φρούριον τῶν βασιλέως δούλω ἀποστερεῖτε ἡμᾶς, οὐ δίκαια ποιοῦντες οὐδὲ ὑμἷ̣̣̓ αὐτοῖς ξύμφορα, καὶ ἄρχοντι τῷ ὑμετέρῳ οὔτι ἑκόντι καὶ μακρὰν ἀπολελειμμένῳ τῶν πρασς῾̣̣̓ μένων ἐκπολεμῶσαι βούλεσθε βασιλέα τὸν μέγἁ̣̣̓ οὗ τὴν εὔνοιαν πόνῳ πολλῷ κτησάμενος ἔχἑ̣̣̓ [13] καίτοι πῶς οὐκ ἂν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου τρόπὁ̣̣̓ ποιεῖν δόξαιτε, εἰ Γελίμερα μὲν ἔναγχος ἔχει ξυνεχωρεῖτε τὸ φρούριον, βασιλέα δὲ τὸν τὁ̣̣̓ Γελίμερος κύριον ἀφαιρεῖσθαι τὰ τοῦ δούλὁ̣̣̓ κτήματα ἔγνωτε; [14] μὴ ὑμεῖς γε, ὦ βέλτιστοι. ἀλλ ἐνθυμεῖσθε, ὡς φιλία μὲν αἰτίας πολλὰς καλὕ̣̣̓ πτειν πέφυκεν, ἔχθρα δὲ οὐδὲ τῶν σμικροτάτὡ̣̣̓ ἀδικημάτων ἀνέχεται, ἀλλὰ διερευνᾶται μὲ ἅπαντα ἄνωθεν, οὐ περιορᾷ δὲ πλουτοῦντας τοῖ γε οὐδὲν προσήκουσι τοὺς πολεμίους. [15] εἶτ̣̣̔̓ μάχεται ὑπὲρ ὧν τοὺς προγόνους ἠδικῆσθαί φηὁ̣̣̓ καὶ ἢν μὲν σφαλῇ ἐν τῷ κινδύνῳ, ἀπώλεσε τὸ ὑπαρχόντων οὐδέν, εὐημερήσασα δὲ μεταμανθάνε ποιεῖ τοὺς ἡσσημένους τὸ σύγγνωμον. [16] ὑμεῖς ὁ̣̣̓ μήτε δράσητε ἡμᾶς μηδὲν περαιτέρω κακὸν μἥ̣̣̓ αὐτοὶ πάθητε, μήτε πολέμιον κατεργάσησθε τ̣̣̔̓ Γότθων γένει βασιλέα τὸν μέγαν, ὃν ὑμῖν ἵλεω εἶναι ἐν εὐχῇ ἐστιν. [17] εὖ γὰρ ἴστε ὡς τοῦδε μετ̣̣̔̓ ποιουμένοις ὑμῖν τοῦ φρουρίου ὁ πόλεμος ἐν πος ἔσται οὐχ ὑπὲρ τοῦ Λιλυβαίου μόνον, ἀλλ̓ ὑπ̣̣̔̓ ἁπάντων ὧν οὐδὲν προσῆκον ὑμῖν εἶτα ἀντέχεσθε.’ [18] Τοσαῦτα μὲν ἡ ἐπιστολὴ ἐδήλου. Γότθοἱ̣̣̓ ἀνήνεγκάν τε ταῦτα ἐς τοῦ Ἀταλαρίχου τ̣̣̔̓ μητέρα καὶ πρὸς τῆς γυναικὸς ἐπιτεταγμέν̣̣̔̓ σφίσιν ἀπεκρίναντο ὧδε: [19] ‘Τὰ γράμματα γέγραφας, ἄριστε Βελισάριε, παραίνεσιν μ̣̣̔̓ ἀληθῆ φέρει, ἐς ἄλλους δὲ ἀνθρώπων τινάς, ὁ̣̣̓ εἰς τοὺς Γότθους ἡμᾶς ἥκουσαν. [20] ἡμεῖς γὰρ οὐδ̣̣̔̓ τῶν βασιλέως Ἰουστινιανοῦ λαβόντες ἔχομε μή ποτε οὕτω μανείημεν: Σικελίαν δὲ ξύμπας῾̣̣̓ προσποιούμεθα ἡμετέραν οὖσαν, ἧς δὴ ἄκρα μἵ̣̣̓ τὸ ἐν Λιλυβαίῳ φρούριόν ἐστιν. [21] εἰ δὲ Θευδέριχ̣̣̔̓ τὴν ἀδελφὴν τῷ Βανδίλων βασιλεῖ ξυνοικοῦς῾̣̣̓ τῶν τινι Σικελίας ἐμπορίων ἐκέλευσε χρῆσθα οὐδὲν τοῦτο πρᾶγμα. [22] οὐ γὰρ ἂν τοῦτο δικαἱ̣̣̓ ματος ὑμῖν ὁτουοῦν ἀξίωσιν φέροι. σὺ μέντοι, στρατηγέ, πράττοις ἂν τὰ δίκαια πρὸ�
� ἡμᾶς, ἤ γε τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν ἀντιλεγομένων τὴν διάλυσιν οὐ ὡς πολέμιος, ἀλλ̓ ἅτε φίλος ποιεῖσθαι θέλοις διαφέρει δέ, [23] ὅτι οἱ μὲν φίλοι τὰ διάφορα ἐν τ̣̣̔̓ διαίτῃ, οἱ δὲ πολέμιοι ἐν τῇ μάχῃ διακρίνειν πεφ κασιν. [24] ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ πε τούτων διαιτᾶν ἐπιτρέψομεν, ὅπη ἂν αὐτῷ δὁ̣̣̓ νόμιμά τε εἶναι καὶ δίκαια. βουλόμεθα δέ σε ῾̣̣̓ βέλτιστα βουλεύσασθαι μᾶλλον ἢ ὡς ταχύτατ̣̣̔̓ καὶ τὴν παρὰ τοῦ σοῦ βασιλέως προσδέχεσθ̣̣̔̓ γνῶσιν.’ τοσαῦτα μὲν καὶ ἡ τῶν Γότθων γραφ ἐδήλου. [25] Βελισάριος δὲ ἀνενεγκὼν ἅπαντα βασιλέα ἡσύχαζεν, ἕως αὐτῷ βασιλεὺς ἐπιστέλλ ὅσα ἂν αὐτῷ βουλομένῳ εἴη.