Delphi Complete Works of Procopius

by Procopius of Caesarea

  Βελισάριος δὲ ἅμα Γελίμερί τε καὶ Βανδίλοις ἐς Βυζάντιον ἀφικόμενος γερῶν ἠξιώθη ἃ δὴ ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις Ῥωμαίων στρατηγοῖς τοῖς νίκας τὰς μεγίστας καὶ λόγου πολλοῦ ἀξίας ἀναδησαμένοις διετετάχατο. [2] χρόνος δὲ ἀμφὶ ἐνιαυτοὺς ἑξακοσίους παρῳχήκει ἤδη ἐξ ὅτου ἐς ταῦτα τὰ γέρα οὐδεὶς ἐληλύθει, ὅτι μὴ Τίτος τε καὶ Τραϊανός, καὶ ὅσοι ἄλλοι αὐτοκράτορες στρατηγήσαντες ἐπί τι βαρβαρικὸν ἔθνος ἐνίκησαν. [3] τά τε γὰρ λάφυρα ἐνδεικνύμενος καὶ τὰ τοῦ πολέμου ἀνδράποδα ἐν μέσῃ πόλει ἐπόμπευσεν, ὃν δὴ θρίαμβον καλοῦσι Ῥωμαῖοι, οὐ τῷ παλαιῷ μέντοι τρόπῳ, ἀλλὰ πεζῇ βαδίζων ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας τῆς αὐτοῦ ἄχρι ἐς τὸν ἱππόδρομον κἀνταῦθα ἐκ βαλβίδων αὖθις ἕως εἰς τὸν χῶρον ἀφίκετο οὗ δὴ ὁ θρόνος ὁ βασίλειός ἐστιν. [4] ἦν δὲ λάφυρα μὲν ὅσα δὴ ὑπουργία τῇ βασιλέως ἀνεῖσθαι εἰώθει, θρόνοι τε χρυσοῖ καὶ ὀχήματα οἷς δὴ τὴν βασιλέως γυναῖκα ὀχεῖσθαι νόμος, καὶ κόσμος πολὺς ἐκ λίθων ἐντίμων ξυγκείμενος, ἐκπώματά τε χρυσᾶ, καὶ τἄλλα ξύμπαντα ὅσα ἐς τὴν βασιλέως θοίνην χρήσιμα. [5] ἦν δὲ καὶ ἄργυρος ἕλκων μυριάδας ταλάντων πολλὰς καὶ πάντων τῶν βασιλικῶν κειμηλίων πάμπολύ τι χρῆμα ῾ἅτε Γιζερίχου τὸ ἐν Ῥώμῃ σεσυληκότος Παλάτιον, ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐρρήθἠ, ἐν οἷς καὶ τὰ Ἰουδαίων κειμήλια ἦν, ἅπερ ὁ Οὐεσπασιανοῦ Τίτος μετὰ τὴν Ἱεροσολύμων ἅλωσιν ἐς Ῥώμην ξὺν ἑτέροις τισὶν ἤνεγκε. [6] καὶ αὐτὰ τῶν τις Ἰουδαίων ἰδὼν καὶ παραστὰς τῶν βασιλέως γνωρίμων τινὶ ‘Ταῦτα,’ ἔφη, ‘τὰ χρήματα ἐς τὸ ἐν Βυζαντίῳ Παλάτιον ἐσκομίζεσθαι ἀξύμφορον οἴομαι εἶναι. [7] οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε αὐτὰ ἑτέρωθι εἶναι ἢ ἐν τῷ χώρῳ οὗ δὴ Σολομὼν αὐτὰ πρότερον ὁ τῶν Ἰουδαίων βασιλεὺς ἔθετο. [8] διὰ ταῦτα γὰρ καὶ Γιζέριχος τὰ Ῥωμαίων βασίλεια εἷλε καὶ νῦν τὰ Βανδίλων ὁ Ῥωμαίων [9] στρατός.’ ταῦτα ἐπεὶ ἀνενεχθέντα βασιλεὺς ἤκουσεν, ἔδεισέ τε καὶ ξύμπαντα κατὰ τάχος ἐς τῶν Χριστιανῶν τὰ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἱερὰ ἔπεμψεν. [10] ἀνδράποδα δὲ ἦν τοῦ θριάμβου Γελίμερ τε αὐτός, ἐσθῆτά πού τινα ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων ἀμπεχόμενος πορφυρᾶν, καὶ τὸ ξυγγενὲς ἅπαν, Βανδίλων τε ὅσοι εὐμήκεις τε ἄγαν καὶ καλοὶ τὰ σώματα ἦσαν. [11] ὡς δὲ ἐν τῷ ἱπποδρόμῳ Γελίμερ ἐγεγόνει καὶ τόν τε βασιλέα ἐπὶ βήματος ὑψηλοῦ καθήμενον τόν τε δῆμον ἐφ̓ ἑκάτερα ἑστῶτα εἶδε καὶ αὑτὸν οὗ ἦν κακοῦ περισκοπῶν ἔγνω, οὔτε ἀπέκλαυσεν οὔτε ἀνῴμωξεν, ἐπιλέγων δὲ οὐκ ἐπαύσατο κατὰ τὴν Ἑβραίων γραφὴν ‘Ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων, τὰ πάντα ματαιότης.’ [12] ἀφικόμενον δὲ αὐτὸν κατὰ τὸ βασιλέως βῆμα τὴν πορφυρίδα περιελόντες, πρηνῆ πεσόντ̣̣̔̓ προσκυνεῖν Ἰουστινιανὸν βασιλέα κατηνάγκασαν τοῦτο δὲ καὶ Βελισάριος ἐποίει ἅτε ἱκέτης βασιλέως σὺν αὐτῷ γεγονώς. [13] βασιλεύς τε Ἰουστινιανὸς καὶ ἡ βασιλὶς Θεοδώρα τοὺς Ἰλδερίχου παῖδάς τε καὶ ἐκγόνους πάντας τε τοὺς ἐκ τῆς Βαλεντινιανοῦ βασιλέως ξυγγενείας χρήμασιν ἱκανοῖς ἐδωρήσαντο, καὶ Γελίμερι χωρία οὐκ εὐκαταφρόνητα ἐν Γαλατίᾳ δόντες ὁμοῦ τοῖς ξυγγενέσιν ἐνταῦθα οἰκεῖν συνεχώρησαν. [14] ἐ̣̣̔̓ πατρικίους μέντοι ἀνάγραπτος Γελίμερ ἥκιστ̣̣̔̓ ἐγεγόνει, ἐπεὶ οὐ μετατίθεσθαι τῆς Ἀρείου δόξἡ̣̣̓ ἤθελεν. [15] Ὀλίγῳ δὲ ὕστερον Βελισαρίῳ καὶ ὁ θρίαμβος κατὰ δὴ τὸν παλαιὸν νόμον ξυνετελέσθη. ἐ̣̣̔̓ ὑπάτους γὰρ προελθόντι οἱ ξυνέπεσε φέρεσθἁ̣̣̓ τε πρὸς τῶν αἰχμαλώτων καὶ ἐν τῷ δίφρῳ ὀχου μένῳ τῷ δήμῳ ῥιπτεῖν αὐτὰ δὴ ἐκεῖνα τὁ̣̣̓ Βανδίλων πολέμου τὰ λάφυρα. [16] τά τε γὰρ ἀργυρώματα καὶ ζώνας χρυσᾶς καὶ ἄλλὁ̣̣̓ πλούτου Βανδιλικοῦ πολύ τι χρῆμα ἐκ τῆς Βελισαρίου ὑπατείας ὁ δῆμος ἥρπασε, καί τ̣̣̔̓ τῶν οὐκ εἰωθότων ἀνανεοῦσθαι τῷ χρόνῳ ἔδοξε ταῦτα μὲν δὴ οὕτως ἐν Βυζαντίῳ ἔσχε.

  IX

  Belisarius, upon reaching Byzantium with Gelimer and the Vandals, was counted worthy to receive such honours, as in former times were assigned to those generals of the Romans who had won the greatest and most noteworthy victories. And a period of about six hundred years had now passed since anyone had attained these honours, except, indeed, Titus and Trajan, and such other emperors as had led armies against some barbarian nation and had been victorious. For he displayed the spoils and slaves from the war in the midst of the city and led a procession which the Romans call a “triumph,” not, however, in the ancient manner, but going on foot from his own house to the hippodrome and then again from the barriers until he reached the place where the imperial throne is. And there was booty, — first of all, whatever articles are wont to be set apart for the royal service, — thrones of gold and carriages in which it is customary for a king’s consort to ride, and much jewelry made of precious stones, and golden drinking cups, and all the other things which are useful for the royal table. And there was also silver weighing many thousands of talents and all the royal treasure amounting to an exceedingly great sum (for Gizeric had despoiled the Palatium in Rome, as has been said in the preceding narrative), and among these were the treasures of the Jews, which Titus, the son of Vespasian, together with certain others, had brought to Rome after the capture of Jerusalem. And one of the Jews, seeing these things, approached one of those known to the emperor and said: “These treasures I think it inexpedient to carry into the palace in Byzantium. Indeed, it is not possible for them to be elsewhere than in the place where Solomon, the king of the Jews, formerly placed them. For it is because of these that Gizeric captured the palace of the Romans, and that now the Roman army has captured that the Vandals.” When this had been brought to the ears of the Emperor, he became afraid and quickly sent everything to the sanctuaries of the Christians in Jerusalem. And there were slaves in the triumph, among whom was Gelimer himself, wearing some sort of a purple garment upon his shoulders, and all his family, and as many of the Vandals as were very tall and fair of body. And when Gelimer reached the hippodrome and saw the emperor sitting upon a lofty seat and the people standing on either side and realized as he looked about in what an
evil plight he was, he neither wept nor cried out, but ceased not saying over in the words of the Hebrew scripture: “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” And when he came before the emperor’s seat, they stripped off the purple garment, and compelled him to fall prone on the ground and do obeisance to the Emperor Justinian. This also Belisarius did, as being a suppliant of the emperor along with him. And the Emperor Justinian and the Empress Theodora presented the children of Ilderic and his offspring and all those of the family of the Emperor Valentinian with sufficient sums of money, and to Gelimer they gave lands not to be despised in Galatia and permitted him to live there together with his family. However, Gelimer was by no means enrolled among the patricians, since he was unwilling to change from the faith of Arius.

  [Jan. 1, 535 A.D.] A little later the triumph was celebrated by, Belisarius in the ancient manner also. For he had the fortune to be advanced to the office of consul, and therefore was borne aloft by the captives, and as he was thus carried in his curule chair, he threw to the populace those very spoils of the Vandalic war. For the people carried off the silver plate and golden girdles and a vast amount of the Vandals’ wealth of other sorts as a result of Belisarius’ consulship, and it seemed that after a long interval of disuse an old custom was being revived. These things, then, took place in Byzantium in the manner described.

  Σολόμων δὲ τὸ ἐν Λιβύῃ παραλαβὼν στράτευμα, ἐπηρμένων μέν, ὡς προδεδήλωται, τὧ̣̣̓ Μαυρουσίων, ᾐωρημένων δὲ τῶν ὅλων πραγμά των, ἐν ἀπόρῳ εἶχεν ᾗ τὸ παρὸν θέσθαι. [2] τούς τ̣̣̔̓ γὰρ στρατιώτας ἐν Βυζακίῳ καὶ Νουμιδίᾳ ὁ̣̣̓ βάρβαροι ἀνῃρηκέναι καὶ πάντα ἄγειν τε κἁ̣̣̓ φέρειν τὰ ἐκείνῃ ἠγγέλλοντο. [3] μάλιστα δὲ αὐτὅ̣̣̓ τε καὶ Καρχηδόνα πᾶσαν συνετάραξε τὰ ἐ̣̣̔̓ Ἀιγάν τε τὸν Μασσαγέτην καὶ Ῥουφῖνον τὸν Θρᾷκα ἐν Βυζακίῳ ξυνενεχθέντα. [4] ἄμφω γὰρ λογίμω ἐς ἄγαν ἔν τε τῇ Βελισαρίου οἰκίᾳ ἤστην καὶ τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατεύματι, ἅτερος μὲν αὐτοῖν Ἀιγὰν ἐν τοῖς Βελισαρίου δορυφόροις ταττόμενος ὁ δὲ ἕτερος ἅτε ἁπάντων εὐψυχότατος τὸ σημεῖον τοῦ στρατηγοῦ ἐν ταῖς παρατάξεσιν εἰωθὼς φέρειν, ὃν δὴ βανδοφόρον καλοῦσι Ῥωμαῖοι. [5] τότε γὰρ τούτω τὼ ἄνδρε ἱππικῶν καταλόγων ἡγουμένω ἐν Βυζακίῳ, ἐπειδὴ τοὺς Μαυρουσίους εἶδον τά τε ἐν ποσὶ ληιζομένους καὶ Λίβυας ἅπαντας ἐν ἀνδραπόδων λόγῳ ποιησαμένους, τηρήσαντες ἐν στενοχωρίᾳ ξὺν τοῖς σφίσιν ἑπομένοις τοὺς τὴν λείαν παραπέμποντας, αὐτούς τε κτείνουσι καὶ τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους ἀφαιροῦνται πάντας. [6] ὡς δὲ οὗτος ὁ λόγος ἐς τῶν βαρβάρων τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἧκε, Κουτζίναν τε καὶ Ἐσδιλάσαν καὶ Ἰουρφούθην καὶ Μεδισινίσσαν, οὐ μακρὰν ταύτης δὴ τῆς στενοχωρίας ἀπέχοντας, χωροῦσιν ἐπ̓ αὐτοὺς παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ περὶ δείλην ὀψίαν. [7] Ῥωμαῖοι δέ, κομιδῆ τε ὀλίγοι ὄντες καὶ ἐν χώρῳ στενῷ ἐς μέσον μυριάδων πολλῶν ἀπειλημμένο ἀμύνεσθαι τοὺς ἐπιόντας οὐχ οἷοί τε ἦσαν. ἔνθ̔ ̣̣̓ γὰρ ἂν τραπεῖεν, ἀεὶ κατὰ νώτου ἐβάλλοντὁ̣̣̓ [8] τότε δὴ Ῥουφῖνός τε καὶ Ἀιγὰν ξὺν ὀλίγοις τισὶ ἐς πέτραν ἐγγύς που οὖσαν ἀναδραμόντες ἐνθένδ̣̣̔̓ τοὺς βαρβάρους ἠμύνοντο. [9] ἕως μὲν οὖν τὁ̣̣̓ τόξοις ἐχρῶντο, οὐκ ἐτόλμων σφίσιν ἐκ το εὐθέος εἰς χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν οἱ πολέμιοι, ἀλλὰ τὰ αἰχμὰς ἐσηκόντιζον: ἐπεὶ δὲ τὰ βέλη ἅπαντ σφᾶς ἤδη ἐπιλελοίπει, οἵ τε Μαυρούσιοι αὐτὁ̣̣̓ ἐς χεῖρας ἦλθον καὶ αὐτοὶ τοῖς ξίφεσιν ἐκ τῶ παρόντων ἠμύνοντο. [10] τοῦ δὲ πλήθους τῶν βαρ βάρων βιαζομένου, Ἀιγὰν μὲν κρεουργηθεὶς τ̣̣̔̓ σῶμα ὅλον ἐνταῦθα ἔπεσε, Ῥουφῖνον δὲ ῾̣̣̓ πολέμιοι ἁρπάσαντες ἦγον. [11] αὐτίκα δὲ τῶν ἀῥ̣̣̓ χόντων εἷς Μεδισινίσσας, δείσας μὴ διαφυγὼ πράγματα σφίσιν αὖθις παρέχοι, τῆς τε κεφαλῆ αὐτὸν ἀφαιρεῖται καὶ ταύτην ἐς τὰ οἰκεῖα λαβὼ ταῖς γυναιξὶ ταῖς αὑτοῦ ἔδειξε, μεγέθους τε ὑπερ βολῇ καὶ τριχῶν πλήθει ἀξιοθέατον οὖσαν [12] ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡμᾶς ὁ τῆς ἱστορίας λόγος ἐνταῦθ̣̣̔̓ ἤγαγεν, ἐπάναγκες εἰπεῖν ἄνωθεν ὅθεν τε τ̣̣̔̓ Μαυρουσίων ἔθνη ἐς Λιβύην ἦλθον καὶ ὅπω ἐνταῦθα ᾠκήσαντο. [13] Ἐπειδὴ Ἑβραῖοι ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἀνεχώρησα καὶ ἄγχι τῶν Παλαιστίνης ὁρίων ἐγένοντο Μωσῆς μὲν σοφὸς ἀνήρ, ὃς αὐτοῖς τῆς ὁδο ἡγήσατο. θνήσκει, διαδέχεται δὲ τὴν ἡγεμονία Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ παῖς, ὃς ἔς τε τὴν Παλἁ̣̣̓ στίνην τὸν λεὼν τοῦτον εἰσήγαγε καὶ ἀρετὴν ἐ̣̣̔̓ τῷ πολέμῳ κρείττω ἢ κατὰ ἀνθρώπου φύσι ἐπιδειξάμενος τὴν χώραν ἔσχε. [14] καὶ τὰ ἔθν̣̣̔̓ ἅπαντα καταστρεψάμενος τὰς πόλεις εὐπετῶ παρεστήσατο, ἀνίκητός τε παντάπασιν ἔδοξε εἶναι. [15] τότε δὲ ἡ ἐπιθαλασσία χώρα ἐκ Σιδῶνο μέχρι τῶν Αἰγύπτου ὁρίων Φοινίκη ξύμπας῾̣̣̓ ὠνομάζετο. [16] βασιλεὺς δὲ εἷς τὸ παλαιὸν αὐτ ἐφειστήκει, ὥσπερ ἅπασιν ὁμολογεῖται οἳ Φοινί κων τὰ ἀρχαιότατα ἀνεγράψαντο. [17] ἐνταῦθ̣̣̔̓ ᾤκηντο ἔθνη πολυανθρωπότατα, Γεργεσαῖοί τ̣̣̔̓ καὶ Ἰεβουσαῖοι καὶ ἄλλα ἄττα ὀνόματα ἔχοντἁ̣̣̓ οἷς δὴ αὐτὰ ἡ τῶν Ἑβραίων ἱστορία καλεῖ. [18] οὗτο ὁ λεὼς ἐπεὶ ἄμαχόν τι χρῆμα τὸν ἐπηλύτη στρατηγὸν εἶδον, ἐξ ἠθῶν τῶν πατρίων ἐξανα στάντες ἐπ̓ Αἰγύπτου ὁμόρου οὔσης ἐχώρησαν [19] ἔνθα χῶρον οὐδένα ἱκανὸν σφίσιν ἐνοικήσασθα εὑρόντες, ἐπεὶ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ πολυανθρωπία ἐ̣̣̔̓ παλαιοῦ ἦν, ἐς Λιβύην ἐστάλησαν. [20] πόλεις τ̣̣̔̓ οἰκήσαντες πολλὰς ξύμπασαν Λιβύην μέχρι στη λῶν τῶν Ἡρακλείων ἔσχον, ἐνταῦθά τε καὶ ἐς ἐμ τῇ Φοινίκων φωνῇ χρώμενοι ᾤκηνται. [21] ἐδείμαντ δὲ καὶ φρούριον ἐν Νουμιδίᾳ, οὗ νῦν πόλις Τίγισί ἐστί τε καὶ ὀνομάζεται. [22] ἔνθα στῆλαι δύο ἐ̣̣̔̓ λίθων λευκῶν πεποιημέναι ἄγχι κρήνης εἰσὶ τῆ μεγάλης, γράμματα Φοινικικὰ ἐγκεκολαμμέν̣̣̔̓ ἔχουσαι τῇ Φοινίκων γλώσσῃ λέγοντα ὧδε ‘Ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν οἱ φυγόντες ἀπὸ προσώ�
�ου Ἰησο [23] τοῦ λῃστοῦ υἱοῦ Ναυῆ.’ ἦσαν δὲ καὶ ἄλλ̣̣̔̓ ἔθνη ἐν Λιβύῃ πρότερον ᾠκημένα, οἳ διὰ τὸ ἐ̣̣̔̓ παλαιοῦ ἐνταῦθα ἱδρῦσθαι αὐτόχθονες εἶνα ἐλέγοντο. [24] καὶ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ Ἀνταῖον, τὸν αὐτῶ βασιλέα, ὃς ἐν Κλιπέᾳ Ἡρακλεῖ ἐπάλαισε, τῆ γῆς υἱὸν ἔφασαν εἶναι. [25] χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον καὶ ὅσοι μετὰ Διδοῦς ἐκ Φοινίκης ἀνέστησαν ἅτε πρὸς ξυγγενεῖς τοὺς ἐν Λιβύῃ ᾠκημένους ἀφίκοντο. οἳ δὴ αὐτοῖς Καρχηδόνα κτίσαι τε καὶ ἔχειν ἐθελούσιοι ξυνεχώρησαν. [26] προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ χρόνου ἡ τῶν Καρχηδονίων δύναμις μεγάλη ἐγίνετο καὶ πολυάνθρωπος. [27] μάχης τε σφίς῾̣̣̓ γενομένης πρὸς τοὺς ὁμόρους, οἳ πρότεροι, ὥσπερ ἐρρήθη, ἐκ Παλαιστίνης ἀφίκοντο καὶ τὰ νῦν Μαυρούσιοι καλοῦνται, ἐκράτησάν τε αὐτῶν ὁ̣̣̓ Καρχηδόνιοι καὶ ὡς ἀπωτάτω οἰκεῖν Καρχηδόνος ἠνάγκασαν. [28] ἔπειτα δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι πάντων καθυπέρτεροι τῷ πολέμῳ γενόμενοι Μαυρουσίους μὲν ἐς τὰς ἐσχατιὰς τῆς ἐν Λιβύῃ οἰκουμένης χώρας ἱδρύσαντο, Καρχηδονίους δὲ καὶ Λίβυας τοὺς ἄλλους κατηκόους σφίσιν ἐς φόρου ἀπαγωγὴν ἐποιήσαντο. [29] ὕστερον δὲ οἱ Μαυρούσιοι πολλὰς κατὰ Βανδίλων νίκας ἀνελόμενοι Μαυριτανίαν τε τὴν νῦν καλουμένην ἐκ Γαδείρων μέχρι τῶν Καισαρείας ὁρίων τείνουσαν καὶ Λιβύης τῆς ἄλλης τὰ πλεῖστα ἔσχον. τὰ μὲν δὴ τῆς Μαυρουσίων ἐν Λιβύῃ ἐνοικήσεως ταύτῃ πη ἔσχε.