VIII
And Belisarius, leaving guards in Syracuse and Panormus, crossed with the rest of the army from Messana to Rhegium (where the myths of the poets say Scylla and Charybdis were), and every day the people of that region kept coming over to him. For since their towns had from of old been without walls, they had no means at all of guarding them, and because of their hostility toward the Goths they were, as was natural, greatly dissatisfied with their present government. And Ebrimous came over to Belisarius as a deserter from the Goths, together with all his followers; this man was the son-in-law of Theodatus, being married to Theodenanthe, his daughter. And he was straightway sent to the emperor and received many gifts of honour and in particular attained the patrician dignity. And the army of Belisarius marched from Rhegium through Bruttium and Lucania, and the fleet of ships accompanied it, sailing close to the mainland. But when they reached Campania, they came upon a city on the sea, Naples by name, which was strong not only because of the nature of its site, but also because it contained a numerous garrison of Goths. And Belisarius commanded the ships to anchor in the harbour, which was beyond the range of missiles, while he himself made his camp near the city. He then first took possession by surrender of the fort which is in the suburb, and afterwards permitted the inhabitants of the city at their own request to send some of their notables into his camp, in order that they might tell what their wish was and, after receiving his reply, report to the populace. Straightway, therefore, the Neapolitans sent Stephanus. And he, upon coming before Belisarius, spoke as follows:
“You are not acting justly, O general, in taking the field against men who are Romans and have done no wrong, who inhabit but a small city and have over us a guard of barbarians as masters, so that it does not even lie in our power, if we desire to do so, to oppose them. But it so happens that even these guards had to leave their wives and children, and their most precious possessions in the hands of Theodatus before they came to keep guard over us. Therefore, if they treat with you at all, they will plainly be betraying, not the city, but themselves. And if one must speak the truth with no concealment, you have not counselled to your advantage, either, in coming against us. For if you capture Rome, Naples will be subject to you without any further trouble, whereas if you are repulsed from there, it is probable that you will not be able to hold even this city securely. Consequently the time you spend on this siege will be spent to no purpose.”
So spoke Stephanus. And Belisarius replied as follows:
“Whether we have acted wisely or foolishly in coming here is not a question which we propose to submit to the Neapolitans. But we desire that you first weigh carefully such matters as are appropriate to your deliberations and then act solely in accordance with your own interests. Receive into your city, therefore, the emperor’s army, which has come to secure your freedom and that of the other Italians, and do not choose the course which will bring upon you the most grievous misfortunes. For those who, in order to rid themselves of slavery or any other shameful thing, go into war, such men, if they fare well in the struggle, have double good fortune, because along with their victory they have also acquired freedom from their troubles, and if defeated they gain some consolation for themselves, in that, they have not of their own free will chosen to follow the worse fortune. But as for those who have the opportunity to be free without fighting, but yet enter into a struggle in order to make their condition of slavery permanent, such men, even if it so happens that they conquer, have failed in the most vital point, and if in the battle they fare less happily than they wished, they will have, along with their general ill-fortune, also the calamity of defeat. As for the Neapolitans, then, let these words suffice. But as for these Goths who are present, we give them the choice, either to array themselves hereafter on our side under the great emperor, or to go to their homes altogether immune from harm. Because, if both you and they, disregarding all these considerations, dare to raise arms against us, it will be necessary for us also, if God so wills, to treat whomever we meet as an enemy. If, however, it is the will of the Neapolitans to choose the cause of the emperor and thus to be rid of so cruel a slavery, I take it upon myself, giving you pledges, to promise that you will receive at our hands those benefits which the Sicilians lately hoped for, and with regard to which they were unable to say that we had sworn falsely.”
Such was the message which Belisarius bade Stephanus take back to the people. But privately he promised him large rewards if he should inspire the Neapolitans with good-will toward the emperor. And Stephanus, upon coming into the city, reported the words of Belisarius and expressed his own opinion that it was inexpedient to fight against the emperor. And he was assisted in his efforts by Antiochus, a man of Syria, but long resident in Naples for the purpose of carrying on a shipping business, who had a great reputation there for wisdom and justice. But there were two men, Pastor and Asclepiodotus, trained speakers and very notable men among the Neapolitans, who were exceedingly friendly toward the Goths, and quite unwilling to have any change made in the present state of affairs. These two men, planning how they might block the negotiations, induced the multitude to demand many serious concessions, and to try to force Belisarius to promise on oath that they should forthwith obtain what they asked for. And after writing down in a document such demands as nobody would have supposed that Belisarius would accept, they gave it to Stephanus. And he, returning to the emperor’s army, shewed the writing to the general, and enquired of him whether he was willing to carry out all the proposals which the Neapolitans made and to take an oath concerning them. And Belisarius promised that they should all be fulfilled for them and so sent him back. Now when the Neapolitans heard this, they were in favour of accepting the general’s assurances at once and began to urge that the emperor’s army be received into the city with all speed. For he declared that nothing unpleasant would befall them, if the case of the Sicilians was sufficient evidence for anyone to judge by, since, as he pointed out, it had only recently been their lot, after they had exchanged their barbarian tyrants for the sovereignty of Justinian, to be, not only free men, but also immune from all difficulties. And swayed by great excitement they were about to go to the gates with the purpose of throwing them open. And though the Goths were not pleased with what they were doing, still, since they were unable to prevent it, they stood out of the way.
But Pastor and Asclepiodotus called together the people and all the Goths in one place, and spoke as follows: “It is not at all unnatural that the populace of a city should abandon themselves and their own safety, especially if, without consulting any of their notables, they make an independent decision regarding their all. But it is necessary for us, who are on the very point of perishing together with you, to offer as a last contribution to the fatherland this advice. We see, then, fellow citizens, that you are intent upon betraying both yourselves and the city to Belisarius, who promises to confer many benefits upon you and to swear the most solemn oaths in confirmation of his promises. Now if he is able to promise you this also, that to him will come the victory in the war, no one could deny that the course you are taking is to your advantage. For it is great folly not to gratify every whim of him who is to become master. But if this outcome lies in uncertainty, and no man in the world is competent to guarantee the decision of fortune, consider what sort of misfortunes your haste is seeking to attain. For if the Goths overcome their adversaries in the war, they will punish you as enemies and as having done them the foulest wrong. For you are resorting to this act of treason, not under constraint of necessity, but out of deliberate cowardice. So that even to Belisarius, if he wins the victory over his enemies, we shall perhaps appear faithless and betrayers of our rulers, and having proved ourselves deserters, we shall in all probability have a guard set over us permanently by the emperor. For though he who has found a traitor is pleased at the moment of victory by the service rendered, yet afterwards, moved by suspicion based upon the traitor’s past, he hates and fears his benefactor, since he himself ha
s in his own possession the evidences of the other’s faithlessness. If, however, we shew ourselves faithful to the Goths at the present time, manfully submitting to the danger, they will give us great rewards in case they win the mastery over the enemy, and Belisarius, if it should so happen that he is the victor, will be prone to forgive. For loyalty which fails is punished by no man unless he be lacking in understanding. But what has happened to you that you are in terror of being besieged by the enemy, you who have no lack of provisions, have not been deprived by blockade of any of the necessities of life, and hence may sit at home, confident in the fortifications and in your garrison here? And in our opinion even Belisarius would not have consented to this agreement with us if he had any hope of capturing the city by force. And yet if what he desired were that which is just and that which will be to our advantage, he ought not to be trying to frighten the Neapolitans or to establish his own power by means of an act of injustice on our part toward the Goths; but he should do battle with Theodatus and the Goths, so that without danger to us or treason on our part the city might come into the power of the victors.”
When they had finished speaking, Pastor and Asclepiodotus brought forward the Jews, who promised that the city should be in want of none of the necessities, and the Goths on their part promised that they would guard the circuit-wall safely. And the Neapolitans, moved by these arguments, bade Belisarius depart thence with all speed. He, however, began the siege. And he made many attempts upon the circuit-wall, but was always repulsed, losing many of his soldiers, and especially those who laid some claim to valour. For the wall of Naples was inaccessible, on one side by reason of the sea, and on the other because of some difficult country, and those who planned to attack it could gain entrance at no point, not only because of its general situation, but also because the ground sloped steeply. However, Belisarius cut the aqueduct which brought water into the city; but he did not in this way seriously disturb the Neapolitans, since there were wells inside the circuit-wall which sufficed for their needs and kept them from feeling too keenly the loss of the aqueduct.
Οἱ μὲν οὖν πολιορκούμενοι λανθάνοντες τοὺς πολεμίους ἔπεμπον ἐς Ῥώμην παρὰ Θευδάτον βοηθεῖν σφίσι κατὰ τάχος δεόμενοι. Θευδάτος δὲ πολέμου παρασκευήν τινα ἥκιστα ἐποιεῖτο, ὢν μὲν καὶ φύσει ἄνανδρος, ὥσπερ μοι ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται. [2] λέγουσι δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ἕτερόν τι ξυμβῆναι, ὃ μάλιστα αὐτὸν ἐξέπληξέ τε καὶ ἐς ὀρρωδίαν μείζω ἀπήνεγκεν, ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐ πιστὰ λέγοντες: [3] καὶ ὣς δὲ εἰρήσεται. Θευδάτος καὶ πρότερον μὲν οὐκ ἀμελέτητος ἦν τῶν τι προλέγειν ἐπαγγελλομένων τὰς πύστεις ποιεῖσθαι, τότε δὲ τοῖς παροῦσιν ἀπορούμενος, ὃ δὴ μάλιστα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐς μαντείας ὁρμᾶν εἴωθε, τῶν τινος Ἑβραίων, δόξαν ἐπὶ τούτῳ πολλὴν ἔχοντος, ἐπυνθάνετο ὁποῖόν ποτε τῷ πολέμῳ τῷδε τὸ πέρας ἔσται. [4] ὁ δὲ αὐτῷ ἐπήγγελλε χοίρων δεκάδας τρεῖς καθείρξαντι ἐν οἰκίσκοις τρισὶ καὶ ὄνομα ποιησαμένῳ δεκάδι ἑκάστῃ, Γότθων τε καὶ Ῥωμαίων καὶ τῶν βασιλέως στρατιωτῶν, ἡμέρας ῥητὰς ἡσυχῆ μένειν. [5] Θευδάτος δὲ κατὰ ταῦτα ἐποίει. καὶ ἐπειδὴ παρῆν ἡ κυρία, ἐν τοῖς οἰκίσκοις ἄμφω γενόμενοι ἐθεῶντο τοὺς χοίρους, εὗρόν τε αὐτῶν οἷς μὲν τὸ Γότθων ἐπῆν ὄνομα δυοῖν ἀπολελειμμένοιν νεκροὺς ἅπαντας, ζῶντας δὲ ὀλίγων χωρὶς ἅπαντας ἐς οὓς τὸ τῶν βασιλέως στρατιωτῶν ὄνομα ἦλθεν: ὅσοι μέντοι Ῥωμαῖοι ἐκλήθησαν, τούτοις δὲ ξυνέβη ἀπορρυῆναι μὲν τὰς τρίχας ἅπασι, περιεῖναι δὲ ἐς ἥμισυ μάλιστα. [6] ταῦτα Θευδάτῳ θεασαμένῳ καὶ ξυμβαλλομένῳ τὴν τοῦ πολέμου ἀπόβασιν δέος φασὶν ἐπελθεῖν μέγα, εὖ εἰδότι ὡς Ῥωμαίοις μὲν ξυμπεσεῖται πάντως τεθνήξεσθαί τε κατὰ ἡμίσεας καὶ τῶν χρημάτων στερήσεσθαι, Γότθοις δὲ ἡσσωμένοις τὸ γένος ἐς ὀλίγους ἀποκεκρίσθαι, ἐς βασιλέα δέ, ὀλίγων οἱ στρατιωτῶν ἀπολουμένων, [7] τὸ τοῦ πολέμου ἀφίξεσθαι κράτος. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο Θευδάτῳ λέγουσιν οὐδεμίαν ὁρμὴν ἐπιπεσεῖν ἐς ἀγῶνα Βελισαρίῳ καθίστασθαι. περὶ μὲν οὖν τούτων λεγέτω ἕκαστος ὥς πη ἐς αὐτὰ πίστεώς τε καὶ ἀπιστίας ἔχει. [8] Βελισάριος δὲ Νεαπολίτας κατὰ γῆν τε καὶ θάλατταν πολιορκῶν ἤσχαλλεν. οὐ γάρ οἱ οὐδὲ προσχωρήσειν ποτὲ αὐτοὺς ᾤετο, οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ ἁλώσεσθαι ἤλπιζεν, ἐπεὶ τοῦ χωρίου τὴν δυσκολίαν ἀντιστατοῦσαν ὡς μάλιστα εἶχε. [9] καὶ ὁ χρόνος αὐτὸν τριβόμενος ἐνταῦθα ἠνία, λογιζόμενον ὅπως μὴ χειμῶνος ὥρᾳ ἐπὶ Θευδάτον τε ἀναγκάζηται καὶ Ῥώμην ἰέναι. [10] ἤδη δὲ καὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἐπήγγειλε συσκευάζεσθαι, μέλλων ἐνθένδε ὅτι τάχιστα ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι. καί οἱ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀπορουμένῳ εὐτυχίᾳ τοιᾷδε ξυνηνέχθη χρῆσθαι. [11] τῶν τινα Ἰσαύρων ἐπιθυμία ἔσχε τὴν τοῦ ὀχετοῦ οἰκοδομίαν θεάσασθαι, καὶ ὅντινα τρόπον τῇ πόλει τὴν τοῦ ὕδατος χρείαν παρείχετο. [12] ἐσβάς τε τῆς πόλεως ἄποθεν, ὅθεν αὐτὸν διέρρηξε Βελισάριος, ἐβάδιζε πόνῳ οὐδενί, ἐπεὶ τὸ ὕδωρ αὐτὸν ἅτε διερρωγότα ἐπελελοίπει. [13] ἐπεὶ δὲ ἄγχιστα τοῦ περιβόλου ἐγένετο, πέτρᾳ μεγάλῃ ἐνέτυχεν, οὐκ ἀνθρώπων χερσὶν ἐνταῦθα, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τῆς φύσεως τοῦ χωρίου ἀποτεθείσῃ. [14] ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἱ τὸν ὀχετὸν δειμάμενοι πάλαι τὴν οἰκοδομίαν ἐνάψαντες διώρυχα ἐνθένδε ἐποίουν, οὐκ ἐς δίοδον μέντοι ἀνθρώπου ἱκανῶς ἔχουσαν, [15] ἀλλ̓ ὅσον τῷ ὕδατι τὴν πορείαν παρέχεσθαι. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ξυνέβαινεν οὐκ εὖρος τὸ αὐτὸ πανταχόσε τοῦ ὀχετοῦ εἶναι, ἀλλὰ στενοχωρία ἐν τῇ πέτρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ὑπηντίαζεν, ἀνθρώπῳ, ἄλλως τε καὶ τεθωρακισμένῳ ἢ ἀσπίδα φέροντι, ἀπόρευτος οὖσα. [16] ταῦτα τῷ Ἰσαύρῳ κατανοήσαντι οὐκ ἀμήχανα ἔδοξεν εἶναι τῷ στρατῷ ἐς τὴν πόλιν ἰέναι, ἢν ὀλίγῳ μέτρῳ τὴν ἐκείνῃ διώρυχα εὐρυτέραν ποιήσωνται. [17] ἅτε δὲ αὐτὸς ἀφανής τε ὢν καὶ τῶν ἡγεμόνων οὐδενὶ πώποτε ἐς λόγους ἥκων τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐς Παύκαριν ἤνεγκεν, ἄνδρα Ἴσαυρον, ἐν τοῖς Βελισαρίου ὑπασπισταῖς εὐδοκιμοῦντα. ὁ μὲν οὖν Παύκαρις τὸν πάντα λόγον αὐτίκα τῷ στρατηγῷ ἤγγειλε. [1
8] Βελισάριος δὲ τῇ τοῦ λόγου ἡδονῇ ἀναπνεύσας καὶ χρήμασι μεγάλοις τὸν ἄνθρωπον δωρήσεσθαι ὑποσχόμενος ἐς τὴν πρᾶξιν ἦγε, καὶ αὐτὸν ἐκέλευεν Ἰσαύρων τινὰς ἑταιρισάμενον ἐκτομὴν ὡς τάχιστα τῆς πέτρας ποιεῖσθαι, φυλασσόμενον ὅπως τοῦ ἔργου μηδενὶ αἴσθησιν δώσουσι. [19] Παύκαρις δέ, Ἰσαύρους ἀπολεξάμενος πρὸς τὸ ἔργον ἐπιτηδείως πάντη ἔχοντας, ἐντὸς τοῦ ὀχετοῦ σὺν αὐτοῖς λάθρα ἐγένετο. [20] ἔς τε τὸν χῶρον ἐλθόντες ἵνα δὴ τὴν στενοχωρίαν ἡ πέτρα ἐποίει, ἔργου εἴχοντο, οὐκ ἀξίναις τὴν πέτραν οὐδὲ πελέκεσι τέμνοντες, ὅπως μὴ ἔνδηλα τῷ κτύπῳ τοῖς πολεμίοις ποιήσωσι τὰ πρασσόμενα, ἀλλὰ σιδηρίοις τισὶν ὀξέσιν αὐτὴν ἐνδελεχέστατα ξέοντες. [21] καὶ χρόνῳ ὀλίγῳ κατείργαστο, ὥστε ἀνθρώπῳ δυνατὰ εἶναι θώρακά τε ἀμπεχομένῳ καὶ ἀσπίδα φέροντι ταύτῃ ἰέναι. [22] Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἅπαντα ἤδη ὡς ἄριστα εἶχεν, ἔννοια Βελισαρίῳ ἐγένετο ὡς, ἢν πολέμῳ ἐς Νεάπολιν τῷ στρατῷ ἐσιτητὰ εἴη, τοῖς τε ἀνθρώποις ἀπολωλέναι ξυμβήσεται καὶ τἄλλα ξυμπεσεῖν ἅπαντα, ὅσα πόλει πρὸς πολεμίων ἁλούσῃ γίνεσθαι εἴωθε. [23] Στέφανόν τε εὐθὺς μεταπεμψάμενος ἔλεξε τοιάδε: ‘Πολλάκις εἶδον πόλεις ἁλούσας καὶ τῶν τηνικαῦτα γινομένων εἰμὶ ἔμπειρος. [24] τοὺς μὲν γὰρ ἄνδρας ἀναιροῦσιν ἡβηδὸν ἅπαντας, γυναῖκας δὲ θνήσκειν αἰτουμένας οὐκ ἀξιοῦσι κτείνειν, ἀλλ̓ ἐς ὕβριν ἀγόμεναι πάσχουσιν ἀνήκεστά τε καὶ ἐλέου πολλοῦ ἄξια. [25] παῖδας δὲ οὔτε τροφῆς οὔτε παιδείας οὕτω μεταλαχόντας δουλεύειν ἀνάγκη, καὶ ταῦτα τοῖς πάντων ἐχθίστοις, ὧν ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ τὸ τῶν πατέρων αἷμα τεθέανται. [26] ἐῶ γάρ, ὦ φίλε Στέφανε, λέγειν τὸ πῦρ, ᾧ τά τε ἄλλα χρήματα καὶ τὸ τῆς πόλεως ἀφανίζεται κάλλος. ταῦτα Νεάπολιν τήνδε ὥσπερ ἐν κατόπτρῳ ταῖς πρότερον ἁλούσαις πόλεσιν ὁρῶν πάσχουσαν, αὐτῆς τε καὶ ὑμῶν ἐς οἶκτον ἥκω. [27] μηχαναὶ γάρ μοι πεποίηνται νῦν ἐς αὐτήν, ἣν μὴ οὐχὶ ἁλῶναι ἀδύνατον. πόλιν δὲ ἀρχαίαν καὶ οἰκήτορας Χριστιανούς τε καὶ Ῥωμαίους ἄνωθεν ἔχουσαν ἐς τοῦτο τύχης οὐκ ἂν εὐξαίμην, ἄλλως τε καὶ ὑπ̓ ἐμοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατηγοῦντος, ἐλθεῖν, μάλιστα ἐπεὶ βάρβαροι πολλοί μοι τὸ πλῆθος ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ εἰσίν, ἀδελφοὺς ἢ ξυγγενεῖς πρὸ τοῦδε ἀπολωλεκότες τοῦ τείχους: ὧν δὴ κατέχειν τὸν θυμόν, ἢν πολέμῳ τὴν πόλιν ἕλωσιν, οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην. [28] οὐκοῦν ἕως ἔτι τὸ τὰ ξυνοίσοντα ἑλέσθαι τε καὶ πράσσειν ἐφ̓ ὑμῖν ἐστι, βουλεύσασθε μὲν τὰ βελτίω, φύγετε δὲ ξυμφοράν: ἧς, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, ξυμπιπτούσης ὑμῖν οὐ τὴν τύχην δικαίως, ἀλλὰ τὴν ὑμετέραν αἰτιάσεσθε γνώμην.’ [29] τοσαῦτα εἰπὼν Βελισάριος Στέφανον ἀπεπέμψατο. ὃς ἐς Νεαπολιτῶν τὸν δῆμον παρῆλθε δεδακρυμένος τε καὶ πάντα ξὺν οἰμωγῇ ἀγγέλλων ὅσα Βελισαρίου λέγοντος ἤκουσεν. [30] οἱ δὲ ῾οὐδὲ γὰρ χρῆν Νεαπολίτας ἀθῴους βασιλεῖ κατηκόους γενέσθαἰ οὔτε ἔδεισάν τι οὔτε Βελισαρίῳ προσχωρεῖν ἔγνωσαν.
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius Page 419