But at daybreak Vittigis noted what had been accomplished and in his exceeding vexation at the occurrence executed some of the guards; however, he was as eager as before to bring his engine to bear, and so commanded the Goths to throw a great number of faggots as quickly as possible into the trench, and then by drawing the tower over them to bring it into position. This they proceeded to do as Vittigis commanded, with all zeal, although their opponents kept fighting them back from the wall with the utmost vigour. But when the weight of the tower came upon the faggots they naturally yielded and sank down. For this reason the barbarians were quite unable to go forward with the engine, because the ground became still more steep before them, where the Romans had heaped up the earth as I have stated. Fearing, therefore, that when night came on the enemy would sally forth and set fire to the engine, they began to draw it back again. This was precisely what John was eager to prevent with all his power, and so he armed his soldiers, called them all together, and exhorted them as follows:
“My men, who share this danger common to us all, if it would please any man among you to live and see those whom he has left at home, let him realize that the only hope he has of obtaining these things lies in nothing but his own hands. For when Belisarius sent us forth in the beginning, hope and desire for many things made us eager for the task. For we never suspected that we should be besieged in the country along the coast, since the Romans command the sea so completely, nor would one have supposed that the emperor’s army would so far neglect us. But apart from these considerations, at that time we were prompted to boldness by an opportunity to display our loyalty to the state and by the glory which we should acquire in the sight of all men as the result of our struggles. But as things now stand, we cannot possibly survive save by courage, and we are obliged to undergo this danger with no other end in view than the saving of our own lives. Therefore, if any of you perchance lay claim to valour, all such have the opportunity to prove themselves brave men, if any men in the world have, and thereby to cover themselves with glory. For they achieve a fair name, not who overpower those weaker than themselves, but who, though inferior in equipment, still win the victory by the greatness of their souls. And as for those in whom the love of life has been more deeply implanted, it will be of advantage to these especially to be bold, for it is true of all men, as a general thing, that when their fortunes stand on the razor’s edge, as is now the case with us, they may be saved only by scorning the danger.”
With these words John led his army out against the enemy, leaving some few men to guard the battlement. But the enemy withstood them bravely, and the battle became exceedingly fierce. And with great difficulty and late in the day the barbarians succeeded in bringing the tower back to their own camp. However, they lost so great a number of their fighting men that they decided thenceforth to make no further attacks upon the wall, but in despair of succeeding that way, they remained quiet, expecting that their enemy would yield to them under stress of famine. For all their provisions had already failed them completely, since they had not found any place from which they could bring in a sufficient supply.
Such was the course of events here. But as for Belisarius, he sent to the representatives of Milan a thousand men, Isaurians and Thracians. The Isaurians were commanded by Ennes, the Thracians by Paulus, while Mundilas was set over them all and commanded in person, having as his guard some few of the guardsmen of Belisarius. And with them was also Fidelius, who had been made praetorian prefect. For since he was a native of Milan, he was regarded as a suitable person to go with this army, having as he did some influence in Liguria. They set sail, accordingly, from the harbour of Rome and put in at Genoa, which is the last city in Tuscany and well situated as a port of call for the voyage to Gaul and to Spain. There they left their ships and travelling by land moved forward, placing the boats of the ships on their waggons, in order that nothing might prevent their crossing the river Po. It was by this means, in any event, that they made the crossing of the river. And when they reached the city of Ticinum, after crossing the Po, the Goths came out against them and engaged them in battle. And they were not only numerous but also excellent troops, since all the barbarians who lived in that region had deposited the most valuable of their possessions in Ticinum, as being a place which had strong defences, and had left there a considerable garrison. So a fierce battle took place, but the Romans were victorious, and routing their opponents, they slew a great number and came within a little of capturing the city in the pursuit. For it was only with difficulty that the barbarians succeeded in shutting the gates, so closely did their enemy press upon their heels. And as the Romans were marching away, Fidelius went into a temple there to pray, and was the last to leave. But by some chance his horse stumbled and he fell. And since he had fallen very near the fortifications, the Goths seeing him came out and killed him without being observed by the enemy. Wherefore, when this was afterwards discovered by Mundilas and the Romans, they were greatly distressed.
Then, leaving Ticinum, they arrived at the city of Milan and secured this city with the rest of Liguria without a battle. When Vittigis learned about this, he sent a large army with all speed and Uraïas, his own nephew, as commander. And Theudibert, the leader of the Franks, sent him at his request ten thousand men as allies, not of the Franks themselves, but Burgundians, in order not to appear to be doing injury to the emperor’s cause. For it was given out that the Burgundians made the expedition willingly and of their own choice, not as obeying the command of Theudibert. And the Goths, joined by these troops, came to Milan, made camp and began a siege when the Romans were least expecting them. At any rate the Romans, through this action, found it impossible to bring in any kind of provisions, but they were immediately in distress for want of necessities. Indeed, even the guarding of the walls was not being maintained by the regular soldiers, for it so happened that Mundilas had occupied all the cities near Milan which had defences, namely Bergomum, Comum, and Novaria, as well as some other strongholds, and in every place had established a considerable garrison, while he himself with about three hundred men remained in Milan, and with him Ennes and Paulus. Consequently and of necessity the inhabitants of the city were regularly keeping guard in turn. Such was the progress of events in Liguria, and the winter drew to its close, and the third year came to an end in this war, the history of which Procopius has written.
Βελισάριος δὲ ἀμφὶ θερινὰς τροπὰς ἐπί τε Οὐίττιγιν καὶ τὸ Γότθων στρατόπεδον ᾔει, ὀλίγους μέν τινας φρουρᾶς ἕνεκα ἐν Ῥώμῃ ἀπολιπών, τοὺς δὲ ἄλλους ξὺν αὑτῷ ἅπαντας ἐπαγόμενος. [2] πέμψας τέ τινας ἐς Τουδέραν τε καὶ Κλούσιον χαρακώματα ἐπήγγειλε ποιεῖσθαι, οἷς δὴ ἕψεσθαί τε ἔμελλε καὶ ξυμπολιορκήσειν τοὺς τῇδε βαρβάρους. [3] οἱ δέ, ἐπεὶ προσιόντα τὸν στρατὸν ἔμαθον, οὐχ ὑποστάντες τὸν κίνδυνον πρέσβεις τε παρὰ Βελισάριον ἔπεμψαν καὶ παραδώσειν ὁμολογίᾳ σφᾶς τε αὐτοὺς καὶ πόλιν ἑκατέραν ὑπέσχοντο, ἐφ̓ ᾧ κακῶν ἀπαθεῖς μείνωσι. παραγενομένῳ τέ οἱ ἐπιτελῆ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν ἐποιήσαντο. [4] ὁ δὲ Γότθους μὲν ἅπαντας ἐνθένδε ἀναστήσας ἐπὶ Σικελίας τε καὶ Νεαπόλεως ἔπεμψεν, ἐν δὲ Κλουσίῳ καὶ Τουδέρᾳ φρουρὰν καταστησάμενος πρόσω ἦγε τὸ στράτευμα. [5] Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Οὐίττιγις στρατιὰν ἄλλην καὶ ἄρχοντα Οὐάκιμον ἐς Αὔξιμον πέμψας τοῖς ἐκείνῃ Γότθοις ἐκέλευεν ἀναμίγνυσθαι, καὶ ξὺν αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐν Ἀγκῶνι πολεμίους ἰόντας ἀποπειράσασθαι τοῦ �
�αύτῃ φρουρίου. [6] ὁ δὲ Ἀγκὼν οὗτος πέτρα τίς ἐστιν ἐγγώνιος, ἀφ̓ οὗ καὶ τὴν προσηγορίαν εἴληφε ταύτην: ἀγκῶνι γὰρ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐμφερής ἐστιν. [7] ἀπέχει δὲ σταδίους ὀγδοήκοντα πόλεως μάλιστα Αὐξίμου, ἧς δή ἐστιν ἐπίνειον. καὶ τὸ μὲν τοῦ φρουρίου ὀχύρωμα ἐπὶ πέτρας τῆς ἐγγωνίου ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ κεῖται, τὰ δὲ ἐκτὸς ἅπαντα οἰκοδομήματα, καίπερ ὄντα πολλά, [8] ἐκ παλαιοῦ ἀτείχιστα ἦν. Κόνων δέ, ὃς τῇ τοῦ χωρίου φυλακῇ ἐφειστήκει, ἐπειδὴ τάχιστα τοὺς ἀμφὶ τὸν Οὐάκιμον ἤκουσεν ἐπιέναι τε καὶ ἤδη που οὐκ ἄποθεν εἶναι, ἐπίδειξιν πεποίηται ἀλογίστου γνώμης. [9] παρὰ φαῦλον γὰρ ἡγησάμενος τό τε φρούριον καὶ τοὺς τοῦ φρουρίου οἰκήτορας ξὺν τοῖς στρατιώταις κακῶν ἀπαθεῖς διασώσασθαι, τὸ μὲν ὀχύρωμα εἴασε παντάπασι στρατιωτῶν ἔρημον, ἅπαντας δὲ ἀπαγαγὼν ὅσον ἀπὸ σταδίων πέντε ὡς ἐς παράταξιν διεκόσμησεν, οὐ βαθεῖάν τινα τὴν φάλαγγα ποιησάμενος, ἀλλ̓ ὥστε τὴν ὑπώρειαν ὅλην ὥσπερ ἐς κυνηγέσιον περιβάλλεσθαι. [10] οἵπερ ἐπειδὴ τοὺς πολεμίους πλήθει πολλῷ ὑπεραίροντας εἶδον, στρέψαντες τὰ νῶτα ἐπὶ τὸ φρούριον εὐθὺς ἔφυγον. [11] ἐπιδιώξαντές τε οἱ βάρβαροι πλείστους μὲν αὐτῶν, ὅσοι οὐκ ἔφθασαν ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου εἰσιέναι, αὐτοῦ ἔκτειναν, κλίμακας δὲ τῷ τείχει ἐρείσαντες, τῆς ἀνόδου ἀπεπειράσαντο. τινὲς δὲ τὰ ἐκτὸς τοῦ φρουρίου οἰκία ἔκαιον. [12] Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ οἳ καὶ πρότερον τὸ φρούριον ᾤκουν, τοῖς παροῦσιν ἐκπεπληγμένοι, προανακλίναντες τὴν πυλίδα, κόσμῳ οὐδενὶ φεύγοντας τοὺς στρατιώτας ἐδέχοντο. [13] ἐπεὶ δὲ τοὺς βαρβάρους ἄγχιστα ἐγκειμένους τοῖς φεύγουσιν εἶδον, ὅπως μὴ συνεισβάλλωσι δείσαντες, τὰς μὲν πύλας κατὰ τάχος ἐπέθεντο, ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἐπάλξεων βρόχους καθέντες, ἄλλους τέ τινας καὶ Κόνωνα αὐτὸν ἀνέλκοντες διεσώσαντο. [14] ταῖς μέντοι κλίμαξιν ἀνιόντες οἱ βάρβαροι παῤ ὀλίγον ἦλθον τὸ φρούριον κατὰ κράτος ἑλεῖν, εἰ μὴ ἄνδρες δύο, ἔργα θαυμάσια ἐνδεικνύμενοι, ἤδη αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἐπάλξεσι γενομένους ἀρετῇ ὤσαντο, ὧν ὁ μὲν Βελισαρίου δορυφόρος ἦν ἐκ Θρᾴκης, Οὐλιμοὺθ ὄνομα, ὁ δὲ Βαλεριανοῦ, Γουβουλγουδοῦ, [15] Μασσαγέτης γένος. τούτω γὰρ τὼ ἄνδρε τύχῃ μέν τινι καταπεπλευκότε ὀλίγῳ πρότερον ἐς τὸν Ἀγκῶνα ἐτυχέτην: ἐν δὲ τῷ πόνῳ τούτῳ τοὺς ἀνιόντας τοῖς ξίφεσιν ἀμυνόμενοι τὸ μὲν φρούριον παρὰ δόξαν ἔσωσαν, αὐτοὶ δὲ ἡμιθνῆτες καὶ τὸ σῶμα κρεουργηθέντες ὅλον ἐνθένδε ἀπεκομίσθησαν. [16] Τότε Βελισαρίῳ Ναρσῆς ξὺν πολλῇ στρατιᾷ ἐκ Βυζαντίου ἥκειν καὶ ἐν Πικηνοῖς εἶναι ἠγγέλλετο. ὁ δὲ Ναρσῆς οὗτος εὐνοῦχος μὲν ἦν καὶ τῶν βασιλικῶν χρημάτων ταμίας, ἄλλως δὲ ὀξὺς καὶ μᾶλλον ἢ κατ̓ εὐνοῦχον δραστήριος. [17] στρατιῶται δὲ αὐτῷ πεντακισχίλιοι εἵποντο, ὧν ἄλλοι τε κατὰ συμμορίας ἡγοῦντο καὶ Ἰουστῖνος ὁ τῶν Ἰλλυριῶν στρατηγὸς καὶ Ναρσῆς ἕτερος, ἐξ Ἀρμενίων τῶν Πέρσαις κατηκόων αὐτόμολος ἐς τὰ Ῥωμαίων ἤθη πρότερον ξὺν Ἀρατίῳ τἀδελφῷ ἥκων, ὃς ὀλίγῳ ἔμπροσθεν ξὺν ἑτέρῳ στρατῷ παρὰ Βελισάριον ἐλθὼν ἔτυχεν. [18] εἵποντο δέ οἱ καὶ τοῦ Ἐρούλων ἔθνους δισχίλιοι μάλιστα, ὧν Οὐίσανδός τε καὶ Ἀλουὶθ καὶ Φανίθεος ἦρχον.
XIII
And Belisarius at about the time of the summer solstice marched against Vittigis and the Gothic army, leaving a few men to act as a garrison in Rome, but taking all the others with him. And he sent some men to Tudera and Clusium, with orders to make fortified camps there, and he was intending to follow them and assist in besieging the barbarians at those places. But when the barbarians learned that the army was approaching, they did not wait to face the danger, but sent envoys to Belisarius, promising to surrender both themselves and the two cities, with the condition that they should remain free from harm. And when he came there, they fulfilled their promise. And Belisarius removed all the Goths from these towns and sent them to Sicily and Naples, and after establishing a garrison in Clusium and in Tudera, he led his army forward.
But meanwhile Vittigis had sent another army, under command of Vacimus, to Auximus, commanding it to join forces with the Goths there, and with them to go against the enemy in Ancon and make an attempt upon that fortress. Now this Ancon is a sort of pointed rock, and indeed it is from this circumstance that it has taken its name; for it is exceedingly like an “elbow.” And it is about eighty stades distant from the city of Auximus, whose port it is. And the defences of the fortress lie upon the pointed rock in a position of security, but all the buildings outside, though they are many, have been from ancient times unprotected by a wall. Now as soon as Conon, who was in command of the garrison of the place, heard that the forces of Vacimus were coming against him and were already not far away, he made an exhibition of thoughtless folly. For thinking it too small a thing to preserve free from harm merely the fortress and its inhabitants together with the soldiers, he left the fortifications entirely destitute of soldiers, and leading them all out to a distance of about five stades, arrayed them in line of battle, without, however, making the phalanx a deep one at all, but thin enough to surround the entire base of the mountain, as if for a hunt. But when these troops saw that the enemy were greatly superior to them in number, they turned their backs and straightway fled to the fortress. And the barbarians, following close upon them, slew on the spot most of their number — those who did not succeed in getting inside the circuit-wall in time — and then placed ladders against the wall and attempted the ascent. Some also began burning the houses outside the fortress. And the Romans who resided habitually in the fortress, being terror-stricken at what was taking place, at first opened the small gate and received the soldiers as they fled in complete disorder. But when they saw the barbarians close at hand and pressing upon the fugitives, fearing that they would charge in with them, they closed the gates as quickly as they could, and letting down ropes from the battlement, saved a number by drawing them up, and among them Conon himself. But the barbarians scaled the wall by means of their ladders and came within a little of capturing the fortress by storm, and would have succeeded if two men had not made a display of remarkable deeds by valorously pushing off the battlements those who had already got upon the wall; one of these two was a bodyguard of Belisarius, a Thracian named Ulimuth, and the other a bodyguard of Valerian, named Gouboulgoudou, a Massagete by birth. These two
men had happened by some chance to come by ship to Ancon a little before; and in this struggle, by warding off with their swords those who were scaling the wall, they saved the fortress contrary to expectation, but they themselves were carried from the battlement half dead, their whole bodies hacked with many wounds.
At that time it was reported to Belisarius that Narses had come with a great army from Byzantium and was in Picenum. Now this Narses was a eunuch and guardian of the royal treasures, but for the rest keen and more energetic than would be expected of a eunuch. And five thousand soldiers followed him, of whom the several detachments were commanded by different men, among whom were Justinus, the general of Illyricum, and another Narses, who had previously come to the land of the Romans as a deserter from the Armenians who are subject to the Persians; with him had come his brother Aratius, who, as it happened, had joined Belisarius a little before this with another army. And about two thousand of the Erulian nation also followed him, commanded by Visandus and Aluith and Phanitheus.
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius Page 451