Delphi Complete Works of Procopius

by Procopius of Caesarea

  Ἐνταῦθά μοι ἰδεῖν θέαμα ξυνηνέχθη τοιόνδε. ἡνίκα ὁ ξὺν τῷ Ἰωάννῃ στρατὸς ἐς Πικηνοὺς ἦλθε, γέγονεν, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, ταραχή τις πολλὴ τοῖς ταύτῃ ἀνθρώποις. [2] τῶν τε γυναικῶν αἱ μὲν ἔφευγον ἐξαπιναίως ὅπη αὐτῶν ἑκάστῃ δυνατὰ ἐγεγόνει, αἱ δὲ καταλαμβανόμεναι ἤγοντο κόσμῳ οὐδενὶ πρὸς τῶν ἐντυχόντων. [3] ἐν τούτῳ οὖν τῷ χωρίῳ μία τις γυνὴ ἀρτίως τεκοῦσα καὶ τὸ παιδίον ἀπολιποῦσα ἐν τοῖς σπαργάνοις ἔτυχε ἐπὶ γῆς κείμενον, καὶ εἴτε φευγουσα εἴτε ὑφ̓ ὁτουοῦν καταληφθεῖσα ἐνταῦθα ἐπανήκειν οὐκέτι ἔσχεν: ἀφανισθῆναι γὰρ αὐτῇ δηλονότι ἢ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἢ ἐξ Ἰταλίας ξυνέπεσε. [4] τὸ μὲν οὖν παιδίον ἐν ταύτῃ δὴ τῇ ἐρημίᾳ γεγονὸς ἔκλαιεν. αἲξ δὲ αὐτὸ μία ἰδοῦσα ᾠκτίζετό τε καὶ πλησίον ἀφικομένη ῾ἔναγχος γὰρ τεκοῦσα καὶ αὐτὴ ἔτυχἐ τὸν τιτθὸν ἐδίδου καὶ τὸ παιδίον ξὺν ἐπιμελείᾳ ἐφύλασσε, [5] μὴ κύων ἤ τι θηρίον αὐτὸ λυμάνηται. χρόνου τε τῇ ταραχῇ τριβέντος συχνοῦ τούτου δὴ τοῦ τιτθοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον μεταλαχεῖν τὸ παιδίον ξυνέβη. [6] γνωσθὲν δὲ Πικηνοῖς ὕστερον ὅτι δὴ ὁ βασιλέως στρατὸς ἐπὶ Γότθων μὲν τῷ πονηρῷ ἐνταῦθα ἥκοι, Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ οὐ πείσονται οὐδὲν πρὸς αὐτοῦ ἄχαρι, [7] ἐπανῆλθον εὐθὺς οἴκαδε ἅπαντες. ἔν τε Οὐρβισαλίᾳ ξὺν τοῖς ἀνδράσιν αἱ γυναῖκες γενόμεναι, ὅσαι γένος Ῥωμαῖαι ἦσαν, ἐπειδὴ τὸ παιδίον ἐν τοῖς σπαργάνοις περιὸν εἶδον, τὸ γεγονὸς ξυμβάλλειν οὐδαμῆ ἔχουσαι ἐν θαύματι μεγάλῳ ὅτι δὴ βιῴη πεποίηνται. [8] καὶ τὸν τιτθὸν ἑκάστη ἐδίδου αἳ δὴ πρὸς τοῦτο ἐπιτηδείως ἔχουσαι ἔτυχον. ἀλλ̓ οὔτε τὸ παιδίον ἀνθρώπειον γάλα ἔτι προσίετο καὶ ἡ αἲξ αὐτοῦ μεθίεσθαι ἥκιστα ἤθελεν, ἀλλὰ μηκωμένη ἀμφὶ τὸ παιδίον ἐνδελεχέστατα, δεινὰ τοῖς παροῦσιν ἐδόκει ποιεῖσθαι, ὅτι τῷ παιδίῳ ἄγχιστα αἱ γυναῖκες ἰοῦσαι οὕτω δὴ αὐτὸ ἐνοχλοῖεν, τό τε ξύμπαν εἰπεῖν μεταποιεῖσθαι ὡς οἰκείου τοῦ βρέφους ἠξίου. [9] καὶ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ αἵ τε γυναῖκες τὸ παιδίον οὐκέτι ἠνώχλουν καὶ ἡ αἲξ ἀδεέστερον ἔτρεφέ τε καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἐπιμελομένη ἐφύλαττε. διὸ δὴ Αἴγισθον οἱ ἐπιχώριοι τοῦτο δὴ τὸ παιδίον ἐκάλουν. [10] καὶ ἡνίκα μοι ἐπιδημεῖν ἐνταῦθα ξυνέβη, ἐπίδειξιν τοῦ παραλόγου ποιούμενοι παρά τε τὸ παιδίον ἦγον καὶ αὐτὸ ἐξεπίτηδες, [11] ἵνα βοᾷ, ἐλύπουν. καὶ τὸ μὲν τοῖς λυποῦσιν ἀχθόμενον ἔκλαεν, ἀκούσασα δὲ ἡ αἲξ ῾διεστήκει γὰρ αὐτοῦ ὅσον λίθου βολὴν̓ δρόμῳ τε καὶ μηκηθμῷ ἐχομένη πολλῷ παῤ αὐτὸ ᾔει, ὕπερθέν τε αὐτοῦ ἐλθοῦσα ἔστη, ὡς μή τις αὐτὸ λυπεῖν τὸ λοιπὸν δύνηται. τὰ μὲν οὖν ἀμφὶ τῷ Αἰγίσθῳ τούτῳ τοιαῦτά ἐστι. [12] Βελισάριος δὲ διὰ τῶν ταύτῃ ὀρῶν ἐχώρει. πλήθει γὰρ παρὰ πολὺ ἐλασσούμενος τῶν ἐναντίων οὐκ ἤθελεν αὐτοῖς ἐκ τοῦ εὐθέος εἰς χεῖρας ἰέναι, ἐπεὶ καὶ θανατῶντας τοῖς ξυμπεσοῦσι τοὺς βαρβάρους ἑώρα: [13] ᾤετο δὲ αὐτούς, ἐπειδὰν τάχιστα πύθωνται πανταχόθεν σφίσι πολεμίων ἐπιέναι στρατόν, ἀλκῆς ἂν οὐδεμιᾶς μνησθῆναι, ἀλλ̓ αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα ἐς φυγὴν τρέψεσθαι. καὶ ἔτυχέ γε τῆς ἀληθοῦς δόξης, οὐκ ἔξω τοῦ ἐσομένου ὑποτοπήσας. [14] ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν ἐγένοντο, ὅσον Ἀριμίνου ἀπέχειν ἡμέρας ὁδόν, Γότθοις τισὶν ὀλίγοις κατά τινα χρείαν ὁδῷ πορευομένοις ἐνέτυχον. [15] οἳ δὴ ἐκ τοῦ ἀπροσδοκήτου πολεμίων περιπεπτωκότες στρατῷ ἐκτρέπεσθαι τῆς ὁδοῦ οὐδαμῆ ἴσχυσαν, ἕως παρὰ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ἰόντων βαλλόμενοι οἱ μὲν αὐτοῦ ἔπεσον, οἱ δὲ τραυματίαι γεγενημένοι ἐπί τινας τῶν ἐκείνῃ σκοπέλων ἀναδραμόντες διέλαθον. [16] ὅθεν σκοπούμενοι τὸν Ῥωμαίων στρατὸν ἐς πάσας δυσχωρίας ξυρρέοντας, πολλῷ πλείονας τοῦ ἀληθοῦς μέτρου ὑπετόπαζον εἶναι. [17] ἔνθα δὴ καὶ τὰ Βελισαρίου σημεῖα ἰδόντες, αὐτὸν ἐξηγεῖσθαι ταύτῃ τῇ στρατιᾷ ἔγνωσαν. νύξ τε ἐπέλαβε, καὶ αὐτοῦ μὲν Ῥωμαῖοι ηὐλίσαντο, τῶν δὲ Γότθων οἱ τραυματίαι λάθρα ἐπὶ τὸ τοῦ Οὐιττίγιδος στρατόπεδον ᾔεσαν. [18] οὗ δὴ ἀμφὶ μέσην ἡμέραν γενόμενοι τάς τε πληγὰς ἐπεδείκνυον καὶ Βελισάριον σφίσι ξὺν στρατῷ κρείσσονι ἢ ἀριθμεῖσθαι ὅσον οὔπω παρέσεσθαι ἰσχυρίζοντο. [19] οἱ δὲ παρεσκευάζοντο μὲν ὡς ἐς μάχην πρὸς βορρᾶν ἄνεμον Ἀριμίνου πόλεως τετραμμένοι ῾ταύτῃ γὰρ ᾤοντο τοὺς πολεμίους ἀφίξεσθαἰ, ἀεί τε ἐς τοῦ ὄρους τὰ ἄκρα ἔβλεπον ἅπαντες. [20] ἐπεὶ δέ, νυκτὸς σφίσιν ἐπιγενομένης, καταθέμενοι τὰ ὅπλα ἡσύχαζον, πυρὰ πολλὰ ἐς τὰ πρὸς ἕω τῆς πόλεως ὅσον ἀπὸ σταδίων ἑξήκοντα εἶδον, ἅπερ τὸ ξὺν Μαρτίνῳ στράτευμα ἔκαιεν, ἐς δέος τε ἀμήχανον ἦλθον: [21] κυκλωθήσεσθαι γὰρ πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων ἅμα ἡμέρᾳ ὑπώπτευον. ταύτην μὲν οὖν τὴν νύκτα ξὺν δέει τοιούτῳ ηὐλίσαντο, τῇ δὲ ἐπιγενομένῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἅμα ἡλίῳ ἀνίσχοντι στόλον νηῶν ἐπὶ σφᾶς ἰόντα ὁρῶσιν ἐξαίσιον οἷον: ἔς τε ἀφασίαν ἐμπεπτωκότες ἐς φυγὴν ὥρμηντο. [22] ξυσκευαζόμενοί τε κατὰ τάχος τοσούτῳ θορύβῳ τε καὶ κραυγῇ εἴχοντο ὥστε οὔτε τῶν παραγγελλομένων κατήκουον οὔτε ἄλλο τι ἐν νῷ ἐποιοῦντο ἢ ὅπως ἂν αὐτὸς ἕκαστος πρῶτός τε ἀπαλλάσσοιτο τοῦ στρατοπέδου καὶ Ῥαβέννης τοῦ περιβόλου ἐντὸς γένοιτο. [23] καὶ εἰ μέν τι ἰσχύος ἢ θάρσους περιεῖναι τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις τετύχηκε, πλείστους τε ἂν τῶν πολεμίων ἐπεξελθόντες αὐτοῦ ἔκτειναν καὶ ξ�
�μπας ἐνταῦθα ἂν ὁ πόλεμος ἐτελεύτησε. [24] νῦν δὲ τοῦτο ἐκώλυσεν ὀρρωδία τε σφίσι μεγάλη τοῖς φθάσασιν ἐπιγενομένη καὶ ἀσθένεια τῶν ἀναγκαίων τῇ ἀπορίᾳ πολλοῖς ξυμπεσοῦσα. οἱ μὲν οὖν βάρβαροι θορύβου ὑπερβολῇ αὐτοῦ λειπόμενοι τῶν χρημάτων τινὰ δρόμῳ πολλῷ τὴν ἐπὶ Ῥάβενναν ἔθεον.

  XVII

  IN that place it was my fortune to see the following sight. When the army of John came into Picenum, the people of that region, as was natural, were thrown into great confusion. And among the women, some took hurriedly to flight, wherever each one found it possible, while others were captured and led away in a disorderly manner by those who chanced upon them. Now a certain woman of this city had, as it happened, just given birth to a child, and had abandoned the infant, leaving it in its swaddling clothes lying upon the ground; and whether she sought safety in flight or was captured by someone or other, she did not succeed in getting back again to that place; for assuredly it fell out that she disappeared from the world or at least from Italy. So the infant, being thus abandoned, began to cry. But a lone she-goat, seeing it, felt pity and came near, and gave the infant her udder (for she too, as it happened, had recently brought forth young) and guarded it carefully, lest a dog or wild beast should injure it. And since the confusion was long continued, it came about that the infant partook of this food for a very long time. But later, when it became known to the people of Picenum that the emperor’s army had come there to injure the Goths, but that the Romans would suffer no harm from it, they all returned immediately to their homes. And when such of the women as were Romans by birth came to Urvisalia with the men, and saw the infant still alive in its swaddling clothes, they were utterly unable to comprehend what had happened and considered it very wonderful that the infant was living. And each of them who chanced to be at that time able to do so offered her breast. But neither would the infant now have anything to do with human milk, nor was the goat at all willing to let it go, but as it kept bleating unceasingly about the infant, it seemed to those present to be feeling the greatest resentment that the women came near it and disturbed it as they did, and, to put all in a word, she insisted upon claiming the babe as her own. Consequently the women no longer disturbed the infant, and the goat continued to nourish it free from fear and to guard it with every care. Wherefore the inhabitants of the place appropriately called this infant Aegisthus. And when I happened to be sojourning in that place, by way of making a display of the strange sight they took me near the infant and purposely hurt it so that it might cry out. And the infant, annoyed by those hurting it, began to cry; whereupon the goat, which was standing about a stone’s throw away from it, hearing the cry, came running and bleating loudly to its side, and took her stand over it, so that no one might be able to hurt it again. Such then is the story of this Aegisthus.

  But Belisarius was advancing through the mountains in this region. For seeing that he was greatly inferior to his opponents in numbers, he did not wish to engage in an open battle with them, since he could see that the barbarians were actually paralyzed by their previous defeats; and he thought that, as soon as they learned that a hostile army was coming upon them from all sides, they would not once think of resistance, but would without the least hesitation turn to flight. And indeed he arrived at a correct opinion regarding the situation, and his suppositions were not at variance with what the future was to bring forth. For when they had reached a point in the mountains where they were about one day’s journey distant from Ariminum, they happened upon a small company of Goths who were travelling on some necessary errand. And these Goths, falling in unexpectedly with a hostile army, were quite unable to get away from the road before they were attacked by the missiles of those who marched in the van, and some fell on the spot, while others, after receiving wounds, succeeded in hiding themselves by scrambling up some of the high cliffs close by. From that position they watched the Roman army collecting over all the rough ground, and they supposed them to be many more than they really were. And seeing the standards of Belisarius there also, they realized that he was leading this army in person. Then night came on and the Romans bivouacked where they were, while the wounded Goths went stealthily to the camp of Vittigis. And reaching it about midday, they displayed their wounds and declared that Belisarius would be upon them almost at once with an army past numbering. Then the Goths began to prepare for battle to the north of the city of Ariminum, for they thought that the enemy would come from that direction, and they were all constantly looking toward the heights of the mountain. But when, as night came upon them, they had laid down their weapons and were resting, they saw many camp-fires to the east of the city, about sixty stades away — these were the fires which the troops of Martinus were burning — and they fell into a state of helpless fear; for they suspected that they would be surrounded by the enemy at daybreak. So for that night they bivouacked in such a state of fear; but on the succeeding day at sunrise they saw a fleet of ships in overwhelming numbers bearing down upon them, and being plunged into speechless terror, they made a rush to flee. And while they were packing up their luggage as quickly as they could, there arose so much confusion and shouting among them that they neither paid heed to the commands given nor did they think of anything else than how each man for himself could get away first from the camp and place himself inside the fortifications of Ravenna. And if the besieged had only had some strength or daring left in them, they could have killed great numbers of the enemy on the spot by making a sally from the city, and the whole war would have ended there. But, as it was, this was prevented by the great fear which had taken possession of them because of their past experiences, and by the weakness which had come upon many owing to the lack of provisions. So the barbarians, leaving there some of their possessions in the excess of their confusion, began to run as fast as they could go on the road to Ravenna.

  Πρῶτοι δὲ Ῥωμαίων Ἰλδίγερ τε καὶ οἱ ξὺν αὐτῷ ἀφικόμενοι ἐς τὸ τῶν πολεμίων χαράκωμα τῶν Γότθων ὅσοι νόσοις τισὶν ἐχόμενοι αὐτοῦ ἔμειναν ἐν ἀνδραπόδων ἐποιήσαντο λόγῳ, καὶ χρήματα πάντα ξυνέλεξαν ὅσα φεύγοντες Γότθοι ἐλίποντο. [2] καὶ Βελισάριος παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἦλθεν ἐς μέσην ἡμέραν. καὶ ἐπεὶ ὠχριῶντάς τε καὶ δεινὸν αὐχμῶντας Ἰωάννην τε καὶ τοὺς ξὺν αὐτῷ εἶδε, τοῦ θράσους ὑπαινιττόμενος τὸ ἀλόγιστον χάριτας αὐτὸν ἔφασκεν Ἰλδίγερι ὀφείλειν. [3] ὁ δὲ οὐκ Ἰλδίγερι, ἀλλὰ Ναρσῇ τῷ βασιλέως ταμίᾳ ὁμολογεῖν ἔφη, παραδηλῶν, οἶμαι, Βελισάριον οὐ σφόδρα ἐθελούσιον, ἀλλὰ Ναρσῇ ἀναπεισθέντα σφίσιν ἀμῦναι. καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ἄμφω ὑποψίᾳ πολλῇ ἐς ἀλλήλους ἐχρῶντο. [4] διὸ δὴ οὐδὲ Ναρσῆν εἴων οἱ ἐπιτήδειοι ξὺν Βελισαρίῳ στρατεύεσθαι, ἀλλ̓ ἀνέπειθον ὅσον αἰσχρὸν εἴη τῷ τῶν ἀπορρήτων βασιλεῖ κοινωνοῦντι μὴ οὐχὶ αὐτοκράτορι τοῦ στρατοῦ εἶναι, ἀλλὰ στρατηγῷ ἀνδρὶ ὑπακούειν. [5] οὐ γάρ ποτε Βελισάριον ἐπὶ τῇ ἴσῃ ἑκόντα εἶναι τῆς στρατιᾶς ξὺν αὐτῷ ἄρξειν ἀπεφαίνοντο, βουλομένῳ δέ οἱ καθ̓ αὑτὸν τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ ἐξηγεῖσθαι πλείους τε στρατιώτας καὶ πολλῷ ἀμείνους ξὺν τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἕψεσθαι. [6] τούς τε γὰρ Ἐρούλους καὶ τοὺς δορυφό
ρους τε καὶ ὑπασπιστὰς τοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὧν Ἰουστῖνός τε καὶ αὐτὸς Ἰωάννης ἦρχον, ξὺν τοῖς Ἀρατίῳ τε καὶ Ναρσῇ ἑπομένοις οὖχ ἧσσον ἢ μυρίους ἔφασκον εἶναι, ἀνδρείους τε ὄντας καὶ διαφερόντως ἀγαθοὺς τὰ πολέμια, βούλεσθαί τε τὴν Ἰταλίας ἐπικράτησιν οὐ Βελισαρίῳ λογίζεσθαι μόνῳ, ἀλλὰ τὸ μέρος καὶ Ναρσῆν φέρεσθαι. [7] τὴν γὰρ βασιλέως αὐτὸν οἴεσθαι ὁμιλίαν ἀπολιπεῖν, οὐκ ἐφ̓ ᾧ κινδύνοις ἰδίοις τὴν Βελισαρίου δόξαν κρατύνηται, ἀλλ̓ ἐφ̓ ᾧ ἔργα ξυνέσεώς τε καὶ ἀνδρείας ἐπιδειξάμενος διαβόητος ἀνθρώποις ἅπασιν, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, εἴη. [8] καίτοι οὐδὲ Βελισάριον ἔφασκον δυνήσεσθαί τι ἄνευ γε αὐτῶν τὸ λοιπὸν δρᾶσαι. [9] στρατιᾶς γὰρ ἧς ἐκεῖνος ἄρχοι τὸ πλεῖστον ἤδη ἔν τε φρουρίοις καὶ πόλεσιν ἀπολελεῖφθαι ἅσπερ αὐτὸς εἷλε, καὶ κατέλεγον ἀπὸ Σικελίας ἀρξάμενοι ἄχρι ἐς Πικηνοὺς ἑξῆς ἅπαντα. [10] Ναρσῆς τε ἐπεὶ ταῦτα ἤκουσεν, ἥσθη ἐς ἄγαν τῇ ὑποθήκῃ καὶ οὔτε κατέχειν τὴν διάνοιαν οὔτε μένειν ἐν τοῖς καθεστῶσιν ἔτι ἐδύνατο. [11] πολλάκις οὖν Βελισαρίου ἄλλου του ἔργου ἔχεσθαι ἀξιοῦντος ἐς σκήψεις τινὰς ἄλλοτε ἄλλας ἀναχωρῶν τὴν παρακέλευσιν ἀπεκρούετο. [12] ὧν δὴ αἰσθόμενος Βελισάριος ξυγκαλέσας τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἅπαντας ἔλεξε τοιάδε: ‘Οὐ ταὐτὰ ὑμῖν, ἄνδρες ἄρχοντες, περὶ τοῦδε τοῦ πολέμου δοκῶ μοι γιγνώσκειν. [13] ὑμᾶς μὲν γὰρ ὁρῶ τῶν πολεμίων ἅτε παντάπασιν ἡσσημένων ὑπερφρονοῦντας. [14] ἐγὼ δὲ ταύτῃ ὑμῶν τῇ παρρησίᾳ ἐς προὖπτον ἡμᾶς ἐμπεσεῖσθαι κίνδυνον οἶμαι, ἐπεὶ τοὺς μὲν βαρβάρους οὔτε ἀνανδρίᾳ τινὶ οὔτε ὀλιγανθρωπίᾳ ἡσσῆσθαι ἡμῶν, προνοίᾳ δὲ μόνῃ καὶ βουλῇ καταστρατηγηθέντας ἐς φυγὴν ἐνθένδε τετράφθαι οἶδα. [15] δέδοικα δὲ μὴ ταῦτα ὑμεῖς τῇ οὐκ ἀληθεῖ δόξῃ σφαλλόμενοι τὰ ἀνήκεστα ὑμᾶς τε αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰ Ῥωμαίων πράγματα δράσητε. [16] ῥᾷον γὰρ οἱ νενικηκέναι δοκοῦντες τοῖς πεπραγμένοις ἐπαιρόμενοι διαφθείρονται ἢ οἱ παρὰ δόξαν μὲν ἐπταικότες, δέει δὲ τὸ λοιπὸν καὶ φροντίδι πολλῇ ἐς τοὺς ἐναντίους ἐχόμενοι. [17] ῥᾳθυμία μὲν γὰρ τῶν εὖ καθεστώτων τινὰς ἔφθειρε, πόνος δὲ ξὺν μερίμνῃ τῶν δεδυστυχηκότων πολλοὺς ὤνησεν. [18] ἐπεὶ τῶν μὲν ὀλιγωρίᾳ εἰκόντων ἡ δύναμις ὡς τὰ πολλὰ ἐλασσοῦσθαι φιλεῖ, μελέτη δὲ ἰσχὺν ἐντιθέναι ἱκανῶς πέφυκεν. [19] οὐκοῦν ἐνθυμείσθω ὑμῶν ἕκαστος ὡς ἐν Ῥαβέννῃ μὲν Οὐίττιγίς τέ ἐστι καὶ Γότθων μυριάδες πολλαί, Οὐραΐας δὲ Μεδιόλανόν τε πολιορκεῖ καὶ περιβέβληται Λιγουρίαν ὅλην, Αὔξιμος δὲ ἤδη στρατιᾶς πλήρης πολλῆς τε καὶ λόγου ἀξίας, ἄλλα τε χωρία πολλὰ πρὸς ἀξιομάχων ἡμῖν φρουρεῖται βαρβάρων μέχρι ἐς Οὐρβιβεντόν, ἣ Ῥώμης ἐν γειτόνων τυγχάνει οὖσα. [20] ὥστε νῦν μᾶλλον ἡμῖν ἢ πρότερον ἐν κινδύνῳ τὰ πράγματα κεῖται, ἐς κύκλωσίν τινα τῶν πολεμίων ἐμπεπτωκόσιν. [21] ἐῶ γὰρ λέγειν ὡς καὶ Φράγγους αὐτοῖς ἐν Λιγουρίᾳ ξυντετάχθαι φασίν, ὅπερ οὐκ ἔξω δέους μεγάλου ἐς μνήμην ἰέναι πᾶσι Ῥωμαίοις ἱκανῶς ἄξιον. [22] φημὶ τοίνυν ἔγωγε χρῆναι μοῖραν μὲν τοῦ στρατοῦ ἐς Λιγουρίαν τε καὶ Μεδιόλανον στέλλεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ἐν μὲν τῷ παραυτίκα ἐπί τε Αὔξιμον καὶ τοὺς ἐκείνῃ πολεμίους χωρεῖν, ὅσα ἂν ὁ θεὸς διδῷ πράξοντας: ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τἄλλα τοῦ πολέμου ἔργα διαχειρίζειν ὅπη ἂν ἄριστά τε δοκῇ καὶ βέλτιστα εἶναι.’ Βελισάριος μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπε. [23] Ναρσῆς δὲ ἀμείβεται ὧδε: ‘Τὰ μὲν ἄλλα, ὦ στρατηγέ, μὴ οὐχὶ ξὺν ἀληθείᾳ σοι πάντα εἰρῆσθαι οὐδεὶς ἂν ἀντείποι. [24] πάντα δὲ τουτονὶ τὸν βασιλέως στρατὸν ἐς Μεδιόλανόν τε καὶ Αὔξιμον ἀποκεκρίσθαι μόνον ἀξύμφορον εἶναι παντελῶς οἶμαι. [25] ἀλλὰ σὲ μὲν ἐπὶ ταῦτα Ῥωμαίων ἐξηγεῖσθαι οἷς ἂν αὐτὸς βούλοιο οὐδὲν ἀπεικός, ἡμεῖς δὲ βασιλεῖ τὴν Αἰμιλίων ἐπικτησόμεθα χώραν, ἣν μάλιστα Γότθους προσποιεῖσθαί φασι, καὶ Ῥάβενναν ξυνταράξομεν οὕτως ὥστε τοὺς καθ̓ ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς πολεμίους ὅ τι βούλεσθε διεργάσεσθε, πάσης ἀποκεκλεισμένους τῆς τῶν ἀμυνόντων ἐλπίδος. [26] ἢν γὰρ ξὺν ὑμῖν ἐν Αὐξίμῳ προσεδρεύειν ἑλοίμεθα, δέδοικα μὴ τῶν ἐκ Ῥαβέννης ἐπιόντων βαρβάρων περιέσται ἡμῖν ἀμφιβόλοις τε γεγενῆσθαι πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων καὶ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἀπολελειμμένοις αὐτοῦ διεφθάρθαι.’ καὶ Ναρσῆς μὲν τοσαῦτα ἔλεξε. [27] Βελισάριος δὲ δείσας μὴ ἐς πολλὰ Ῥωμαίων ἰόντων καταρρεῖν τε τὰ βασιλέως ξυμβαίη πράγματα καὶ τῇ ἐνθένδε ἀκοσμίᾳ ξυγχεῖσθαι, γράμματα βασιλέως Ἰουστινιανοῦ ἔδειξεν ἃ πρὸς τοὺς στρατοπέδου ἄρχοντας ἔγραψεν. [28] ἐδήλου δὲ ἡ γραφὴ τάδε: ‘Ναρσῆν τὸν ἡμέτερον ταμίαν οὐκ ἐφ̓ ᾧ ἄρξαι τοῦ στρατοπέδου ἐς Ἰταλίαν ἐπέμψαμεν: μόνον γὰρ Βελισάριον παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἐξηγεῖσθαι βουλόμεθα ὅπη ἂν αὐτῷ δοκῇ ὡς ἄριστα ἔχειν, αὐτῷ τε ὑμᾶς ἕπεσθαι ἅπαντας ἐπὶ τῷ συμφέροντι τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ πολιτείᾳ προσήκει.’ τὰ μὲν οὖν βασιλέως γράμματα ὧδέ πη εἶχε. [29] Ναρσῆς δὲ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς τοῦ ἀκροτελευτίου λαβόμενος ἀπ̓ ἐναντίας Βελισάριον ἰσχυρίζετο ἐν τῷ παρόντι τοῦ τῆς πολιτείας ξυμφόρου βουλεύεσθαι: διὸ δὴ σφίσιν οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι αὐτῷ ἕπεσθαι.