But in the meantime the Roman armies, though enjoying security as a result of the preoccupation of the enemy, were neither moving to unite their forces, nor were they planning any action against the barbarians. As for Eraric, he called together all the Goths and persuaded them to send envoys to the Emperor Justinian, who should beg him to make peace with them on the same terms on which he had been willing previously to conclude a treaty with Vittigis, on the condition, namely, that the Goths, holding the territory north of the Po, should withdraw from the rest of Italy. And since this was approved by the Goths, he chose out some of those especially intimate with him, including one Caballarius by name, and sent them as envoys. Now these envoys were ostensibly to treat of those matters which I have mentioned above, but secretly he instructed them to treat with the emperor of nothing else than how he might himself receive a great sum of money and be enrolled among the patricians in return for handing over the whole of Italy and laying aside his official title. So the envoys, upon reaching Byzantium, proceeded to treat of these matters. It was at this time that the Goths killed Eraric by treachery. And after his death, Totila took over the rule in accordance with the agreement made with them.
Ἐπεὶ δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἔμαθε τά τε ἀμφὶ Ἐραρίχῳ ξυνενεχθέντα καὶ ὅτι Γότθοι Τουτίλαν σφίσιν ἐς τὴν ἀρχὴν κατεστήσαντο, κακίζων τε καὶ ἐρεσχελῶν τοὺς ἐνταῦθα τοῦ στρατοῦ ἄρχοντας οὐκέτι ἀνίει. [2] διὸ δὴ φυλακτήρια καταστησάμενοι ἐν πόλει ἑκάστῃ Ἰωάννης τε ὁ Βιταλιανοῦ ἀδελφιδοῦς καὶ Βέσσας καὶ Βιτάλιος καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ξύμπαντες ἐς Ῥάβενναν ξυνελέγοντο, οὗ δὴ Κωνσταντιανὸς καὶ Ἀλέξανδρος, οὗ πρόσθεν ἐμνήσθην, διατριβὴν εἶχον. [3] ἐπειδή τε ἅπαντες ξυνελέγησαν, ἔδοξε σφίσιν ἄμεινον εἶναι πρῶτον ἐπὶ Βερώνην, ἣ ἐν Βενετίαις ἐστί, στρατεύεσθαι, καὶ ἐπειδὰν αὐτήν τε καὶ Γότθους τοὺς ἐνταῦθα ἐξέλωσιν, οὕτω δὴ ἐπί τε Τουτίλαν καὶ Τικινοὺς ἰέναι. [4] οὗτος μὲν οὖν ὁ Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς εἰς δισχιλίους τε καὶ μυρίους ξυνείλεκτο, ἄρχοντες δὲ αὐτῶν ἕνδεκα ἦσαν, ὧν οἱ πρῶτοι ἐτύγχανον Κωνσταντινανός τε καὶ Ἀλέξανδρος, οἳ καὶ εὐθὺ πόλεως Βερώνης ἐχώρουν. [5] γενόμενοι δὲ αὐτῆς ἄγχιστα, ὅσον ἀπὸ σταδίων ἑξήκοντα, ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο ἐν τῷ ταύτῃ πεδίῳ. τούτου γὰρ πανταχόσε τοῦ χωρίου πεδία ἱππήλατά ἐστι, διήκοντα ἐς Μάντουαν πόλιν, ἥπερ διέχει πόλεως Βερώνης ἡμέρας ὁδῷ. [6] Ἦν δέ τις ἐν Βενέτοις ἀνὴρ λόγιμος, Μαρκιανὸς ὄνομα, ὅσπερ ἐν φρουρίῳ μὲν κατῴκητο πόλεως Βερώνης οὐ πολλῷ ἄποθεν, εὐνοϊκῶς δὲ βασιλεῖ ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ἔχων τὴν πόλιν παραδοῦναι τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ ἐν σπουδῇ ἐποιεῖτο. [7] καί, ἦν γάρ οἱ τῶν τις φυλάκων ἐκ παιδὸς γνώριμος, πέμψας παῤ αὐτὸν τῶν οἱ ἐπιτηδείων τινὰς χρήμασιν ἀναπείθει τὸν ἄνθρωπον τῇ πόλει τὸ βασιλέως στράτευμα δέξασθαι. [8] καὶ ἐπεὶ ταῦτα ὡμολόγει ὁ τῶν πυλῶν φύλαξ, πέμπει τοὺς πρὸς αὐτὸν πράξαντας ὁ Μαρκιανὸς παρὰ τοὺς τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἄρχοντας, ἐφ̓ ᾧ τά τε ξυγκείμενα ἐσαγγείλωσι καὶ ξὺν αὐτοῖς ἐς τὴν πόλιν εἰσβάλλωσι νύκτωρ. [9] ἔδοξε δὲ τοῖς ἄρχουσι ξύμφορον εἶναι προτερῆσαι μὲν αὐτῶν ἕνα ξὺν ὀλίγοις τισίν: ἢν δέ γε ὁ φύλαξ αὐτοῖς ἀνακλίνῃ τὰς πύλας, ἔχεσθαί τε αὐτῶν καὶ τῇ πόλει ξὺν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ τὸν στρατὸν δέξασθαι. [10] τῶν μὲν οὖν ἄλλων ὑποστῆναι τὸν κίνδυνον οὐδεὶς ἤθελεν, Ἀρταβάζης δὲ μόνος Ἀρμένιος μὲν γένος, διαφερόντως δὲ ἀγαθὸς τὰ πολέμια, ἐς τὴν πρᾶξιν οὔτι ἀκουσίως καθῆκεν αὑτόν. [11] οὗτος ὁ ἀνὴρ Περσῶν μὲν ἡγεῖτο, οὓς Βελισάριος ἐς Βυζάντιον ἐκ τῆς Περσῶν γῆς σὺν τῷ Βλησχάμῃ ὀλίγῳ ἔμπροσθεν ἐτύγχανε πέμψας, τὸ Σισαυράνων ἐξελὼν φρούριον. [12] τότε δὲ ἄνδρας ἑκατὸν ἐκ τοῦ παντὸς στρατοπέδου ἀπολεξάμενος ἀωρὶ τῶν νυκτῶν ἄγχιστα τοῦ περιβόλου ἐγένετο. [13] καὶ ἐπεὶ ὁ φύλαξ ᾗπερ ξυνέκειτο ἀνεπέτασε σφίσι τὰς πύλας, οἱ μέν τινες ἐνταῦθα ἑστῶτες τὸ στράτευμα μετεπέμποντο, οἱ δὲ ἀναβάντες ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος τοὺς ταύτῃ φυλάσσοντας ἔκτειναν ἀπροσδόκητοι ἐπιπεσόντες. [14] ἐπεὶ δὲ Γότθοι ἅπαντες ᾔσθοντο τοῦ κακοῦ, διὰ πυλῶν ἑτέρων φεύγοντες ᾤχοντο. Πέτρα δέ τις ἐς ἄγαν ὑψηλὴ πρὸ τοῦ περιβόλου ἀνέχει, ὅθεν ἅπαντα κατανοεῖν πάρεστι τὰ ἐν Βερώνῃ πρασσόμενα καὶ ἀπαριθμεῖσθαι τοὺς ταύτῃ ἀνθρώπους, καὶ μὴν καὶ τοῦ πεδίου ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ὁρᾶν. [15] ἐνταῦθα οἱ Γότθοι καταφυγόντες τὴν νύκτα ὅλην ἡσύχαζον. ὁ δὲ Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς ἀπὸ σταδίων τεσσαράκοντα τῆς πόλεως ἥκων οὐκέτι ἐπίπροσθεν ᾔει, τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει χρημάτων ἀλλήλοις ἀμφισβητούντων τῶν στρατηγῶν. [16] ἔτι τε αὐτῶν ἀμφὶ ταύτῃ διαμαχομένων τῇ λείᾳ ἡμέρα τε ἤδη διαφανῶς γέγονε καὶ οἱ Γότθοι ἀπὸ τῆς ἄκρας ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς κατανενοηκότες τῶν τε ἀνὰ τὴν πόλιν πολεμίων καὶ ὅσον Βερώνης τὸ ἄλλο στράτευμα διέχον εἱστήκει, δρόμῳ ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐχώρουν δἰ αὐτῶν τῶν πυλῶν ὅθεν ἀπαλλαγέντες πρότερον ἔτυχον: οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτῶν οἱ ἐσεληλυθότες ἔχεσθαι ἴσχυσαν. [17] Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν οὖν ξυμφρονήσαντες τοῦ περιβόλου ἀμφὶ τὰς ἐπάλξεις κατέφυγον, τῶν δὲ βαρβάρων αὐτοῖς πλήθει πολλῷ ἐς χεῖρας ἰόντων οἵ τε ἄλλοι καὶ Ἀρταβάζης πάντων μάλιστα ἔργα θαυμαστὰ ἐνδεικνύμενοι καρτερώτατα τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἠμύνοντο. [18] Καὶ τότε δὴ οἱ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἄρχοντες τὰ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν Βερώνῃ χρημάτων πρὸς ἀλλήλους διοικησάμενοι παντὶ τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν χωρεῖν ἔγνωσαν. [19] ἀποκεκλεισμένας δὲ σφίσι τὰς πύλας εὑρόντες ἰσχυρότατά τε τοὺς πολεμίους ἀμυνομένους ὀπίσω κατὰ τάχος ἀπήλαυνον, καίπερ μαχομένους ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου τοὺς ἑτέρους θεώμενοι καὶ δεομένους μὴ
σφᾶς ἀπολιπεῖν, ἀλλ̓ αὐτοῦ μένειν, ἕως ἂν καταφυγόντες ἐς αὐτοὺς σώζοιντο. [20] διὸ δὴ οἱ ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἀρταβάζην τῷ τε πλήθει βιαζόμενοι τῶν πολεμίων καὶ ἀπογνόντες τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων ἐπικουρίαν, ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους ἔξω ἥλαντο ἅπαντες. [21] οἷς μὲν οὖν καταπεσεῖν ἐφ̓ ὁμαλοῦ χωρίου ξυνέβη, οὗτοι δὴ ἀθῷοι ἐς τὸ Ῥωμαίων στρατόπεδον ἐκομίσθησαν, ἐν οἷς καὶ Ἀρταβάζης ἦν: ὅσοι μέντοι ἐς δυσχωρίας κατέπεσον, αὐτοῦ ἅπαντες διεφθάρησαν. [22] ἐπεί τε Ἀρταβάζης ἐς τὸ Ῥωμαίων στρατόπεδον ἦλθε, πολλά τε ὀνειδίσας καὶ λοιδορησάμενος ἅπασι ξὺν αὐτοῖς ᾔει, τόν τε Ἠριδανὸν διαβάντες ἐν Φαβεντίᾳ πόλει ἐγένοντο, ἣ χώρας μὲν τῆς Αἰμιλίας ἐστί, σταδίους δὲ εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατὸν Ῥαβέννης διέχει.
III
Now when the Emperor Justinian learned of the fate which had befallen Eraric and that the Goths had established Totila as ruler over them, he began to rebuke and censure the commanders of the army in Italy and gave them no respite. The consequence of this was that John, the nephew of Vitalian, and Bessas and Vitalius and all the others, after establishing garrisons in each city, gathered at Ravenna, where Constantianus and Alexander, whom I have mentioned previously, were quartered. And when they were all gathered together, it was decided that the best procedure for them was to march first against Verona, which is in Venetia, and then, after capturing that city and the Goths there, to move against Totila and Ticinum. So this Roman army was assembled with a strength of twelve thousand men, and its commanders were eleven in number, the first of whom were, as it happened, Constantianus and Alexander; and they marched straight toward the city of Verona. And when they had come to a place close to the city, about sixty stades away, they made camp in the plain there. For plains which are suitable for cavalry stretch out in every direction from this place and extend as far as the city of Mantua, which is one day’s journey distant from the city of Verona.
Now there was a man of note among the Veneti, Marcian by name, who lived in a fortress not far distant from the city of Verona, and being as he was a staunch adherent of the emperor, he eagerly undertook to band over the city to the Roman army. And since one of the guards had been known to him from childhood, he sent to him some of his intimates and persuaded the man by means of a bribe to receive the emperor’s army into the city. Then, when the guard of the gate had agreed, Marcian sent those who had arranged the matter with the guard to the commanders of the Roman army, in order both to report to them the arrangements made and to join them in forcing an entrance into the city by night. The commanders then decided that it was advisable for one of their number to go in advance with some few men; and if the guard should set the gates open for them, they were to hold them fast and receive the army in safety into the city. Now no one among them all was willing to undertake this perilous enterprise except Artabazes alone, an Armenian by birth but a man of exceptional ability in war, who not at all unwillingly offered himself for the undertaking. This man commanded some Persians whom Belisarius had, as it happened, sent to Byzantium from Persian territory along with Bleschames a little before this, after his capture of the fortress Sisauranon. So he on the present occasion selected one hundred men from the whole army and at a late hour of the night went up close to the fortifications. And when the guard, true to his agreement, opened the gate for them, some of them took their stand there and were urging the army to come, while the others mounted the wall and killed the men on guard there, assailing them as they did without warning. Then the whole Gothic force, upon perceiving their evil plight, rushed off in flight through another gate.
Now there is a certain rock which rises to a great height facing the fortifications of Verona, from which it is possible to observe everything which is taking place in the city and to count the people in it, and, besides, to see for a very great distance over the plain. Thither the Goths retreated and remained quiet during the whole night. As for the Roman army, it advanced to a point within forty stades of the city, but proceeded no further, the generals being engaged in a dispute among themselves over the money in the city. And they still continued to wrangle over this plunder until day had now clearly dawned; but the Goths, after observing accurately from the height both the number of the enemy scattered through the city and the distance at which the rest of the army had halted from Verona, made a rush toward the city, and passed through the very gate through which, as it happened, they had previously departed; for those who had entered the city were unable even to hold this gate. So the Romans, taking counsel together, hastily sought safety on the parapet along the circuit-wall; and when the barbarians in great numbers assailed them at close quarters, they all, and Artabazes especially, made a display of remarkable deeds and warded off their assailants most vigorously.
At that moment the commanders of the Roman army had at last reached an agreement with each other regarding the money in Verona, and decided to proceed against the city with all the rest of the army. But finding the gates closed to them and the enemy warding them off most vigorously, they quickly marched to the rear, although they saw the others fighting inside the fortifications and begging them not to abandon them, but to remain there until they should save themselves by fleeing to them. So Artabazes and his men, being overcome by the numbers of the enemy and despairing of assistance from their own army, all leaped down outside the wall. Now all those who had the fortune to fall on smooth ground betook themselves unscathed to the Roman army, among whom was Artabazes also, but as many as fell on rough ground were all killed instantly. And when Artabazes had reached the Roman army, he proceeded with them, having heaped abuse and contumely upon them all; and after crossing the Eridanus, they entered the city of Faventia, which is in the land of Aemilia, one hundred and twenty stades distant from Ravenna.
Τουτίλας δὲ τὰ ἐν Βερώνῃ ξυμπεσόντα μαθὼν Γότθων τε τῶν ἐκ Βερώνης πολλοὺς μετεπέμπετο, καὶ ἐπεὶ παρῆσαν, παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ, ἐς πεντακισχιλίους ὄντι, ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐναντίους ᾔει. ὃ δὴ μαθόντες οἱ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἄρχοντες τὰ παρόντα σφίσιν ἐν βουλῇ ἐποιοῦντο. [2] καὶ παρελθὼν Ἀρταβάζης ἔλεξε τοιάδε: ‘Μηδεὶς ὑμῶν, ἄνδρες ἄρχοντες, ὑπερφρονεῖν τῶν πολεμίων ἅτε ἡμῶν τῷ πλήθει ἐλασσουμένων τανῦν ἀξιούτω, μηδέ, ὅτι πρὸς τοὺς Βελισαρίῳ δεδουλωμένους ἀγωνίζεται, λογισμῷ ἀναπεπτωκότι ἐπ̓ αὐτοὺς ἴτω. [3] πολλοὶ γὰρ δόξῃ οὐκ ἀληθεῖ ἐξηπατημένοι σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἔσφηλαν, καὶ καταφρόνημά τισιν οὐκ ἐν δέοντι γινόμενον τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν αὐτοῖς καταλῦσαι δύναμιν ἴσχυσεν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἄλλως ἡ προλαβοῦσα κακοπραγία τούσδε τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐς εὐτυχίαν παρακαλεῖ. [4] τύχη γὰρ εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν ἀγαθῶν ἐλπίδων ἐλθοῦσα ἐς εὐτολμίας ὑπερβολὴν περιίσταται. [5] καὶ ταῦτα οὐχ ὑποψίᾳ τανῦν ἠγμένος ἐν ὑμῖν εἴρηκα, ἀλλ̓ οἷς διακινδυνεύσας πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔναγχος ἐκμεμάθηκα τὴν τῶν ἀνδρῶν τόλμαν. [6] καί με νομιζέτω μηδεὶς ξὺν ὀλίγοις τισὶν ἡσσηθέντα τῶν πολεμίων θαυμάσαι τὴν δύναμιν.
ἐπεὶ ἀνδρῶν ἀρετὴ καὶ πλήθει ὑπεραιρόντων καὶ τούτῳ ἐλασσουμένων τοῖς γε πρὸς αὐτοὺς διαμαχησομένοις ἔνδηλος γίνεται. [7] οἶμαι τοίνυν ἡμῖν μᾶλλον ξυνοίσειν τοῦ ποταμοῦ τηρήσασι τὴν διάβασιν τοῖς βαρβάροις, ἐπειδὰν ἐς ἥμισυ διαβαίνοιεν, ἐς χεῖρας ἰέναι ἢ πᾶσιν ἀθρόοις ἤδη γεγενημένοις. [8] μηδενί τε ἄδοξος εἶναι ἡ τοιαύτη δεδόχθω νίκη. δόξαν τε γὰρ καὶ ἀδοξίαν ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀπόβασις ὀνομάζειν φιλεῖ, καὶ τοὺς νενικηκότας εἰώθασιν ἐπαινεῖν ἄνθρωποι, οὐ διερευνώμενοι τῆς [9] νίκης τὸν τρόπον.’ Ἀρταβάζης μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπεν. οἱ δὲ δὴ ἄρχοντες τῷ διαμαχομένῳ τῆς γνώμης τῶν δεόντων οὐδὲν ἔπρασσον, ἀλλ̓ αὐτοῦ μένοντες τὸν καιρὸν ἔτριβον. [10] Ἤδη δὲ ὁ τῶν Γότθων στρατὸς ἄγχιστα ἐγεγόνει, καὶ ἐπεὶ διαβαίνειν τὸν ποταμὸν ἔμελλον, ξυγκαλέσας Τουτίλας ἅπαντας τοιαῦτα παρεκελεύσατο: ‘Αἱ μὲν ἄλλαι ξύμπασαι μάχαι, ὦ ἄνδρες ξυγγενεῖς, ὁμοίαν τινὰ μάχην ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐπαγγελλόμεναι τοῖς στρατοπέδοις ἐς τὴν ἀγωνίαν ὁρμῶσιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ τοῖς πολεμίοις οὐκ ἐξ ἀντιπάλου τῆς τύχης, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ τῷ διαλλάσσοντι χρώμενοι ἐς τὸν ἀγῶνα καθιστάμεθα τόνδε. [11] οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἡσσηθέντες, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι, οὐκ ἐς μακρὰν ἀναμάχεσθαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἕξουσιν. ἔν τε γὰρ τοῖς ὀχυρώμασιν Ἰταλίας ἁπάσης πλῆθος αὐτοῖς στρατιωτῶν ἀπολέλειπται καὶ ἄλλο στράτευμα ἐκ Βυζαντίου αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα ἐπιβοηθήσειν οὐδὲν ἀπεικός. ἡμῶν δὲ ταὐτὸ τοῦτο παθόντων τὸ Γότθων ὄνομα μετὰ τῆς ἐλπίδος ἀπολωλέναι λελείψεται. [12] ἐκ μυριάδων γὰρ εἴκοσιν ἐς πεντακισχιλίους ἡμᾶς ἀποκεκρίσθαι ξυμβέβηκε. τοσαῦτα ὑπειπὼν κἀκεῖνο ὑμᾶς ὑπομνῆσαι οὐκ ἀπὸ τρόπου οἴομαι εἶναι, ὡς ἡνίκα μὲν ξὺν Ἰλδιβάδῳ ὅπλα ἀνταίρειν βασιλεῖ ἔγνωτε, τὸ μὲν πλῆθος ὑμῖν οὐ πλέον ἢ ἐς χιλίους ξυμβιοῦν ἔτυχεν, ἡ δὲ χώρα περιίστατο ξύμπασα ἐς Τικινὸν πόλιν. [13] ἐπεὶ δὲ τῇ ξυμβολῇ γεγόνατε κρείσσους, ἐπίπροσθεν ἡμῖν τά τε τῆς στρατιᾶς καὶ τῆς χώρας κεχώρηκεν. ὥστε ἢν καὶ νῦν ἀνδραγαθίζεσθαι ᾖ βουλομένοις ὑμῖν, προϊόντος, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, τοῦ πολέμου πάμπαν κρατήσειν τῶν ἐναντίων ἐλπίδα ἔχω. [14] τοῖς γὰρ νενικηκόσιν ἀεὶ τὸ πλείοσί τε καὶ δυνατωτέροις γεγονέναι ξυμβαίνει. προθυμείσθω τοίνυν ὑμῶν ἕκαστος παντὶ σθένει τοῖς πολεμίοις ὁμόσε χωρεῖν τὴν μάχην ἐξεπιστάμενος τὴν νῦν οὐκ εὐδοκιμηκόσιν ἡμῖν ἀναμάχεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς ἐναντίους ἀμήχανον. [15] ἄξιον δὲ ἡμᾶς μετὰ τῆς ἀγαθῆς ἐλπίδος τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐς χεῖρας ἰέναι, τῇ τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀδικίᾳ θαρροῦντας. [16] οὕτω γὰρ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐς τοὺς κατηκόους βεβίωται ὥστε Ἰταλιώταις τανῦν τῆς τετολμημένης οὐ δέον αὐτοῖς ἐς Γότθους προδοσίας κολάσεως οὐδεμιᾶς ἑτέρας προσδεῖ. οὕτω ξυλλήβδην εἰπεῖν ξύμπαντα αὐτοῖς τὰ κακὰ πρὸς τῶν ὑποδεχθέντων γενέσθαι ξυνέβη. [17] τί δ̓ ἂν πολεμίων εὐαλωτότερον γένοιτο οἷς γε τὰ ἐκ θεοῦ δῆτα πεπραγμένα οὐχ ὑγιῶς ἔχει; καὶ μὴν καὶ τῷ ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐς αὐτοὺς δέει εὐέλπιδας ἂν ἡμᾶς ἐς τὸν ἀγῶνα γίνεσθαι πρέποι. [18] οὐ γὰρ ἐπ̓ ἄλλους τινὰς ἀνθρώπων χωροῦμεν ἢ ὅσοι ἔναγχος ἐν μέσῃ Βερώνῃ γενόμενοι μεθέντες τε οὐδενὶ λόγῳ, καίπερ διώκοντος τῶν πάντων αὐτοὺς οὐδενός, οὕτω δὴ αἰσχρῶς ἐς φυγὴν ὥρμηντο.’ [19] Τοσαῦτα ὁ Τουτίλας παρακελευσάμενος τῶν οἱ ἑπομένων τριακοσίους ἐκέλευεν, ὅσον ἀπὸ σταδίων εἴκοσι τὸν ποταμὸν διαβαίνοντας, κατόπισθεν τοῦ τῶν πολεμίων στρατοπέδου γενέσθαι, καὶ ἐπειδὰν ἡ μάχη ἐν χερσὶ γένηται, κατὰ νώτου αὐτῶν ἰόντας βάλλειν τε καὶ ἐνοχλεῖν δυνάμει τῇ πάσῃ, ὅπως ἐκεῖνοι ξυνταραχθέντες οὐδεμιᾶς ἀλκῆς μνήσονται. [20] αὐτὸς δὲ παντὶ τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ αὐτίκα τὸν ποταμὸν διαβὰς εὐθὺ τῶν ἐναντίων ἐχώρει: [21] οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι εὐθὺς ὑπηντίαζον. ἐπειδή τε ἀμφότεροι ὁδῷ ἰόντες ἐγγυτέρω ἀλλήλων ἐγένοντο, Γότθος ἀνήρ, Οὐάλαρις ὄνομα, μέγας τε τὸ σῶμα καὶ τὸ εἶδος φοβερὸς ἄγαν, ἔτι μέντοι δραστήριός τε καὶ ἀγαθὸς τὰ πολέμια, τὸν ἵππον ἐξελάσας πρὸ τοῦ ἄλλου στρατοῦ ἐν μεταιχμίῳ ἔστη, τεθωρακισμένος τε καὶ κράνος ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ ἔχων, καὶ Ῥωμαίους ἅπαντας προὐκαλεῖτο, εἴ τίς οἱ βούλοιτο ἐς χεῖρας ἰέναι. [22] οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι κατωρρωδηκότες ἡσυχῆ ἔμενον, Ἀρταβάζης δὲ αὐτῷ ἐς ἀγῶνα κατέστη μόνος. [23] ἄμφω τοίνυν τὼ ἵππω κατ̓ ἀλλήλοιν ἐλάσαντε, ἐπειδὴ ἄγχιστα ἵκοντο, τὰ δόρατα ὤθουν, Ἀρταβάζης δὲ προτερήσας ἔφθασε τὸν Οὐάλαριν ἐς πλευρὰν τὴν δεξιὰν παίσας. [24] ὁ δὲ βάρβαρος καιρίαν τυπεὶς ὕπτιος ἐς τὴν γῆν πεσεῖν ἔμελλεν, ἀλλά οἱ τὸ δόρυ ἐξόπισθεν ἐπὶ τὸ ἔδαφος ἐπὶ πέτρας τινὸς ἐρεισθὲν πεσεῖν αὐτὸν οὐδαμῆ εἴα. [25] ὁ δὲ Ἀρταβάζης ἐνέκειτο ἔτι μᾶλλον τὸ δόρυ ἐς τὰ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ὠθῶν ἔγκατα. οὔπω γὰρ αὐτὸν ἤδη ἁλῶναι καιρίᾳ πληγῇ ὑπετόπαζεν. [26] οὕτω τε ξυνέβη Οὐαλάριδος τὸ τοῦ δόρατος ἄκρον σιδήριον σχεδόν τι ὀρθὸν γεγενημένον τοῦ Ἀρταβάζου θώρακος ἅπτεσθαι, κατὰ βραχύ τε προϊὸν διελθεῖν μὲν τὸν θώρακα ὅλον, ὀλισθῆσαν δὲ τοῦ δέρματος ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἀρταβάζου αὐχένα ψαῦσαι. [27] τύχῃ τέ τινι ἀρτηρίαν ἐνταῦθά πη οὖσαν ἐπίπροσθεν ἰὼν ὁ σίδηρος τέμνει, καὶ ῥύσις αὐτίκα πολλοῦ αἵματος ἦν. [28] αἴσθησις δὲ ὀδύνης οὐδεμία τῷ ἀ�
�θρώπῳ ἐγίνετο, ἀλλ̓ αὐτὸς μὲν ἐς τὸ Ῥωμαίων στράτευμα τὸν ἵππον ἀπήλαυνεν, [29] Οὐάλαρις δὲ νεκρὸς αὐτοῦ ἔπεσε. καὶ Ἀρταβάζης δέ, τοῦ αἵματος οὐκέτι λωφήσαντος, τρίτῃ ὕστερον ἡμέρᾳ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἠφάνιστο, Ῥωμαίοις τε κατέσεισε τὴν πᾶσαν ἐλπίδα, ἐπεὶ καὶ τότε ἀπόμαχος ἐν τῇ ξυμβολῇ ταύτῃ γενόμενος οὐκ ἐπὶ μικροῖς τὰ πράγματα αὐτὸς ἔσφηλεν. [30] ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἔξω βελῶν γεγονὼς τοῦ τραύματος ἐπεμελεῖτο, τὰ δὲ στρατεύματα ἄμφω ἐς χεῖρας ἦλθον. [31] Καρτερᾶς δὲ γενομένης τῆς ξυμβολῆς οἱ τριακόσιοι βάρβαροι κατόπισθεν τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ὁδῷ ἰόντες ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου ἐφάνησαν, οὓς δὴ κατιδόντες Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ πολὺ πλῆθος εἶναι τῶν σφίσι μαχομένων οἰόμενοι ἔς τε ὀρρωδίαν ἔπεσον καὶ αὐτίκα ἐς φυγὴν ὥρμηντο, [32] ὥσπερ ἑκάστῳ δυνατὰ γέγονε. φεύγοντάς τε οἱ βάρβαροι οὐδενὶ κόσμῳ Ῥωμαίους ἔκτεινον, καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν αὐτῶν ζωγρήσαντες ἐν φυλακῇ εἶχον, τὰ δὲ σημεῖα ξύμπαντα ἔλαβον, ὅπερ οὔπω πρότερον Ῥωμαίοις ξυνέπεσε. τῶν τε ἀρχόντων ὡς ἕκαστός πη ἐδύνατο ξὺν ὀλίγοις τισὶν ἔφευγε, καὶ τὰς πόλεις ὅπη ἔτυχον διασωθέντες ἐφύλασσον.
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius Page 471