XVI
AND Vigilius, the chief priest of Rome, in obedience to the emperor’s summons, came to Byzantium from Sicily; for he had been waiting a considerable time in Sicily for this summons.
It was at about this time that the Romans besieged in Placentia, seeing that all their provisions had now been completely exhausted, resorted to foods of an unnatural sort under constraint of famine. In fact they had actually tasted each other’s flesh. And it was because of this situation that they came to terms with the Goths and surrendered both themselves and Placentia to them. Such was the course of events here.
At Rome likewise, as it laboured under the siege of Totila, all the necessaries of life had already failed. Now there was a certain man among the priests of Rome, Pelagius by name, holding the office of deacon; he had passed a considerable time in Byzantium and had there become especially intimate with the Emperor Justinian, and it so happened that he had a short time previously arrived at Rome possessed of a great fortune. And during this siege he had bestowed a great part of his fortune upon those destitute of the necessaries of life; and thus, though he had been a notable person even before that time, among all the Italians, now quite naturally he won still greater renown for philanthropy. So the Romans, finding their situation desperate by reason of the famine, persuaded this Pelagius to go before Totila and negotiate for them an armistice of only a few days, the understanding to be that, if within the time of that armistice no help should reach them from Byzantium, they would surrender both themselves and the city to the Goths. Pelagius accordingly went on this mission to Totila. And when he came, Totila greeted him with great respect and friendliness, and then spoke first as follows:
“Among all barbarian peoples it is a well-nigh universal custom to reverence the office of ambassadors, and I for my part have always been eager to honour particularly those, such as yourself, who can lay claim to excellence. Now it is my opinion that the distinction between honour and insult to a man clothed with the office of ambassador is not made by a smiling countenance or bombastic utterances on the part of those who receive him, but either by simply speaking the truth or, on the other hand, by addressing him with insincere speeches. For signal honour, on the one hand, is conferred upon him who has not been dismissed until the truth has been disclosed to him with directness, but the greatest possible insult, on the other hand, has been heaped upon that ambassador who takes his departure after hearing only deceitful and insincere phrases. Now, therefore, O Pelagius, with the exception of three things you will never fail to receive from us whatever you may crave. These things, then, you had best avoid and pass by without mention, so that you may not, though having been yourself most to blame for failing to accomplish any of the objects of your coming, impute to us the blame for this failure. For the inevitable consequence of making a request inappropriate to the actual situation is generally failure to gain one’s object. I warn you, then, that you are to make no plea in the interest of either anyone of the Sicilians, or the fortifications of Rome, or the slaves who have put themselves under our protection. For it is impossible either for the Goths to shew any mercy to anyone of the Sicilians or for this wall to remain standing or for the slaves who have been serving in our army to return to the service of their former masters. And in order to avoid the appearance of advancing these demands in a spirit of unreason, we shall clear ourselves of that suspicion by stating our grounds immediately.
“In the first place, then, that island from ancient times enjoyed an unrivalled degree of prosperity, as evidenced by its revenues and by the abundance of the crops produced therein, so that it not only provided enough for its inhabitants, but you Romans also were abundantly supplied by importing annually as tribute the produce of Sicilian fields. It was for this reason that the Romans begged Theoderic at the beginning of his reign that no numerous garrison of Goths should be placed there, so that no check might be put upon the freedom of the inhabitants or their general prosperity. In such circumstances the enemy’s army put in at Sicily with a force which was a match for us neither in numbers of men nor in any other respect whatever. But the Sicilians, upon seeing the fleet, did not report this to the Goths, did not even shut themselves into their strongholds, did not consent to shew hostility to our adversaries in any other manner, but opening the gates of their cities with all zeal received the army of the enemy with open arms, just as I suppose the most untrustworthy slaves would do, who had for a long time been watching for the favourable moment to escape from the hand of their owners and find some new and unknown masters. Then by using that island as a base, the enemy, as if fighting from an advanced fortress, without difficulty possessed themselves of all Italy and seized upon this city of Rome, having brought with them from Sicily such a great quantity of grain that, though they were besieged for an entire year, it continued to suffice for the whole population of the city. Such is the case of the Sicilians, whose misdeeds have been such that it will be utterly impossible for the Goths to shew them forgiveness, seeing that the gravity of the accusations sweeps away all compassion for the guilty.
“In the second place, it was within these walls that our enemy shut himself and from which he was quite unwilling to come down into the plain and array himself against us, but by crafty wiles and baffling tricks, he ever flouted the Goths from day to day, and thus became, quite undeservedly, master of our possessions. Consequently it is worth while for us to make provision that we shall not have this same experience a second time. For when men who have once met with a reverse through ignorance fall into the same evil plight again without providing against the calamity which has already become familiar to them by experience, men believe what has befallen them to be no adversity of fortune, but in all likelihood a proof of the folly of the victims of the disaster. And one might add that the destruction of the walls of Rome will benefit you above all others. For you will not hereafter be shut in with others and excluded from all the necessaries of life while you suffer siege at the hands of the assailants of the city, but, on the contrary, the two armies will stake their chances in open battle against one another, while you, without perils on your part, will simply become the prize of the victors. In the third place, regarding the slaves who have put themselves under our protection, we shall say only this, that if, after they have taken their places in our ranks against our adversaries and have received from us the promise that we will never abandon them to their former masters, we should at the present juncture decide to put them into your hands, we shall have no right to be trusted by you either. For it is impossible — impossible, I say — for the man who makes light of his covenant with the most unfortunate of men to give evidence of a spirit that can be relied on in dealing with anyone else, but he always carries along with him his untrustworthiness, just as he does any other characteristic that reveals his true nature in all his dealings with other men.”
Thus spoke Totila; and Pelagius replied as follows: “Though you began, excellent Sir, by saying that you have the very greatest admiration not only for me, but also for the ambassadorial title, you have in fact assigned us to the very lowest grade of dishonour. Indeed I for my part think that he who really insults one who is both friend and ambassador is not the man who may strike him on the head or otherwise maltreat him, but rather he who decides to allow his visitor to depart with his mission unaccomplished. For it is not with the purpose of achieving any honour at the hands of those who receive them that men are accustomed to submit to the labours of an embassy, but in order that they may return with some good accomplished to those who have sent them. Consequently, it will be more favourable to their purpose to have been treated with wanton contempt and still have accomplished some of the objects for which they came, than, after hearing more courteous words, to return disappointed in their hope. Turning now to the present situation, I know not what plea I ought to make concerning those things which you yourself have mentioned. For why should one importune him who had refused an agreement before hearing the plea? This, however, I coul
d not leave unsaid, that it is clear what measure of kindness you are purposing to display toward the Romans who have taken up arms against you, seeing that, with regard to the Sicilians, you have determined to vent your enmity upon them without mercy, though they have in no way opposed you. But as for me, I shall give over my petition to you and refer my mission to God, who is accustomed to send retribution upon those who scorn the prayers of suppliants.”
Τοσαῦτα εἰπὼν ὁ Πελάγιος ἀπηλλάσσετο. καὶ αὐτὸν Ῥωμαῖοι ἐπεὶ ἄπρακτον ἐπανήκοντα εἶδον, ἐν πολλῇ ἀμηχανίᾳ ἐγένοντο. ἔτι τε μᾶλλον ἀκμάζων ὁ λιμὸς ἡμέρᾳ ἑκάστῃ ἀνήκεστα αὐτοὺς ἔργα εἰργάζετο. τοὺς μέντοι στρατιώτας οὔπω τὰ ἀναγκαῖα ἐπελελοίπει, ἀλλ̓ ἔτι ἀντεῖχον. [2] διὸ δὴ ἀθρόοι Ῥωμαῖοι γενόμενοι καὶ τοῖς τοῦ βασιλέως στρατοῦ ἄρχουσι, Βέσσᾳ τε καὶ Κόνωνι, προσελθόντες, δεδακρυμένοι ξὺν οἰμωγῇ πολλῇ ἔλεξαν τοιάδε: ‘Τοιαύτας μὲν οὔσας, ὦ στρατηγοί, τύχας ἡμῖν τὰς παρούσας ὁρῶμεν, ὥστε εἰ καί τι δρᾶν ὑμᾶς ἀνόσιον ἔργον ἰσχύομεν, οὐκ ἄν τινα ἡμῖν τὸ ἔγκλημα τοῦτο μέμψιν ἐπήνεγκεν. [3] ἡ γὰρ τῆς ἀνάγκης ὑπερβολὴ τὴν ἀπολογίαν ἐφ̓ ἑαυτῆς ἔχει. νῦν δὲ ἀμύνειν ἔργῳ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς οὐχ οἷοί τε ὄντες, δηλώσοντές τε λόγῳ καὶ ἀποκλαύσοντες τὴν ξυμφορὰν παῤ ὑμᾶς ἥκομεν. ὅπως δὲ ἀκούσησθε πρᾴως, οὐ ξυνταρασσόμενοι τῷ τῶν λόγων θράσει, ἀλλὰ τῇ τοῦ πάθους ἀκμῇ τοῦτο σταθμώμενοι. [4] ὁ γὰρ ἀπογνῶναι τὴν σωτηρίαν ἠναγκασμένος οὐκ ἔργοις, οὐ ῥήμασι τὴν εὐκοσμίαν διασώσασθαι τὸ λοιπὸν δύναται. [5] ἡμᾶς, ὦ στρατηγοί, μήτε Ῥωμαίους μήτε ξυγγενεῖς ὑμῖν νομίζετε εἶναι, μήτε ὁμοτρόπους τοῖς τῆς πολιτείας ἤθεσι γεγονέναι, μήτε ἀρχὴν ἑκόντας τῇ πόλει τὸν βασιλέως δέχεσθαι στρατόν, ἀλλὰ πολεμίους τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὄντας καὶ ὅπλα ἐφ̓ ὑμῖν ἀραμένους, εἶτα ἡσσηθέντας τῇ μάχῃ, ἀνδράποδα δορυάλωτα ὑμῶν αὐτῶν κατά γε τὸν τοῦ πολέμου γενέσθαι νόμον. [6] καὶ χορηγεῖτε τοῖς ὑμετέροις αἰχμαλώτοις τροφὴν οὐ κατὰ τὴν χρείαν ἡμῖν ἀποχρῶσαν, ἀλλ ὥστε ἀποζῆν διαρκῶς ἔχουσαν, ὅπως δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς περιόντες ἀνθυπουργήσωμεν ὑμῖν ὅσα τοὺς οἰκέτας τοῖς κεκτημένοις ὑπηρετεῖν ἄξιον. [7] εἰ δὲ τοῦτο οὐ ῥᾴδιον ἢ βουλομένοις ὑμῖν, ἀλλ̓ ἀφεῖναι ἡμᾶς τῆς ὑμετέρας δικαιοῦτε χειρός, ἐκεῖνο κερδανοῦντες, τὸ μὴ περὶ τὰς τῶν δούλων πονεῖσθαι ταφάς: ἢν δὲ μηδὲ τοῦτο ἡμῖν ἀπολέλειπται, ἀποκτιννύναι ἡμᾶς ἀξιοῦτε καὶ μὴ ἀποστερήσητε τελευτῆς σώφρονος μηδὲ θανάτου φθονήσητε τοῦ πάντων ἡδίστου, ἀλλὰ πράξει μιᾷ μυρίων ἀπαλλάξατε Ῥωμαίους [8] δυσκόλων.’ ταῦτα οἱ ἀμφὶ Βέσσαν ἀκούσαντες τὸ μὲν τὰ ἐπιτήδεια χορηγεῖν σφίσιν ἀδύνατον, τὸ δὲ ἀποκτιννύναι ἀνόσιον ἔφασαν εἶναι, οὐ μέντοι οὐδὲ τὸ ἀφεῖναι ἀκίνδυνον. Βελισάριον δὲ καὶ τὸν ἐκ Βυζαντίου στρατὸν αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα παρέσεσθαι ἰσχυρίσαντο, ταύτῃ τε αὐτοὺς παρηγορήσαντες ἀπεπέμψαντο. [9] Ὁ δὲ λιμὸς ἔτι μᾶλλον ἀκμάζων τε καὶ μηκυνόμενος ἐπὶ μέγα κακοῦ ᾔρετο, βρώσεις ὑποβάλλων ἐκτόπους τε καὶ τῆς φύσεως ὑπερορίους. [10] τὰ μὲν οὖν πρῶτα Βέσσας τε καὶ Κόνων, οἵπερ τοῦ ἐν Ῥώμῃ φυλακτηρίου ἦρχον ῾σίτου γὰρ πολύ τι μέτρον ἐντὸς τοῦ Ῥώμης περιβόλου ἐναποθέμενοι σφίσιν ἔτυχον̓, καὶ οἱ στρατιῶται χρείας τῆς οἰκείας ἀποτεμνόμενοι ἀπεδίδοντο Ῥωμαίων τοῖς εὖ πράσσουσι χρημάτων μεγάλων: μεδίμνου μὲν γὰρ τιμὴ ἑπτὰ ἐγεγόνει χρυσοῖ. [11] οἷς μέντοι οὐχ οὕτω τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐφέρετο, ὥστε βρώσεως ἐς τόσον ἀξιωτέρας μεταλαγχάνειν ἱκανοῖς εἶναι, οἱ δὲ τῆς τιμῆς τὸ τεταρτημόριον κατατιθέντες πιτύρων τε τὸ μέδιμνον ἐμπλησάμενοι ἤσθιον, τῆς ἀνάγκης αὐτοῖς ἡδίστην τε καὶ τρυφερωτάτην ποιούσης τὴν βρῶσιν. [12] καὶ βοῦν δέ, ὃν ἂν ἐπεξιόντες οἱ Βέσσα ὑπασπισταὶ λάβοιεν, ἀπεδίδοντο κατὰ πεντήκοντα χρυσῶν. ὅτῳ δὲ ἵππος τεθνεὼς ἢ ἄλλο τι τοιοῦτον ὑπῆρχεν, ἐν τοῖς ἄγαν εὐδαίμοσιν ὁ Ῥωμαῖος οὗτος ἐτάσσετο, ὅτι δὴ κρέασι ζῴου τεθνηκότος ἐντρυφᾶν εἶχεν. [13] ὁ δὲ δὴ ἄλλος ἅπας ὅμιλος τὰς ἀκαλήφας μόνας ἤσθιον, οἷαι πολλαὶ ἀμφὶ τὸν περίβολον κὰν τοῖς ἐρειπίοις πανταχῆ τῆς πόλεως φύονται. [14] ὅπως δὲ αὐτοῖς μὴ τὸ τῆς πόας δριμὺ τά τε χείλη καὶ τὰ ἀμφὶ τὴν φάρυγγα δάκνῃ οὐ παρέργως αὐτὰς ἕψοντες ἤσθιον. [15] Τέως μὲν οὖν Ῥωμαῖοι τὸ τοῦ χρυσοῦ νόμισμα εἶχον, οὕτως, ὥσπερ ἐρρήθη, τὸν σῖτον καὶ τὰ πίτυρα ὠνούμενοι ἀπηλλάσσοντο: ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς ἤδη ἐπελελοίπει, οἱ δὲ φέροντες ἐς τὴν ἀγορὰν τὰ ἔπιπλα πάντα βίον αὐτῶν τὸν ἐφήμερον ἀντηλλάσσοντο. [16] τελευτῶντες δέ, ἐπεὶ οἱ τοῦ βασιλέως στρατιῶται σῖτον οὐκ εἶχον, ὅνπερ καὶ Ῥωμαίοις ἀπόδωνται, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι τῷ Βέσσᾳ ὀλίγος ἔτι ἐλέλειπτο, οὔτε Ῥωμαῖοι ὅτου ὠνοῖντο, ἐς τὰς ἀκαλήφας ἅπαντες ἔβλεπον. [17] ταύτης δὲ αὐτοῖς οὐ διαρκούσης τῆς βρώσεως, οἵ γε οὐδὲ αὐτῆς ἐς κόρον ἰέναι παντάπασιν εἶχον, ἐξίτηλοι μὲν αἱ σάρκες ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐγίνοντο, τὸ δὲ χρῶμα ἐς τὸ πελιδνὸν κατὰ βραχὺ ἧκον εἰδώλοις αὐτοὺς ἐμφερεστάτους εἰργάζετο. [18] πολλοί τε βαδίζοντες ἔτι καὶ τῶν ὀδόντων αὐτοῖς μασσομένων τὰς ἀκαλήφας, ἔθνησκόν τε ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου καὶ ἐς γῆν ἔπιπτον. [19] ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἀλλήλων τὴν κόπρον ἤσθιον. πολλοί τε σφᾶς αὐτοὺς τῷ λιμῷ πιεζόμενοι διεχρήσαντο, ἐπεὶ οὐκέτι οὔτε κύνας οὔτε μῦς εὕρισκον οὔτε ἄλλο τι ζῷον νεκ
ρὸν ὅτῳ σιτίζοιντο. [20] Ἦν δέ τις ἐνταῦθα Ῥωμαῖος ἀνήρ, πέντε παίδων πατήρ, ὃν δὴ περιστάντες οἱ παῖδες καὶ τῆς ἐσθῆτος ἁπτόμενοι τροφὴν ἔπραττον: [21] ὁ δὲ οὔτε ἀνοιμώξας οὔτε ὅτι ξυνεταράχθη ἔνδηλος γεγονώς, ἀλλ̓ ἰσχυρότατα ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ τὸ πάθος ὅλον ἀποκρυψάμενος, ἕπεσθαί οἱ τοὺς παῖδας ὡς δὴ τροφὴν ληψομένους ἐκέλευεν. [22] ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐς τοῦ Τιβέριδος τὴν γέφυραν ἦλθε, δήσας ἐπὶ τῷ προσώπῳ θοἰμάτιον, τούτῳ τε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καλυπτόμενος ἥλατο ἀπὸ τῆς γεφύρας ἐς τὸ τοῦ Τιβέριδος ὕδωρ, θεωμένων τὰ δρώμενα τῶν τε παίδων καὶ πάντων Ῥωμαίων οἳ ταύτῃ ἦσαν. [23] Καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν οἱ τοῦ βασιλέως ἄρχοντες λαμβάνοντες χρήματα ἕτερα μεθῆκαν Ῥωμαίους ὅσοις ἐνθένδε βουλομένοις ἦν ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι. [24] ὀλίγων τε ἀπολελειμμένων ἐνταῦθα οἱ ἄλλοι ἅπαντες ᾤχοντο φεύγοντες ὥς πη ἕκαστος δυνατὸς ἐγεγόνει. καὶ αὐτῶν οἱ πλεῖστοι τῆς δυνάμεως καταμαρανθείσης αὐτοῖς τῷ λιμῷ ἤδη πλέοντες ἢ ὁδῷ ἰόντες ἀπέθανον. [25] πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ καταληφθέντες πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ διεφθάρησαν. Ῥωμαίων μὲν τῇ τε βουλῇ καὶ τῷ δήμῳ ἐκεχωρήκει ἐς τοῦτο ἡ τύχη.
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius Page 482