Delphi Complete Works of Procopius

by Procopius of Caesarea

  XIX

  BELISARIUS, therefore, dreading that the besieged would do something desperate because of the lack of provisions, began to make plans to convey his supplies into Rome by some means or other. And since he plainly had no force sufficient to pit against the enemy, so that he could fight a decisive battle with them in the plain, he first arranged the following plan. He chose two skiffs of very unusual breadth and, after fastening them together and lashing them very firmly to one another, constructed a wooden tower upon them, making it much higher than those made by the enemy at their bridge. For he had previously had them accurately measured by sending some of his men, who, as it was made to appear, were going over to the barbarians as deserters. Next he built wooden walls upon two hundred swift-sailing boats and launched them in the Tiber, having caused openings to be made in all parts of the wooden walls, in order that his men might be able to shoot at the enemy through them. Finally he loaded grain and many other kinds of provisions on these boats and manned them with his most warlike soldiers. He also stationed other troops, both infantry and cavalry, on either side of the river in certain strong positions near the mouth of the Tiber, commanding them to remain at their posts and, if any of the enemy should threaten Portus, to prevent them with all their strength. But he stationed Isaac inside Portus, and it was to him that he entrusted both the city and his wife and whatever else he happened to possess there. And he directed him in no circumstances to go away from the city, not even if he learned that Belisarius had perished at the hand of the enemy, but to maintain a close and constant guard, so that, if any reverse should befall the Romans, they might have a place where they could take refuge and save themselves. For they held no other stronghold at all in that region, but the whole country in every direction was hostile to them.

  Then he himself embarked on one of the swift boats and led on the fleet, giving orders to tow the boats on which he had constructed the tower. Now he had placed on the top of the tower a little boat which he had caused to be filled with pitch, sulphur, resin, and all the other substances on which fire naturally feeds most fiercely. And on the other bank of the river — that on the right as one goes from Portus to Rome — a force of infantry was also drawn up along the stream to support him. But he had sent word to Bessas the day before commanding that on the following day he should make a sally with a strong force and throw the enemy’s camp into confusion; and indeed this was the same command that he had already sent him many a time before. But neither on previous occasions nor during the present battle did Bessas see fit to carry out his orders. For now he was the only one who still had any grain left, since of all the grain which the magistrates of Sicily had previously sent to Rome to suffice both for the soldiers and for the whole population, he had let an exceedingly small amount go to the populace, while he had taken for himself the largest part on the pretext of providing for the soldiers and had hidden it away; and since he was selling this reserve to the senators at high prices, he by no means wished the siege to be broken.

  Meanwhile Belisarius and the Roman fleet were making their way upstream in spite of the difficulty caused by the adverse current. The Goths, however, offered no opposition, but remained quietly in their fortified camps. But immediately upon coming close to the bridge, the Romans encountered a hostile guard; this force had been stationed on either side of the river to protect an iron chain which Totila had put in place there not long before, the which chain reached from one bank of the Tiber to the other, and its purpose was to make it difficult for the enemy to get even as far as the bridge. And they killed some of the guards with their missiles and turned the rest to flight, then lifted out the chain and went straight on toward the bridge. And as soon as they came up to it, they opened their attack, while the barbarians, shooting from the towers, were striving most vigorously to drive them back. By this time, too, the barbarians had started out from their fortified camps and were rushing to the bridge.

  Just at that moment Belisarius brought the skiffs on which the tower had been built as close as possible to one of the towers of the enemy — the one which stood on the road to Portus at the very edge of the water — and gave orders to set fire to the little boat and throw it on top of the enemy’s tower. And the Romans carried out this order. Now when this little boat fell upon the tower, it very quickly set fire to it, and not only was the tower itself consumed, but also all the Goths in it, to the number of about two hundred. And among those thus burned was Osdas, their commander, who was the most warlike of all the Goths. Whereupon the Romans took courage and began to discharge their missiles still faster than before against the barbarians who had come to the support of their comrades. As for the Goths, they were struck with consternation at the turn of events, and facing about rushed off in flight, each man as best he could. The Romans then began to destroy the bridge and were ready, after wrecking it in a twinkling, to go ahead and proceed into Rome with no further opposition. But, since this was not the will of fortune, some envious spirit interposed and contrived to ruin the cause of the Romans in the following manner.

  While the two armies were engaged in the operations just described, meantime a report fraught with ill for the Romans reached Portus and the tidings spread that Belisarius was victorious and had taken up the chain after destroying the barbarians at that point, and all the rest which I have told above. Now when Isaac heard this, he could no longer contain himself, but was eager to have a hand in that glorious victory. So, disregarding the instructions of Belisarius, he was off as quickly as possible to the other side of the river. And he took with him a hundred horsemen from among the troops which Belisarius had stationed there, and advanced against the enemy’s stockade, which was commanded by Ruderic, a capable warrior. Then he made a sudden assault upon the barbarians in the camp and smote a certain number of them, including Ruderic who had come out against him. The Goths, for their part, immediately abandoned the camp and withdrew, either because they supposed that Isaac had a very large hostile force in the rear, or by way of deceiving their opponents so that they might be able to capture them, as actually happened.

  So Isaac’s men penetrated the hostile camp, and began to plunder the silver which lay there and the other valuables. But the Goths immediately returned and slew many of their opponents, but took Isaac alive along with some few others. Horsemen then hastened to Belisarius and reported that Isaac was in the hands of the enemy. Belisarius was thunderstruck at what he heard, and, without investigating in what manner Isaac could have been captured, but thinking that both Portus and his wife were lost and that complete disaster had fallen upon the Romans, in that no other stronghold remained where they could now take refuge and save themselves, he fell into a state of speechlessness, an experience which he had never had before. It was for this reason that he hastily withdrew his forces to the rear, with the intention of attacking the enemy while they were still in disorder and recovering the town at all costs.

  So the Roman army withdrew from the bridge without accomplishing its object. But when Belisarius reached Portus, he learned of the madness of Isaac and perceived that his own excitement had been without reason; whereupon he was so overcome with sorrow at this adversity of fortune that he fell sick. For a fever came on which by its long continuance harassed him sorely and brought him into danger of death. Two days later it came about that Ruderic died, and Totila, being exceedingly grieved at his loss, put Isaac to death.

  Βέσσας τε τὸν σῖτον ἔτι μᾶλλον ἀπεμπολῶν ἐπλούτει, πρυτανευούσης αὐτῷ τὰς τιμὰς τῆς τῶν δεομένων ἀνάγκης. καὶ ὅλος εἰς μέριμναν τὴν περὶ ταῦτα ἐσπουδακὼς οὔτε φυλακῆς τοῦ περιβόλου οὔτε ἄλλου ὁτουοῦν ἀσφαλείας πέρι ἐπεμελεῖτο, ἀλλὰ ἀναπεπτωκέναι μὲν τῶν στρατιωτῶν τοῖς γε βουλομένοις ἐξῆν, φυλακτήριον δὲ ὀλίγων τινῶν ἐν τοῖ
ς τείχεσιν ἦν, καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἀπημελημένον ὡς μάλιστα. [2] οἷς γὰρ ἀεὶ τὴν φυλακὴν ἐπικεῖσθαι ξυνέβαινε, πολλὴ ἐξουσία τοῦ καθεύδειν ἐγίνετο, ἐπεὶ οὐδεὶς αὐτοῖς ἐφειστήκει, ὅστις ἂν καὶ λόγον τινὰ τοῦ τοιούτου ποιοῖτο: οὐδὲ περιιόντες τινὲς κύκλῳ τῶν περιβόλων, ᾗπερ εἰώθει, διερευνᾶσθαι τοὺς φύλακας ὅ τί ποτε ποιοῦσιν ἠξίουν, οὐ μὴν οὐδέ τις τῶν οἰκητόρων αὐτοῖς ξυμφυλάσσειν ἠδύνατο. [3] ὀλίγοι τε γὰρ κομιδῆ ἐνταῦθα, ὥσπερ μοι ἐρρήθη, ἐλείποντο καὶ αὐτοὶ τῷ λιμῷ ὑπερφυῶς κεκακωμένοι. [4] Τέσσαρες οὖν Ἴσαυροι, ἀμφὶ πύλην Ἀσιναρίαν φυλακὴν ἔχοντες, τηρήσαντες τῆς νυκτὸς τὸν καιρὸν ἐν ᾦ τοῖς μὲν αὐτῶν ἐχομένοις καθεύδειν ἐπέβαλλεν, αὐτοῖς δὲ ἡ φυλακὴ τοῦ ἐκείνῃ τείχους ἐπέκειτο, κάλως τε ἐκ τῶν ἐπάλξεων ἀναρτήσαντες ἄχρι ἐς τὸ ἔδαφος ἐξικνουμένους, καὶ τούτων χερσὶν ἀμφοτέραις λαβόμενοι ἔξω τοῦ περιβόλου ἐγένοντο καὶ παρὰ Τουτίλαν ἀφικόμενοι δέξασθαι τῇ πόλει αὐτόν τε ὡμολόγουν καὶ τὸν Γότθων στρατόν: δυνατοὶ γὰρ εἶναι τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἰσχυρίζοντο οὐδενὶ πόνῳ. [5] καὶ ὃς χάριτας σφίσιν ἁδρὰς ἕξειν ὁμολογήσας, ἤνπερ ἐπιτελῆ ταῦτα ποιήσωσι, κυρίους τε αὐτοὺς καταστήσεσθαι χρημάτων μεγάλων, δύο τῶν ἑπομένων ξὺν αὐτοῖς ἔπεμψε κατασκεψομένους τὸν χῶρον ὅθεν οἱ ἄνθρωποι Γότθοις ἔφασκον ἐς τὴν πόλιν ἐσιτητὰ εἶναι. [6] οἵπερ ἐπειδὴ παρὰ τὸ τεῖχος ἀφίκοντο, τῶν καλωδίων λαβόμενοι ἀνέβαινον ἐς τὰς ἐπάλξεις, οὐδενὸς ἐνταῦθα ἢ φθεγγομένου ἢ τῶν ποιουμένων αἴσθησιν ἔχοντος. [7] ἐπειδή τε ἐνταῦθα ἐγένοντο, τοῖς βαρβάροις οἱ Ἴσαυροι πάντα ἐδείκνυον, ὡς ἀνιέναι μὲν βουλομένοις οὐδὲν ἂν ἐμπόδιον εἴη, ἀνελθοῦσι δὲ πολλὴ ἂν ἐξουσία γένοιτο σφίσιν, οὐδενὸς τὸ παράπαν ἀντιστατοῦντος, ταῦτά τε αὐτοὺς ἀπαγγέλλειν Τουτίλᾳ κελεύσαντες ἀπεπέμψαντο. [8] Ἅπερ ἐπεὶ ὁ Τουτίλας ἤκουσεν, ἥσθη μέν πως τῇ ἀγγελίᾳ, ὑποψίᾳ δὲ καὶ ὣς ἐς τοὺς Ἰσαύρους ἐχόμενος οὐ λίαν αὐτοῖς πιστεύειν ἠξίου. [9] ἡμέραις τε οὐ πολλαῖς ὕστερον αὖθις οἱ ἄνθρωποι παῤ αὐτὸν ἧκον, ἐπὶ τὴν πρᾶξιν παρακαλοῦντες. καὶ ὃς ἑτέρους δύο ξὺν αὐτοῖς ἔπεμψεν, ἐφ̓ ᾧ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς ἅπαντα διερευνησάμενοι ἀπαγγείλωσιν. [10] οἱ δὲ ἐς αὐτὸν ἐπανήκοντες ἅπαντα ὁμοίως τοῖς προτέροις ἤγγελλον. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι στρατιῶται πολλοὶ ἐπὶ κατασκοπῇ στελλόμενοι τῆς πόλεως οὐ πολλῷ ἄποθεν Γότθοις δέκα ὁδῷ ἰοῦσιν ἐνέτυχον, οὓς δὴ ἑλόντες παρὰ τὸν Βέσσαν εὐθὺς ἄγουσι. [11] καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀνεπυνθάνετο τούτων δὴ τῶν βαρβάρων ὅ τί ποτε ὁ Τουτίλας διανοοῖτο, οἱ δὲ Γότθοι ἐν ἐλπίδι ἔφασαν εἶναι τῶν τινας σφίσιν Ἰσαύρων ἐνδώσειν τὴν πόλιν: ἤδη γὰρ ἔκπυστος ὁ λόγος ἐς τῶν βαρβάρων πολλοὺς ἐγεγόνει. [12] ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦτα Βέσσας τε καὶ Κόνων ἀκούσαντες ἔν τε πολλῇ ὀλιγωρίᾳ ἔσχον καὶ αὐτῶν ἐντροπὴν οὐδεμίαν πεποίηντο. καὶ τρίτον οἱ Ἴσαυροι Τουτίλᾳ ἐς ὄψιν ἐλθόντες ἐς τὸ ἔργον τὸν ἄνδρα ἐνῆγον. [13] ὁ δὲ ἄλλους τε ξὺν αὐτοῖς ἔπεμψε καὶ τῶν αὐτῷ κατὰ γένος προσηκόντων τινά, οἵπερ ἐς αὐτὸν ἐπανήκοντες καὶ τὸν πάντα λόγον ἀγγείλαντες ἐς τὴν πρᾶξιν ἐπέρρωσαν. [14] Τουτίλας δέ, ἐπειδὴ τάχιστα νὺξ ἐγεγόνει, ἅπαν ἡσυχῆ ἐξοπλίσας τὸ στράτευμα ἐπῆγεν ἀμφὶ πύλην Ἀσιναρίαν. καὶ τέσσαρας τῶν ἐν Γότθοις ἀνδρίας τε καὶ ἰσχύος πέρι εὖ ἡκόντων ξὺν τοῖς Ἰσαύροις διὰ τῶν βρόχων ἀναβαίνειν ἐς τὰς ἐπάλξεις ἐκέλευεν, ἐς ἐκεῖνον δηλονότι τῆς νυκτὸς τὸν καιρὸν ἐς ὃν τούτοις δὴ τοῖς Ἰσαύροις ἡ φυλακὴ τοῦ ταύτῃ τείχους ὕπνον ἐκ περιτροπῆς τῶν ἄλλων αἱρουμένων ἐπέβαλεν. [15] οἵπερ, ἐπειδὴ ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου ἐγένοντο, καταβαίνουσι μὲν ἐς πύλας τὰς Ἀσιναρίας, οὐδενὸς σφίσιν ἀντιστατοῦντος, καὶ τό τε ξύλον πελέκεσι διαφθείρουσιν ᾧπερ ἐνέρσει τοίχου ἑκατέρου ἐναρμοσθέντι τὰς πύλας ἐπιζευγνύναι εἰώθεσαν, τά τε σιδήρια ξύμπαντα οἷς δὴ τὰς κλεῖς ἀεὶ οἱ φύλακες ἐμβαλλόμενοι ἔκλειόν τε τὰς πύλας καὶ κατὰ τὴν χρείαν ἀνέῳγον. [16] οὕτω δὲ τὰς πύλας ἀναπετάσαντες, ᾗπερ ἐβούλοντο, τῇ πόλει Τουτίλαν τε καὶ τὸν Γότθων στρατὸν οὐδενὶ πόνῳ ἐδέξαντο. Τουτίλας δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐνταῦθα ἐς ἕνα χῶρον ξυναγαγὼν σκεδάννυσθαι οὐδαμῆ εἴασεν: ἔδεισε γὰρ μή τις ἐνέδρα πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων σφίσι ξυμβαίνῃ ταραχῆς δέ, [17] ὡς τὸ εἰκός, τῇ πόλει καὶ θορύβου ἐπιπεσόντος οἱ μὲν πλεῖστοι τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν διὰ πύλης ἑτέρας ξὺν τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἔφευγον, ὥς πη ἑκάστῳ εὐπετὲς γέγονεν, ὀλίγοι δέ τινες ξὺν Ῥωμαίοις τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐς τὰ ἱερὰ καταφεύγουσι. [18] τῶν δὲ πατρικίων Δέκιος καὶ Βασίλειος ξὺν ἑτέροις τισὶν ῾ἵπποι γὰρ σφίσι παρόντες ἔτυχον̓ ξὺν τῷ Βέσσα φυγεῖν ἴσχυσαν. [19] Μάξιμος δὲ καὶ Ὀλύβριος καὶ Ὀρέστης καί τινες ἄλλοι ἐς τὸν Πέτρου τοῦ ἀποστόλου νεὼν ἔφυγον. τοῦ μέντοι δήμου πεντακοσίους ἄνδρας ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν ἀπολελεῖφθαι ξυνέπεσεν, οἵπερ ἐς τὰ ἱερὰ κατέφυγον μόλις. [20] τῶν γὰρ ἄλλων ἁπάντων οἱ μὲν ἀπιόντες ἤδη πρότερον ἐς ἑτέρας ᾤχοντο χώρας, οἱ δὲ τῷ λιμῷ διεφθάρησαν, ὥσπερ μοι ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται. πολλοὶ μὲν οὖν Τουτίλᾳ νύκτωρ ἤγγελλον ὅτι δὴ Βέσσας τε καὶ οἱ πολέμιοι φεύγουσιν. ὁ δὲ χαρίεντα τὸν λόγον αὐ�
�οὺς εἰρηκέναι εἰπὼν οὐκ εἴα διώκειν. [21] τί γὰρ ἂν ἥδιον ἀνθρώπῳ γένοιτο, ἔφη, πολεμίων φευγόντων; [22] Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἡμέρα τε ἦν ἤδη καὶ οὐδεμία ἔτι ἐνέδρας τινὸς ὑποψία ἐλέλειπτο, Τουτίλας μὲν ἐς τὸν Πέτρου νεὼν τοῦ ἀποστόλου εὐξόμενος ᾔει, Γότθοι δὲ τοὺς παραπεπτωκότας διέφθειρον. [23] ἀπέθανόν τε τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ τῶν μὲν στρατιωτῶν ἓξ καὶ εἴκοσι, τοῦ δὲ δήμου ἑξήκοντα. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ Τουτίλας ἀφίκετο ἐς τὸ ἱερόν, Πελάγιος αὐτῷ ἐς ὄψιν ἦλθε τὰ Χριστιανῶν λόγια ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ φέρων, παντί τε τρόπῳ τὴν ἱκεσίαν προτεινόμενος ‘Φείδου τῶν σῶν, ὦ δέσποτα’ εἶπε. [24] καὶ ὃς ἐπιτωθάζων τε καὶ ἐνδιαθρυπτόμενος ἔφη ‘Νῦν με, ὦ Πελάγιε, ἱκετεύσων ἐλήλυθας.’ ‘Ὅτε με’ ὁ Πελάγιος ἀπεκρίνατο ‘δοῦλον σὸν ὁ θεὸς εἶναι πεποίηκεν. [25] ἀλλὰ δούλων τῶν σῶν τὸ λοιπόν, ὦ δέσποτα, φείδου.’ ταύτην ὁ Τουτίλας τὴν ἱκεσίαν δεξάμενος ἀπεῖπε Γότθοις μηδένα τὸ λοιπὸν ἀποκτιννύναι τῶν πάντων Ῥωμαίων, ἀλλὰ τῶν χρημάτων αὐτῷ μὲν τὰ τιμιώτατα ἐξελεῖν, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα σφίσιν αὐτοῖς κατ̓ ἐξουσίαν ληΐζεσθαι. [26] Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν ἐν ταῖς πατρικίων οἰκίαις εὗρε, πάντων δὲ μάλιστα οὗπερ ὁ Βέσσας κατέλυε. τὰς γὰρ ἀνοσίας, ὥς γε δεδήλωται, τοῦ σίτου τιμὰς ὁ κακοδαίμων Τουτίλᾳ ἤθροιζεν. [27] οὕτω τε περιέστη τοῖς τε ἄλλοις Ῥωμαίοις καὶ τοῖς ἐκ τῆς συγκλήτου βουλῆς καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα Ῥουστικιανῇ, τῇ Βοετίου μὲν γαμετῇ γενομένῃ, παιδὶ δὲ Συμμάχου, καὶ τὴν οὐσίαν ἀεὶ τοῖς δεομένοις προϊεμένῃ, δούλων τε καὶ ἀγροίκων ἀμπεχομένοις ἱμάτια, πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων ἄρτον ἢ ἄλλο τι τῶν ἀναγκαίων αἰτουμένοις βιοῦν. [28] ἔς τε τὰς οἰκίας περιιόντες καὶ τὰς θύρας ἐς ἀεὶ κόπτοντες τροφὴν διδόναι σφίσιν ἐδέοντο, οὐ φέροντος αὐτοῖς αἰσχύνην τοῦ ἔργου. [29] Καὶ Γότθοι μὲν Ῥουστικιανὴν κτείνειν ἐν σπουδῇ ἐποιοῦντο, ἐπικαλοῦντες ὅτι δὴ χρήματα προϊεμένη τοῖς τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἄρχουσι τὰς Θευδερίχου εἰκόνας διαφθείρειε, τοὺς φόνους ἀμυνομένη Συμμάχου τε τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ Βοετίου τοῦ ξυνοικήσαντος. [30] Τουτίλας δὲ οὐδὲν ἄχαρι παθεῖν αὐτὴν ξυνεχώρησεν, ἀλλ̓ αὐτήν τε καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἁπάσας ὕβρεως ἐκτὸς διεφύλαξε, καίπερ Γότθων ἐς κοίτην ὡς μάλιστα ἐφιεμένων αὐταῖς ξυνελθεῖν. [31] διόπερ αὐτῶν οὐδεμιᾷ ἐς τὸ σῶμα ὑβρίσθαι ξυνέβη οὔτε ἀνδρὶ ξυνοικούσῃ οὔτε παρθένῳ ἢ χήρᾳ οὔσῃ, μέγα τε κλέος ἐπὶ σωφροσύνῃ ἐκ τούτου τοῦ ἔργου Τουτίλας ἔσχε.