Delphi Complete Works of Procopius

by Procopius of Caesarea

  XXI

  Ox the day following the capture Totila gathered all the Goths together and spoke as follows: “Fellow-soldiers, it is not with the purpose of making to you any new or unknown exhortation that I have brought you together in this place, but in order to say those very things which I have often said to you, and which you for your part have heeded with the result that the greatest of blessings have fallen to your lot. Do not, therefore, on this account regard this present exhortation as of little moment. For when words lead to good fortune, men ought not to feel surfeit of them, even though the speaker seem to wear out his hearers with much speaking; for they cannot reasonably reject the benefit gained from such words. Now what I would say is this: only yesterday, as it were, we assembled a host of two hundred thousand most warlike soldiers, we had at our disposal enormous wealth, and could display a lavish abundance of both horses and arms, we had a numerous company of mature men of the greatest discretion — a circumstance considered most advantageous for those entering upon a war — and yet, with all this in our favour, we were vanquished by five thousand Greeklings, and for no good reason were stripped of our power and everything else that was ours. But now it has been our fortune, though reduced to a small number, destitute of arms and in pitiable plight and without any experience at all, to gain the mastery over an enemy more than twenty thousand strong. Our experience, then, to put it in a word, has been such as I have described. But the causes of this outcome, though you know them full well, I must now state to you. The Goths in earlier times paid less heed to justice than to any other thing, and treated each other and their Roman subjects as well in an unholy manner; wherefore God was then moved to take the field against them on the side of their enemies. And so, although we were far superior to our opponents in number and in valour and in the general equipment for war, we were defeated by a power which was invisible and quite uncomprehended. It will therefore rest with you to guard your blessings — manifestly by continuing to observe justice. For if you change your course, God too will instantly change His favour and become hostile to you. For it is not His wont to fight with a race of men or a particular nation, but with such as shew the greater honour to justice. And for Him it is no labour to transfer his blessings from one people to the other. For whereas only to refrain from wrong-doing inheres in the will of man, God by His very nature has all things in His power. I say, therefore, that you must observe justice strictly both in your dealings with each other and with your subjects; for it would amount to the same thing to tell you to preserve your good fortune for ever.”

  After Totila had made this speech before the Goths, he likewise called together the members of the Roman senate, and reproached and abused them at length, saying that, although they had received many benefits from both Theoderic and Atalaric, in that they themselves had always been appointed to the chief offices throughout the kingdom and had thus administered the government, and had, furthermore, amassed vast wealth, still they had acted with such ingratitude toward the Goths, their benefactors, that, regardless of their obligations, they had planned a revolt to their own harm, and brought in the Greeks to attack their fatherland, thus turning traitors to themselves on the impulse of the moment. Then, after enquiring whether they had ever suffered any personal harm at the hands of the Goths, he compelled them to state whether any good thing came to them from the Emperor Justinian, reviewing all that had happened in order: first, they had, he said, been stripped of practically all the offices; second, they had been maltreated by the logothetes, as they were called, in that they had been compelled to settle accounts for their treatment of the Goths during their official careers; and, third, although they were in dire straits on account of the war, they were paying the Greeks not a whit less in public taxes than in times of peace. And he included many other things too in his speech, such things as an angry master might be expected to say in upbraiding men who have become his slaves. Then he set before them Herodian and the Isaurians who had handed over the city to him, and said: “You, who have been reared together with the Goths, have not up to the present day seen fit to surrender to us even one empty town, but these men have received us into Rome itself and Spolitium. By this action you have been reduced to the rank of household slaves, while these men, seeing that they have really proved themselves friends and kinsmen of the Goths, will hold your offices hereafter “ Now when the patricians heard this, they sat in silence. But Pelagius began to plead with Totila for them as men who had suffered reverse and misfortune, and would not let him go until he made them a promise of kind treatment and thus sent them away.

  After this he sent Pelagius and one of the Roman orators, Theodoras by name, as envoys to the Emperor Justinian, having bound them by most solemn oaths that they would remain loyal to him and would make every effort to return to Italy as quickly as possible. And he instructed them to exert themselves to the utmost to secure peace for him from the emperor, in order, as he said, that he, for his part, might not be compelled to raze Rome entirely to the ground, to destroy the members of the senate, and to carry the war into lllyricum. And he also wrote a letter to the Emperor Justinian. Now the emperor had already heard of what had taken place in Italy. But when later on the envoys came before him, they delivered the message which Totila had instructed them to bring and put the letter into his hands.

  Now the contents of the letter were as follows: “As to what has transpired in the city of Rome, since I suppose thou hast learned everything, I have decided to remain silent. But as to the purpose for which I have sent these envoys, thou shalt straightway be informed. We demand that thou, for thy part, take to thyself the advantages which flow from peace and also grant them to us. These advantages are recalled and exemplified most admirably in the lives of Anastasius and Theoderic, who ruled as kings not long ago, and filled their whole reigns with peace and prosperity. And if this same condition should perchance please thee, thou wouldst properly be called my father, and thou wilt also have us hereafter as allies against whomsoever thou mayest wish to use us.” When the Emperor Justinian saw this letter thus brought to him, and heard all the words of the envoys, he dismissed them instantly, giving them only this reply and writing it to Totila, that he had made Belisarius supreme commander in the war, and that he, consequently, had full power to make such settlement with Totila as he wished.

  Ἐν ᾧ δὲ οἱ πρέσβεις οὗτοι ἐς Βυζάντιον καὶ αὖθις ἐς Ἰταλίαν ἐστέλλοντο, ἐν τούτῳ ἐν Λευκανοῖς τάδε ξυνηνέχθη γενέσθαι. [2] Τουλλιανὸς τοὺς ἐκείνῃ ἀγροίκους ἀγείρας τὴν εἴσοδον στενοτάτην οὖσαν ἐφύλασσεν, ὅπως μὴ οἱ πολέμιοι κακουργήσοντες ἴοιεν ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ Λευκανίας χωρία. [3] καὶ Ἄνται δὲ αὐτοῖς τριακόσιοι ξυνεφύλασσον, οὕσπερ Ἰωάννης ἐνταῦθα δεηθέντι Τουλλιανῷ ἀπολιπὼν πρότερον ἔτυχεν: ἀγαθοὶ γὰρ οἱ βάρβαροι οὗτοι μάχεσθαι ἐν δυσχωρίαις πάντων μάλιστα. [4] ἅπερ ἐπεὶ ὁ Τουτίλας ἔμαθε, Γότθους μὲν ἐς τὸ ἔργον καθεῖναι ἀξύμφορον ᾤετο εἶναι, ἀγροίκων δὲ πλῆθος ἀγείρας, Γότθων τε ξυμπέμψας αὐτοῖς ὀλίγους τινάς, ἐκέλευε τῆς εἰσόδου σθένει παντὶ ἀποπειρᾶσθαι. [5] οἵπερ ἐπειδὴ ἀλλήλοις ξυνέμιξαν, ὠθισμὸς μὲν ἀμφοτέρων πολὺς ἐγεγόνει, Ἄνται δὲ τῇ σφετέρᾳ ἀρετῇ, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τῆς δυσχωρίας σφίσι ξυλλαμβανούσης, ξὺν τοῖς ἀμφὶ Τουλλιανὸν ἀγροίκοις τοὺς ἐναντίους ἐτρέψαντο. [6] φόνος τε αὐτῶν ἐγεγόνει πολύς. Γνοὺς δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Τουτίλας ἔγνω Ῥώμην μὲν καθελεῖν ἐς ἔ
δαφος, τοῦ δὲ στρατοῦ τὸ μὲν πλεῖστον ἐνταῦθά πη ἀπολιπεῖν, τῷ δὲ ἄλλῳ ἐπί τε Ἰωάννην καὶ Λευκανοὺς ἰέναι. [7] τοῦ μὲν οὖν περιβόλου ἐν χώροις πολλοῖς τοσοῦτον καθεῖλεν ὅσον ἐς τριτημόριον τοῦ παντὸς μάλιστα. ἐμπιπρᾶν δὲ καὶ τῶν οἰκοδομιῶν τὰ κάλλιστά τε καὶ ἀξιολογώτατα ἔμελλε, Ῥώμην τε μηλόβοτον καταστήσεσθαι, ἀλλὰ Βελισάριος μαθὼν πρέσβεις τε καὶ γράμματα παῤ αὐτὸν ἔπεμψεν. [8] οἵπερ ἐπειδὴ Τουτίλᾳ ἐς ὄψιν ἦλθον, εἶπόν τε ὧν ἕνεκα ἥκοιεν καὶ τὰ γράμματα ἐνεχείρισαν. ἐδήλου δὲ ἡ γραφὴ τάδε: ‘Πόλεως μὲν κάλλη οὐκ ὄντα ἐργάζεσθαι ἀνθρώπων ἂν φρονίμων εὑρήματα εἶεν καὶ πολιτικῶς βιοτεύειν ἐπισταμένων, ὄντα δὲ ἀφανίζειν τούς γε ἀξυνέτους εἰκὸς καὶ γνώρισμα τοῦτο τῆς αὑτῶν φύσεως οὐκ αἰσχυνομένους χρόνῳ τῷ ὑστέρῳ ἀπολιπεῖν. [9] Ῥώμη μέντοι πόλεων ἁπασῶν, ὅσαι ὑφ̓ ἡλίῳ τυγχάνουσιν οὖσαι, μεγίστη τε καὶ ἀξιολογωτάτη ὡμολόγηται εἶναι. [10] οὐ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς ἑνὸς ἀρετῇ εἴργασται οὐδὲ χρόνου βραχέος δυνάμει ἐς τόσον μεγέθους τε καὶ κάλλους ἀφῖκται, ἀλλὰ βασιλέων μὲν πλῆθος, ἀνδρῶν δὲ ἀρίστων συμμορίαι πολλαί, χρόνου τε μῆκος καὶ πλούτου ἐξουσίας ὑπερβολὴ τά τε ἄλλα πάντα ἐκ πάσης τῆς γῆς καὶ τεχνίτας ἀνθρώπους ἐνταῦθα ξυναγαγεῖν ἴσχυσαν. [11] οὕτω τε τὴν πόλιν τοιαύτην, οἵανπερ ὁρᾷς, κατὰ βραχὺ τεκτηνάμενοι, μνημεῖα τῆς πάντων ἀρετῆς τοῖς ἐπιγενησομένοις ἀπέλιπον, ὥστε ἡ ἐς ταῦτα ἐπήρεια εἰκότως ἂν ἀδίκημα μέγα ἐς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοῦ παντὸς αἰῶνος δόξειεν εἶναι: [12] ἀφαιρεῖται γὰρ τοὺς μὲν προγεγενημένους τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς μνήμην, τοὺς δὲ ὕστερον ἐπιγενησομένους τῶν ἔργων τὴν θέαν. [13] τούτων δὲ τοιούτων ὄντων ἐκεῖνο εὖ ἴσθι, ὡς δυοῖν ἀνάγκη τὸ ἕτερον εἶναι. ἢ γὰρ ἡσσηθήσῃ βασιλέως ἐν τῷδε τῷ πόνῳ, ἢ περιέσῃ, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι. [14] ἢν μὲν οὖν νικῴης, Ῥώμην τε καθελών, οὐ τὴν ἑτέρου του, ἀλλὰ τὴν σαυτοῦ ἀπολωλεκὼς ἄν, ὦ βέλτιστε, εἴης, καὶ διαφυλάξας, κτήματι, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, τῶν πάντων καλλίστῳ πλουτήσεις: ἢν δέ γε τὴν χείρω σοι τύχην πληροῦσθαι ξυμβαίη, σώσαντι μὲν Ῥώμην χάρις ἂν σώζοιτο παρὰ τῷ νενικηκότι πολλή, διαφθείραντι δὲ φιλανθρωπίας τε οὐδεὶς ἔτι λελείψεται λόγος καὶ προσέσται τὸ μηδὲν τοῦ ἔργου ἀπόνασθαι. [15] καταλήψεται δέ σε καὶ δόξα τῆς πράξεως ἀξία πρὸς πάντων ἀνθρώπων, ἥπερ ἐφ̓ ἑκάτερά σοι τῆς γνώμης ἑτοίμως ἕστηκεν, [16] ὁποῖα γὰρ ἂν τῶν ἀρχόντων τὰ ἔργα εἴη, τοιοῦτον ἀνάγκη καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ὄνομα φέρεσθαι.’ τοσαῦτα μὲν Βελισάριος ἔγραψε. [17] Τουτίλας δὲ πολλάκις ἀναλεξάμενος τὴν ἐπιστολὴν καὶ τῆς παραινέσεως ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς πεποιημένος τὴν μάθησιν, ἐπείσθη τε καὶ Ῥώμην εἰργάσατο ἄχαρι περαιτέρω οὐδέν. σημήνας τε Βελισαρίῳ τὴν αὑτοῦ γνώμην τοὺς πρέσβεις εὐθὺς ἀπεπέμψατο. [18] καὶ τοῦ μὲν στρατοῦ τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος Ῥώμης οὐ πολλῷ ἄποθεν, ἀλλ̓ ὅσον ἀπὸ σταδίων εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατὸν ἐς τὰ πρὸς δύοντα ἥλιον ἐνστρατοπεδευσαμένους ἐν χωρίῳ Ἀλγηδόνι ἐκέλευεν ἡσυχῆ μένειν, ὅπως δὴ μηδεμία ἐξουσία τοῖς ἀμφὶ Βελισάριον εἴη ἔξω πη τοῦ Πόρτου ἰέναι: αὐτὸς δὲ ξὺν τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ ἐπί τε Ἰωάννην καὶ Λευκανοὺς ᾔει. [19] Ῥωμαίων μέντοι τοὺς μὲν ἐκ τῆς συγκλήτου βουλῆς ξὺν αὑτῷ εἶχε, τοὺς δὲ ἄλλους ἅπαντας ξύν τε γυναιξὶ καὶ παισὶν ἔστειλεν ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ Καμπανίας χωρία, ἐν Ῥώμῃ ἄνθρωπον οὐδένα ἐάσας, ἀλλ̓ ἔρημον αὐτὴν τὸ παράπαν ἀπολιπών. [20] Ἰωάννης δὲ Τουτίλαν οἱ ἐπιέναι μαθών, μένειν ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀπουλίας οὐκέτι ἠξίου, ἀλλ̓ ἐς τὸν Δρυοῦντα δρόμῳ ἀφίκετο. τῶν τε πατρικίων οἱ ἐς Καμπανίαν ἀγόμενοι ἐς Λευκανοὺς πέμψαντες τῶν οἰκείων τινάς, Τουτίλα γνώμῃ, τοὺς σφετέρους ἀγροίκους ἐκέλευον μεθίεσθαι μὲν τῶν πρασσομένων, τοὺς δὲ ἀγροὺς γεωργεῖν ᾗπερ εἰώθεσαν: ἔσεσθαι γὰρ αὐτοῖς τἀγαθὰ ἀπήγγελλον τῶν κεκτημένων. [21] οἱ δὲ ἀπετάξαντο μὲν τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἀγροῖς ἡσυχῆ ἔμενον: Τουλλιανὸς δὲ φυγὼν ᾤχετο, καὶ οἱ τριακόσιοι Ἄνται παρὰ τὸν Ἰωάννην ἀναχωρεῖν ἔγνωσαν. [22] οὕτω μὲν ἅπαντα τὰ ἐντὸς κόλπου τοῦ Ἰονίου, πλὴν τοῦ Δρυοῦντος, αὖθις ὑποχείρια Γότθοις τε καὶ Τουτίλᾳ γέγονε. θαρσοῦντες δὲ ἤδη οἱ βάρβαροι καὶ κατὰ συμμορίας σκεδαννύμενοι περιῄεσαν κύκλῳ ἅπαντα. [23] ὅπερ Ἰωάννης μαθὼν τῶν οἱ ἑπομένων πολλοὺς ἐπ̓ αὐτοὺς ἔπεμψεν. οἳ δὴ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀπροσδόκητοι ἐπιπεσόντες πολλοὺς ἔκτειναν. [24] καὶ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ δείσας ὁ Τουτίλας, ἅπαντάς τε τοὺς ξὺν αὑτῷ ἀγείρας, ἀμφὶ ὄρος τὸ Γάργανον, ὅπερ ἐν Ἀπουλίοις που μέσοις ἀνέχει, ἐν τῷ Ἀννίβαλος τοῦ Λίβυος χαρακώματι στρατοπεδευσάμενος ἡσυχῆ ἔμενεν.