Βελισάριος μὲν τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ Βυζάντιον οὐδενὶ κόσμῳ ᾔει, γῆς μὲν τῆς Ἰταλῶν πενταετὲς οὐδαμῆ ἀποβάς, οὐδέ πη ὁδῷ ἰέναι ἐνταῦθα ἰσχύσας, ἀλλὰ φυγῇ κεκρυμμένῃ ἐχόμενος πάντα τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον. ἔκ τε ὀχυρώματος ἀεὶ ἐπιθαλασσίου τινὸς ἐς ἄλλο ἐπὶ τῆς παραλίας ὀχύρωμα διηνεκὲς [2] ναυτιλλόμενος καὶ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ ἀδεέστερον τοὺς πολεμίους τετύχηκε Ῥώμην τε ἀνδραποδίσαι καὶ τἄλλα ὡς εἰπεῖν ἅπαντα. τότε δὲ καὶ Περυσίαν πόλιν. ἣ πρώτη ἐν Τούσκοις οὖσα ἐτύγχανε. πικρότατα πολιορκουμένην ἀπέλιπεν, ἥπερ αὐτοῦ ἔτι ὁδῷ ἰόντος κατ̓ ἄκρας ἑάλω. [3] ἐς Βυζάντιον δὲ ἀφικόμενος διατριβὴν τὸ λοιπὸν ἐνταῦθα εἶχε, πλούτου μὲν ἐξουσίαν περιβεβλημένος πολλήν. εὐτυχήμασι δὲ τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῷ ξυμβεβηκόσιν ἀπόβλεπτος ὤν, ἅπερ οἱ πρότερον ἢ ἐς Λιβύην ἐστράτευσε ξυμβόλῳ προὔλεγέ τινι οὐκ ἀφανεῖ τὸ δαιμόνιον. [4] Ὁδὲ ξύμβολος ἐγένετο ὧδε. ἦν τις Βελισαρίῳ κλῆρος ἐν Βυζαντίων τῷ προαστείῳ ὃ δὴ Παντείχιον μὲν ὀνομάζεται, κεῖται δὲ ἐν τῇ ἀντιπέρας ἠπείρῳ. ἐνταῦθα ὀλίγῳ ἔμπροσθεν ἢ ἔμελλε Βελισάριος ἐπί τε Γελίμερα καὶ Λιβύην ἐξηγήσασθαι τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ, ἐνδελεχέστατα πλήθειν οἱ τὰς ἀμπέλους ξυνέβη. [5] οἴνου τε ὃς ἐνθένδε γεγονὼς ἔτυχε πίθων οἱ θεράποντες ἐμπλησάμενοι μέγα τι χρῆμα, καὶ αὐτῶν τὰ μὲν ἔνερθεν κατορύξαντες, τὰ δὲ ὕπερθεν πηλῷ ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς ἐπιβύσαντες, ἐν τῷ οἰνῶνι κατέθεντο. [6] μησὶ δὲ ὀκτὼ ὕστερον ἐν πίθοις τισὶν ἀναβράσσων ὁ οἶνος διεσπάσατο μὲν τὸν πηλὸν ᾧπερ ἐπέφρακτο αὐτῶν ἕκαστος, ὑπερβλύσας δὲ καὶ ῥεύσας πολὺς ἐς τοσόνδε γῆν τὴν ἐχομένην ἐπέκλυσεν ὥστε καὶ τέλμα ἐν τούτῳ τῷ ἐδάφει ἐργάσασθαι μέγα. [7] ὅπερ ἐπεὶ οἱ θεράποντες εἶδον, ἐν θάμβει μεγάλῳ γενόμενοι πολλοὺς μὲν ἐνθένδε ἀμφορέας ἐμπλήσασθαι ἔσχον, αὖθις δὲ τούτους δὴ τοὺς πίθους τῷ πηλῷ ἀποφράξαντες τὰ παρόντα ἐν σιωπῇ εἶχον. [8] ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦτο πολλάκις ὑπὸ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον γεγονὸς εἶδον, αὐτοὶ μὲν ἐπὶ τὸν κεκτημένον τὸ πρᾶγμα ἦγον, ὁ δὲ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων πολλοὺς ἐνταῦθα ἀγείρας ἐπέδειξε τὰ ποιούμενα: οἵπερ τῷ ξυμβόλῳ τεκμηριούμενοι ἐς ταύτην δὴ τὴν οἰκίαν μεγάλα προὔλεγον ἀγαθὰ ἔσεσθαι. [9] Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τῇδε Βελισαρίῳ ἐχώρησε. Βιγίλιος δέ, ὁ τῆς Ῥώμης ἀρχιερεύς, ξὺν Ἰταλοῖς τοῖς ἐνταῦθα τηνικάδε παροῦσι, πολλοῖς τε καὶ λογιμωτάτοις ἐσάγαν οὖσιν, οὐκέτι ἀνίει, ἀλλ̓ ἔχρῃζε βασιλέως Ἰταλίας μεταποιεῖσθαι δυνάμει τῇ πάσῃ. [10] μάλιστα δὲ πάντων αὐτὸν Γόθιγος ἐνῆγε, πατρίκιος ἀνήρ, ἐς τῶν ὑπάτων τὸν δίφρον ἀναβεβηκὼς πολλῷ πρότερον: ἐπεὶ καὶ αὐτὸς τούτων δὴ ἕνεκεν ἐς Βυζάντιον ἀφικόμενος ἔτυχεν ἔναγχος. [11] βασιλεὺς δὲ Ἰταλίας μὲν ἐπηγγέλλετο προνοήσειν αὐτὸς, ἀμφι δὲ τὰ Χριστιανῶν δόγματα ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον διατριβὴν εἶχεν, εὖ διαθέσθαι τὰ ἐν σφίσιν ἀντιλεγόμενα σπουδάζων τε καὶ διατεινόμενος μάλιστα. [12] Ταῦτα μὲν ἐν Βυζαντίῳ ἐπράσσετο. ἐτύγχανε δὲ Λαγγοβάρδης ἀνὴρ ἐς Γήπαιδας φεύγων ἐξ αἰτίας τοιᾶσδε. [13] ἡνίκα Λαγγοβαρδῶν Οὐάκης ἦρχεν, ἦν τίς οἱ ἀνεψιὸς Ῥισιοῦλφος ὄνομα. ὃν δὴ ὁ νόμος, ἐπειδὰν Οὐάκης τελευτήσειεν, ἐπὶ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἐκάλει. [14] προνοήσας οὖν Οὐάκης ὅπως εἰς τὸν παῖδα τὸν αὑτοῦ ἡ ἀρχὴ ἄγοιτο, ἔγκλημα Ῥισιούλφῳ ἐπενεγκὼν αἰτίαν οὐκ ἔχον φυγῇ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐζημίωσεν. [15] ὃς δὴ ἐξ ἠθῶν ἀναστὰς τῶν πατρίων ξὺν ὀλίγοις τισὶν ἐς τοὺς Οὐάρνους αὐτίκα φεύγει, παίδων οἱ ἀπολελειμμένων ἐνταῦθα δυοῖν. [16] χρήμασι δὲ Οὐάκης τοὺς βαρβάρους τούτους ἀνέπεισε τὸν Ῥισιοῦλφον κτεῖναι. τῶν δὲ Ῥισιούλφου παίδων ὁ μὲν εἷς ἐτελεύτησε νόσῳ, ὁ δὲ δὴ ἕτερος, Ἰλδίγης ὄνομα, ἐς Σκλαβηνοὺς φεύγει. [17] Οὐ πολλῷ μὲν οὖν ὕστερον ὁ μὲν Οὐάκης νοσήσας ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἠφάνιστο, ἐς δὲ Οὐάλδαρον, τὸν Οὐάκου υἱόν, ἡ Λαγγοβαρδῶν ἦλθεν ἀρχή. ᾧ δὴ παιδὶ κομιδῆ ὄντι ἐπίτροπος καταστὰς Αὐδουὶν τὴν ἀρχὴν διῳκεῖτο. [18] δυνάμει τε πολλῇ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ χρώμενος αὐτὸς τὴν ἀρχὴν οὐκ ἐς μακρὰν ἔσχε, τοῦ παιδὸς τούτου νόσῳ αὐτίκα ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀφανισθέντος. [19] ἡνίκα τοίνυν Γήπαισί τε καὶ Λαγγοβάρδαις ὁ πόλεμος κατέστη, ὥσπερ μοι εἴρηται, Ἰλδίγης εὐθὺς Λαγγοβαρδῶν τε τούς οἱ ἐπισπομένους καὶ Σκλαβηνῶν πολλοὺς ἐπαγαγόμενος ἐς Γήπαιδας ἦλθε, καὶ αὐτὸν Γήπαιδες κατάξειν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐλπίδα εἶχον. [20] γενομένων δὲ τῶν ἐν τῷ παρόντι πρὸς Λαγγοβάρδας σπονδῶν ἕνεκα ὁ μὲν Αυδουὶν τὸν Ἰλδίγην εὐθὺς ἅτε πρὸς φίλων ἐξῃτεῖτο Γηπαίδων, οἱ δὲ τὸν μὲν ἄνθρωπον ἐκδοῦναι οὐδαμῆ ἔγνωσαν, ἐκέλευον δὲ αὐτὸν ἐνθένδε ἀπαλλαγέντα ὅπῃ βούλοιτο διασώσασθαι. [21] καὶ ὃς μελλήσει οὐδεμιᾷ ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις καὶ Γηπαίδων τισὶν ἐθελουσίοις ἐς Σκλαβηνοὺς αὖθις ἀφίκετο. [22] ἔνθεν τε ἀναστὰς παρὰ Τουτίλαν τε καὶ Γότθους ᾔει, στράτευμα οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ ἐς ἑξακισχιλίους ξὺν αὑτῷ ἔχων, ἔς τε Βενετίας ἀφικόμενος Ῥωμαίοις τισὶν ὑπαντήσας, ὧν Λάζαρος ἡγεῖτο, ἐς χεῖρας ἦλθε, τρεψάμενός τε αὐτοὺς πολλοὺς ἔκτεινεν. οὐ μέντοι Γότθοις ξυνέμιξεν, ἀλλ̓ Ἴστρον ποταμὸν διαβὰς αὖθις ἐς Σκλαβηνοὺς ἀπεχώρησεν. [23] Ἐν ᾧ δὲ ταῦτα ἐπράσσετο τῇδε ᾗπέρ μοι εἴρηται, ἐν τούτῳ τῶν τ
ις Βελισαρίου δορυφόρων, Ἰνδοὺλφ ὄνομα, βάρβαρος γένος, θυμοειδής τε καὶ δραστήριος, ὃς δὴ ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ λειφθεὶς ἔτυχε, Τουτίλᾳ τε καὶ Γότθοις προσεχώρησεν οὐδενὶ λόγῳ. [24] καὶ αὐτὸν ὁ Τουτίλας εὐθὺς ξὺν στρατῷ πολλῷ καὶ ναυσὶν ἔπεμψεν ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ Δαλματίας χωρία. [25] ὃς δὴ ἐν χωρίῳ Μουικούρῳ καλουμένῳ γενόμενος, ὅπερ ἐπιθαλάσσιον ἄγχιστά πη Σαλώνων ἐστί, τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ξυνέμισγε τοῖς ταύτῃ ἀνθρώποις ἅτε Ῥωμαῖός τε ὢν καὶ Βελισαρίῳ προσήκων, ἔπειτα δὲ αὐτός τε τὸ ξίφος ἀράμενος καὶ τοῖς ἐπισπομένοις ἐγκελευσάμενος ἐξαπιναίως ἅπαντας ἔκτεινε. [26] ληϊσάμενός τε τὰ χρήματα πάντα ἐνθένδε ἀπιὼν ᾤχετο, ἐπέσκηψε δὲ ἄλλῳ ἐν τῇ παραλίᾳ κειμένῳ φρουρίῳ, ὅπερ Λαυρεάτην καλοῦσι Ῥωμαῖοι. [27] οὗ δὴ ἐπιβὰς τοὺς παραπεπτωκότας ἀνῄρει. Ἅπερ ἐπεὶ Κλαυδιανὸς ἔγνω, ὅσπερ τότε Σαλώνων ἦρχε, στράτευμα ἐπὶ τῶν καλουμένων δρομώνων ἐπ̓ αὐτὸν ἔπεμψεν. [28] οἳ δὴ ἐπεὶ ἐν Λαυρεάτῃ ἐγένοντο, τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐς χεῖρας ἦλθον. παρὰ πολύ τε ἡσσηθέντες τῇ μάχῃ ἔφυγον ὅπη ἑκάστῳ δυνατὰ γέγονε, τοὺς δρόμωνας ἐν τῷ λιμένι ἀπολιπόντες. οὗ δὴ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πλοῖα ἔμπλεα σίτου τε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιτηδείων ὄντα ἐτύγχανεν. [29] ἅπερ ἅπαντα Ἰνδούλφ τε καὶ Γότθοι ἑλόντες κτείναντές τε τοὺς ἐν ποσὶν ἅπαντας καὶ τὰ χρήματα ληϊσάμενοι παρὰ Τουτίλαν ἦλθον. [30] καὶ ὁ χειμὼν ἔληγε, καὶ τέταρτον καὶ δέκατον ἔτος ἐτελεύτα τῷ πολέμῳ τῷδε, ὃν Προκόπιος ξυνέγραψε.
XXXV
THE journey of Belisarius to Byzantium was an inglorious one; for five years he had not disembarked anywhere on the soil of Italy, nor had he succeeded in making a single inarch there by land, but he had been obliged to conceal himself by flight during this whole time, always sailing without interruption from one fortified coast-town to some other stronghold along the shore. As a result of this the enemy, having now little to fear, had enslaved Rome and everything else, practically speaking. It was on this occasion also that he abandoned Perusia, the leading city of Tuscany, though it was very closely besieged; indeed it was captured by storm while he was still on his way. After reaching Byzantium he took up a permanent residence there, having now amassed a great fortune and being greatly admired because of his earlier successes, just as the Deity had foretold to him by an unmistakable sign before he made the expedition to Libya.
Now the sign was as follows. Belisarius had an inherited property in the suburb of Byzantium which is called Panteichion, and is situated on the opposite mainland. On this property, shortly before the time when Belisanus was about to lead the Roman army against Gelimer and Libya, it so happened that his vines bore a great abundance of grapes.
And with the wine thus produced his servants had filled a great quantity of jars, which they placed in the wine-cellar, burying the lower part of them in the earth and smearing the upper part carefully with clay. But eight months later the wine in some jars, as it began to ferment, burst the clay with which each of them had been sealed; then it ran over the tops of the jars and, flowing copiously, covered the ground around with such a flood that it actually formed a great pool on the floor there. When the servants saw this, they were filled with amazement; and they were able to fill many amphoras from it, after which they again stopped up those same jars with clay and remained silent about the matter. But when they had seen this happen many times at about the same date, they did report the matter to their master, and he, for his part, gathered many of his friends there and displayed the phenomenon; whereupon they foretold that many blessings would fall upon that house, basing their conclusion upon this sign.
Such was the fortune of Belisarius. But Vigilius, the chief priest of Rome, together with the Italians who were in the city at that time (and there were many very notable men there), was giving the emperor no respite from his entreaty to stand forth with all his power as champion of Italy. But Justinian was influenced most of all by Gothigus, a man of patrician rank who had long before this time risen to the dignity of the consular office; for he, too, had recently come to Byzantium for this very purpose. Now although the emperor did promise to concern himself personally with Italy, still he was devoting his time for the most part to the doctrines of the Christians, seeking eagerly and with great determination to make a satisfactory settlement of the questions disputed among them.
Such was the situation in Byzantium. Meanwhile one of the Lombards had fled to the Gepaedes for the following reason. When Vaces was ruler of the Lombards, he had a nephew named Risiulfus, who, according to the law, would be called to the royal power whenever Vaces should die. So Vaces, seeking to make provision that the kingdom should be conferred upon his own son, brought an unjustified accusation against Risiulfus and penalized the man with banishment. He then departed from his home with a few friends and fled immediately to the Varni, leaving behind him two children. But Vaces bribed these barbarians to kill Risiulfus. As for the children of Risiulfus, one of them died of disease, while the other, Ildiges by name, fled to the Sclaveni.
Now not long after this Vaces fell sick and passed from the world, and the rule of the Lombards fell to Valdarus, the son of Vaces. But since he was very young, Audoum was appointed regent over him and administered the government. And since he possessed great power as a result of this, he himself seized the rule after no long time, the child having immediately passed from the world by a natural death. Now when the war arose between the Gepaedes and the Lombards, as already told, Ildiges went straight to the Gepaedes taking with him not only those of the Lombards who had followed him, but also many of the Sclaveni, and the Gepaedes were in hopes of restoring him to the kingdom. But on account of the treaty which had now been made with the Lombards, Audouin straightway requested the Gepaedes, as friends, to surrender Ildiges; they, however, refused absolutely to give up the man, but they did order him to depart from their country and save himself wherever he wished. He, then, without delay, took with him his followers and some volunteers of the Gepaedes and came back to the Sclaveni. And departing from there, he went to join Totila and the Goths, having with him an army of not less than six thousand men. Upon his arrival in Venetia, he encountered some Romans commanded by Lazarus, and engaging with them he routed the force and killed many. He did not, however, unite with the Goths, but recrossed the Ister River and withdrew once more to the Sclaveni.
While these events were taking place in the manner described, one of the guardsmen of Belisarius, Indulf by name and of barbarian birth, a passionate and energetic fellow, who had been left in Italy, went over to Totila and the Goths for no good reason. And Totila straightway sent him with a large army and a fleet to Dalmatia. So be came to the place called Mouicurum, which is a coast town situated very near Salones, and at first, being a Roman and a member of Belisarius’ suite, he mingled with the people of the town; then however he raised his own sword, urged his followers to do the same, and suddenly killed them all. Then, taking all the valuables as plunder, he departed from there and descended upon another fortress situated on the coast, which the Romans call Laureate. Here he entered the town and slew those who fell in his way.
When Claudian, who was commander of Salones at that time, learned this, he sent an army against
him on dromones, as they are called. And when this force reached Laureate, they engaged with the enemy. But they were overwhelmingly defeated in the battle and took to flight, wherever each man could, abandoning their ships in the harbour. And it so happened that the other boats were there laden with grain and other provisions. All these Indulf and the Goths captured, and, after killing all whom they met and making plunder of the valuables, they returned to Totila. And the winter drew to a close and the fourteenth year ended in this war, the history of which Procopius has written. [649 A.D.]
Μετὰ δὲ Τουτίλας ἅπαν ἐπὶ Ῥώμην τὸ στράτευμα ἦγε, καὶ ἐγκαθεζόμενος εἰς πολιορκίαν καθίστατο. ἐτύγχανε δὲ Βελισάριος τρισχιλίους ἀριστίνδην ἀπολεξάμενος, οὕσπερ ἐπὶ τῷ Ῥώμης φυλακτηρίῳ καταστησάμενος Διογένην αὐτοῖς ἄρχοντα, τῶν δορυφόρων τῶν αὑτοῦ ἕνα, ἐπέστησεν, ἄνδρα ξυνετόν τε διαφερόντως καὶ ἀγαθὸν τὰ πολέμια. [2] διὸ δὴ χρόνου μῆκος τῇ προσεδρείᾳ ταύτῃ ἐτρίβετο. οἵ τε γὰρ πολιορκούμενοι ἀρετῆς περιουσίᾳ πρὸς ἅπαντα τὸν Γότθων στρατὸν ἀξιόμαχοι ὄντες ἐφαίνοντο καὶ Διογένης ἔς τε τὸ ἀκριβὲς τῇ φυλακῇ ἐχρῆτο ὡς μή τις κακουργήσων ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος ἴοι καὶ πανταχόθι τῆς πόλεως σῖτον ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου σπείρας ἐνδεῖν σφίσι τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ὡς ἥκιστα ἐποίει. [3] πολλάκις δὲ οἱ βάρβαροι τειχομαχεῖν ἐγχειρήσαντες καὶ τοῦ περιβόλου ἀποπειράσασθαι ἀπεκρούσθησαν, ἀρετῇ σφᾶς ἀπωσαμένων ἐνθένδε Ῥωμαίων. τοῦ μέντοι Πόρτου κρατήσαντες Ῥώμην κατὰ κράτος ἐπολιόρκουν. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐφέρετο τῇδε. [4] Βασιλεὺς δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς ἐπειδὴ Βελισάριον ἐς Βυζάντιον ἥκοντα εἶδεν, ἄρχοντα πέμπειν ξὺν στρατῷ ἄλλον ἐπὶ Γότθους τε διενοεῖτο καὶ Τουτίλαν. [5] καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐπιτελῆ ταύτην δὴ ἐπεποιήκει τὴν ἔννοιαν, οἶμαι ἄν, Ῥώμης μὲν ἔτι ὑπ̓ αὐτῷ οὔσης, σεσωσμένων δέ οἱ τῶν ἐνταῦθα στρατιωτῶν καὶ τοῖς ἐκ Βυζαντίου ἐπιβεβοηθηκοσιν ἀναμίγνυσθαι δυναμένων, περιέσεσθαι τῶν ἐναντίων αὐτὸν τῷ πολέμῳ. [6] νῦν δὲ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα Λιβέριον ἀπολεξάμενος, ἄνδρα τῶν ἐκ Ῥώμης πατρικίων, ἐν παρασκευῇ ἐκέλευε γενέσθαι, μετὰ δὲ ἀσχολίας οἱ ἴσως ἐπιγενομένης ἑτέρας τινὸς τὴν προθυμίαν κατέπαυσε. [7] Χρόνου δὲ τῇ Ῥώμης πολιορκίᾳ τριβέντος πολλοῦ, τῶν τινὲς Ἰσαύρων, οἳ ἀμφὶ πύλην ἣ Παύλου τοῦ ἀποστόλου ἐπώνυμός ἐστι φυλακὴν εἶχον ῾ἅμα μὲν ἐπικαλοῦντες ἐνιαυτῶν πολλῶν οὐδὲν πρὸς βασιλέως σφίσι δεδόσθαι, ἅμα δὲ καὶ Ἰσαύρους ὁρῶντες τοὺς παραδόντας Ῥώμην τὰ πρότερα Γότθοις κεκομψευμένους ἐπὶ μεγάλων τινῶν χρημάτων ὄγκᾠ, Τουτίλᾳ λαθραιότατα ἐς λόγους ἐλθόντες ὡμολογησαν τὴν πόλιν ἐνδώσειν, [8] τακτή τε ξυνέκειτο ἡμέρα τῇ πράξει. καὶ ἐπεὶ παρῆν ἡ κυρία, Τουτίλας μηχανᾶται τοιάδε. ἐς ποταμὸν Τίβεριν ἐν πρώτῃ τῶν νυκτῶν φυλακῇ δύο πλοῖα μακρὰ καθῆκεν, ἄνδρας ἐνταῦθα χρῆσθαι ταῖς σάλπιγξιν ἐπισταμένους ἐνθέμενος. [9] οἷς δὴ ἐπέστελλε διὰ μὲν τοῦ Τιβέριδος ἐρέσσοντας ἐπίπροσθεν ἰέναι, ἐπειδὰν δὲ τοῦ περιβόλου ἄγχιστα ἥκωσι ταῖς σάλπιγξιν ἐνταῦθα ἠχεῖν δυνάμει τῇ πάσῃ. [10] αὐτὸς δὲ τὸν Γότθων στρατὸν ἄγχιστα πύλης τῆς εἰρημένης, ἣ Παύλου τοῦ ἀποστόλου ἐπώνυμός ἐστι, λανθάνων τοὺς πολεμίους ἐν παρασκευῇ εἶχε. [11] λογισάμενός τε ὡς ἤν τινες τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἅτε ἐν σκότῳ διαλαθόντες ἐκ τῆς πόλεως διαδρᾶναι οἷοί τε ὦσιν, ἴωσιν ἐς Κεντουκέλλας, ἐπεὶ ὀχύρωμα ἕτερον τῶν τῇδε χωρίων οὐδαμῆ σφίσιν ἐλέλειπτο, ἀνδρῶν μαχίμων ἐνέδραις τισὶ προλοχίζειν ἔγνω τὴν ἐνταῦθα ὁδὸν φέρουσαν, οἷς δὴ ἐπήγγελλε τοὺς φεύγοντας διαχρήσασθαι. [12] οἱ μὲν οὖν ἐν τοῖς πλοίοις ὄντες, ἐπεὶ τῆς πόλεως ἄγχι ἐγένοντο, ἐχρῶντο ἤδη κατὰ τὰ σφίσιν ἐπηγγελμένα ταῖς σάλπιγξι. [13] Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ καταπλαγέντες ἐς μέγα τε δέος καὶ θόρυβον καταστάντες ἐξαπιναίως ἀπολιπόντες οὐδενὶ λόγῳ τὰ σφέτερα φυλακτήρια ἐβοήθουν ἐνταῦθα δρόμῳ, τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ἐς τὸ ἐκείνῃ τεῖχος εἶναι οἰόμενοι. [14] μόνοι τε οἱ προδιδόντες Ἴσαυροι ἐπὶ τῇ αὐτῶν φυλακῇ μείναντες τάς τε πύλας κατ̓ ἐξουσίαν ἀνέῳγον καὶ τῇ πόλει τοὺς πολεμίους ἐδέξαντο. [15] καὶ πολὺς μὲν τῶν παραπεπτωκότων ἐνταῦθα γεγένηται φόνος, πολλοὶ δὲ φεύγοντες δἰ ἑτέρων πυλῶν ῳχοντο, οἱ δὲ τὴν ἐπὶ Κεντουκέλλας ἰόντες ὑπό τε τοῖς ἐνεδρεύουσι γενόμενοι διεφθάρησαν. ὀλίγοι μέντοι αὐτῶν διέφυγον μόλις, ἐν οἷς καὶ Διογένην πληγέντα φασὶ διασεσῶσθαι. [16] Ἦν δέ τις ἐν τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ Παῦλος μὲν ὄνομα, Κίλιξ δὲ γένος, ὃς τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἐφειστήκει τῇ Βελισαρίου οἰκίᾳ, ὕστερον δὲ καταλόγου ἱππικοῦ ἄρχων ἔς τε Ἰταλίαν ἐστράτευσε καὶ ξὺν τῷ Διογένει ἐπὶ τῷ Ῥώμης φυλακτηρίῳ ἐτέτακτο. [17] οὗτος ὁ Παῦλος, ἁλισκομένης τότε τῆς πόλεως, ξὺν ἱππεῦσι τετρακοσίοις ἔς τε τὸν Ἀδριανοῦ τάφον ἀνέδραμε καὶ τὴν γέφυραν ἔσχε τὴν ἐς Πέτρου τοῦ ἀποστόλου τὸν νεὼν φέρουσαν. [18] τοῦ δὲ Γότθων στρατοῦ, ὄρθρου τε ὄντος καὶ μέλλοντός τι ὑποφαίνειν ἡμέρας, τούτοις δὴ τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐς χεῖρας ἐλθόντος, ἐνταῦθα ἰσχυρότατα τοὺς πολεμίους ὑφιστάμενοι τὸ πλέον ἔσχον: τῶν τε βαρβάρων ἅτε πλήθους τε μεγάλου καὶ στενοχωρίας ἐν αὐτοῖς οὔσης πολλοὺς ἔκτειναν. [19] ὅπερ ἐπεὶ ὁ Τουτίλας εἶδε, κατέπαυσε μὲν αὐτίκα τὴν μάχην, Γότθους δὲ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀντικαθεζομένους ἡσυχάζειν ἐκέλευεν, οἰόμενος λιμῷ τοὺς ἄνδρας αἱρήσειν. [20] ταύτην μὲν οὖν τὴν ἡμέραν Παῦλός τε κ�
�ὶ οἱ τετρακόσιοι ἀπόσιτοι διαγεγόνασι, τήν τε νύκτα οὕτως ηὐλίσαντο: τῇ δὲ ἐπιγενομένῃ ἐβουλεύσαντο μὲν σιτίζεσθαι τῶν ἵππων τισίν, ὄκνησις δὲ αὐτοὺς τῷ τῆς ἐδωδῆς οὐ ξυνειθισμένῳ διεκρούσατο μέχρι ἐς δείλην ὀψίαν, καίπερ πιεζομένους τῶ λιμῷ ἐς τὰ μάλιστα. [21] τότε δὲ πολλὰ λογισάμενοι ἐν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἀλλήλους ἐς εὐτολμίαν παρακαλέσαντες, ἐβουλεύσαντο ἄμεινον σφίσιν εἶναι εὐπρεπεῖ θανάτῳ αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα καταλῦσαι τὸν βίον. [22] ὁρμῆσαι μὲν γὰρ ἔγνωσαν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου κτεῖναι δὲ αὐτῶν ὅσους ἂν ἑκάστῳ δυνατὰ εἴη οὕτω τε ἀνδρείως τῆς τελευτῆς τυχεῖν ἅπαντες. [23] ἀλλήλους τοίνυν ἐξαπιναίως περιπλακέντες καὶ τῶν προσώπων καταφιλήσαντες τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ ἠσπάζοντο, ὡς ἀπολούμενοι εὐθὺς ἅπαντες. [24] Ὅπερ κατανοήσας ὁ Τουτίλας ἔδεισε μὴ θανατῶντες ἄνθρωποι καὶ σωτηρίας πέρι ἐλπίδα οὐδεμίαν τὸ λοιπὸν ἔχοντες ἀνήκεστα ἔργα Γότθους δράσωσι. [25] πέμψας οὖν παῤ αὐτοὺς δυοῖν προὐτείνετο αὐτοῖς αἵρεσιν, ὅπως ἢ τοὺς ἵππους ἀφέντες ἐνταῦθα καὶ τὰ ὅπλα καταθέμενοι, ἀπομόσαντές τε μηκέτι ἐπὶ Γότθους στρατεύεσθαι, κακῶν ἀπαθεῖς ἐς Βυζάντιον ἀπαλλάσσωνται, ἢ τὰ σφέτερα αὐτῶν ἔχοντες ἐπὶ τῇ ἴσῃ καὶ ὁμοίᾳ Γότθοις τὸ λοιπὸν ξυστρατεύσωοι. [26] τούτους Ῥωμαῖοι τοὺς λόγους ἄσμενοι ἤκουσαν. καὶ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ Βυζάντιον εἵλοντο ἅπαντες, ἔπειτα δὲ πεζοὶ μὲν ποιεῖσθαι καὶ ἄνοπλοι τὴν ἀναχώρησιν αἰσχυνόμενοι, δειμαίνοντες δὲ μή τισιν ἐνέδραις ἐν τῇ ἀποπορείᾳ περιπεπτωκότες διαφθαρεῖεν, ἅμα δὲ καὶ μεμφόμενοι, ὅτι δὴ σφίσι χρόνου τὰς συντάξεις πολλοῦ τὸ Ῥωμαίων δημόσιον ὤφειλεν, ἅπαντες ἐθελούσιοι τῷ Γότθων στρατῷ ἀνεμίγνυντο, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι Παῦλός τε καὶ τῶν τις Ἰσαύρων, Μίνδης ὄνομα, Τουτίλᾳ ἐς ὄψιν ἐλθόντες ἐς Βυζάντιον σφᾶς ἐδέοντο στεῖλαι. [27] παῖδάς τε γὰρ καὶ γυναῖκας σφίσιν ἐν γῇ τῇ πατρῴᾳ ἔφασκον εἶναι, ὧνπερ χωρὶς βιοτεύειν οὐχ οἷοί τε εἶναι. [28] οὕσπερ ὁ Τουτίλας ἅτε ἀληθιζομένους ἀποδεξάμενος, ἐφοδίοις τε δωρησάμενος καὶ παραπομποὺς ξυμπέμψας ἀφῆκε. καὶ ἄλλοι μέντοι τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ, ὅσοι καταφυγόντες ἐς τὰ τῆς πόλεως ἱερὰ ἔτυχον, ἐς τριακοσίους ὄντες, τὰ πιστὰ λαβόντες Τουτίλᾳ προσεχώρησαν. [29] Ῥώμην δὲ οὔτε καθελεῖν οὔτε ἀπολιπεῖν τὸ λοιπὸν Τουτίλας ἤθελεν, ἀλλὰ Γότθους τε καὶ Ῥωμαίους τοὺς ἐκ τῆς συγκλήτου βουλῆς καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας ξυνοικίζειν ἐνταῦθα ἔγνω ἐξ αἰτίας τοιᾶσδε.
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius Page 499