Delphi Complete Works of Procopius

by Procopius of Caesarea

  XXXIX

  After this the Goths assaulted the fortress of Rhegium, but the besieged continued to defend themselves very vigorously and so repulsed them, and Thurimuth was always conspicuous for the deeds of heroism which he performed in fighting them. But Totila discovered that the besieged were in want of provisions, and so he contented himself with leaving a portion of his army there to keep guard, in order, of course, that the enemy might not carry in anything thereafter, but might be compelled by lack of necessities to surrender themselves and the fortress to the Goths; he himself meanwhile crossed over to Sicily with the rest of the army and delivered an attack on the wall of Messana. And Domnentiolus, the nephew of Buzes, who was in command of the Romans there, encountered him before the fortifications, and in the engagement which followed he was not unsuccessful. But he went back into the city and remained quiet, attending to the guarding of the place. The Goths, however, since no one came out against them, plundered practically the whole of Sicily. And the Romans besieged in Rhegium, commanded by Thurimuth and Himerius, as I have said, seeing their provisions had failed completely, came to terms and surrendered themselves and the fortress to the enemy.

  When the emperor heard of these things, he gathered a fleet and embarked on these ships a very considerable army formed from infantry detachments, and appointing Liberius commander over them, ordered him to sail with all speed for Sicily, and to put forth all his power to save the island. But he very speedily repented having appointed Liberius commander of the fleet; for he was an extremely old man and without experience in deeds of war. Then he absolved Artabanes from all the charges against him, and appointing him General of the forces in Thrace straightway sent him to Sicily, providing him with an army of no great size but instructing him to take over the fleet commanded by Liberius, since he was summoning Liberius to Byzantium. But as commander-in-chief in the war against Totila and the Goths he appointed Germanus, his own nephew. To him he gave an army of no great size, but he provided him with a considerable amount of money and directed him to gather a very formidable army from Thrace and lllyricum and then to set forth with great speed for Italy. And he further instructed him to take with him to Italy both Philemuth the Erulian with his troops and his own son-in-law John the nephew of Vitalian; for John, as General of the forces in Illyricum, was stationed there.

  Then a great ambition took possession of Germanus to achieve for himself the overthrow of the Goths, in order that it might be his fortune to recover for the Roman empire both Libya and Italy. For in the case of Libya, at any rate, he had been sent there by the emperor at the time when Stotzas had established his tyranny and was already holding the power of Libya most securely, and he had exceeded all expectations by defeating the rebels in battle, put an end to the tyranny, and once more recovered Libya for the Roman empire, as I have recounted in the preceding narrative. And now that the affairs of Italy had come to such a pass as I have just described, he naturally wished to win for himself great glory in that field, by showing himself able to recover this too for the emperor. Now his first move, made possible by the fact that his wife, who was named Passara, had died long before, was to marry Matasuntha, the daughter of Amalasuntha and granddaughter of Theoderic, since Vittigis had already passed from the world. For he cherished the hope that, if the woman should be with him in the army, the Goths would probably be ashamed to take up arms against her, calling to mind the rule of Theoderic and Atalaric. Then, by expending great sums of money, part of which was provided by the emperor, but most of which he furnished unstintingly from his own resources, he easily succeeded, contrary to expectation, in raising a great army of very warlike men in a short space of time. For among the Romans, on the one hand, the experienced fighters in many cases ignored the officers to whom they belonged as spearmen and guards and followed Germanus; these came not only from Byzantium, but also from the towns of Thrace and lllyricum as well, his sons Justinus and Justinian having displayed great zeal in this matter — for he had taken them also on his departure. He also enrolled some from the cavalry detachments which were stationed in Thrace, with the emperor’s permission. The barbarians also, on the other hand, who had their homes near the Ister River kept coming in great numbers, attracted by the fame of Germanus, and, upon receiving large sums of money, these mingled with the Roman army. And other barbarians too kept flocking to his standard, collected from the whole world. Furthermore, the ruler of the Lombards made ready a thousand heavy-armed soldiers and promised to send them right speedily.

  When these things were reported in Italy, with such additions as rumour customarily makes as it spreads among men, the Goths were both frightened and perplexed at the same time, being faced, as they were, with the necessity of making war upon the race of Theoderic. But those Roman soldiers who chanced to be fighting unwillingly in the ranks of the Goths sent a messenger to Germanus with orders to state to him that, as soon as they should see him arrived in Italy and his army actually encamped, they too without any hesitation would certainly array themselves with his troops. All these things brought fresh courage to the detachments of the emperor’s army in Ravenna and whatever other cities chanced to be left in their hands, and being now filled with the highest hopes they were determined to guard the towns rigorously for the emperor. Nay, more, all those who under Verus or other commanders had previously engaged with the enemy and had escaped after being defeated in battle by their opponents, and were now dispersed and wandering about, each man wherever chance led him, all these, as soon as they heard that Germanus was on the way, gathered in a body in Istria, and there remained quiet, awaiting this army. Just at this time Totila sent to Centumcellae (for the time agreed upon by him and Diogenes as touching this town had arrived), and commanded Diogenes to surrender the city in accordance with the agreement. Diogenes, however, said that he personally no longer had authority to do this; for he had heard that Germanus had been appointed commander-in chief to carry on that war, and was not far away with his army. And he added that, in regard to the hostages, it was his desire to receive back, on the one hand, their own, and, on the other, to return those furnished by the Goths. Then, after dismissing the messengers, he turned his attention to the defence of the city, expecting Germanus and the army with him. Such was the course of these events; and the winter drew to its close, and the fifteenth year ended in this war, the history of which Procopius has written. [ a d.]

  Γερμανοῦ δὲ τὸ στράτευμα ἐν Σαρδικῇ, τῇ Ἰλλυριῶν πόλει, ἀγείραντός τε καὶ διέποντος, ἅπαντά τε ἰσχυρότατα ἐξαρτυομένου τὰ ἐς τὴν τοῦ πολέμου παρασκευήν, Σκλαβηνῶν ὅμιλος ὅσος οὔπω πρότερον ἀφίκετο ἐς Ῥωμαίων τὴν γῆν: Ἴστρον τε ποταμὸν διαβάντες ἀμφὶ Νάϊσον ἦλθον. [2] ὧν δὴ ὀλίγους τινὰς ἀποσκεδασθέντας μὲν τοῦ στρατοπέδου, πλανωμένους δὲ καὶ κατὰ μόνας περιιόντας τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία τῶν τινὲς Ῥωμαίων καταλαβόντες τε καὶ ξυνδήσαντες ἀνεπυνθάνοντο ὅτου δὴ ἕνεκα οὗτος δὴ ὁ τῶν Σκλαβηνῶν στρατὸς καὶ ὅ τι κατεργασόμενοι διέβησαν ποταμὸν Ἴστρον. [3] οἱ δὲ ἰσχυρίσαντο ὡς Θεσσαλονίκην τε αὐτὴν καὶ πόλεις τὰς ἀμφ̓ αὐτὴν πολιορκίᾳ ἐξαιρήσοντες ἥκοιεν. ἅπερ ἐπεὶ βασιλεὺς ἤκουσεν, ἄγαν τε ξυνεταράχθη καὶ πρὸς Γερμανὸν εὐθὺς ἔγραψεν, ὁδὸν μὲν ἐν τῷ παραυτίκα τὴν ἐπὶ Ἰταλίαν ἀναβαλέσθαι, Θεσσαλονίκῃ δὲ καὶ πόλεσι ταῖς ἄλλαις ἀμῦναι, καὶ τὴν Σκλαβηνῶν ἔφοδον ὅση δύναμις ἀποκρούσασθαι. καὶ Γερμανὸς μὲν ἀμφὶ ταῦτα διατρι�
�ὴν εἶχε. [4] Σκλαβηνοὶ δὲ γνόντες διαρρήδην πρὸς τῶν αἰχμαλώτων Γερμανὸν ἐν Σαρδικῇ εἶναι ἐς δέος ἦλθον: [5] μέγα γὰρ ὄνομα ἐς τούτους δὴ τοὺς βαρβάρους ὁ Γερμανὸς εἶχεν ἐξ αἰτίας τοιᾶσδε. ἡνίκα Ἰουστινιανὸς ὁ Γερμανοῦ θεῖος τὴν βασι: λείαν εἷχεν, Ἄνται, οἳ Σκλαβηνῶν ἄγχιστα ᾤκηνται, Ἴστρον ποταμὸν διαβάντες στρατῷ μεγάλῳ ἐσέβαλον ἐς Ῥωμαίων τὴν γῆν. [6] ἐτύγχανε δὲ Γερμανὸν βασιλεὺς Θρᾴκης ὅλης στρατηγὸν καταστησάμενος οὐ πολλῷ πρότερον. ὃς δὴ ἐς χεῖρας ἐλθὼν τῷ τῶν πολεμίων στρατῷ κατὰ κράτος τε μάχῃ νικήσας σχεδόν τι ἅπαντας ἔκτεινε, κλέος τε μέγα ἐκ τοῦ ἔργου τούτου ό Γερμανὸς ἐς πάντας ἀνθρώπους καὶ διαφερόντως ἐς τούτους δὴ τοὺς βαρβάρους περιεβάλετο. [7] δειμαίνοντες οὖν αὐτόν, ὥσπερ μοι εἴρηται, Σκλαβηνοί, ἅμα δὲ καὶ δύναμιν ἀξιολογωτάτην αὐτὸν ἐπάγεσθαι οἰόμενοι ἅτε πρὸς βασιλέως στελλόμενον ἐπὶ Τουτίλαν τε καὶ Γότθους, ὁδοῦ μὲν εὐθὺς τῆς ἐπὶ Θεσσαλονίκην ἀπέσχοντο, ἐς δὲ τὸ πεδίον καταβῆναι οὐκέτι ἐτόλμων, ἀλλὰ ξύμπαντα τὰ ὄρη τὰ Ἰλλυριῶν διαμείψαντες ἐν Δαλματίᾳ ἐγένοντο. [8] ὧν δὴ ὁ Γερμανὸς ἀφροντιστήσας πάσῃ ἐπήγγελλε τῇ στρατιᾷ ξυσκευάζεσθαι, ὡς ἡμέραιν δυοῖν ὕστερον ὁδοῦ ἐνθένδε τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἀρξόμενος. [9] Ἀλλά τις αὐτῷ ξυνέπεσε τύχη νοσήσαντι ἐξαπιναίως τὸν βίον διαμετρήσασθαι. εὐθυωρόν τε ὁ Γερμανὸς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἠφάνιστο, ἀνὴρ ἀνδρεῖός τε καὶ δραστήριος ἐς τὰ μάλιστα, ἐν μὲν τῷ πολέμῳ στρατηγός τε ἄριστος καὶ αὐτουργὸς δεξιός, ἐν δὲ εἰρήνῃ καὶ ἀγαθοῖς πράγμασι τά τε νόμιμα καὶ τὸν τῆς πολιτείας κόσμον βεβαιότατα φυλάσσειν ἐξεπιστάμενος, δικάσας μὲν ὀρθότατα πάντων μάλιστα, χρήματα δὲ τοῖς δεομένοις ἅπασι δεδανεικὼς μεγάλα καὶ τόκον οὐδ̓ ὅσον λόγῳ κεκομισμένος πρὸς αὐτῶν πώποτε, ἐν Παλατίῳ μὲν καὶ τῇ ἀγορᾷ ἐμβριθέστατός τε καὶ σοβαρὸς ἄγαν, ἑστιάτωρ δὲ καθ̓ ἡμέραν οἴκοι ἡδύς τε καὶ ἐλευθέριος καὶ ἐπίχαρις, οὐδέ τι ἐν Παλατίῳ ἁμαρτάνεσθαι παρὰ τὰ εἰωθότα ὅση δύναμις ξυγχωρῶν, οὐδὲ στασιώταις τοῖς ἐν Βυζαντίῳ τῆς βουλήσεως ἢ τῆς ὁμιλίας μεταλαχὼν πώποτε, καίπερ καὶ τῶν ἐν δυνάμει πολλῶν ἐς τοῦτο ἀτοπίας ἐληλακότων. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τῇδε κεχώρηκε. [10] Βασιλεὺς δὲ τοῖς ξυμπεσοῦσι περιώδυνος γεγονὼς Ἰωάννην ἐκέλευε, τὸν Βιταλιανοῦ μὲν ἀδελφιδοῦν. Γερμανοῦ δὲ γαμβρόν, ξὺν Ἰουστινιανῷ θατέρῳ τοῖν Γερμανοῦ παίδοιν τῷ στρατῷ τούτῳ ἐς τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἡγήσασθαι. [11] καὶ οἱ μὲν τὴν ἐπὶ Δαλματίας ᾔεσαν, ὡς ἐν Σάλωσι διαχειμάσοντες, ἐπεὶ ἀδύνατα σφίσιν ᾤοντο εἶναι τηνικάδε τοῦ καιροῦ περιιοῦσι τὴν τοῦ κόλπου περίοδον ἐς Ἰταλίαν κομίζεσθαι: διαπορθμεύεσθαι γὰρ νηῶν σφίσιν οὐ παρουσῶν ἀμήχανα ἦν. [12] Λιβέριος δέ, οὔπω τι πεπυσμένος ὧνπερ βασιλεῖ ἀμφὶ τῷ στόλῳ τούτῳ μετέμελε, Συρακούσαις προσέσχε πολιορκουμέναις πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων. [13] βιασάμενός τε τοὺς ταύτῃ βαρβάρους ἔς τε τὸν λιμένα κατῆρε καὶ παντὶ τῷ στόλῳ ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου ἐγένετο. καὶ [14] Ἀρταβάνης δὲ οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον ἐν Κεφαλωνίᾳ γενόμενος, ἐπειδὴ τοὺς ἀμφὶ Λιβέριον ἤδη ἐνθένδε ἀναχθέντας ἐπὶ Σικελίας κεχωρηκέναι ἔγνω, ἄρας ἐνθένδε πέλαγος αὐτίκα τὸ Ἀδριατικὸν καλούμενον διέβη. [15] ἐπεὶ δὲ Καλαβρῶν ἀγχοῦ ἐγένετο, χειμῶνός οἱ ἐξαισίου ἐπιπεσόντος καὶ τοῦ πνεύματος σκληροῦ τε ὑπεράγαν ὄντος καὶ ἀπ̓ ἐναντίας σφίσιν ἰόντος, οὕτως ἁπάσας διασκεδάννυσθαι τὰς ναῦς ξυνηνέχθη, ὡς δοκεῖν ὅτι δὴ αἱ πολλαὶ ἐς τὴν Καλαβρίαν ἐξενεχθεῖσαι ὑπὸ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐγένοντο. [16] οὐκ ἦν δὲ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τοῦ πνεύματος ξὺν βίᾳ πολλῇ διωθούμεναι ἀνέστρεφόν τε βιαζόμεναι ὑπερφυῶς καὶ αὖθις ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ ἐγένοντο. καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις δέ, ὅπη παρατύχῃ, ἢ διεφθάρθαι ἢ διασεσῶσθαι τετύχηκε. [17] ναῦς δὲ μία, ἐν ᾗ ἔπλει Ἀρταβάνης αὐτός, τοῦ ἱστοῦ οἱ ἐν τῷ σάλῳ τούτῳ ἀποκοπέντος, ἐς τοσόνδε κινδύνου ἐλθοῦσα, πρός τε τοῦ ῥοθίου φερομένη καὶ τῷ κλύδωνι ἐπισπομένη Μελίτῃ προσέσχε τῇ νήσῳ. οὕτω μὲν Ἀρταβάνην διασεσῶσθαι ἐκ τοῦ ἀπροσδοκήτου ξυνέπεσε. [18] Λιβέριος δὲ οὔτε τοῖς πολιορκοῦσιν ἐπεξιέναι ἢ μάχῃ πρὸς αὐτοὺς οἷός τε ὢν διακρίνεσθαι, καὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων σφίσιν ἅτε πολλοῖς οὖσιν ἐς πλείω χρόνον οὐδαμῆ διαρκούντων, ἄρας ἐνθένδε ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις καὶ τοὺς πολεμίους λαθὼν ἐς Πάνορμον ἀπεχώρησε. [19] Τουτίλας δὲ καὶ Γότθοι σχεδόν τι ἅπαντα ληϊσάμενοι τὰ ἐπὶ Σικελίας χωρία ἵππων μὲν ἐπαγόμενοι καὶ ζῴων ἄλλων μέγα τι χρῆμα, σῖτον δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους καρποὺς ἅπαντας ἐκ τῆς νήσου μετενεγκόντες καὶ πάντα τὰ χρήματα, μεγάλα κομιδῆ ὄντα, ἐν τοῖς πλοίοις ἐνθέμενοι, τήν τε νῆσον ἐξαπιναίως ἐξέλιπον καὶ ἐς τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἀνέστρεφον, τρόπῳ ὁρμώμενοι τοιῷδε. [20] τῶν τινὰ Ῥωμαίων, Σπῖνον ὄνομα, ἐκ Σπολιτίου ὁρμώμενόν οἱ αὐτῷ πάρεδρον οὐ πολλῷ πρότερον καταστησάμενος Τουτίλας ἔτυχεν. [21] οὗτος ἀνὴρ ἐν πόλει Κατάνῃ, ἀτειχίστῳ οὔσῃ, διατριβὴν εἶχε. τύχη τέ τις αὐτῷ ξυνέβη ὑπὸ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐνταῦθα γενέσθαι. [22] ὃν δὴ ῥύεσθαι ὁ Τουτίλας ἐπειγόμενος τῶν τινὰ ἐπιφανῶν γυναῖκα, αἰχμάλωτον οὖσαν, ἀφεῖναι Ῥωμαίοις ἀντ̓ αὐτοῦ ἤθελε. [23] γυναῖκα δὲ Ῥωμαῖο�
� οὐδαμῆ ἐδικαίουν ἀνταλλάξασθαι ἀνδρὸς τὴν τοῦ καλουμένου κοιαίστωρος ἀρχὴν ἔχοντος. [24] δείσας οὖν ὁ ἀνὴρ μὴ παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις διαφθαρείη, ὡμολόγησε Ῥωμαίοις αυτ̣̣̔̓κα Τουτίλαν ἀναπείσειν Σικελίας μὲν ἀπανίστασθαι, παντὶ δὲ τῷ Γότθων στρατῷ ἐς Ἰταλίαν διαπορθμεύσασθαι. [25] καὶ οἱ μὲν ὅρκοις αὐτὸν σφίσιν ἀμφὶ ταύτῃ τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ καταληφθέντα Γότθοις ἀπέσοσαν, ἀντ̓ αὐτοῦ τὴν γυναῖκα κεκομισμένοι. [26] ὁ δὲ Τουτίλᾳ ἐς ὄψιν ἥκων οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ σφετέρῳ ξυμφόρῳ Γότθους ἔφασκε Σικελίαν ληϊσαμένους σχεδόν τι ὅλην ὀλίγων τινῶν φρουρίων διατριβὴν ἐνταῦθα ἔχειν. [27] ἔναγχος γὰρ ἰσχυρίζετο ἀκηκοέναι, ἡνίκα παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐτύγχανεν ὤν, Γερμανὸν μὲν τὸν βασιλέως ἀνεψιὸν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀφανισθῆναι, Ἰωάννην δὲ τὸν αὐτοῦ κηδεστὴν καὶ Ἰουστινιανὸν τὸν αὐτοῦ παῖδα παντὶ τῷ πρὸς Γερμανοῦ συλλεγέντι στρατῷ εἶναι μὲν ἤδη ἐν Δαλματίᾳ, εὐθὺ δὲ Λιγουρίας αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα ξυσκευαζομένους ἐνθένδε χωρήσειν, ἐφ̓ ᾧ δὴ Γότθων ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς παῖδάς τε καὶ γυναῖκας ἀνδραποδίσουσι καὶ χρήματα ληΐσονται πάντα, οἷσπερ ἡμᾶς ὑπαντιάζειν ἄμεινον ἂν εἴη ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ ξὺν τοῖς οἰκείοις διαχειμάζοντας. [28] ἢν γὰρ ἐκείνων περιεσόμεθα, Σικελίας αὖθις ἅμα ἦρι ἀρχομένῳ παρέσται ἡμῖν ἀδεέστερον ἐπιβήσεσθαι πολέμιον οὐδὲν ἐν νῷ ἔχουσι. [29] ταύτῃ ὁ Τουτίλας τῇ ὑποθήκῃ ἀναπεισθεὶς φρουροὺς μὲν ἐν ὀχυρώμασι τέτρασιν εἴασεν, αὐτὸς δὲ ξύμπασαν τὴν λείαν ἐπαγόμενος παντὶ τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ ἐς Ἰταλίαν διεπορθμεύσατο. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐπράσσετο τῇδε. [30] Ἰωάννης δὲ καὶ ὁ βασιλέως στρατὸς ἀφικόμενοι ἐς Δαλματίαν ἐν Σάλωσι διαχειμάζειν ἔγνωσαν, ἐνθένδε μετὰ τὴν τοῦ χειμῶνος ὥραν εὐθὺ Ῥαβέννης ὁδῷ ἰέναι διανοούμενοι. [31] Σκλαβηνοὶ δέ, οἵ τε τὰ πρότερα ἐν γῇ τῇ βασιλέως γενόμενοι, ὥσπερ μοι ἔναγχος δεδιήγηται, καὶ ἄλλοι οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον Ἴστρον ποταμὸν διαβάντες καὶ τοῖς προτέροις ἀναμιχθέντες, κατέθεον ἐν πολλῇ ἐξουσίᾳ τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχήν. [32] καί τινες μὲν ἐν ὑποψίᾳ εἶχον ὡς Τουτίλας τούτους δὴ τοὺς βαρβάρους χρήμασι πολλοῖς ἀναπείσας ἐπιπέμψειε τοῖς ταύτῃ Ῥωμαίοις, ὅπως δὴ βασιλεῖ ἀδύνατα εἴη τὸν πρὸς Γότθους πόλεμον ἀσχολίᾳ τῇ ἐς τούτους δὴ τοὺς βαρβάρους εὖ διοικήσασθαι. [33] εἴτε δὲ Τουτίλᾳ χαριζόμενοι εἴτε ἄκλητοι Σκλαβηνοὶ ἐνταῦθα ἦλθον οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν. ἐς τρία μέντοι τέλη σφᾶς αὐτοὺς διελόντες οἱ βάρβαροι οὗτοι ἀνήκεστα ἐν Εὐρώπῃ τῇ ὅλῃ ἔργα εἰργάσαντο, οὐκ ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς ληϊζόμενοι τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία, ἀλλ̓ ὥσπερ ἐν χώρᾳ οἰκείᾳ διαχειμάζοντες οὐδέν τε δεδιότες πολέμιον. [34] ὕστερον δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς στρατιὰν ἀξιολογωτάτην ἐπ̓ αὐτοὺς ἔπεμψεν, ἧς ἄλλοι τε καὶ Κωνσταντιανὸς καὶ Ἀράτιος καὶ Ναζάρης ἡγοῦντο καὶ Ἰουστῖνος ὁ Γερμανοῦ παῖς καὶ Ἰωάννης, ὅνπερ ἐπίκλησιν ἐκάλουν Φαγᾶν. [35] ἐπιστάτην δὲ Σχολαστικὸν ἐφ̓ ἅπασι κατεστήσατο, τῶν ἐν Παλατίῳ εὐνούχων ἕνα. [36] Οὗτος ὁ στρατὸς μοῖραν τῶν βαρβάρων καταλαμβάνουσιν ἀμφὶ Ἀδριανούπολιν, ἥπερ ἐπὶ Θράκης ἐν μεσογείοις κεῖται, πέντε ἡμερῶν ὁδὸν Βυζαντίου διέχουσα. [37] καὶ πρόσω μὲν χωρεῖν οἱ βάρβαροι οὐκέτι εἶχον: λείαν γὰρ ἐπήγοντο ἀνθρωπων τε καὶ ζῴων ἄλλων καὶ πάντων χρημάτων ἀριθμοῦ κρείσσονα. [38] μένοντες δὲ αὐτοῦ ἠπείγοντο τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐς χεῖρας ἰέναι, τούτου δὴ αὐτοῖς αἴσθησιν ὡς ἥκιστα παρεχόμενοι. καὶ οἱ μὲν Σκλαβηνοὶ ἐστρατοπεδεύοντο ἐς τὸ ὄρος ὃ ταύτῃ ἀνέχει, Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ οὐ πολλῷ ἄποθεν. [39] χρόνου δὲ σφίσιν ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ προσεδρείᾳ τριβομένου συχνοῦ ἤσχαλλόν τε οἱ στρατιῶται καὶ δεινὰ ἐποιοῦντο, τοῖς στρατηγοῖς ἐπικαλοῦντες ὅτι δὴ αὐτοὶ τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ξύμπαντα εὔπορα ἔχοντες ἅτε τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἄρχοντες τοὺς στρατιώτας περιορῶσι τῶν ἀναγκαίων τῇ ἀπορίᾳ πιεζομένους καὶ οὐ βούλονται τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐς χεῖρας ἰέναι. [40] οἶς δὴ οἱ στρατηγοὶ ἀναγκασθέντες τοῖς ἐναντίοις ξυνέμιξαν. καὶ γίνεται μὲν καρτερὰ μάχη, ἡσσῶνται δὲ κατὰ κράτος Ῥωμαῖοι. [41] ἔνθα δὴ στρατιῶται μὲν πολλοί τε καὶ ἄριστοι θνήσκουσιν, οἱ δὲ στρατηγοὶ παῤ ὀλίγον ἐλθόντες ὑπὸ τοῖς πολεμίοις γενέσθαι ξὺν τοῖς καταλοίποις μόλις διαφυγόντες ἐσώθησαν, [42] ὥς πη ἑκάστῳ δυνατὰ γέγονε. καὶ Κωνσταντιανοῦ δὲ τὸ σημεῖον οἱ βάρβαροι εἷλον, τοῦ τε Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἐς ὀλιγωρίαν τραπόμενοι πρόσω ἐχώρουν. [43] καὶ χώραν τὴν Ἀστικὴν καλουμένην ἐληΐζοντο κατ̓ ἐξουσίαν, ἀδῄωτον ἐκ παλαιοῦ οὖσαν, καὶ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ λείαν αὐτοὺς πολλήν τινα ἐνταῦθα εὑρεῖν ξυνηνέχθη: οὕτω δὲ χώραν πολλὴν ληϊζόμενοι ἄχρι ἐς τὰ μακρὰ τείχη ἀφίκοντο, ἅπερ ὀλίγῳ πλέον ἢ ἡμέρας ὁδὸν Βυζαντίου διέχει. [44] οὐ πολλῷ δὲ ὕστερον ὁ Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς τούτοις δὴ ἐπισπόμενοι τοῖς βαρβάροις, μοίρᾳ τε αὐτῶν ἐντυχόντες τινὶ καὶ ἐξαπιναίως ἐς χεῖρας ἐλθόντες ἐτρέψαντο. [45] καὶ τῶν μὲν πολεμίων πολλοὺς ἔκτειναν, Ῥωμαίων δὲ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων μέγα τι διεσώσαντο χρῆμα, τό τε Κωνσταντιανοῦ σημεῖον εὑρόντες ἀνείλοντο. οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ βάρβαροι ξὺν τῇ ἄλλῃ λείᾳ ἐπ̓ οἴκου ἀπεκομίσθησαν.