This people a short time ago (when, namely, the Emperor Justinian was in the twenty-first year of his reign) sent four envoys to Byzantium, begging him to give them a bishop; for the one who had been their priest had died not long before and they had learned that the emperor had actually sent a priest to the Abasgi; and the Emperor Justinian very willingly complied with their request before dismissing them. Now these envoys were moved by fear of the Utigur Huns in making the public declaration of the object of their coming — for there were many who heard their speeches — and so they made no statement whatever to the emperor openly except regarding the matter of the priest, but meeting him with the greatest possible secrecy, they declared everything, shewing how it would benefit the Roman empire if the barbarians who were their neighbours should be always on hostile terms with one another. Now as to the manner in which the Tetraxitae settled there and whence they migrated, I shall now proceed to tell.
Πάλαι μὲν Οὔννων, τῶν τότε Κιμμερίων καλουμένων, πολύς τις ὅμιλος τὰ χωρία ταῦτα ἐνέμοντο ὧν ἄρτι ἐμνήσθην, βασιλεύς τε εἷς ἅπασιν ἐφειστήκει. [2] καί ποτέ τις αὐτῶν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔσχεν, ᾧ δὴ παῖδες ἐγένοντο δύο, ἅτερος μὲν Οὐτιγοὺρ ὄνομα, Κουτριγοὺρ δὲ ὁ ἕτερος. [3] οἵπερ, ἐπειδὴ αὐτοῖν ὁ πατὴρ τὸν βίον συνεμετρήσατο, τήν τε ἀρχὴν ἄμφω ἐν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς διεδάσαντο καὶ τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν τοῖς ἀρχομένοις αὐτοῖς ἔδοσαν: [4] οἱ μὲν γὰρ Οὐτίγουροι, οἱ δὲ Κουτρίγουροι καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ ὀνομάζονται. οὗτοι μὲν ἅπαντες τῇδε ᾤκηντο, κοινὰ μὲν τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα ξύμπαντα ἔχοντες, οὐκ ἐπιμιγνύμενοι δὲ ἀνθρώποις οἳ δὴ τῆς τε Λίμνης καὶ τῆς ἐνθένδε ἐκροῆς ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ θάτερα ἵδρυντο, ἐπεὶ οὔτε διέβαινόν ποτε τὰ ὕδατα ταῦτα οὔτε διαβατὰ εἶναι ὑπώπτευον, πρὸς τὰ εὐκολώτατα περίφοβοι ὄντες, τῷ μηδὲ ἀποπειράσασθαι αὐτῶν πώποτε, ἀλλ̓ ἀμελέτητοι τῆς διαβάσεως παντάπασιν εἶναι. [5] Λίμνην δὲ τὴν Μαιῶτιν καὶ τὴν ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐκβολὴν ὑπερβάντι εὐθὺς μὲν ἐς αὐτήν που τὴν ταύτης ἀκτὴν οἱ Τετραξῖται καλούμενοι Γότθοι τὸ παλαιὸν ᾤκηντο, ὧν ἐπεμνήσθην ἀρτίως: πολλῷ δὲ αὐτῶν ἄποθεν Γότθοι τε καὶ Οὐισίγοτθοι καὶ Βανδίλοι καὶ τὰ ἄλλα Γοτθικὰ γένη ξύμπαντα ἵδρυντο. [6] οἳ δὴ καὶ Σκύθαι ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις ἐπεκαλοῦντο, ἐπεὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἅπερ τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία εἶχον, Σκυθικὰ μὲν ἐπὶ κοινῆς ὀνομάζεται, ἔνιοι δὲ αὐτῶν Σαυρομάται ἢ Μελάγχλαινοι, ἢ ἄλλο τι ἐπεκαλοῦντο. [7] Προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ χρόνου, φασίν, εἴπερ ὁ λόγος ὑγιής ἐστι, τῶν μὲν Κιμμερίων νεανίας τινὰς ἐν κυνηγεσίῳ διατριβὴν ἔχειν, ἔλαφον δὲ μίαν πρὸς αὐτῶν φεύγουσαν ἐς τὰ ὕδατα ἐσπηδῆσαι ταῦτα. [8] τούς τε νεανίας, εἴτε φιλοτιμίᾳ εἴτε φιλονεικίᾳ τινὶ ἐχομένους, ἢ καί τι δαιμόνιον αὐτοὺς κατηνάγκασε, τῇ ἐλάφῳ ἐπισπέσθαι ταύτῃ, μηχανῇ τε μεθίεσθαι αὐτῆς οὐδεμιᾷ, ἕως ξὺν αὐτῇ ἐς τὴν ἀντιπέρας ἀκτὴν ἵκοντο. [9] καὶ τὸ μὲν διωκόμενον ὅ τι ποτ̓ ἦν εὐθὺς ἀφανισθῆναι: ῾δοκεῖν γάρ μοι οὐδὲ ἄλλου του ἕνεκα ἐνταῦθα ἐφάνη, ὅτι μὴ τοῦ γενέσθαι κακῶς τοῖς τῇδε ᾠκημένοις βαρβάροις᾿ τοὺς δὲ νεανίας τοῦ μὲν κυνηγεσίου ἀποτυχεῖν, μάχης δὲ ἀφορμὴν καὶ λείας εὑρέσθαι. [10] ἐς ἤθη γὰρ τὰ πάτρια ὅτι τάχιστα ἐπανήκοντες ἔνδηλα πᾶσι Κιμμερίοις πεποίηνται ὅτι δὴ ταῦτα βατὰ σφίσι τὰ ὕδατα εἴη. ἀνελόμενοι οὖν αὐτίκα τὰ ὅπλα πανδημεί τε διαβάντες ἐγένοντο μελλήσει οὐδεμιᾷ ἐν τῇ ἀντιπέρας ἠπείρῳ, Βανδίλων μὲν ἤδη ἐνθένδε ἀναστάντων ἐπί τε Λιβύης ἱδρυσαμένων, ἐν Ἱσπανίᾳ δὲ Οὐισιγότθων οἰκησαμένων. [11] Γότθοις οὖν τοῖς ἐς τὰ τῇδε ᾠκημένοις πεδία ἐξαπιναίως ἐπιπεσόντες πολλοὺς μὲν ἔκτειναν, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ἐτρέψαντο ἅπαντας. [12] ὅσοι τε αὐτοὺς διαφυγεῖν ἴσχυσαν, ξὺν παισί τε καὶ γυναιξὶν ἐνθένδε ἀναστάντες ἀπέλιπον μὲν τὰ πάτρια ἤθη, διαπορθμευσάμενοι δὲ ποταμὸν Ἴστρον ἐν γῇ τῇ Ῥωμαίων ἐγένοντο. [13] Καὶ πολλὰ μὲν τοὺς ταύτῃ ᾠκημένους δεινὰ ἔδρασαν, μετὰ δὲ δόντος βασιλέως ᾠκήσαντο ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης χωρία, καὶ τὰ μὲν ξυνεμάχουν Ῥωμαίοις, τάς τε συντάξεις ὥσπερ οἱ ἄλλοι στρατιῶται πρὸς βασιλέως κομιζόμενοι ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος καὶ φοιδερᾶτοι ἐπικληθέντες: οὕτω γὰρ αὐτοὺς τότε Λατίνων φωνῇ ἐκάλεσαν Ῥωμαῖοι, ἐκεῖνο, οἶμαι, παραδηλοῦντες, ὅτι δὴ οὐχ ἡσσημένοι αὐτῶν τῷ πολέμῳ Γότθοι, ἀλλ̓ ἐπὶ ξυνθήκαις τισὶν ἔνσπονδοι: [14] ἐγένοντο σφίσι: φοίδερα γὰρ Λατῖνοι τὰς ἐν πολέμῳ καλοῦσι ξυνθήκας, ᾗπέρ μοι ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν δεδήλωται λόγοις: τὰ δὲ καὶ πόλεμον πρὸς αὐτοὺς διέφερον οὐδενὶ λόγῳ, ἕως ᾤχοντο ἀπιόντες ἐς Ἰταλίαν, Θευδερίχου ἡγουμένου σφίσι. τὰ μὲν οὖν τῶν Γότθων τῇδε κεχώρηκεν. [15] Οὖννοι δὲ αὐτῶν τοὺς μὲν κτείναντες, τοὺς δέ, ὥσπερ ἐρρήθη, ἐξαναστήσαντες τὴν χώραν ἔσχον. καὶ αὐτῶν Κουτρίγουροι μὲν παῖδάς τε καὶ γυναῖκας μεταπεμψάμενοι ἐνταῦθα ἱδρύσαντο, [16] οὗ δὴ καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ ᾤκηνται. καὶ δῶρα μὲν πολλὰ πρὸς βασιλέως ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος κομίζονται, καὶ ὣς δὲ διαβαίνοντες ποταμὸν Ἴστρον καταθέουσιν ἐσαεὶ τὴν βασιλέως χώραν, [17] ἔνσπονδοί τε καὶ πολέμιοι Ῥωμαίοις ὄντες. Οὐτίγουροι δὲ ξὺν τῷ ἡγουμένῳ ἐπ̓ οἴκου ἀπεκομίζοντο, μόνοι τὸ λοιπὸν ἐνταῦθα καθιζησόμενοι. [18] οἵπερ ἐπειδὴ Λίμνης τῆς Μαιώτιδος ἀγχοῦ ἐγένοντο, Γότθοις ἐνταῦθα τοῖς Τετραξίταις καλουμένοις ἐνέτυχον. [19] καὶ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα φραξάμενοι ταῖς ἀσπίσιν οἱ Γότθοι ἀντικρὺ τοῖς ἐπιοῦσιν ὡς ἀμυνόμενοι ἔστησαν, σθένει τε τῷ σφετέρῳ καὶ χωρίου ἰσχύϊ θαρσοῦντες: αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀλκιμώτατοι ἁπάντων εἰσὶ τῶν τῇδε βαρβάρ�
�ν. [20] καὶ ἡ πρώτη τῆς Μαιώτιδος ἐκροή, οὗ δὴ τότε οἱ Τετραξῖται Γότθοι ἵδρυντο, ἐν κόλπῳ ξυνιοῦσα μηνοειδεῖ, περιβαλοῦσά τε αὐτοὺς ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον, μίαν ἐπ̓ αὐτοὺς εἴσοδον οὐ λίαν εὐρεῖαν τοῖς ἐπιοῦσι παρείχετο. [21] ὕστερον δὲ ῾οὔτε γὰρ Οὖννοι χρόνον τινὰ τρίβεσθαι σφίσιν ἐνταῦθα ἤθελον, οἵ τε Γότθοι τῷ τῶν πολεμίων ὁμίλῳ ἐπὶ πολὺ ἀνθέξειν οὐδαμῆ ἤλπιζον̓ ἐς λόγους ἀλλήλοις ξυνίασιν, ἐφ̓ ᾧ ἀναμιχθέντες κοινῇ ποιήσονται τὴν διάβασιν, καὶ οἱ Γότθοι ἱδρύσονται μὲν ἐν τῇ ἀντιπέρας ἠπείρῳ παῤ αὐτὴν τῆς ἐκβολῆς μάλιστα τὴν ἀκτήν, ἵνα δὴ καὶ τανῦν ἵδρυνται, φίλοι δὲ καὶ ξύμμαχοι τὸ λοιπὸν Οὐτιγούροις ὄντες ἐπὶ τῇ ἴσῃ καὶ ὁμοίᾳ σφίσιν ἐνταῦθα βιώσονται τὸν πάντα αἰῶνα. [22] οὕτω μὲν οὖν οἵδε οἱ Γότθοι τῇδε ἱδρύσαντο καὶ τῶν Κουτριγούρων, ὥσπερ μοι εἴρηται, ἀπολελειμμένων ἐν γῇ τῇ ἐπὶ θάτερα τῆς Λίμνης οὔσῃ μόνοι Οὐτίγουροι τὴν χώραν ἔσχον, πράγματα Ῥωμαίοις ὡς ἥκιστα παρεχόμενοι, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ αὐτῶν ἄγχιστα ᾤκηνται, ἀλλ̓ ἔθνεσι πολλοῖς διειργόμενοι μεταξὺ οὖσιν ἀκουσίῳ ἀπραγμοσύνῃ ἐς αὐτοὺς ἔχονται. [23] Ὑπερβάντι δὲ Λίμνην τε τὴν Μαιώτιδα καὶ ποταμὸν Τάναϊν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον μὲν τῶν τῇδε πεδίων Κουτρίγουροι Οὖννοι, ᾗπέρ μοι ἐρρήθη, ᾠκήσαντο: μετὰ δὲ αὐτοὺς Σκύθαι τε καὶ Ταῦροι ξύμπασαν ἔχουσι τὴν ταύτῃ χώραν, ἧσπερ μοῖρά τις Ταυρικὴ καὶ νῦν ἐπικαλεῖται, ἵνα δὴ καὶ τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος τὸν νεὼν γεγονέναι φασίν, οὗπέρ ποτε ἡ τοῦ Ἀγαμέμνονος Ἰφιγένεια προὔστη. [24] καίτοι Ἀρμένιοι ἐν τῇ παῤ αὐτοῖς Κελεσηνῇ καλουμένῃ χώρᾳ τὸν νεὼν τοῦτον γεγονέναι φασὶ Σκύθας τε τηνικάδε ξύμπαντας καλεῖσθαι τοὺς ἐνταῦθα ἀνθρώπους, τεκμηριούμενοι τοῖς ἀμφί τε Ὀρέστῃ καὶ πόλει Κομάνῃ δεδιηγημένοις μοι ἐς ἐκεῖνο τοῦ λόγου. [25] ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τούτων λεγέτω ἕκαστος ὥς πη αὐτῷ βουλομένῳ ἐστί: πολλὰ γὰρ τῶν ἑτέρωθι γεγενημένων, ἴσως δὲ καὶ οὐδαμῆ ξυμπεπτωκότων, ἄνθρωποι προσποιεῖσθαι φιλοῦσιν ὡς πάτρια ἤθη, ἀγανακτοῦντες, ἢν μὴ τῇ δοκήσει τῇ αὐτῶν ἅπαντες ἕπωνται. [26] Μετὰ δὲ τὰ ἔθνη ταῦτα πόλις θαλασσία οἰκεῖται, Βόσπορος ὄνομα, Ῥωμαίων κατήκοος γενομένη οὐ πολλῷ πρότερον. [27] ἐκ δὲ Βοσπόρου πόλεως ἐς πόλιν Χερσῶνα ἰόντι, ἣ κεῖται μὲν ἐν τῇ παραλίᾳ, Ῥωμαίων δὲ καὶ αὐτὴ κατήκοος ἐκ παλαιοῦ ἐστί, βάρβαροι, Οὐννικὰ ἔθνη, τὰ μεταξὺ ἅπαντα ἔχουσι. [28] καὶ ἄλλα δὲ πολίσματα δύο ἀγχοῦ Χερσῶνος, Κῆποί τε καὶ Φανάγουρις καλούμενα, Ῥωμαίων κατήκοα ἐκ παλαιοῦ τε καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ ἦν. ἅπερ οὐ πολλῷ ἔμπροσθεν βαρβάρων τῶν πλησιοχώρων ἑλόντες τινὲς ἐς ἔδαφος καθεῖλον. [29] ἐκ δὲ Χερσῶνος πόλεως ἐς τὰς ἐκβολὰς ποταμοῦ Ἴστρου, ὃν καὶ Δανούβιον καλοῦσιν, ὁδὸς μέν ἐστιν ἡμερῶν δέκα, βάρβαροι δὲ τὰ ἐκείνῃ ξύμπαντα ἔχουσιν. [30] Ἴστρος δὲ ποταμὸς ἐξ ὀρέων μὲν τῶν Κελτικῶν ῥεῖ, περιιὼν δὲ τὰς Ἰταλίας ἐσχατιάς, φερόμενός τε ἐπὶ τὰ Δακῶν καὶ Ἰλλυριῶν καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης χωρία, ἐκβάλλει ἐς τὸν Εὔξεινον Πόντον. τὰ δὲ ἐνθένδε ἅπαντα μέχρι ἐς Βυζάντιον τοῦ Ῥωμαίων βασιλέως τυγχάνει ὄντα. [31] Ἡ μὲν οὖν τοῦ Εὐξείνου Πόντου περίοδος ἐκ Καλχηδόνος μέχρι ἐς Βυζάντιον ταύτῃ πη ἔχει. [32] ἐς ὅσον δὲ ἡ περίοδος ἥδε διήκει, ἅπαντα μὲν ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν, βαρβάρων, ὥσπερ μοι ἐρρήθη, ᾠκημένων ἐνταῦθα τοσούτων τὸ πλῆθος, ἐπιμιξίας τε Ῥωμαίοις παῤ αὐτῶν τινάς, ὅτι μὴ ὅσα κατὰ πρεσβείαν, ἴσως οὐδεμιᾶς οὔσης: ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ τοῖς πρότερον ταῦτα ἐγκεχειρηκόσι διαμετρήσασθαι ἐς τὸ ἀκριβές τι ξυμβαίνει εἰρῆσθαι. [33] ἐκεῖνο μέντοι διαφανές ἐστιν, ὡς Πόντου τοῦ Εὐξείνου τὰ ἐν δεξιᾷ, εἴη δ̓ ἂν ἐκ Καλχηδόνος ἐς ποταμὸν Φᾶσιν, δυοῖν καὶ πεντήκοντα ὁδὸς ἡμερῶν ἐστὶν εὐζώνῳ ἀνδρί: ᾧ δὴ οὐκ ἀπὸ τρόπου τεκμηριούμενος φαίη ἄν τις καὶ τὴν ἑτέραν τοῦ Πόντου μοῖραν μέτρου τοῦδε εἶναι οὐ πολλῷ ἄποθεν.
V
In ancient times a vast throng of the Huns who were then called Cimmerians ranged over this region which I have just mentioned, and one king had authority over them all. And at one time the power was secured by a certain man to whom two sons were born, one of whom was named Utigur and the other Cutrigur. These two sons, when their father came to the end of his life, divided the power between them, and each gave his own name to his subjects; for the one group has been called Utigurs and the other Cutrigurs even to my time. All these now continued to live in this region, associating freely in all the business of life, but not mingling with the people who were settled on the other side of the lake and its outlet; for they never crossed these waters at any time nor did they suspect that they could be crossed, being fearful of that which was really easy, simply because they had never even attempted to cross them, and they remained utterly ignorant of the possibility.
Now beyond the Maeotic Lake and the outlet flowing from it the first people were the Goths called Tetraxitae, whom I have just mentioned, who in ancient times lived close along the shore of this strait; but the Goths and the Visigoths and Vandals were located far away from them as were other Gothic nations. These Tetraxitae were called also Scythians in ancient times, because all the nations who held these regions are called in general Scythians, while a few of them had an additional designation such as Sauromatae or Melanchlaenae or something else.
But as time went on, they say (if, indeed, the story is sound), some youths of the Cimmerians were engaged in hunting, and a single doe which was fleeing before them leaped into these waters. And the youths, either moved by a thirst for glory or in some sort of competition, or perhaps it was really some deity which constrained them, followed after this doe and refused absolutely to let her go, until they came with her to the opposite shore. And then the quarry, whatever it was, immediately disappeared from sight; for in my opinion it appeared there for no other purpose than that evil might befall the barbarians who lived in that region. Thus, while the youths
did fail in their hunt, they found an incentive to battle and plunder. For they returned as fast as they could to their own land, and thus made it clear to all the Cimmerians that these waters could be crossed by them. Accordingly they immediately took up arms as a nation, and making the crossing with no delay got on the opposite mainland; this was at a time when the Vandals had already migrated from there and established themselves in Libya; while the Visigoths had taken up their abode in Spain. So they suddenly fell upon the Goths who inhabited these plains and slew many of them and turned the rest to flight. And as many as succeeded in escaping them migrated thence with their children and wives, leaving their ancestral abodes, and by ferrying across the Ister River they came into the land of the Romans.
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius Page 508