Delphi Complete Works of Procopius

by Procopius of Caesarea

  [5] He immediately surmised that the suggestion came from God, and wrote an account of the device and of the vision and sent it to the Emperor, shewing by a sketch the instructions received from the dream.

  [6] ἐτύγχανε δὲ οὐ πολλῷ πρότερον ἄγγελος ἥκων ἐς βασιλέα ἐκ Δάρας πόλεως, ὅσπερ αὐτῷ τὰ ἐκ τοῦ ποταμοῦ ξυνεχθέντα πάντα ἐσηήγειλε.

  [6] It chanced that not long before this a messenger had come to the Emperor from the city of Daras, who reported to him all the damage which had been caused by the river.

  [7] βασιλεὺς δὲ τότε τοῖς ξυμπεπτωκόσι ξυνταραχθεὶς καὶ περιώδυνος γεγονώς, τοὺς τὰ μηχανικὰ εὐδοκιμοῦντας εὐθὺς ]μετεκάλει, Ἀνθέμιόν τε καὶ Ἰσίδωρον, ὧνπερ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεμνήσθην.

  [7] Thereupon the Emperor was greatly perturbed and deeply grieved by what had happened, and he straightway summoned the eminent master-builders Anthemius and Isidorus, whom I have mentioned previously.

  [8] καὶ τὰ ξυμβεβηκότα ἐπικοινούμενος ἀνεπυνθάνετο τῶν ἀνδρῶν ὁποῖα ποτὲ μηχανὴ γένοιτο, ὡς μή τι περαιτέρω τῇ πόλει ξυμβαίη· καὶ αὐτῶν μὲν ἑκάτερος ὑποθήκην τινὰ ἔφραζε τήν οἱ δοκοῦσαν ἐπιτηδείως ἐς τοῦτο ἔχειν· βασιλεὺς δέ, θείας δηλονότι ἐπινοίας αὐτῷ γενομένης τινός, οὔπω τὰ Χρυσοῦ ἰδὼν γράμματα, ἐπενόει τε καὶ ἐσκιαγράφει αὐτογνωμονήσας ἐκ τοῦ παραδόξου ὃ δὴ τοῦ ὀνείρου ἐκτύπωμα ἦν.

  [8] And he communicated the details of what had happened and enquired of the men what contrivance could possibly be made, so that no such calamity might again befall the city. Each of them gave some suggestion which seemed to himself well adapted to the situation. But the Emperor, obviously moved by a divine inspiration which came to him, though he had not yet seen the letter of Chryses, devised and sketched out of his own head, strange to say, the very plan of the dream.

  [9] ἔτι δὲ τῆς βουλῆς ᾐωρημένης καὶ τοῦ πρακτέου σφίσιν ἐν ἀδήλῳ ὄντος, διέλυσαν τὸν διάλογον.

  [9] However, while their opinion was still unsettled, and it was not clear to them what should be done, they adjourned the conference.

  [10] ἡμέραις τε τρισὶν ὕστερον ἧκέ τις βασιλεῖ τήν τε τοῦ Χρυσοῦ ἐπιστολὴν καὶ τῆς τοῦ ὀνείρουη μηχανῆς τὸ ἐκμαγεῖον ἐνδεικνύμενος.

  [10] And three days later there came a man who shewed to the Emperor the letter of Chryses and the drawing of the device of the dream.

  [11] καὶ ὃς μεταπεμψάμενος τοὺς μηχανικοὺς αὖθις ἀνανεοῦσθαι τῇ μνήμῃ ἐκέλευεν ὅσα δὴ σφίσιν ἀμφὶ τῷ ἔργῳ τὸ πρότερον δοκοῦντα εἴη.

  [11] The Emperor again summoned the master-builders, and bade them to call to mind their previous thoughts on this problem.

  [12] οἱ δὲ ἀπεστομάτιζον ἐφεξῆς ἅπαντα, ὅσα τε αὐτοὶ τεχνάζοντες εἶπον καὶ ὅσα βασιλεὺς ἀπαυθαδιασάμενος ἐπήγγειλε γενέσθαι.

  [12] And they repeated all the details in order, both what they had devised themselves and what the Emperor had daringly proposed should be done.

  [13] καὶ τότε δὴ βασιλεὺς τόν τε πρὸς τοῦ Χρυσοῦ σταλέντα καὶ τὰ γράμματα ἐπιδείξας, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ὀνείρου γεγονυῖαν ἐπὶ τῷ ἐσομένῳ ὄψιν τε καὶ σκιαγραφίαν, κατεστήσατο αὐτοὺς ἐν θαύματι μεγάλῳ, ἐν νῷ ποιουμένους ὡς ἅπαντα ὁ θεὸς συνδιαπράσσεται τῷ βασιλεῖ τούτῳ τὰ τῇ πολιτείᾳ ξυνοίσοντα.

  [13] Then the Emperor shewed them the man who had been sent by Chryses, and his letter, and told them of the vision of what was to be done which had been seen in the dream, and the sketch which had been made, and caused them to marvel greatly, as they considered how God becomes a partner with this Emperor in all matters which will benefit the State.

  [14] ἐκράτει τοίνυν ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπίταξις, ὑποχωρούσης μηχανοποιῶν σοφίας καὶ τέχνης.

  [14] So the Emperor’s plan won the day, while the wisdom and skill of the master-builders yielded place to it.

  [15] καὶ γίνεται ὁ Χρυσῆς αὖθις ἐν πόλει Δάρας, ἐπιτεταγμένον οἱ πρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως ὑποτελέσαι τὰ γεγραμμένα ]σπουδῇ τῇ πάσῃ, καθάπερ ἡ τοῦ ὀνείρου ὑποθήκη ἐπήγγελλεν. ἐποίει τε τὰ ἐπιτεταγμένα τρόπῳ τοιῷδε.

  [15] And Chryses again went to the city of Daras, with instructions from the Emperor to carry out with all zeal the scheme which had been described, just as the intimation of the dream had dictated. And he carried out the instructions in the following manner.

  [16] Ἐν χώρῳ διέχοντι τοῦ τῆς πόλεως προτειχίσματος ἐς τεσσαράκοντα μάλιστα πόδας, μεταξὺ σκοπέλου ἑκατέρου, ὧν δὴ κατὰ μέσον ὁ ποταμὸς προϊὼν φέρεται, ἀντιτείχισμα ἐτεκτήνατο ὕψους τε καὶ εὔρους ἱκανῶς ἔχον.

  [16] At a place •about forty feet removed from the outer fortifications (proteichisma) of the city, between the two cliffs between which the river runs, he constructed a barrier (antiteichisma) of proper thickness and height.

  [17] οὗπερ τὰ πέρατα οὕτω δὴ ὄρει ἑκατέρῳ πανταχόθι ἐνῆψεν, ὡς τῷ ὕδατι τοῦ ποταμοῦ, ἢν καὶ σφοδρότατα ἐπιρρεύσειεν, ἐνταῦθα ἐσιτητὰ μηδαμῆ ἔσεσθαι.

  [17] The ends of this he so mortised into each of the two cliffs, that the water of the river could not possibly get by that point, even if it should come down very violently.

  [18] τοῦτο δὲ τὸ ἔργον οἱ περὶ ταῦτα σοφοὶ φράκτην ἢ ἀρίδα καλοῦσιν, ἢ ὅ τί ποτε ἄλλο ἐθέλουσιν.

  [18] This structure is called by those skilled in such matters a dam (phraktes) or flood-gate (aris), or whatever else they please.

  [19] οὐκ ἐπ᾽ εὐθείας δὲ τὸ ἀντιτείχισμα πεποίηται τοῦτο, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τὸ μηνοειδὲς τετραμμένον, ὅπως ἂν τὸ κύρτωμα πρὸς τῇ τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἐπιρροῇ κείμενον ἔτι μᾶλλον ἀντέχειν τῷ ῥείθρῳ βιαζομένῳ δυνατὸν εἴη.

  [19] This barrier (antiteichisma) was not built in a straight line, but was bent into the shape of a crescent, so that the curve, by lying against the current of the river, might be able to offer still more resistance to the force of the stream.

  [20] θυρίδας δὲ ἐς τὸ ἀντιτείχισμα ἔς τε τὰ κάτω καὶ τὰ ἄνω πεποίηται, ὥστε τῷ ποταμῷ πλημμυροῦντι ἐξαπιναίως, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι, ξυνίστασθαι μὲν ἐνταῦθα ἐπάναγκες εἴη καὶ μὴ παντὶ τῷ ῥοθίῳ περαιτέρω χωρεῖν, ἐκροὴν δὲ κατὰ τὰς ὀπὰς ἀφιέντι βραχεῖάν τινα τοῦ μὲν ὑπερβάλλοντος ὄγκου κατὰ μικρὸν ἀπολήγειν ἀεί, τῷ δὲ τείχε
ι λελυμασμένῳ μηδέποτε εἶναι.

  [20] And he made sluice-gates (thyrides) in the dam, in both its lower and its upper parts, so that when the river suddenly rose in flood, should this happen, it would be forced to collect there and not go on with its full stream, but discharging through the openings only a small volume of the excess accumulation, would always have to abate its force little by little, and the city-wall would never suffer damage.

  [21] ἡ γὰρ ἐκροὴ ἐν τῷ χώρῳ ξυνισταμένη ὅσπερ ἐς τεσσαράκοντα διήκων πόδας, ᾗπέρ μοι εἴρηται, τῆς τε ἀρίδος καὶ τοῦ προτειχίσματος μεταξύ ἐστιν, οὐδαμῆ τὸ παράπαν βιαζομένη, ἀλλ᾽ ἐς τὰς ξυνειθισμένας εἰσόδους κατὰ λόγον χωροῦσα ἐς τὴν ὀχεταγωγίαν ἐνθένδε εἰσβάλλει.

  [21] For the outflow collects in the space which, as I have said, extends for •forty feet between the dam and the outer fortifications, and is under no pressure whatever, but it goes in an orderly fashion into the customary entrances and from there empties into the conduit (ochetagogia).

  [22] καὶ τὰς πύλας, ἅσπερ τὸ πρότερον ]βιασάμενος ἐξαπιναίως ὁ ποταμὸς ἀνεπέτασε, περιελὼν ἐντεῦθεν, λίθοις μὲν παμμεγέθεσι τὴν προτέραν αὐτῶν ἐφράξατο χώραν, ἐπεὶ ἐφ᾽ ὁμαλοῦ κείμεναι τῷ ποταμῷ ὑπερβλύζοντι εὐέφοδοι ἦσαν.

  [22] And the city gate itself, which the river had earlier burst open by its sudden pressure, he removed from that place, and he walled up with very large stones the place which it had formerly occupied, because lying on level ground, as it did, it was easily reached by the river when it was in flood.

  [23] ἄγχιστα δέ πη ἐν χώρῳ ἀνάντει κατὰ τὸ κρημνῶδες τοῦ περιβόλου αὐτὰς ἔθετο, οὗ δὴ τῷ ποταμῷ βάσιμα ὡς ἥκιστα ἦν. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν οὕτω διαπεπόνηται τῷ βασιλεῖ τούτῳ.

  [23] And he set this gate near by at a place higher up where the circuit-wall was on a steep slope, to which the river could not possibly come. Thus were these works carried out by this Emperor.

  [24] Ἦν δέ τις ἐν πόλει πολλὴ ὕδατος πέρι ἀμηχανία τοῖς τῇδε ἀνθρώποις. οὔτε γὰρ ἀναβλυστάνουσαν εἶχον ἐνταῦθά πη κρήνην, οὔτε ὀχετῷ περιαγομένην ἐς τὰς ἀγυιὰς αἳ τῇδέ εἰσιν, οὔτε τισὶ θησαυριζομένην ἐκείνῃ ἐλύτροις, ἀλλ᾽ οἷς μὲν ἀγχοτάτω ὁ ποταμὸς κατὰ τὰς ἀμφόδους ἐφέρετο, οἵδε ἀταλαιπώρως ἀρυόμενοι τῷ γειτονήματι ῥᾷστα ἔπινον, οἷς δὲ ὡς ἀπωτάτω τῆς τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἐκροῆς τὰ οἴκοι ἐτύγχανεν ὄντα, τούτοις δυοῖν τὸ ἕτερον ἐπάναγκες ἦν, ἢ τὰ ἔσχατα πονουμένοις πιεῖν, ἢ δίψει ἐχομένοις ἀπολωλέναι.

  [24] And there was a great difficulty regarding water for the people living in this city. For they had neither any spring welling up there, nor water conveyed about the streets of the city by a conduit (ochetos); neither was it stored there in any cisterns; but whileºthose very near whose streets the river flowed drew their drinking-water without any trouble because of its proximity, those whose homes chanced to be very far from the river’s course, were obliged to choose one of these two alternatives — either to take a vast deal of trouble in order to obtain drinking-water at all, or to perish of thirst.

  [25] ἀλλ᾽ ὀχετὸν βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς ἐτεκτήνατο μέγαν, ᾧ δὴ τὸ τὸ ὕδωρ περιαγαγὼν πανταχόσε τῆς πόλεως τὴν ἀπορίαν τοῖς τῇδε ᾠκημένοις διέλυσεν.

  [25] But the Emperor Justinian built a great conduit by which he led the water about to every part of the city, and thus relieved the straits of the inhabitants.

  [26] ἀλλὰ καὶ ἱερὰ πεποίηται δύο, τήν τε μεγάλην ἐκκλησίαν καλουμένην καὶ τὸν τοῦ ἀποστόλου Βαρθολομαίου νεών. ἔτι μέντοι καὶ τοῖς στρατιώταις καταλυτήρια ἐδείματο παμπληθῆ, ὅπως δὴ τοὺς τῇδε ᾠκημένους μηδαμῶς ἐνοχλοῖεν.

  [26] Furthermore, he constructed two shrines, both the Great Church, as it is called, and the Church of the Apostle Bartholomew. He also built numerous barracks for the soldiers, in order that they might cause no annoyance whatever to the inhabitants.

  [27] Καὶ Ἀμίδης δὲ πόλεως τό τε τεῖχος καὶ τὸ προτείχισμα ἐν τοῖς ἄνω γενόμενα χρόνοις καὶ ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ὕποπτα ὄντα ἐξίτηλα γενήσεσθαι, οὐ ]πολλῷ ὕστερον νέᾳ τινὶ καταλαβὼν οἰκοδομίᾳ τῇ πόλει τὴν ἀσφάλειαν ἀνεσώσατο.

  [27] Likewise both the wall and the outworks of the city of Amida, which had been built long before, and, because of their age, seemed likely to fall in ruins, he not long afterwards replaced by new structures and thus restored the safety of the city.

  [28] ὅσα δὲ κἀν τοῖς φρουρίοις αὐτῷ εἴργασται, ἅπερ ἐν τοῖς ὁρίοις τούτων δὴ τυγχάνει τῶν πόλεων ὄντα, ἐρῶν ἔρχομαι.

  [28] All else that he did in the fortresses which chance to be within the territory of these cities I shall now proceed to relate.

  [4] [4] [1] Ἐκ Δάρας πόλεως ἰόντι ἐς τὰ Περσῶν ἤθη χώρα τις ἐν ἀριστερᾷ ἐστιν ἀναμάξευτός τε καὶ ἄφιππος ὅλως, κατατείνουσα μὲν ἐς ἡμέραιν ὁδὸν δυοῖν εὐζώνῳ ἀνδρὶ μάλιστα, τελευτῶσα δὲ ἐς χῶρον σιμὸν καὶ ἀπόκρημνον, Ῥάβδιος ὄνομα.

  [1] As one goes from Daras into the Persian country there lies on the left a territory which cannot be traversed at all by waggons or even by horses, extending to a distance of about two days’ journey for an unencumbered traveller and ending in a steep and precipitous bluff which is called Rhabdios.

  [2] ταύτης δὲ τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ Ῥάβδιος φερούσης ὁδοῦ ἐφ᾽ ἑκάτερα τὰ Περσῶν ὅρια ἐπὶ μακρότατον ξυμβαίνει εἶναι.

  [2] And on both sides of this road leading to Rhabdios the Persian territory stretches out to a very great distance.

  [3] ὅπερ μοι κατ᾽ ἀρχὰς ἀγαμένῳ καὶ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων ἀναπυνθανομένῳ ὅντινα τρόπον Ῥωμαίοις προσήκουσα ὁδός τε καὶ χώρα γῆν ἑκατέρωθι τὴν πολεμίαν διακεκλήρωται, ἀπήγγελλόν τινες ὡς εἴη μὲν Περσῶν τὸ χωρίον ποτέ, δεομένῳ δὲ τῷ Περσῶν βασιλεῖ τῶν τις Ῥωμαίων αὐτοκρατόρων ἀμπέλοις τινὰ κατακορῆ κώμην ἐπὶ Μαρτυροπόλεως οὖσαν δώσειε, τοῦτο δὴ αὐτῆς τὸ χωρίον ἀνταλλαξάμενος.

  [3] At first I was amazed at this, and I made enquiry of the natives how it came about that a road and district which belonged to the Romans had land of the enemy on either side of it; and some of them explained that the place had belonged to the Persians at one time, but that at the petition of the Persian King one of the Roman Emperors had handed over a certain vine-producing village near Martyropolis and had received this place in exchange for it.

  [4] τὸ μὲν οὖν Ῥάβ�
�ιος ἐπὶ πετρῶν οἰκεῖται ἀποτόμων τε καὶ ὅλως ἀγρίων αἵπερ ἐνταῦθα ἐπανεστήκασι θαυμάσιον ὅσον.

  [4] Rhabdios stands on precipitous and wholly wild rocks, which rise there to an astonishing height.

  [5] ἔνερθεν δὲ αὐτοῦ χωρίον ἐστὶν ὅπερ καλοῦσι Ῥωμαίων ἀγρόν, ἀγασθέντες, οἶμαι, τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ὅτι δὴ ἐν μέσῳ χωρίον Περσικῶν κείμενον Ῥωμαίοις προσήκει.

  [5] And beneath it is a place which they call the Field of the Romans, I suppose because they marvelled, at first, that though this lies in the midst of Persian territory, it belongs to the Romans.

  [6] οὗτος δὲ ὁ Ῥωμαίων ἀγρὸς κεῖται μὲν τῆς γῆς ἐν ὑπτίῳ, ]ἀγαθῶν δέ ἐστι τῶν ἐν τοῖς ληίοις κομιδῇ εὔπορος.

  [6] This Field of the Romans lies on flat ground, and is very productive of the crops which grow on cornº-lands.

  [7] τεκμηριώσειε δ᾽ ἂν τις καὶ τοῖσδε, ὅτι δὴ πανταχόθεν τὸν χῶρον περιβάλλουσι τὰ Περσῶν ὅρια.

  [7] One might conjecture this also from the circumstance that Persian territory surrounds the place on every side.

  [8] Πολισμά ἐστιν ἐν Πέρσαις ἐπιφανὲς ἄγαν, ὄνομα Σισαυράνων, ὅπερ ποτὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἐξελὼν ἐς ἔδαφος καθεῖλεν, ὅμιλον πολὺν τῶν ἐν Πέρσαις ἱππέων ξὺν Βλησχάμῃ τῷ σφῶν ἡγεμόνι δορυαλώτους πεποιημένος.

  [8] There is a fortress in Persia of very great note, Sisauranon by name, which the Emperor Justinian once captured and levelled to the ground, taking captive a great throng of Persian horsemen along with their leader Bleschames.