[21] Furthermore, a certain hill stood very close to the city on the side toward the west, from which it was possible for the barbarians, whenever they attacked the city, to shoot down with impunity upon the heads of the defenders, and even upon the heads of those who stood in the middle of the city.
[22] τούτῳ οὖν τῷ λόφῳ τείχισμα ἐνάψας Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἑκατέρωθεν, ἐντός τε αὐτὸν τῆς Ζηνοβίας καταστησάμενος, ἔξυσε μὲν ὅλον ἐνδελεχέστατα, ὡς μή τις κακουργήσων ἐνθένδε ἀνίοι, τείχισμα δὲ ἄλλο τοῦ λόφου ὕπερθεν ἔθετο, ἀπρόσοδόν τε ὅλως τὴν πόλιν οὕτως τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύειν ἐθέλουσιν ἀπειργάσατο.
[22] So the Emperor Justinian connected the fortifications with this hill on both sides, and thus brought it inside Zenobia; and he escarped the whole hill throughout, so that no one might climb it to work harm from there, and placed another fortification on its summit and thus made the city altogether inaccessible to those who wished to assault it.
[23] τοῦ μὲν γὰρ λόφου ἐκτὸς κοίλην εἶναι τὴν γῆν ἐς ἄγαν συμβαίνει, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐγγυτέρω ἰέναι τοὺς πολεμίους ἀδύνατον.
[23] For beyond the hill it chances that the ground is very low and for this reason it is impossible for the enemy to approach it at all closely.
[24] ὑπὲρ γῆν δὲ τὴν κοίλην εὐθὺς τὰ ὄρη ἀνέχει ἃ πρὸς ἥλιον δύοντα τέτραπται. οὐ μόνον δὲ τῇ πόλει τὰ ἐς τὴν ἀσφάλειαν οὗτος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπρυτάνευσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἱερὰ ταύτῃ ἀνέθηκε καὶ στρατιωτικῶν σημείων οἰκίας.
[24] And immediately above the depression rise the mountains which face toward the west. Yet this Emperor did not provide only for the safety of this city, but he erected churches there and barracks for the military forces;
[25] ἔτι μέντοι λουτρῶνας καὶ στοὰς προσεποίησεν αὐτῇ δημοσίας. ἐς ταῦτα δὲ πάντα Ἰσίδωρός τε καὶ Ἰωάννης μηχανοποιοὶ τὴν ὑπουργίαν παρέσχοντο, Βυζάντιος μὲν Ἰωάννης, Ἰσίδωρος δὲ Μιλήσιος γένος, Ἰσιδώρου ἀδελφιδοῦς οὗπερ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεμνήσθην, νεανίαι μὲν ἄμφω, δύναμιν δὲ φύσεως ὑπὲρ τὴν ἡλικίαν ἐπιδειξάμενοι καὶ τῇ ἐμπειρίᾳ τῶν τοῦ βασιλέως συνακμάσαντες ἔργων.
[25] nay more, he added to it public baths and stoas. For all these operations the master-builders Isidorus and John gave their assistance — John a Byzantine and Isidorus a Milesian by birth, nephew of the Isidorus whom I have mentioned before. Both of them were young men, but they displayed a natural ability beyond their years, and they had come to their full maturity with their experience in the Emperor’s undertakings.
[9] [9] [1] Μετὰ δὲ τὴν Ζηνοβίαν τὸ Σούρων πόλισμα, πρὸς τῷ Εὐφράτῃ ποταμῷ κείμενον, οὕτω δὴ εὐκαταφρόνητον τὸ τείχισμα εἶχεν ὥστε Χοσρόην ]προσβαλόντα ποτὲ οὐδὲ ὅσον ἡμιώριον ἀπεκρούσατο, ἀλλ᾽ εὐθυωρὸν ἑάλω Πέρσαις.
[1] After Zenobia is the fortress of Sura, situated on the Euphrates River, which had such contemptible defences that when Chosroes, on one occasion, attacked, it did not hold him off for so much as a half-hour, but was captured immediately by the Persians.
[2] ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο, ὥσπερ Καλλίνικον, Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἀνοικοδομησάμενος τὸ πολίχνιον ὅλον τείχει τε ἐχυρωτάτῳ περιβαλὼν καὶ προτειχίσματι κρατυνάμενος μηκέτι εἴκειν προσβάλλουσι πολεμίοις διεσκευάσατο.
[2] This too, like Callinicum, was rebuilt by the Emperor Justinian, who surrounded the entire fortress with a very stout wall, which he strengthened by outworks and thus brought it about that it should no longer yield to the enemy’s assaults.
[3] Ἔστι δέ τις νεὼς Σεργίῳ ἀνειμένος ἐν τῇ Εὐφρατησίᾳ ἐπιφανεῖ ἁγίῳ, ὃν δὴ σέβοντές τε καὶ τεθηπότες οἱ πάλαι ἄνθρωποι Σεργιούπολίν τε ἐπωνόμασαν τὸ χωρίον, καὶ τειχίσματι βραχυτάτῳ περιβεβλήκεσαν, ὅσον τοὺς ἐκείνῃ Σαρακηνοὺς ἀποκρούεσθαι οἷόν τε εἶναι ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς αὐτὸ ἐξελεῖν.
[3] There is a certain church in Euphratesia, dedicated to Sergius, a famous saint, whom men of former times used to worship and revere, so that they named the place Sergiopolis, and they had surrounded it with a very humble wall, just sufficient to prevent the Saracens of the region from capturing it by storm.
[4] ἀδύνατοι γὰρ τειχομαχεῖν εἰσι Σαρακηνοὶ φύσει, καί τι αὐτῶν, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι, τείχισμα φαυλότατον καὶ πηλῷ σύνθετον ἐμπόδιον τῇ ὁρμὴ γίνεται.
[4] For the Saracens are naturally incapable of storming a wall, and the weakest kind of barricade, put together with perhaps nothing but mud, is sufficient to check their assault.
[5] ἀλλ᾽ ὕστερον ὁ νεὼς οὗτος κειμηλίων προσόδῳ δυνατός τε καὶ ἀπόβλεπτος διὰ παντὸς ἦν.
[5] At a later time, however, this church, through its acquisition of treasures, came to be powerful and celebrated.
[6] ὁ δὴ λογισάμενος Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς τὸ πρᾶγμα εὐθὺς ἐν ἐπιμελείᾳ πεποίηται, τείχει τε ἀξιολογωτάτῳ ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα περιβέβληκε, καὶ ὑδάτων θησαυρίσας μέγα τι χρῆμα πλήθειν αὐτοῖς ἐσκευάσατο.
[6] And the Emperor Justinian, upon considering this situation, at once gave it careful attention, and he surrounded the church with a most remarkable wall, and he stored up a great quantity of water and thus provided the inhabitants with a bountiful supply.
[7] ἔτι μέντοι καὶ οἰκίας τε καὶ στοὰς καὶ τὰς ἄλλας οἰκοδομίας τῷ χωρίῳ ἐντέθεικεν ἃ δὴ πόλεως ἐγκαλλωπίσματα γίνεσθαι εἴωθεν.
[7] Furthermore, he added to the place houses and stoas and the other buildings which are wont to be the adornments of a city.
[8] ἀλλὰ καὶ φρουρὰν τῇδε στρατιωτῶν εἰς καιρὸν τοῦ περιβόλου ἀμυνομένων ἱδρύσατο.
[8] Besides this he established there a garrison of soldiers who, in case of need, defended the circuit-wall.
[9] Χοσρόης ἀμέλει ὁ Περσῶν βασιλεὺς ]ἐν σπουδῇ πεποιημένος τὴν πόλιν ἑλεῖν στράτευμά τε αὐτῇ ἐπὶ πολιορκίᾳ πολὺ ἐπιστήσας ἄπρακτος ἐνθένδε ὀχυρώτατος ἰσχύϊ τὴν προσεδρείαν διέλυσε.
[9] Chosroes, indeed, the King of the Persians, made a great effort to capture the city, sending a great army to besiege it; but because of the strength of the defences he accomplished nothing and abandoned the investment.
[10] Καὶ πολίσματα δὲ καὶ φρούρια πάντα ἐν ἐσχατιαῖς τῶν Εὐφρατησίας ὁρίων ὄντα τῆς ὁμοίας ἐπιμελείας ἠξίωσε, Βαρβαλισσοῦ τε καὶ Νεοκαισαρείας καὶ τ�
�ῦ Γαβούλων καλουμένου καὶ τῆς πρὸς Εὐφράτῃ τῷ ποταμῷ Πεντακωμίας καὶ τοῦ Εὐρωποῦ· ἔτι μέντοι καὶ τοῦ καλουμένου Ἡμερίου τὰ τείχη εὑρὼν πὴ μὲν παρέργως τε καὶ ἐπὶ σφαλερᾶς τῆς οἰκοδομίας γεγενημένα, πὴ δὲ καὶ μόνῳ περιβεβλημένα πηλῷ, πιεζόμενα δὲ καὶ ὕδατος ἀπορίᾳ πολλῇ καὶ ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ τοῖς πολεμίοις εὐκαταφρόνητα παντάπασιν ὄντα, καθεῖλε μὲν εἰς τὸ ἔδαφος, ἐς δὲ τὸ ἀκριβὲς λίθων ἐπιβολαῖς σκληρῶν μάλιστα δειμάμενος εὐθὺς ἅπαντα, εὔρους τε καὶ ὕψους μέγα τι χρῆμα τῷ ἔργῳ κατὰ λόγον ἐνθέμενος, καὶ ὑδάτων ταμιεῖα τεκτηνάμενος πανταχόσε τῶν ὀχυρωμάτων παμπληθῆ, ταῦτά τε κατακορῆ ὕδασιν ὀμβρίοις καταστησάμενος ἅπαντα· ἱδρυσάμενος δὲ καὶ φρουρῶν ὅμιλον, ἐς τὴν νῦν φαινομένην ἀσφάλειαν καρτερώτατα τὴν αὐτοῦ ἐπικράτειαν μετεβίβασεν.
[10] The Emperor bestowed the same careful attention on all the towns and forts which lie on the farthest borders of Euphratesia, namely Barbalissus and Neocaesarea, and Gaboulôn, as it is called, and the Pentacomia which is on the Euphrates River, and Europus. Also he found the walls of the place called Hemerium to be in part carelessly built and of unsafe construction and in part actually to consist of nothing but mud, while the place suffered from great scarcity of water, so that it was in every way an object of contempt to the enemy; so he razed it to the ground and immediately rebuilt it all carefully with courses of very hard stone, rightly giving the work generous proportions of both breadth and height, and he fashioned many cisterns for water in all parts of the defences, filling all these amply with rain-water; moreover, he established a large garrison there and so brought about the state of security which we now see there, and made the city’s dominance sure.
[11] ἃ δὴ ἐπὶ μακρότατον ἄν τις διασκοπούμενος τάς τε ἄλλας ἁπάσας Ἰουστινιανοῦ βασιλέως ἀγαθοεργίας ὑπεριδών, τούτου δὴ μόνου φαίη ἂν εἵνεκα τὴν βασιλείαν παραλαβεῖν, τοῦ θεοῦ δηλονότι τὰ τῆς σωτηρίας Ῥωμαίων τῷ γένει διηνεκὲς πρυτανεύοντος.
] [11] And if one should consider these fortresses very carefully, disregarding all the other useful works of the Emperor Justinian, he would say that it was solely for this purpose that he succeeded to the imperial power, since God unceasingly provides for the safety of the Roman people.
[12] Πρὸς ἐπὶ τούτοις δὲ καὶ τὴν Ἱεράπολιν, ἥπερ ἁπασῶν πρώτη τῶν τῇδε πόλεων τυγχάνει οὖσα, λαβὼν ἀποκειμένην τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύειν ἐθέλουσι, προμηθεῖ διεσώσατο γνώμῃ.
[12] In addition to these he also found Hierapolis, which happens to be the first of all the cities of that region, lying exposed to those who wished to attack it, and by his prudent foresight he assured its safety.
[13] χώραν τε γὰρ ἔρημον τὰ πρότερα περιβεβλημένην πολλὴν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀφύλακτον οὖσαν, τῶν μὲν ἀνονήτων αὐτὴν περιόδων ἀπήλλαξεν, ἐπιτομώτερον δὲ σὺν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ καταστησάμενος τὸν περίβολον, ἔς τε τὸ τῆς χρείας ἀναγκαῖον ξυναγαγὼν ἐχυρωτάτην τανῦν ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα διεπράξατο τὴν πόλιν εἶναι.
[13] Previously it had enclosed a large tract of barren land, and consequently was undefended; so he relieved it of this senseless expanse and made the circuit-wall shorter as well as more safe, reducing it to a measure calculated to meet the actual need of the situation, and thus bringing it about that the city is among the strongest of the present day.
[14] οὗ δὴ καὶ τόδε ἀγαθὸν εἴργασται. πότιμον ὕδωρ ἐκ μυχῶν τῆς γῆς ἄνεισιν ἐν μέσῃ πόλει διηνεκῶς, λίμνην τέ τινα ἐνταῦθα εὐρεῖαν ποιεῖται.
[14] Here too he conferred the following benefit. An unfailing supply of drinking-water springs up from the recesses of the earth in the midst of the city and makes a broad lake there.
[15] τοῦτο πολεμίων μέν, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι, προσεδρευόντων γίνεται τῇ πόλει σωτήριον, ἐν δὲ ἀγαθοῖς πράγμασιν οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον αὐτῇ ξυμβαίνει εἶναι, ἔξωθεν εἰσαγομένων ὑδάτων πολλῶν·
[15] And whenever an enemy chances to lay siege to the place, this water proves the salvation of the city; but in good times the lake becomes unnecessary to it, because abundant water is brought in from outside.
[16] προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ χρόνου εἰρήνῃ μακρᾷ συμβεβιωκότες οἱ τῇδε ᾠκημένοι, ἀνάγκης δὲ οὐδεμιᾶς ἐς πεῖραν ἐλθόντες, ἐν ὀλιγωρίᾳ τοῦτο πεποίηνται. οὐ γὰρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπου φύσις ὑπὲρ τῶν οὔπω παρόντων κακῶν ἐν εὐδαιμονίᾳ βουλεύεσθαι.
[16] And as time went on, the inhabitants of the place, having enjoyed a long-continued peace and experiencing no need, treated this spring with neglect. For in times of prosperity human nature knows not how to take thought against ills not yet at hand.
[17] ῥύπου τοίνυν τὴν λίμνην ἐνδελεχέστατα ἐνεπλήσαντο, νηχόμενοί τε καὶ πλυνοὺς ἐνταῦθα ποιούμενοι καὶ ἀπορριπτοῦντες φορυτοὺς ἅπαντας . . .
[17] So they kept filling the lake constantly with pollution, both swimming and washing clothes in it and throwing all manner of rubbish into it. . . .
[18] Ἔκειτο δὲ καὶ ἄλλα ἄττα ἐν ταύτῃ δὴ τῇ Εὐφρατησίᾳ χωρία, Ζεῦγμά τε καὶ Νεοκαισάρεια, ἃ δὴ πολίχναι μὲν ἄχρι ἐς τὸ ὄνομα ἦσαν, τείχεσι ]δὲ περιεβέβληντο αἱμασιᾶς τρόπον.
[18] There were also two other towns in this district of Euphratesia, Zeugma and Neocaesarea, which went by the name of fortified towns, but were enclosed by fortifications resembling walls of loose stones.
[19] τῷ μὲν γὰρ τῆς οἰκοδομίας κολοβῷ ἐσβατὰ πόνων οὐδενὶ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐγίνετο, ἀδεέστερον ἐς αὐτὰ ἐσπηδᾶν ἔχουσι, τῷ δὲ στενῷ λίαν ἀφύλακτα, οὐκ ἐχόντων τὸ παράπαν τῶν ἐνταῦθα φρουρῶν ὅποι ἂν ἑστῶτες ἀμύνοιντο.
[19] And because these were made too low when they were built, they were accessible to the enemy without any effort, since they could leap upon them without fear, while their extreme narrowness made them impossible to defend, since the garrison of the town had no place whatever where they might stand and carry on the defence.
[20] ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦτα Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς τείχεσιν ἀληθέσι περιβαλὼν εὔρους τε καὶ ὕψους ἱκανῶς ἔχουσι, καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ κατασκευῇ κρατυνάμενος, πόλεις τε διεπράξατο καλεῖσθαι δικαίως καὶ κρείσσους εἶναι τῆς τῶν πολεμίων ἐπιβουλῆς.
[20] But the Emperor Justinian surrounded these places too with real walls of adequate breadth and
height, and he made them strong in their other equipment, and so brought it about that they are justly called cities and are too well built for hostile attacks.
[10] [10] [1] Ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ πόλεων τὰς Χοσρόῃ ἁλουσάς (ἡνίκα ὁ βάρβαρος οὗτος ἀλογήσας τὰ παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ ὀμωμοσμένα ἐν ταῖς ἀπεράντοις σπονδαῖς καὶ τὰ διδόμενά οἱ ἐπ᾽ αὐταῖς χρήματα, καὶ βασκανίᾳ μὲν ἐς Ἰουστινιανὸν βασιλέα ἐχόμενος, οἷς δὲ Λιβύης τε καὶ Ἰταλίας τῷ πολέμῳ κύριος γέγονε, καὶ τὴν ἐς τὰ ὀμωμοσμένα πίστιν περὶ ἐλάσσονος τῆς ἐς ταῦτα λύσσης πεποιημένος. καιροφυλακήσας δὲ ἀπολελειμμένον ἐν τῇ ἑσπερίᾳ ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τὸν Ῥωμαίων στρατὸν αὐτάγγελος ἐσβέβληκεν ἐς Ῥωμαίων τὴν γῆν, ἀνηκόων ἔτι Ῥωμαίων ὄντων τῆς τῶν πολεμίων ἐφόδου), ἐς τοῦτο δὴ μετεστήσατο βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς ἀσφαλείας καὶ κόσμου, ὥστε ἁπάσας εὐδαιμονεστέρας κατὰ πολὺ τανῦν ἢ πρότερον εἶναι, καὶ μηκέτι περὶ τὰς τῶν κακουργησόντων ]βαρβάρων ἐφόδους περιδεεῖς εἶναι, μηδέ τινι μηχανῇ πρὸς τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς ὑπόπτως ἔχειν.
[1] He also turned his attention to the cities which had been captured by Chosroes. (This was when that barbarian ignored the oaths he had sworn at the time of the “endless peace” and the money given him to secure this peace; when he was filled with malice against the Emperor Justinian because he had become master of Italy and of Libya by conquest, and was moved less by the obligation of his oaths than by his rage at the Emperor’s successes. So he watched for the right time, and when the greater part of the Roman army was away in the West, he invaded the Roman territory without any previous notice, before the Romans could hear of the approach of the enemy). So the Emperor Justinian transformed these cities to such a state of safety and beauty that they are all much more prosperous at the present time than they were formerly, and no longer need either be fearful of the inroads of the villainous barbarians, or apprehensive for any reason of their attacks.
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius Page 593