[25] But he left nothing vulnerable or unguarded, for after vigilantly caring for the safety of his subjects, he felt convinced that even if the barbarians should chance to overrun the country about Thermopylae, they would, as soon as they learned that after surmounting this obstacle they would have gained no advantage (the rest of Greece having been fortified at every point), give up immediately in despair, knowing that it would be necessary for them to besiege each individual city.
[26] προσδοκία γὰρ μηκυνομένη ταλαιπωρεῖν οὐκ ἀνέχεται, οὐδὲ ἀναβαλλομένης ὠφελείας ἐφίεται, ἀλλ᾽ ἀποδίδοται τῆς περὶ ταῦτα ὀκνήσεως τὴν μέλλουσαν τύχην.
[26] For when expectation is prolonged, it cannot endure the strain, nor does it even desire a profit which is delayed; but it simply abandons the contingent chance of success through waiting.
[27] Ταῦτα διαπεπραγμένος Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεύς, ἐπεὶ τὰς ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ πόλεις ἁπάσας ἀτειχίστους ἐμάνθανεν εἶναι, λογισάμενος ὅτι δή οἱ πολὺς τετρίψεται χρόνος, εἰ κατὰ μιᾶς ἐπιμελοῖτο, τὸν Ἰσθμὸν ὅλον ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ ἐτειχίσατο, ἐπεὶ αὐτοῦ καταπεπτώκει τὰ πολλὰ ἤδη.
[27] When the Emperor Justinian, after he had accomplished all this, learned that all the cities of the Peloponnesus were unwalled, he reasoned that obviously a long time would be consumed if he attended to them one by one, and so he walled the whole Isthmus securely, because much of the old wall had already fallen down.
[28] φρούριά τε ταύτῃ ἐδείματο καὶ φυλακτήρια κατεστήσατο. τούτῳ δὲ τῷ τρόπῳ ἄβατα τοῖς πολεμίοις ἅπαντα ]πεποίηκεν εἶναι τὰ ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ χωρίᾳ, εἰ καί τι ἐς τὸ ἐν Θερμοπύλας ὀχύρωμα κακουργήσοιεν. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν τῇδε κεχώρηκε.
[28] And he built fortresses there and established garrisons. In this manner he made all the towns in the Peloponnesus inaccessible to the enemy, even if somehow they should force the defences at Thermopylae. Thus were these things done.
[3]
[3] [1] Πόλις δὲ ἦν τις ἐπὶ Θεσσαλίας, Διοκλητιανούπολις ὄνομα, εὐδαίμων μὲν τὸ παλαιὸν γεγενημένη, προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ χρόνου βαρβάρων οἱ ἐπιπεσόντων καταλυθεῖσα καὶ οἰκητόρων ἔρημος γεγονυῖα ἐπὶ μακρότατον· λίμνη δέ τις αὐτῇ ἐν γειτόνων τυγχάνει οὖσα, ἢ Καστορία ὠνόμασται. καὶ νῆσος κατὰ μέσον τῆς λίμνης τοῖς ὕδασι περιβέβληται.
[1] There was a certain city in Thessaly, Diocletianopolis by name, which had been prosperous in ancient times, but with the passage of time and the assaults of the barbarians it had been destroyed, and for a very long time it had been destitute of inhabitants; and a certain lake chances to be close by which was named Castoria. There is an island in the middle of the lake, for the most part surrounded by water;
[2] μία δὲ εἰς αὐτὴν εἴσοδος ἀπὸ τῆς λίμνης ἐν στενῷ λέλειπται, οὐ πλέον ἢ ἐς πεντεκαίδεκα διήκουσα πόδας.
[2] but there remains a single narrow approach to this island through the lake, not more than •fifteen feet wide.
[3] ὄρος τε τῇ νήσῳ ἐπανέστηκεν ὑψηλὸν ἄγαν, ἥμισυ μὲν τῇ λίμνῃ καλυπτόμενον, τῷ δὲ λειπομένῳ ἐγκείμενον.
[3] And a very lofty mountain stands above the island, one half being covered by the lake while the remainder rests upon it.
[4] διὸ δὴ ὁ βασιλεὺς οὗτος τὸν Διοκλητιανουπόλεως ὑπεριδὼν χῶρον ἅτε που διαφανῶς εὐέφοδον ὄντα καὶ πεπονθότα πολλῷ πρότερον, ἅπερ ἐρρήθη, πόλιν ἐν τῇ νήσῳ ὀχυρωτάτην ἐδείματο, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, ἀφῆκε τῇ πόλει.
[4] Wherefore this Emperor passed over the site of Diocletianopolis, since it was manifestly easy of access and had long been in a state of collapse, as has been stated, and built a very strong city on the island, and, as was right, he allowed it bear his own name.
[5] ἐπὶ μέντοι Ἐχιναίου τε καὶ Θηβῶν καὶ Φαρσάλου καὶ ἄλλων τῶν ἐπὶ Θεσσαλίας πόλεων ἁπασῶν, ἐν αἷς Δημητριάς τέ ἐστι καὶ Μητρόπολις ὄνομα καὶ Γόμφοι καὶ Τρίκα, τοὺς περιβόλους ἀνανεωσάμενος, ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ ἐκρατύνατο, χρόνῳ τε καταπεπονηκότας μακρῷ, εὐπετῶς τε ἁλωτοὺς ὄντας, εἴ τις προσίοι.
[5] Furthermore, he restored the circuit-walls of Echinaeus and of Thebes and Pharsalus and of all the other cities of Thessaly, including Demetrias and Metropolis, as it is called, and Gomphi and Tricca, making them safe and strong, since they had all suffered with the passage of time and could be captured easily, if anyone should attack them.
[6] Ἀλλ᾽ ἐπεὶ ἐς Θεσσαλίαν ἀφίγμεθα, φέρε δή, τῷ λόγῳ ἐπί τε τὸ ὄρος τὸ Πήλιον καὶ ]Πηνειὸν ποταμὸν ἴωμεν.
[6] But now that we have reached Thessaly, let us direct our account at once to Mt. Pelion and the Peneus River.
[7] ῥεῖ μὲν ἐξ ὄρους τοῦ Πηλίου πρᾴῳ τῷ ῥείθρῳ ὁ Πηνειός, ὡράϊσται δὲ αὐτῷ περιρρεομένη πόλις ἡ Λάρισσα, τῆς Φθίας ἐνταῦθα οὐκέτι οὔσης, τοῦτο δὴ τοῦ μακροῦ χρόνου τὸ διαπόνημα.
[7] This river flows from Mt. Pelion with a gentle stream which encircles and beautifies the city of Larissa; Phthia is no longer in existence, this being the work of the long passage of time.
[8] φέρεται δὲ ὁ ποταμὸς οὗτος εὖ μάλα προσηνῶς ἄχρι ἐς θάλασσαν. εὔφορός τε οὖν ἐστιν ἡ χώρα καρπῶν παντοδαπῶν καὶ ποτίμοις ὕδασι κατακορὴς ἄγαν, ὧνπερ ὀνίνασθαι ὡς ἥκιστα εἶχον περίφοβοι ὄντες οἱ τῇδε ᾠκημένοι διηνεκὲς καὶ καραδοκοῦντες ἀεὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους ἐγκείσεσθαι σφίσιν· ἐπεὶ οὐδαμῆ τῶν ταύτῃ χωρίων ὀχύρωμα ἦν, ὅπη ἂν καταφυγόντες σωθήσονται.
[8] And this river flows on with a very easy descent all the way to the sea. The country is indeed productive of all kinds of crops and has a surfeit of drinking-water, yet the inhabitants of the region could not derive the least enjoyment from these things because they were in a state of constant terror and ever expected the barbarians to fall upon them, since there was no stronghold anywhere in this district where they might take refuge and find safety.
[9] ἀλλὰ καὶ Λάρισσαν καὶ Καισάρειαν, πεπονηκότων σφίσιν ὑπεράγαν τῶν ἐρυμάτων, σχεδόν τι ἀτειχίστους εἶναι ξυνέβαινε.
[9] Even Larissa and Caesarea, since their defences had suffered excessively, had come to be practically unwalled.
[10] βασιλεὺς δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς ἄμφω τείχη ἰσχυρότατα ποιησάμενος γνησίᾳ τὴν χώραν εὐδαιμονίᾳ ξυνῴκισεν.
[10] But the Emperor Justinian made the defences of both very strong, and in this way brought the blessings of true prospe
rity to the region.
[11] οὐ πολλῷ δὲ ἄποθεν ὄρη ἀνέχει ἀπόκρημνα, οὐρανομήκεσιν ἀμφιλαφῆ δένδροις· οἰκεῖα δὲ Κενταύροις τὰ ὄρη.
[11] And not far away rise precipitous mountains, covered with lofty trees — the home of the Centaurs.
[12] καὶ γέγονε Λαπίθαις ἐν τῇδε τῇ χώρᾳ πρὸς τὸ Κενταύρων γένος ἡ μάχῃ, ὡς οἱ μῦθοι ἡμῖν ἐκ παλαιοῦ ἰσχυρίζονται, νεανιευόμενοι γεγονέναι ἀνθρώπων γένος ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις ἀλλόκοτον καὶ ζῴων φύσιν τινὰ δυοῖν σύμμικτον.
[12] This was the spot where the battle of the Lapiths took place against the race of the Centaurs, as our myths have it from of old, childishly pretending that in early times a strange race of men existed, compounded of the nature of two creatures.
[13] ἀφῆκε δέ τι καὶ τῷ μύθῳ ἐν προσηγορίᾳ μαρτύριον ὁ παλαιὸς χρόνος, φρουρίου ἐν τοῖς τῇδε ὄρεσιν ὄντος. Κενταυρόπολις ]γὰρ τὸ χωρίον καὶ εἰς ἐμὲ ὀνομάζεται.
[13] Ancient times have also left a certain testimony to the myth in a name applied to a fort in the mountains there; for the place is called Centauropolis even to my day.
[14] οὗπερ τὸ τεῖχος Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς καταπεπτωκὸς ἤδη σὺν Εὐρυμένῃ τῷ φρουρίῳ ἐνταῦθά πη ὄντι καὶ ταὐτὸ πεπονθότι ἀνοικοδομησάμενος ἐκρατύνατο.
[14] The wall of this fort, which had already fallen down, as well as the fortress of Eurymenê, near by, which was in the same state, was rebuilt and strengthened by the Emperor Justinian.
[15] πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἄλλα φρούρια ἐπὶ Θεσσαλίας ὁ βασιλεὺς οὗτος ἀνενεώσατο, ὧνπερ τὰ ὀνόματα σὺν τοῖς ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ τετειχισμένοις ἐν καταλόγῳ γεγράψεταί μοι οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον.
[15] This Emperor restored also many other forts in Thessaly, the names of which I shall include a little further on in the list of towns in Macedonia which have been provided with walls.
[16] Ἀλλὰ νῦν, ἵνα μηδὲν τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἀπολειφθείη μένον ἄρρητον, ἐς Εὔβοιαν ἡμῖν τὴν νῆσον ἰτέον, ἐπεὶ Ἀθηνῶν τε καὶ Μαραθῶνος ἄγχιστα ἕστηκεν.
[16] But now, in order that no portion of Greece may be left unmentioned, we must go to the island of Euboea, for it stands close to Athens and Marathôn.
[17] Εὔβοια τοίνυν ἡ νῆσος ἥδε προβέβληται μὲν τοὺς Ἑλλάδος εἰς θάλασσαν, δοκεῖ δέ που ἀπενεχθῆναι, μιᾶς μὲν οὔσης τῆς γῆς πρότερον, ἀποσχισθείσης δὲ πορθμῷ ὕστερον·
[17] This island of Euboea is thrown out into the sea in front of Greece, and it looks as if it had been cut off somehow from the mainland, having been one with the continent formerly, but later split off by a strait.
[18] ῥήγνυσι γάρ τις τὴν ἤπειρον ἐνταῦθα τῆς θαλάσσης ἐπιρροὴ ἀμφὶ Χαλκίδα πόλιν, ἐν στενῷ τε ξυνιοῦσα καὶ ταῖς ὄχθαις ἑκατέρωθι σφιγγομένη ἐς ῥύακος εὖρος.
[18] An arm of the sea breaks the continent there near the city of Chalcis, collecting itself in a narrow stream and being compressed by its banks to the breadth of a brook.
[19] καὶ νῆσος μὲν τὸ ἀποτετμημένον τῆς γῆς γέγονεν· Εὔριπος δὲ ὁ πορθμὸς ἐπωνόμασται.
[19] The portion of land which is thus cut off forms an island, and the strait is called Euripus.
[20] τοιαύτη μὲν οὖν τις ἡ Εὔβοια τυγχάνει οὖσα· ζεῦγμα δὲ τῷ πορθμῷ μία τις ἐγκειμένη ποιεῖται δοκός· ἥνπερ ἐπιτιθέντες μέν, ἡνίκα ἂν ᾖ βουλομένοις σφίσιν, οἱ ἐπιχώριοι ἠπειρῶται δοκοῦσιν εἶναι καὶ εἰς γῆν τὴν ἀντιπέρας πεζοὶ ἴασιν, ἀφαιρούμενοι δὲ ταῖς τε ἀκάτοις διαπορθμεύονται τὸν ἀνάπλουν καὶ νησιῶται γίνονται αὖθις, ἑνός τε ξύλου ἐπιβολῇ καὶ ἀφαιρέσει καὶ πεζεύουσι καὶ ναυτίλλονται· . . . ἐντὸς καθειργμένην καλοῦσι Παλλήνην.
[20] Such then is Euboea; and a bridge over the strait is formed by a single timber laid across it. This the natives put in place whenever they wish, and thus they seem to be mainlanders when they cross on foot to the opposite shore; but when they remove it and cross the strait in boats, they become islanders again, so that by the placing or removal of one timber they may either walk or go in boats . . . they call the enclosed portion Pallenê.
[21] τὴν μέντοι εἴσοδον ]διατειχίσματι τὸ παλαιὸν καταλαβόντες οἱ ἐπιχώριοι, ταύτῃ τε τὴν ἑκατέρωθι συζεύξαντες θάλασσαν, πόλιν ἐνταῦθα ἐδείμαντο, ἦν πάλαι μὲν Ποτίδαιαν, τανῦν δὲ Κασανδρίαν ὀνομάζουσιν.
[1] The natives in ancient times had closed the entrance with a cross-wall, with which they had linked together the two seas; and they had built there a city which in former times they called Potidaea, but now Cassandria.
[22] οὕτω δὲ τὰς ἐνταῦθα οἰκοδομίας ὁ χρόνος διέφθειρε πάσας ὥστε δὴ Οὐννικόν τι ἔθνος οὐ πολλῷ πρότερον καταθέοντες τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία, ὥσπερ τι διαχειρίζοντες οἷόν τι πάρεργον, τό τε ξύναμμα τοῦτο καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἄφοβοι ἐξεῖλον, καίπερ ἐξ οὗ γεγόνασιν ἄνθρωποι οὐ τειχομαχήσαντες πώποτε.
[22] But time so ruined all the buildings in this place that a Hunnic tribe, in overrunning that region not long ago, destroyed the city and the wall without fear, quite as if they were doing something just by the way, though since the world began they had never stormed a wall.
[23] ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ γέγονε πρόφασις ἀρετήν τε καὶ μεγαλοφροσύνην ἐνδείξασθαι.
[23] But this too provided the Emperor Justinian with an opportunity to display his skill and his magnanimity.
[24] τοῖς γὰρ ξυμπίπτουσι χαλεποῖς ἀντίξουν ποιούμενος ἀεὶ τὴν αὑτοῦ πρόνοιαν, τῶν ξυμβεβηκότων τὰ πονηρότατα ταῖς ἐπιγινομέναις ἀγαθοεργίαις εὐθὺς μεταβιβάζεται ἐς τύχην ἀμείνω.
[24] For, by always bringing his wisdom to bear in circumventing the difficulties he meets with, he straightway uses beneficent measures, thus transforming the greatest disasters into a happier state of affairs.
[25] καὶ Παλλήνης ἀμέλει πόλιν τε τὴν προβεβλημένην τῆς χώρας ἁπάσης καὶ τὸ κατὰ τὴν εἴσοδον διατείχισμα τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύειν ἐθέλουσιν ἄμαχόν τε καὶ ἀνανταγώνιστον διεπράξατο διαφανῶς εἶναι.
[25] So in this way he brought it about that both the city of Pallenê, which stands as a bulwark of the whole region, and the cross-wall at the entrance of the peninsula, became manifestly impregnable and able to defy any who should wish to attack them.
[26
] ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐν πράξεσιν αὐτῷ ταῖς ἐπὶ Μακεδονίαν διαπεπόνηται.
[26] These things, then, were done by him as his service to Macedonia.
[27] Ῥεῖ δέ τις ποταμὸς Θεσσαλονίκης οὐ πολλῷ ἄποθεν, Ῥήχιος ὄνομα· ὃς δὴ χώραν ἀγαθήν τε καὶ γεώδη περιερχόμενος τὰς ἐκβολὰς εἰς θάλασσαν τὴν ἐκείνῃ ποιεῖται.
[27] Not far from Thessalonica flows a certain river, Rhechius by name, which wanders through a goodly land of deep soil and then empties into the sea near by.
[28] προσηνὴς δὲ ὁ ποταμός ἐστι, γαληνὸν τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ πότιμον, ἡ γῆ χθαμαλή, ἀρόματα πολλά, ἕλος εὔνομον.
[28] The river flows with a steady current, the water is calm and drinkable, and the ground is level with many ploughed fields and bottom-lands with good pasturage.
[29] καὶ ταύτῃ μὲν εὐδαιμονίας ἡ χώρα εὖ ἔχει, ]βαρβάροις δὲ λίαν εὐέφοδος οὖσα ἐτύγχανεν, οὔτε φρούριον ἐν σημείοις τεσσαράκοντα οὔτε ἄλλο τι ἔρυμα ἔχουσα.
[29] In these respects the land is blessed, but it used to be completely exposed to the barbarians, having neither fortress nor any other defence in a space of •forty miles.
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius Page 602