Delphi Complete Works of Procopius
Page 606
[4] So beyond that place which they call Lucernariaburgou the Emperor Justinian built the fortress Securisca, a new work of his own.
[5] ἐπέκεινά ]τε τὰ πεπονηκότα ἐν Κυντοδήμου ἀνενεώσατο. καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο πόλιν ἐδείματο οὐ πρότερον οὖσαν, ἥνπερ ὁμωνύμως τῇ βασιλίδι Θεοδωρόπολιν ἐπωνόμασεν.
[5] Beyond this he restored the parts of Cyntodemus which had suffered. And still further on he built a city which had not existed previously, and this he named Theodoropolis, after the Empress.
[6] ἔτι μέντοι φρουρίων τοῦ τε Ἰατρῶν καλουμένου καὶ Τιγᾶς τὰ πεπονθότα νέᾳ τινὶ διεσώσατο οἰκοδομίᾳ, καὶ τοῖς Μαξεντίου πύργον ἐντέθεικεν, ἐπεὶ αὐτοῦ προσδεῖν ᾤετο.
[6] Furthermore, he preserved the fortresses called Iatrôn and Tigas by building anew the parts which had suffered, and to the fort of Maxentius he added a tower, which he thought it needed.
[7] καὶ τὸ Κυντῶν ἐδείματο φρούριον οὐ πρότερον ὄν. μεθ᾽ ὃ δὴ τὸ Τρασμαρίσκας ὀχύρωμά ἐστιν· οὗπερ καταντικρὺ ἐν τῇ ἀντιπέρας ἠπείρῳ Κωνσταντῖνός ποτε Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς φρούριον οὐκ ἀπημελημένως ᾠκοδομήσατο, Δάφνην ὄνομα, οὐκ ἀξύμφορον νενομικὼς εἶναι φυλάσσεσθαι ταύτῃ τὸν ποταμὸν ἑκατέρωθεν.
[7] And he built the fort of Cyntôn which had not existed before. Beyond this is the stronghold Trasmariscas. Just opposite this, on the other bank of the river, Constantine, Emperor of the Romans, once built with no small care a fort, Daphnê by name, thinking it not inexpedient that the river should be guarded on both sides at this point.
[8] ὃ δὴ προϊόντος τοῦ χρόνου βάρβαροι μὲν ἀφανίζουσι τὸ παράπαν, Ἰουστινιανὸς δὲ ἀνῳκοδομήσατο βασιλεὺς ἐκ θεμελίων ἀρξάμενος.
[8] As time went on, the barbarians destroyed this entirely; but the Emperor Justinian rebuilt it, beginning at the foundations.
[9] μετὰ δὲ Τρασμαρίσκαν ἔρυμά τε τὸ Ἀλτηνῶν, καὶ ὅπερ καλοῦσι Κανδιδιάνα, καθῃρημένον πρὸς αὐτῶν πολεμίων πολλῷ πρότερον, ἐπιμελείας ἠξίωσε κατὰ λόγον τῆς χρείας.
[9] And beyond Trasmariscas is the stronghold Altenôn and one which they call Candidiana, destroyed long before by the same enemy, which he repaired with all the care that they deserved.
[10] ἔστι δὲ τρία ἑξῆς ὀχυρώματα παρὰ τὴν τοῦ Ἴστρου ἠϊόνα, Σαλτουπύργος τε καὶ Δορόστολος καὶ Συκιδάβα.
[10] And there are three forts, Saltupyrgus, Dorostolus and Sycidaba, one after the other along the bank of the Ister,
[11] ὧν δὴ ἑκάστου τὰ πεπονθότα οὐκ ἀπημελημένως ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπηνώρθωσε.
[11] which the Emperor put in order by carefully repairing such parts of each one as had suffered.
[12] καὶ Κούηστρις δέ, ὅπερ κεῖται τῆς ἀκτῆς ἔκτοσθεν, ἐπιμέλειαν τὴν ὁμοίαν πεποίηται. καὶ Πάλματις ἐν στενῷ κείμενον μεῖζόν τε κατεστήσατο καὶ διαφερόντως εὐρύτερον, καίπερ οὐ παρὰ τὴν ἀκτὴν τοῦ ποταμοῦ ὄν.
[12] He displayed a similar care in the case of Questris, which lies back from the river. And Palmatis, which was cramped for space, he enlarged and made very much broader, though it is not on the bank of the river.
[13] οὗ δὴ ἄγχιστα καὶ φρούριον Ἄδινα καινουργήσας ἐδείματο, ἐπεὶ διηνεκὲς διαλανθάνοντες Σκλαβηνοὶ ]βάρβαροι ἐνταῦθα ἐνεδρεύοντές τε κεκρυμμένως ἀεὶ τοὺς τῇδε ἰόντας ἄβατα ἐποίουν τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία.
[13] Close to this he built also a new fort named Adina, because the barbarian Sclaveni were constantly laying concealed ambuscades there against travellers, thus making the whole district impassable.
[14] καὶ φρούριον δὲ τὸ Τιλικίων ᾠκοδομήσατο, καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀριστερᾷ κείμενον ἔρυμα.
[14] He likewise built the fortress of Tiliciôn and a stronghold which lies to its left.
[15] Οὕτω μὲν καὶ Μυσοῖς τὰ ὀχυρώματα ἐπὶ τε τῆς ἀκτῆς ποταμοῦ Ἴστρου ἔσχε καὶ ταύτης πλησίον.
[15] Such was the condition of the fortresses of Mysia on the bank of the Ister River, as well as those near it.
[16] ἐπὶ Σκύθας δὲ τὸ λοιπὸν βαδιοῦμαι· ἔνθα δὴ φρούριον πρῶτον Κυρίλλου ἁγίου ἐπώνυμον ἐστιν, οὗπερ τὰ πεπονηκότα τῷ χρόνῳ ἀνῳκοδομήσατο οὐκ ἀπημελημένως Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεύς.
[16] Next I shall proceed to Scythia; there the first fortress is the one named for St. Cyril, of which the Emperor Justinian rebuilt with care those portions which had suffered with time.
[17] ἐπέκεινά τε αὐτοῦ ἦν μὲν ἐκ παλαιοῦ ὀχύρωμα, Οὐλμιτῶν ὄνομα, βαρβάρων δὲ Σκλαβηνῶν ἐπὶ χρόνου μῆκος ἐκείνῃ τὰς ἐνέδρας πεποιηκότων, διατριβήν τε αὐτόθι ἐπὶ μακρότατον ἐσχηκότων, ἔρημόν τε παντάπασι γέγονε, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτοῦ ὅτι μὴ τὸ ὄνομα ἐλέλειπτο ἔτι.
[17] Beyond this from ancient times there was a stronghold, Ulmitôn by name, but since the barbarian Sclaveni had been making their ambuscades there for a great length of time and had been tarrying there very long, it had come to be wholly deserted and nothing of it was left except the name.
[18] ὅλον τοίνυν ἐκ θεμελίων δειμάμενος, ἐλεύθερα τῆς τῶν Σκλαβηνῶν ἐπιθέσεώς τε καὶ ἐπιβουλῆς κατεστήσατο εἶναι τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία.
[18] So he built it all up from the foundations and thus freed that region from the menace and the attacks of the Sclaveni.
[19] ἔστι δέ που μετὰ τοῦτο Ἰβιδὰ πόλις, ἧς δὴ τοῦ περιβόλου πολλὰ ἐπεπόνθει, ἅπερ ἀνανεωσάμενος οὐδεμίᾳ μελλήσει ἐχυρωτάτην διεπράξατο εἶναι.
[19] Beyond this is the city of Ibida, whose circuit-wall had suffered in many places; these he renewed without delay and made the city very strong.
[20] φρούριόν τε δεδημιούργηκε νέον αὐτὸς μετ᾽ αὐτὴν ὅπερ Αἴγισσον ὀνομάζουσι. καὶ ἄλλο δὲ φρούριον Σκυθίας ἐν ὑστάτῳ κεῖται, Ἄλμυρις ὄνομα, οὗ δὴ τὰ πολλὰ σαθρὰ γεγονότα διαφανῶς ἀνοικοδομησάμενος διεσώσατο.
[20] And beyond it he built a new fortress, a work of his own, which they call Aegissus. At the extremity of Scythia lies another fortress, Halmyris by name, a great part of which had become manifestly insecure, and this he saved by rebuilding it.
[21] ὅσα δὲ καὶ ἄλλα ὀχυρώματα ἐν τῇ τῆς Εὐρώπης μοίρᾳ εἰπεῖν ἄξιον.
[21] All the other strongholds also within the bounds of Europe are worthy of mention.
[8] [8] [1] Ὅσα μὲν δὴ ἔν τε Δαρδάνοις καὶ Ἠ
πειρώταις καὶ Μακεδόσι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις Ἰλλυριῶν ]ἔθνεσιν, ἔτι μέντοι καὶ ὅσα ἐπί τε τῆς Ἑλλάδος, καὶ ἀμφὶ ποταμὸν Ἴστρον οἰκοδομήματα Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ εἴργασται, ἤδη μοι ἔμπροσθεν δεδιήγηται.
[1] All the building that was done by the Emperor Justinian in Dardania, Epirus, Macedonia and the other parts of Illyricum, also in Greece and along the Ister River has already been described by me.
[2] ἐπὶ τὴν Θρᾴκην δὲ τὸ λοιπὸν ἴωμεν, ἀρίστην πηγνύμενοί τινα τοῦ λόγου κρηπῖδα τὰ ἐπὶ Βυζαντίου χωρία, ἐπεὶ καὶ τῆς Θρᾴκης ἡ πόλις οὐ τῷ κρατεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ χωρίων προέστηκε φύσει, τῇ μὲν Εὐρώπῃ ὥσπερ τις ἀκρόπολις ἐπεμβαίνουσα, φραττομένη δὲ τῆς διοριζούσης αὐτὴν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀσίας θαλάσσης τὸ πέρας.
[2] Next let us go to Thrace, laying down as the fairest foundation, as it were, for our narrative the environs of Byzantium, since this city is preëminent in Thrace not only because of its power, but also by reason of its natural site, planted as it is on Europe like a kind of acropolis and finally setting a guard over the sea which divides it from Asia.
[3] ἤδη μὲν οὖν τάς τε ἄλλας ἁπάσας τῆς πόλεως κτίσεις, καὶ ὅσα δὴ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἱεροῖς ἐντός τε καὶ ἐκτὸς τοῦ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως περιβόλου δεδημιούργηκεν, ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν δεδήλωκα λόγοις. τὰ δὲ δὴ ἐνθένδε ἐρῶν ἔρχομαι.
[3] I have already described in the preceding narrative all the buildings of the city itself, including the work which was done for the shrines, both inside and outside the walls of Constantinople. I shall now proceed from that point.
[4] Φρούριόν ἐστιν ἐν προαστείῳ τῆς πόλεως, ὅπερ Στρογγύλον ὁμωνύμως τῇ τοῦ ἐρύματος συνθέσει καλοῦσιν.
[4] In a suburb of the city there is a fortress which they call Strongylum from the form in which it is built.
[5] ἐντεῦθεν ἡ ἐς τὸ Ῥήγιον ὁδὸς ἄγουσα, ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀνώμαλος οὖσα, ὄμβρων, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι, ἐπιπεσόντων, τελματώδης τε καὶ δυσπάριτος τοῖς τῇδε ἰοῦσιν ἐγίνετο.
[5] The road which leads from that point to Rhegium was for the most part uneven; and if rain chanced to fall it became a bog and was difficult for travellers to get through.
[6] νῦν δὲ λίθοις αὐτὴν καταστρώσας ἁμαξιαίοις ὁ βασιλεὺς οὗτος εὐπετῆ τε κατεστήσατο καὶ ἄπονον ὅλως.
[6] But now this Emperor has paved it with blocks of stone each large enough to load a waggon and so has made it altogether practicable and easy.
[7] μῆκος μὲν τῇ ὁδῷ τῇδε ἄχρι ἐς Ῥήγιον· εὐρύνεται δὲ τοσοῦτον ἐς ὅσον ἁμάξας οὐ στενοχωρεῖν δύο ἀπ᾽ ἐναντίας ἀλλήλαις ἰούσας.
[7] In length, this road extends all the way to Rhegium and its breadth is such that two waggons, going in opposite directions, have no lack of room.
[8] τραχεῖς οἱ λίθοι διαφερόντως· εἰκάσαις ἂν αὐτοὺς μυλίτας εἶναι· εὐμεγέθεις τέ εἰσι μάλιστα. ὥστε δὴ ἕκαστος γῆν μὲν ἐπικαλύπτει πολλήν, ἐς ἄγαν δὲ ὑψοῦ ἀνέχει.
[8] The paving-stones are exceptionally coarse, so that you would expect them to be mill-stones; and they are of goodly size. Consequently each one covers much ground and stands very high.
[9] ἐς δὲ τό ὁμαλὲς καὶ ]τό γε λεῖον ἐπιεικῶς ἐξειργασμένοι, οὐ ἐνῆφθαι τῇ συνθέσει, οὐδέ πη ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς μεμυκέναι, ἀλλὰ συμπεφυκέναι δοκοῦσιν ἀλλήλοις. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτά ἐστι.
[9] They are very carefully worked so as to form a smooth and even surface, and they give the appearance not simply of being laid together at the joints, or even of being exactly fitted, but they seem actually to have grown together. So much, then, for this.
[10] Λίμνην δέ τινα εἶναι ἄγχιστα τοῦ Ῥηγίου καλουμένου ξυμβαίνει ἐς ἣν τὰς ἐκβολὰς ἔχουσι ποταμοὶ ἐκ χωρίων τῶν ὕπερθεν τῇδε φερόμενοι.
[10] There chances to be a kind of lake very close to this place called Rhegium, into which pour streams that flow from the adjacent uplands.
[11] διακέχυται δὲ ἡ λίμνη αὕτη μέχρι ἐς θάλασσαν· ὥστε μία τις ἀμφοτέραιν ἀκτὴ ἐν στενῷ μάλιστα τυγχάνει οὖσα.
[11] This lake extends as far as the sea so that in the very narrow tongue of land between them they have a common shore.
[12] ταύτην δὲ ἄμφω ἐπικλύζουσι τὴν ἀκτὴν ἀντικυματοῦσαι, καὶ ἀλλήλοις ἀντιμυκώμεναι, ἀεί τε ἀλλήλαις εὐθὺ ἵενται τὴν ἠϊόνα ἐπικοινούμεναι. ἐπειδὰν δὲ ὡς πλησιαίτατα ἵκωνται, ἀναχαιτίζουσι τὴν ἐπιρροήν, ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτὰς ἐπιστρέφουσαι, ὥσπερ ἐνταῦθα τὰ ὅρια σφίσι πηξάμεναι.
[12] Both sea and lake wash against this shore as their waters roll against its opposite sides, and they bellow against each other as they constantly rush straight on towards one another, sharing a common beach. But when they come very close, they check their flow and turn upon themselves, just as if they had fixed their limits there.
[13] ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἀλλήλαις οὗ ἀναμίγνυνται, πορθμόν τινα μεταξὺ ἔχουσαι, ἄδηλον ὂν ὁπότερα ποτὲ αὐτῶν τὸ τοῦ πορθμοῦ ὕδωρ διακεκλήρωται.
[13] However, there is a place where the waters mingle, having a sort of strait between them, and it is uncertain to which of them belongs the water of the strait.
[14] οὔτε γὰρ ἡ τῆς θαλάσσης ἐπιρροὴ ἐς τὴν λίμνην ἀεὶ φέρεται οὔτε διηνεκὲς ἐς τὴν θάλασσαν ἡ λίμνη ἐκβάλλει, ἀλλ᾽ ὄμβρων μὲν ἐπιγενομένων πολλῶν, ἐπιπνεύσαντός τε ἀνέμου νότου, ἐκ τῆς λίμνης ὁ πορθμὸς προϊὼν φαίνεται.
[14] Neither does the current of the sea always flow into the lake nor does the lake continuously empty into the sea; but when heavy rains have fallen, and when the south wind has been blowing, the water of the channel seems to flow out from the lake,
[15] ἢν δὲ ἀπὸ βορρᾶ τὸ πνεῦμα ἴοι, ἡ θάλασσα τὴν λίμνην ἐπικλύζειν δοκεῖ. ἐν τούτῳ μέντοι ἡ θάλασσα τῷ χώρῳ ἐς βράχος κατατείνει παμμέγεθες, ὀλίγης τινὸς ἀπολελειμμένης μεταξὺ χώρας ᾗπερ διήκει ἐς ἄβυσσον·
[15] but if the wind comes from the north, the sea seems to be flooding into the lake. At this point, moreover, the sea is shallow for a considerable distance, with the exception of a very small space where the depth is great.
[16] ἐς τόσον δὲ στενὴ τυγχάνει οὖσα, ὥστε δὴ καὶ Μύρμηξ ὠνόμασται. οὗτος δὲ ὁ πορθμός, ὅ τε τὴν ]θάλασσαν καὶ τὴν λίμνην ζευγνύων
, ᾗπέρ μοι εἴρηται, πάλαι μὲν γεφύρᾳ ξυλίνῃ διαβατὸς ἦν ἐπὶ κινδύνῳ μάλιστα τοῖς τῇδε ἰοῦσιν, ἐπεὶ τοῖς ξύλοις, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι, ξυνδιεφθείροντο·
[16] Indeed this is so narrow that it is called Myrmex. The strait which joins the sea and the lake, as I have said, was crossed in ancient times by a wooden bridge, with great danger for those passing that way, because they were often destroyed together with the bridge-timbers if they happened to collapse.
[17] νῦν δὲ αὐτὴν Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς λίθοις λογάδην ἐμβεβλημένοις ἐς ἀψῖδος μετεωρίσας μέγα τι χρῆμα, τὴν ἐκείνῃ διάβασιν ἀκίνδυνον κατεστήσατο.
[17] But now the Emperor Justinian has carried the bridge on a huge arch built of picked stones, and thus he has made the crossing there free from danger.
[18] Τοῦ δὲ Ῥηγίου ἐπέκεινα πόλις ἐστί που, Ἀθύρας ὄνομα, ἧσπερ τοὺς οἰκήτορας δίψῃ δεινοτάτῃ ἐχομένους εὑρὼν τὴν ἀπορίαν διέλυσε σφίσιν, ἔλυτρον ἐνταῦθα δειμάμενος, θησαυρίζων μὲν ἐπικαιριώτατα τὴν τῶν ὑδάτων οὐκ ἀναγκαίαν περιουσίαν, πρυτανεύων δὲ αὐτὴν ἐν ἐπιτηδείῳ τοῖς τῇδε ἀνθρώποις. ἀνῳκοδομήσατο δὲ καὶ τὰ πεπονθότα τοῦ περιβόλου.
[18] Beyond Rhegium is a certain city named Athyras, whose inhabitants he found suffering from extreme scarcity of water; this difficulty he remedied for them by building a reservoir there, in which by storing at just the right time the unnecessary excess of water, he dispensed it as needed to the inhabitants. He also rebuilt such parts of the circuit-wall as had suffered.