[19] Ἔστι δὲ μετὰ τὴν Ἀθύραν τις χῶρος, ὅνπερ Ἐπισκοπεῖα καλοῦσιν οἱ ἐπιχώριοι.
[19] Beyond Athyras is a certain place which the inhabitants call Episcopia.
[20] ὂν δὴ κατανενοηκὼς Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ταῖς τῶν πολεμίων ἐπιδρομαῖς ὑποκείμενον, ἐπὶ πλεῖστον δέ, ὡς οὐδαμῆ ὀχυρώματος ὄντος, ἀφύλακτα παντάπασιν ὄντα τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία, φρούριον ἐνταῦθα ἐδείματο· οὗ δὴ τοὺς πύργους πεποίηται οὐχ ᾗπερ εἰώθει, ἀλλὰ τρόπῳ τοιῷδε.
[20] The Emperor Justinian, perceiving that this lay exposed to the assaults of the enemy, and that a large expanse of country here was altogether unguarded, since no stronghold at all existed, built a fortress in that place; and he built the towers there, not in the customary manner, but as follows.
[21] προὔχει τις ἐκ τοῦ περιβόλου οἰκοδομία, στενωτάτη μὲν κατ᾽ ἀρχὰς οὖσα, τελευτῶσα δὲ ἐς εὖρος μέγα· ἐφ᾽ οὗ δὴ ἕκαστος ἐξείργασται πύργος.
[21] At regular intervals a structure is built out from the circuit-wall, very narrow at first, but finally spreading out to a great breadth; on this in each case a tower was erected.
[22] ταύτῃ τε τοῖς πολεμίοις ἄγχιστά πη τοῦ τείχους ἰέναι ἀμήχανά ἐστιν, ἐπεὶ τῶν πύργων κατὰ μέσον γινόμενοι ἐν ἀμφιβόλῳ κατὰ κορυφὴν πρὸς τῶν ἐκείνῃ φρουρῶν ῥᾷστα βαλλόμενοι διαφθείρονται.
[22] Thus it is impossible for the enemy to get close to the wall anywhere, because when they get into a precarious position between the towers they are easily shot at from both sides and from above by the guards there and are destroyed.
[23] τάς τε πύλας ]ἐνταῦθα οὐ κατὰ τὰ ξυνειθισμένα τῶν πύργων μεταξὺ ἔθεντο, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ πλαγίας κατὰ τὸ ἐν στενῷ προὖχον τοῦ τείχους, οὐχ ὁρωμένας τοῖς πολεμίοις, ἀλλ᾽ ὄπισθεν διαλανθανούσας.
[23] The gates too he did not place in the customary position between the towers, but at an angle, in the narrow part of the projection which runs out from the wall, where they could not be seen by the enemy but were masked behind the towers.
[24] ἐνταῦθα Θεόδωρος βασιλεῖ τὴν ὑπουργίαν παρέσχετο, σιλεντιάριος τὴν ἀρχήν, συνετὸς μάλιστα.
[24] In that place Theodore, a very clever man who held the office of silentiarius, was of service to the Emperor.
[25] τοῦτο μὲν οὖν τὸ ἔρυμα τῇδε πεποίηται. ἐπὶ τείχη δὲ τὰ μακρὰ ἐνθένδε ἰόντας ὀλίγα ὑπειπεῖν ἄξιον.
[25] Thus were these fortifications built. And it is proper, proceeding thence to the long walls, to explain them briefly.
[9] [9] [1] Ἡ θάλασσα ἐξ ὠκεανοῦ καὶ Ἱσπανίας γῆν τὴν Εὐρωπαίαν ἐν ἀριστερᾷ ποιουμένη μέχρι μὲν ἐς Θρᾴκην κατὰ ταὐτὰ χωρεῖ πρὸς ἀνίσχοντά που τὸν ἥλιον, ἔνθεν δὲ σχιζομένη πὴ μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν ἑῴαν στέλλεται μοῖραν, πὴ δὲ κατὰ βραχὺ ἐγκαρσία γεγενημένη τὸν Εὔξεινον καλούμενον ἀποτελεῖ πόντον.
[1] The Sea, commencing from the Ocean and from Spain, goes on in a single direction, approximately eastward, keeping Europe on its left as far as Thrace, but at that point it divides itself and while one portion goes towards the East, another part of it turns gradually, at an oblique angle, and forms the Euxine Sea, as it is called.
[2] ἐς Βυζάντιον δὲ ἀφικομένη ὥσπερ ἐπὶ νύσσης τινὸς καμπὴν ποιεῖται ἀμφὶ τὰ πρὸς ἕω τῆς πόλεως, πλάγια τε πολλῷ ἔτι μᾶλλον γιγνομένη ἐν πορθμῷ ἵεται, ἰσθμὸν τῆς Θρᾴκης τά τε πρόσω καὶ ὀπίσω, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, ἐργαζομένη.
[2] When it reaches Byzantium, it makes a bend about the eastern portion of the city, as if rounding a turning-post, and bending much more obliquely, it runs in the form of a strait, turning the front and back portions of Thrace into an isthmus, as one would expect.
[3] οὐχ ὅτι ἐς ἐκροὰς ἐνταῦθα ἡ θάλασσα μερίζεται δύο, ᾗπερ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἰσθμοῖς εἴωθεν, ἀλλὰ περιστρεφομένη τε θαυμασίως ὡς καὶ περιβαλλομένη ἑκατέρωθεν Θρᾴκην τε τὴν ἄλλην καὶ διαφερόντως τὰ ἐπὶ Βυζαντίου προάστεια πάντα.
[3] This does not mean that the sea is divided here into two separate bays, as is wont to happen at other isthmuses, but it circles round in a marvellous way, from two sides surrounding Thrace and especially all the suburbs of Byzantium.
[4] οἰκοδομοῦνται δὲ καὶ περιστέλλουσιν οἱ ταύτῃ ἄνθρωποι τὰ προάστεια οὐχ ὅσον ἐς χρείαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐς ὕβριν τε καὶ τρυφὴν ὅρον οὐκ ἔχουσαν, καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα πλούτου ἐξουσία ἐς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ]ἰοῦσα ποιεῖ.
[4] The people there build and adorn their suburbs, not only to meet the actual needs of life, but they display an insolent and boundless luxury and all the other vices that the power of wealth brings when it comes to men.
[5] ἔπιπλά τε κατατίθενται ἐνταῦθα πολλὰ καὶ διαπονήματα ἐν Ἀθηναίοις ἐνδελεχέστατα ἔχουσιν. ἐπειδὰν οὖν καταθεῖν τινας τῶν πολεμίων γῆν τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἐξαπιναίως ξυνενεχθείη, οὐδὲν ὁμοίως τοῖς ἄλλοις χωρίοις προστρίβεσθαι τὴν ζημίαν ἐνταῦθα ξυμβαίνει, ἀλλὰ κακοῖς ἄγαν τοῖς ἀνηκέστοις βαρύνεσθαι τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία.
[5] And they accumulate much furniture in their houses and make it a point to keep costly objects in them. Thus, when it comes about that any of the enemy overrun the land of the Romans suddenly, the damage caused there is much greater than in other places, and the region is then overwhelmed with irreparable calamities.
[6] ὃ δὴ ἀναστέλλειν Ἀναστάσιος βασιλεὺς διὰ σπουδῆς ἔχων ἐν χώροις οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ σημείοις τεσσαράκοντα τοῦ Βυζαντίου διέχουσι μακρὰ οἰκοδομησάμενος τείχη, ἄμφω τῆς θαλάσσης τὰς ἀκτὰς ἔζευξεν, οὗ δὴ ἀλλήλαιν διεστήκασιν ὁδῷ ἡμέραιν δυοῖν μάλιστα· ταύτῃ τε ἅπαντα ἐν τῷ ἐχυρῷ καθεστάναι τὰ ἐντὸς ᾤετο.
[6] The Emperor Anastasius had determined to put a stop to this and so built long walls at a distance of not less than •forty miles from Byzantium, uniting the two shores of the sea on a line where they are separated by about a two-days’ journey.
[7] ἦν δὲ ἄρα μειζόνων τοῦτο συμφορῶν αἴτιον. οὐδὲ γὰρ οἷόν τε ἦν οἰκοδομίαν τοσαύτην τὸ μέγεθος ἢ ἐς τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ἐξειργάσθαι, ἢ φρουρεῖσθαι ξὺν τῷ ἀκριβεῖ.
[7] By this means he thought that everything inside was placed in security. But in fact this was the cause of greater calamities. For neither was it possible to make safe a structure of such
great length nor could it be guarded rigorously.
[8] ἐπειδάν τε μοίρᾳ τινὶ τούτων δὴ τῶν μακρῶν τειχῶν ἐπισκήψαιεν οἱ πολέμιοι, καὶ τοὺς φρουροὺς ἅπαντας ὑποχειρίους ἐποιοῦντο οὐδενὶ πόνῳ, τοῖς τε ἄλλοις ἐπιπίπτοντες ἀπροσδόκητοι κακὰ οὐκ εὐδιήγητα ἐξειργάζοντο.
[8] And whenever the enemy descended on any portion of these long walls, they both overpowered all the guards with no difficulty, and falling unexpectedly upon the other people they inflicted loss not easy to describe.
[9] Ἀλλὰ βασιλεὺς τά τε πεπονθότα τούτων δὴ ἀνοικοδομησάμενος τῶν τειχῶν, τά τε σφαλερὰ ἐπὶ τὸ ἐχυρώτατον κρατυνάμενος τῶν φρουρῶν ἕνεκα, προσεπετεχνήσατο τάδε.
[9] But the Emperor rebuilt those portions of these walls which had suffered, and making the weak parts very strong for the sake of the guards, he added the following devices.
[10] τὰς μὲν ἐξόδους, αἵπερ ἐκ πύργου ἑκάστου ἐς τοὺς αὐτοῦ ἐχομένους ἐξάγουσιν, ἐφράξατο πάσας.
[10] He blocked up all the exits from each tower leading to those adjoining it;
[11] ἄνοδον δὲ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον ἐκ τοῦ ἐδάφους ἔντοσθεν ἐτεκτήνατο μίαν· ἥνπερ ἐπὶ καιροῦ καθειργνύντες οἱ ταύτῃ φρουροὶ τοὺς πολεμίους περιφρονοῦσι τοῦ περιβόλου ]ἐντὸς γενομένους· ἐπεὶ πύργος ἐς ἀσφάλειαν ἕκαστος αὐτὸς κατὰ μόνας τοῖς φρουροῖς ἀπόχρη.
[11] and he built from the ground up a single ascent inside each individual tower, which the guards there can close in case of emergency and scorn the enemy if they have penetrated inside the circuit-wall, since each tower by itself was sufficient to ensure safety for its guards.
[12] καὶ τούτων δὴ τῶν τειχῶν ἐντὸς τὰ ἐς ἀσφάλειαν ἐνδελεχέστατα διεπράξατο, τά τε ἄλλα πεποιημένος ᾗπερ μοι ἔναγχος εἴρηται καὶ πόλεως Σηλυβρίας ἀνανεωσάμενος ὅσα πεπονθότα τοῦ περιβόλου ἐτύγχανεν.
[12] Also inside these walls he diligently made provision for safety, not only doing what has just been mentioned, but also restoring all the parts of the circuit-wall of the city of Selymbria which happened to have been damaged.
[13] ἐπὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν μακρῶν τειχῶν ταῦτα Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ εἴργασται.
[13] These things then were done by the Emperor Justinian at the long walls.
[14] Ἡράκλεια δὲ ἡ πόλις ἥδε, ἡ παραλία, ἡ ἐν γειτόνων, ἡ Πέρινθος (ᾗ πάλαι μὲν τὰ πρωτεῖα τῆς Εὐρώπης ἐδίδοσαν, νῦν δὲ δὴ μετά γε Κωνσταντινούπολιν τὰ δευτερεῖα παρέχονται) διψῶσά τε καὶ λίαν αὐχμῶσα ἔναγχος ἔκειτο, οὐχ ὅτι ἄνυδρος ἦν ἡ ἀμφ᾽ αὐτὴν χώρα, οὐδὲ ὅτι ἀπημέλητο ταῦτα τοῖς ἐκ παλαιοῦ δειμαμένοις τὴν πόλιν (ἐπεὶ καὶ κατάρρυτος Εὐρώπη ταῖς κρήναις, καὶ ποιεῖσθαι τοῖς πάλαι ἀνθρώποις ὀχετοὺς ἔμελεν), ἀλλὰ τὰ ξυνειθισμένα ποιῶν ὁ χρόνος τῇ πόλει τὴν ὀχεταγωγίαν ἀνῄρηκεν, ἢ καταγεγηρακυῖαν τὴν οἰκοδομίαν ὑπεριδών, ἢ τῷ μὴ ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τοὺς Ἡρακλεώτας αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τὴν φθορὰν ποδηγούμενος. ὀλίγου τε ἀοίκητος διὰ τοῦτο Ἡράκλεια ἐλέλειπτο εἶναι.
[14] The well-known city of Heraclea which is situated on the coast near by, the ancient Perinthus — which in former times men regarded as the first city of Europe, though it now takes a place second to Constantinoplea — suffered cruelly from lack of water in recent times. This was not because the country about it had no water, nor yet because this matter was neglected by the ancient builders of the city (for Europe has an abundance of springs and the men of ancient times were careful to build aqueducts), but because Time, following its custom, had destroyed the city’s aqueduct, since it either failed to notice that its masonry had become enfeebled by age, or else was leading the people of Heraclea to their own destruction through their neglect of it; and the city was nearly left depopulated for this reason.
[15] ταὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ τὰ ἐκείνῃ βασίλεια ὁ χρόνος ἐποίει ἀξιοθέατα ἐπιεικῶς ὄντα.
[15] And Time was having the same effect upon the palace there, a very admirable building.
[16] βασιλεὺς δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς οὐ παρέργως, ἀλλὰ βασιλικῶς μάλιστα, τὴν πόλιν ἰδών, ὕδασί τε αὐτὴν ποτίμοις καὶ ]διειδέσιν ἐπέκλυσε, καὶ τῶν βασιλείων ἀποστερεῖσθαι τοῦ ἀξιώματος ὡς ἥκιστα ξυνεχώρησεν, ἀνοικοδομησάμενος ἅπαντα.
[16] But when the Emperor Justinian saw the city, he in no careless fashion, but rather in a manner befitting an Emperor, flooded it with crystal-clear drinking-water, and he, far from permitting the city to be deprived of the honour of its palace, rebuilt it throughout.
[17] Ἡρακλείας δὲ ἄποθεν ἡμέρας ὁδὸν χωρίον ἐπιθαλασσίδιον ἦν, Ῥαιδεστὸς ὄνομα, παράπλου μὲν ἐφ᾽ Ἑλλησπόντου καλῶς κείμενον, εὐλίμενον δὲ καὶ τῇ κατὰ θάλασσαν ἐργασίᾳ ἐπιτηδείως ἔχον τοῖς ἐπ᾽ ἐμπορίᾳ ναυτιλλομένοις καταίρειν τε καὶ ἀποφορτίζεσθαι προσηνῶς μάλιστα, καὶ αὖ πάλιν ἀνάγεσθαι οὐδενὶ πόνῳ ἐμπλησαμένοις τοῦ γόμου τὰ πλοῖα· βαρβάροις δὲ ἀποκείμενον καταθέουσιν, ἂν οὕτω τύχῃ, ἐξαπιναίως τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία, τῷ μήτε ἀποτετριγχωμένον μήτε τῇ φύσει δυσπρόσοδον εἶναι.
[17] One day’s journey distant from Heraclea was a town on the coast named Rhaedestus, well situated for the voyage to the Hellespont, with a good harbour well adapted for the business of the sea, so that merchant vessels could put in and unload their cargoes very conveniently and then put out to sea again with no difficulty after loading their freight. But it lay exposed to the barbarians, who sometimes overran that region in unexpected raids, because it was not protected even by makeshift defences nor was it naturally difficult of access.
[18] ὥστε καὶ τοῖς ἐμπόροις δέει τοῦ κινδύνου ὑπεροφθὲν ἐν ὀλιγωρίᾳ ἐγένετο.
[18] Consequently the place came to be disregarded and neglected by the merchants through fear of the risk.
[19] νῦν δὲ βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς οὐχ ὅσον τῷ χωρίῳ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν προσεποίησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς περιοίκους ἐσώσατο πάντας.
[19] But now the Emperor Justinian has not only provided for the safety of the place but has also saved all those who dwell round about.
[20] ἐπὶ Ῥαιδεστοῦ γὰρ ἀνέστησε πόλιν, τείχει μὲν ἐρυμνήν, μεγέθει δὲ διαφερόντως ὑπέρογκον.
[20] For he erected at Rhaedestus a city which is not only strongly defended by its wall, but is also of extraordinary size.
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[21] οὐ δὴ βαρβάρων σφίσιν ἐγκειμένων οἱ πλησιόχωροι ἅπαντες εἰς καιρὸν καταφεύγοντες σὺν τοῖς χρήμασι διασώζονται.
[21] Hither on occasion all those who dwell near by flee for refuge when the barbarians fall upon them, and they thus save themselves and their property.
[10] [10] [1] Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ Ῥαιδεστοῦ Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ ταύτῃ πη ἔσχεν. ὅσα δὲ αὐτῷ ἀμφὶ Χερρονήσῳ διαπεπόνηται, ἐρῶν ἔρχομαι.
[1] Such were the works carried out by the Emperor Justinian at Rhaedestus. I shall go on to tell what he did in the region of the Chersonese.
[2] προβέβληται μὲν πάσης ἡ Χερρόνησος τῆς κατ᾽ αὐτὴν Θρᾴκης. ἐπεμβαίνουσα γὰρ τῇ θαλάσσῃ καὶ ὥσπερ ἐχομένη τοῦ πρόσω, δόκησιν παρέχεται ]ὅτι δὴ ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀσίαν χωρεῖ.
[2] The Chersonese extends out from all that portion of Thrace. It projects boldly into the sea and seems to be pressing onward, giving the impression that it is advancing toward Asia.
[3] ἀκτὴ δὲ αὐτῆς ἀμφὶ πόλιν Ἐλαιοῦντα προὔχουσα μία, σχίζει τε εἰς δύο τὴν θάλασσαν μοίρας, καὶ αὐτὴ τῷ ῥοθίῳ ἀποτεμνομένη τῆς ἄλλης ἠπείρου, καὶ προσιούσῃ ἐπίπροσθεν τῇ θαλάσσῃ ὑποχωροῦσα, τὸν Μέλανα καλούμενον ποιεῖ κόλπον.
[3] It has a single projecting point at the city of Elaeus, and this divides the sea into two parts, while the promontory itself is cut off from the rest of the mainland by the water, and curves inward before the advancing sea to form the so-called Gulf of Melas.
[4] νῆσος δὲ τὸ λοιπὸν ὀλίγου δέοντος γίνεται, ὄνομα τῷ ποιουμένῳ προσῆκον κτωμένη. Χερρόνησος γάρ, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, ὀνομάζεται, ἰσθμῷ διειργομένη βραχεῖ μὴ νῆσος παντάπασιν εἶναι.
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius Page 607