[4] The remainder of it almost forms an island, acquiring a name appropriate to the shape which it assumes, for it is called Chersonese, most likely because it is prevented only by a tiny isthmus from being altogether an island.
[5] κατὰ τοῦτον οἱ πάλαι ἄνθρωποι τὸν ἰσθμὸν παρέργως τε καὶ λίαν ἀπημελημένως ἐδείματο διατείχισμα κλίμακι ἁλωτόν.
[5] At this isthmus the men of former times built a cross-wall of a very casual and indifferent sort which could be captured with the help of a ladder,
[6] κῆπον γάρ πού τινα εἰκῆ κείμενον αἱμασιᾷ περιβάλλειν οἰόμενοι, ἰσχνόν τε αὐτὸ καὶ ὀλίγον τῆς γῆς ὑπερανεστηκὸς ἐξειργάσαντο.
[6] because, I suppose, they thought they were building an earthen wall around a casually placed garden-plot, and so built it of meagre dimensions and rising only slightly from the ground.
[7] πρὸς δὲ καὶ τὴν ἑκατέρωθι τοῦ ἰσθμοῦ θάλασσαν προβόλους τεκτηνάμενοι βραχεῖς τε καὶ φαύλους, οὕσπερ καλεῖν νενομίκασι μώλους, τὴν μεταξὺ χώραν τοῦ τε ῥοθίου καὶ τοῦ περιβόλου ἐφράξαντο, οὐ ταύτῃ τοὺς ἐπιβουλεύσοντας ἀπωσόμενοι, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τὰς εἰσόδους παρακαλέσοντες· οὕτω δὴ αὐτὸ εὐκαταφρόνητον ἐξειργάσαντο, καὶ τοῖς ἀποπειρασομένοις εὐάλωτον.
[7] And facing the sea at either side of the isthmus they constructed wretched little bastions, of the sort which people are wont to call “moles,” and with these they closed the gap between the water and the circuit-wall, not with the expectation of repelling attacking forces at this point, but rather in order to invite them to effect an entrance; so contemptible did they make them and so easy to capture for any who should attack.
[8] ἡγούμενοι δέ τι τοῖς πολεμίοις ἄμαχον πεποιῆσθαι ὀχύρωμα, τούτου δὴ τοῦ περιβόλου τὰ ἐντὸς ἅπαντα φυλακῆς οὐδεμιᾶς ἀξιοῦν ἔγνωσαν, ἐπεὶ οὔτε φρούριον οὔτε ἄλλο τι ἔρυμα ἐπὶ Χερρονήσου ξυνέβαινεν εἶναι, καίπερ ὀλίγου δέοντος ἐς τριῶν κατατεινούσης ὁδὸν ἡμερῶν.
[8] But they thought they had set up a kind of invincible bulwark against the enemy and so decided to regard everything inside this circuit-wall as requiring no further protection, for there actually was neither fort nor any other stronghold on the Chersonese, though it extends to a length of almost three day’s journey.
[9] ἔναγχος ἀμέλει γοῦν οἱ ]περὶ καταθέοντες τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς Θρᾴκης χωρία ἐγκεχειρήκασι μὲν ὡς ἀποπειρασόμενοι τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἠϊόνα εἰσόδου, δεδιξάμενοι δὲ τοὺς ταύτῃ φρουροὺς ἐσπεπηδήκασιν ὥσπερ τι ἄθυρμα παίζοντες, ἐντός τε τοῦ περιβόλου γεγένηται οὐδενὶ πόνῳ.
[9] Indeed the enemy, while overrunning the land of Thrace recently, did actually undertake to force the entrance by the beach, and frightening off the guards there they leaped inside just as if they were playing a game, and they got inside the defences with no trouble.
[10] Πολλὰ τοίνυν ἀμφὶ τῶν κατηκόων τῇ σωτηρίᾳ διασκοπούμενος Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἐποίει τάδε.
[10] So the Emperor Justinian, with his constant solicitude for the safety of his subjects, did as follows.
[11] πρῶτα μὲν αὐτῷ ἐξίτηλον τὸ παλαιὸν γεγένηται τεῖχος, οὐδὲ ὅσον ἴχνους οἱ ἀπολελειμμένου τινός.
[11] First of all he demolished completely the old wall, so that not so much as a trace of it was left.
[12] ἕτερον δὲ αὐτίκα ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς χώρας ἀνέστη, ὅπερ ἐπιεικῶς εὐρυνόμενον ὑψοῦ ἀνέχει.
[12] And he straightway erected another wall, upon the same ground, very broad and rising to a great height.
[13] ὑπεράνω τε τῶν ἐπάλξεων ἀνειλημμένη θόλος ἐν στοᾶς τρόπῳ ὄροφον ποιεῖται, καλύπτουσα τοὺς τοῦ περιβόλου ἀμυνομένους.
[13] Above the battlements a set-back vaulted structure in the manner of a colonnaded stoa makes a roof to shelter those who defend the circuit-wall.
[14] ἄλλοι τε τῇ θόλῳ προμαχῶνες ἐγκείμενοι διπλασιάζουσι τοῖς τῇδε τειχομαχοῦσι τὸν πόλεμον.
[14] And other breastworks resting upon the vaulted structure double the fighting for those who lay siege to the wall.
[15] ἔπειτα δὲ ἀμφοτέρωθι ἐς τοῦ περιβόλου τὰ πέρατα πρὸς αὐταῖς που τῆς θαλάσσης ταῖς ῥαχίαις μάλιστα, προβόλους πεποίηται, ἐπὶ πλεῖστον μὲν τοῦ ῥοθίου διήκοντας, τῷ δὲ τείχει ξυναπτομένους, ὕψους δὲ πέρι τῷ ἐρύματι ἐναμίλλους ὄντας.
[15] Furthermore, at either end of the wall, at the very edge of the sea, he made bastions (proboloi) extending far out into the water, which were joined to the wall and rivalled its defences in height.
[16] ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν τάφρον τοῦ περιβόλου ἔκτοσθεν οὖσαν περικαθάρας τε καὶ κατορύξας ἐνδελεχέστατα μέγα τι αὐτῇ εὔρους τε καὶ βάθους ἐντέθειται χρῆμα.
[16] He also cleared the moat outside the wall and dug it out very thoroughly, adding a great deal to its width and to its depth.
[17] καὶ μὴν καὶ στρατιωτῶν καταλόγους ἐν τούτοις ἱδρύσατο τοῖς μακροῖς τείχεσι πᾶσι βαρβάροις ἀντιτάξασθαι ἱκανοὺς ὄντας, ἤν τι τῆς Χερρονήσου ἀποπειρῶνται.
[17] Furthermore, he stationed detachments of soldiers on these long walls, sufficient to offer resistance to all the barbarians if they should make any attempt upon the Chersonese.
[18] οὕτω δὲ ταῦτα ἐν τῷ βεβαίῳ τῆς ἀσφαλείας ]καταστησάμενος καὶ τοῖς ἔνδον οὐδέν τι ἧσσον ὀχυρώματα προσεποίησεν·
[18] And after he had made all this firm provision for its safety, he also built additional strongholds for the people inside;
[19] ὥστε εἰ τοῖς μακροῖς τείχεσιν (ἀπέστω δὲ τοῦ λόγου) παθεῖν τι ξυμβαίη, οὐδέν τι ἧσσον Χερρονησιώτας ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ εἶναι.
[19] so that if (God forbid) any mischance should befall the long walls, the inhabitants of the Chersonese would none the less be in safety.
[20] πόλιν τε γὰρ Ἀφροδισιάδα ἐρύματι ἐχυρωτάτῳ περιεβάλλετο, ἀτείχιστον ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τὰ πρότερα οὖσαν, καὶ Κίβεριν πόλιν, ἐπ᾽ ἐδάφους κειμένην, τειχήρη πεποιημένος ξυνῴκισεν·
[20] For he surrounded the city of Aphrodisias with very strong defences, though it had been unwalled for the most part before that, and he put walls around the city of Ciberis which was lying dismantled, and provided it with inhabitants.
[21] ἔνθα δὴ καὶ βαλανεῖα καὶ ξενῶνας ᾠκοδομήσατο οἰκία τε παμπληθῆ καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα πέ�
�υκεν ἐπιφανῆ ἐνδείκνυσθαι πόλιν.
[21] He also built there baths and guest-houses and numerous dwellings, and all the other things which make a city notable.
[22] ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν Καλλίπολιν καλουμένην βεβαιότατα ἐτειχίσατο, ἐλπίδι τῶν μακρῶν τειχῶν ἀτείχιστον ἀπολελειμμένην τοῖς πρόσθεν ἀνθρώποις.
[22] Furthermore, he provided Callipolis, as it is called, with a very strong wall, a city which had been left unwalled by the men of earlier times because of the faith which was placed in the long walls.
[23] οὗ δὴ καὶ σιτῶνάς τε καὶ οἰνώνας ἐδείματο δαπάνῃ τῇ πάσῃ τῶν ἐπὶ Χερρονήσου στρατιωτῶν ἱκανῶς ἔχοντας.
[23] There too he built storehouses for grain and for wine amply sufficient for all the wants of the soldiers in Chersonese.
[24] Ἔστι δέ τις Ἀβύδου καταντικρὺ πόλις ἀρχαία, Σηστὸς ὄνομα, καὶ αὐτὴ τὰ πρότερα παρέργως κειμένη, ὀχύρωμά τε οὐδὲν ἔχουσα.
[24] There was a certain ancient city opposite Abydus, Sestus by name, which again had been carelessly planned in earlier times and had no defences.
[25] λόφος δὲ αὐτῇ τις ἰσχυρῶς ἀπότομος ἐπανέστηκεν· ἵνα δὴ φρούριον ἐδείματο ἀπρόσβατον ὅλως, ἑλεῖν τε, εἴ τις ἐγχειροίη, ἀμήχανον.
[25] A certain very steep hill towers above it, on which he built an altogether inaccessible fortress, which cannot possibly be taken by any assailant.
[26] Σηστοῦ δὲ οὐ μακρὰν ἄποθεν τὴν Ἐλαιοῦντα ξυμβαίνει εἶναι. πέτρα τε τῆς θαλάσσης ἀπορραγεῖσα ἐνταῦθα ἀνέχει, ἄκραν οὐρανομήκη ἐξαίρουσα τειχήρη φύσιν.
[26] And it happens that at no great distance from Sestus is situated Elaeus, where a precipitous rock rises from the sea, culminating in a lofty headland which is a natural fortress.
[27] φρούριον οὖν καὶ τῇδε ὁ βασιλεὺς οὗτος ἐδείματο, δυσπάριτόν τε καὶ τοῖς προσιοῦσι παντελῶς ἄμαχον.
[27] So this Emperor built a fort there too, which is hard to get past and altogether impregnable for assailants.
[28] ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἐν Θεσκῷ φρούριον ἐπὶ θάτερα τοῦ μακροῦ τείχους ἱδρύσατο, περιβόλῳ κρατυνάμενος ἐχυρῷ μάλιστα· ταύτῃ ]τε τοῖς Χερρονησιώταις τὴν ἀσφάλειαν πανταχόθεν αὐτὸς προσεποίησε.
[28] Furthermore, he founded the fortress at Thescus on the other side of the long wall, strengthening it by means of an especially strong circuit-wall. Thus he ensured the safety of the inhabitants of Chersonese from every side.
[11] [11] [1] Μετὰ δὲ Χερρόνησον Αἶνος οἰκεῖται πόλις, ἐπὶ τοῦ οἰκιστοῦ τῆς προσηγορίας ὠνομασμένη. Αἰνείας γὰρ ἦν, ὥσπερ λέγουσιν, ὁ τοῦ Ἀγχίσου.
[1] Beyond the Chersonese stands the city of Aenus, which bears the name of its founder; for he was Aeneas, as they say, son of Anchises.
[2] ταύτης ὁ περίβολος εὐάλωτός τε ἦν τῷ χθαμαλὸς εἶναι· οὐδὲ ὅσον γὰρ ἐς τὸ ἀναγκαῖον ἀνεῖχεν ὕψος·
[2] The circuit-wall of this place was easy to capture not only because of its lowness, since it did not rise even to the necessary height,
[3] καὶ ἀναπεπταμένην τινὰ εἴσοδον κατὰ τῆς θαλάσσης τὸ γειτόνημα εἶχεν, ἀμηγέπη ἐπιψαύοντος αὐτοῦ τοῦ ῥοθίου.
[3] but because it offered an exposed approach on the side toward the sea, whose waters actually touched it in places.
[4] ἀλλὰ βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς ἀνέστησε μὲν αὐτὸν ἐς ὕψος, μὴ ὅτι ἁλῶναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποπειρᾶσθαι ἀμήχανον.
[4] But the Emperor Justinian raised it to such a height that it could not even be assailed, much less be captured.
[5] ἐπεξαγαγὼν δὲ καὶ πανταχόσε φραξάμενος ἀνάλωτον Αἶνον παντάπασι κατεστήσατο.
[5] And by extending the wall and closing the gaps on every side he rendered Aenus altogether impregnable.
[6] καὶ ταύτῃ μὲν ἡ πόλις ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ ἐγεγόνει· ἔμεινε δὲ τοῖς βαρβάροις ἡ χώρα καταθεῖν εὐπετής· ἐπεὶ Ῥοδόπη ὀχυρωμάτων ἐκ παλαιοῦ ὑπεσπάνιζεν.
[6] Thus the city was made safe; and yet the district remained easy for the barbarians to overrun, since Rhodopê from ancient times had been lacking in fortifications.
[7] ἦν δέ τις κώμη ἐν τῇ μεσογείᾳ, Βέλλουρος ὄνομα, πλούτου μὲν δυνάμει καὶ πολυανθρωπίᾳ ἴσα καὶ πόλις, τῷ μέντοι τειχήρης οὐδαμῆ εἶναι ληϊζομένοις διηνεκὲς ἐπαρκοῦσα βαρβάροις, ἀγροῖς τε τοῖς ἀμφ᾽ αὐτὴν κειμένοις πολλοῖς γε οὖσι ταὐτὸ πάσχουσα.
[7] And there was a certain village in the interior, Vellurus by name, which in wealth and population ranked as a city, but because it had no walls at all it constantly lay open to the plundering barbarians, a fate which was shared by the many fields lying about it.
[8] καὶ αὐτὴν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς οὗτος πολίζει τε καὶ ἀποτειχίζει, καὶ αὑτοῦ ἐπαξίαν τίθεται εἶναι.
[8] Our Emperor made this a city and provided it with a wall and made it worthy of himself.
[9] καὶ μὴν καὶ ἄλλων τῶν ἐπὶ Ῥοδόπης πόλεων ὅσα δὴ ἐνδεῖν ἢ καταπεπονηκέναι ξυνηνέχθη τῷ χρόνῳ σπουδῇ τῇ πάσῃ ἀνέστησεν.
[9] He also took great pains to put in order all such parts of the other cities in Rhodopê as had come to be defective or had suffered with time.
[10] ἐν αἷς Τραϊανούπολίς τε καὶ Μαξιμιανούπολίς ]εἰσιν, ὧνπερ ἐπηνώρθωσε τὰ ἐν τοῖς προβόλοις σαθρὰ γεγονότα. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τῇδε πεποίηται.
[10] Among these were Trajanopolis and Maximianopolis, where he restored the parts of the bastions which had become weak. Thus were these things done.
[11] Ἀναστασιούπολις δὲ ἡ τῇδε οὖσα τειχήρης μὲν καὶ πρότερον ἦν, ἐν δὲ τῇ παραλίᾳ κειμένη ἀφύλακτον εἶχε τὴν ταύτῃ ἠϊόνα. τὰ πλοῖα πολλάκις ἀμέλει ἐνταῦθα καταίροντα ὑποχείρια βαρβάροις Οὔννοις ἐξαπιναίως γεγένηται· ὥστε καὶ τὰς νήσους ἐνθένδε τὰς τῇ χώρᾳ ἐπικειμένας ἠνώχλησαν.
[11] The city of Anastasiopolis in this region was indeed walled even before this, but it lay along the shore and the beach was unprotected. Consequently the boats putting in there often fell suddenly into the hands of the barbarian Huns, who by means of them also harassed the islands lying off the coast there.
[12] Ἰουστινιανὸς δὲ βασιλεὺς διατειχίσματι τὴν παραλίαν περιβαλὼν ὅλην, ταῖς τε ναυσὶ καὶ τοῖς νησιώταις τὴν ἀσφάλειαν ἀνεσώσατο.
[12] But the Emperor Justini
an walled in the whole sea-front by means of a connecting wall and thus restored safety both for the ships and for the islanders.
[13] ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν τοῦ ὕδατος ὀχετὸν ἐκ τῶν ὀρῶν ἃ ταύτῃ ἀνέχει μέχρι ἐς τὴν πόλιν ἐς ὑπέρογκον ἀνέστησεν ὕψος.
[13] Furthermore, he raised the aqueduct to an imposing height all the way from the mountains which rise here as far as the city.
[14] ἔστι δέ τις ἐν Ῥοδόπῃ πόλις ἀρχαία, Τόπερος ὄνομα, ἢ ποταμοῦ μὲν ῥεῖθρα περιβάλλεται ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον, λόφον δὲ αὐτῇ ἐπανεστηκότα ὄρθιον εἶχεν. ἀφ᾽ οὗ δὴ οὐ πολλῷ ἔμπροσθεν Σκλαβηνοῖς βαρβάροις ἑάλω.
[14] And there is a certain ancient town in Rhodopê, Toperus by name, which is surrounded for the most part by the stream of a river, but had a steep hill rising above it. As a result of this it had been captured by the barbarian Sclaveni not long before.
[15] ἀλλὰ βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς μέγα τῷ περιβόλῳ ὕψος ἐντέθεικεν· ὥστε ὑπεραίρει τοσούτῳ τὸν λόφον, ὅσῳ δὴ αὐτοῦ καταδεέστερος τὰ πρότερα ἦν.
[15] But the Emperor Justinian added a great deal to the height of the wall, so that it now overtops the hill by as much as it previously fell below its crest.
[16] καὶ στοὰν μὲν ἐπανέστησεν ἐν θολωτῷ τείχει, ὅθεν δὴ τοῖς τειχομαχοῦσιν οἱ τῆς πόλεως ἀμυνόμενοι ἐκ τοῦ ἀσφαλοῦς διαμάχονται, τῶν δὲ πύργων ἕκαστον φρούριον ἐρυμνὸν ἐσκευάσατο εἶναι.
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius Page 608