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The plan he devises is not something small and humble, nor ignoble and ordinary, but youthful and noble, and for those at that time not even entering into bare conception.

6 For the Italians were by nature invincible, and from what they had done against us, having become long puffed up and more warlike, and enjoying the fruits of most of the East, as we have said—for the Scamander was subjected to them, and Adramyttium yielded as well, and their stations were fixed as far as Pergamum, and the lands of Pegae and the Lentianoi paid tribute, and beyond these not even Lopadium was independent, and going a little beyond from there one saw the land of Nicomedia and all the surrounding country distributed among them as subject territory—so, while the Eastern regions were in this state, and all the Western regions by them and the Bulgarians and the Romans who had been driven mad and broken away from the rightful yoke and servitude, were enslaved and utterly subjugated as all know—since affairs were indeed of such a sort and thus able to produce cowardice not only in those who held a rule many times removed from what he had received, but even in those conspicuous in wealth and cities and armies, he, however, suffered nothing human, was not daunted, did not cower, did not tremble at the beastliness of the Italian and his swiftness to battles, just as a boar leaping upon a sword, nor did he suspect that the cowardice that had seized the Romans on their account was an obstacle, but despising all things and setting himself against all men, and considering himself alone as a counterweight for all against the state of affairs, he embraces the battle against the Italians and sends away peace as being of no profit; for with justice, war is better than peace. For he considered it a terrible thing and the sentiment of an ignoble soul to see with his own eyes the former empire, which of old belonged to him, being cultivated and enjoyed by foreigners, and to consider it as their own private garden.

7 From that point he joins battle with the Italians, and God defends the right, and the preludes of his courage and nobility are displayed; for the Italians are completely defeated and are conquered with a victory at which the sun rejoiced to see. Oh, what a sunlight the Romans then beheld, what grace of the day, having so routed the foreign race and plundered all their baggage, and having led away all of them together as captives and bound them with the rope of slavery, and having been filled with infinite spoils of all kinds and filled with every sort of joy. So when these things came to pass, the high-necked man fell and he who raises his eyebrows was lowered from his empty boasting, and his arrogance was cast down and his insolence was shown to be hollow and feeble.

8 Thence our spirits were rekindled and warmed, while theirs were growing cold and dying, and we were raised up little by little to no contemptible heights. Thus the Italian was driven out of the Roman lands and cities, having endured a mighty battle for each of these, in the heights of winter, when it rains much and the fields are sprinkled with snow, when the water freezes hard and because of the extreme cold both farmer and shepherd are condemned to be completely idle, the one being shut up in his dwelling, the other passing his time in caves, not even able to look at the sky, and again in the middle of summer, when every man wishes to linger by springs and in the shade of trees, being refreshed by artificial breezes from fans. But that tireless man, his body like adamant and unyielding to the contrary qualities of the air, and his soul fearless against the movements and attacks of his adversaries, was in no way softened by these things nor did he relax his intensity on account of the length of time and the heaviness of the toil. Nor season for him the battle

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τὸν λογισμὸν οὐ μικρόν τι καὶ ταπεινὸν οὐδ' ἀγεννὲς καὶ τῶν μὴ πάνυ παραδόξων ἐργάζεται, ἀλλὰ νεα νικὸν καὶ γενναῖον καὶ τοῖς κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ μηδ' εἰς ψιλὴν ἀναπολούμενον ἔννοιαν.

6 Τῶν γὰρ Ἰταλῶν ἀμάχων μὲν ὄντων καὶ φύσει, ἐξ ὧν δ' εἰς ἡμᾶς εἰργάσαντο πεφυσιωμένων μακρὰ καὶ μαχι μωτέρων γεγενημένων καὶ τὰ πλείω μὲν τῆς ἑῴας ὡς ἔφημεν καρπουμένων-Σκάμανδρος γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὑπετάτ τετο συνυπέκυπτέ τε καὶ Ἀδραμύτιον, καὶ Περγάμου μέχρις ἐπήγνυντο οἱ σταθμοί, Πηγῶν τε χῶροι καὶ Λεντια νῶν ἐτέλουν ὑπόφορα, ἔξω δὲ τούτων ὑπῆρχεν οὐδὲ Λουπά διον, μικρὸν δέ τις ἐντεῦθεν ὑπερβαλὼν καὶ εἰς Νικομή δους εἶδε καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν πέριξ χώραν σφίσι κατανεμομένην ὡς ὑποχείριον-οὕτω γοῦν τῶν ἑῴων διακειμένων, τῶν δυτικῶν δὲ ἁπάντων πρὸς σφῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν Βουλγάρων καὶ τῶν ἐξοιστρησάντων τῆς δικαίας ζεύγλης Ῥωμαίων καὶ τῆς δουλείας ἀπερρηγμένων ἐξηνδραποδισμένων καὶ κατα δεδουλωμένων ὡς ἴσασιν ἅπαντες-τοιούτων δὴ τῶν πραγμάτων ὄντων καὶ οὕτω δειλίαν ἐμπαρέχειν δεδυνημένων μὴ ὅτι γε τοῖς πολλοστὴν ἔχουσιν οἵαν ἐκεῖνος ἐδέξατο τὴν ἀρχήν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς περιφανέσιν ἔν τε πλούτῳ καὶ πόλεσι καὶ στρατεύμασιν, ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἔπαθέ τι ἀνθρώπινον, οὐ συν εστάλη, οὐκ ἔπτηξεν, οὐκ ἔτρεσε τὸ θηριῶδες τοῦ Ἰταλοῦ καὶ πρὸς τὰς μάχας ὀξύρροπον καθά γε κάπρου πρὸς ξίφος ἐνθορνύοντος, οὐδὲ τὴν κατασχοῦσαν ἐξ αὐτῶν δειλίαν Ῥωμαίους ὡς ἐμποδὼν ὑπετόπασεν, ἀλλὰ πάντα περιφρονήσας καὶ πᾶσιν ἑαυτὸν ἀντιθεὶς καὶ ἀντὶ πάντων μόνον ἑαυτὸν ἀντίσταθμον τοῖς πράγμασιν ἡγησάμενος ἀσπάζεται τὴν κατὰ τῶν Ἰταλῶν μάχην καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην ὡς μηδὲν ὀνοῦσαν ἐκπέμπεται· μετὰ γὰρ τοῦ δικαίου κρείττων εἰρήνης ὁ πόλε μος. δεινὸν γὰρ ἡγεῖτο καὶ ψυχῆς ἀγεννοῦς φρόνημα τὸ τὴν πρῴαν ἀρχὴν καὶ τούτῳ προσήκουσαν ἔκπαλαι ὀφθαλ μοῖς ὁρᾶν γεωργουμένην ὑπ' ἀλλοτρίων καὶ καρπουμένην, καὶ ὡς οἰκεῖον λογίζεσθαι κήπευμα.

7 Τοὐντεῦθεν συρρήγνυσι μάχην τοῖς Ἰταλοῖς, καὶ ὑπερασ πίζει τοῦ δικαίου θεός, καὶ τῆς ἀνδρείας ἐκείνου καὶ γενναιότητος ἀναδείκνυνται τὰ προοίμια· ἐξήττηνται γὰρ κατὰ κράτος οἱ Ἰταλοὶ καὶ νικῶνται νίκην οἵαν ἰδὼν ὁ ἥλιος γέγηθε. βαβαὶ οἷον τὸ ἡλιακὸν φῶς Ῥωμαῖοι τότε τεθέανται, ὁποίαν τῆς ἡμέρας τὴν χάριν, οὕτω κατατροπωσάμενοι τὸ ἀλλόφυλον καὶ πᾶσαν αὐτῶν τὴν ἀποσκευὴν σκυλευσάμενοι αἰχμαλώτους τε ξύμπαντας ἁπαξαπλῶς ἀναγαγόντες καὶ σχοίνῳ δουλείας καταδεσμεύσαντες λαφύρων τε ἀπείρων ἐμπλησθέντες παντοδαπῶν καὶ παντοίας πλησθέντες τῆς χαρμονῆς. ὡς γοῦν ταῦτα ξυμβαίη, καὶ ὁ ὑψαύχην κατέ πιπτε καὶ ὁ τὰς ὀφρῦς ἐπαίρων ὑπεχαλᾶτο τοῦ κεναυχήματος, καὶ τὸ φύσημα κατεβέβλητο καὶ τὸ φρύαγμα χαῦνόν τε καὶ ἀδρανὲς ὑπεφαίνετο.

8 Ἐντεῦθεν τὰ ἐν ἡμῖν ἀνεζωπυρεῖτο καὶ ἐθερμαίνετο, ἐκείνων ἀποψυχομένων καὶ νεκρουμένων, καὶ ἀνήγετο κατὰ μικρὸν οὐ καταφρονητοῖς τοῖς ὑψώμασιν. ἐξελήλατο γοῦν Ἰταλὸς τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν χωρίων καὶ ἄστεων, καθ' ἕκαστον τούτων μάχην ὑποστὰς κρατεράν, ἐν χειμώνων ἀκμαῖς, ὁπότε ὕει πολλὰ καὶ νιφετοῖς παλύνονται ἄρουραι, ὁπότε ἄγαν πήγνυται ὕδωρ καὶ τῷ ἄγαν τοῦ ψύχους καὶ γεωργὸς καὶ ποιμὴν παντελῶς ἀργεῖν κατακέκρινται καὶ ὁ μὲν τοῖς οἰκήμασι περικέκλεισται, ὁ δὲ σπηλαίοις ἐνδιατέτριφε μηδ' ἀτενίσαι τῷ ἀέρι δυνάμενος, καὶ ἐν μέσοις πάλιν τοῖς θέρεσιν, ὁπότε ἄνθρωπος πᾶς παρὰ πηγαῖς ἐμφιλοχωρεῖν ἐθέλει καὶ τοῖς ἐκ δένδρων σκιάσμασι, τεχνητοῖς ἐκ ῥιπισ μάτων ἀναψυχόμενος πνεύμασιν. ἀλλ' ὁ ἀκάμας ἐκεῖνος καὶ τὰ σῶμα μὲν ἀδαμάντινος καὶ ἀνένδοτος πρὸς τὰς τοῦ ἀέρος ἐναντίας ποιότητας, ἄτρεστος δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν πρὸς τὰς τῶν ἀντιπάλων κινήσεις καὶ τὰ ὁρμήματα, οὐδέν τι πρὸς τούτων ἐμαλθακίζετο οὐδὲ τὸ σύντονον ὑπενεδίδου πρὸς τὸ πολὺ τοῦ χρόνου καὶ τὸ τοῦ μόχθου βαρύ. οὐδὲ καιρὸς αὐτῷ τὴν μάχην