17

(since the towers were least able to withstand what was precarious) it happened that most of them were rent asunder. Thus formerly the walls in the city of Daras were built. 2.1.11 But the thought came to the Emperor Justinian that the Persians would not, so far as they were able, allow this fortress against them to stand for the Romans, but would attack with all their forces, and would employ every art to besiege the city from an opposing position, and that a multitude of elephants would follow them, and the elephants would carry wooden towers on their shoulders, which, being set under them, would stand in place of foundations, and, what was more formidable, being moved about at a convenient spot for the enemy and carrying a wall that would follow at the will of its masters 2.1.12 wherever it might chance; and the enemy, mounting them, would shoot down from above upon the Romans inside, and would attack from a superior position, but they would also raise up artificial mounds, and would bring up all the city-taking engines. 2.1.13 And if any misfortune should befall the city of Daras, which served as a bulwark for the whole Roman empire and was clearly set against the enemy, the evil would not be confined to this place, but the state would be shaken to its foundations. For these reasons, therefore, he wished to surround the place with a fortification worthy of the need. 2.1.14 First, then, the wall (for it was completely stunted, as I have said, and for this reason most vulnerable to attackers) he prepared to be altogether inaccessible and impregnable to the enemy. 2.1.15 For the battlements, which were there before, he drew together with an insertion of stones and bound them tight in a very narrow space, leaving only traces of them in the shape of loopholes, and allowing them to be open only so much as to thrust a hand through, and that outlets for arrows should be left from here against those causing trouble. 2.1.16 And above them he added a height to the circuit wall of about thirty feet, not applying the whole thickness to the wall, so that the foundations, being weighed down by the excess of what was built upon them, might not suffer some irreparable damage to the work, but by enclosing the air there with a circuit of stones, and by making a covered gallery running around the circuit wall, and by placing the battlements above the gallery, so that the wall was two-storied everywhere, and at the towers there were even three levels for those defending the circuit wall and repelling assaults against it. 2.1.17 For somewhere in the middle of the towers he inserted a spherical structure and again placed other battlements there, thus making the wall three-storied. 2.1.18 Then, having perceived that many of the towers too had been ruined, as I have said, in a short time, he was quite unable to demolish them, since the enemy were always in the neighborhood, watching for their opportunity and continually seeking if they might be able to find any unwalled portion of the circuit; but he devised the following. 2.1.19 He left these towers as they were, but outside each of them he skillfully built another structure in a square, which was well-provided with security and other care, and in this way he fortified the damaged parts of the walls 2.1.20 with another defense for safety. And one of them, called the Tower of the Guard, he very opportunely demolished and rebuilt securely, and so from every part of the 2.1.21 circuit he removed the fear arising from weakness. And to the outwork also he skillfully added a sufficient height in proportion. 2.1.22 And outside it he dug a ditch, not as men are accustomed to make such things, but in a small space and in a different manner; for what reason, I shall explain. 2.1.23 The other parts of the circuit wall happen to be for the most part inaccessible to besiegers, as they do not stand on level ground, nor is it suitable for attackers to plot against, but lies on an upward slope on hard and steep ground, where it is possible neither to dig a mine 2.1.24 nor to make any assault. But where its side is turned toward the south wind, the ground, being soft and earthy and very easy for mining, makes the city easy of access 2.1.25 in this direction. Therefore, here a crescent-shaped ditch, of breadth and depth

17

σφαλερῷ ἀντέχειν οἱ πύργοι ὡς ἥκιστα εἶχον) διερρωγέναι αὐτῶν τοῖς πλείστοις ξυνέβη. οὕτω μὲν τὰ πρότερα ἐν πόλει ∆άρας τὰ τείχη ἀνέστη. 2.1.11 Ἔννοια δὲ Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ γέγονεν ὡς οὐ περιόψονται Πέρσαι ὅσα γε δυνατὰ τοῦτο δὴ τὸ κατ' αὐτῶν ἐπιτείχισμα Ῥωμαίοις ἑστάναι, ἀλλὰ πανοικεσίᾳ μὲν προσβαλοῦσι, τέχνας δὲ κινήσουσι πάσας ἐξ ἀντιπάλου τειχομαχήσειν τῆς πόλεως, καὶ ὅμιλος μὲν αὐτοῖς ἐλεφάντων ἕψεται, οἴσουσι δὲ ξυλίνους ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων οἱ ἐλέφαντες πύργους, οἷς ὑποκείμενοι ἀντὶ θεμελίων ἑστήξουσι, καὶ τὸ δὴ χαλεπώτερον ἐν ἐπιτηδείῳ τοῖς πολεμίοις περιαγόμενοι καὶ φέροντες τεῖχος γνώμῃ τῶν κεκτημένων 2.1.12 ὅπη παρατύχοι ἑπόμενον· ἐπεμβαίνοντες δὲ οἱ πολέμιοι βαλοῦσι μὲν κατὰ κορυφὴν τοὺς ἔνδον Ῥωμαίους, ἐκ δὲ ὑπερδεξίων ἐπιθήσονται, ἀλλὰ καὶ λόφους χειροποιήτους ἐπαναστήσουσι, καὶ μηχανὰς τὰς ἑλεπόλεις ἐπάξονται 2.1.13 πάσας. ἢν δέ τι τῇ πόλει ∆άρας ἀξύμφορον ἐπιγένηται, πάσης μὲν προβεβλημένῃ τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς, ἀντιτεταγμένῃ δὲ τῇ πολεμίᾳ διαφανῶς, οὐκ ἄχρι τοῦδε ἡμῖν κείσεται τὸ κακόν, ἀλλ' ἡ πολιτεία κατασεισθήσεται ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον. ἐβούλετό τε διὰ ταῦτα ὀχύρωμα τῷ χωρίῳ περιβαλεῖν ἐπαξίως τῆς χρείας. 2.1.14 Πρῶτα μὲν οὖν τὸ τεῖχος (κολοβόν τε γὰρ ἦν κομιδῇ, ᾗπέρ μοι εἴρηται, καὶ τοῖς ἐπιοῦσι διὰ ταῦτα ἐπιμαχώτατον) ἀπρόσοδόν τε καὶ ἄμαχον ὅλως τοῖς πολεμίοις 2.1.15 ἐσκευάσατο εἶναι. τὰς μὲν γὰρ ἐπάλξεις πρότερον οὔσας λίθων ἐνθήκῃ ξυναγαγὼν ἀπέσφιγξεν ἐν στενῷ μάλιστα, ἴχνη αὐταῖς μόνα ἐς θυρίδων ἀπολιπὼν σχῆμα, τοσοῦτον δὲ αὐτῶν συγκεχωρηκὼς ἀνεῳγέναι, ὅσον δὴ καὶ χεῖρα διεῖναι, καὶ τῶν τοξευμάτων ἐξόδους ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐνοχλοῦν2.1.16 τας ἐνθένδε λελεῖφθαι. ὕπερθεν δὲ αὐτῶν ὕψος τῷ περιβόλῳ ἐπετεχνήσατο ἐς τριάκοντα μάλιστα πόδας, οὐχ ὅλον ἐνθέμενος τὸ πάχος τῷ τείχει, ὡς μὴ τῶν θεμελίων τῇ τῶν ἐγκειμένων περιουσίᾳ βαρυνομένων ἀνήκεστόν τι τῷ ἔργῳ ξυμβαίη, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐκείνῃ ἀέρα λίθων περιβολῇ περιελίξας, στοάν τε ἐν κύκλῳ τοῦ περιβόλου περίδρομον ἐργασάμενος, ὑπέρ τε τὴν στοὰν τὰς ἐπάλξεις ἐπιβαλών, ὥστε διώροφον μὲν πανταχόσε τὸ τεῖχος εἶναι, κατὰ δὲ τοὺς πύργους καὶ τρεῖς γεγονέναι τὰς χώρας τῶν τε ἀμυνομένων τοῦ περιβόλου καὶ τὰς ἐπ' αὐτὸν 2.1.17 ἀποκρουομένων ἐφόδους. κατὰ μέσους γάρ πη τοὺς πύργους σφαιρικὸν σχῆμα ἐνθέμενος αὖθις ἐνταῦθα ἐντέθεικεν ἐπάλξεις ἑτέρας, τριώροφον ταύτῃ τὸ τεῖχος ἀπεργασάμενος. 2.1.18 Ἔπειτα δὲ κατανενοηκὼς ὅτι δὴ καὶ τῶν πύργων διεφθάρθαι πολλούς, ᾗπέρ μοι εἴρηται, ξυνηνέχθη ἐν χρόνῳ ὀλίγῳ, καθελεῖν μὲν αὐτοὺς ὡς ἥκιστα εἶχεν, ἐν γειτόνων ἀεὶ τῶν πολεμίων ὄντων καὶ καιροφυλακούντων τε καὶ διηνεκὲς ἰχνευόντων εἴ ποτε τοῦ περιβόλου μοίρας ἀτειχίστου τινὸς ἐπιτυχεῖν οἷοί τε ὦσιν· ἐπενόει δὲ τάδε. 2.1.19 τούτους μὲν τοὺς πύργους αὐτοῦ εἴασεν, ἔκτοσθεν δὲ αὐτῶν ἑκάστου οἰκοδομίαν τινὰ ἑτέραν ἐμπείρως ἐν τετραγώνῳ ἐδείματο, ἀσφαλείας τε καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἐπιμελείας εὖ ἔχουσαν, ταύτῃ τε τοὺς πεπονηκότας τῶν τοί2.1.20 χων ἐρύματι ἑτέρῳ ἐς τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ἐτειχίσατο. ἕνα δὲ αὐτῶν τὸν καλούμενον τῆς Φρουρᾶς ἐπικαιριώτατα καθελὼν ἀνῳκοδομήσατο ξὺν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ καὶ πανταχόθεν τοῦ 2.1.21 περιβόλου τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἀσθενείας ἀφείλετο δέος. καὶ τῷ προτειχίσματι δὲ κατὰ λόγον διαρκὲς ὕψος ἐπισταμένως 2.1.22 ἐντέθεικεν. ἔκτοσθεν δὲ αὐτοῦ τάφρον ὤρυξεν, οὐχ ᾗπερ εἰώθασιν ἄνθρωποι τὰ τοιαῦτα ποιεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐν χώρῳ τε ὀλίγῳ καὶ τρόπῳ ἑτέρῳ· ὅτου δὲ δὴ ἕνεκα, ἐγὼ δηλώσω. 2.1.23 Τὰ μὲν ἄλλα τοῦ περιβόλου ἀπρόσβατα τοῖς τειχομαχοῦσιν ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ξυμβαίνει εἶναι ἅτε οὐκ ἐφ' ὁμαλοῦ χωρίου ἑστῶτα, οὐδὲ τοῖς ἐπιοῦσιν ἔχοντος πρὸς ἐπιβουλὴν ἐπιτηδείως, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ ἄναντες ἔν τε σκληρῷ καὶ ὀρθίῳ κειμένου, ἔνθα οὔτε διώρυχα οἷόν τέ ἐστιν 2.1.24 οὔτε προσβολὴν γενέσθαι τινά. ᾗ δὲ αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἄνεμον νότον ἡ πλευρὰ τέτραπται, μαλθακή τε οὖσα καὶ γεώδης ἡ χώρα καὶ πρὸς διώρυχας εὔκολος ἄγαν, εὐέφ2.1.25 οδον ταύτῃ ποιεῖ τὴν πόλιν. τάφρον οὖν ἐνταῦθα μηνοειδῆ, εὔρους τε καὶ βάθους