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raises opposition among the Scythians, and all the Sclaveni and whatever others, whether the writers of the most ancient histories called these nations Sauromatae Hamaxobii or Metanastae, and if any other bestial race of men happens to wander or be settled there 4.1.6. Since Emperor Justinian was determined to oppose them as they were about to wage endless war, and considering it no minor task, it was necessary for him both to surround the area with countless fortifications and to establish uncounted garrisons of soldiers, and whatever other obstacles there might be for enemies who would not send heralds and with whom one could not 4.1.7 mix. It is the custom of these enemies to make war not for any cause that has arisen, nor to attack after an embassy, nor indeed to end it by any treaties, or to grant a truce for a period of time, but to begin without pretext, and to end it by the sword alone. But even so we shall proceed to the remaining parts of the history. 4.1.8 For it will be better for those who have begun a task to arrive at its completion in some way or other, than to leave it unfinished and go back. 4.1.9 Since otherwise the matter would not be beyond criticism, that our Emperor performed the deeds, but we 4.1.10 shrank from the words about them. But as we are about to enumerate the European buildings of this Emperor, it is worthwhile to say a few things about this land. 4.1.11 From the sea called the Adriatic an inflow, pushing in and separating itself from the rest of the sea, comes up upon the mainland, and cleaving the land for a great distance makes the Ionian Gulf, having on the right the Epirotes and the nations there, and on the left the Calabrians, and being squeezed into a very long strait it embraces 4.1.12 almost the entire mainland. And opposite it, running towards the sea from above, the Ister River 4.1.13 makes the land of Europe like an island. Here this Emperor has made many most noteworthy 4.1.14 buildings. For having fortified all Europe for safety he made it inaccessible to the barbarians, who dwell beyond the Ister River. 4.1.15 But I must begin from the fatherland of the Emperor, to which most of all must be given the first place in all other things and 4.1.16 the first fruits of this account. For it would be fitting for it alone to be proud and exult and be glorified for having nurtured and provided for the Romans such an Emperor, whose deeds it is impossible either to tell in speech or to record in writing. 4.1.17 Somewhere in the European Dardanian lands, who dwell after the borders of the Epidamnians, very near the fortress which is called Bederiana, was a place named Taurisium, whence came Justinian, Emperor, the builder of the 4.1.18 world. This place, then, he fortified in a short time in a square shape, and placing a tower on each corner, he caused it to be and to be called 4.1.19 Tetrapyrgia. And very near this place he built a most illustrious city, which he named Justiniana Prima (which means first in the Latin tongue), paying this 4.1.20 as a debt of nurture to her who nurtured him. And yet it was fitting for all Romans to share this debt with one another, 4.1.21 since the land nurtured a savior common to all. And here, by constructing an aqueduct, he brought it about that the city 4.1.22 abounded fittingly with ever-flowing waters. And many other things, very great and worthy of much account, have been labored over by the founder of the 4.1.23 city. The precincts of God are not easy to enumerate, the residences of magistrates are impossible to describe in words, the size of the stoas, the beauties of the marketplaces, the fountains, the streets, 4.1.24 the baths, the shops. A city simply great and populous and otherwise prosperous and such as to be the metropolis of the whole country. For it has come to such a degree 4.1.25 of dignity. And it has also been allotted the archbishop of the Illyrians, the other cities yielding to it, since it is first in size. So fame has also done a service in return to the Emperor; 4.1.26 for she is glorified in her foster-son the Emperor, and he in turn takes pride in having founded the city. And for me to have spoken thus 4.1.27 far

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τὰ ἐν Σκύθαις ἀνταίρει, καὶ ὅσα Σκλαβηνοὶ καὶ ὅσα ἄττα, εἴτε Σαυρομάτας Ἁμαξοβίους εἴτε Μετανάστας ταῦτα δὴ ἐκάλουν τὰ ἔθνη οἱ τῶν ἱστοριῶν ἀναγραψάμενοι τὰ ἀρχαιότατα, καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο θηριῶδες ἀνθρώπων γένος ἢ νέμεσθαι, ἢ ἱδρύσθαι ἐνταῦθα 4.1.6 ξυμβαίνει. οἷς δὴ ἀπέραντα πολεμησείουσιν ὑπαντιάζειν διατεινομένῳ Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ πάρεργόν τε οὐδὲν ποιουμένῳ ἐπάναγκες ἦν ἐρύματά τε περιβάλλεσθαι ἀνάριθμα καὶ στρατιωτῶν ἀμύθητα φυλακτήρια καταστήσασθαι, καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα πολεμίοις ἀνεπικηρυκεύτοις τε καὶ 4.1.7 ἀνεπιμίκτοις ἐμπόδια εἴη. οἷς δὴ τοῖς πολεμίοις τὸν πόλεμον οὐκ ἐξ αἰτίας ἐγειρομένοις ποιεῖσθαι νόμος, οὐδὲ μετὰ πρεσβείαν ἐπενεγκεῖν, οὐδὲ μὴν οὐδὲ ξυνθήκαις διαλῦσαί τισιν, ἢ κατὰ χρόνον ἀνακχεῦσαι, ἀλλ' ἐγχειρῆσαι μὲν ἀπροφασίστως, καταλῦσαι δὲ σιδήρῳ μόνῳ. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὣς ἐπὶ τῆς ἱστορίας τὰ λειπόμενα βαδιούμεθα. 4.1.8 ἔργου γὰρ ἀρξαμένους τρόπῳ ὁτῳοῦν ἐς πέρας ἀφῖχθαι ξυνοίσει μᾶλλον ἢ ἀτελεύτητον ἀπολιπόντας ὀπίσω ἰέναι. 4.1.9 ἐπεὶ καὶ ἄλλως ἂν οὐκ ἔξω κατηγορίας τὸ πρᾶγμα εἴη, βασιλέα μὲν τὸν ἡμέτερον εἰργάσθαι τὰ ἔργα, ἡμᾶς δὲ 4.1.10 τοὺς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀποκνεῖν λόγους. μέλλοντας δὲ τὰ Εὐρωπαῖα τούτου δὴ τοῦ βασιλέως διαριθμεῖσθαι οἰκοδομήματα, ὀλίγα ἄττα ἀμφὶ τῇδε τῇ χώρᾳ ὑπειπεῖν ἄξιον. 4.1.11 Ἐκ τοῦ Ἀδριατικοῦ καλουμένου πελάγους ἐπιρροή τις διωθουμένη τε καὶ ἀποσαλεύουσα τῆς ἄλλης θαλάσσης ἐπὶ τὴν ἤπειρον ἀναβαίνει, καὶ σχίζουσα τὴν γῆν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ποιεῖται τὸν Ἰόνιον κόλπον, ἐν δεξιᾷ μὲν Ἠπειρώτας τε καὶ τὰ ἐκείνῃ ἔθνη, ἐν ἀριστερᾷ δὲ Καλαβροὺς ἔχουσα, ἔν τε πορθμῷ ἐπὶ μακρότατον θλιβομένη περι4.1.12 λαμβάνει τὴν ἤπειρον σχεδόν τι πᾶσαν. καθύπερθε δὲ ἀντιπρόσωπος τῇ θαλάσσῃ φερόμενος ποταμὸς Ἴστρος 4.1.13 γῆς τῆς Εὐρώπης νησοειδῆ τὴν γῆν τίθεται. ἐνταῦθα οἰκοδομήματα πολλά τε καὶ ἀξιολογώτατα ὁ βασιλεὺς οὗτος 4.1.14 πεποίηται. πᾶσαν γὰρ Εὐρώπην ἐς τὸ ἀσφαλὲς τειχισάμενος ἀπρόσβατον κατεστήσατο βαρβάροις εἶναι, οἳ δὴ ὑπὲρ Ἴστρου ποταμοῦ ᾤκηνται. 4.1.15 Ἀλλά μοι ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως ἀρκτέον πατρίδος, ᾗ πασῶν μάλιστα τά τε πρωτεῖα ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ 4.1.16 τοῦδε τὰς ἀπαρχὰς τοῦ λόγου δοτέον. αὐτῇ γὰρ ἂν μόνῃ ὀγκοῦσθαί τε καὶ διαθρύπτεσθαι καὶ ἀποσεμνύνεσθαι πρέποι βασιλέα Ῥωμαίοις θρεψαμένῃ τε καὶ παρασχομένῃ τοιοῦτον, οὗ δὴ τὰ ἔργα καὶ λόγῳ εἰπεῖν καὶ γραφῇ παρακαταθέσθαι ἀμήχανον. 4.1.17 Ἐν ∆αρδάνοις που τοῖς Εὐρωπαίοις, οἳ δὴ μετὰ τοὺς Ἐπιδαμνίων ὅρους ᾤκηνται, τοῦ φρουρίου ἄγχιστα, ὅπερ Βεδερίανα ἐπικαλεῖται, χωρίον Ταυρίσιον ὄνομα ἦν, ἔνθεν Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ὁ τῆς οἰκουμένης οἰκιστὴς 4.1.18 ὥρμηται. τοῦτο μὲν οὖν τὸ χωρίον ἐν βραχεῖ τειχισάμενος κατὰ τὸ τετράγωνον σχῆμα καὶ γωνίᾳ ἑκάστῃ πύργον ἐνθέμενος Τετραπυργίαν εἶναί τε καὶ καλεῖσθαι 4.1.19 πεποίηκε. παρ' αὐτὸ δὲ μάλιστα τὸ χωρίον πόλιν ἐπιφανεστάτην ἐδείματο, ἥνπερ Ἰουστινιανὴν ὠνόμασε Πρῖμαν (πρώτη δὲ τοῦτο τῇ Λατίνων φωνῇ δύναται) ταῦτα 4.1.20 τῇ θρεψαμένῃ τροφεῖα ἐκτίνων. καίτοι Ῥωμαίους ἐχρῆν ἅπαντας τοῦτο δὴ ἀλλήλοις ἐπικοινοῦσθαι τὸ ὄφλημα, 4.1.21 ἐπεὶ καὶ σωτῆρα ἐθρέψατο ἡ χώρα κοινὸν ἅπασιν. ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ ὀχετὸν τεκτηνάμενος ὕδασι τὴν πόλιν ἀειρ4.1.22 ρύτοις διεπράξατο ἐπιεικῶς πλήθειν. πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἄλλα τῷ τῆς πόλεως οἰκιστῇ ὑπέρογκά τε καὶ λόγου πολλοῦ 4.1.23 διαπεπόνηται ἄξια. θεοῦ μὲν τεμένη διαριθμεῖσθαι οὐ ῥᾴδια, καταγώγια δὲ ἀρχόντων φράζεσθαι λόγῳ ἀμήχανα, στοῶν μεγέθη, ἀγορῶν κάλλη, τὰς κρήνας, τὰς ἀγυιάς, 4.1.24 τὰ βαλανεῖα, τὰ πωλητήρια. πόλις ἁπλῶς μεγάλη καὶ πολυάνθρωπος καὶ τὰ ἄλλα εὐδαίμων καὶ οἵα τῆς χώρας ἁπάσης μητρόπολις εἶναι. εἰς ἀξιώματος γὰρ τοσόνδε 4.1.25 ἥκει. πρὸς δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἰλλυριῶν ἀρχιερέα διακεκλήρωται, τῶν ἄλλων πόλεων αὐτῇ, ἅτε πρώτῃ τὸ μέγεθος οὔσῃ, ἐξισταμένων. ὥστε καὶ ἀνθυπούργηκε τῷ βασιλεῖ κλέος· 4.1.26 ἡ μὲν γὰρ τροφίμῳ ἀποσεμνύνεται βασιλεῖ, ὁ δὲ ἀντιφιλοτιμεῖται δεδημιουργηκέναι τὴν πόλιν. καί μοι ἄχρι 4.1.27 τοῦδε εἰπεῖν