141

to enjoy. 4.4.3 For the soldiers, being exceedingly poor men and having suddenly become masters of excessively great riches, and of bodies both handsome and remarkably comely, were no longer able to control their thoughts nor to find any satiety in what they had, but they were so intoxicated, drenched in their present good fortune, that each one of them wanted to take everything and return to 4.4.4 Carthage. And they went about not in companies, but one by one or two by two, wherever hope might lead them, searching everything round about, in glens and difficult places, and wherever a cave might happen to be or anything else that led to danger or ambush. 4.4.5 For neither fear of the enemy nor respect for Belisarius entered their minds, nor anything else at all, except the desire for booty, and since this desire prevailed, 4.4.6 they turned to a disregard for all other things. Belisarius, considering all these things, was at a loss 4.4.7 as to how to deal with the present situation. And at daybreak he had taken his stand on a certain hill near the road, trying to recall the discipline that was no more, and reviling at length all the soldiers 4.4.8 and officers alike. Then, indeed, as many as happened to be somewhere near, and especially those of Belisarius' own household, sent the money and captives they had with their tent-mates and mess-mates to Carthage, while they themselves went to the general and listened to his commands. 4.4.9 And he ordered John the Armenian with two hundred men to follow Gelimer, and to pursue him without ceasing either by night or by day, until they should take him alive or dead. 4.4.10 And he sent instructions to his trusted men in Carthage, that they should give pledges to the Vandals, as many as were sitting as suppliants in the sanctuaries in the places around the city, and taking away their arms, so that they might not start a revolt, bring them into the city 4.4.11 and hold them, until he himself should arrive. And going about everywhere with the men who were left, he zealously gathered the soldiers and gave pledges for their safety to the Vandals who were ever in his path. For it was no longer possible to take any of the Vandals 4.4.12 except as a suppliant in the sanctuaries. And taking away their arms, he sent them with soldiers guarding them to Carthage, giving them no opportunity to combine against the Romans. 4.4.13 And when everything was arranged for him as well as possible, he himself also with the greater part of the army 4.4.14 proceeded with speed against Gelimer. And John, having made the pursuit for five days and nights, was already not far from Gelimer, but was expecting to come to grips with him on the following day. But since it was not fated for Gelimer to be captured by John, 4.4.15 a reverse of fortune occurred of the following sort. Among those pursuing with John, it happened that Uliaris, the bodyguard of Belisarius, 4.4.16 was present. And this was a man spirited and well-endowed for valour of both soul and body, but not very serious, but for the most part delighting in wine 4.4.17 and jests. This Uliaris, on the sixth day of the pursuit, being drunk about sunrise, saw a certain bird sitting on a tree, and quickly stringing his bow he shot the 4.4.18 arrow at the bird. And he missed the bird, but struck John 4.4.19 from behind in the neck, not at all intentionally. And he, being struck a mortal blow, passed from among men a short time later, leaving behind a great sense of loss for him to Emperor Justinian and to Belisarius the general and to all the Romans and 4.4.20 the Carthaginians. For being well-endowed with courage and every other virtue, he also showed himself gentle and most reasonable to those who met him, second to none. Thus then John fulfilled his destiny. 4.4.21 But Uliaris, when he came to his senses, having fled to a certain village which was somewhere nearby, sat as a suppliant in the sanctuary 4.4.22 there. And the soldiers were no longer eager to pursue Gelimer, but they cared for John while he was still alive, and when he died, they performed the customary rites for his burial and, having reported the whole matter 4.4.23 to Belisarius, they remained there. And he, as soon as he heard, came to the tomb of John 4.4.24 and bewailed his fate. And having wept and being exceedingly grieved by the

141

ἀπόνασθαι. 4.4.3 οἱ γὰρ στρατιῶται πένητες ἄνθρωποι κομιδῆ ὄντες καὶ χρημάτων μὲν ἐς ἄγαν μεγάλων, σωμάτων δὲ ὡραίων τε καὶ ὑπερφυῶς εὐπρεπῶν κύριοι ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου γεγενημένοι κατέχειν τὴν διάνοιαν οὐκέτι ἐδύναντο οὐδὲ κόρον τινὰ τῶν σφίσι παρόντων εὑρεῖν, ἀλλ' οὕτως ἐμέθυον, καταβεβρεγμένοι τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν εὐτυχήμασιν, ὥστε αὐτὸς ἕκαστος ἅπαντα ἄγων ἐς 4.4.4 Καρχηδόνα ἀναστρέφειν ἐβούλοντο. καὶ περιήρχοντο οὐ κατὰ συμμορίας, ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἕνα ἢ δύο, ὅπη ποτὲ αὐτοὺς ἡ ἐλπὶς ἄγοι, ἅπαντα κύκλῳ διερευνώμενοι ἔν τε νάπαις καὶ δυσχωρίαις καὶ εἴ που σπήλαιον παρατύχοι ἢ ἄλλο ὁτιοῦν ἐς κίνδυνον ἢ ἐνέδραν ἄγον. 4.4.5 οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτοὺς τῶν πολεμίων φόβος οὐδὲ ἡ Βελισαρίου αἰδὼς ἐσῄει οὐδὲ ἄλλο τῶν πάντων οὐδὲν, ὅτι μὴ ἡ τῶν λαφύρων ἐπιθυμία, ταύτης τε ὑπερβιαζο4.4.6 μένης ἐς ὀλιγωρίαν τῶν ἄλλων πάντων ἐτράποντο. ἃ δὴ ἅπαντα ἐν νῷ ποιούμενος Βελισάριος ἐν ἀπόρῳ 4.4.7 εἶχεν ᾗ τὸ παρὸν θέσθαι. ἅμα δὲ ἡμέρᾳ ἐπὶ λόφου τινὸς τῆς ὁδοῦ ἀγχοῦ εἱστήκει, τήν τε οὐκέτι οὖσαν εὐκοσμίαν ἀνακαλούμενος καὶ πολλὰ πᾶσι στρατιώταις 4.4.8 τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ἄρχουσι λοιδορούμενος. τότε δὴ ὅσοις τετύχηκε πλησίον που εἶναι, καὶ μάλιστα οἱ τῆς Βελισαρίου οἰκίας ὄντες, τὰ μὲν ὑπάρχοντα σφίσι χρήματά τε καὶ ἀνδράποδα ξὺν τοῖς ὁμοσκήνοις τε καὶ ὁμοτραπέζοις ἐς Καρχηδόνα ἔπεμπον, αὐτοὶ δὲ παρὰ τὸν στρατηγὸν ἰόντες τῶν σφίσι παραγγελλομένων κατήκουον. 4.4.9 Ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννην μὲν τὸν Ἀρμένιον ξὺν διακοσίοιςἐκέλευε Γελίμερι ἕπεσθαι, καὶ μήτε νύκτα μήτε ἡμέραν ἀνιέντας διώκειν, ἕως αὐτὸν ζῶντα ἢ νεκρὸν λάβοιεν. 4.4.10 ἐς δὲ Καρχηδόνα τοῖς ἐπιτηδείοις ἐπέστελλε, Βανδίλοις, ὅσοι ἐς τὰ ἀμφὶ τὴν πόλιν χωρία ἐν ἱεροῖς ἱκέται ἐκάθηντο, πιστὰ διδοῦσι καὶ τὰ ὅπλα, ὅπως μή τι νεωτερίσωσιν, ἀφελομένοις ἔς τε τὴν πόλιν ἐσαγα4.4.11 γοῦσιν ἔχειν, ἄχρι αὐτὸς ἔλθοι. ξὺν δὲ τοῖς λειπομένοις πανταχόσε περιιὼν τούς τε στρατιώτας σπουδῇ ἤγειρε καὶ Βανδίλοις τοῖς ἀεὶ ἐν ποσὶ πίστεις ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας ἐδίδου. οὐ γὰρ ἔτι ἦν Βανδίλων οὐδένα 4.4.12 ὅτι μὴ ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς ἱκέτην λαβεῖν. ὧν δὴ τὰ ὅπλα ἀφαιρούμενος, ξὺν στρατιώταις φυλάσσουσιν ἐς Καρχηδόνα ἔστελλεν, οὐ διδοὺς καιρὸν σφίσιν ἐπὶ Ῥωμαίους 4.4.13 ξυνίστασθαι. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἅπαντά οἱ ὡς ἄριστα εἶχεν, ἐπὶ Γελίμερα καὶ αὐτὸς ξὺν τῷ πλείονι τοῦ στρατοῦ 4.4.14 κατὰ τάχος ᾔει. ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης ἐς πέντε ἡμέρας τε καὶ νύκτας τὴν δίωξιν ποιησάμενος οὐ πόρρω ἀπὸ Γελίμερος ἤδη ἐγεγόνει, ἀλλά οἱ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ἔμελλεν ἐς χεῖρας ἰέναι. ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐκ ἔδει Γελίμερα Ἰωάννῃ 4.4.15 ἁλῶναι, τύχης ἐναντίωμα ξυνηνέχθη τοιόνδε. ἐν τοῖς ξὺν Ἰωάννῃ διώκουσιν Οὐλίαριν τὸν Βελισαρίου δορυ4.4.16 φόρον τετύχηκεν εἶναι. ἦν δὲ οὗτος ἀνὴρ θυμοειδὴς μὲν καὶ πρὸς ἀλκὴν ψυχῆς τε καὶ σώματος ἱκανῶς πεφυκὼς, οὐ λίαν δὲ κατεσπουδασμένος, ἀλλ' οἴνῳ τε 4.4.17 καὶ γελοίοις ὡς τὰ πολλὰ χαίρων. οὗτος Οὐλίαρις ἡμέρᾳ τῆς διώξεως ἕκτῃ οἰνωμένος ἀμφὶ ἡλίου ἀνατολὰς ὄρνιν τινὰ ἐπὶ δένδρου καθήμενον εἶδε, καὶ τὸ τόξον κατὰ τάχος ἐντείνας κατὰ τοῦ ὄρνιθος ἠφίει τὸ 4.4.18 βέλος. καὶ τοῦ μὲν ὄρνιθος ἀποτυγχάνει, Ἰωάννην 4.4.19 δὲ ὄπισθεν ἐς τὸν αὐχένα οὔτι ἑκουσίως βάλλει. ὁ δὲ καιρίαν τυπεὶς, ἐξ ἀνθρώπων χρόνῳ ὀλίγῳ ὕστερον ἠφανίσθη, πολὺν αὑτοῦ πόθον βασιλεῖ τε Ἰουστινιανῷ καὶ Βελισαρίῳ τῷ στρατηγῷ καὶ Ῥωμαίοις ἅπασι καὶ 4.4.20 Καρχηδονίοις ἀπολιπών. ἀνδρίας τε γὰρ καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἀρετῆς εὖ ἥκων, πρᾷόν τε τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσι παρεῖχεν αὑτὸν καὶ ἐπιεικέστατον οὐδενὸς ἧσσον. Ἰωάννης μὲν οὖν τὴν πεπρωμένην οὕτως ἀνέπλησεν. 4.4.21 Οὐλίαρις δὲ ἐπεὶ ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἐγεγόνει, ἐς κώμην τινὰ πλησίον που οὖσαν καταφυγὼν ἐν τῷ κατὰ ταύτην 4.4.22 ἱερῷ ἱκέτης ἐκάθητο· οἱ δὲ στρατιῶται Γελίμερα διώκειν οὐκέτι ὥρμηντο, ἀλλ' Ἰωάννην μὲν ἕως περιῆν ἐθεράπευον, ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐκεῖνος ἐτελεύτησε, τά τε νομιζόμενα ἐς τὴν αὐτοῦ ὁσίαν ἐποίουν καὶ τὸν πάντα 4.4.23 λόγον Βελισαρίῳ δηλώσαντες αὐτοῦ ἔμενον. ὃς, ἐπειδὴ τάχιστα ἤκουσεν, ἔς τε τὸν Ἰωάννου τάφον ἀφίκετο 4.4.24 καὶ τὸ ἐκείνου πάθος ἀπέκλαιεν. ἀποκλαύσας δὲ καὶ περιαλγήσας τῇ