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he thinks on their behalf, both priest and private citizen. But Theudatus, having met secretly with these ambassadors, instructed them to report to Emperor Justinian what things had been decided by him, having told them all that I have just related. 5.3.10 At this time Atalaric, having fallen into a boundless debauch, was seized by a wasting sickness. Therefore 5.3.11 Amalasuntha was in great perplexity. For she could neither have confidence in her son’s judgment, who had come to such a state of perversity, and if Atalaric himself should depart from the world, she did not think her life would be safe thereafter, since she had offended the most notable of the Goths. 5.3.12 Therefore she wished to hand over the rule of the Goths and Italians to Emperor Justinian, so that she herself might be 5.3.13 saved. Now it happened that Alexander, a man of the senate, had come there with both Demetrius and Hypatius. 5.3.14 For when the emperor heard that Amalasuntha's ship was anchored in the harbor of Epidamnus, but that she herself was still delaying, although much time had passed, he sent Alexander, in order that he might investigate all the matters 5.3.15 concerning Amalasuntha and report back; but ostensibly the emperor sent Alexander as an ambassador, being disturbed by the events concerning Lilybaeum (as I have related in the preceding narrative) and by the fact that ten Huns from the army in Libya, taking to flight, had arrived in Campania, and Uliaris, who was guarding Naples, had received them with Amalasuntha’s full consent, and that the Goths, while warring with the Gepaedes around Sirmium, had treated Gratiana, a city situated on the border of Illyricum, as an enemy. 5.3.16 Citing these charges against Amalasuntha, he wrote a letter and sent Alexander. And when he arrived in Rome, he left the priests there to do what they had come for, but he himself proceeded to Ravenna and came into Amalasuntha’s presence, where he delivered the emperor's message secretly and handed her the letter openly. 5.3.17 The letter declared the following: “The fortress at Lilybaeum, being ours, you have taken by force and now hold, and having received barbarian deserters who had become my subjects, you have not yet even now decided to return them, but you have also done irreparable harm to my city of Gratiana, a matter that in no way concerns you. 5.3.18 Wherefore it is time for you to consider what end might 5.3.19 come of these things.” When these things were reported and the woman had read the letter, she replied with these words: “It is fitting for a great emperor who lays claim to virtue to assist an orphan boy who is scarcely aware of what is being done, rather than to be at odds with him for no reason at all. 5.3.20 For a contest, if it does not arise from an adversary, does not even 5.3.21 bring a seemly victory. But you hold Lilybaeum over Atalaric, and ten fugitives, and an error of soldiers marching against their own enemies, which happened 5.3.22 through some ignorance against a friendly city. Do not so, do not so, O Emperor, but consider that when you campaigned against the Vandals, not only did we not stand in your way, but we also with great eagerness gave you a path to the enemy and a market for the most necessary supplies, and especially such a multitude of horses, from which 5.3.23 your victory over the enemy especially came about. And yet he would rightly be called an ally and a friend who not only offers armed assistance against neighbors, but also who is seen to provide someone with everything they might 5.3.24 need for war. Consider that at that time your fleet could neither put in anywhere else from the sea except Sicily, nor proceed to Libya without the supplies purchased 5.3.25 from here. So the chief element of your victory is from us. For he who provides the solution to difficulties is justly 5.3.26 credited with the resulting outcome. And what could be more pleasant for a man than victory over his enemies, 5.3.26 O Emperor? And yet it happens that we are disadvantaged in no small measure, since we do not even according to the law of war receive a share of the spoils. 5.3.27 But now you also demand that we be deprived of Lilybaeum in Sicily, which has belonged to the Goths from of old, a single rock, O Emperor, worth not even a bit of silver, which it would have been fitting for you to give in return to Atalaric for his assistance in the most critical matters, if from of old of the

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ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν οἴεται, καὶ ἱερεὺς καὶ ἰδιώτης. Θευδάτος δὲ ξυγγενόμενος λάθρα τοῖς πρέσβεσι τούτοις ἀγγέλλειν ἐπέστελλεν Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ ἅπερ αὐτῷ βεβουλευμένα εἴη, ἐξειπὼν ὅσα μοι ἄρτι δεδήλωται. 5.3.10 Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Ἀταλάριχος ἐς κραιπάλην ἐμπεπτωκὼς ὅρον οὐκ ἔχουσαν νοσήματι μαρασμοῦ ἥλω. διὸ 5.3.11 δὴ Ἀμαλασοῦνθα διηπορεῖτο. οὔτε γὰρ ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ παιδὸς γνώμῃ τὸ θαρσεῖν εἶχεν, εἰς τοῦτο ἀτοπίας ἐληλακότος, ἤν τε αὐτὸς Ἀταλάριχος ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀφανίζηται, οὐκ ᾤετο αὐτῇ τὸν βίον ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ τὸ λοιπὸν ἔσεσθαι, Γότθων τοῖς λογιμωτάτοις προσ5.3.12 κεκρουκυίᾳ. διὸ δὴ τὸ Γότθων τε καὶ Ἰταλιωτῶν κράτος ἐνδιδόναι Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ, ὅπως αὐτὴ σώ5.3.13 ζοιτο, ἤθελεν. ἐτύγχανε δὲ Ἀλέξανδρος, ἀνὴρ ἐκ βουλῆς, σύν τε ∆ημητρίῳ καὶ Ὑπατίῳ ἐνταῦθα ἥκων. 5.3.14 ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ μὲν Ἀμαλασούνθης πλοῖον ἐν τῷ Ἐπιδάμνου λιμένι ὁρμίζεσθαι βασιλεὺς ἤκουσεν, αὐτὴν δὲ μέλλειν ἔτι, καίπερ χρόνου τριβέντος συχνοῦ, ἔπεμψε τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον, ἐφ' ᾧ κατασκεψάμενος ἅπαντα τὰ 5.3.15 ἀμφὶ τῇ Ἀμαλασούνθῃ ἀγγείλειε· τῷ δὲ λόγῳ πρεσβευτὴν τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον βασιλεὺς ἔπεμψε, τοῖς τε ἀμφὶ τῷ Λιλυβαίῳ ξυνταραχθεὶς (ἅπερ μοι ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις δεδήλωται) καὶ ὅτι Οὖννοι δέκα ἐκ τοῦ ἐν Λιβύῃ στρατοπέδου, δρασμοῦ ἐχόμενοι, ἐς Καμπανίαν ἀφίκοντο, Οὐλίαρίς τε αὐτοὺς, ὃς Νεάπολιν ἐφύλασσεν, Ἀμαλασούνθης οὔτι ἀκουσίου ὑπεδέξατο, Γότθοι τε Γήπαισι τοῖς ἀμφὶ Σίρμιον πολεμοῦντες, πόλει Γρατιανῇ, ἐν τῇ Ἰλλυριῶν ἐσχατιᾷ κειμένῃ, ὡς πολεμίᾳ 5.3.16 ἐχρήσαντο. ἅπερ Ἀμαλασούνθῃ ἐπικαλῶν γράμματά τε γράψας τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον ἔπεμψεν. ὃς ἐπειδὴ ἐν Ῥώμῃ ἐγένετο, τοὺς μὲν ἱερεῖς αὐτοῦ εἴασε πράσσοντας ὧν ἕνεκα ἦλθον, ἐς δὲ Ῥάβενναν αὐτὸς κομισθεὶς καὶ Ἀμαλασούνθῃ ἐς ὄψιν ἥκων, τούς τε βασιλέως λόγους ἀπήγγειλε λάθρα καὶ τὰ γράμματα ἐς τὸ ἐμφανὲς ἐνε5.3.17 χείρισεν. ἐδήλου δὲ ἡ γραφὴ τάδε «Τὸ ἐν Λιλυβαίῳ «φρούριον, ἡμέτερον ὂν, βίᾳ λαβοῦσα ἔχεις, καὶ βαρ»βάρους δραπέτας ἐμοὺς γεγενημένους δεξαμένη ἀπο»δοῦναι οὔπω καὶ νῦν ἔγνωκας, ἀλλὰ καὶ Γρατιανὴν «τὴν ἐμὴν τὰ ἀνήκεστα, οὐδέν σοι προσῆκον, εἰργάσω. 5.3.18 «ὅθεν ὥρα σοι ἐκλογίζεσθαι ποία ποτὲ τούτοις τελευτὴ 5.3.19 «γένοιτο.» ταῦτα ὡς ἀπενεχθέντα ἡ γυνὴ τὰ γράμματα ἀνελέξατο, ἀμείβεται τοῖσδε «Βασιλέα μέγαν τε «καὶ ἀρετῆς μεταποιούμενον, ὀρφανῷ παιδὶ καὶ ὡς «ἥκιστα τῶν πρασσομένων ἐπαισθανομένῳ μᾶλλον ξυλ»λαβέσθαι εἰκὸς ἢ ἐξ οὐδεμιᾶς αἰτίας διάφορον εἶναι. 5.3.20 «ἀγὼν γὰρ, ἢν μὴ ἐκ τοῦ ἀντιπάλου ξυσταίη, οὐδὲ 5.3.21 «τὴν νίκην εὐπρεπῆ φέρει. σὺ δὲ τὸ Λιλύβαιον Ἀτα»λαρίχῳ ἐπανασείεις καὶ φυγάδας δέκα καὶ στρατιωτῶν «ἐπὶ πολεμίους τοὺς σφετέρους ἰόντων ἁμαρτάδα ξυμ5.3.22 «πεσοῦσαν ἀγνοίᾳ τινὶ ἐς πόλιν φιλίαν. μὴ δῆτα, μὴ «σύ γε, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἀλλ' ἐνθυμοῦ μὲν ὡς, ἡνίκα ἐπὶ «Βανδίλους ἐστράτευες, οὐχ ὅσον σοι ἐμποδὼν ἔστη»μεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁδὸν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους καὶ ἀγορὰν «τῶν ἀναγκαιοτάτων σὺν προθυμίᾳ πολλῇ ἔδομεν, «ἄλλων τε καὶ ἵππων τοσούτων τὸ πλῆθος, ἀφ' ὧν 5.3.23 «σοι ἡ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐπικράτησις μάλιστα γέγονε. καί»τοι ξύμμαχος ἂν καὶ φίλος δικαίως καλοῖτο οὐχ ὃς «ἂν τὴν ὁμαιχμίαν ἐς τοὺς πέλας προΐσχοιτο μόνον, «ἀλλὰ καὶ ὃς ἄν τῳ ἐς πόλεμον ἕκαστον, ὅτου ἂν 5.3.24 «δέοιτο, ὑπουργῶν φαίνοιτο. ἐκλογίζου δὲ ὡς τηνι»καῦτα ὁ στόλος ὁ σὸς οὔτε ἀλλαχῆ ἐκ τοῦ πελάγους «εἶχεν ὅτι μὴ Σικελίᾳ προσχεῖν οὔτε τῶν ἐνθένδε 5.3.25 «ὠνηθέντων χωρὶς εἰς Λιβύην ἰέναι. ὥστε σοι τὸ «τῆς νίκης κεφάλαιον ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐστιν. ὁ γὰρ τοῖς «ἀπόροις τὴν λύσιν διδοὺς καὶ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἀπόβασιν 5.3.26 «φέρεσθαι δίκαιος. τί δὲ ἀνθρώπῳ ἥδιον ἂν ἐχθρῶν 5.3.26 «ἐπικρατήσεως, ὦ βασιλεῦ, γένοιτο; καὶ μὴν ἐλασσοῦ»σθαι οὐκ ἐν μετρίοις ἡμῖν ξυμβαίνει, οἵ γε οὐχὶ «κατὰ τὸν τοῦ πολέμου νόμον τὸ τῶν λαφύρων νεμό5.3.27 «μεθα μέρος. νῦν δὲ καὶ τὸ Σικελίας Λιλύβαιον, «ἄνωθεν Γότθοις προσῆκον, ἀξιοῖς ἀφαιρεῖσθαι ἡμᾶς, «πέτραν, ὦ βασιλεῦ, μίαν ὅσον οὐδὲ ἀργυρίου ἀξίαν, «ἣν ἀνθυπουργεῖν σε Ἀταλαρίχῳ εἰκός γε ἦν, ἐν «τοῖς ἀναγκαιοτάτοις ξυναραμένῳ, εἴπερ ἄνωθεν τῆς