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he fulfilled his fated destiny. Therefore many and the best of the Goths were on guard there, of whom 5.13.16 Marcias was the leader. Wittigis was not able to cause them to move from there, nor indeed did he think they would be sufficient to array themselves against the Franks, who would overrun, as was likely, both Gaul and Italy, 5.13.17 if he himself should march with his whole army to Rome. Having therefore called together whatever was of pure blood among the Goths, he spoke as follows: "Not a pleasant, kinsmen, but a necessary exhortation wishing to make to you I have gathered you here at the present time; so that you may both listen calmly, and deliberate in a manner worthy of our present circumstances. 5.13.18 For to those whose affairs do not go as they wish, it is unprofitable not to yield to necessity or fortune and so manage the present situation. In all other respects, then, our 5.13.19 preparations for the war are as good as possible. But the Franks stand in our way, and though they have been our enemies from of old, and though we have been expending both our bodies and our money, we have nevertheless been strong enough to hold out against them until now, since no other 5.13.20 enemy confronted us. But now that we are compelled to go against others, it will be necessary to end the war against them, first, because if they remain hostile to us, they will certainly be arrayed with Belisarius against us. 5.13.21 For the nature of things suggests that those who have the same enemy 5.13.22 join with one another in friendship and alliance. Next, if we should carry on the war separately against each army, 5.13.23 it will be our lot to be defeated by both. It is better, therefore, for us to be at a slight disadvantage and save the greater part of our dominion, than, by striving to have everything, to perish with the whole power of our sovereignty at the hands of our enemies. 5.13.24 I think, therefore, that if we give the Germans the parts of Gaul bordering on them, and all the money which Theudatus agreed to give them with this land, they will not only turn away their enmity towards us, but will also 5.13.25 join with us in this war. But let none of you consider how we may recover Gaul again, when our affairs are going well. For a certain ancient saying comes to my mind, which bids us to arrange the present well." 5.13.26 When the Gothic nobles heard these things, and thinking them to be advantageous, they wished them to be carried out. Ambassadors were therefore sent immediately to the German nation, on the condition that they would give them Gaul along with the gold 5.13.27 and would make an alliance. The leaders of the Franks at that time were Ildibertus and Theudibertus and Chloadarius, who, upon receiving both Gaul and the money, divided it according to the proportion of each one's rule, and agreed to be the best of friends to the Goths, and to send them reinforcements secretly, not Franks, however, but 5.13.28 from the nations subject to them. For they were not able to make an open alliance with them to the detriment of the Romans, since a little before they had agreed with the emperor to assist him in this 5.13.29 war. So the ambassadors, having accomplished the mission for which they were sent, returned to Ravenna. And at that time Wittigis also summoned Marcias with his followers. 5.14.1 And while Wittigis was doing these things, Belisarius was preparing to go to Rome. Therefore, having selected three hundred men from the infantry roster, he appointed Herodianus as commander over the garrison of Naples. 5.14.2 And he also sent to Cumae as many guards as he thought would be sufficient for the defense of the fortress there. For there was no other stronghold in Campania, except 5.14.3 at Cumae and at Naples. In this Cumae the inhabitants point out the cave of the Sibyl, where they say her oracle was. Cumae is on the coast, one hundred and twenty-eight 5.14.4 stades distant from Naples. Belisarius, then, was setting his army in order, but the Romans, fearing that what had befallen the Neapolitans might happen to them, after consideration decided it was better for the city to receive the emperor's army. And Silverius, the high priest of the city, especially urged them to this 5.14.5 course. And having sent Fidelius, a man hailing from Mediolanum, which lies in Liguria, who indeed had served as an assessor to Atalaric

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ἐπιτελέσας μοῖραν τὴν πεπρωμένην ἀνέπλησε. διὸ δὴ Γότθων πολλοί τε καὶ ἄριστοι ἐνταῦθα, ὧν 5.13.16 Μαρκίας ἡγεῖτο, φυλακὴν εἶχον. οὓς Οὐίττιγις ἐνθένδε ἐξαναστῆσαι οὐχ οἷός τε ἦν, οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ Φράγγοις ἀντιτάξασθαι αὐτοὺς ᾤετο ἱκανοὺς ἔσεσθαι, Γαλλίαν τε καὶ Ἰταλίαν, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, καταθέουσιν, 5.13.17 ἢν αὐτὸς τῷ παντὶ στρατῷ ἐς Ῥώμην ἐλάσῃ. ξυγκαλέσας οὖν εἴ τι ἐν Γότθοις καθαρὸν ἦν, ἔλεξε τοιάδε «Οὐχ ἡδεῖαν μὲν, ἄνδρες ξυγγενεῖς, ἀναγκαίαν δὲ «ὑμῖν παραίνεσιν ποιεῖσθαι βουλόμενος ἐνθάδε ὑμᾶς «ἐν τῷ παρόντι συνήγαγον· ὅπως δὲ ἀκούσησθε μὲν «πρᾴως, βουλεύσησθε δὲ τῶν παρόντων ἡμῖν ἐπαξίως. 5.13.18 «οἷς γὰρ αἱ πράξεις οὐ κατὰ νοῦν χωροῦσι, τὸ μὴ «πειθομένους τῇ ἀνάγκῃ ἢ τύχῃ οὕτω τὰ παρόντα «διοικεῖσθαι ἀξύμφορον. τὰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλα ἡμῖν ὡς 5.13.19 «ἄριστα ἐς τὸν πόλεμον παρασκευῆς ἔχει. Φράγγοι «δὲ ἡμῖν ἐμποδὼν ἵστανται, οἷς ἐκ παλαιοῦ πολεμίοις «οὖσι, τοῖς τε σώμασι καὶ τοῖς χρήμασι δαπανώμενοι, «ἀντέχειν ἐς τόδε ὅμως ἰσχύσαμεν, ἐπεὶ ἄλλο οὐδὲν 5.13.20 «ἡμῖν ἀπήντα πολέμιον. ἐφ' ἑτέρους δὲ νῦν ἡμᾶς «ἀναγκαζομένους ἰέναι τὸν πρὸς αὐτοὺς πόλεμον κατα»λύειν δεήσει, πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι, ἢν δυσμενεῖς ἡμῖν «διαμείνωσι, μετὰ Βελισαρίου ἐφ' ἡμᾶς τετάξονται 5.13.21 «πάντως. τοὺς γὰρ ἐχθρὸν τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχοντας ἀλλή»λοις ἐς εὔνοιάν τε καὶ ξυμμαχίαν συνάπτεσθαι ἡ 5.13.22 «τῶν πραγμάτων εἰσηγεῖται φύσις. ἔπειτα, ἢν καὶ «πρὸς ἑκάτερον στρατόπεδον χωρὶς τὸν πόλεμον διε5.13.23 «νέγκωμεν, λελείψεται ἡμῖν ἀμφοτέρων ἡσσῆσθαι. ἄμει»νον οὖν ὀλίγῳ ἡμᾶς ἐλασσουμένους τὰ πλεῖστα τῆς «ἀρχῆς διασώσασθαι, ἢ πάντα ἔχειν ἐφιεμένους ξὺν «πάσῃ τῇ τῆς ἡγεμονίας δυνάμει πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων 5.13.24 «ἀπολωλέναι. οἶμαι τοίνυν ὡς, ἢν Γαλλίας τὰς σφίσιν «ὁμόρους Γερμανοῖς δῶμεν, καὶ χρήματα ὅσα ξὺν τῇ «χώρᾳ ταύτῃ Θευδάτος αὐτοῖς ὡμολόγησε δώσειν, οὐχ «ὅσον ἀποτρέψονται τὸ ἐς ἡμᾶς ἔχθος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πό5.13.25 «λεμον ἡμῖν ξυλλήψονται τόνδε. ὅπως δὲ αὖθις, εὖ «φερομένων τῶν πραγμάτων ἡμῖν, Γαλλίας ἀνακτησώ»μεθα, ὑμῶν διαλογιζέσθω μηδείς. ἐμὲ γάρ τις παλαιὸς «εἰσέρχεται λόγος, τὸ παρὸν εὖ τιθέναι κελεύων.» 5.13.26 ταῦτα ἀκούσαντες οἱ Γότθων λόγιμοι, ξύμφορά τε οἰόμενοι αὐτὰ εἶναι, ἐπιτελῆ γενέσθαι ἤθελον. στέλλονται τοίνυν πρέσβεις αὐτίκα ἐς τὸ Γερμανῶν ἔθνος, ἐφ' ᾧ Γαλλίας τε αὐτοῖς ξὺν τῷ χρυσῷ δώσουσι 5.13.27 καὶ ὁμαιχμίαν ποιήσονται. Φράγγων δὲ τότε ἡγεμόνες ἦσαν Ἰλδίβερτός τε καὶ Θευδίβερτος καὶ Κλοαδάριος, οἳ Γαλλίας τε καὶ τὰ χρήματα παραλαβόντες διενείμαντο μὲν κατὰ λόγον τῆς ἑκάστου ἀρχῆς, φίλοι δὲ ὡμολόγησαν Γότθοις ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ἔσεσθαι, καὶ λάθρα αὐτοῖς ἐπικούρους πέμψειν, οὐ Φράγγους μέντοι, ἀλλ' 5.13.28 ἐκ τῶν σφίσι κατηκόων ἐθνῶν. ὁμαιχμίαν γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐκ τοῦ ἐμφανοῦς ἐπὶ τῷ Ῥωμαίων κακῷ ποιήσασθαι οὐχ οἷοί τε ἦσαν, ἐπεὶ ὀλίγῳ πρότερον βασιλεῖ ἐς 5.13.29 τόνδε τὸν πόλεμον ξυλλήψεσθαι ὡμολόγησαν. οἱ μὲν οὖν πρέσβεις ἐφ' οἷσπερ ἐστάλησαν διαπεπραγμένοι ἐπανῆκον ἐς Ῥάβενναν. τότε δὲ καὶ Μαρκίαν σὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις Οὐίττιγις μετεπέμπετο. 5.14.1 Ἐν ᾧ δὲ ταῦτα Οὐίττιγις ἔπρασσεν, ἐν τούτῳ Βελισάριος ἐς Ῥώμην ἰέναι παρεσκευάζετο. ἀπολέξας οὖν ἄνδρας ἐκ καταλόγου πεζικοῦ τριακοσίους καὶ Ἡρωδιανὸν ἄρχοντα ἐπὶ τῇ Νεαπόλεως φυλακῇ κατε5.14.2 στήσατο. ἔπεμψε δὲ καὶ ἐς Κύμην φρουροὺς, ὅσους ᾤετο τῇ τοῦ ἐνταῦθα φρουρίου φυλακῇ ἱκανοὺς ἔσεσθαι. ἄλλο γάρ τι ὀχύρωμα ἐν Καμπανίᾳ, ὅτι μὴ 5.14.3 ἐν Κύμῃ τε καὶ ἐν Νεαπόλει, οὐκ ἦν. ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ Κύμῃ οἱ ἐπιχώριοι τὸ Σιβύλλης δεικνύουσι σπήλαιον, ἔνθα δὴ αὐτῆς τὸ μαντεῖον γεγενῆσθαί φασιν. ἐπιθαλασσία δὲ ἡ Κύμη ἐστὶ, Νεαπόλεως ὀκτὼ καὶ εἴκοσι 5.14.4 καὶ ἑκατὸν σταδίους διέχουσα. Βελισάριος μὲν οὖν διεκόσμει τὸ στράτευμα, Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ, δείσαντες μὴ σφίσι ξυμβαίη ὅσα Νεαπολίταις ξυμπέπτωκε, λογισάμενοι ἔγνωσαν ἄμεινον εἶναι τῇ πόλει τὸν βασιλέως στρατὸν δέξασθαι. μάλιστα δὲ αὐτοὺς Σιλβέριος ἐς 5.14.5 τοῦτο ἐνῆγεν, ὁ τῆς πόλεως ἀρχιερεύς. Φιδέλιόν τε πέμψαντες, ἄνδρα ἐκ Μεδιολάνου ὁρμώμενον, ἣ ἐν Λιγούροις κεῖται, ὃς δὴ Ἀταλαρίχῳ παρήδρευε