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previously (the Romans call this office quaestor), they summoned Belisarius to Rome, promising to surrender the city without a fight. 5.14.6 And he led the army by the Latin Way, leaving the Appian Way on the left, which Appius, the Roman consul, had built nine hundred years before and from which it got its name. The Appian Way is a five-day journey for a lightly-equipped man; for it extends from Rome to Capua. 5.14.7 The width of this road is such that two wagons can pass one another, and it is the most worthy of sight of all. 5.14.8 For Appius quarried all the stone, which is mill-stone and naturally hard, from another country far away and 5.14.9 brought it here. For it is nowhere to be found in this land. And having worked the stones smooth and even, and having made them angular in their cutting, he bound them together, without putting rubble or anything else between 5.14.10 them. And they are so securely joined to one another and so closely fitted that they give the appearance to onlookers of not being joined together, but of having grown together. 5.14.11 And though much time has passed and they are traversed every day by many wagons and all kinds of animals, their joinings have not been separated at all, nor has any one of them been worn out or become smaller, nor indeed have they lost any of their sheen. Such, then, are the facts concerning the Appian Way. 5.14.12 But the Goths who were keeping guard in Rome, when they learned that the enemy was somewhere very near and perceived the disposition of the Romans, were vexed at the time with the city, and being unable to go out to meet the attackers in battle, were at a loss. 5.14.13 Then, with the Romans yielding to them, they all departed from there and went to Ravenna, except that Leuderis, who was their commander, ashamed, I think, of the present turn of fortune, 5.14.14 remained there. And it so happened on that day, at the same time, that Belisarius and the emperor's army entered Rome through the gate which they call the Asinarian, while the Goths were withdrawing from there through another gate, which is called the Flaminian; and Rome again came under the Romans sixty years later, on the ninth of the last month, called December by the Romans, in the eleventh year that the Emperor Justinian held the imperial power. 5.14.15 So Belisarius sent Leuderis, the commander of the Goths, and the keys of the gates to the emperor, while he himself attended to the circuit-wall, which had fallen into ruin in many places; and he made each battlement angular, by placing a certain other structure on its left side, so that those fighting from there against attackers might be least exposed to missile-fire from those fighting on their own left, and he dug a moat around the wall, both deep and very worthy of note. 5.14.16 The Romans, on the one hand, praised the foresight of the general and especially the skill he displayed concerning the battlements, but on the other hand, they were greatly amazed and vexed, that he, having some thought that he would be besieged, believed it was possible for him to hold Rome, a city which is not able to endure a siege because of the lack of provisions, since it is not on the sea, and which is enclosed by a wall of so great an extent, and is especially easy for attackers to approach, since it lies on a very level plain, 5.14.17 as is to be expected. But he, even hearing these things, no less prepared everything for a siege, and depositing the grain, which he had brought from Sicily on his ships, in public storehouses, he guarded it, and he compelled all the Romans, although they took it hard, to bring in for themselves all their provisions from the fields. 5.15.1 Then indeed Pitzas, a Goth, coming from Samnium, handed over to Belisarius himself and the Goths who lived there with him, and half of the portion of maritime Samnium, as far as the river, 5.15.2 which flows through the middle of the country. For all the Goths who were settled on the other side of the river were unwilling either to follow Pitzas or to be subjects of the emperor. And Belisarius gave him not many soldiers, so that they might guard with him 5.15.3 the places there. But before this the Calabrians and Apulians, since there were no Goths present in their country, willingly to Belisarius

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πρότερον (κοιαίστωρα δὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν ταύτην καλοῦσι Ῥωμαῖοι), Βελισάριον ἐς Ῥώμην ἐκάλουν, ἀμαχητὶ 5.14.6 τὴν πόλιν παραδώσειν ὑποσχόμενοι. ὁ δὲ διὰ τῆς Λατίνης ὁδοῦ ἀπῆγε τὸ στράτευμα, τὴν Ἀππίαν ὁδὸν ἀφεὶς ἐν ἀριστερᾷ, ἣν Ἄππιος ὁ Ῥωμαίων ὕπατος ἐννακοσίοις ἐνιαυτοῖς πρότερον ἐποίησέ τε καὶ ἐπώνυμον ἔσχεν. ἔστι δὲ ἡ Ἀππία ὁδὸς ἡμερῶν πέντε εὐζώνῳ ἀνδρί· ἐκ Ῥώμης γὰρ αὕτη ἐς Καπύην διήκει. 5.14.7 εὖρος δέ ἐστι τῆς ὁδοῦ ταύτης ὅσον ἁμάξας δύο ἀντίας ἰέναι ἀλλήλαις, καὶ ἔστιν ἀξιοθέατος πάντων μάλιστα. 5.14.8 τὸν γὰρ λίθον ἅπαντα, μυλίτην τε ὄντα καὶ φύσει σκληρὸν, ἐκ χώρας ἄλλης μακρὰν οὔσης τεμὼν Ἄππιος 5.14.9 ἐνταῦθα ἐκόμισε. ταύτης γὰρ δὴ τῆς γῆς οὐδαμῆ πέφυκε. λείους δὲ τοὺς λίθους καὶ ὁμαλοὺς ἐργασάμενος, ἐγγωνίους τε τῇ ἐντομῇ πεποιημένος, ἐς ἀλλήλους ξυνέδησεν, οὔτε χάλικα ἐντὸς οὔτε τι ἄλλο ἐμβε5.14.10 βλημένος. οἱ δὲ ἀλλήλοις οὕτω τε ἀσφαλῶς συνδέδενται καὶ μεμύκασιν, ὥστε ὅτι δὴ οὐκ εἰσὶν ἡρμοσμένοι, ἀλλ' ἐμπεφύκασιν ἀλλήλοις, δόξαν τοῖς ὁρῶσι παρέ5.14.11 χονται· καὶ χρόνου τριβέντος συχνοῦ δὴ οὕτως ἁμάξαις τε πολλαῖς καὶ ζῴοις ἅπασι διαβατοὶ γινόμενοι ἐς ἡμέραν ἑκάστην οὔτε τῆς ἁρμονίας παντάπασι διακέκρινται οὔτε τινὶ αὐτῶν διαφθαρῆναι ἢ μείονι γίνεσθαι ξυνέπεσεν, οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τῆς ἀμαρυγῆς τι ἀποβαλέσθαι. τὰ μὲν οὖν τῆς Ἀππίας ὁδοῦ τοιαῦτά ἐστι. 5.14.12 Γότθοι δὲ, οἳ ἐν Ῥώμῃ φυλακὴν εἶχον, ἐπεὶ τούς τε πολεμίους ἄγχιστά πη εἶναι ἐπύθοντο καὶ Ῥωμαίων τῆς γνώμης ᾔσθοντο, ἤσχαλλον τότε τῇ πόλει καὶ τοῖς ἐπιοῦσι διὰ μάχης ἰέναι οὐχ οἷοί τε ὄντες ἠπόρουν· 5.14.13 ἔπειτα δὲ Ῥωμαίων σφίσιν ἐνδιδόντων ἐνθένδε ἀπαλλαγέντες ἐπὶ Ῥαβέννης ἐχώρησαν ἅπαντες, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι Λεύδερις, ὃς αὐτῶν ἦρχεν, αἰδεσθεὶς, οἶμαι, τύχην 5.14.14 τὴν παροῦσαν, αὐτοῦ ἔμεινε. ξυνέπεσέ τε ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον Βελισάριον μὲν καὶ τὸν βασιλέως στρατὸν ἐς Ῥώμην εἰσιέναι διὰ πύλης, ἣν καλοῦσιν Ἀσιναρίαν, Γότθους δὲ ἀναχωρεῖν ἐνθένδε διὰ πύλης ἑτέρας, ἣ Φλαμινία ἐπικαλεῖται, Ῥώμη τε αὖθις ἑξήκοντα ἔτεσιν ὕστερον ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίοις γέγονεν, ἐνάτῃ τοῦ τελευταίου, πρὸς δὲ Ῥωμαίων προσαγορευομένου ∆εκεμβρίου μηνὸς ἑνδέκατον ἔτος Ἰουστινιανοῦ βασιλέως τὴν αὐτοκράτορα ἀρχὴν ἔχοντος. 5.14.15 Λεύδεριν μὲν οὖν τὸν Γότθων ἄρχοντα καὶ τῶν πυλῶν τὰς κλεῖς Βελισάριος βασιλεῖ ἔπεμψεν, αὐτὸς δὲ τοῦ περιβόλου πολλαχῆ διερρυηκότος ἐπεμελεῖτο, ἔπαλξιν δὲ ἑκάστην ἐγγώνιον ἐποίει, οἰκοδομίαν δή τινα ἑτέραν ἐκ πλαγίου τοῦ εὐωνύμου τιθέμενος, ὅπως οἱ ἐνθένδε τοῖς ἐπιοῦσι μαχόμενοι πρὸς τῶν ἐν ἀριστερᾷ σφίσι τειχομαχούντων ἥκιστα βάλλωνται, καὶ τάφρον ἀμφὶ τὸ τεῖχος βαθεῖάν τε καὶ λόγου 5.14.16 ἀξίαν πολλοῦ ὤρυσσε. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ τὴν μὲν πρόνοιαν τοῦ στρατηγοῦ καὶ διαφερόντως τὴν ἐς τὰς ἐπάλξεις ἀποδεδειγμένην ἐμπειρίαν ἐπῄνουν, ἐν θαύματι δὲ μεγάλῳ ποιούμενοι ἤσχαλλον, εἴ τινα ὡς πολιορκηθήσεται ἔννοιαν ἔχων, ᾠήθη ἐσιτητά οἱ ἐς Ῥώμην εἶναι, ἣ οὔτε πολιορκίαν οἵα τέ ἐστι φέρειν τῶν ἐπιτηδείων τῇ ἀπορίᾳ, διὰ τὸ μὴ ἐπιθαλάσσιος εἶναι, καὶ τείχους περιβαλλομένη τοσοῦτόν τι χρῆμα, ἄλλως τε καὶ ἐν πεδίῳ κειμένη ἐς ἄγαν ὑπτίῳ τοῖς ἐπιοῦσιν εὐέφοδος, 5.14.17 ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, ἔστιν. ὁ δὲ καὶ ταῦτα ἀκούων τὰ ἐς πολιορκίαν οὐδέν τι ἧσσον ἅπαντα ἐξηρτύετο, καὶ τὸν σῖτον, ὃν ταῖς ναυσὶν ἔχων ἐκ Σικελίας ἀφίκετο, ἐν οἰκήμασι καταθέμενος δημοσίοις ἐφύλασσε, καὶ Ῥωμαίους ἅπαντας, καίπερ δεινὰ ποιουμένους, ἠνάγκαζεν ἅπαντα σφίσι τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν ἐσκομίζεσθαι. 5.15.1 Τότε δὴ καὶ Πίτζας, Γότθος ἀνὴρ, ἐκ Σαμνίου ἥκων, αὑτόν τε καὶ Γότθους, οἳ ἐκείνῃ ξὺν αὐτῷ ᾤκηντο, καὶ Σαμνίου τοῦ ἐπιθαλασσίου μοῖραν τὴν ἡμίσειαν Βελισαρίῳ ἐνεχείρισεν, ἄχρι ἐς τὸν ποταμὸν, 5.15.2 ὃς τῆς χώρας μεταξὺ φέρεται. Γότθοι γὰρ, ὅσοι ἐπὶ θάτερα τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἵδρυντο, οὔτε τῷ Πίτζᾳ ἕπεσθαι οὔτε βασιλεῖ κατήκοοι εἶναι ἤθελον. στρατιώτας τέ οἱ Βελισάριος οὐ πολλοὺς ἔδωκεν, ὅπως αὐτῷ ξυμφυ5.15.3 λάξωσι τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία. πρότερον δὲ Καλαβροί τε καὶ Ἀπούλιοι, Γότθων σφίσι τῇ χώρᾳ οὐ παρόντων, Βελισαρίῳ ἐθελούσιοι