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they withdrew to the city of Burnum. And there Uligisalus awaited his colleague. 5.16.14 But Constantianus, when he heard of Asinarius's preparation, fearing for Salona, summoned the soldiers 5.16.15 who held all the forts in that region. And he dug a trench all around the whole circuit-wall and prepared everything else for the siege as best he could. But Asinarius, having gathered a very large army of barbarians, 5.16.16 arrived at the city of Burnum. There, having joined Uligisalus and the army of the Goths, he came to Salona. And they made a stockade around the circuit-wall, and manning their ships with soldiers, they guarded the seaside portion of the wall. And so they besieged Salona 5.16.17 by both land and sea. But the Romans, suddenly attacking the enemy's ships, put them to flight and sank many of them with their crews, while capturing many others empty of men. 5.16.18 The Goths, however, did not break off the siege, but rather, besieging the Romans in the city with force, kept them confined. So, then, the armies of the Romans and the Goths in Dalmatia fared thus. 5.16.19 But Vittigis, having heard from some locals who came from Rome that the army with Belisarius was very small, regretted having withdrawn from Rome and could no longer remain in his present position, but already, possessed by anger, 5.16.20 he went against them. And on this march, a certain priest who had come from Rome met him. They say that Vittigis asked him with great agitation if Belisarius was still in Rome, since he feared that he might not be able to catch him, but that he might manage to escape from there first; and that he said that he should not be concerned about this in the least. 5.16.21 For he himself guaranteed him that Belisarius would never resort to flight, but would remain where he was. And he hurried on even more than before, having prayed openly that he might see the wall of Rome before Belisarius could escape from there. 5.17.1 But Belisarius, when he heard that the Goths were marching against him with their entire force, was at a loss. For he neither wished the forces of Constantinus and Bessas to be left behind, especially since his own army was altogether small, and it seemed to him disadvantageous to abandon the strongholds in Tuscany, so that the Goths might not have these as bases against 5.17.2 the Romans. Therefore, after considering the matter, he sent word to Constantinus and Bessas to leave behind a garrison in the most necessary places there, one large enough to guard them, and for them themselves to come with the rest of the 5.17.3 army to Rome with all speed. And Constantinus acted accordingly. For having established a garrison in both Perusia and Spoletium, he rode off to Rome with all the rest. 5.17.4 But as Bessas was more slowly setting things in order in Narnia, it so happened that, as the enemy was making their passage from there, the plains in the 5.17.5 suburb were full of Goths. These were scouts ahead of the main army; Bessas, engaging with them, unexpectedly routed those opposing him and, after killing many, when he was being overpowered by their numbers, withdrew to Narnia. 5.17.6 And there, leaving behind guards, as Belisarius had instructed him, he went to Rome with all speed and announced that the enemy would be present at any moment. For Narnia is three hundred and fifty stades distant from Rome. 5.17.7 But Vittigis made no attempt at all to try Perusia and Spoletium. For the places are exceedingly strong, and he by no means wished his time 5.17.8 to be wasted there. For his only desire was to find Belisarius in Rome, not yet having fled. But even on learning that Narnia was held by the enemies of Rome, he did not wish to make any move there, knowing that the place was difficult to approach and otherwise steep. 5.17.9 For it is situated on a high mountain. And the river Nar flows by the foot of the mountain, which also gave the city its name. And two ascents lead there, one towards the rising sun, the other towards the 5.17.10 setting sun. Of these, one has a certain difficult narrow pass among steep rocks, while to the other there is no way except through the

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ἀνεχώρησαν ἐς Βοῦρνον πόλιν. ἐνταῦθά τε τὸν συνάρχοντα ἀνέμεινεν Οὐλιγίσαλος. 5.16.14 Κωνσταντιανὸς δὲ, ἐπεὶ τὴν Ἀσιναρίου παρασκευὴν ἤκουσε, δείσας περὶ Σάλωσι, τοὺς στρατιώτας μετε5.16.15 πέμψατο, οἳ ξύμπαντα τὰ ἐκείνῃ φρούρια εἶχον. καὶ τάφρον τε ἀμφὶ τὸν περίβολον ἅπαντα ὤρυσσε κύκλῳ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἐς τὴν πολιορκίαν ὡς ἄριστα ἐξηρτύετο. Ἀσινάριος δὲ πάμπολύ τι στράτευμα βαρβάρων ἀγείρας 5.16.16 ἐς Βοῦρνον πόλιν ἀφίκετο. ἔνθα δὴ Οὐλιγισάλῳ τε καὶ τῇ Γότθων στρατιᾷ ξυμμίξας ἐς Σάλωνας ἦλθε. καὶ χαράκωμα μὲν ἀμφὶ τὸν περίβολον ἐποιήσαντο, τὰ δὲ πλοῖα στρατιωτῶν ἐμπλησάμενοι τοῦ περιβόλου τὸ ἐπιθαλάσσιον μέρος ἐφρούρουν. οὕτω τε Σάλωνας 5.16.17 κατὰ γῆν τε καὶ κατὰ θάλασσαν ἐπολιόρκουν. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ ταῖς τῶν πολεμίων ναυσὶν ἐξαπιναίως ἐπιθέμενοι ἐς φυγὴν τρέπουσι καὶ αὐτῶν πολλὰς μὲν αὐτοῖς ἀνδράσι καταδύουσι, πολλὰς δὲ ἀνδρῶν κενὰς 5.16.18 εἷλον. οὐ μέντοι τὴν προσεδρείαν Γότθοι διέλυσαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ἐν τῇ πόλει Ῥωμαίους κατὰ κράτος πολιορκοῦντες εἷρξαν. τὰ μὲν οὖν στρατόπεδα Ῥωμαίων τε καὶ Γότθων ἐν ∆αλματίαις ἐφέρετο τῇδε. 5.16.19 Οὐιττίγιδι δὲ πρὸς τῶν ἐπιχωρίων ἐκ Ῥώμης ἡκόντων ἀκούσαντι τὸ ξὺν Βελισαρίῳ στράτευμα βραχύτατον εἶναι, Ῥώμης τε ὑποκεχωρηκότι μετέμελε καὶ μένειν ἐν τοῖς καθεστῶσιν οὐκέτι ἐδύνατο, ἀλλὰ θυμῷ ἤδη 5.16.20 ἐχόμενος ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ᾔει. καί οἱ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ πορείᾳ τῶν τις ἱερέων ἐκ Ῥώμης ἥκων ἐνέτυχεν. οὗ δὴ ξὺν θορύβῳ πολλῷ πυθέσθαι φασὶν Οὐίττιγιν εἰ Βελισάριος ἔτι ἐν Ῥώμῃ εἴη, ἅτε δείσαντα μὴ οὐχὶ αὐτὸν καταλαμβάνειν οἷός τε ᾖ, ἀλλὰ φθάσῃ ἀποδρὰς ἐνθένδε· καὶ αὐτὸν εἰπεῖν ἥκιστά οἱ χρῆναι τοῦτο ἐν φροντίδι 5.16.21 εἶναι. καὶ αὐτὸν γάρ οἱ ἀναδέχεσθαι μήποτε Βελισάριον δρασμῷ χρήσασθαι, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ μένειν. καὶ τὸν ἔτι ἐπείγεσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ πρότερον, εὐξάμενον ἐκ τοῦ ἐμφανοῦς τὸ Ῥώμης θεάσασθαι τεῖχος πρότερον ἢ Βελισάριον ἐνθένδε ἀποδρᾶναι. 5.17.1 Βελισάριος δὲ, ἐπεὶ Γότθους πανδημεὶ στρατεύεσθαι ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἤκουσε, διηπορεῖτο. οὔτε γὰρ τοὺς ἀμφὶ Κωνσταντῖνόν τε καὶ Βέσσαν ἀπολείπεσθαι ἤθελεν, ἄλλως τε καὶ ὀλίγης οἱ τῆς στρατιᾶς παντάπασιν οὔσης, καὶ τὰ ἐν Τούσκοις ἐκλιπεῖν ὀχυρώματα ἐδόκει οἱ ἀξύμφορον εἶναι, ὅπως δὴ μὴ ταῦτα ἐπὶ 5.17.2 Ῥωμαίοις Γότθοι ἐπιτειχίσματα ἔχοιεν. λογισάμενος οὖν Κωνσταντίνῳ τε καὶ Βέσσᾳ ἐπέστειλε φρουρὰν μὲν ἐν τοῖς ἀναγκαιοτάτοις τῶν ἐκείνῃ ἀπολιπεῖν χωρίων, ὅση δὴ φυλάσσειν αὐτὰ ἱκανὴ εἴη, αὐτοὺς δὲ τῷ ἄλλῳ 5.17.3 στρατῷ ἐς Ῥώμην κατὰ τάχος ἰέναι. καὶ Κωνσταντῖνος μὲν κατὰ ταῦτα ἐποίει. ἔν τε γὰρ Περυσίᾳ καὶ Σπολιτίῳ φρουρὰν καταστησάμενος ξὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν 5.17.4 ἐς Ῥώμην ἀπήλαυνε. Βέσσα δὲ σχολαίτερον τὰ ἐν Ναρνίᾳ καθισταμένου ξυνέπεσε τὴν δίοδον ἐνθένδε ποιουμένων τῶν πολεμίων ἔμπλεα Γότθων τὰ ἐν τῷ 5.17.5 προαστείῳ πεδία εἶναι. πρόδρομοι δὲ οὗτοι πρὸ τῆς ἄλλης στρατιᾶς ἦσαν· οἷς δὴ Βέσσας ἐς χεῖρας ἐλθὼν τούς τε κατ' αὐτὸν παρὰ δόξαν ἐτρέψατο καὶ πολλοὺς κτείνας, ἐπειδὴ τῷ πλήθει ἐβιάζετο, ἐς Ναρνίαν ἀνε5.17.6 χώρησεν. ἐνταῦθά τε φρουροὺς ἀπολιπὼν, καθάπερ οἱ ἐπέστελλε Βελισάριος, ἐς Ῥώμην κατὰ τάχος ᾔει παρέσεσθαί τε ὅσον οὔπω τοὺς πολεμίους ἀπήγγελλε. Ῥώμης γὰρ Ναρνία πεντήκοντα καὶ τριακοσίοις στα5.17.7 δίοις διέχει. Οὐίττιγις δὲ Περυσίας μὲν καὶ Σπολιτίου ἀποπειρᾶσθαι ἥκιστα ἐνεχείρει. τὰ γὰρ χωρία ἐχυρὰ ὡς μάλιστά ἐστι, καὶ τρίβεσθαί οἱ τὸν χρόνον 5.17.8 ἐνταῦθα οὐδαμῆ ἤθελε. μόνον γάρ οἱ ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἐγένετο Βελισάριον οὔπω ἀποδράντα ἐν Ῥώμῃ εὑρέσθαι. ἀλλὰ καὶ Ναρνίαν ἔχεσθαι πρὸς τῶν Ῥώμης πολεμίων μαθὼν οὐδὲν ἐνταῦθα κινεῖν ἤθελε, δυσπρόσοδόν τε καὶ ἄλλως ἄναντες ὂν τὸ χωρίον εἰδώς. 5.17.9 κεῖται μὲν γὰρ ἐν ὑψηλῷ ὄρει. ποταμὸς δὲ Νάρνος ἐς τὸν τοῦ ὄρους παραρρεῖ πρόποδα, ὃς καὶ τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν τῇ πόλει παρέσχεν. ἄνοδοί τε δύο ἐνταῦθα δὴ ἄγουσιν, ἡ μὲν πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα ἥλιον, ἡ δὲ πρὸς 5.17.10 δύοντα. ταύταιν ἁτέρα μὲν στενοχωρίαν τινὰ δύσκολον ἐξ ἀποτόμων πετρῶν ἔλαχεν, ἐς δὲ τὴν ἑτέραν οὐκ ἔστιν ὅτι μὴ διὰ τῆς