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to go by the bridge, which, covering the river, 5.17.11 makes a crossing there. And this bridge Caesar Augustus had built in former times, a sight worthy of much mention. For it is the highest of all the arches that we know. 5.17.12 Wittigis, therefore, not waiting for time to be spent by them there, departed from there with speed with the whole army and went toward Rome, making his way through the Sabine country. 5.17.13 And when he was near Rome, and was not more than fourteen stades away from it, he came upon a bridge of the river Tiber. 5.17.14 There, indeed, Belisarius a little before had built a tower and put gates on it and established a garrison of soldiers, not because the Tiber was crossable for the enemy only at this point (for there happened to be both boats and bridges in many places on the river), but because he wanted more time to be spent by the enemy on the march, and he was awaiting another army from the emperor, and so that 5.17.15 the Romans might still further bring in their provisions. For if the barbarians, being repulsed from here, should attempt to cross on a bridge somewhere else, he reckoned that not less than twenty days would be spent by them, and that for those wishing to launch so great a number of boats into the Tiber, more time, as was likely, would be wasted by them. 5.17.16 Having these things in mind, he established the garrison there; where the Goths on that day encamped, being at a loss and supposing that they would have to fight against the tower 5.17.17 on the next day. And there came to them twenty-two deserters, barbarians by race, but Roman soldiers, from the cavalry regiment which Innocentius 5.17.18 commanded. Then the idea came to Belisarius to encamp by the river Tiber, in order that they might become a still greater obstacle to the enemy's crossing and make some display of their own courage to the enemy. 5.17.19 The soldiers, however, who were keeping guard at the bridge, as has been said, terrified at the host of the Goths and dreading the magnitude of the danger, abandoned by night the tower which 5.17.20 they were guarding, and set out in flight. And not thinking that it was possible for them to enter Rome, they went secretly to Campania, either fearing the punishment from the general, or being ashamed before their comrades. 5.18.1 On the following day the Goths, having destroyed the gates of the tower with no trouble, made the crossing, with no one standing in their way. 5.18.2 But Belisarius, not yet having heard anything of what had befallen the garrison, taking with him a thousand horsemen, went to the bridge of the river, to inspect the place where it would be best for them to encamp. 5.18.3 And when they came nearer, they encountered the enemy who had already crossed the river, and some of them came to grips with them quite unwillingly. And the engagement 5.18.4 was composed of cavalry on both sides. Then Belisarius, although he had formerly been cautious, no longer kept the station of a general, but fought in the front ranks as a soldier. 5.18.5 And from this it came about that the Roman cause fell into great danger, since the whole 5.18.6 tide of the war rested on him. He happened at that time to be riding a horse that was very experienced in warfare and skilled in saving its rider, which was dapple-grey over its whole body, but its entire face from the top of the head to the nostrils was especially white. The Greeks call this a 'phalios', but the barbarians a 'balan'. And it happened that most of the Goths were throwing their javelins and their other missiles at both him and Belisarius for 5.18.7 the following reason. As many deserters as had come to the Goths the day before, when they saw Belisarius fighting in the front ranks, knowing that if he himself fell, the cause of the Romans would be ruined immediately, used to shout, 5.18.8 urging them to shoot at the 'balan' horse. And from this the report came, being passed around, to the whole Gothic army; however, they hardly made a search for him, since they were in a great tumult, nor did they know clearly that 5.18.9 it referred to Belisarius. But guessing not idly the

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γεφύρας ἰέναι, ἣ τὸν πο5.17.11 ταμὸν ἐπικαλύπτουσα διάβασιν ταύτῃ ἐργάζεται. ταύτην δὲ τὴν γέφυραν Καῖσαρ Αὔγουστος ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις ἐδείματο, θέαμα λόγου πολλοῦ ἄξιον. τῶν γὰρ κυρτωμάτων πάντων ὑψηλότατόν ἐστιν ὧν ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν. 5.17.12 Οὐίττιγις οὖν οὐκ ἀναμείνας τὸν χρόνον σφίσιν ἐνταῦθα τρίβεσθαι κατὰ τάχος ἐνθένδε ἀπαλλαγεὶς τῷ παντὶ στρατῷ ἐπὶ Ῥώμην ᾔει, διὰ Σαβίνων τὴν πορείαν 5.17.13 ποιούμενος. καὶ ἐπειδὴ Ῥώμης ἀγχοῦ ἐγένετο, σταδίοις τε αὐτῆς οὐ μᾶλλον ἢ τέσσαρσι καὶ δέκα διεῖχε, Τιβέ5.17.14 ριδος τοῦ ποταμοῦ γεφύρᾳ ἐνέτυχεν. ἔνθα δὴ Βελισάριος ὀλίγῳ πρότερον πύργον τε δειμάμενος καὶ πύλας αὐτῷ ἐπιθέμενος στρατιωτῶν φρουρὰν κατεστήσατο, οὐχ ὅτι τοῖς πολεμίοις ταύτῃ μόνον ὁ Τίβερις διαβατὸς ἦν (νῆές τε γὰρ καὶ γέφυραι πολλαχόσε τοῦ ποταμοῦ τυγχάνουσιν οὖσαι), ἀλλ' ὅτι πλείονα χρόνον ἐν τῇ πορείᾳ τοῖς ἐναντίοις τρίβεσθαι ἤθελε, στράτευμά τε ἄλλο ἐκ βασιλέως καραδοκῶν, καὶ ὅπως ἔτι 5.17.15 μᾶλλον Ῥωμαῖοι τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ἐσκομίζωνται. ἤν τε γὰρ ἐνθένδε ἀποκρουσθέντες οἱ βάρβαροι διαβαίνειν ἐγχειρήσωσιν ἐπὶ γεφύρας ἑτέρωθί πη οὔσης, οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ εἴκοσιν ἡμέρας δαπανᾶσθαι σφίσιν ἐνόμιζε, καὶ πλοῖα βουλομένοις ἐς Τίβεριν κατασπάσαι τοσαῦτα τὸ πλῆθος πλείω αὐτοῖς, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, τετρίψεσθαι χρόνον. 5.17.16 ἃ δὴ ἐν νῷ ἔχων τὴν τῇδε φρουρὰν κατεστήσατο· ἔνθα οἱ Γότθοι ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ηὐλίσαντο, ἀπορούμενοί τε καὶ πολεμητέα ἔσεσθαι σφίσιν ἐς τὸν πύργον 5.17.17 τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ οἰόμενοι. ἦλθον δὲ αὐτοῖς αὐτόμολοι δύο καὶ εἴκοσι, βάρβαροι μὲν γένος, στρατιῶται δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι, ἐκ καταλόγου ἱππικοῦ, οὗπερ Ἰννοκέντιος 5.17.18 ἦρχεν. ἔννοια δὲ τότε Βελισαρίῳ ἐγένετο ἀμφὶ Τίβεριν ποταμὸν ἐνστρατοπεδεύσασθαι, ὅπως δὴ τῇ τε διαβάσει τῶν πολεμίων ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐμπόδιοι γένωνται καὶ θάρσους τοῦ σφετέρου ἐπίδειξίν τινα ἐς τοὺς ἐναν5.17.19 τίους ποιήσωνται. στρατιῶται μέντοι ὅσοι φρουρὰν, ὥσπερ ἐρρήθη, ἐν τῇ γεφύρᾳ εἶχον, καταπεπληγμένοι τὸν Γότθων ὅμιλον καὶ τοῦ κινδύνου κατωρρωδηκότες τὸ μέγεθος, νύκτωρ τὸν πύργον ἐκλιπόντες, ὅνπερ 5.17.20 ἐφύλασσον, ἐς φυγὴν ὥρμηντο. ἐς Ῥώμην δὲ σφίσιν οὐκ οἰόμενοι εἰσιτητὰ εἶναι ἐπὶ Καμπανίας λάθρα ἐχώρησαν, ἢ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ κόλασιν δείσαντες, ἢ τοὺς ἑταίρους ἐρυθριῶντες. 5.18.1 Τῇ δὲ ἐπιγενομένῃ ἡμέρᾳ οἱ μὲν Γότθοι τὰς τοῦ πύργου πύλας πόνῳ οὐδενὶ διαφθείραντες τὴν διάβασιν ἐποιήσαντο, οὐδενὸς σφίσιν ἐμποδὼν ἱστα5.18.2 μένου. Βελισάριος δὲ οὔπω τι πεπυσμένος τῶν ἀμφὶ τῇ φρουρᾷ ξυμπεσόντων ἱππέας χιλίους ἐπαγόμενος ἐς τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὴν γέφυραν ᾔει, τὸν χῶρον ἐπισκεψόμενος οὗπερ ἂν σφίσιν ἐνστρατοπεδεύσασθαι ἄμεινον 5.18.3 εἴη. καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐγγυτέρω ἐγένοντο, ἐντυγχάνουσι τοῖς πολεμίοις ἤδη τὸν ποταμὸν διαβᾶσιν, ἐς χεῖράς τε αὐτῶν τισιν οὔτι ἐθελούσιοι ἦλθον. ἐξ ἱππέων δὲ 5.18.4 ξυνίστατο ἡ ξυμβολὴ ἑκατέρωθεν. τότε Βελισάριος, καίπερ ἀσφαλὴς τὰ πρότερα ὢν, οὐκέτι τοῦ στρατηγοῦ τὴν τάξιν ἐφύλασσεν, ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις ἅτε στρα5.18.5 τιώτης ἐμάχετο. καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τὰ Ῥωμαίων πράγματα ξυνέβη ἐς κίνδυνον πολὺν ἐκπεπτωκέναι. ἐπεὶ ξύμπασα 5.18.6 ἡ τοῦ πολέμου ῥοπὴ ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἔκειτο. ἔτυχε δὲ ἵππῳ τηνικαῦτα ὀχούμενος, πολέμων τε λίαν ἐμπείρῳ καὶ διασώσασθαι τὸν ἐπιβάτην ἐπισταμένῳ, ὃς δὴ ὅλον μὲν τὸ σῶμα φαιὸς ἦν, τὸ μέτωπον δὲ ἅπαν ἐκ κεφαλῆς μέχρι ἐς ῥῖνας λευκὸς μάλιστα. τοῦτον Ἕλληνες μὲν φαλιὸν, βάρβαροι δὲ βάλαν καλοῦσι. καὶ ξυνέπεσε Γότθων τοὺς πλείστους βάλλειν ἐπ' αὐτόν τε καὶ Βελισάριον τά τε ἀκόντια καὶ τὰ ἄλλα βέλη ἐξ 5.18.7 αἰτίας τοιᾶσδε. αὐτόμολοι ὅσοι τῇ προτεραίᾳ ἐς Γότθους ἧκον, ἐπεὶ ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις μαχόμενον Βελισάριον εἶδον, ἐπιστάμενοι ὡς, ἢν αὐτὸς πέσῃ, διαφθαρήσεται Ῥωμαίοις αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα τὰ πράγματα, κραυγῇ ἐχρῶντο, 5.18.8 βάλλειν ἐγκελευόμενοι ἐς ἵππον τὸν βάλαν. καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἐς τὴν Γότθων στρατιὰν ξύμπασαν οὗτος δὴ περιφερόμενος ὁ λόγος ἦλθε, ζήτησιν μέντοι αὐτοῦ ἅτε ἐν θορύβῳ μεγάλῳ ἥκιστα ἐποιήσαντο, οὐδὲ ὅτι 5.18.9 ἐς Βελισάριον ἔφερε σαφῶς ἔγνωσαν. ἀλλὰ ξυμβάλλοντες οὐκ εἰκῆ τὸν