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a report spread that all were to go, and neglecting all other things, the majority made for 5.18.10 Belisarius. And already seized by a great rivalry, as many as laid claim to any valour, coming as close as possible, they attempted to lay hands on him and seized with great fury they struck him with their spears and swords. 5.18.11 But Belisarius himself, wheeling about, was killing those who ever came against him, and he enjoyed the good-will of his own spearmen and guards to the utmost degree 5.18.12 in this danger. For gathering about him, they all displayed a valour such as, I think, has been shewn by no man down to this present day. 5.18.13 For holding their shields before both the general and his horse, they received all the missiles and, using their weight to shove, they kept repulsing those who were ever attacking. And so the entire engagement was concentrated on the body of one 5.18.14 man. In this struggle there fell Goths no fewer than a thousand, and they were men who fought in the foremost ranks, and there died many excellent men of Belisarius' household, including Maxentius the spearman, after displaying great deeds 5.18.15 against the enemy. But a certain fortune befell Belisarius on that day, to be neither wounded nor hit, although the battle raged around him alone. 5.18.16 And at last, by their own valour, the Romans routed the enemy, and a very great multitude of barbarians fled, until they reached their own camp. For there the Gothic infantry, being fresh, withstood the enemy and with no trouble repulsed 5.18.17 them. And when other horsemen in turn came to their aid, the Romans fled in rout, until they ascended a certain hill and took a stand. And when the barbarian 5.18.18 horsemen overtook them, a cavalry battle again took place. There indeed Valentinus, the groom of Photius, the son of Antonina, made a most conspicuous display of valour. For leaping alone into the throng of the enemy, he became an obstacle to the Goths' charge and saved those with him. 5.18.19 And thus having escaped they came to the circuit-wall of Rome, and the pursuing barbarians pressed them hard right up to the wall 5.18.20 around the gate which is named Salarian. But the Romans, fearing that the enemy might rush in with the fugitives and get inside the circuit-wall, were by no means willing to open the gates, although Belisarius was both urging them repeatedly and shouting with threats. 5.18.21 For those peering out from the tower were not able to recognize the man, since both his face and his whole head were covered with gore and dust, and at the same time no one could see clearly. 5.18.22 For it was about sunset of the day. Moreover, the Romans did not think that the general was still alive. For all those who had come in flight from the rout that had previously happened, were reporting that Belisarius had been killed while fighting gallantly among the first. 5.18.23 The crowd of the enemy, therefore, having poured in in great numbers and being seized with great fury, intended to cross the moat immediately and to attack the fugitives there. 5.18.24 But the Romans, gathered in a body about the wall inside the moat, crowded close 5.18.25 to one another and were compressed into a small space. However, those inside the circuit-wall, being altogether without a general and unprepared and fearing both for themselves and for the city, were in no way able to help their own men, although they had come into such great danger. 5.18.26 Then a thought and a daring came to Belisarius, which unexpectedly saved the situation for the Romans. For, having urged on all those with him, he suddenly 5.18.27 fell upon the enemy. And they, who were already in great disorder as being in darkness and in pursuit, when they saw the fugitives unexpectedly attacking them, suspecting that another army had also come to help from the city, were thrown into a great panic by this 5.18.28 and now all fled in rout. But Belisarius, by no means drawn away into the pursuit, immediately returned to the wall. And thus the Romans, taking courage, received him and all those with him into the city. 5.18.29 To such a point of danger, then, came Belisarius and the emperor's cause, and the battle

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λόγον ἐπιπολάζοντα ὡς πάντας ἰέναι, τῶν ἄλλων ἀφέμενοι πάντων, οἱ πλεῖστοι ἐπὶ 5.18.10 Βελισάριον ἔβαλλον. ἤδη δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ φιλοτιμίᾳ μεγάλῃ ἐχόμενοι, ὅσοι ἀρετῆς τι μετεποιοῦντο, ὡς ἀγχοτάτω παραγενόμενοι, ἅπτεσθαί τε αὐτοῦ ἐνεχείρουν καὶ τοῖς δόρασι καὶ τοῖς ξίφεσι θυμῷ πολλῷ ἐχόμενοι 5.18.11 ἔπαιον. Βελισάριος δὲ αὐτός τε ἐπιστροφάδην τοὺς ἀεὶ ὑπαντιάζοντας ἔκτεινε καὶ τῶν αὑτοῦ δορυφόρων τε καὶ ὑπασπιστῶν τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν εὐνοίας ὡς μάλιστα 5.18.12 δὴ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ κινδύνῳ ἀπήλαυσε. γενόμενοι γὰρ ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ἅπαντες ἀρετὴν ἐπεδείξαντο οἵαν πρὸς οὐδενὸς ἀνθρώπων ἐς τήνδε τὴν ἡμέραν δεδηλῶσθαι 5.18.13 οἶμαι. τὰς γὰρ ἀσπίδας τοῦ τε στρατηγοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἵππου προβεβλημένοι, τά τε βέλη πάντα ἐδέχοντο καὶ τοὺς ἀεὶ ἐπιόντας ὠθισμῷ χρώμενοι ἀπεκρούοντο. οὕτω τε ἡ ξυμβολὴ πᾶσα ἐς σῶμα ἑνὸς ἀπεκρίθη ἀν5.18.14 δρός. ἐν τούτῳ τῷ πόνῳ πίπτουσι μὲν Γότθοι οὐχ ἥσσους ἢ χίλιοι, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἄνδρες οἳ ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις ἐμάχοντο, θνήσκουσι δὲ τῆς Βελισαρίου οἰκίας πολλοί τε καὶ ἄριστοι, καὶ Μαξέντιος ὁ δορυφόρος, ἔργα με5.18.15 γάλα ἐς τοὺς πολεμίους ἐπιδειξάμενος. Βελισαρίῳ δὲ ξυνέβη τις τύχη ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, μήτε τετρῶσθαι μήτε βεβλῆσθαι, καίπερ ἀμφ' αὐτῷ μόνῳ γενομένης τῆς μάχης. 5.18.16 Τέλος δὲ ἀρετῇ τῇ σφετέρᾳ Ῥωμαῖοι τοὺς πολεμίους ἐτρέψαντο, ἔφευγέ τε πάμπολύ τι βαρβάρων πλῆθος, ἕως ἐς στρατόπεδον τὸ αὐτῶν ἵκοντο. ἐνταῦθα γὰρ οἱ Γότθων πεζοὶ ἅτε ἀκμῆτες ὄντες ὑπέστησάν τε τοὺς πολεμίους καὶ πόνῳ οὐδενὶ ἀπεώ5.18.17 σαντο. βεβοηθηκότων τε αὖθις ἱππέων ἑτέρων κατὰ κράτος Ῥωμαῖοι ἔφυγον, ἕως ἀναβάντες ἔς τι γεώλοφον ἔστησαν. καταλαβόντων τε σφᾶς βαρβάρων 5.18.18 ἱππέων, αὖθις ἱππομαχία ἐγένετο. ἔνθα δὴ Βαλεντῖνος, ὁ Φωτίου τοῦ Ἀντωνίνης παιδὸς ἱπποκόμος, ἀρετῆς δήλωσιν ὡς μάλιστα ἐποιήσατο. μόνος γὰρ ἐσπηδήσας ἐς τῶν πολεμίων τὸν ὅμιλον ἐμπόδιός τε τῇ Γότθων ὁρμῇ ἐγεγόνει καὶ τοὺς ξὺν αὑτῷ διεσώ5.18.19 σατο. οὕτω τε διαφυγόντες ἐς τὸν Ῥώμης περίβολον ἦλθον, διώκοντές τε οἱ βάρβαροι ἄχρι ἐς τὸ τεῖχος 5.18.20 ἐνέκειντο ἀμφὶ τὴν πύλην ἣ Σαλαρία ὠνόμασται. δείσαντες δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι μὴ τοῖς φεύγουσιν οἱ πολέμιοι ξυνεισβαλόντες τοῦ περιβόλου ἐντὸς γένωνται, ἀνακλίνειν τὰς πύλας ἥκιστα ἤθελον, καίπερ Βελισαρίου πολλά τε σφίσιν ἐγκελευομένου καὶ ξὺν ἀπειλῇ ἀνα5.18.21 βοῶντος. οὔτε γὰρ τὸν ἄνδρα οἱ ἐκ τοῦ πύργου διακύπτοντες ἐπιγινώσκειν οἷοί τε ἦσαν, ἐπεί οἱ τό τε πρόσωπον καὶ ἡ κεφαλὴ ξύμπασα λύθρῳ τε καὶ κονιορτῷ ἐκαλύπτετο, ἅμα δὲ οὐδὲ καθορᾶν τις ἀκριβῶς 5.18.22 εἶχεν. ἦν γὰρ τῆς ἡμέρας ἀμφὶ ἡλίου δύσιν. οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ περιεῖναι τὸν στρατηγὸν Ῥωμαῖοι ᾤοντο. ὅσοι γὰρ ἐν τῇ πρότερον γενομένῃ τροπῇ φεύγοντες ἧκον, τεθνάναι Βελισάριον ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις ἀριστεύοντα ἤγγελ5.18.23 λον. ὁ μὲν οὖν ὅμιλος τῶν πολεμίων ῥεύσας τε πολὺς καὶ θυμῷ μεγάλῳ ἐχόμενος, τήν τε τάφρον εὐθὺς διαβῆναι καὶ τοῖς φεύγουσιν ἐνταῦθα ἐπιθέ5.18.24 σθαι διενοοῦντο. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ ἀμφὶ τὸ τεῖχος ἀθρόοι τῆς τάφρου ἐντὸς γεγενημένοι ἐν χρῷ τε ξυνιόντες 5.18.25 ἀλλήλοις ἐς ὀλίγον συνήγοντο. οἱ μέντοι τοῦ περιβόλου ἐντὸς ἅτε ἀστρατήγητοί τε καὶ ἀπαράσκευοι παντάπασιν ὄντες καὶ περὶ σφίσι τε αὐτοῖς καὶ τῇ πόλει πεφοβημένοι, ἀμύνειν τοῖς σφετέροις, καίπερ ἐς τοσοῦτον κινδύνου ἐλθοῦσιν, οὐδαμῆ εἶχον. 5.18.26 Τότε Βελισάριον ἔννοιά τε καὶ τόλμα εἰσῆλθεν, ἣ Ῥωμαίοις ἐκ τοῦ ἀπροσδοκήτου τὰ πράγματα διεσώσατο. ἐγκελευσάμενος γὰρ τοῖς ξὺν αὑτῷ πᾶσιν ἐξα5.18.27 πιναίως τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἐνέπεσεν. οἱ δὲ καὶ πρότερον ἀκοσμίᾳ πολλῇ ἅτε ἐν σκότῳ καὶ διώξει χρώμενοι, ἐπεὶ σφίσιν ἐπιόντας παρὰ δόξαν τοὺς φεύγοντας εἶδον, ὑποτοπήσαντες καὶ ἄλλο βεβοηθηκέναι ἐκ τῆς πόλεως στράτευμα, ἐς φόβον τε πολὺν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ 5.18.28 καταστάντες κατὰ κράτος ἤδη ἅπαντες ἔφευγον. Βελισάριος δὲ ἥκιστα ἐκπεσὼν ἐς τὴν δίωξιν αὐτίκα ἐς τὸ τεῖχος ἀνέστρεψεν. οὕτω τε Ῥωμαῖοι θαρσήσαντες αὐτόν τε καὶ τοὺς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ἅπαντας τῇ πόλει ἐδέ5.18.29 ξαντο. παρὰ τοσοῦτον μὲν κινδύνου Βελισάριός τε καὶ τὰ βασιλέως πράγματα ἦλθεν, ἥ τε μάχη