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from the Flaminian as far as the so-called Praenestine; all these entrenchments of theirs had been made inside 5.19.3 the Tiber river. The barbarians therefore, fearing that the enemy might destroy the bridge, which is named after Molivius, and render impassable for them all the country outside the river extending as far as the sea, and that from this cause they might have very little sense of the evils of a siege, pitched a seventh camp outside the Tiber in the Plain of Nero, so that the 5.19.4 bridge might be between their camps. For this reason it came about that two other gates of the city were harassed by the enemy, both the Aurelian (which is now named after Peter, the chief of Christ's apostles, since he lies somewhere near it) and the one across the Tiber river. 5.19.5 And thus the Goths with their army surrounded about half the portion of the wall, but since they were in no way at all hindered by the river, they proceeded with the war against the whole circuit all around, whenever they wished. 5.19.6 I shall now proceed to tell in what manner the Romans built the city wall on either side of the river. In ancient times the Tiber, flowing alongside, ran for a very great part of the circuit 5.19.7 on this side. But this place, where the circuit-wall rises along the stream of the river, is both flat and very 5.19.8 easy of access. And opposite this place, outside the Tiber, it happens that there is a large hill, where indeed all the mills of the city have been made from ancient times, since much water is brought there through an aqueduct to the summit of the hill, and thence goes downhill 5.19.9 with great force. For this reason, indeed, the ancient Romans decided to surround with a wall both the hill and the bank of the river by it, so that it might never be possible for the enemy to destroy the mills and, by crossing the river, to plot easily against the circuit-wall of the 5.19.10 city. Having therefore bridged the river here, they decided to join the wall, and by building many houses in the place opposite, they have made the stream of the Tiber the middle of the city. So these things were in this state. 5.19.11 And the Goths dug deep trenches around all the entrenchments, and the earth, which they removed from there, they piled up on the inner side of the wall, and having made it as high as possible and having fixed a very great number of sharp stakes on top, they made all their camps in no way inferior to the fortifications in 5.19.12 forts. And Marcias was in command of the camp in the Plain of Nero (for he had already arrived from Gaul with his followers, with whom he had encamped there), while Vittigis himself was the sixth to lead the others. For there was one commander for each entrenchment. 5.19.13 The Goths, therefore, having thus arranged themselves, cut all the aqueducts, so that as little water as possible might enter the city from them. Now the aqueducts of Rome are fourteen in number, and they were made of baked brick by the men of old, extending to such a width and depth that it is possible for a man on horseback 5.19.14 to ride in them. But Belisarius arranged the defense of the city as follows. He himself held the Pincian postern and the gate to its 5.19.15 right, which is named the Salarian. For along these the circuit-wall was vulnerable and it happened to be possible for the Romans to sally out against the enemy. The Praenestine he gave to 5.19.16 Bessas. And over the Flaminian, which is on the other side of the Pincian, he placed Constantine, having first put the gates in place, and blocked them from within with a structure of large stones as securely as possible, so that it might not be possible for anyone to open 5.19.17 them. For since one of the entrenchments was very close, he feared lest some ambush against the city by the enemy might be 5.19.18 there. And he ordered the commanders of the infantry detachments to guard the remaining gates. And he blocked up each of the aqueducts for a great distance with masonry as securely as possible, lest someone from outside should come in there to do mischief. 5.19.19 But since the aqueducts had been cut, as I have said, the water no longer worked the mills, and they were in no way able to work them with any animals, for lack of fodder

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Φλαμινίας ἄχρι ἐς τὴν καλουμένην Πραινεστίναν· ταῦτά τε αὐτοῖς τὰ χαρακώματα ξύμπαντα ἐντὸς 5.19.3 Τιβέριδος τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἐπεποίητο. δείσαντες οὖν οἱ βάρβαροι μὴ τὴν γέφυραν διαφθείραντες οἱ πολέμιοι, ἣ Μολιβίου ἐπώνυμός ἐστιν, ἄβατα σφίσι ποιήσωνται ἅπαντα ὅσα ἐκτὸς τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἐστι διήκοντα μέχρι ἐς θάλασσαν, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ αἴσθησιν τῶν ἐν πολιορκίᾳ κακῶν ἥκιστα ἔχοιεν, χαράκωμα ἕβδομον Τιβέριδος ἐκτὸς ἐν Νέρωνος πεδίοις ἐπήξαντο, ὅπως σφίσιν ἡ 5.19.4 γέφυρα τῶν στρατοπέδων ἐν μέσῳ εἴη. διὸ δὴ ἄλλας δύο τῆς πόλεως πύλας ἐνοχλεῖσθαι πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων ξυνέβαινε, τήν τε Αὐρηλίαν (ἣ νῦν Πέτρου τοῦ τῶν Χριστοῦ ἀποστόλων κορυφαίου ἅτε που πλησίον κειμένου ἐπώνυμός ἐστι) καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ ποταμὸν Τίβεριν. 5.19.5 οὕτω τε Γότθοι τῷ μὲν στρατοπέδῳ τὴν ἡμίσειαν μάλιστα περιεβάλλοντο τοῦ τείχους μοῖραν, ἅτε δὲ τῷ ποταμῷ οὐδαμῆ τὸ παράπαν εἰργόμενοι, ἐς ἅπαντα τὸν περίβολον κύκλῳ, ἡνίκα ἐβούλοντο, τῷ πολέμῳ ᾔεσαν. 5.19.6 ὅντινα δὲ τρόπον Ῥωμαῖοι τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἐφ' ἑκάτερα τὸ τῆς πόλεως τεῖχος ἐδείμαντο ἐρῶν ἔρχομαι. πάλαι μὲν ὁ Τίβερις παραρρέων ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τοῦ περιβόλου 5.19.7 ἐφέρετο τῇδε. ὁ δὲ χῶρος οὗτος, ἐφ' οὗ ὁ περίβολος κατὰ τὸν ῥοῦν τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἀνέχει, ὕπτιός τε καὶ λίαν 5.19.8 εὐέφοδός ἐστι. τούτου τε ἀντικρὺ τοῦ χώρου, ἐκτὸς τοῦ Τιβέριδος, λόφον τινὰ μέγαν ξυμβαίνει εἶναι, ἔνθα δὴ οἱ τῆς πόλεως μύλωνες ἐκ παλαιοῦ πάντες πεποίηνται, ἅτε ὕδατος ἐνταῦθα πολλοῦ διὰ μὲν ὀχετοῦ ἀγομένου ἐς τὴν τοῦ λόφου ὑπερβολὴν, ἐς τὸ κάταντες 5.19.9 δὲ ξὺν ῥύμῃ μεγάλῃ ἐνθένδε ἰόντος. διὸ δὴ οἱ πάλαι Ῥωμαῖοι τόν τε λόφον καὶ τὴν κατ' αὐτὸν τοῦ ποταμοῦ ὄχθην τείχει περιβαλεῖν ἔγνωσαν, ὡς μήποτε τοῖς πολεμίοις δυνατὰ εἴη τούς τε μύλωνας διαφθεῖραι καὶ τὸν ποταμὸν διαβᾶσιν εὐπετῶς τῷ τῆς πόλεως περι5.19.10 βόλῳ ἐπιβουλεύειν. ζεύξαντες οὖν ταύτῃ τὸν ποταμὸν γεφύρᾳ, ξυνάπτειν τε τὸ τεῖχος ἔδοξαν καὶ οἰκίας συχνὰς ἐν χωρίῳ τῷ ἀντιπέρας δειμάμενοι μέσον τῆς πόλεως τὸ τοῦ Τιβέριδος πεποίηνται ῥεῦμα. ταῦτα μὲν δὴ ὧδέ πη ἔσχε. 5.19.11 Γότθοι δὲ τάφρους τε βαθείας ἀμφὶ τὰ χαρακώματα ξύμπαντα ὤρυξαν, καὶ τὸν χοῦν, ὃν ἐνθένδε ἀφείλοντο, ξυννήσαντες ὑπὲρ τοίχου τοῦ ἔνδον, ὑψηλόν τε αὐτὸν ὡς μάλιστα ποιησάμενοι καὶ σκολόπων ὀξέων καθύπερθεν πάμπολύ τι χρῆμα πηξάμενοι, οὐδέν τι καταδεέστερον τῶν ἐν τοῖς φρουρίοις ὀχυρωμάτων τὰ 5.19.12 στρατόπεδα πάντα εἰργάσαντο. καὶ χαρακώματος μὲν τοῦ ἐν Νέρωνος πεδίῳ Μαρκίας ἦρχεν (ἤδη γὰρ ἐκ Γαλλιῶν ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις ἀφῖκτο, ξὺν οἷς ἐνταῦθα ἐστρατοπέδευσε), τῶν δὲ δὴ ἄλλων Οὐίττιγις ἡγεῖτο ἕκτος αὐτός. ἄρχων γὰρ ἦν εἷς κατὰ χαράκωμα 5.19.13 ἕκαστον. Γότθοι μὲν οὖν οὕτω ταξάμενοι διεῖλον τοὺς ὀχετοὺς ἅπαντας, ὅπως δὴ ὕδωρ ὡς ἥκιστα ἐς τὴν πόλιν ἐνθένδε εἰσίοι. Ῥώμης δὲ ὀχετοὶ τεσσαρεσκαίδεκα μὲν τὸ πλῆθός εἰσιν, ἐκ πλίνθου δὲ ὠπτημένης τοῖς πάλαι ἀνθρώποις πεποίηνται, ἐς τοσοῦτον εὔρους καὶ βάθους διήκοντες ὥστε ἀνθρώπῳ ἵππῳ 5.19.14 ὀχουμένῳ ἐνταῦθα ἱππεύειν δυνατὰ εἶναι. Βελισάριος δὲ τὰ ἐς τὴν φυλακὴν τῆς πόλεως διεκόσμει ὧδε. πυλίδα μὲν αὐτὸς τὴν Πιγκιανὴν καὶ πύλην τὴν ταύ5.19.15 της ἐν δεξιᾷ εἶχεν, ἣ Σαλαρία ὠνόμασται. κατὰ ταύτας γὰρ ἐπίμαχος ἦν ὁ περίβολος καὶ Ῥωμαίοις ἐξιτητὰ ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ὄντα ἐτύγχανε. Πραινεστίναν δὲ 5.19.16 Βέσσᾳ ἔδωκε. καὶ τῇ Φλαμινίᾳ, ἣ Πιγκιανῆς ἐπὶ θάτερά ἐστι, Κωνσταντῖνον ἐπέστησε, τάς τε πύλας ἐπιθεὶς πρότερον, καὶ λίθων μεγάλων οἰκοδομίᾳ ἔνδοθεν αὐτὰς ἀποφράξας ὡς μάλιστα, ὅπως δὴ αὐτὰς 5.19.17 μηδενὶ ἀνακλίνειν δυνατὰ εἴη. τῶν γὰρ χαρακωμάτων ἑνὸς ἀγχοτάτω ὄντος ἔδεισε μή τις ἐπὶ τῇ πόλει 5.19.18 ἐνέδρα πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων ἐνταῦθα ἔσται. τὰς δὲ λειπομένας τῶν πεζικῶν καταλόγων τοὺς ἄρχοντας διαφυλάσσειν ἐκέλευε. τῶν τε ὀχετῶν ἕκαστον ὡς ἀσφαλέστατα οἰκοδομίᾳ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον κατέλαβε, μή τις ἔξωθεν κακουργήσων ἐνταῦθα ἴοι. 5.19.19 Ἐπεὶ δὲ τῶν ὀχετῶν, καθάπερ μοι εἴρηται, διαιρεθέντων οὐκέτι τὰς μύλας τὸ ὕδωρ ἐνήργει, ζῴοις τέ τισιν ἐργάζεσθαι αὐτὰς οὐδαμῆ εἶχον, τροφῆς