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being in want of everything, as if in a siege, since they were scarcely able to care even for the horses they needed, Beli5.19.20sarius devised the following. In front of the bridge, which I just mentioned was near the circuit-wall, having stretched ropes from either bank of the river as tightly as possible, and to these having fastened two boats alongside each other, two feet apart, where the flow of the water came down most strongly from the arch of the bridge, and placing two mills in each boat he suspended between them the machine which was accustomed to turn the 5.19.21 millstones. And beyond these, he moored other boats in a line, each attached to the one behind it, and installed the machines in the same way for a considerable distance. 5.19.22 So as the current of the water moved on, all the machines in succession, being turned by its force, operated the mills belonging to them and ground a sufficient supply for the city. When the enemy learned this from deserters, they destroyed 5.19.23 the machines in the following way. They gathered large trees and the bodies of newly-slain Romans and threw them into the river. 5.19.24 And most of these, being carried by the current between the boats, broke the machinery. But Belisarius, seeing what was being done, devised 5.19.25 the following counter-measure. He stretched long iron chains in front of the bridge, reaching across the entire Tiber. And against these, everything the river carried, collected 5.19.26 and no longer went forward. And those to whom this task was assigned continually hauled these things to land. And Belisarius did this not so much for the sake of the mills as because from this he came to fear and suspect that the enemy might secretly with many boats get inside the bridge and into the middle of the city. 5.19.27 And so the barbarians desisted from the attempt, since nothing succeeded for them in this way. And for the future the Romans used these mills, but were completely shut off from the baths by the lack of water. 5.19.28 However, they had sufficient water to drink, since even for those living farthest from the river it was possible to draw water from wells. 5.19.29 And as for the sewers, which carry whatever is unclean out of the city, he was forced to devise no safeguard, since they all have their outlets into the river Tiber, and for this reason it is not possible for any plot to be made against the city from this quarter by the enemy. 5.20.1 So, in this way Belisarius managed matters concerning the siege. And many Samnite boys, shepherding flocks in their own country, chose from among themselves two who were in good physical condition, and calling one of them by the name of Belisarius, and naming the other Vittigis, 5.20.2 they ordered them to wrestle. When they were contending most powerfully in the contest, it came to pass that Vittigis, forsooth, fell. And him the crowd of boys, 5.20.3 in their play, hung upon a tree. But when a wolf by some chance appeared there, all the boys fled, but Vittigis, who was hanging on the tree, after some time was spent in this punishment, died. 5.20.4 And when these things became known to the Samnites, they neither inflicted any punishment upon these children and interpreting what had happened, they insisted that Belisarius would win a decisive victory. These things, then, happened thus. 5.20.5 But the populace of Rome, being altogether unaccustomed to the evils of war and siege, since they were oppressed by the lack of bathing and by the want of necessities, and were forced to keep watch sleeplessly on the circuit-wall, and they suspected that the city would be captured before long, and at the same time they saw the enemy plundering the fields and everything else, they were distressed and considered it a terrible thing, that they, having done no wrong, should be besieged and come to so great a magnitude of danger. 5.20.6 And gathering together among themselves, they openly reviled Belisarius, because he, having received a force not adequate for the emperor's power, 5.20.7 had dared to campaign against the Goths. And these things also the members of the council, which they call the senate, were reproaching Belisarius with in secret. which Vittigis heard from deserters, and wishing to set them yet more at variance and that the affairs of the Romans would fall into great confusion

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ἁπάσης ἅτε ἐν πολιορκίᾳ σπανίζοντες, οἵ γε καὶ ἵππων μόλις τῶν σφίσιν ἀναγκαίων ἐδύναντο ἐπιμελεῖσθαι, Βελι5.19.20 σάριος ἐξεῦρε τόδε. ἔμπροσθεν τῆς γεφύρας, ἧς ἄρτι πρὸς τῷ περιβόλῳ οὔσης ἐμνήσθην, σχοίνους ἀρτήσας ἐξ ἑκατέρας τοῦ ποταμοῦ ὄχθης ὡς ἄριστα ἐντεταμένας, ταύταις τε λέμβους δύο παρ' ἀλλήλους ξυνδήσας, πόδας δύο ἀπ' ἀλλήλων διέχοντας, ᾗ μάλιστα ἡ τῶν ὑδάτων ἐπιρροὴ ἐκ τοῦ τῆς γεφύρας κυρτώματος ἀκμάζουσα κατῄει, μύλας τε δύο ἐν λέμβῳ ἑκατέρῳ ἐνθέμενος ἐς τὸ μεταξὺ τὴν μηχανὴν ἀπεκρέμασεν, ἣ τὰς 5.19.21 μύλας στρέφειν εἰώθει. ἐπέκεινα δὲ ἄλλας τε ἀκάτους ἐχομένας τῶν ἀεὶ ὄπισθεν κατὰ λόγον ἐδέσμευε, καὶ τὰς μηχανὰς τρόπῳ τῷ αὐτῷ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐνέβαλε. 5.19.22 προϊούσης οὖν τῆς τοῦ ὕδατος ῥύμης αἱ μηχαναὶ ἐφεξῆς ἅπασαι ἐφ' ἑαυτὰς καλινδούμεναι ἐνήργουν τε τὰς κατ' αὐτὰς μύλας καὶ τῇ πόλει τὰ αὐτάρκη ἤλουν. ἃ δὴ οἱ πολέμιοι πρὸς τῶν αὐτομόλων γνόντες ἀφανί5.19.23 ζουσι τὰς μηχανὰς τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. δένδρα μεγάλα καὶ σώματα Ῥωμαίων νεοσφαγῆ ἐς τὸν ποταμὸν συμφο5.19.24 ροῦντες ἐρρίπτουν. τούτων τε τὰ πλεῖστα ξὺν τῷ ῥεύματι ἐς μέσα τὰ σκάφη φερόμενα τὴν μηχανὴν ἀπεκαύλιζε. Βελισάριος δὲ κατιδὼν τὰ ποιούμενα προσ5.19.25 επετεχνήσατο τάδε. ἁλύσεις μακρὰς σιδηρᾶς πρὸ τῆς γεφύρας ἤρτησεν, ἐξικνουμένας ἐς Τίβεριν ὅλον. αἷς δὴ προσπίπτοντα ξύμπαντα, ὅσα ὁ ποταμὸς ἔφερε, 5.19.26 ξυνίστατό τε καὶ οὐκέτι ἐς τὰ πρόσω ἐχώρει. ταῦτά τε ἀνέλκοντες ἀεὶ οἷς τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο ἐπέκειτο εἰς τὴν γῆν ἔφερον. ταῦτα δὲ Βελισάριος ἐποίει οὐ τοσοῦτον τῶν μυλῶν ἕνεκα ὅσον ὅτι ἐνθένδε ἐς δέος τε καὶ ἔννοιαν ἦλθε μὴ λάθωσιν ἀκάτοις πολλαῖς οἱ πολέμιοι 5.19.27 ἐντὸς τῆς γεφύρας καὶ ἐν μέσῃ πόλει γενόμενοι. οὕτω τε οἱ βάρβαροι τῆς πείρας, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲν σφίσι ταύτῃ προὐχώρει, ἀπέσχοντο. καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν Ῥωμαῖοι τούτοις μὲν τοῖς μύλωσιν ἐχρῶντο, τῶν δὲ βαλανείων 5.19.28 τοῦ ὕδατος τῇ ἀπορίᾳ παντάπασιν ἀπεκέκλειντο. ὕδωρ μέντοι ὅσον πιεῖν διαρκὲς εἶχον, ἐπεὶ καὶ τοῖς τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἑκαστάτω οἰκοῦσι παρῆν ἐκ φρεάτων ὑδρεύε5.19.29 σθαι. ἐς δὲ τοὺς ὑπονόμους, οἵπερ ἐκ τῆς πόλεως, εἴ τι οὐ καθαρὸν, ἐκβάλλουσιν ἔξω, ἀσφάλειαν ἐπινοεῖν οὐδεμίαν ἠνάγκαστο, ἐπεὶ ἐς ποταμὸν Τίβεριν τὰς ἐκβολὰς ἔχουσιν ἅπαντες, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐδεμίαν οἷόν τε τῇ πόλει ἐνθένδε πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων ἐπιβουλὴν γενέσθαι. 5.20.1 Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἐς τὴν πολιορκίαν τῇδε Βελισάριος διῳκήσατο. Σαμνιτῶν δὲ παῖδες πολλοὶ, πρόβατα ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ σφετέρᾳ ποιμαίνοντες, δύο τοῦ σώματος ἐν σφίσιν εὖ ἥκοντας ἀπολέξαντες, καὶ αὐτῶν ἕνα μὲν καλέσαντες ἐπὶ τοῦ Βελισαρίου ὀνόματος, Οὐίττιγιν δὲ 5.20.2 τὸν ἕτερον ὀνομάσαντες, παλαίειν ἐκέλευον. ὧν δὴ ἰσχυρότατα ἐς τὸν ἀγῶνα καθισταμένων, τὸν Οὐίττιγιν δῆθεν ξυνηνέχθη πεσεῖν. καὶ αὐτὸν ὁ τῶν παίδων 5.20.3 ὅμιλος παίζοντες ἐπὶ δένδρου ἐκρήμνων. λύκου δὲ τύχῃ τινὶ ἐνταῦθα φανέντος οἱ μὲν παῖδες ἔφυγον ἅπαντες, ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ δένδρου ἠρτημένος Οὐίττιγις χρόνου οἱ τριβέντος ἐν ταύτῃ δὴ τῇ τιμωρίᾳ θνήσκει. 5.20.4 καὶ ἐπεὶ ταῦτα ἐς Σαμνίτας ἔκπυστα ἐγεγόνει, οὔτε κόλασίν τινα ἐς τὰ παιδία ταῦτα ἐξήνεγκαν καὶ τὰ ξυμπεσόντα ξυμβαλόντες νικήσειν κατὰ κράτος Βελισάριον ἰσχυρίζοντο. ταῦτα μὲν δὴ οὕτως ἐγένετο. 5.20.5 Ῥωμαίων δὲ ὁ δῆμος, τῶν ἐν πολέμῳ τε καὶ πολιορκίᾳ κακῶν ἀήθεις παντάπασιν ὄντες, ἐπειδὴ τῇ μὲν ἀλουσίᾳ ἐπιέζοντο καὶ τῶν ἀναγκαίων τῇ ἀπορίᾳ, φυλάσσειν τε ἄϋπνοι τὸν περίβολον ἠναγκάζοντο, καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἁλώσεσθαι οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ὑπετόπαζον, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἑώρων τούς τε ἀγροὺς καὶ τἄλλα πάντα ληιζομένους, ἤσχαλλόν τε καὶ δεινὰ ἐποιοῦντο, εἰ αὐτοὶ οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότες πολιορκοῖντό τε καὶ 5.20.6 ἐς τοσοῦτον κινδύνου μέγεθος ἥκοιεν. ἐν σφίσι τε αὐτοῖς ξυνιστάμενοι Βελισαρίῳ ἐκ τοῦ ἐμφανοῦς ἐλοιδοροῦντο, ὅς γε οὐκ ἀξιόχρεων πρὸς βασιλέως δύναμιν 5.20.7 λαβὼν ἐτόλμησεν ἐπὶ Γότθους στρατεύεσθαι. ταῦτα δὲ καὶ οἱ ἐκ βουλῆς, ἣν σύγκλητον καλοῦσι, Βελισαρίῳ ἐν παραβύστῳ ὠνείδιζον. ἅπερ Οὐίττιγις πρὸς τῶν αὐτομόλων ἀκούσας συγκρούειν τε αὐτοὺς ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐθέλων καὶ ἐς πολλὴν ταραχὴν ἐμπεσεῖσθαι τὰ Ῥωμαίων