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and being altogether unfamiliar, it was astounding. 5.22.2 But Belisarius, seeing the battle-line of the enemy advancing with the engines, both laughed and ordered the soldiers to keep quiet, and not to begin the action at all, until he himself should give the signal. But for what reason he laughed, he by no means made clear at the moment, but it was known later. 5.22.3 The Romans, however, suspecting that he was mocking them, both reviled him and called him shameless, and they were indignant that he did not try to check the enemy as they advanced. 5.22.4 But when the Goths came nearer the trench, the general first 5.22.4 drew his bow, and hitting one of the men in armour who were leading the army in the 5.22.5 neck, he shot him. And he, struck by a mortal blow, fell on his back, while the whole Roman populace cried out an extraordinary shout and one beyond belief, thinking that a most favorable omen had 5.22.6 occurred for them. And when Belisarius had shot his arrow twice, this same thing happened again, and both a greater shout was raised from the circuit-wall and the Romans thought the enemy 5.22.7 were already defeated. And then Belisarius signaled for the whole army to let fly all their arrows, but ordered all those about him to shoot only at the oxen. 5.22.8 And when all the oxen had fallen immediately, the enemy were able neither to move the towers further nor, being at a loss in the very task, were they able to devise anything. 5.22.9 Thus was recognized both the foresight of Belisarius in not trying to check the enemy while they were far away, and that he was laughing at the foolishness of the barbarians, who had so thoughtlessly hoped to lead oxen up to the wall of their enemies. These things happened around the Salarian Gate. 5.22.10 But Wittigis, having been repulsed here, left a large army of Goths on the spot, and forming a very deep phalanx of them and instructing the commanders to make no assault on the circuit-wall, but remaining in formation to shoot frequently at the battlements and to give Belisarius as little opportunity as possible to come to the assistance of another part of the wall wherever he himself might be about to attack with a larger army, thus went with a large army 5.22.11 around the Praenestine Gate to a section of the circuit-wall, which the Romans call the Vivarium, and where the wall was most especially assailable. And it happened that there were already other engines of towers and rams and many ladders there. 5.22.12 Meanwhile another assault of the Goths was being made on the Aurelian Gate in the following manner. The tomb of Hadrian, the Roman emperor, is outside the Aurelian Gate, about a stone's throw from the circuit-wall, a sight worthy of much 5.22.13 mention. For it is made of Parian marble and the stones are fitted closely one upon another, having nothing else within. And its four sides are equal to one another, each having a width of about a stone's throw, 5.22.14 and its height is above the city wall. And on top are statues of the same stone, wonderful works of men and horses. This tomb the men of old (for it seemed to be an outwork for the city) enclosed with two walls running to it from the circuit-wall and have made it part of the wall. 5.22.15 It resembles, therefore, a high tower projecting in front of the gate there. The fortification here was therefore very strong. And Belisarius had appointed Constantine over the garrison of this place. 5.22.16 To him he gave orders to take care also of the guard of the adjoining wall, which had a mean and not considerable garrison. For since the circuit-wall was least assailable at this point, as the river flowed alongside it, he, suspecting that no assault would be made there, did not establish a considerable garrison there, but since his soldiers were few, he assigned the majority to the most critical places. 5.22.17 For the emperor's army in Rome at the beginning of this siege amounted to about five thousand. 5.22.18 But Constantine (for it was reported to him that the enemy were attempting the crossing of the Tiber), fearing for that wall, himself went there in haste to give aid with a few men, but to the majority in the gate and

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παντάπασί τε ἀήθης οὖσα ἐξέπλησσε. 5.22.2 Βελισάριος δὲ βαδίζουσαν ξὺν ταῖς μηχαναῖς ὁρῶν τὴν τῶν πολεμίων παράταξιν, ἐγέλα τε καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας ἡσυχάζειν ἐκέλευε, καὶ τῶν χειρῶν μηδαμῶς ἄρχειν, ἕως αὐτὸς σημήνῃ. ὅτου δὲ ἕνεκα γελῴη, ἐν μὲν τῷ αὐτίκα ἥκιστα ἐδήλου, ὕστερον δὲ ἐγνώσθη. 5.22.3 Ῥωμαῖοι μέντοι αὐτὸν εἰρωνεύεσθαι ὑποτοπάσαντες ἐκάκιζόν τε καὶ ἀναιδῆ ἐκάλουν, καὶ ὅτι ἐς τὰ πρόσω ἰόντας οὐκ ἀναστέλλοι τοὺς ἐναντίους, δεινὰ ἐποιοῦντο. 5.22.4 ἐπεὶ δὲ Γότθοι τῆς τάφρου ἐγγυτέρω ἵκοντο, πρῶτος 5.22.4 ὁ στρατηγὸς τὸ τόξον ἐντείνας, τῶν τινα τεθωρακισμένων τε καὶ τῆς στρατιᾶς ἡγουμένων εἰς τὸν 5.22.5 αὐχένα ἐπιτυχὼν βάλλει. καὶ ὁ μὲν καιρίαν πληγεὶς ἔπεσεν ὕπτιος, Ῥωμαίων δὲ ὁ λεὼς ἅπας ἀνέκραγον ἐξαίσιόν τε καὶ ἀκοῆς κρεῖσσον, ἄριστον οἰωνὸν ξυνε5.22.6 νεχθῆναι σφίσιν οἰόμενοι. δὶς δὲ Βελισαρίου τὸ βέλος ἀφέντος, ταὐτὸ τοῦτο καὶ αὖθις ξυνέβη, καὶ ἥ τε κραυγὴ μείζων ἀπὸ τοῦ περιβόλου ἤρθη καὶ τοὺς πο5.22.7 λεμίους ἡσσῆσθαι ἤδη Ῥωμαῖοι ᾤοντο. καὶ τότε μὲν Βελισάριος τῇ μὲν στρατιᾷ πάσῃ κινεῖν τὰ τοξεύματα πάντα ἐσήμαινε, τοὺς δὲ ἀμφ' αὑτὸν ἅπαντας ἐς μό5.22.8 νους τοὺς βόας ἐκέλευε βάλλειν. πάντων τε τῶν βοῶν αὐτίκα πεσόντων, οὔτε τοὺς πύργους περαιτέρω κινεῖν οἱ πολέμιοι εἶχον οὔτε τι ἐπιτεχνήσασθαι ἀπο5.22.9 ρούμενοι ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ ἔργῳ οἷοί τε ἦσαν. οὕτω δὲ Βελισαρίου τε ἡ πρόνοια ἐγνώσθη τοῦ μὴ ἑκαστάτω ὄντας τοὺς πολεμίους ἀναστέλλειν πειρᾶσθαι, καὶ ὅτι γελῴη τὴν τῶν βαρβάρων εὐήθειαν, οἳ δὴ βόας περιάξειν ἐς τῶν ἐναντίων τὸ τεῖχος οὕτως ἀνεπισκέπτως ἐλπίδα εἶχον. ταῦτα μὲν ἀμφὶ Σαλαρίαν πύλην ἐγέ5.22.10 νετο. Οὐίττιγις δὲ ταύτῃ ἀποκρουσθεὶς, Γότθων μὲν στρατιὰν πολλὴν αὐτοῦ εἴασε, φάλαγγα δὲ αὐτῶν βαθεῖαν κομιδῆ ποιησάμενος καὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἐπιστείλας προσβολὴν μὲν μηδαμῆ τοῦ περιβόλου ποιεῖσθαι, μένοντας δὲ ἐν τάξει βάλλειν τε συχνὰ ἐς τὰς ἐπάλξεις καὶ ὡς ἥκιστα Βελισαρίῳ καιρὸν ἐνδιδόναι ἐπιβοηθεῖν ἑτέρωσε τοῦ τείχους ὅπη ἂν αὐτὸς προσβάλλειν μέλλῃ στρατῷ πλείονι, οὕτω δὴ ἀμφὶ πύλην Πραινεστίναν ἐπὶ μοῖραν τοῦ περιβόλου, ἣν Ῥωμαῖοι Βιβάριον καλοῦσι, καὶ ᾗ τὸ τεῖχος ἦν ἐπιμαχώτατον μάλιστα, πολλῷ 5.22.11 στρατῷ ᾔει. ἐτύγχανον δὲ ἤδη καὶ μηχαναὶ ἄλλαι πύργων τε καὶ κριῶν καὶ κλίμακες πολλαὶ ἐνταῦθα οὖσαι. 5.22.12 Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Γότθων προσβολὴ ἑτέρα ἐς πύλην Αὐρηλίαν ἐγίνετο τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. Ἀδριανοῦ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων αὐτοκράτορος τάφος ἔξω πύλης Αὐρηλίας ἐστὶν, ἀπέχων τοῦ περιβόλου ὅσον λίθου βολὴν, θέαμα λόγου 5.22.13 πολλοῦ ἄξιον. πεποίηται γὰρ ἐκ λίθου Παρίου καὶ οἱ λίθοι ἐπ' ἀλλήλοις μεμύκασιν, οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἐντὸς ἔχοντες. πλευραί τε αὐτοῦ τέσσαρές εἰσιν ἴσαι ἀλλήλαις, εὖρος μὲν σχεδόν τι ἐς λίθου βολὴν ἑκάστη 5.22.14 ἔχουσα, μῆκος δὲ ὑπὲρ τὸ τῆς πόλεως τεῖχος. ἀγάλματά τε ἄνω ἐκ λίθου εἰσὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀνδρῶν τε καὶ ἵππων θαυμάσια οἷα· τοῦτον δὴ τὸν τάφον οἱ παλαιοὶ ἄνθρωποι (ἐδόκει γὰρ τῇ πόλει ἐπιτείχισμα εἶναι) τειχίσμασι δύο ἐς αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ περιβόλου διήκουσι περιβάλλουσι καὶ μέρος εἶναι τοῦ τείχους πεποίηνται. 5.22.15 ἔοικε γοῦν πύργῳ ὑψηλῷ πύλης τῆς ἐκείνῃ προβεβλημένῳ. ἦν μὲν οὖν τὸ ἐνταῦθα ὀχύρωμα ἱκανώτατον. τούτου δὲ τῷ φυλακτηρίῳ Κωνσταντῖνον ἐπιστήσας 5.22.16 Βελισάριος ἔτυχεν. ᾧ δὴ ἐπέστειλε καὶ τῆς φυλακῆς τείχους τοῦ ἐχομένου ἐπιμελεῖσθαι, φαύλην τινὰ καὶ οὐκ ἀξιόλογον φρουρὰν ἔχοντος. ἥκιστα γὰρ ταύτῃ ἐπιμάχου ὄντος τοῦ περιβόλου, ἅτε τοῦ ποταμοῦ παραρρέοντος, οὐδεμίαν αὐτόθι προσβολὴν ἔσεσθαι ὑποτοπήσας, οὐκ ἀξιόλογον ἐνταῦθα φυλακτήριον κατεστήσατο, ἀλλ' ὀλίγων οἱ τῶν στρατιωτῶν ὄντων, τοῖς τῶν χωρίων ἀναγκαιοτάτοις τὸ πλῆθος ἔνειμεν. 5.22.17 ἐς πεντακισχιλίους γὰρ μάλιστα τὸ βασιλέως στράτευμα ἐν Ῥώμῃ κατ' ἀρχὰς τῆσδε τῆς πολιορκίας ξυνῄει. 5.22.18 Κωνσταντῖνος δὲ (καὶ γάρ οἱ ἠγγέλλοντο οἱ πολέμιοι τῆς ἐς τὸν Τίβεριν ἀποπειρώμενοι διαβάσεως) δείσας περὶ τῷ ἐκείνῳ τειχίσματι αὐτὸς μὲν κατὰ τάχος ἐκεῖσε ξὺν ὀλίγοις τισὶν ἐβοήθει, τοῖς δὲ πλείοσι τῆς ἐν τῇ πύλῃ τε