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he might be able to destroy. But consider "what sort of reputation such a death of Belisarius 5.24.18 "brings to you." So much Belisarius wrote. But the emperor, being greatly disturbed, hastily raised an army and ships and sent word to Valerian and Martinus and their men 5.24.19 to go with all speed. For they had been sent with another army around the winter solstice, with the purpose of 5.24.20 sailing to Italy. But having sailed down to Greece (for they were not able to force the voyage further) they passed the winter in the districts of Aetolia and Acar5.24.21 nania. The Emperor Justinian, by making these things known to Belisarius, further strengthened both him and all the Romans in their zeal. 5.24.22 Meanwhile it happened that the following took place in Naples. An image of Theoderic, the ruler of the Goths, happened to be in the forum, composed of certain mosaic cubes, exceedingly small, and dyed with 5.24.23 almost every kind of colour. Of this image it happened that the head once fell apart while Theoderic was living, the layer of mosaic cubes having been disturbed of its own accord, and it befell Theoderic to end his life 5.24.24 very soon indeed. And eight years later, the mosaic cubes that formed the belly of the image suddenly fell apart, and Atalaric, the grandson of Theoderic, 5.24.25 died immediately. And after a short time had passed, the mosaic cubes around the private parts fell to the ground, and Amalasuntha, the daughter of Theoderic, had disappeared from among men. So these things, 5.24.26 then, came to pass in this way. But as the Goths were setting about the siege of Rome, it happened that the parts from the thighs of the image down to 5.24.27 the tips of the feet were destroyed. And in this way the whole image became effaced from the wall, and the Romans, interpreting this event, insisted that the emperor's army would survive the war, thinking that the feet of Theoderic were nothing other than the Gothic people, whom he ruled, and from this 5.24.28 they became even more hopeful. In Rome, however, some of the patricians brought forward the oracles of the Sibyl, insisting that the danger to the city would last only until the month of July. 5.24.29 For at that time, a certain king had to be established for the Romans, from which point on Rome would fear nothing Getic. 5.24.30 For they say the Goths are a Getic nation. And the oracle ran thus: θυιντιλι 5.24.31 μενσε ** ρεγε νιηιλ γετιξυμ ιαμ * And they claimed July was the fifth month, some, because the siege had begun at the start of March, from which indeed it happens that July is the fifth, others, because they considered March the first month before the reign of Numa, when indeed for the Romans the length of the year consisted of ten months, and from this July was named Quintilis. 5.24.32 But, as it turned out, none of these things was sound. For neither was a king established for the Romans at that time, and the siege was destined to be broken a year later, and again under Totila, ruler of the Goths, Rome was to enter into similar dangers, 5.24.33 as will be told by me in the subsequent account. For it seems to me that the oracle does not signify this particular attack of the barbarians, but some other one, either which has already happened or 5.24.34 which will be at some later time. For I think it is impossible for a man to discover the meaning of the Sibylline oracles before the event. 5.24.35 And the reason is what I shall now declare, after recounting all those things: The Sibyl does not speak of all matters in order, nor making any harmony in her account, but after uttering a verse about the troubles of Libya, she leaped immediately to the affairs of the Persians. 5.24.36 And from there, having come to the memory of the Romans, she shifts the account to the Assyrians. And again, prophesying about the Ro5.24.37 mans, she foretells the sufferings of the Britons. And for this reason it is impossible for any man to understand the Sibylline oracles before the event, unless time itself, when the matter has already come to pass and the oracle has come to the test, should become the accurate interpreter of the verse. But let each one reason about these things as he pleases. But I shall return to the point from which I digressed. 5.25.1 When the Goths had been repulsed from their assault on the wall, both sides bivouacked that night in the manner which has been described. 5.25.2

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ἐξελεῖν δύναιτο. σκόπει δὲ «ὁποίαν ποτέ σοι δόξαν ἡ τοιαύτη Βελισαρίου τελευτὴ 5.24.18 «φέρει.» τοσαῦτα μὲν Βελισάριος ἔγραψε. βασιλεὺς δὲ λίαν ξυνταραχθεὶς στράτευμά τε καὶ ναῦς σπουδῇ ἤγειρε καὶ τοῖς ἀμφὶ Βαλεριανόν τε καὶ Μαρτῖνον 5.24.19 ἐπέστελλε κατὰ τάχος ἰέναι. σταλέντες γὰρ ξὺν στρατεύματι ἄλλῳ ἀμφὶ τὰς χειμερινὰς τροπὰς ἔτυχον, ἐφ' 5.24.20 ᾧ πλεύσουσιν ἐς Ἰταλίαν. οἱ δὲ καταπλεύσαντες ἐς τὴν Ἑλλάδα (περαιτέρω γὰρ βιάζεσθαι τὸν πλοῦν οὐχ οἷοί τε ἦσαν) διεχείμαζον ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ Αἰτωλίας τε καὶ Ἀκαρ5.24.21 νανίας χωρία. ταῦτά τε Βελισαρίῳ δηλώσας Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἔτι μᾶλλον αὐτόν τε καὶ Ῥωμαίους ἅπαντας ἐς τὴν προθυμίαν ἐπέρρωσεν. 5.24.22 Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ ξυνηνέχθη ἐν Νεαπόλει τοιόνδε γενέσθαι. Θευδερίχου τοῦ Γότθων ἄρχοντος εἰκὼν ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ ἐτύγχανεν οὖσα, ἐκ ψηφίδων τινῶν ξυγκειμένη, μικρῶν μὲν ἐς ἄγαν, χροιαῖς δὲ βεβαμμένων 5.24.23 σχεδόν τι ἁπάσαις. ταύτης τῆς εἰκόνος ποτὲ τὴν κεφαλὴν διαρρυῆναι ζῶντος Θευδερίχου ξυμβέβηκε, τῆς τῶν ψηφίδων ἐπιβολῆς ἐκ τοῦ αὐτομάτου ξυνταραχθείσης, καὶ Θευδερίχῳ ξυνηνέχθη τελευτῆσαι τὸν βίον 5.24.24 αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα. ἐνιαυτοῖς δὲ ὀκτὼ ὕστερον αἱ τὴν τῆς εἰκόνος γαστέρα ποιοῦσαι ψηφῖδες διερρύησαν ἐξαπιναίως, καὶ Ἀταλάριχος ὁ Θευδερίχου θυγατριδοῦς 5.24.25 εὐθὺς ἐτελεύτα. χρόνου τε τριβέντος ὀλίγου πίπτουσι μὲν ἐς γῆν αἱ περὶ τὰ αἰδοῖα ψηφῖδες, Ἀμαλασοῦνθα δὲ ἡ Θευδερίχου παῖς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἠφάνιστο. ταῦτα 5.24.26 μὲν οὖν τῇδε ἐχώρησε. Γότθων δὲ Ῥώμης ἐς τὴν πολιορκίαν καθισταμένων τὰ ἐκ τῶν τῆς εἰκόνος μηρῶν ἄχρι 5.24.27 ἐς ἄκρους πόδας διεφθάρθαι τετύχηκε. ταύτῃ τε ἅπασα ἐκ τοῦ τοίχου ἐξίτηλος ἡ εἰκὼν γέγονεν, οἵ τε Ῥωμαῖοι τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο ξυμβαλόντες περιέσεσθαι τῷ πολέμῳ ἰσχυρίζοντο τὸν τοῦ βασιλέως στρατὸν, οὐκ ἄλλο οὐδὲν εἶναι τοὺς Θευδερίχου πόδας ἢ τὸν Γότθων λεὼν, ὧν ἐκεῖνος ἦρχεν, οἰόμενοι, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ 5.24.28 εὐέλπιδες ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐγένοντο. ἐν μέντοι Ῥώμῃ τῶν τινες πατρικίων τὰ Σιβύλλης λόγια προὔφερον, ἰσχυριζόμενοι τὸν κίνδυνον τῇ πόλει ἄχρι ἐς τὸν Ἰούλιον 5.24.29 μῆνα γεγενῆσθαι μόνον. χρῆναι γὰρ τότε βασιλέα Ῥωμαίοις καταστῆναί τινα, ἐξ οὗ δὴ Γετικὸν οὐδὲν 5.24.30 Ῥώμη τὸ λοιπὸν δείσειε. Γετικὸν γάρ φασιν ἔθνος τοὺς Γότθους εἶναι· εἶχε δὲ τὸ λόγιον ὧδε· θυιντιλι 5.24.31 μενσε ** ρεγε νιηιλ γετιξυμ ιαμ * πέμπτον δὲ μῆνα τὸν Ἰούλιον ἰσχυρίζοντο εἶναι, οἱ μὲν, ὅτι Μαρτίου ἱσταμένου ἡ πολιορκία κατ' ἀρχὰς γέγονεν, ἀφ' οὗ δὴ πέμπτον Ἰούλιον ξυμβαίνει εἶναι, οἱ δὲ, ὅτι Μάρτιον πρῶτον πρὸ τῆς Νουμᾶ βασιλείας ἐνόμιζον μῆνα, ὅτε δὴ Ῥωμαίοις ἐς δέκα μῆνας ὁ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ χρόνος ξυνῄει, Ἰούλιός τε ἀπ' αὐτοῦ Κυιντίλιος ὠνομάζετο. 5.24.32 ἀλλ' ἦν ἄρα τούτων οὐδὲν ὑγιές. οὔτε γὰρ βασιλεὺς τότε Ῥωμαίοις κατέστη, καὶ ἡ πολιορκία ἐνιαυτῷ ὕστερον διαλυθήσεσθαι ἔμελλε, καὶ αὖθις ἐπὶ Τουτίλα Γότθων ἄρχοντος ἐς τοὺς ὁμοίους Ῥώμη κινδύνους 5.24.33 ἰέναι, ὥς μοι ἐν τοῖς ὄπισθε λελέξεται λόγοις. δοκεῖ γάρ μοι οὐ ταύτην δὴ τὴν τῶν βαρβάρων ἔφοδον τὸ μαντεῖον δηλοῦν, ἀλλ' ἑτέραν τινὰ ἢ ἤδη ξυμβᾶσαν ἢ 5.24.34 ὕστερόν ποτε ἐσομένην. τῶν γὰρ Σιβύλλης λογίων τὴν διάνοιαν πρὸ τοῦ ἔργου ἐξευρεῖν ἀνθρώπῳ οἶμαι 5.24.35 ἀδύνατον εἶναι. αἴτιον δὲ ὅπερ ἐγὼ αὐτίκα δηλώσω ἐκεῖνα ἀναλεξάμενος ἅπαντα· ἡ Σίβυλλα οὐχ ἅπαντα ἑξῆς τὰ πράγματα λέγει οὐδὲ ἁρμονίαν τινὰ ποιουμένη τοῦ λόγου, ἀλλ' ἔπος εἰποῦσα ὅ τι δὴ ἀμφὶ τοῖς Λιβύης κακοῖς ἀπεπήδησεν εὐθὺς ἐς τὰ Περσῶν ἤθη. 5.24.36 ἐνθένδε τε Ῥωμαίων ἐς μνήμην ἐλθοῦσα μεταβιβάζει ἐς τοὺς Ἀσσυρίους τὸν λόγον. καὶ πάλιν ἀμφὶ Ῥω5.24.37 μαίοις μαντευομένη προλέγει τὰ Βρεττανῶν πάθη. ταύτῃ τε ἀδύνατά ἐστιν ἀνθρώπῳ ὁτῳοῦν πρὸ τοῦ ἔργου τῶν Σιβύλλης λογίων ξυνεῖναι, ἢν μὴ ὁ χρόνος αὐτὸς ἐκβάντος ἤδη τοῦ πράγματος καὶ τοῦ λόγου ἐς πεῖραν ἐλθόντος ἀκριβὴς τοῦ ἔπους ἑρμηνεὺς γένοιτο. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν λογιζέσθω ἕκαστος ὅπη αὐτῷ φίλον. ἐγὼ δὲ ὅθενπερ ἐξέβην ἐπάνειμι. 5.25.1 Ἐπειδὴ Γότθοι ἀπεκρούσθησαν τειχομαχοῦντες, ηὐλίσαντο τὴν νύκτα ἐκείνην οὕτως ὥσπερ ἐρρήθη 5.25.2 ἑκάτεροι.