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he devised 5.28.3 against the enemy. But since, being reproached by both the army and the other Romans, he desisted, he wished to fight with his whole army, but to make the engagement no less by a sal5.28.4ly. And many times, setting out for this, he was repul5.28.4sed, and was forced to put off the attack until the next day, since he found the enemy, contrary to his expectation, in prepa5.28.5ration, having learned from deserters what was to happen. For this very reason he wished for the future to fight it out in the open, and the barbarians gladly prepared for battle. And when both sides had made the best possible preparations for the engagement, Belisarius, having gathered the whole army, exhorted them as follows: 5.28.6 "It is not because I have charged you with any cowardice, fellow sol»diers, nor because I have dreaded the po»wer of the enemy that I have been hesitating to engage with them, but because our affairs were well estab»lished for carrying on the war by means of sallies, I thought it necessary to preserve for ever 5.28.7 the cause of our success. For to those for whom the pre»sent state of things is proceeding as they wish, it is inex»pedient, I think, to change to another course. However, seeing you eager for this »danger, I am both full of hope and will never stand in the way of your 5.28.8 impulse. For I know that the greatest »part of the turn of fortune in wars is always allotted »to the will of the combatants, and that most successes are wont to be achieved 5.28.9 by their zeal. Now, that a few men arrayed with »valour are able to overcome a multitude of the »enemy, each one of you knows well, not having learned it by hearsay, 5.28.10 but having come to the test of combat day by day. But how you may not dis»grace either the former reputation of my strat»agems or the hope arising from this eager5.28.11ness of yours, will rest with you. For it is necessary that all that we have happened to accomplish in »this war be judged by the out»come of the present day. 5.28.12 And I see also that the present occasion is assisting us, which, since the spirit of the ene»mies has been enslaved by what has gone before, will, as is likely, make the vic5.28.13tory over them easy for us. For the spirits of those who have often met with misfortune are least »wont to play the hero. And let no 5.28.14 one of you spare his horse »or bow or any other weapon. For I shall immediately fur5.28.15nish you with others in place of all »that are destroyed in the battle." Belisarius, having exhorted them with these words, led out the army through both the Pincian postern and the Salarian Gate, and he ordered a few men to go through the Aurelian Gate 5.28.16 to the Plain of Nero. Over these he set Valentinus, a commander of a cavalry detachment, and instructed him to start no battle, nor to go nearer the enemy's camp, but to make a constant feint of immediately attacking, so that none of the enemy there, by crossing the bridge in that quarter, might be able to bring assistance to those in the other camps. 5.28.17 For since there were many barbarians encamped on the Plain of Nero, as I have previously set forth, it seemed to him sufficient that all these should be separated from the rest of the army, 5.28.18 taking no part in the engagement. And since some volunteers from the populace of the Romans took up arms and followed, he did not allow them to be arrayed with his men for the engagement, fearing lest, finding themselves in the struggle, they might be terrified by the danger and throw the whole army into confusion, being artisans and altogether unpractised in war. 5.28.19 But outside the Pancratian Gates, which are beyond the Tiber river, he ordered them to form a phalanx and remain quiet, until he himself should give the signal, reckoning, as indeed happened, that if the enemy in the Plain of Nero should see both them and the men with Valentinus, they would never dare to leave their own stockade and go with the rest 5.28.20 of the army into battle against his men. And he considered it a godsend and a matter of great account that men so numerous should be cut off from the enemy's army. 5.28.21 So, then, he wished to engage in a cavalry battle only on that day, and most of the other infantry were already not deeming it worthy to remain in their present positions, and horses of the

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ἐπενόει 5.28.3 ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους. ἐπεὶ δὲ κακιζόμενος πρός τε τοῦ στρατοῦ καὶ Ῥωμαίων τῶν ἄλλων ἀπεῖπε, παντὶ μὲν τῷ στρατῷ μάχεσθαι ἤθελε, τὴν δὲ ξυμβολὴν ἐξ ἐπι5.28.4 δρομῆς οὐδέν τι ἧσσον ποιήσασθαι. πολλάκις τε ἀπε5.28.4 κρούσθη ἐς τοῦτο ὁρμήσας, καὶ τὴν ἔφοδον ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν ἀποθέσθαι ἠνάγκαστο, ἐπεὶ προγνόντας τὰ ἐσόμενα πρὸς τῶν αὐτομόλων τοὺς πολεμίους ἐν παρα5.28.5 σκευῇ παρὰ δόξαν εὗρε. διὸ δὴ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἐμφανοῦς διαμαχήσασθαι τὸ λοιπὸν ἤθελε, καὶ οἱ βάρβαροι ἄσμενοι ἐς τὴν μάχην καθίσταντο. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἀμφοτέροις τὰ ἐς τὴν ξυμβολὴν ὡς ἄριστα ἤσκητο, Βελισάριος μὲν ἀγείρας τὸ στράτευμα ὅλον τοιάδε παρεκελεύσατο 5.28.6 «Οὐ μαλακίαν τινὰ καταγνοὺς ὑμῶν, ἄνδρες συστρα»τιῶται, οὐδὲ τῶν πολεμίων κατορρωδήσας τὴν δύ»ναμιν τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς συμβολὴν ὤκνουν, ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ «τὸν πόλεμον ἡμῖν ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς διαφέρουσιν εὖ καθει»στήκει τὰ πράγματα, διασώσασθαι ᾤμην δεῖν ἐς ἀεὶ 5.28.7 «τὴν τῆς εὐπραξίας αἰτίαν. οἷς γὰρ κατὰ νοῦν τὰ «παρόντα χωρεῖ, ἐφ' ἕτερον μεταβάλλεσθαι ἀξύμφορον «οἶμαι. ὁρῶν μέντοι ἐς τόνδε ὑμᾶς προθυμουμένους «τὸν κίνδυνον, εὔελπίς τέ εἰμι καὶ οὔποτε ὑμῶν τῇ 5.28.8 «ὁρμῇ ἐμποδὼν στήσομαι. οἶδα γὰρ ὡς τὸ πλεῖστον «ἀεὶ τῆς ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις ῥοπῆς ἡ τῶν μαχομένων «κεκλήρωται γνώμη καὶ τὰ πολλὰ τῇ τούτων προθυμίᾳ 5.28.9 «κατορθοῦσθαι φιλεῖ. ὡς μὲν οὖν ὀλίγοι μετὰ τῆς «ἀρετῆς τεταγμένοι πλήθους περιεῖναι οἷοί τέ εἰσι τῶν «ἐναντίων ἐξεπίσταται ὑμῶν ἕκαστος, οὐκ ἀκοῇ λαβὼν, 5.28.10 «ἀλλ' ἐς πεῖραν ἀγῶνος τὴν καθ' ἡμέραν ἥκων. ὅπως δὲ «μὴ καταισχύνητε μήτε τὴν προτέραν τῶν ἐμῶν στρατη»γημάτων δόξαν μήτε τὴν ἐκ τῆσδε ὑμῶν τῆς προθυ5.28.11 «μίας ἐλπίδα, ἐφ' ὑμῖν κείσεται. πάντα γὰρ ὅσα ἡμῖν «ἐν τῷδε τῷ πολέμῳ πεπρᾶχθαι ξυμβαίνει πρὸς τὴν «ἀπόβασιν κρίνεσθαι τῆς παρούσης ἡμέρας ἀνάγκη. 5.28.12 «ὁρῶ δὲ καὶ τὸν παρόντα καιρὸν ἡμῖν ξυλλαμβάνοντα, «ὃς ἡμῖν δεδουλωμένου τοῖς φθάσασι τοῦ τῶν πολε»μίων φρονήματος ῥᾴδιον, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, τὴν ἐκείνων 5.28.13 «ἐπικράτησιν θήσεται. τῶν γὰρ πολλάκις ἠτυχηκότων «ἥκιστα ἀνδραγαθίζεσθαι φιλοῦσιν αἱ γνῶμαι. ἵππου «δὲ ἢ τόξου ἢ ἄλλου ὁτουοῦν ὅπλου ὑμῶν φειδέσθω 5.28.14 «μηδείς. ἐγὼ γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ παραυτίκα ὑπὲρ πάντων «ἕτερα τῶν κατὰ τὴν μάχην διαφθειρομένων ἀνθυπ5.28.15 «ουργήσω.» Βελισάριος μὲν τοσαῦτα παρακελευσάμενος ἐξῆγε τὸ στράτευμα διά τε πυλίδος Πιγκιανῆς καὶ Σαλαρίας πύλης, ὀλίγους δέ τινας διὰ πύλης 5.28.16 Αὐρηλίας ἐς Νέρωνος πεδίον ἐκέλευεν ἰέναι. οἷς δὴ Βαλεντῖνον ἐπέστησε καταλόγου ἱππικοῦ ἄρχοντα, καὶ αὐτῷ ἐπέστελλε μάχης μὲν μηδεμιᾶς ἄρχειν, μηδὲ τοῦ στρατοπέδου τῶν ἐναντίων ἐγγυτέρω ἰέναι, δόκησιν δὲ παρέχειν ἀεὶ τοῦ αὐτίκα προσβάλλειν, ὅπως μὴ τῶν ἐνταῦθα πολεμίων τινὲς τὴν ἐκείνῃ γέφυραν διαβαίνοντες ἐπιβοηθεῖν τοῖς ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων χαρακωμάτων 5.28.17 οἷοί τε ὦσι. πολλῶν γὰρ ὄντων, ὥσπερ μοι προδεδήλωται, τῶν ἐν Νέρωνος πεδίῳ στρατοπεδευομένων βαρβάρων ἱκανόν οἱ ἐφαίνετο τούτους δὴ ἅπαντας οὐ μεταλαχόντας τῆς ξυμβολῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄλλου στρατοῦ 5.28.18 κεχωρίσθαι. καὶ ἐπειδὴ Ῥωμαίων τοῦ δήμου ἐθελούσιοί τινες ὅπλα ἀνελόμενοι εἵποντο, ἐς μὲν τὴν ξυμβολὴν αὐτοὺς ξυντετάχθαι σφίσιν οὐκ εἴασε, δείσας μὴ ἐν τῷ ἀγῶνι γενόμενοι κατορρωδήσωσί τε τὸν κίνδυνον καὶ τὸ στράτευμα ξυνταράξωσιν ὅλον, βάναυσοί τε ἄνδρες καὶ πολέμου ἀμελέτητοι παντάπασιν ὄντες. 5.28.19 ἐκτὸς δὲ πυλῶν Παγκρατιανῶν, αἳ ὑπὲρ Τίβεριν ποταμόν εἰσι, φάλαγγα ποιησαμένους ἡσυχάζειν ἐκέλευεν, ἕως αὐτὸς σημήνῃ, λογισάμενος, ὅπερ ἐγένετο, ὡς, εἴπερ αὐτούς τε καὶ τοὺς ἀμφὶ Βαλεντῖνον ἴδωσιν οἱ ἐν Νέρωνος πεδίῳ πολέμιοι, οὔ ποτε θαρσήσουσι τὸ σφέτερον ἀπολιπόντες χαράκωμα ἐπὶ σφᾶς ξὺν τῷ 5.28.20 ἄλλῳ στρατῷ ἐς μάχην ἰέναι. ἕρμαιον δὲ καὶ λόγου πολλοῦ ἄξιον εἶναι ἄνδρας τοσούτους τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ τῶν ἐναντίων στρατοπέδου ἀποκεκρίσθαι. 5.28.21 Οὕτως μὲν οὖν ἱππομαχίαν μόνον ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ποιήσασθαι ἤθελεν, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πεζῶν οἱ πλεῖστοι ἤδη μένειν ἐν τοῖς καθεστῶσιν οὐκ ἀξιοῦντες, ἵππους τε τῶν