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having plundered the enemy and having become not unpracticed in riding, 5.28.22 were horsemen. But as for the infantry, since they were few in number and had neither a phalanx to form that was worthy of mention nor did they yet dare to come to grips with the barbarians, but were always set to flight at the first charge, he did not consider it safe to draw them up far from the circuit-wall, but rather to have them remain in formation right there, very near the trench, so that if it should happen that their cavalry were routed, they might be able to receive the fugitives and with them, since they were fresh, to ward off the enemy. 5.28.23 But a certain Principius among his bodyguards, a notable man, a Pisidian by race, and Tarmutus the Isaurian, brother of Ennes, the leader of the Isaurians, 5.28.24 coming into the presence of Belisarius, spoke as follows: "Best of generals, do not see fit to cut off from your army—small as it is and about to fight against many myriads of barbarians—the phalanx of the infantry, nor think that the Roman infantry should be insulted, by which we hear that the empire for the ancient Romans advanced to its present greatness. 5.28.25 For if it so happens that something not worthy of account has been accomplished by them in this war, this is no proof of the soldiers' cowardice, but the commanders of the infantry are rightly to bear the blame, since they alone ride on horses in the battle-line, and do not think fit to consider the fortune of war a common one, but for the most part each one resorts to flight by himself even before the struggle. 5.28.26 But as for you, take all the commanders of the infantry—for you see they have become horsemen and are least of all willing to be arrayed with their subordinates—with the rest of the cavalry force and enter into this engagement, but allow us to lead the infantry into the battle-line. 5.28.27 For we too, as foot-soldiers, will withstand the multitude of the barbarians along with them, having the hope of doing to the enemy whatever God may grant." 5.28.28 Belisarius, hearing this, at first did not consent. For he was exceedingly fond of the two men, who were extremely warlike, and he did not wish a few foot-soldiers to run into danger. 5.28.29 But in the end, compelled by the eagerness of the men, he left a few men at the gates and up on the battlements with the Roman populace to attend to the engines, but over the rest he placed Principius and Tarmutus and ordered them to take their stand in formation behind, so that they themselves, not shrinking from the danger, would not throw the rest of the army into confusion, and so that if any portion of the cavalry should ever be routed, they would not retreat too far, but taking refuge with the infantry they might be able, with them, to ward off their pursuers. 5.29.1 For the Romans, then, the preparations for the engagement were made in this way. And Vittigis armed all the Goths, leaving no one in the camps except those unfit for fighting. 5.29.2 And he ordered the men with Marcian to remain in the Plain of Nero, and to take care of the guard at the bridge, so that the enemy might not come against them from there; and he himself, calling together the rest of the army, 5.29.3 spoke as follows: "Perhaps to some of you I might seem to fear for my rule, and for this reason both to show my general goodwill towards you and now to utter persuasive words to you for the sake of courage. 5.29.4 And they do not reason this in a way inconsistent with human nature. For ignorant men are accustomed to treat with mildness those whom they need, even if they happen to be greatly inferior, but to be difficult of access to others, 5.29.5 whose service they do not require. To me, however, 5.29.5 there is no concern either for the end of my life or for the loss of my rule. For I would pray even to lay aside this purple robe today, if a man of the Goths were destined to put it on. 5.29.6 And I have considered the end of Theodahad to have been most fortunate, since it befell him to give up both his rule and his life at the same time at the hands of his countrymen. 5.29.7 For a personal calamity, if the race is not destroyed along with one, is not, for those at least who are not without sense, deprived of consolation. 5.28.8 But as I consider both the fate of the Vandals and the end of Gelimer, nothing moderate enters my mind, but I seem to see the Goths enslaved with their children, and your wives

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πολεμίων ληϊσάμενοι καὶ τοῦ ἱππεύειν οὐκ 5.28.22 ἀμελέτητοι γεγενημένοι, ἱππόται ἦσαν. τοὺς δὲ πεζοὺς, ὀλίγους τε ὄντας καὶ οὔτε φάλαγγα ἔχοντας λόγου ἀξίαν ποιήσασθαι οὔτε τοῖς βαρβάροις θαρσήσαντάς πω ἐς χεῖρας ἰέναι, ἀλλ' ἐς φυγὴν ἀεὶ ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ ὁρμῇ καθισταμένους, οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς ἐνόμιζεν εἶναι ἄποθεν τοῦ περιβόλου παρατάσσεσθαι, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ ἄγχιστα τῆς τάφρου ἐν τάξει μένειν, ὅπως, εἴ γε σφῶν τοὺς ἱππέας τρέπεσθαι ξυμβαίνοι, δέχεσθαί τε οἷοί τε ὦσι τοὺς φεύγοντας καὶ ξὺν αὐτοῖς ἅτε ἀκμῆτες τοὺς ἐναν5.28.23 τίους ἀμύνεσθαι. Πριγκίπιος δέ τις ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῦ δορυφόροις, ἀνὴρ δόκιμος, Πισίδης γένος, καὶ Ταρμοῦτος Ἴσαυρος, Ἔννου τοῦ Ἰσαύρων ἀρχηγοῦ ἀδελφὸς,5.28.24 Βελισαρίῳ ἐς ὄψιν ἐλθόντες ἔλεξαν τοιάδε «Στρατηγῶν «ἄριστε, μήτε τὸ στράτευμά σοι, ὀλίγον τε ὂν καὶ «πρὸς μυριάδας βαρβάρων πολλὰς μαχησόμενον, ἀπο»τέμνεσθαι ἀξίου τῆς πεζῶν φάλαγγος, μήτε χρῆναι «τὸ Ῥωμαίων πεζικὸν ὑβρίζεσθαι οἴου, δι' οὗ τὴν «ἀρχὴν τοῖς πάλαι Ῥωμαίοις ἐς τόδε μεγέθους κεχω5.28.25 «ρηκέναι ἀκούομεν. εἰ γάρ τι οὐκ ἀξιόλογον αὐτοῖς «ἐν τῷδε τῷ πολέμῳ εἰργάσθαι ξυμβαίνει, οὐ τῆς τῶν «στρατιωτῶν κακίας τεκμήριον τοῦτο, ἀλλ' οἱ τῶν «πεζῶν ἄρχοντες τὴν αἰτίαν φέρεσθαι δίκαιοι, ἵπποις «μὲν ἐν τῇ παρατάξει μόνοι ὀχούμενοι, κοινὴν δὲ «ἡγεῖσθαι οὐκ ἀξιοῦντες τὴν τοῦ πολέμου τύχην, ἀλλὰ «φυγῇ αὐτῶν μόνος ἕκαστος καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἀγωνίας τὰ 5.28.26 «πολλὰ χρώμενοι. σὺ δὲ πάντας μὲν τοὺς πεζῶν «ἄρχοντας, ἱππέας γὰρ ὁρᾷς γεγενημένους ἥκιστά «τε ξυντάττεσθαι τοῖς σφῶν ὑπηκόοις ἐθέλοντας, ξὺν «τῷ ἄλλῳ τῶν ἱππέων στρατεύματι ἔχων ἐς τὴν ξυμ»βολὴν τήνδε καθίστασο, ἡμᾶς δὲ τοῖς πεζοῖς ἐς 5.28.27 «τὴν παράταξιν ἡγεῖσθαι ξυγχώρει. πεζοὶ γὰρ καὶ «ἡμεῖς τὸ τῶν βαρβάρων πλῆθος ξὺν αὐτοῖς οἴσομεν, «ἐλπίδα ἔχοντες ὅσα ἂν ὁ θεὸς διδῷ τοὺς πολεμίους 5.28.28 «ἐργάσασθαι.» ταῦτα ἀκούσας Βελισάριος κατ' ἀρχὰς μὲν οὐ ξυνεχώρησεν. αὐτὼ γὰρ ἄνδρε μαχίμω ἐς ἄγαν ὄντε ὑπερηγάπα καὶ πεζοὺς ὀλίγους διακινδυ5.28.29 νεύειν οὐκ ἤθελε. τέλος δὲ τῇ τῶν ἀνδρῶν προθυμίᾳ βιαζόμενος ὀλίγους μέν τινας ἔς τε τὰς πύλας καὶ ἄνω ἐς τὰς ἐπάλξεις ξὺν Ῥωμαίων τῷ δήμῳ ἀμφὶ τὰς μηχανὰς εἴασε, τοῖς δὲ ἄλλοις Πριγκίπιόν τε καὶ Ταρμοῦτον ἐπιστήσας ὄπισθεν αὐτοὺς ἵστασθαι ἐν τάξει ἐκέλευεν, ὅπως αὐτοί τε μὴ τὸν κίνδυνον κατορρωδήσαντες τὸ ἄλλο στράτευμα ξυνταράξωσι, καὶ τῶν ἱππέων ἤν τίς ποτε μοῖρα τρέποιτο, μὴ ὡς ἀπωτάτω χωρήσαιεν, ἀλλ' ἐς τοὺς πεζοὺς καταφεύγοντες τοὺς διώκοντας οἷοί τε ὦσι ξὺν ἐκείνοις ἀμύνεσθαι. 5.29.1 Ῥωμαίοις μὲν τὰ ἐς τὴν ξυμβολὴν παρεσκεύαστο ὧδε. Οὐίττιγις δὲ Γότθους ἐξώπλισεν ἅπαντας, οὐδένα ἐν τοῖς χαρακώμασιν, ὅτι μὴ τοὺς ἀπο5.29.2 μάχους, ἀπολιπών. καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀμφὶ Μαρκίαν ἐν Νέρωνος πεδίῳ μένειν ἐκέλευε, φυλακῆς τε τῆς ἐν γεφύρᾳ ἐπιμελεῖσθαι, ὅπως δὴ μὴ ἐνθένδε οἱ πολέμιοι ἐπὶ σφᾶς ἴωσιν· αὐτὸς δὲ τὸ ἄλλο στράτευμα ξυγκα5.29.3 λέσας ἔλεξε τοιάδε «Ἴσως ἂν ὑμῶν τισι περὶ τῇ ἀρχῇ «δεδιέναι δοκοίην καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τήν τε ἄλλην ἐς «ὑμᾶς φιλοφροσύνην ἐνδείξασθαι καὶ τανῦν ὑπὲρ 5.29.4 «εὐτολμίας ὑμῖν ἐπαγωγὰ φθέγγεσθαι. καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ «ἄπο τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου τρόπου λογίζονται. εἰώθασι «γὰρ ἀμαθεῖς ἄνθρωποι, ὧν μὲν ἂν δέοιντο, πρᾳότητι «ἐς αὐτοὺς χρῆσθαι, κἂν πολλῷ τῷ διαλλάσσοντι κατα»δεέστεροι τύχωσιν ὄντες, ἐς δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους δυσπρόσ5.29.5 «οδοι εἶναι, ὧν τῆς ὑπουργίας οὐ χρῄζουσιν. ἐμοὶ 5.29.5 «μέντοι οὔτε βίου καταστροφῆς οὔτε ἀρχῆς στερήσεως «μέλει. εὐξαίμην γὰρ ἂν καὶ τὴν πορφυρίδα ταύτην «ἀποδύσασθαι τήμερον, εἰ Γότθος ἀνὴρ αὐτὴν ἐνδι5.29.6 «δύσκεσθαι μέλλοι. καὶ τὸ Θευδάτου πέρας ὄλβιον ἐν «τοῖς μάλιστα γεγενῆσθαι νενόμικα, ᾧ γε ταῖς τῶν «ὁμοφύλων χερσὶ τήν τε ἀρχὴν ἀφεῖναι καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν 5.29.7 «ἅμα τετύχηκε. συμφορὰ γὰρ ἰδίᾳ προσπίπτουσα μὴ «συμφθειρομένου τοῦ γένους τοῖς γε οὐκ ἀνοήτοις 5.29.8 «παραψυχῆς οὐκ ἐστέρηται. ἐννοοῦντά με δὲ τό τε «Βανδίλων πάθος καὶ τὸ τοῦ Γελίμερος τέλος οὐδὲν «εἰσέρχεται μέτριον, ἀλλὰ Γότθους μὲν ὁρᾶν μοι δοκῶ «ξὺν τοῖς παισὶ δεδουλωμένους, γυναῖκας δὲ ὑμετέρας