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knowing that on the following day the men with Euthalius would arrive, he both gave orders and arranged the army as for battle, and the 6.2.6 barbarians were also in a state of readiness. He therefore held the soldiers near the gates for the whole early afternoon. For he knew that Euthalius and those with him would arrive by nightfall. 6.2.7 But at midday he ordered the army to take their meal, and the Goths did the same thing, thinking that he was putting off the engagement until the next day. 6.2.8 A little later Belisarius sent Martinus and Valerian with their followers to the Plain of Nero, instructing them to harass the enemy's camp as much as possible. 6.2.9 And from the Pincian postern he sent six hundred horsemen against the barbarians' 6.2.10 trenches. Over whom he placed three of his own bodyguards, Artasires, a Persian man, Bochas, a Massagete by race, and Cutilas, a Thracian. 6.2.11 And many of the enemy met them. But for a long time the battle did not come to close quarters, but as they advanced they would withdraw from each other, and both sides making their pursuits short, they seemed to wish to spend the time of the day for themselves in this way. 6.2.12 As they advanced, however, they were already grappling with each other in anger. And when the engagement became fierce, many and excellent men on both sides fell, and reinforcements came to both from the city and from the 6.2.13 trenches. As these mingled with the combatants, the struggle rose to an even greater height. And the shouting, encompassing both the city and the camps, 6.2.14 astounded the combatants. Finally, the Romans, thrusting back the enemy by their valor, routed them. In this action Cutilas, having been struck in the middle of the head by a javelin and having the small spear fixed there, gave chase. 6.2.15 And when the rout occurred, along with the survivors he rode into the city around sunset, with the javelin shaking in his head, a sight worthy of much mention. 6.2.16 At this time also Arzes, one of Belisarius's shield-bearers, a certain Gothic archer shot between the 6.2.17 nose and the right eye. And the point of the arrow went through as far as the back of the neck, but did not appear through it, while the remainder of the shaft was on his face and shook as the man rode his horse. 6.2.18 The Romans, seeing him together with Cutilas, were in great wonder, because they were riding, paying no heed to their injury. So these things were proceeding in this way. 6.2.19 But on the Plain of Nero the barbarians' affairs were in the ascendancy. Valerian and Martinus and their men, fighting against a great multitude of the enemy, were holding out staunchly, but they were suffering most terribly, and had come into a state of great 6.2.20 danger. And then indeed Belisarius ordered Bochas, leading those with him who had returned from the engagement with their bodies and horses unscathed, to go to the Plain of Nero. 6.2.21 It was already late in the day. And when Bochas and his men had suddenly come to the aid of the Romans, a rout of the barbarians occurred, into which Bochas, having charged for a very great distance, came to be surrounded by twelve of the enemy carrying spears. 6.2.22 And they all struck him at once with their spears. But as his cuirass held up, the other blows did not hurt him much, but one of the Goths from behind, hitting him above the right armpit on his unprotected body very near the shoulder, struck the young man, not a mortal wound, however, nor one that brought him into danger of death. 6.2.23 And another in front, stabbing his left thigh, cut the muscle there not with a straight, but with a transverse blow. 6.2.24 But Valerian and Martinus saw what was happening and, having come to his aid as quickly as possible, both routed the enemy and, both taking hold of the bridle of Bochas' horse, arrived in the city. And night came on, and Euthalius arrived with the money. 6.2.25 When they were all in the city, they tended to the wounds. So when the physicians wanted to draw the arrow from the face of Arzes, they were troubled for some time, not on account of the eye, which indeed they suspected could never be saved, but lest by cutting membranes and sinews,

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ὑστεραίᾳ τοὺς ἀμφὶ Εὐθάλιον ἔγνω παρέσεσθαι, διεῖπέ τε καὶ διεκόσμει ὡς ἐς μάχην τὸ στράτευμα, καὶ οἱ 6.2.6 βάρβαροι ἐν παρασκευῇ ἦσαν. ὅλην μὲν οὖν δείλην πρωίαν κατεῖχεν ἀμφὶ τὰς πύλας τοὺς στρατιώτας. ᾔδει γὰρ Εὐθάλιόν τε καὶ τοὺς ξὺν αὐτῷ ἐς νύκτα 6.2.7 ἀφίξεσθαι. ἐς δὲ ἡμέραν μέσην ἄριστον ἐκέλευε τὸ στράτευμα αἱρεῖσθαι, καὶ οἱ Γότθοι ταὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐποίουν, ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν αὐτὸν οἰόμενοι τὴν ξυμβολὴν 6.2.8 ἀποτίθεσθαι. ὀλίγῳ δὲ ὕστερον Μαρτῖνον μὲν καὶ Βαλεριανὸν ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις ἐς Νέρωνος πεδίον Βελισάριος ἔπεμψε, ξυνταράσσειν ὅτι μάλιστα ἐπιστεί6.2.9 λας τὸ τῶν πολεμίων στρατόπεδον. ἐκ δὲ πυλίδος Πιγκιανῆς ἱππέας ἑξακοσίους ἐπὶ τῶν βαρβάρων τὰ 6.2.10 χαρακώματα ἔστελλεν. οἷς δὴ τρεῖς τῶν αὑτοῦ δορυφόρων ἐπέστησεν, Ἀρτασίρην τε ἄνδρα Πέρσην καὶ Βώχαν Μασσαγέτην γένος καὶ Κουτίλαν Θρᾷκα. καὶ 6.2.11 πολλοὶ μὲν αὐτοῖς τῶν ἐναντίων ἀπήντησαν. χρόνον δὲ πολὺν ἡ μάχη ἐν χερσὶν οὐκ ἐγίνετο, ἀλλ' ἐπιοῦσί τε ὑπεχώρουν ἀλλήλοις καὶ τὰς διώξεις ἑκάτεροι ἀγχιστρόφους ποιούμενοι ἐῴκεισαν βουλομένοις ἐς τοῦτο σφίσι 6.2.12 δαπανᾶσθαι τὸν τῆς ἡμέρας χρόνον. προϊόντες μέντοι ὀργῇ ἐς ἀλλήλους εἴχοντο ἤδη. καρτερᾶς τε γεγενημένης τῆς ξυμβολῆς, ἑκατέρων μὲν πολλοὶ καὶ ἄριστοι ἔπεσον, ἀμφοτέροις δὲ ἀπό τε τῆς πόλεως καὶ τῶν 6.2.13 χαρακωμάτων ἐπίκουροι ἦλθον. ὧν δὴ ἀναμιγνυμένων τοῖς μαχομένοις ἔτι μᾶλλον ὁ πόνος ἐπὶ μέγα ᾔρετο. καὶ ἡ κραυγὴ τήν τε πόλιν καὶ τὰ στρατόπεδα περι6.2.14 λαβοῦσα τοὺς μαχομένους ἐξέπλησσε. τέλος δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι ἀρετῇ ὠσάμενοι τοὺς πολεμίους ἐτρέψαντο. ἐν τούτῳ τῷ ἔργῳ Κουτίλας μέσην τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀκοντίῳ πληγεὶς καὶ ταύτῃ τὸ δοράτιον ἐμπεπηγὸς ἔχων ἐδίωκε. 6.2.15 τῆς τε τροπῆς γενομένης ἅμα τοῖς περιοῦσιν ἐς τὴν πόλιν ἀμφὶ ἡλίου δύσιν ἐσήλασε, κραδαινομένου οἱ ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ τοῦ ἀκοντίου, θέαμα λόγου πολλοῦ 6.2.16 ἄξιον. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ καὶ Ἄρζην, τῶν Βελισαρίου ὑπασπιστῶν ἕνα, τῶν τις Γότθων τοξότης μεταξὺ τῆς τε 6.2.17 ῥινὸς καὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ τοῦ δεξιοῦ βάλλει. καὶ τοῦ μὲν τοξεύματος ἡ ἀκὶς ἄχρι ἐς τὸν αὐχένα ὀπίσω διῆλθεν, οὐ μέντοι διεφάνη, τοῦ δὲ ἀτράκτου τὸ λειπόμενον ἐπῆν τε τῷ προσώπῳ καὶ ἱππευομένου τοῦ ἀνθρώπου 6.2.18 ἐσείετο. ὃν δὴ ξὺν τῷ Κουτίλᾳ θεώμενοι ἐν θαύματι μεγάλῳ ἐποιοῦντο Ῥωμαῖοι, ὅτι δὴ ἱππεύοντο, οὐδεμίαν ἐπιστροφὴν τοῦ κακοῦ ἔχοντες. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐφέρετο τῇδε. 6.2.19 Ἐν δὲ Νέρωνος πεδίῳ τὰ βαρβάρων πράγματα καθυπέρτερα ἦν. οἵ τε ἀμφὶ Βαλεριανὸν καὶ Μαρτῖνον, πλήθει πολλῷ πολεμίων μαχόμενοι, καρτερῶς μὲν ὑφίσταντο, ἔπασχον δὲ τὰ δεινότατα, καὶ κινδύνου ἐς 6.2.20 μέγα τι ἀφίκοντο χρῆμα. καὶ τότε δὴ Βελισάριος Βώχαν ἐκέλευεν ἐπαγόμενον τοὺς ξὺν αὐτῷ ἀκραιφνέσι σώμασί τε καὶ ἵπποις ἐκ τῆς ξυμβολῆς ἐπανήκοντας 6.2.21 ἐς Νέρωνος πεδίον ἰέναι. ἤδη δὲ ἦν τῆς ἡμέρας ὀψέ. καὶ Ῥωμαίοις τῶν ἀμφὶ Βώχαν ἐπιβεβοηθηκότων ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου τροπὴ τῶν βαρβάρων ἐγίνετο, ἐς ἣν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον Βώχας ἐμπεσὼν ἐς κύκλωσιν δυοκαίδεκα 6.2.22 πολεμίων δόρατα φερόντων ἀφίκετο. καὶ αὐτὸν ἔπαισαν μὲν ὁμοῦ τοῖς δόρασιν ἅπαντες. τοῦ δὲ θώρακος ὑφισταμένου αἱ μὲν ἄλλαι πληγαὶ οὐ σφόδρα ἐλύπουν, εἷς δὲ τῶν Γότθων ἐξόπισθεν ὑπὲρ μασχάλην τὴν δεξιὰν γυμνοῦ τοῦ σώματος ἄγχιστα τοῦ ὤμου ἐπιτυχὼν ἔπληξε τὸν νεανίαν, οὐ καιρίαν μέντοι, οὐδὲ 6.2.23 ἐς θανάτου κίνδυνον ἄγουσαν. ἔμπροσθεν δὲ ἄλλος μηρὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν εὐώνυμον νύξας τὸν ταύτῃ μυῶνα 6.2.24 οὐκ εὐθείᾳ τινὶ, ἀλλ' ἐγκαρσίᾳ πληγῇ ἔτεμε. Βαλεριανὸς δὲ καὶ Μαρτῖνος τὰ ποιούμενα κατεῖδόν τε καὶ οἱ ἐπιβεβοηθηκότες ὡς τάχιστα ἔτρεψάν τε τοὺς πολεμίους καὶ τοῦ χαλινοῦ τοῦ Βώχα ἵππου ἄμφω λαβομένω ἐς τὴν πόλιν ἀφίκοντο. νύξ τε ἐπεγένετο καὶ ξὺν τοῖς χρήμασιν Εὐθάλιος ἦλθεν. 6.2.25 Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἅπαντες ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐγένοντο, τῶν τραυμάτων ἐπεμελοῦντο. Ἄρζου μὲν οὖν τὸ βέλος ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου ἀφέλκεσθαι βουλόμενοι οἱ ἰατροὶ χρόνον τινὰ ἤσχαλλον, οὐχ ὅτι τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ ἕνεκεν, ὃν δὴ οὐκ ἄν ποτε σωθήσεσθαι ὑπετόπαζον, ἀλλ' ὅπως μὴ ὑμένων τε καὶ νεύρων τρήσεσιν,