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as often happens in these situations, they came near to destroying an excellent man of Belisarius' household. Then one of the physicians, Theoctistus by name, pressing on the back of his neck from behind, asked the man if he was in great pain. And when he said that he was in pain, "Then you will both be saved," he said, "and you will not be injured in your sight." He affirmed this, having concluded that the point of the dart did not extend far from the skin. So, cutting off as much of the spindle-shaft as was visible outside, he threw it away, and dividing the skin over the muscles of the neck, where the man was in most pain, from there with no trouble he drew out the point, which projected backwards with three barbs and brought with it the remaining part of the dart. And so Arzes remained altogether free from harm and not even a trace of the wound was left on his face. But Cutilas, when the spear was more violently removed from his head (for it had been fixed very deep), fell into a swoon. But since the membranes there began to be inflamed, being seized by a disease of the brain, he died not long after. As for Bochas, however, an unspeakable flow of blood from his thigh immediately took hold of him, and it seemed he would die before long. The physicians said the cause of this was that the wound had severed the muscle, not in a straight line, but with a crosswise cut. At any rate, he died three days later. Because of these things, therefore, the Romans were in great grief that whole night. And from the Goths many dirges and great wailings were heard from the trenches. And the Romans were astonished, since no misfortune worthy of mention seemed to have befallen the enemy on the previous day, except, of course, that not a few of them had been killed in the encounters. And this, though it had happened to them before in no less, if not even greater, degree, had not greatly disturbed them because of their great numbers. It was learned, however, on the next day that the Goths were mourning for men of the highest distinction from the camp in the Plain of Nero, whom Bochas had killed in the first assault. And there were also other encounters not worthy of mention, which it has not seemed at all necessary for me to record. In all, however, sixty-seven encounters happened to take place in this siege, and two other final ones, which will be related by me in the subsequent narrative. At that time the winter was ending and the second year of this war, which Procopius wrote, was coming to a close. And now that the summer solstice had begun, both famine and pestilence together fell upon those in the city. And while the soldiers still had some grain left, they had none of the other provisions, but for the other Romans the grain had failed and the famine, along with the pestilence, was pressing them severely. The Goths, perceiving this, were no longer willing to risk a battle with the enemy, but were on guard so that nothing more might be brought in to them. There are two aqueducts between the Latin and Appian ways, exceedingly high, and for the most part supported on arches. These two aqueducts, in a place fifty stades distant from Rome, meet each other and after a short distance turn in the opposite direction. For the one which before occupied the place on the right then proceeds, being carried along on the left. And coming together again and regaining their former position, for the rest of the way they are separated, and from this it comes about that the space between them is enclosed by the fortification of the aqueducts. And the lower arches of these the barbarians blocked with stones and clay and made into the form of a fort, and there, having encamped no fewer than seven thousand men, they kept watch so that the enemy could no longer bring any provisions into the city. Then indeed for the Romans all hope of good had failed, and every form of evil surrounded them. So for a time, while the grain was ripening, the most daring of the soldiers, urged on by their desire for money, riding on their horses and leading others, would go among the crops at night not far from the city. And cutting the ears of corn and placing them on the horses which they themselves were leading, escaping the notice of the enemy they brought them into the city for a great price to the prosperous Romans

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οἷα πολλὰ ἐνταῦθά ἐστιν, ἄνδρα τῆς Βελισαρίου οἰκίας ἄριστον διαφθεί6.2.26 ρωσιν. ἔπειτα δὲ τῶν τις ἰατρῶν, Θεόκτιστος ὄνομα, ὄπισθεν ἐς τὸν αὐχένα ἐρείσας ἐπυνθάνετο τοῦ ἀν6.2.27 θρώπου εἰ λίαν ἀλγοίη. τοῦ δὲ ἀλγεῖν φήσαντος, «οὐκοῦν αὐτός τε σωθήσῃ,» εἶπε, «καὶ τὴν ὄψιν οὐκ «ἂν βλαβήσῃ.» ταῦτα δὲ ἰσχυρίσατο τεκμηράμενος, ὅτι 6.2.28 τοῦ βέλους ἡ ἀκὶς τοῦ δέρματος οὐ πόρρω διήκει. τοῦ μὲν οὖν ἀτράκτου ὅσον ἔξω ἐφαίνετο ἐκτεμὼν ἔρριψε, διελὼν δὲ τῶν ἰνίων τὸ δέρμα, οὗ μάλιστα ὁ ἀνὴρ πολυώδυνος ἦν, ἐντεῦθεν πόνῳ οὐδενὶ τὴν ἀκίδα ἐφείλκυσε, τρισί τε προὔχουσαν ὀπίσω ὀξείαις καὶ μοῖραν 6.2.29 τοῦ βέλους τὴν λειπομένην ξὺν αὐτῇ φέρουσαν. οὕτω τε Ἄρζης κακῶν τε παντάπασιν ἀπαθὴς ἔμεινε καὶ οὐδὲ ἴχνος αὐτοῦ τῆς πληγῆς ἐς τὸ πρόσωπον ἀπελεί6.2.30 πετο. Κουτίλας δὲ βιαιότερον τοῦ δορατίου ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἀφαιρεθέντος (ἐπεπήγει γὰρ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον) ἐς 6.2.31 λειποθυμίαν ἐξέπεσεν. ἐπεὶ δέ οἱ φλεγμαίνειν αἱ 6.2.31 τῇδε μήνιγγες ἤρξαντο, φρενίτιδι νόσῳ ἁλοὺς οὐ πολλῷ 6.2.32 ὕστερον ἐτελεύτησε. Βώχαν μέντοι αὐτίκα αἵματός τε ῥύσις ἄφατος ἐκ τοῦ μηροῦ ἔσχε καὶ τεθνηξομένῳ οὐκ ἐς μακρὰν ἐῴκει. αἴτιον δὲ τούτου εἶναι ἰατροὶ ἔλεγον, ὅτι οὐκ ἐπ' εὐθείας, ἀλλ' ἐγκαρσίᾳ ἐντομῇ τὸν μυῶνα ἡ πληγὴ ἔκοψεν. ἡμέραις γοῦν ἀπέθανε τρισὶν 6.2.33 ὕστερον. διὰ ταῦτα μὲν οὖν Ῥωμαῖοι τὴν νύκτα ὅλην ἐκείνην ἐν πένθει μεγάλῳ ἐγένοντο. Γότθων δὲ θρῆνοί τε πολλοὶ καὶ κωκυτοὶ μεγάλοι ἐκ τῶν χαρακωμάτων 6.2.34 ἠκούοντο. καὶ ἐθαύμαζόν γε Ῥωμαῖοι, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲν ἐδόκει πάθος ξυμβῆναι τοῖς πολεμίοις λόγου ἄξιον τῇ προτεραίᾳ, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι οὐκ ὀλίγοι αὐτῶν ἐν 6.2.35 ταῖς ξυμβολαῖς διεφθάρησαν. ὅπερ καὶ πρότερον αὐτοῖς οὐδέν τι ἧσσον, εἰ μὴ καὶ μᾶλλον, ξυνενεχθὲν οὐ λίαν 6.2.36 γε αὐτοὺς διὰ τὴν πολυανθρωπίαν ἐτάραξεν. ἐγνώσθη μέντοι τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ὡς ἄνδρας δοκίμους ἐς τὰ μάλιστα τοῦ ἐν Νέρωνος πεδίῳ στρατοπέδου Γότθοι ἐθρήνουν, 6.2.37 οὓς δὴ ὁ Βώχας ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ ὁρμῇ ἔκτεινεν. ἐγένοντο δὲ καὶ ἄλλαι οὐκ ἀξιόλογοι ξυμβολαὶ, ἅσπερ μοι ξυγγράψαι οὔτι ἀναγκαῖον ἔδοξεν εἶναι. πάσας μέντοι ἑπτὰ καὶ ἑξήκοντα ἐν τῇδε τῇ πολιορκίᾳ ξυνηνέχθη γενέσθαι, καὶ δύο δὴ ἄλλας ὑστάτας, αἵ μοι ἐν τοῖς 6.2.38 ὄπισθεν λόγοις εἰρήσονται. τότε δὲ ὅ τε χειμὼν ἔληγε καὶ τὸ δεύτερον ἔτος ἐτελεύτα τῷ πολέμῳ τῷδε, ὃν Προκόπιος ξυνέγραψεν. 6.3.1 Ἤδη δὲ τῆς θερινῆς τροπῆς ἀρξαμένης λιμός τε ὁμοῦ καὶ λοιμὸς τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐπέπεσε. καὶ τοῖς στρατιώταις σῖτος μὲν ἔτι ἐλείπετο, ἄλλο δὲ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων οὐδὲν, Ῥωμαίους δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους ὅ τε σῖτος ἐπελελοίπει καὶ ὁ λιμὸς ἀκριβῶς ξὺν 6.3.2 τῷ λοιμῷ ἐπίεζεν. ὧν δὴ οἱ Γότθοι αἰσθόμενοι μάχῃ μὲν διακινδυνεύειν πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους οὐκέτι ἤθελον, ἐφύλασσον δὲ ὅπως αὐτοῖς μηδὲν τοῦ λοιποῦ 6.3.3 ἐσκομίζοιτο. ἐστὸν δὲ ὕδατος ὀχετὼ δύο μεταξὺ Λατίνης τε καὶ Ἀππίας ὁδοῦ, ὑψηλὼ ἐς ἄγαν, κυρτώ6.3.4 μασί τε ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀνεχομένω. τούτω δὴ τὼ ὀχετὼ ἐν χώρῳ διέχοντι Ῥώμης σταδίοις πεντήκοντα ξυμβάλλετόν τε ἀλλήλοιν καὶ τὴν ἐναντίαν ὁδὸν 6.3.5 δι' ὀλίγου τρέπεσθον. ὁ γὰρ ἔμπροσθεν χώραν λαχὼν τὴν ἐν δεξιᾷ τηνικαῦτα χωρεῖ φερόμενος τὰ εὐώνυμα. 6.3.6 πάλιν δὲ ξυνιόντε καὶ χώραν τὴν προτέραν ἀπολαβόντε τὸ λοιπὸν διακέκρισθον, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ χῶρον τὸν μεταξὺ ὀχύρωμα ξυμβαίνει τῷ ἐκ τῶν ὀχετῶν 6.3.7 περιβάλλεσθαι. τούτων δὲ τὰ κάτω κυρτώματα οἱ βάρβαροι λίθοις τε καὶ πηλῷ φράξαντες φρουρίου σχῆμα πεποίηνται κἀνταῦθα οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ ἐς ἑπτακισχιλίους ἐνστρατοπεδευσάμενοι φυλακὴν εἶχον τοῦ μηκέτι τοὺς πολεμίους ἐς τὴν πόλιν τι τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἐσκο6.3.8 μίζεσθαι. τότε δὴ Ῥωμαίους πᾶσα μὲν ἐλπὶς ἀγαθοῦ ἐπελελοίπει, πᾶσα δὲ ἰδέα κακοῦ περιεστήκει. τέως μὲν οὖν ὁ σῖτος ἤκμαζε, τῶν στρατιωτῶν οἱ εὐτολμότατοι ἐναγούσης αὐτοὺς τῆς τῶν χρημάτων ἐπιθυμίας τοῖς ἵπποις τε ὀχούμενοι καὶ ἄλλους ἐφέλκοντες ἐν τοῖς ληΐοις ἐγίνοντο νύκτωρ τῆς πόλεως οὐ μακρὰν 6.3.9 ἄποθεν. τέμνοντές τε τοὺς ἀστάχυας καὶ τοῖς ἵπποις, οὓς αὐτοὶ ἐφεῖλκον, ἐνθέμενοι, ἐς τὴν πόλιν λανθάνοντες τοὺς πολεμίους ἐκόμιζον χρημάτων τε μεγάλων 6.3.10 Ῥωμαίων τοῖς εὐδαίμοσιν