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were sold. The rest, however, were living on certain plants, such as grow in great numbers both about the suburbs and inside the circuit-wall. For herbage never fails the land of the Romans, either in the winter season or at any other time, but it is always flowering and flourishing 6.3.11 for all time. From this, indeed, it happened that the besieged were even able to pasture their horses there. And some, making sausages from the mules that were dying in Rome, 6.3.12 were selling them secretly. But when the standing crops no longer had grain and all the Romans came into great distress, they both surrounded Belisarius and were trying to force him to decide the issue with the enemy in a single battle, promising that no Roman would be absent from the engagement. And to him, being both perplexed by the present situation and greatly vexed by the people, some spoke as follows: "Not 6.3.13 "expecting it, O general, has the present fortune over»taken us, but in every respect the outcome of our 6.3.14 "hope has turned out to be the opposite. For having obtained what we formerly "desired, we have now come to the present mis»fortune, and our former reputation for rightly desiring the emperor's foresight has been transformed, "now being both folly and the founda6.3.15"tion of the greatest evils. From this, indeed, we have come to such a point of necessity that "even now we have dared to use force and to arm ourselves against the barba6.3.16"rians. And it is pardonable if we "are insolent towards Belisarius. For the belly, 6.3.17 "when lacking necessities, does not know how to feel shame. But let fortune be our "apology for our rashness. For, as is reasonable, of all things "the most grievous seems to be a life prolonged for those who are "not faring well. So then, what has befallen us 6.3.18 "you see, I suppose. These fields and the entire country "have fallen under the hands of the enemy. And this "city has been shut off from all goods for we know not 6.3.19 "how long a time. Of the Romans, some already lie dead, "having had the lot of not even being hidden by the earth, while we who "survive, to sum up all the terrible things, 6.3.20 "pray to be ranked with those who lie thus. For "famine makes all evils seem bearable to those who encounter it, and wherever it appears, it comes with forgetfulness of other "things and makes all deaths, except the one "that comes from itself, seem a pleasure to 6.3.21 "men. Therefore, while the evil has not yet "overpowered us, grant that we may take up the "struggle on our own behalf, from which it will befall us either to overcome the ene6.3.22"mies or to be delivered from our hardships. For to those for whom delay brings hope of safety, it would be great "folly to be the first to enter into a danger that concerns "everything, but for those for whom the struggle becomes more "difficult through slowness, to postpone it even for a short "time is more blameworthy than immediate rashness. 6.3.23" The Romans said so much. But Belisarius answered thus: "But to me, who was very much expecting it, "all that has come from you has happened, and nothing has turned out contrary 6.3.24 "to my expectation. For I have long known that the populace is a most "ill-advised thing, and is constituted neither to bear the present "nor to plan for the future, but it always easily attempts the impossible, and knows only how to be destroyed 6.3.25 "unthinkingly. I, however, would not "ever through your fecklessness either destroy you, "at least willingly, or along with you ruin the emperor's 6.3.26 "affairs. For war is not wont to be brought to a successful issue by un"reasoning haste, but by good counsel "and foresight, always weighing the turn 6.3.27 "of opportunity. You, then, thinking you are playing draughts, "wish to cast a single die for everything, but it is "not my custom to choose the short way before the expedient 6.3.28 "one. Then you profess that you will go with us into battle against the enemy, when having "practised the exercises of war? Or who, having learned such things by arms, does not "know that battle allows no room for a trial run? Not even "the enemy himself allows one to practise in the midst of the conflicts. 6.3.29 For now, I admire your zeal and 6.3.30 "I am lenient towards this disturbance. But that these things "have not happened at a good time for you and that we are using a prudent delay, I shall make clear.

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ἀπεδίδοντο. οἱ μέντοι ἄλλοι βοτάναις τισὶν ἀπέζων, οἷαι πολλαὶ ἀμφί τε τὰ προάστεια καὶ τοῦ περιβόλου ἐντὸς γίνονται. βοτάνη γὰρ γῆν τὴν Ῥωμαίων οὔτε χειμῶνος ὥρᾳ οὔτε ἐς ἄλλον τινὰ ἐπιλείπει καιρὸν, ἀλλ' ἀνθεῖ τε ἀεὶ καὶ τέθηλεν 6.3.11 ἐς πάντα τὸν χρόνον. ἀφ' οὗ δὴ καὶ ἱπποφορβεῖν ἐνταῦθα τοὺς πολιορκουμένους τετύχηκε. τινὲς δὲ καὶ ἐξ ἡμιόνων τῶν ἐν Ῥώμῃ θνησκόντων ἀλλᾶντας ποι6.3.12 ούμενοι ἀπεδίδοντο λάθρα. ἐπεὶ δὲ σῖτον τὰ λήϊα οὐκέτι εἶχε καὶ ἐς μέγα κακὸν ἅπαντες Ῥωμαῖοι ἀφίκοντο, Βελισάριόν τε περιίσταντο καὶ μάχῃ μιᾷ διακρίνεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους ἠνάγκαζον, Ῥωμαίων οὐδένα τῆς ξυμβολῆς ἀπολείψεσθαι ὑποσχόμενοι. καὶ αὐτῷ ἀπορουμένῳ τε τοῖς παροῦσι καὶ λίαν ἀχθομένῳ τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ δήμου ἔλεξάν τινες τοιάδε «Οὐ 6.3.13 «προσδεχομένους ἡμᾶς ἡ παροῦσα, ὦ στρατηγὲ, κατέ»λαβε τύχη, ἀλλ' εἰς πᾶν ἡμῖν τοὐναντίον τὰ τῆς 6.3.14 «ἐλπίδος ἐκβέβηκε. τετυχηκότες γὰρ ὧν πρότερον ἐν «ἐπιθυμίᾳ κατέστημεν, τανῦν ἐς τὴν παροῦσαν ξυμ»φορὰν ἥκομεν, καὶ περιέστηκεν ἡμῶν ἡ προλαβοῦσα «δόξα τὸ καλῶς τῆς βασιλέως προμηθείας ἐφίεσθαι, «νῦν ἄνοιά τε οὖσα καὶ κακῶν τῶν μεγίστων ὑπό6.3.15 «θεσις. ἀφ' οὗ δὴ ἐς τόδε ἀνάγκης ἀφίγμεθα ὥστε «ἐν τῷ παρόντι ἔτι βιάζεσθαι καὶ πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους 6.3.16 «ὁπλίζεσθαι τετολμήκαμεν. καὶ συγγνώμη μὲν εἰ πρὸς «Βελισάριον θρασυνόμεθα. γαστὴρ γὰρ οὐκ οἶδεν 6.3.17 «ἀποροῦσα τῶν ἀναγκαίων αἰσχύνεσθαι. ἀπολελογήσθω «δὲ ἡμῖν τῆς προπετείας ἡ τύχη. πάντων γὰρ εἰκότως «ἀνιαρότατος εἶναι δοκεῖ μηκυνόμενος τοῖς οὐκ εὖ «φερομένοις ὁ βίος. τὰ μὲν οὖν ξυμπεσόντα ἡμῖν 6.3.18 «ὁρᾷς δήπουθεν. ἀγροὶ μὲν οὗτοι καὶ χώρα ξύμπασα «ὑποπέπτωκε ταῖς τῶν πολεμίων χερσίν. ἡ πόλις δὲ «αὕτη τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀποκέκλεισται πάντων οὐκ ἴσμεν 6.3.19 «ἐξ ὅτου δὴ χρόνου. Ῥωμαίων δὲ οἱ μὲν ἤδη κεῖνται, «τὸ μηδὲ γῇ κρύπτεσθαι κληρωσάμενοι, ἡμεῖς δὲ οἱ «περιόντες, ὡς ἂν συλλήβδην εἴπωμεν ἅπαντα τὰ δεινὰ, 6.3.20 «ξυντετάχθαι τοῖς οὕτω κειμένοις εὐχόμεθα. πάντα «γὰρ τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν ὁ λιμὸς τὰ κακὰ φορητέα «δείκνυσιν, ἔνθα τε ἂν φαίνηται, μετὰ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων «ἐπέρχεται λήθης καὶ θανάτους ἅπαντας, πλὴν τοῦ «παρ' αὐτοῦ προσιόντος, πρὸς ἡδονῆς εἶναι τοῖς ἀν6.3.21 «θρώποις ἐργάζεται. ἕως τοίνυν ἔτι μὴ κεκράτηκεν «ἡμῶν τὸ κακὸν, δὸς ἡμῖν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἀνελέ»σθαι τὴν ἀγωνίαν, ἐξ ἧς ἡμῖν ἢ περιεῖναι τῶν πολε6.3.22 «μίων ἢ τῶν δυσχερῶν ἀπηλλάχθαι ξυμβήσεται. οἷς «μὲν γὰρ ἐλπίδα σωτηρίας ἡ μέλλησις φέρει, πολλὴ «ἄνοια ἂν εἴη προτερήσασιν ἐς κίνδυνον τὸν ὑπὲρ «τῶν ὅλων καθίστασθαι, οἷς δὲ τῇ βραδυτῆτι δυσκο»λώτερος ὁ ἀγὼν γίνεται, τὸ καὶ πρὸς ὀλίγον ἀνα»βάλλεσθαι χρόνον τῆς παραυτίκα προπετείας μεμπτό6.3.23 «τερον.» Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπον. Βελισάριος δὲ ἀμείβεται ὧδε «Ἀλλ' ἔμοιγε καὶ λίαν προσδεχομένῳ «τὰ παρ' ὑμῶν γεγένηται πάντα, ἐκβέβηκε δὲ παρὰ 6.3.24 «δόξαν οὐδέν. ἐγὼ γὰρ πάλαι οἶδα δῆμον ὅτι πρᾶγμα «ἀβουλότατόν ἐστι, καὶ οὔτε τὰ παρόντα φέρειν πέφυκεν «οὔτε τὰ μέλλοντα προβουλεύεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἐγχειρεῖν «μὲν εὐπετῶς ἀεὶ τοῖς ἀμηχάνοις, διαφθείρεσθαι δὲ 6.3.25 «ἀνεπισκέπτως ἐπίσταται μόνον. ἐγὼ μέντοι οὐκ ἄν «ποτε διὰ τὴν ὑμετέραν ὀλιγωρίαν οὔτε ὑμᾶς ἀπολέ»σαιμι ἑκών γε εἶναι οὔτε ὑμῖν τὰ βασιλέως συν6.3.26 «διαφθείραιμι πράγματα. πόλεμος γὰρ οὐκ ἐξ ἀλο»γίστου σπουδῆς κατορθοῦσθαι φιλεῖ, ἀλλ' εὐβουλίᾳ «τε καὶ προμηθείᾳ τὴν τῶν καιρῶν ἀεὶ σταθμώμενος 6.3.27 «ῥοπήν. ὑμεῖς μὲν οὖν πεττεύειν οἰόμενοι τὸν ἕνα «βούλεσθε ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων ἀναρρίπτειν κύβον, ἐμοὶ δὲ «οὐ σύνηθες αἱρεῖσθαι πρὸ τοῦ ξυμφόρου τὸ σύντο6.3.28 «μον. εἶτα σὺν ἡμῖν ἐπαγγέλλεσθε τοῖς πολεμίοις διὰ «μάχης ἰέναι, πότε τὰς μελέτας τοῦ πολέμου πεποιη»μένοι; ἢ ποῖος τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐκμαθὼν τοῖς ὅπλοις οὐκ «οἶδεν ὅτι οὐ χωρεῖ ἄχρι τῆς διαπείρας ἡ μάχη; οὐδὲ «αὐτός οἱ ἐμμελετᾶν ὁ πολέμιος ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι παρέ6.3.29 «χεται. νῦν μὲν τὴν προθυμίαν ὑμῶν ἄγαμαι καὶ 6.3.30 «συγγνώμων εἰμὶ ταραχῆς τῆσδε. ὡς δὲ ὑμῖν ταῦτα «οὐκ εἰς καιρὸν γέγονε καὶ ἡμεῖς μελλήσει προμηθεῖ «χρώμεθα ἐγὼ δηλώσω.