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Belisarius “In this way, as you say, nothing will prevent the dia-”logue from proceeding, provided that peaceful and just things 6.6.14 “are said by you.” Again, then, the envoys of the Goths said: “You have wronged us, men of Rome, by taking up arms, “when you should not have, against men who are friends and allies. “And we will say what we think each of you also understands. 6.6.15 “For the Goths did not take the land of Italy from the Romans “by force and acquire it, but Odoacer once deposed the em-”peror and, having changed the government here into a tyranny, 6.6.16 “held it. And Zeno, who then ruled the East, “wishing to avenge his fellow-emperor “and to free this land from the tyrant, “but being unable to destroy the power of Odoacer, “persuaded Theoderic our ruler, even though “he was about to besiege both him and Byzantium, to end “his hostility toward him, reminding him of the honour “he had already received from him, having been made both a patrician “and consul of the Romans, and to punish Odoacer for his injustice “against Augustulus, and that he and the Goths should “thereafter rule the country rightly and justly. 6.6.17 “Thus, then, having received the rule of Italy, “we have preserved the laws and the constitution no less “than any of the emperors who have ever reigned, and under Theoderic “or any other who succeeded to the power of the Goths, “no new law whatever was established, either written 6.6.18 “or unwritten. And matters of piety toward God and “of faith we have guarded for the Romans so scrupulously, “that no one of the Italians, either willingly or unwillingly, “has changed his doctrine to this day, and of the Goths 6.6.19 “who have converted no persecution at all has occurred. And “indeed the Roman sanctuaries have received from us the high-”est honour. For no one who has ever taken refuge in any of these “has been violated by any man, “but also they themselves have continued to hold all the offices “of the state, and no Goth has shared in them. 6.6.20 “Or let someone come forward and refute us, if he thinks that what “has been said by us is not with the truth. And one might add “that the Goths even allowed the Romans to receive the dignity of the “consulship from the emperor of the East each 6.6.21 “year. But you, though these things are so, “did not lay claim to Italy when it was being mistreated by the “barbarians of Odoacer, although he had wrought his terrible deeds “not for a short time but for ten years, but now you do violence “to those who possess it justly, though it is no concern of yours. 6.6.22 “Therefore, get out of our way from here, “keeping what is your own and whatever you have chanced “to plunder.” And Belisarius: “Your promise indeed foretold “that you would speak briefly and moderately, but your speech “has been both long and not far from arrogant. 6.6.23 “For the emperor Zeno sent Theoderic to make war “on Odoacer, not on the condition that he himself should have the “rule of Italy; for what concern would it be for an emperor to ex-”change one tyrant for another? but on the condition that it should be free and sub-6.6.24 “ject to the emperor. But he, having settled the matter of the tyrant well, “acted with no moderate lack of gratitude in other respects. “For he in no way saw fit to give back the land to its master. 6.6.25 “And I for my part think that the one who uses force and the one who “does not willingly give back what belongs to his neighbor are quite the same. “I, therefore, would never surrender the emperor's country to anyone else. 6.6.26 “But if you wish to obtain anything else, 6.6.27 “I permit you to speak.” And the barbarians: “That everything we have said “is true, then, has not escaped any of you. We, “however, so that we may seem least contentious, even of Sicily, “which is so great in size and so rich, “we yield to you, without which it is not possible for you 6.6.28 “to possess Libya securely.” And Belisarius: “And we in turn permit the Goths to have the whole of Britain, “which is much larger than Sicily and was sub-6.6.29 “ject to the Romans from of old. For it is fitting to repay those “who begin a kindness or some favour with an equal one.” {Barbarians} “Then, if we were to say something to you even about Campania 6.6.30 “or Naples itself, would you not accept?” {Belisarius} “For we are not empowered to dispose of the emperor’s af-6.6.31 “fairs, not

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Βελισάριος «Οὕτω μὲν, ὅπως φατὲ, προϊέναι τὸν διά»λογον οὐδὲν κωλύσει, ὅπως δὲ εἰρηναῖά τε καὶ δίκαια 6.6.14 «πρὸς ὑμῶν λέγοιτο.» αὖθις οὖν Γότθων οἱ πρέσβεις εἶπον «Ἠδικήκατε ἡμᾶς, ἄνδρες Ῥωμαῖοι, ἐπὶ φίλους «τε καὶ ξυμμάχους ὄντας ὅπλα οὐ δέον ἀράμενοι. «ἐροῦμεν δὲ ἅπερ καὶ ὑμῶν ἕκαστον οἰόμεθα ξυνεπίστα6.6.15 «σθαι. Γότθοι γὰρ οὐ βίᾳ Ῥωμαίους ἀφελόμενοι γῆν «τὴν Ἰταλίας ἐκτήσαντο, ἀλλ' Ὀδόακρός ποτε τὸν αὐτο»κράτορα καθελὼν ἐς τυραννίδα τὴν τῇδε πολιτείαν 6.6.16 «μεταβαλὼν εἶχε. Ζήνων δὲ τότε τῆς ἑῴας κρατῶν «καὶ τιμωρεῖν μὲν τῷ ξυμβεβασιλευκότι βουλόμενος «καὶ τοῦ τυράννου τήνδε τὴν χώραν ἐλευθεροῦν, «Ὀδοάκρου δὲ καταλῦσαι τὴν δύναμιν οὐχ οἷός τε ὢν, «Θευδέριχον ἀναπείθει τὸν ἡμῶν ἄρχοντα, καίπερ «αὐτόν τε καὶ Βυζάντιον πολιορκεῖν μέλλοντα, κατα»λῦσαι μὲν τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔχθραν τιμῆς ἀναμνη»σθέντα πρὸς αὐτοῦ ἧς τετύχηκεν ἤδη, πατρίκιός τε «καὶ Ῥωμαίων γεγονὼς ὕπατος, Ὀδόακρον δὲ ἀδικίας «τῆς ἐς Αὐγούστουλον τίσασθαι, καὶ τῆς χώρας αὐτόν «τε καὶ Γότθους τὸ λοιπὸν κρατεῖν ὀρθῶς καὶ δικαίως. 6.6.17 «οὕτω τοίνυν παραλαβόντες τὴν τῆς Ἰταλίας ἀρχὴν «τούς τε νόμους καὶ τὴν πολιτείαν διεσωσάμεθα τῶν «πώποτε βεβασιλευκότων οὐδενὸς ἧσσον, καὶ Θευδερίχου «μὲν ἢ ἄλλου ὁτουοῦν διαδεξαμένου τὸ Γότθων κράτος «νόμος τὸ παράπαν οὐδεὶς οὐκ ἐν γράμμασιν, οὐκ 6.6.18 «ἄγραφός ἐστι. τὰ δὲ τῆς εἰς θεὸν εὐσεβείας τε καὶ «πίστεως οὕτω Ῥωμαίοις ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς ἐφυλάξαμεν, «ὥστε Ἰταλιωτῶν μὲν τὴν δόξαν οὐδεὶς οὐχ ἑκὼν οὐκ «ἀκούσιος ἐς τήνδε τὴν ἡμέραν μετέβαλε, Γότθων δὲ 6.6.19 «μεταβεβλημένων ἐπιστροφή τις οὐδαμῶς γέγονε. καὶ «μὴν καὶ τὰ Ῥωμαίων ἱερὰ τιμῆς παρ' ἡμῶν τῆς ἀνω»τάτω τετύχηκεν. οὐ γὰρ οὐδεὶς εἴς τι τούτων κατα»φυγὼν πώποτε πρὸς οὐδενὸς ἀνθρώπων βεβίασται, «ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσας τὰς τῆς πολιτείας ἀρχὰς αὐτοὶ μὲν «διαγεγόνασιν ἔχοντες, Γότθος δὲ αὐτῶν μετέσχεν 6.6.20 «οὐδείς. ἢ παρελθών τις ἡμᾶς ἐλεγχέτω, ἢν μὴ μετὰ «τοῦ ἀληθοῦς ἡμῖν εἰρῆσθαι οἴηται. προσθείη δ' ἄν «τις ὡς καὶ τὸ τῶν ὑπάτων ἀξίωμα Γότθοι ξυνεχώρουν «Ῥωμαίοις πρὸς τοῦ τῶν ἑῴων βασιλέως ἐς ἕκαστον 6.6.21 «ἔτος κομίζεσθαι. ὑμεῖς δὲ, τούτων τοιούτων ὄντων, «Ἰταλίας μὲν οὐ προσεποιεῖσθε, κακουμένης ὑπὸ τῶν «Ὀδοάκρου βαρβάρων, καίπερ οὐ δι' ὀλίγου, ἀλλ' ἐς «δέκα ἐνιαυτοὺς τὰ δεινὰ εἰργασμένου, νῦν δὲ τοὺς «δικαίως αὐτὴν κεκτημένους, οὐδὲν ὑμῖν προσῆκον, 6.6.22 «βιάζεσθε. οὐκοῦν ἐντεῦθεν ἡμῖν ἐκποδὼν ἵστασθε, «τά τε ὑμέτερα αὐτῶν ἔχοντες καὶ ὅσα ληϊσάμενοι «τετυχήκατε.» καὶ ὁ Βελισάριος «Ἡ μὲν ὑπόσχεσις «ὑμῶν βραχέα τε εἰρῆσθαι καὶ μέτρια προὔλεγεν, ἡ «δὲ ῥῆσις μακρά τε καὶ οὐ πόρρω ἀλαζονείας ὑμῖν 6.6.23 «γέγονε. Θευδέριχον γὰρ βασιλεὺς Ζήνων Ὀδοάκρῳ «πολεμήσοντα ἔπεμψεν, οὐκ ἐφ' ᾧ Ἰταλίας αὐτὸς τὴν «ἀρχὴν ἔχοι· τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ τύραννον τυράννου διαλ»λάσσειν βασιλεῖ ἔμελεν; ἀλλ' ἐφ' ᾧ ἐλευθέρα τε καὶ βα6.6.24 «σιλεῖ κατήκοος ἔσται. ὁ δὲ τὰ περὶ τὸν τύραννον εὖ «διαθέμενος ἀγνωμοσύνῃ ἐς τἄλλα οὐκ ἐν μετρίοις «ἐχρήσατο. ἀποδιδόναι γὰρ τῷ κυρίῳ τὴν γῆν οὐδαμῆ 6.6.25 «ἔγνω. οἶμαι δὲ ἔγωγε τόν τε βιασάμενον καὶ ὃς ἂν «τὰ τοῦ πέλας ἑκουσίως μὴ ἀποδιδῷ ἴσον γε εἶναι. «ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν χώραν τὴν βασιλέως ἑτέρῳ τῳ οὔποτε 6.6.26 «οὐκ ἂν παραδοίην. εἰ δέ του ἄλλου τυχεῖν βούλεσθε, 6.6.27 «λέγειν ἀφίημι.» οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι «Ὡς μὲν οὖν ἀληθῆ «πάντα ἡμῖν εἴρηται οὐδὲ ὑμῶν τινα λέληθεν. ἡμεῖς «δὲ ὅπως ἥκιστα φιλονεικεῖν δόξαιμεν, καὶ Σικελίας, «τοσαύτης τε τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τοιαύτης τὸν πλοῦτον «οὔσης, ὑμῖν ἐξιστάμεθα, ἧς δὴ ἐκτὸς Λιβύην ὑμᾶς 6.6.28 «ἀσφαλῶς κεκτῆσθαι οὐ δυνατόν.» καὶ ὁ Βελισάριος «Καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ Γότθους Βρεττανίαν ὅλην ξυγχωροῦμεν «ἔχειν, μείζω τε παρὰ πολὺ Σικελίας οὖσαν καὶ Ῥω6.6.29 «μαίων κατήκοον τὸ ἀνέκαθεν γεγενημένην. τοὺς γὰρ «εὐεργεσίας ἢ χάριτός τινος ἄρξαντας τοῖς ἴσοις ἀμείβε»σθαι ἄξιον.» {βάρβαροι} «Οὐκοῦν, ἤν τι καὶ περὶ Καμπανίας 6.6.30 «ὑμῖν ἢ Νεαπόλεως αὐτῆς εἴποιμεν, οὐκ ἂν δέξαισθε;» {Βελισάριος} «Οὐ γάρ ἐσμεν κύριοι τὰ βασιλέως πράγ6.6.31 «ματα διοικήσασθαι, οὐχ