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remained for some of the Isaurians. 6.7.13 And afterwards they gave hostages to one another for the truce, the Romans giving Zeno, and the Goths Ulias, a man of no mean station, on the condition that for three months they would make no attack upon each other, until the envoys from Byzantium 6.7.14 should return and announce the emperor's decision. But if either side should commit any injustices against their opponents, the hostages would be returned to their 6.7.15 own nation nonetheless. So the envoys of the barbarians, escorted by Romans, went to Byzantium, and Ildiger, the son-in-law of Antonina, came from Libya to Rome with not a few horsemen. 6.7.16 And the Goths, who held the fort at Portus, since their necessaries had failed them, abandoned it by the will of Vittigis, and came, being summoned, to the camp. And Paul with the Isaurians from Ostia seized and held it. 6.7.17 The chief cause of the lack of provisions for these barbarians was the fact that the Romans controlled the sea, and did not allow any of their necessities to be brought in to them. 6.7.18 For this reason, lacking provisions, they also abandoned a seaside city, of much account, Centumcellae by name, at the same time. 6.7.19 The city is large and populous, situated in Tuscany to the west of Rome, two hundred and eighty stades distant from it. 6.7.20 And the Romans, having seized it, came to an even greater height of power, since they also took the town of the Albani, lying to the east of Rome, from which the enemy had then withdrawn for the same reason, and now having surrounded the barbarians from all sides they had them in their midst. 6.7.21 For this reason the Goths were eager to break the agreement and do some mischief to the Romans. So sending envoys to Belisarius they said that they had been wronged during the truce. 6.7.22 For when Vittigis had summoned the Goths in Portus for some need, Paul and the Isaurians had seized the fort there without any justification and were holding it. 6.7.23 They made the same complaint, ostensibly, about both Albanum and Centumcellae, and they threatened that, if 6.7.24 he did not give these places back to them, they would not permit it. But Belisarius with a laugh sent them away, saying that this accusation was a pretext, and that no one was ignorant of 6.7.25 the reason why the Goths had abandoned these places. And for the future they treated each other with some suspicion. Then Belisarius, since he saw Rome flourishing with a multitude of soldiers, sent other horsemen around to places some distance from Rome and ordered John, the nephew of Vitalian, with the horsemen following him, being eight hundred, to winter near the city of Alba, situated in 6.7.26 Picenum; and he sent with him four hundred of those following Valerian, whom Damian, Valerian’s nephew, commanded, and eight hundred men of his own guards, who were especially good at warfare. 6.7.27 Over these he set two guards, Suntas and Adegis, and he ordered them to follow John, wherever he himself might lead, but he instructed John that, as long as he saw the enemy keeping their agreements, to remain quiet; but when it happened that the truce was broken by them, to act as follows: 6.7.28 with the whole army suddenly and by a raid to overrun the land of the Picenes, and going through all the places there in order and 6.7.29 visiting them before the news of his coming. For in almost all of this country no men had been left behind, since all, it seems, had marched against Rome, but the children and wives of the enemy and their property were everywhere. 6.7.30 He was therefore to enslave and plunder everything in his path, taking care never to harm any of the Romans who lived there. 6.7.31 And if he should come upon any place which had, as was likely, both men and a fortification, to make an attempt on it with all 6.7.32 his force. And if he should be able to take it, to go forward, but if the matter, as it chanced, should resist him, to ride back, or 6.7.33 to remain there. For to him advancing and leaving this fortification behind his back there will be great danger for a very long time, since they would never be able to defend themselves easily

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τῶν Ἰσαύρων τισὶν ἔμεινε. 6.7.13 Μετὰ δὲ ἀλλήλοις ἐπὶ τῇ ἐκεχειρίᾳ ὁμήρους ἔδοσαν, Ζήνωνα μὲν Ῥωμαῖοι, Γότθοι δὲ Οὐλίαν, οὐκ ἀφανῆ ἄνδρα, ἐφ' ᾧ δὴ ἐν τρισὶ μησὶ μηδεμιᾷ ἐς ἀλλήλους ἐφόδῳ χρήσονται, ἕως οἱ πρέσβεις ἐκ Βυζαντίου 6.7.14 ἐπανήκοντες γνώμην τὴν βασιλέως ἀγγείλωσιν. ἢν δέ τινες καὶ ἀδικίας οἱ ἕτεροι ἐς τοὺς ἐναντίους ὑπάρξωσι, τοὺς πρέσβεις οὐδέν τι ἧσσον ἀποδοθήσεσθαι ἐς τὸ 6.7.15 σφῶν ἔθνος. τῶν μὲν οὖν βαρβάρων οἱ πρέσβεις Ῥωμαίων παραπεμπόντων ἐς Βυζάντιον ᾔεσαν, Ἰλδίγερ δὲ, ὁ τῆς Ἀντωνίνης γαμβρὸς, ξὺν ἱππεῦσιν οὐκ ὀλί6.7.16 γοις ἐκ Λιβύης ἐς Ῥώμην ἦλθε. Γότθοι τε, οἳ τὸ ἐν Πόρτῳ φρούριον εἶχον, ἐπιλελοιπότων σφᾶς τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐξέλιπόν τε αὐτὸ Οὐιττίγιδος γνώμῃ, καὶ ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον μετάπεμπτοι ἦλθον. Παῦλος δὲ αὐτὸ 6.7.17 ξὺν τοῖς Ἰσαύροις ἐξ Ὀστίας καταλαβὼν ἔσχεν. αἴτιοι δὲ μάλιστα τούτοις δὴ τοῖς βαρβάροις τῶν ἐπιτηδείων τῆς ἀπορίας ἐγένοντο θαλασσοκρατοῦντες Ῥωμαῖοι, καί τι αὐτοῖς ἐσκομίζεσθαι τῶν ἀναγκαίων οὐ ξυγχωροῦν6.7.18 τες. διὸ δὴ καὶ πόλιν ἐπιθαλασσίαν, λόγου πολλοῦ ἀξίαν, Κεντουκέλλας ὄνομα, τῶν ἐπιτηδείων σπανί6.7.19 ζοντες, ὑπὸ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον ἐξέλιπον. ἔστι δὲ ἡ πόλις μεγάλη καὶ πολυάνθρωπος, ἐς τὰ Ῥώμης πρὸς ἑσπέραν ἐν Τούσκοις κειμένη, σταδίοις αὐτῆς ὀγδοή6.7.20 κοντα καὶ διακοσίοις ἀπέχουσα. καὶ αὐτὴν Ῥωμαῖοι καταλαβόντες ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐπὶ μέγα δυνάμεως ἦλθον, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ Ἀλβανῶν πόλισμα ἔσχον, Ῥώμης πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα ἥλιον κείμενον, ἀνακεχωρηκότων ἐνθένδε διὰ τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον τηνικαῦτα τῶν πολεμίων, πανταχόθεν δὲ ἤδη κυκλωσάμενοι τοὺς βαρβάρους ἐν μέσῳ 6.7.21 εἶχον. διὸ δὴ Γότθοι διαλύειν τε τὰ ξυγκείμενα καί τι ἐς Ῥωμαίους κακουργεῖν ὤργων. πέμψαντες οὖν παρὰ Βελισάριον πρέσβεις ἠδικῆσθαι σφᾶς ἐν σπον6.7.22 δαῖς ἔφασαν. Οὐιττίγιδος γὰρ Γότθους τοὺς ἐν Πόρτῳ μεταπεμψαμένου κατά τινα χρείαν Παῦλόν τε καὶ Ἰσαύρους τὸ ταύτῃ φρούριον λόγῳ οὐδενὶ καταλαβόν6.7.23 τας ἔχειν. ταὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο ἀμφί τε Ἀλβανῷ καὶ Κεντουκέλλαις δῆθεν τῷ λόγῳ ᾐτιῶντο, ἠπείλουν τε, ἢν 6.7.24 μὴ ταῦτα σφίσιν ἀποδιδῷ, οὐκ ἐπιτρέψειν. Βελισάριος δὲ ξὺν γέλωτι αὐτοὺς ἀπεπέμψατο, παραπέτασμα μὲν εἶναι ταύτην δὴ τὴν αἰτίαν εἰπὼν, ἀγνοεῖν δὲ οὐδένα 6.7.25 ὅτου δὴ ἕνεκα τὰ χωρία ταῦτα Γότθοι ἐκλίποιεν. καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ὑποψίᾳ τινὶ ἐς ἀλλήλους ἐχρῶντο. ἔπειτα δὲ Βελισάριος, ἐπεὶ Ῥώμην εἶδε στρατιωτῶν πλήθει ἀκμάζουσαν, ἄλλους τε ἱππέας ἐς χωρία Ῥώμης μακράν που ἄποθεν περιέπεμπε καὶ Βιταλιανοῦ τὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν Ἰωάννην ἐκέλευε ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις ἱππεῦσιν, ὀκτακοσίοις οὖσιν, ἀμφὶ πόλιν Ἄλβαν διαχειμάζειν, ἐν 6.7.26 Πικηνοῖς κειμένην· καί οἱ τῶν τε Βαλεριανῷ ἑπομένων τετρακοσίους ξυνέπεμψεν, ὧν ∆αμιανὸς ὁ Βαλεριανοῦ ἀδελφιδοῦς ἦρχε, καὶ τῶν αὐτοῦ ὑπασπιστῶν ὀκτακο6.7.27 σίους ἄνδρας, διαφερόντως ἀγαθοὺς τὰ πολέμια. οἷς δὴ δορυφόρους δύο, Σοῦνταν τε καὶ Ἄδηγιν, ἐπέστησε, καὶ αὐτοὺς μὲν Ἰωάννῃ ἕπεσθαι, ὅπη ἂν αὐτὸς ἐξηγοῖτο, ἐκέλευε, τῷ δὲ Ἰωάννῃ ἐπήγγελλε, τέως μὲν τὰ ξυγκείμενα σφίσι φυλάττοντας ὁρᾷ τοὺς πολεμίους, ἡσυχῆ μένειν· ὅταν δέ οἱ τὴν ἐκεχειρίαν αὐτοῖς λελύ6.7.28 σθαι ξυμβαίη, ποιεῖν κατὰ τάδε· παντὶ μὲν τῷ στρατῷ ἄφνω τε καὶ ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς καταθεῖν τὴν Πικηνῶν χώραν, ἅπαντά τε ἑξῆς περιιόντα τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία καὶ 6.7.29 αὐτοῖς πρὸ τῆς φήμης ἐπιδημοῦντα. ταύτης γὰρ σχεδόν τι ἁπάσης τῆς χώρας ἄνδρας μὲν οὐδαμῆ ἀπολελεῖφθαι, πάντων ἐπὶ Ῥώμην ὡς φαίνεται στρατευσαμένων, παῖδας δὲ καὶ γυναῖκας τῶν πολεμίων καὶ χρήματα πανταχῆ 6.7.30 εἶναι. ἐξανδραποδίζειν οὖν καὶ ληΐζεσθαι τὰ ἐν ποσὶν ἅπαντα φυλασσόμενον μή ποτε Ῥωμαίων τινὶ τῶν 6.7.31 ταύτῃ ᾠκημένων λυμήνηται. ἢν δέ πη χωρίῳ ἐντύχῃ, ἄνδρας τε καὶ ὀχύρωμα, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, ἔχοντι, πάσῃ 6.7.32 αὐτοῦ δυνάμει ἀποπειράσασθαι. καὶ ἢν μὲν ἑλεῖν δύνηται, ἐς τὰ πρόσω ἰέναι, τοῦ πράγματος δέ οἱ, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι, ἀντιστατοῦντος, ἀπελαύνειν ὀπίσω, ἢ 6.7.33 αὐτοῦ μένειν. προϊόντι γάρ οἱ καὶ τοῦτο δὴ τὸ ὀχύρωμα κατὰ νώτου ἀπολιπόντι κίνδυνος πολὺς ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἔσται, ἐπεὶ οὔποτ' ἀμύνειν σφίσιν εὐπετῶς