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they would have, if they should be troubled anywhere by the enemy; and to guard all the booty, so that the army might divide it properly 6.7.34 and justly. Then with a laugh he added this also: "For it is not just that while by some "the drones are destroyed with great labour, others should "enjoy the honey with no toil at all." Having given these instructions, Belisarius sent John with the army. 6.7.35 And about the same time Datius, the priest of Mediolanum, and some reputable men from among its citizens arrived in Rome and began to beg Belisarius to send with them a small garrison. 6.7.36 For they insisted that they were able, with no trouble, not only to cause Mediolanum to revolt from the Goths, but also all of Liguria, and to win it back for the emperor. 6.7.37 This city is situated in Liguria, lying about midway between the city of Ravenna and the Alps on the borders of 6.7.38 Gaul. For from either direction it is a journey of eight days to it for an unencumbered man, and it happened to be the first of the cities of the west after Rome in size and population and in its other prosperity. And Belisarius, promising them to fulfill their request, detained them there for the winter season. 6.8.1 So these things were in this state. But the envy of fortune was already labouring against the Romans, since it saw their affairs advancing well and fairly before them, and wishing to mix these with some evil, it devised a quarrel from no cause worthy of mention between Belisarius and Constantinus, a quarrel whose nature and end I shall now proceed to relate. 6.8.2 There was a certain Presidius, a Roman man, who lived at Ravenna, and he was not an obscure person. This Presidius, because he had given offense to the Goths, when Vittigis was about to march on Rome, set out ostensibly on a hunting expedition with a few of his servants and fled, neither communicating his plan to anyone nor having any of his money with him, except, indeed, that he himself carried two daggers, whose sheaths happened to be adorned with much gold and precious stones. And when he came to Spoletium, he lodged in a certain temple outside 6.8.3 the circuit-wall. When Constantinus heard of this (for he happened still to be tarrying there), he sent one of his bodyguards, Maxentiolus, and took away both 6.8.4 the daggers for no reason. And the man, being exceedingly grieved by what had happened, journeyed as quickly as possible to Rome to Belisarius, where indeed Constantinus also arrived not long after. For the army of the Goths was already reported to be not far away. 6.8.5 So as long as the affairs of the Romans were beset by confusion and danger, Presidius remained silent; but when he saw that the Romans' fortunes were superior and that ambassadors of the Goths had been sent to the emperor, as I have said before, he frequently approached Belisarius, reported the injustice, and demanded that he assist him in obtaining his rights. 6.8.6 And he, finding fault with Constantinus many times himself, and many times through others, advised him to rid himself of an unjust deed and a shameful reputation. 6.8.7 But Constantinus (for it was fated that evil should befall him) always put off his words with cavilling and mocked the man who had been wronged. 6.8.8 But one day, Presidius met Belisarius as he was riding on a horse in the forum, and he took hold of the horse's bridle and shouting loudly asked if the emperor's laws said this, that whenever someone fleeing the barbarians should come to them as a suppliant, they should take from him by force 6.8.9 whatever he happens to have in his hands. And though many people stood around and with threats ordered him to let go of the bridle, he did not release it until Belisarius promised him that he would give him the daggers. 6.8.10 So on the following day Belisarius called together Constantinus and many of the commanders to a certain small room in the Palace, and he reminded him of what had happened on the previous day, and advised him, though late in the day, to give back the daggers. 6.8.11 But he said he would not give them; for he would more gladly throw them into the water of the Tiber than give them to Presidius. 6.8.12 And Belisarius, now seized with anger, inquired if Constantinus did not think he was under his command. And he for his part acknowledged that in all other things he would obey him; for this was the emperor's will; but this

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ἕξουσιν, ἤν που ἐνοχλοῖντο πρὸς τῶν ἐναντίων· τὴν δὲ λείαν φυλάσσειν ἅπασαν, ὅπως ἂν αὐτὴν ὀρθῶς 6.7.34 καὶ δικαίως ἡ στρατιὰ διανέμοιτο. εἶτα ξὺν γέλωτι καὶ τοῦτο ἐπεῖπεν «Οὐ γὰρ δίκαιον ὑφ' ἑτέρων μὲν «τοὺς κηφῆνας πόνῳ μεγάλῳ ἀπόλλυσθαι, ἄλλους δὲ «τοῦ μέλιτος οὐδεμιᾷ ταλαιπωρίᾳ ὀνίνασθαι.» τοσαῦτα μὲν ἐπιστείλας Βελισάριος Ἰωάννην ξὺν τῷ στρατεύματι ἔπεμψεν. 6.7.35 Ὑπὸ δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον ὅ τε Μεδιολάνων ἱερεὺς ∆άτιος καὶ τῶν πολιτῶν ἄνδρες δόκιμοι ἐς Ῥώμην ἀφικόμενοι Βελισαρίου ἐδέοντο φρουροὺς ὀλίγους σφίσι 6.7.36 ξυμπέμψαι. αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἱκανοὶ ἰσχυρίζοντο εἶναι, οὐ Μεδιόλανον μόνην, ἀλλὰ καὶ Λιγουρίαν ὅλην πόνῳ οὐδενὶ Γότθων τε ἀποστῆσαι καὶ βασιλεῖ ἀνασώσασθαι. 6.7.37 αὕτη δὲ ἡ πόλις ᾤκισται μὲν ἐν Λιγούροις, μέση που μάλιστα Ῥαβέννης τε πόλεως καὶ Ἄλπεων τῶν ἐν Γάλ6.7.38 λων ὁρίοις κειμένη. ἑκατέρωθεν γὰρ ἐς αὐτὴν ὀκτὼ ἡμερῶν ὁδὸς ἀνδρὶ εὐζώνῳ ἐστὶ, πρώτη δὲ πόλεων τῶν ἑσπερίων μετά γε Ῥώμην μεγέθει τε καὶ πολυανθρωπίᾳ καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ εὐδαιμονίᾳ ἐτύγχανεν οὖσα. καὶ αὐτοῖς Βελισάριος ὑποσχόμενος τὴν δέησιν ἐπιτελῆ ποιήσειν κατεῖχεν αὐτοῦ τὴν τοῦ χειμῶνος ὥραν. 6.8.1 Ταῦτα μὲν δὴ ὧδέ πη εἶχε. τῆς δὲ τύχης ὁ φθόνος ὤδινεν ἤδη ἐπὶ Ῥωμαίους, ἐπεὶ τὰ πράγματα εὖ τε καὶ καλῶς σφίσιν ἐπίπροσθεν προϊόντα ἑώρα, κακῷ τε κεραννύναι τινὶ ταῦτα ἐθέλουσα, ἔριν ἐξ οὐδεμιᾶς αἰτίας λόγου ἀξίας ἐπενόει Βελισαρίῳ τε καὶ Κωνσταντίνῳ, ἣ ὅπως τε ἔφυ καὶ ἐς ὅ τι ἐτελεύτησεν, 6.8.2 ἐρῶν ἔρχομαι. Πρεσίδιος ἦν τις, ἀνὴρ Ῥωμαῖος, ᾠκημένος μὲν ἐπὶ Ῥαβέννης, ὢν δὲ οὐκ ἀφανής. οὗτος ὁ Πρεσίδιος, ὅτι δὴ Γότθοις προσκεκρουκὼς, ἡνίκα Οὐίττιγις ἐπὶ Ῥώμην στρατεύειν ἔμελλε, ξὺν ὀλίγοις τισὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν ἐπὶ κυνηγέσιον δῆθεν τῷ λόγῳ στελλόμενος φεύγει, οὔτε τῳ τὴν βουλὴν κοινωσάμενος οὔτε τι τῶν χρημάτων ξὺν αὑτῷ ἔχων, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι ξιφίδια δύο αὐτὸς ἔφερεν, ὧν τὼ κουλεὼ χρυσῷ τε πολλῷ καὶ λίθοις ἐντίμοις κεκαλλωπισμένω ἐτυχέτην. καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐν Σπολιτίῳ ἐγένετο, ἐς νεών τινα ἔξω 6.8.3 τοῦ περιβόλου κατέλυσεν. ὃ δὴ Κωνσταντῖνος ἀκούσας (ἐτύγχανε γὰρ ἔτι ἐνταῦθα διατριβὴν ἔχων) τῶν τινα ὑπασπιστῶν Μαξεντίολον πέμψας ἄμφω ἀφαιρεῖται 6.8.4 λόγῳ οὐδενὶ τὼ ἀκινάκα. περιαλγὴς δὲ γεγονὼς τοῖς ξυμπεσοῦσιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐς Ῥώμην ὅτι τάχιστα παρὰ Βελισάριον στέλλεται, οὗ δὴ οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν καὶ Κωνσταντῖνος ἀφίκετο. ἤδη γὰρ ὁ τῶν Γότθων στρατὸς 6.8.5 οὐκ ἄποθεν εἶναι ἠγγέλλετο. ἕως μὲν οὖν ἔν τε θορύβῳ καὶ κινδύνῳ Ῥωμαίοις καθειστήκει τὰ πράγματα, σιωπῇ ὁ Πρεσίδιος ἔμενεν· ὡς δὲ τά τε Ῥωμαίων καθυπέρτερα εἶδε καὶ Γότθων πρέσβεις παρὰ βασιλέα σταλέντας, καθάπερ μοι ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται, Βελισαρίῳ συχνὰ προσιὼν τήν τε ἀδικίαν ἀπήγγελλε καί οἱ τὰ 6.8.6 δίκαια βοηθεῖν ἠξίου. ὁ δὲ Κωνσταντίνῳ πολλὰ μὲν αὐτὸς, πολλὰ δὲ δι' ἑτέρων μεμφόμενος, παρῄνει ἔργου 6.8.7 τε ἀδίκου καὶ δόξης αἰσχρᾶς ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι. ἀλλὰ Κωνσταντῖνος (χρῆν γάρ οἱ γενέσθαι κακῶς) τούς τε λόγους ἀεὶ ἐρεσχελῶν διεκρούετο καὶ τὸν ἠδικημένον 6.8.8 ἐτώθαζε. Βελισαρίῳ δέ ποτε, ἵππῳ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ ὀχουμένῳ, ἐντυχὼν ὁ Πρεσίδιος τοῦ τε χαλινοῦ τοῦ ἵππου ἐλάβετο καὶ μέγα ἀναβοῶν ἠρώτα εἰ ταῦτα λέγουσιν οἱ βασιλέως νόμοι, ἵνα ἐπειδάν τις τοὺς βαρβάρους φυγὼν ἱκέτης ἐς αὐτοὺς ἵκοιτο, οἵδε ἀφέλωνται βίᾳ 6.8.9 ὅσα ἂν τύχῃ ἐν χερσὶν ἔχων. πολλῶν δὲ περιεστηκότων ἀνθρώπων καὶ τοῦ χαλινοῦ ξὺν ἀπειλῇ κελευόντων μεθίεσθαι, οὐ πρότερον ἀφῆκε, πρὶν δὴ αὐτῷ 6.8.10 ὑπέσχετο Βελισάριος τὰ ξιφίδια δώσειν. τῇ οὖν ὑστεραίᾳ Κωνσταντῖνόν τε καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων πολλοὺς ἐς οἰκίσκον τινὰ ξυγκαλέσας Βελισάριος ἐν Παλατίῳ, τῶν μὲν τῇ προτεραίᾳ ξυμπεπτωκότων ὑπέμνησε, παρῄνει δὲ ὀψὲ γοῦν τοῦ χρόνου τοὺς ἀκινάκας ἀπο6.8.11 διδόναι. ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἔφη δώσειν· ἥδιον γὰρ ἂν αὐτοὺς ἐς τοῦ Τιβέριδος τὸ ὕδωρ ἐμβάλλοι ἢ τῷ Πρεσιδίῳ 6.8.12 διδοίη. θυμῷ τε ἤδη ἐχόμενος Βελισάριος ἐπυνθάνετο εἰ οὐκ οἴοιτο Κωνσταντῖνος πρὸς αὐτοῦ ἄρχεσθαι. καὶ αὐτὸς τὰ μὲν ἄλλα οἱ ὡμολόγει ἅπαντα πείσεσθαι· βουλομένῳ γὰρ ταῦτα βασιλεῖ εἶναι· τόδε