244

were, as will be told by me straightway. And John got great fame from this deed, being already famous before. 6.10.10 For he was both a daring man and one who acted with his own hands in the highest degree, and into dangers he was fearless, and he always maintained a hard life and a certain endurance not less than any barbarian or soldier whatsoever. So John 6.10.11 was a man of this sort. But Matasountha, the wife of Vittigis, being terribly vexed with her husband, because indeed he had come to her bed by force from the beginning, when she learned that John had come to Ariminum, she became simply overjoyed and, sending to him secretly, entered into negotiations concerning both marriage and betrayal. 6.10.12 And they, sending back and forth, always conducted these matters in secret from the others. But the Goths, when they learned the situation concerning Ariminum and at the same time all their necessary supplies had failed them, and the period of three months had already expired, they began their withdrawal, although they had not yet learned anything concerning the envoys. 6.10.13 So it was around the spring equinox of the year, and a year and nine days in addition had been spent on the siege, when the Goths, having burned all their entrenchments, at daybreak set out on their way. 6.10.14 But the Romans, seeing the enemy fleeing, were at a loss as to how they should handle the present situation. For it happened that the majority of the cavalry were not present at that time, having been sent some to one place and some to another, as has been said by me before, and they did not think that they themselves were a match for so great a multitude of the enemy. Nevertheless, Belisarius armed all the foot-soldiers 6.10.15 and cavalry. And when he saw that more than half of the enemy had crossed the bridge, he led the army out through the Pincian Gate, and a battle 6.10.16 at close quarters took place, no less fierce than any of the previous ones. And at first, as the barbarians were stoutly withstanding the enemy, many on both sides fell in the first encounter; but then the Goths, being turned to flight, brought upon themselves a great and extraordinary disaster. 6.10.17 For each man was hastening to be the first to cross the bridge. From this, coming into a great narrow space, they suffered the most terrible things. For they were being killed both by their own men 6.10.18 and by the enemy. And many also fell off both sides of the bridge into the Tiber and, sinking with their very arms, they died. And so, having lost the greatest number, the rest joined those who had crossed before. 6.10.19 And Longinus the Isaurian and Mundilas, the bodyguards of Belisarius, fought with conspicuous bravery in this battle. But Mundilas, coming to blows with four barbarians one by one, both killed them all 6.10.20 and was himself saved. But Longinus, having been most responsible for the rout of the enemy, fell there, leaving behind a great longing for him in the Roman army. 6.11.1 Vittigis, then, proceeding to Ravenna with the remainder of his army, strengthened the strongholds of the country with a multitude of garrisons, leaving in Clusium, a city of the Tuscans, a thousand men and Gibimer as commander, and in Urbibentum as many, over whom he set Albilas, a Goth, as commander. And he left Uligisalus 6.11.2 in Tudera with four hundred. And in the land of Picenum he left four hundred in the fortress of Petra, who also had been settled there before, and in Auximum, which is the largest of all the cities in that region, he left four thousand Goths chosen for their valour and a commander, Visandus by name, who was exceedingly energetic, and with Moras two thousand in the city of Urbinum. 6.11.3 And there are also two other fortresses, Caesena and Monteferetra, in each of which he established a garrison of not less than five hundred men. And he himself with the rest of the army proceeded straight to Ariminum, intending to besiege it. 6.11.4 But it happened that Belisarius, as soon as the Goths had raised the siege, had sent Ildiger and Martinus with a thousand horsemen, in order that, by going faster by another road, they might arrive at Ariminum before the enemy, and he commanded them to remove John and all those with him from there as quickly as possible, and to establish in their place many men who were most capable for the defense of the city, taking them from a fortress, which is on the Ionian gulf, Ancon by name, of two

244

σαντο, ὥς μοι αὐτίκα λελέξεται. καὶ μέγα τι κλέος ἐκ τοῦ ἔργου τούτου Ἰωάννης ἔσχε, διαβόητος καὶ τὸ 6.10.10 πρότερον ὤν. τολμητής τε γὰρ ἦν καὶ αὐτουργὸς ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα, ἔς τε τοὺς κινδύνους ἄοκνος, δίαιτάν τε σκληρὰν καὶ ταλαιπωρίαν τινὰ ἐς ἀεὶ εἶχε βαρβάρου ὁτουοῦν ἢ στρατιώτου οὐδενὸς ἧσσον. ὁ μὲν οὖν 6.10.11 Ἰωάννης τοιόσδε τις ἦν. Ματασοῦνθα δὲ, ἡ τοῦ Οὐιττίγιδος γυνὴ, δεινῶς τῷ ἀνδρὶ ἀχθομένη, ὅτι δή οἱ βίᾳ τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐς κοίτην ἦλθεν, ἐπειδὴ τὸν Ἰωάννην ἐς Ἀρίμινον ἥκειν ἐπύθετο, περιχαρής τε ἀτεχνῶς γέγονε καὶ πέμψασα παρ' αὐτὸν λάθρα γάμου τε καὶ προδοσίας πέρι ἐς λόγους ἦλθε. 6.10.12 Καὶ οἱ μὲν πέμποντες ἀεὶ κρύφα τῶν ἄλλων ταῦτα ἔπρασσον. Γότθοι δὲ ἐπεὶ τά τε ἀμφὶ Ἀρίμινον ἔμαθον καὶ ἅμα ξύμπαντα σφᾶς τὰ ἀναγκαῖα ἐπελελοίπει, ὅ τε τῶν τριῶν μηνῶν χρόνος ἐξῆκεν ἤδη, τὴν ἀναχώρησιν ἐποιοῦντο, καίπερ οὔπω τι τῶν πρέσβεων 6.10.13 ἕνεκα πεπυσμένοι. τοῦ μὲν οὖν ἔτους ἀμφὶ τροπὰς ἐαρινὰς ἦν, τῇ δὲ πολιορκίᾳ ἐνιαυτός τε ἐτέτριπτο καὶ πρὸς αὐτῷ ἡμέραι ἐννέα, ὅτε οἱ Γότθοι ἅπαντα σφῶν τὰ χαρακώματα καύσαντες, ἅμα ἡμέρᾳ ὁδοῦ 6.10.14 εἴχοντο. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ φεύγοντας ὁρῶντες τοὺς ἐναντίους ἐν ἀπόρῳ εἶχον ᾗ τὸ παρὸν θήσονται. τῶν τε γὰρ ἱππέων τὸ πλῆθος οὐ παρεῖναι τηνικαῦτα ξυνέβαινεν, ἄλλων ἄλλῃ πη ἐσταλμένων, ὥσπερ μοι ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται, αὐτοί τε ἀξιόμαχοι πρὸς τοσοῦτον πλῆθος πολεμίων οὐκ ᾤοντο εἶναι. ἅπαντας μέντοι πεζούς 6.10.15 τε καὶ ἱππέας Βελισάριος ὥπλισε. καὶ ἐπεὶ τῶν πολεμίων ὑπὲρ ἥμισυ διαβάντας τὴν γέφυραν εἶδεν, ἐξῆγε διὰ Πιγκιανῆς πύλης τὸ στράτευμα, ἥ τε μάχη 6.10.16 ἐκ χειρὸς γέγονε τῶν προτέρων οὐδεμιᾶς ἧσσον. καὶ κατ' ἀρχὰς μὲν καρτερῶς τῶν βαρβάρων τοὺς πολεμίους ὑφισταμένων, πολλοὶ ἑκατέρων ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ ξυμβολῇ ἔπεσον· ἔπειτα δὲ οἱ Γότθοι τραπόμενοι μέγα τε καὶ ὑπερφυὲς σφίσιν αὐτοῖς τὸ πάθος ἐποίουν. 6.10.17 αὐτὸς γὰρ ἕκαστος τὴν γέφυραν διαβαίνειν ἠπείγετο πρῶτος. ἀφ' οὗ δὴ ἐς στενοχωρίαν πολλὴν ἀφικόμενοι τὰ χαλεπώτατα ἔπασχον. πρός τε γὰρ σφῶν αὐτῶν 6.10.18 καὶ τῶν πολεμίων ἐκτείνοντο. πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ τῆς γεφύρας ἐφ' ἑκάτερα ἐξέπιπτον ἐς τὸν Τίβεριν καὶ αὐτοῖς ὅπλοις καταδυόμενοι ἔθνησκον. οὕτω δὲ τοὺς πλείστους ἀποβαλόντες οἱ λοιποὶ τοῖς πρότερον δια6.10.19 βᾶσι ξυνέμιξαν. Λογγῖνος δὲ Ἴσαυρος καὶ Μουνδίλας, οἱ Βελισαρίου δορυφόροι, διαφερόντως ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ μάχῃ ἠρίστευσαν. ἀλλὰ Μουνδίλας μὲν τέτρασι βαρβάροις καθ' ἕκαστον ἐς χεῖρας ἐλθὼν ἔκτεινέ τε ἅπαν6.10.20 τας καὶ αὐτὸς ἐσώθη. Λογγῖνος δὲ τῆς τῶν πολεμίων τροπῆς αἰτιώτατος γεγονὼς αὐτοῦ ἔπεσε πολὺν αὑτοῦ πόθον τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατοπέδῳ ἀπολιπών. 6.11.1 Οὐίττιγις μὲν οὖν στρατῷ τῷ καταλοίπῳ ἐπὶ Ῥαβέννης ἰὼν τῶν χωρίων τὰ ὀχυρώματα πλήθει φρουρῶν ἐκρατύνατο, ἐν Κλουσίῳ μὲν τῇ Τούσκων πόλει χιλίους τε ἄνδρας καὶ ἄρχοντα Γιβίμερα ἀπολιπὼν, ἔν τε Οὐρβιβεντῷ τοσούτους, οἷς δὴ ἄρχοντα Ἀλβίλαν ἄνδρα Γότθον ἐπέστησε. καὶ Οὐλιγίσαλον 6.11.2 ἐν τῇ Τουδέρᾳ ξὺν τετρακοσίοις κατέλιπεν. ἐν δὲ δὴ Πικηνῶν τῇ χώρᾳ τετρακοσίους μὲν ἐς Πέτραν τὸ φρούριον εἴασεν, οἳ καὶ πρότερον ταύτῃ ᾤκηντο, ἐν Αὐξίμῳ δὲ, ἣ πασῶν μεγίστη τῶν ἐκείνῃ πόλεών ἐστι, Γότθους τε ἀριστίνδην ξυνειλεγμένους τετρακισχιλίους κατέλιπε καὶ ἄρχοντα ἐς ἄγαν δραστήριον Οὐίσανδον ὄνομα, ξύν τε τῷ Μώρᾳ δισχιλίους ἐν Οὐρβίνῳ τῇ 6.11.3 πόλει. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλα φρούρια δύο, Καισῆνά τε καὶ Μοντεφέρετρα, ὧν δὴ ἐν ἑκατέρῳ φρουρὰν οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ κατὰ πεντακοσίων ἀνδρῶν κατεστήσατο. αὐτὸς δὲ τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ εὐθὺ Ἀριμίνου ὡς πολιορκήσων 6.11.4 ἐχώρει. ἐτύγχανε δὲ Βελισάριος, ἐπειδὴ τάχιστα Γότθοι τὴν πολιορκίαν διέλυσαν, Ἰλδίγερά τε καὶ Μαρτῖνον ξὺν ἱππεῦσι χιλίοις πέμψας, ἐφ' ᾧ δὴ ἑτέρας ὁδοῦ θᾶττον ἰόντες φθάσωσι τοὺς πολεμίους ἐς Ἀρίμινον ἀφικόμενοι, καὶ σφίσιν ἐπέστελλεν Ἰωάννην μὲν καὶ τοὺς ξὺν αὐτῷ ἅπαντας ἐνθένδε ἐξαναστῆσαι ὡς τάχιστα, πολλοὺς δὲ ἀντ' αὐτῶν ἱκανοὺς μάλιστα ἐς τῆς πόλεως τὴν φυλακὴν καταστήσασθαι, ἐκ φρουρίου ἀφελομένους, ὃ δὴ πρὸς κόλπῳ τῷ Ἰονίῳ ἐστὶν, Ἀγκὼν ὄνομα, δυοῖν