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6.11.5 a two days' journey distant from Ariminum. For he had already captured it not long before, having sent Conon with an army of both Isaurians 6.11.6 and Thracians, a not inconsiderable force. For he hoped that, if infantry alone, with no distinguished commanders present among them, should hold Ariminum, the power of the Goths would never be set to the siege of it, but that they, disdaining it, would go at once against Ravenna; and if they should wish to besiege Ariminum, the provisions for the infantry would suffice for 6.11.7 a considerable time; and that two thousand horsemen, coming from outside with the rest of the army, would inflict many evils, 6.11.8 as was likely, upon the enemy and would more easily drive them to abandon the blockade. With such a purpose, then, Belisarius gave these instructions to the men of Martinus and Ildiger. But they, proceeding by the Flaminian Way, went along, having greatly 6.11.9 outstripped the barbarians. For since the Goths were in a great throng, they proceeded more slowly, and they were forced to make certain long detours, both from the lack of necessities and because they were by no means willing to go anywhere near the strongholds on the Flaminian Way, since the enemy, as has been previously related by me, held Narnia and Spoletium and Perusia. 6.11.10 But the Roman army, when they came upon Petra, making it a by-work of their journey, made an attempt on the fortress there. This stronghold was not built by men, but the nature of the place devised it; for the road 6.11.11 is exceedingly precipitous. On the right of this road a certain river, unfordable by anyone because of the swiftness of its current, flows down, and on the left, not far away, a sheer rock rises, extending to such a height that to those who are below, men appearing, who may happen to be standing on the summit, are likened in size to the very 6.11.12 smallest birds. And for one proceeding, there was in ancient times no way through. For the rock, coming to an end, extends just about to the very stream of the river, 6.11.13 affording no passage to those going that way. The men of old, therefore, having dug a tunnel here, 6.11.14 have made a small gate for the place in this way. And having blocked off the greater part of the other entrance, except, that is, for as much as to leave a small gate there also, they made a natural fortress and with good reason 6.11.15 called it Petra. The men of Martinus and Ildiger, therefore, at first fighting and hurling many missiles against one of the small gates, accomplished nothing, although the barbarians there defended themselves but little, and then, forcing their way up by the precipitous ascent from behind, from 6.11.16 the summit they threw stones from there upon the Goths. And they, entering their houses with a rush and great confusion, kept quiet. And then the Romans, since they were not able to hit any of the enemy with the throws 6.11.17 of their stones, they devised the following. Making large fragments from the crag, many of them pushing them at the same time, they threw them, aiming at the 6.11.18 houses. And these, wherever they fell and touched even a small part of the structure, shook everything sufficiently and cast the barbarians into a great 6.11.19 fear. For this reason indeed, the Goths stretched out their hands to those who were still at the gate and surrendered themselves with the fortress by agreement, on condition that they should remain unharmed by evils, being servants of the Emperor and 6.11.20 subjects of Belisarius. And of them Ildiger and Martinus, removing most of them on equal and similar terms, led them away with themselves, but they left a few there with their children and wives. And they also left a certain Roman 6.11.21 garrison. And from there, having come to Ancona and taken away many of the infantry there, they arrived at Ariminum on the third day, and they reported 6.11.22 the decision of Belisarius. But John was neither willing to follow himself, and he held back Damianus with the four hundred. But they, leaving his infantry there, withdrew from there in haste with the spearmen and shield-bearers of Belisarius. 6.12.1 And Vittigis not long after came to Ariminum with his entire army, where they encamped and laid siege. And at once building a wooden tower higher than the city's circuit wall, supported by four wheels, against the wall

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6.11.5 ἡμέραιν ὁδὸν Ἀριμίνου διέχον. ἤδη γὰρ αὐτὸ οὐ πολλῷ πρότερον κατειλήφει, Κόνωνα ξύν τε Ἰσαύρων 6.11.6 καὶ Θρᾳκῶν στρατεύματι οὐκ ὀλίγῳ πέμψας. ἤλπιζε γὰρ, ἢν πεζοί τε καὶ μόνοι ἀρχόντων οὐκ ἀξιολόγων σφίσι παρόντων Ἀρίμινον ἔχωσιν, οὔποτε αὐτῆς ἐς πολιορκίαν Γότθων τὴν δύναμιν καταστήσεσθαι, ἀλλ' ὑπεριδόντας ἐπὶ Ῥαβέννης αὐτίκα ἰέναι, ἤν τε Ἀρίμινον πολιορκεῖν ἐθελήσωσι, τοῖς τε πεζοῖς τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ἐς 6.11.7 πλείω τινὰ χρόνον ἀρκέσειν· καὶ ὡς ἱππεῖς δισχίλιοι ἔξωθεν ξὺν τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ ἰόντες πολλά τε κακὰ, 6.11.8 ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, τοὺς πολεμίους ἐργάσονται καὶ ῥᾷον ἐς τῆς προσεδρείας αὐτοὺς τὴν διάλυσιν ξυνελάσουσι. τοιαύτῃ μὲν γνώμῃ Βελισάριος τοῖς ἀμφὶ Μαρτῖνόν τε καὶ Ἰλδίγερα ταῦτα ἐπήγγελλεν. οἱ δὲ διὰ Φλαμινίας ὁδοῦ πορευόμενοι λίαν τε τοὺς βαρβάρους προ6.11.9 τερήσαντες ᾔεσαν. ἅτε γὰρ ἐν πολλῷ ὁμίλῳ οἱ Γότθοι σχολαίτεροι ἐπορεύοντο, καὶ περιόδοις ἠναγκάζοντο μακραῖς τισι χρῆσθαι τῶν τε ἀναγκαίων τῇ ἀπορίᾳ καὶ τῶν ἐν Φλαμινίᾳ ὁδῷ ὀχυρωμάτων ἥκιστα ἐθέλοντες ἄγχιστά πη ἰέναι, ἐπεὶ αὐτὰ οἱ πολέμιοι, ὥσπερ μοι ἔμπροσθεν δεδήλωται, Ναρνίαν τε καὶ Σπολίτιον καὶ Περυσίαν εἶχον. 6.11.10 Ῥωμαίων δὲ τὸ στράτευμα, ἐπειδὴ τῇ Πέτρᾳ ἐνέτυχον, ὁδοῦ ποιούμενοι πάρεργον, ἀπεπειράσαντο τοῦ ταύτῃ φρουρίου. τοῦτο δὲ τὸ ὀχύρωμα οὐκ ἄνθρωποι ἐτεκτήναντο, ἀλλὰ τοῦ χωρίου ἡ φύσις ἐξεῦρεν· ὁδὸς 6.11.11 γάρ ἐστιν ἐς ἄγαν κρημνώδης. ταύτης δὲ τῆς ὁδοῦ ἐν δεξιᾷ μὲν ποταμός τις οὐδενὶ ἐσβατὸς ὀξύτητι τοῦ ῥοῦ κάτεισιν, ἐν ἀριστερᾷ δὲ οὐ πολλῷ ἄποθεν πέτρα ἀνέχει ἀπότομός τε καὶ ὕψους ἐς τόσον διήκουσα, ὥστε τοῖς κάτω οὖσι φαινόμενοι ἄνθρωποι, οἳ ἐν τῇ ἄκρᾳ, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι, ἑστήκασιν, ὄρνισι τοῖς μικρο6.11.12 τάτοις μεγέθους πέρι εἰκάζονται. προϊόντι τε διέξοδος οὐδεμία τὸ παλαιὸν ἦν. λήγουσα γὰρ ἡ πέτρα ἐς αὐτόν που μάλιστα τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὸν ῥοῦν διήκει, 6.11.13 διάβασιν τοῖς ταύτῃ ἰοῦσιν οὐδεμίαν παρεχομένη. διώρυχα τοίνυν ἐνταῦθα οἱ πάλαι ἄνθρωποι ἐργασάμενοι, 6.11.14 πυλίδα τῷ χωρίῳ ταύτῃ πεποίηνται. φράξαντες δὲ καὶ τῆς ἑτέρας εἰσόδου τὸ πλεῖστον, πλήν γε δὴ ὅσον πυλίδα κἀνταῦθα λελεῖφθαι, φρούριόν τε αὐτοφυὲς ἀπειργάσαντο καὶ Πέτραν αὐτὸ λόγῳ τῷ εἰκότι ἐκά6.11.15 λεσαν. οἱ οὖν ἀμφὶ Μαρτῖνόν τε καὶ Ἰλδίγερα πρῶτον μὲν ἐς τῶν πυλίδων τὴν ἑτέραν μαχόμενοί τε καὶ πολλὰ βάλλοντες οὐδὲν ἤνυτον, καίπερ ἥκιστα σφᾶς ἀμυνομένων τῶν ταύτῃ βαρβάρων, ἔπειτα δὲ διὰ τοῦ κρημνώδους κατόπισθεν τὴν ἄνοδον βιασάμενοι κατὰ 6.11.16 κορυφὴν λίθοις ἔβαλον ἐνθένδε τοὺς Γότθους. οἱ δὲ ἐς τὰς οἰκίας δρόμῳ τε καὶ θορύβῳ πολλῷ ἐσελθόντες ἡσύχαζον. καὶ τότε Ῥωμαῖοι, ἐπεὶ τῶν πολεμίων οὐδενὸς ἐπιτυγχάνειν οἷοί τε ἦσαν ταῖς τῶν λίθων βο6.11.17 λαῖς, ἐπενόουν τάδε. τμήματα μεγάλα ἐκ τοῦ σκοπέλου ποιούμενοι πολλοί θ' ἅμα ὠθοῦντες αὐτὰ ἐπὶ τὰς 6.11.18 οἰκίας σταθμώμενοι ἐρρίπτουν. τὰ δὲ ὅπη ἂν τῆς οἰκοδομίας καὶ κατὰ βραχὺ προσπίπτοντα ψαύοι, κατέσειέ τε ἱκανῶς ἅπαντα καὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους ἐς μέγα 6.11.19 τι δέος καθίστη. διὸ δὴ χεῖράς τε οἱ Γότθοι τοῖς ἔτι ἀμφὶ τὴν πυλίδα οὖσιν ὤρεγον καὶ ξὺν τῷ φρουρίῳ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ὁμολογίᾳ παρέδοσαν, ἐφ' ᾧ κακῶν ἀπαθεῖς μείνωσι, βασιλέως τε δοῦλοι καὶ Βελισαρίου κατή6.11.20 κοοι ὄντες. καὶ αὐτῶν Ἰλδίγερ τε καὶ Μαρτῖνος τοὺς μὲν πλείστους ἀναστήσαντες ἐπὶ τῇ ἴσῃ καὶ ὁμοίᾳ ξὺν αὑτοῖς ἦγον, ὀλίγους δέ τινας ξὺν τοῖς παισί τε καὶ γυναιξὶν αὐτοῦ εἴασαν. ἐλίποντο δέ τινα καὶ Ῥωμαίων 6.11.21 φρουράν. ἐνθένδε τε ἐς Ἀγκῶνα ἐλθόντες καὶ πολλοὺς ἀπαγαγόμενοι τῶν ἐκείνῃ πεζῶν ἐς Ἀρίμινον τριταῖοι ἀφίκοντο, τήν τε Βελισαρίου γνώμην ἀπήγγελ6.11.22 λον. Ἰωάννης δὲ οὔτε αὐτὸς ἕπεσθαι ἤθελε καὶ ∆αμιανὸν ξὺν τοῖς τετρακοσίοις κατεῖχεν. οἱ δὲ τοὺς πεζοὺς αὐτοῦ ἀπολιπόντες κατὰ τάχος ἐνθένδε ξὺν τοῖς Βελισαρίου δορυφόροις τε καὶ ὑπασπισταῖς ἀνεχώρησαν. 6.12.1 Καὶ Οὐίττιγις οὐκ ἐς μακρὰν παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἐς Ἀρίμινον ἦλθεν, οὗ δὴ ἐνστρατοπεδευσάμενοι ἐπολιόρκουν. αὐτίκα τε πύργον ξύλινον τοῦ τῆς πόλεως περιβόλου καθυπέρτερον τεκτηνάμενοι τροχοῖς τέσσαρσιν ἀνεχόμενον ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος