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“if it is for any others to become glorious. For they win 6.12.22 good repute, not who have conquered their inferiors, but they who, though at a disadvantage in equipment, have been victorious through greatness of soul. And for those in whom the love of life is more deeply ingrained, for these especially will it be of advantage to be daring, since all, for the most part, whose fortunes stand on a razor's edge, as ours do now, can only 6.12.23 be saved by despising dangers.” Having spoken these words, John led the army out against the enemy, leaving a few men on the battlements. 6.12.24 And since the enemy withstood them bravely, the battle became exceedingly fierce. And the barbarians were able, with difficulty and late in the day, to bring the tower into their own 6.12.25 camp. However, they lost so great a number of their fighting men, that they decided not to assault the wall any longer, but despairing of success, they waited quietly, expecting that the enemy, pressed by hunger, would surrender to them. For all their provisions had already failed them completely, since they found no place from which they could bring in a sufficient supply. 6.12.26 So these things were happening there. But Belisarius sent a thousand Isaurians and 6.12.27 Thracians to those who had come from Mediolanum. Ennes commanded the Isaurians, and Paulus the Thracians, and Mundilas was in command of them all and led them himself, having a few of the guards of Belisarius. And with them was also Fidelius, who had become praetorian 6.12.28 prefect. For setting out from Mediolanum he seemed a suitable man to follow this army, since he had some influence 6.12.29 among the Ligurians. So sailing from the Portus of the Romans they put in at Genua, which is the last city of Tuscia, and is conveniently situated for the coasting voyage to Gaul and 6.12.30 Spain. There they left their ships and, proceeding by land, they moved forward, having placed the boats from the ships on their wagons, so that nothing might hinder them in crossing the river Padus. 6.12.31 In this way, then, they made the crossing of the river. And when, after crossing the Padus, they came to the city of Ticinum, Goths met them and came to blows. 6.12.32 They were both many and excellent fighters, since all the barbarians who dwelt in this region had deposited their most valuable treasures in Ticinum, as a place which had a strong fortress, 6.12.33 and had left a noteworthy garrison there. So when a fierce battle took place, the Romans were victorious, and putting their opponents to flight they both destroyed many and in the pursuit came very near to capturing the city. For the barbarians were scarcely able to shut the gates, as the enemy pressed 6.12.34 upon them. And as the Romans were riding back, Fidelius remained behind to pray in one of the churches there. But by some chance his horse stumbled and he 6.12.35 fell. And the Goths, catching sight of him, since he had fallen very near the circuit-wall, came out and killed him, and escaped the notice of the enemy. When Mundilas 6.12.36 and the Romans later learned of this, they were distressed. And from there they came to the city of Mediolanum and took it without a fight, together with 6.12.37 the rest of Liguria. When Vittigis learned this, he quickly sent a large army and Uraias, his nephew, as commander. 6.12.38 And Theudibert, the leader of the Franks, upon his request, sent him ten thousand men as allies, not of the Franks themselves, but of the Burgundians, so as not to seem to be acting against the interests of the emperor. 6.12.39 For the Burgundians were sent, according to the story, of their own free will and independent judgment, not in obedience to Theudibert's command. With these the Goths mingled and came to Mediolanum when the Romans were least expecting them, and encamping there they began a siege. In this situation, then, the Romans were able to bring in no provisions at all, but were immediately distressed by the lack of necessities. 6.12.40 Furthermore, the soldiers did not even have the guard of the circuit-wall, since Mundilas had happened to occupy all the cities near Mediolanum which had fortresses, namely Bergomum and Comum and Novariae and certain other towns, and after establishing noteworthy garrisons everywhere, he himself remained in Mediolanum with about three hundred men, and with him Ennes and

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«εἴπερ τισὶ καὶ ἄλλοις, ἐνδόξοις γενέσθαι. κτῶνται «γὰρ εὔκλειαν οὐχ οἱ τῶν καταδεεστέρων κρατήσαντες, «ἀλλ' οἳ ἂν τῇ παρασκευῇ ἐλασσούμενοι τῷ τῆς ψυχῆς 6.12.22 «μεγέθει νικῷεν. οἷς δὲ τὸ φιλόψυχον ἐμπέφυκε «μᾶλλον, τούτοις δὴ μάλιστα τὸ εὐτόλμοις εἶναι ξυνοίσει, «ἐπεὶ ἅπαντες ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον, οἷς τὰ πράγματα «ἐπὶ ξυροῦ ἀκμῆς, ὥσπερ ἡμῖν τανῦν, ἵσταται, μόνῳ 6.12.23 «ἂν τῷ τῶν κινδύνων ὑπερφρονεῖν διασώζοιντο.» τοσαῦτα μὲν Ἰωάννης εἰπὼν ἐξῆγεν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους τὸ στράτευμα, ὀλίγους τινὰς ἐς τὰς ἐπάλξεις ἀπολιπών. 6.12.24 ἀνδρείως δὲ αὐτοὺς ὑφισταμένων τῶν πολεμίων γέγονε καρτερὰ ἐς ἄγαν ἡ μάχη. καὶ τὸν μὲν πύργον μόλις τε καὶ ὀψὲ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐς τὸ σφέτερον οἱ βάρβαροι 6.12.25 στρατόπεδον ἐνεγκεῖν ἴσχυσαν. τοσούτους μέντοι τὸ πλῆθος ἀπέβαλον τῶν ἐν σφίσι μαχίμων, ὥστε οὐκέτι τειχομαχεῖν τὸ λοιπὸν ἔγνωσαν, ἀλλ' ἀπογνόντες ἡσυχῆ ἔμενον, λιμῷ πιεζομένους προσχωρήσειν αὐτοῖς τοὺς πολεμίους καραδοκοῦντες. λίαν γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἅπαντα ἤδη τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ἐπελελοίπει, ἐπεὶ οὐχ εὗρον ὅθεν αὐτὰ διαρκῶς ἐσκομίσονται. 6.12.26 Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐγίνετο τῇδε. Βελισάριος δὲ τοῖς ἐκ Μεδιολάνου ἥκουσι χιλίους ἔπεμψεν Ἰσαύρους τε 6.12.27 καὶ Θρᾷκας. ἡγεῖτο δὲ τῶν Ἰσαύρων Ἔννης, τῶν δὲ Θρᾳκῶν Παῦλος, Μουνδίλας τε ἅπασιν ἐφειστήκει καὶ αὐτὸς ἦρχεν ὀλίγους τινὰς τῶν Βελισαρίου ὑπασπιστῶν ἔχων. ξυνῆν δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ Φιδέλιος, ὃς ἐγεγόνει τῆς 6.12.28 αὐλῆς ἔπαρχος. ἐκ Μεδιολάνου γὰρ ὁρμώμενος ἐπιτήδειος τούτῳ ἔδοξε τῷ στρατῷ ἕπεσθαι ἅτε δύναμίν 6.12.29 τινα ἐν Λιγούροις ἔχων. πλεύσαντες οὖν ἐκ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων λιμένος Γενούᾳ προσέσχον, ἣ Τουσκίας μέν ἐστιν ἐσχάτη, παράπλου δὲ καλῶς Γάλλων τε καὶ 6.12.30 Ἱσπανῶν κεῖται. ἔνθα δὴ τάς τε ναῦς ἀπολιπόντες καὶ ὁδῷ πορευόμενοι πρόσω ἐχώρουν, τοὺς λέμβους τῶν νηῶν ἐν ταῖς ἁμάξαις ἐνθέμενοι, ὅπως ἂν Πάδον τὸν ποταμὸν διαβαίνουσι μηδὲν σφίσιν ἐμπόδιον εἴη. 6.12.31 οὕτω γοῦν τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὴν διάβασιν ἐποιήσαντο. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸν Πάδον διαβάντες ἐς Τικηνὸν πόλιν ἀφίκοντο, Γότθοι αὐτοῖς ἀπαντήσαντες ἐς χεῖρας ἦλθον. 6.12.32 ἦσαν δὲ πολλοί τε καὶ ἄριστοι, ἐπεὶ τῶν χρημάτων τὰ τιμιώτατα βάρβαροι ἅπαντες, οἳ ταύτῃ ᾤκηντο, ἐν Τικηνῷ καταθέμενοι ἅτε ἐν χωρίῳ ὀχύρωμα ἰσχυρὸν 6.12.33 ἔχοντι φρουρὰν ἐνταῦθα λόγου ἀξίαν ἐλίποντο. μάχης οὖν καρτερᾶς γενομένης ἐνίκων Ῥωμαῖοι, καὶ τοὺς ἐναντίους τρεψάμενοι διέφθειράν τε συχνοὺς καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐν τῇ διώξει ἑλεῖν παρ' ὀλίγον ἦλθον. μόλις γὰρ ἐπιθεῖναι τὰς πύλας οἱ βάρβαροι ἴσχυσαν, ἐγκει6.12.34 μένων σφίσι τῶν πολεμίων. Ῥωμαίων δὲ ὀπίσω ἀπελαυνόντων Φιδέλιος εὐξόμενος ἔς τινα τῶν ἐκείνῃ νεὼν ὕστατος ἔμεινε. τύχῃ δέ τινι ὀκλάσαντός οἱ τοῦ 6.12.35 ἵππου ἔπεσε. καὶ αὐτὸν κατιδόντες Γότθοι, ἐπεὶ τοῦ περιβόλου ἄγχιστα ἐπεπτώκει, ἐπεξελθόντες ἔκτεινάν τε καὶ ἔλαθον τοὺς πολεμίους. οὗ δὴ ὕστερον Μουν6.12.36 δίλας τε καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι αἰσθόμενοι ἤσχαλλον. ἔνθεν τε ἐς Μεδιόλανον πόλιν ἀφίκοντο καὶ αὐτὴν ἀμαχητὶ ξὺν 6.12.37 Λιγουρίᾳ τῇ ἄλλῃ ἔσχον. ἅπερ ἐπειδὴ Οὐίττιγις ἔμαθε, στράτευμά τε πολὺ κατὰ τάχος καὶ Οὐραΐαν ἄρχοντα, 6.12.38 τὸν αὑτοῦ ἀδελφιδοῦν, ἔπεμψε. καὶ Θευδίβερτος δέ οἱ, ὁ Φράγγων ἀρχηγὸς, ἄνδρας μυρίους δεηθέντι ἐς ξυμμαχίαν ἀπέστειλεν, οὐ Φράγγων αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ Βουργουζιώνων, τοῦ μὴ δοκεῖν τὰ βασιλέως ἀδικεῖν πράγματα. 6.12.39 οἱ γὰρ Βουργουζίωνες ἐθελούσιοί τε καὶ αὐτονόμῳ γνώμῃ, οὐ Θευδιβέρτῳ κελεύοντι ἐπακούοντες δῆθεν τῷ λόγῳ ἐστέλλοντο. οἷς δὴ οἱ Γότθοι ἀναμιχθέντες ἔς τε Μεδιόλανον Ῥωμαίων ἥκιστα προσδεχομένων ἀφίκοντο καὶ ἐνστρατοπεδευσάμενοι ἐπολιόρκουν. ταύτῃ γοῦν οὐδέ τι ἐσκομίσασθαι τῶν ἐπιτηδείων Ῥωμαῖοι ἔσχον, ἀλλ' εὐθὺς ἤχθοντο τῶν ἀναγκαίων τῇ ἀπορίᾳ. 6.12.40 οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τοῦ περιβόλου τὴν φυλακὴν οἱ στρατιῶται εἶχον, ἐπεὶ ὁ Μουνδίλας πόλεις τε καταλαβὼν ἔτυχεν, ὅσαι Μεδιολάνου ἄγχιστα οὖσαι ὀχυρώματα εἶχον, Βέργομόν τε καὶ Κῶμον καὶ Νοβαρίας καὶ ἄλλα ἄττα πολίσματα, καὶ φρουρὰς πανταχόθι λόγου ἀξίας καταστησάμενος, αὐτὸς δὲ τριακοσίους μάλιστα ἔχων ἐν Μεδιολάνῳ ἔμεινε, καὶ ξὺν αὐτῷ Ἔννης τε