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they should do, and they feared for the besieged lest through the 6.16.4 want of provisions they should suffer some terrible fate. So the majority, being angry with John, made their arguments. For they charged him with having come into so great danger through both unreasoning daring and a lust for much money, and with not allowing the operations of the war to be carried on 6.16.5 in an orderly manner or as Belisarius directed. But Narses (for John was dearest to him of all men), fearing that Belisarius, by yielding to what had been said by the commanders, might put the affairs of Ariminum in a secondary place, 6.16.6 spoke as follows: "You are not deliberating on the usual matters, my fellow commanders, nor are you holding council on matters about which one might reasonably be in doubt, but on matters in which it is possible even for those who have come to no experience of war to make their choice 6.16.7 offhand and choose the better course. For if the danger seems to be equal on both sides and the harm for those who fail is evenly balanced, it is worthwhile both to deliberate sufficiently and, by going into calculations at great length, to make the decision concerning the present situation 6.16.8 in this way. But as for us, if we should wish to postpone the attack on Auximum to some other time, we shall in no way suffer loss in essential matters; for what difference could arise in the meantime? But at Ariminum, if we should fail, as is likely—if I may not say something too bitter—we shall destroy the power of the Romans. 6.16.9 If, then, John has acted outrageously against your commands, most excellent Belisarius, you have it in your power to take ample satisfaction from him, since it is in your power both to save the one who has erred and to abandon him to the enemy. 6.16.10 But take care that you do not receive from the emperor and from us the penalties for the errors which John committed in his ignorance. For if the Goths now take Ariminum, it will turn out that they have captured an energetic Roman general, a whole army, and a city loyal to the emperor. 6.16.11 And the disaster will not stop at this point, but it will even be able to decide the whole fortune of the war. For reason thus concerning the enemy: while in the number of their soldiers they still even now surpass us by far, they have fallen into cowardice by reason of the defeats they have often suffered. And naturally so; for the opposition of fortune 6.16.12 has taken away all their confidence. If, therefore, they are successful at the present time, they will before long recover their spirit, and for the future they will carry on this war not only with daring equal to ours, but with far greater. 6.16.13 For it is the nature of men who are getting free from difficulties to be always better in spirit than those who have not yet met with misfortune." Thus spoke Narses. 6.16.14 But a certain soldier from Ariminum, eluding the guard of the barbarians, came into the camp and showed Belisarius a letter, which John had written to him. 6.16.15 The letter declared the following: "Know that all our provisions have long since failed us, and that for the future we can neither hold out against the populace nor are we able to defend ourselves against our attackers, but in seven days we shall unwillingly hand over both ourselves and this city to the enemy; 6.16.16 for we are quite unable to contend further with the present necessity, which I think is a sufficient defence for us, if we do anything unseemly." 6.16.17 So John wrote. But Belisarius was in a great quandary and fell into the utmost perplexity. For on the one hand he was afraid for the besieged, and on the other he suspected that the enemy in Auximum would roam about and ravage all the country there with greater freedom, and would lay an ambush for his army from behind, especially when they were engaged with the enemy, and would in all probability work many and irreparable evils. 6.16.18 Then, however, he did the following. He left Aratius there with a thousand men, with instructions that they should make a camp by the sea, two hundred stades distant from the city of Auximum. 6.16.19 And these men he ordered neither to stir from this place and go anywhere, nor to fight a pitched battle with the enemy, except only to defend themselves from their camp, if the enemy should ever come against them. 6.16.20 For in this way he especially hoped the barbarians, with his men encamped somewhere very near

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δράσωσι, καὶ ἀμφὶ τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις ἐδείμαινον μὴ τῇ 6.16.4 ἀπορίᾳ τῶν ἀναγκαίων δεινόν τι πάθωσιν. οἱ μὲν οὖν πλεῖστοι Ἰωάννῃ χαλεπῶς ἔχοντες ἐποιοῦντο τοὺς λόγους. ἐπεκάλουν γάρ οἱ ὅτι θράσει τε ἀλογίστῳ καὶ χρημάτων πολλῶν ἔρωτι ἐς τόσον κινδύνου ἀφίκοιτο, καὶ οὐκ ἐν τάξει οὐδὲ ᾗ Βελισάριος ἐξηγεῖτο 6.16.5 ἐῴη τὰ τοῦ πολέμου περαίνεσθαι. Ναρσῆς δὲ (καὶ γάρ οἱ φίλτατος ἦν Ἰωάννης ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων) δείσας μὴ Βελισάριος πρὸς τὰ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν εἰρημένα ἐνδοὺς ἐν δευτέρῳ τὰ ἐν Ἀριμίνῳ πράγματα θῆται 6.16.6 ἔλεξε τοιάδε «Οὐκ ἐν τοῖς εἰωθόσι διαλογίζεσθε, ἄν»δρες ἄρχοντες, οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ ὧν ἄν τις εἰκότως ἀμφι»γνοήσειε τὴν βουλὴν ἔχετε, ἀλλ' ἐν οἷς πάρεστι καὶ «τοῖς ἐς πολέμου πεῖραν οὐδεμίαν ἐλθοῦσι τὴν αἵρεσιν 6.16.7 «αὐτοσχεδιάζουσιν ἑλέσθαι τὰ κρείσσω. εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὅ «τε κίνδυνος ἐν ἴσῳ εἶναι δοκεῖ καὶ βλάβος ἑκατέρω»θεν τοῖς γε ἀποτυχοῦσιν ἀντίπαλον, βουλεύεσθαί τε «ἱκανῶς ἄξιον καὶ λογισμῶν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἰοῦσιν οὕτω 6.16.8 «ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν παρόντων διάγνωσιν. ἡμεῖς «δὲ εἰ μὲν τὴν ἐς Αὔξιμον προσβολὴν ἐς ἄλλον τινὰ «χρόνον ἀποθέσθαι βουλοίμεθα, τὴν ζημίαν ἐν τοῖς «ἀναγκαίοις οὐδαμῶς ἕξομεν· τί γὰρ ἂν μεταξὺ τὸ «διαλλάσσον εἴη; ἐν Ἀριμίνῳ δὲ, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, σφα»λέντες, εἰ μὴ λίαν πικρὸν εἰπεῖν ᾖ, τὴν Ῥωμαίων 6.16.9 «ἰσχὺν καταλύσομεν. εἰ μὲν οὖν Ἰωάννης ἐς τὰς σὰς «ἐντολὰς ὕβρισεν, ἄριστε Βελισάριε, πολλήν γε τὴν «δίκην ἔχεις παρ' ἐκείνου λαβὼν, ἐπεί σοι πάρεστι «σώζειν τε τὸν ἐπταικότα καὶ τοῖς πολεμίοις προΐε6.16.10 «σθαι. σκόπει δὲ μὴ τὰς ποινὰς ὧν Ἰωάννης ἀγνοή»σας ἥμαρτε παρὰ βασιλέως τε καὶ ἡμῶν λάβῃς. εἰ «γὰρ νῦν Ἀρίμινον ἐξέλωσι Γότθοι, στρατηγόν τε «αὐτοῖς Ῥωμαίων δραστήριον καὶ στράτευμα ὅλον καὶ «πόλιν κατήκοον βασιλεῖ δορυάλωτον πεποιῆσθαι ξυμ6.16.11 «βήσεται. καὶ οὐκ ἄχρι τούτου στήσεται τὸ δεινὸν, «ἀλλὰ καὶ ξύμπασαν καταστῆσαι τὴν τοῦ πολέμου δυ»νήσεται τύχην. οὑτωσὶ γὰρ λογίζου περὶ τῶν πολε»μίων, ὡς πλήθει μὲν στρατιωτῶν ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἡμῶν «παρὰ πολὺ προὔχουσιν, ἐς ἀνανδρίαν δὲ οἷς πολλάκις «ἐσφάλησαν ἐμπεπτώκασιν. εἰκότως· τὸ γὰρ τῆς τύχης 6.16.12 «ἐναντίωμα πᾶσαν αὐτῶν τὴν παρρησίαν ἀφείλετο. ἢν «τοίνυν ἐν τῷ παρόντι εὐημερήσωσι, τό τε φρόνημα «οὐκ ἐς μακρὰν ἀπολήψονται καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν οὐκ ἐξ «ἀντιπάλου μόνον ἡμῖν τῆς τόλμης, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῷ 6.16.13 «μειζόνως τὸν πόλεμον τόνδε διοίσουσι. φιλοῦσι γὰρ «οἱ τῶν δυσκόλων ἀπαλλασσόμενοι τῶν οὔπω δεδυστυ»χηκότων ἀμείνους ἀεὶ τὰς γνώμας εἶναι.» Ναρσῆς μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπε. 6.16.14 Στρατιώτης δέ τις ἐξ Ἀριμίνου λαθὼν τῶν βαρβάρων τὴν φυλακὴν ἔς τε τὸ στρατόπεδον ἦλθε καὶ Βελισαρίῳ γράμματα ἔδειξεν, ἃ πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἰωάννης 6.16.15 ἔγραψεν. ἐδήλου δὲ ἡ γραφὴ τάδε «Ἅπαντα ἡμᾶς τὰ «ἐπιτήδεια χρόνου πολλοῦ ἐπιλελοιπέναι καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν «μήτε πρὸς τὸν δῆμον ἀντέχειν ἡμᾶς ἴσθι μήτε τοὺς «ἐπιόντας ἀμύνεσθαι οἵους τε εἶναι, ἀλλ' ἑπτὰ ἡμερῶν «ἀκουσίους ἡμᾶς τε αὐτοὺς καὶ πόλιν τήνδε τοῖς πο6.16.16 «λεμίοις ἐγχειριεῖν· περαιτέρω γὰρ βιάζεσθαι τὴν παρ»οῦσαν ἀνάγκην ἥκιστα ἔχομεν, ἥνπερ ἀπολογεῖσθαι «ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἤν τι οὐκ εὐπρεπὲς δράσωμεν, ἀξιόχρεων 6.16.17 «οἶμαι.» Ἰωάννης μὲν ἔγραψεν ὧδε. Βελισάριος δὲ διηπορεῖτό τε καὶ ἐς ἀμηχανίαν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐξέπιπτε. περί τε γὰρ τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις ἐδείμαινε καὶ τοὺς ἐν Αὐξίμῳ πολεμίους ὑπώπτευε δῃώσειν μὲν ἀδεέστερον ἅπαντα περιιόντας τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία, σφῶν δὲ κατόπισθεν τὸ στρατόπεδον ἐνεδρεύσοντας, ἄλλως τε καὶ ἡνίκα ἂν τοῖς ἐναντίοις προσμίξειαν, πολλά τε 6.16.18 κακὰ καὶ ἀνήκεστα, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, διεργάσεσθαι. ἔπειτα μέντοι ἐποίει τάδε. Ἀράτιον μὲν ξὺν χιλίοις ἀνδράσιν αὐτοῦ ἔλιπεν, ἐφ' ᾧ πρὸς τῇ θαλάσσῃ στρατόπεδον ποιήσονται, πόλεως Αὐξίμου σταδίους διακοσίους ἀπέχον. 6.16.19 οὓς δὴ ἐκέλευε μήτε πη ἐξανισταμένους ἐνθένδε ἰέναι μήτε διαμάχεσθαι τοῖς πολεμίοις, πλήν γε δὴ ὅσα ἐκ τοῦ στρατοπέδου ἀμυνομένους, ἢν ἐκεῖνοί ποτε ἐπ' 6.16.20 αὐτοὺς ἴωσι. ταύτῃ γὰρ τοὺς βαρβάρους μάλιστα ἤλπιζεν ἄγχιστά που στρατοπεδευομένων