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he sent. And he, having escaped the notice of the enemy, came to the bank of the Padus. And finding no transport ship at the moment, he stripped off his clothes and, swimming with great danger, made the crossing. 6.21.5 Therefore, having been brought to the Roman camp and coming before the commanders, he spoke as follows: "Martinus and Uliaris, you are not doing what is just, nor what is worthy of your own reputation, having come in word for the salvation of the emperor's affairs, but in deed increasing the power of the Goths. 6.21.6 For this Mediolanum, of all the cities in Italy by far the most preeminent in size and population and its other prosperity, and besides these things, being a fortress against the Germans and the other barbarians and, so to speak, a bulwark for the whole Roman dominion, has fallen into some great danger, along with Mundilas and the emperor's army, being harassed by the enemy, but 6.21.7 neglected by you. How greatly, then, the emperor has been wronged by you at the present time, I forbear to say. For the occasion does not permit me to use more words, seeking some swift assistance for the city, while 6.21.8 some hope still remains. But I say that you must immediately aid the Mediolanites who are in peril. For if you use any delay towards us at the present moment, it will be our lot to perish, having suffered the most bitter of all fates, and yours to have surrendered the emperor's 6.21.9 power to the enemy. For traitors, I think, are rightly called not only those who would open the gates to the enemy, but no less, if not even more, those who, when it is possible to aid their dearest friends under siege, choose instead risk-free hesitation before the struggle, and have thus, as is likely, given victory over them 6.21.10 to the enemy." Paulus said this much, and Martinus and Uliaris, promising that they would follow him immediately, sent the man away. 6.21.11 And he, once again eluding the barbarians, entered Mediolanum by night, and by raising the hopes of all the soldiers and Romans, he strengthened them still more in their loyalty to the emperor. 6.21.12 But Martinus and his men, overcome by hesitation, remained where they were no less, and much time was wasted in this very delay. 6.21.13 Afterwards, Martinus, wishing to absolve himself of the blame, wrote to Belisarius as follows: "You sent us here to assist those in peril in Mediolanum, and we with great haste, as you commanded, have come as far as the river Padus, which the army is afraid to cross, since we hear that a great force of Goths and a very large multitude of Burgundians with them is in Liguria, against whom we think we are not able to fight it out alone. 6.21.14 But command both John and Justin as quickly as possible (for they are in our neighborhood in the land of the Aemilii) to join us in this danger with their followers. 6.21.15 For by going from here together we shall be able both to be safe ourselves and 6.21.16 to be able to do some harm to the enemy." The letter of Martinus indicated this much. Belisarius, when he had read it, ordered John and Justin to go with Martinus' troops to Mediolanum with all speed. But they said they would do nothing, unless 6.21.17 Narses should write to them. For this reason Belisarius also wrote to Narses as follows: "Consider the entire army of the emperor to be one body, which, if it does not happen to show one mind, just like the limbs of a man, but its parts wish to act apart from one another, it will be left for us to perish, having accomplished none of our necessary 6.21.18 tasks. Therefore, leave Aemilia, which has no stronghold and brings no advantage to the Romans at the present 6.21.19 time. But you, command John and Justin to go immediately straight for the enemy at Mediolanum with Martinus and his men, since they are near and sufficiently able 6.21.20 to overcome the barbarians. For it happens that I do not have here a multitude of troops that I might also send, and besides, I think it is inexpedient for soldiers to go from here to Mediolanum. 6.21.21 For a great amount of time would be wasted,

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ἔπεμψεν. ὁ δὲ λαθὼν μὲν τοὺς πολεμίους ἐς τοῦ Πάδου τὴν ὄχθην ἦλθεν. ὁλκάδος δὲ οὐδεμιᾶς ἐν τῷ παραυτίκα ἐπιτυχὼν ἀπεδύσατό τε καὶ νηχόμενος ξὺν μεγάλῳ κινδύνῳ τὴν διάβασιν ἐποιήσατο. 6.21.5 κομισθεὶς οὖν ἐς τὸ Ῥωμαίων στρατόπεδον καὶ παρὰ τοὺς ἡγουμένους ἥκων ἔλεξε τοιάδε «Μαρτῖνέ τε καὶ «Οὐλίαρι, οὐ δίκαια ποιεῖτε οὐδὲ δόξης τῆς ὑμῶν «αὐτῶν ἄξια, λόγῳ μὲν ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν βασιλέως «πραγμάτων ἥκοντες, ἔργῳ δὲ τὴν Γότθων δύναμιν 6.21.6 «αὔξοντες. Μεδιόλανος γὰρ ἥδε, πόλεων τῶν ἐν «Ἰταλίᾳ πασῶν μάλιστα μεγέθει τε καὶ πολυανθρωπίᾳ «καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ εὐδαιμονίᾳ παρὰ πολὺ προὔχουσα, χωρὶς «δὲ τούτων πρός τε Γερμανοὺς καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους βαρ»βάρους ἐπιτείχισμά τε οὖσα καὶ πάσης, ὡς εἰπεῖν, «προβεβλημένη τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς, ἐς κίνδυνόν τινα «ἐμπέπτωκε μέγαν, ξύν τε Μουνδίλᾳ καὶ τῷ βασιλέως «στρατῷ, παρὰ μὲν τῶν πολεμίων ἐνοχλουμένη, παρὰ 6.21.7 «δὲ ὑμῶν ἀμελουμένη. ἡλίκα μὲν οὖν ἠδίκηται βα»σιλεὺς παρ' ὑμῶν ἐν τῷ παρόντι, λέγειν ἀφίημι. οὐ «γάρ μοι πλείοσι λόγοις ὁ καιρὸς ἐνδίδωσι χρῆσθαι, «ὀξεῖάν τινα τῇ πόλει τὴν ἐπικουρίαν ἐπιζητῶν, ἕως 6.21.8 «ἔτι λείπεταί τις ἐλπίς. ὑμᾶς δέ φημι χρῆναι αὐτίκα «δὴ μάλα κινδυνεύουσι Μεδιολανίταις ἀμύνειν. ἢν «γάρ τινι μελλήσει ἔν γε τῷ παρόντι ἐς ἡμᾶς χρῆσθε, «ἡμῖν μὲν τὰ πάντων πικρότατα πεπονθόσιν ἀπολω»λέναι ξυμβήσεται, ὑμῖν δὲ τὸ τοῖς πολεμίοις τὴν βα6.21.9 «σιλέως προέσθαι δύναμιν. προδόται γὰρ, οἶμαι, κα»λεῖσθαί εἰσι δίκαιοι οὐχ οἳ ἂν τὰς πύλας τοῖς ἐναντίοις «ἀνακλίνοιεν μόνον, ἀλλ' οὐδέν τι ἧσσον, εἰ μὴ καὶ «μᾶλλον, οἳ ἂν πολιορκουμένοις παρὸν τοῖς φιλτάτοις «ἀμύνειν, οἱ δὲ τὴν ἀκίνδυνον ὄκνησιν πρὸ τῆς ἀγω»νίας ἑλόμενοι, τὴν ἐκείνων, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, ἐπικράτησιν 6.21.10 «τοῖς πολεμίοις δεδώκασι.» Παῦλος μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπε, Μαρτῖνος δὲ καὶ Οὐλίαρις ἕψεσθαί οἱ αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα 6.21.11 ἐπαγγειλάμενοι τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀπεπέμψαντο. ὃς δὴ καὶ αὖθις τοὺς βαρβάρους λαθὼν ἐς Μεδιόλανον νύκτωρ εἰσῆλθε, τούς τε στρατιώτας καὶ Ῥωμαίους ἅπαντας ἐλπίσιν ἐπάρας ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐς τὴν βασιλέως 6.21.12 πίστιν ἐπέρρωσεν. οὐδέν τι δὲ ἧσσον οἱ ἀμφὶ Μαρτῖνον ὄκνῳ ἐχόμενοι αὐτοῦ ἔμενον, χρόνος τε πολὺς ταύτῃ 6.21.13 δὴ τῇ μελλήσει ἐτρίβετο. μετὰ δὲ Μαρτῖνος ἀπολύεσθαι τὴν αἰτίαν ἐθέλων Βελισαρίῳ ἔγραψε τάδε «Ἔπεμψας ἡμᾶς ὧδε τοῖς ἐν Μεδιολάνῳ κινδυνεύου»σιν ἐπαμυνοῦντας, καὶ ἡμεῖς πολλῇ σπουδῇ, ὥσπερ «σὺ ἐκέλευες, ἄχρι ἐς Πάδον ποταμὸν ἥκομεν, ὃν δια»βαίνειν ὁ στρατὸς δέδοικεν, ἐπεὶ δύναμίν τε Γότθων «μεγάλην καὶ Βουργουζιώνων πάμπολύ τι ξὺν αὐτοῖς «πλῆθος ἐν Λιγούροις εἶναι ἀκούομεν, πρὸς οὕς γε «ἡμεῖς διαμάχεσθαι μόνοι οὐχ οἷοί τε οἰόμεθα εἶναι. 6.21.14 «ἀλλὰ κέλευε Ἰωάννην τε καὶ Ἰουστῖνον ὡς τάχιστα 6.21.14 «(ἐν γειτόνων γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐν Αἰμιλίων τῇ χώρᾳ εἰσὶν) «ὁμοῦ τοῖς ἑπομένοις κινδύνου ἡμῖν τοῦδε ξυνάρασθαι. 6.21.15 «κοινῇ γὰρ ἐνθένδε ἰόντες αὐτοί τε σῶοι εἶναι καὶ 6.21.16 «δρᾶν τι κακὸν δυνησόμεθα τοὺς πολεμίους.» Μαρτίνου μὲν ἡ ἐπιστολὴ τοσαῦτα ἐδήλου. Βελισάριος δὲ, ἐπεὶ αὐτὴν ἀνελέξατο, Ἰωάννην τε καὶ Ἰουστῖνον ἐκέλευε ξὺν τοῖς ἀμφὶ Μαρτῖνον ἐς Μεδιόλανον κατὰ τάχος ἰέναι. οἱ δὲ πράξειν οὐδὲν ἔφασκον, ὅ τι μὴ 6.21.17 Ναρσῆς ἐπιστέλλοι σφίσι. διὸ δὴ καὶ Ναρσῇ Βελισάριος ἔγραψε τάδε «Ἓν σῶμα εἶναι πᾶσαν τὴν βασι»λέως στρατιὰν νόμιζε, ἣν δὴ ἢν μὴ γνώμην ἐνδείκνυ»σθαι μίαν ὥσπερ ἀνθρώπου τὰ μέλη ξυμβαίνει, ἀλλά «τι ἀλλήλων χωρὶς ἐνεργεῖν βούλεσθαι, λελείψεται «ἡμῖν τῶν δεόντων οὐδὲν διαπεπραγμένοις ἀπολω6.21.18 «λέναι. οὐκοῦν Αἰμιλίαν μὲν ἔα, οὔτε τι ὀχύρωμα «ἔχουσαν οὔτε τινὰ Ῥωμαίοις ἔν γε τῷ παρόντι καιρῷ 6.21.19 «ῥοπὴν φέρουσαν. σὺ δὲ Ἰωάννην τε καὶ Ἰουστῖνον «κέλευε αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα εὐθὺ τῶν ἐν Μεδιολάνῳ πο»λεμίων ξὺν τοῖς ἀμφὶ Μαρτῖνον ἰέναι, ἐγγύς τε ὄντας «καὶ πρὸς τῶν βαρβάρων τὴν ἐπικράτησιν ἱκανῶς 6.21.20 «ἔχοντας. ἐμοὶ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα στρατιᾶς πλῆθος, ὅπερ «ἂν καὶ στέλλοιμι, οὐκ εἶναι ξυμβαίνει, ἄλλως τε καὶ «στρατιώτας ἐς Μεδιόλανον ἐνθένδε ἰέναι ἀξύμφορον 6.21.21 «οἴομαι εἶναι. χρόνου τε γὰρ τετρίψεται πλῆθος,