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6.21.41 they threw the flesh to the dogs. But Bergentinus (for he happened to be inside Mediolanum) was conveyed to Dalmatia through both the land of the Veneti and the peoples in that region, along with his followers. and from there he came before the emperor, report6.21.42ing this great calamity, which had befallen the Romans. and as a result of this the Goths took the other cities by surrender, such as happened to have Roman garrisons, and they again gained control of all Liguria; and Martinus and Uliaris with their army returned to Rome. 6.22.1 Such, then, was the course of these events. But Belisarius, not yet having heard anything of what had happened in Liguria, when winter was now ending, went with his whole army to 6.22.2 Picenum. and having learned on this very march what had happened concerning Mediolanum, he was plunged in great 6.22.3 grief. and he no longer allowed Uliaris to come into his sight thereafter, but he wrote to the emperor everything that had happened. 6.22.4 The emperor, however, did no terrible thing to anyone on account of these events, but having heard of the disagreement between Belisarius and Narses, he immediately recalled Narses and appointed Belisarius commander-in-chief of the whole war. 6.22.5 Thus Narses returned to Byzantium, bringing a few of the soldiers. But the Heruli no longer deigned to remain in Italy with Narses departing from there, although Belisarius promised them that many good things would be theirs from himself and from the emperor if they remained; but packing up all their things, they first withdrew to Li6.22.6guria. there, having encountered the army of Uraias, they sold to the enemy the captives and whatever other living creatures they were leading, and having received a great deal of money, they swore an oath that they would never again line up against the Goths or come to 6.22.7 blows. and thus, having made their departure a peaceful one, they came to the districts in the direction of Venetia. there they, having met with Vitalius, repented of their offenses against the emperor Justinian. 6.22.8 and to expiate their cri6.22.8me they left Visandus, one of their commanders, there with his followers, but the rest were all conveyed to Byzantium, with Aluth and Philemuth leading them, the latter of whom had taken over the command after Fanitheus died in Caesena. 6.22.9 But Vittigis and the Goths with him, hearing that Belisarius would come against them and Ravenna at the beginning of spring, fell into great fear and began to deliberate on their present situation. and after much deliberation (for they did not think they were a match for the enemy by themselves) they decided to bring in the assistance of some other barbarians. 6.22.10 They accordingly abstained from the Germans, having already had experience of their deceitful and untrustworthy nature, being content if they would not also go with Belisarius against them, 6.22.11 but would stand out of the way of both sides. But they sent ambassadors to Vaces, the ruler of the Lombards, offering large sums of money and inviting him into an alliance. 6.22.12 But they, when they learned that Vaces was a friend and ally of the emperor, with6.22.13drew without accomplishing anything. Vittigis, therefore, being at a loss in the present situation, as was natural, was constantly calling together many of the elders. From whom he frequently enquired what course would be better for his affairs, both in counsel and in action. 6.22.14 Many opinions, therefore, were expressed by those who came to the council, some of which were in no way suitable to the present circumstances, while others contained something worthy of consideration. 6.22.15 among which this point also was brought up, that never before had an emperor of the Romans been strong enough to wage war against the barbarians in the West, except, indeed, when a treaty had been made with the Persians. 6.22.16 For it was then that both the Vandals and the Moors had been destroyed, and the present troubles had befallen the Goths. Consequently, if someone should now also embroil the king of the Medes with the emperor Justinian, the Romans, with that nation stirred up in war against them, will never again have the power to carry on another war against any people for the 6.22.17 future. These things pleased both Vittigis himself and the other Goths. It was decided, therefore, to send ambassadors to the king of the Medes, Chosroes, not Goths, however, lest by being immediately recognizable they should throw the enterprise into confusion, but Romans, who

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6.21.41 τὰ κρέα τοῖς κυσὶν ἔρριψαν. Βηργεντῖνος δὲ (καὶ γὰρ ἐντὸς ὢν Μεδιολάνου ἔτυχε) διά τε Βενετίων καὶ τῶν ταύτῃ ἐθνῶν ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις ἐς ∆αλματίαν κομίζεται. καὶ παρὰ βασιλέα ἐνθένδε ἦλθε, πάθος ἀγγέλ6.21.42 λων μέγα τοῦτο, ὃ Ῥωμαίοις ξυνέπεσε γενέσθαι. καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ οἱ Γότθοι πόλεις τε τὰς ἄλλας ὁμολογίᾳ εἷλον, αἳ Ῥωμαίων ἔτυχον φρουρὰς ἔχουσαι, καὶ Λιγουρίας αὖθις ὅλης ἐκράτησαν· Μαρτῖνος δὲ καὶ Οὐλίαρις ξὺν τῷ στρατῷ ἐπὶ Ῥώμης ἀνέστρεφον. 6.22.1 Ταῦτα μὲν δὴ ὧδέ πη ἔσχε. Βελισάριος δὲ οὔπω τι πεπυσμένος τῶν ἐν Λιγουρίᾳ ξυμπεπτωκότων, ἐπειδὴ ὁ χειμὼν ἐτελεύτα ἤδη, τῷ παντὶ στρατῷ ἐς 6.22.2 Πικηνὸν ᾔει. τά τε ἀμφὶ Μεδιολάνῳ τετυχηκότα ἐν ταύτῃ δὴ τῇ πορείᾳ μαθὼν ἐν μεγάλῳ ἐποιήσατο 6.22.3 πένθει. καὶ Οὐλίαριν μὲν ἐς ὄψιν οἱ ἐλθεῖν οὐκέτι τὸ λοιπὸν εἴασεν, ἅπαντα δὲ τὰ ξυμπεσόντα βασιλεῖ 6.22.4 ἔγραψε. βασιλεὺς δὲ τούτων μὲν ἕνεκα δεινόν τι εἰργάσατο οὐδένα, τὴν δὲ Βελισαρίου τε καὶ Ναρσοῦ διαφορὰν ἀκούσας, Ναρσῆν τε αὐτίκα μεταπεμψάμενος αὐτοκράτορα παντὸς τοῦ πολέμου Βελισάριον κατεστή6.22.5 σατο. ὧδε μὲν ἐς Βυζάντιον Ναρσῆς ἐπανῆκε, τῶν στρατιωτῶν ὀλίγους τινὰς ἄγων. Ἔρουλοι δὲ μένειν ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ Ναρσοῦ ἐνθένδε ἀναχωροῦντος οὐκέτι ἠξίουν, καίτοι Βελισαρίου πολλὰ ὑποσχομένου σφίσι πρός τε αὐτοῦ καὶ βασιλέως ἀγαθὰ μένουσιν ἔσεσθαι, ἀλλὰ συσκευασάμενοι ἅπαντες τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἐπὶ Λι6.22.6 γουρίας ἀπεχώρησαν. οὗ δὴ ἐντυχόντες τῷ Οὐραΐα στρατῷ, ἀνδράποδά τε καὶ ἄλλα ζῷα ὅσα ἐπῆγον τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀπέδοντο, καὶ χρήματα πολλὰ κεκομισμένοι ἀπώμοσαν, μήποτε Γότθοις ἀντιτάξεσθαι ἢ εἰς χεῖρας 6.22.7 ἰέναι. οὕτω τε εἰρηναίαν τὴν ἀναχώρησιν ποιησάμενοι ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ Βενετίας χωρία ἦλθον. ἐνταῦθα αὐτοῖς Βιταλίῳ ξυγγενομένοις τῶν ἐς βασιλέα Ἰουστινιανὸν 6.22.8 ἡμαρτημένων μετέμελεν. ἀφοσιούμενοί τε τὸ ἔγκλη6.22.8 μα Οὐίσανδον μὲν τῶν ἀρχόντων ἕνα ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις αὐτοῦ εἴασαν, οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ ἐς Βυζάντιον ἀπεκομίσθησαν ἅπαντες, Ἀλουίθ τε ἡγουμένου σφίσι καὶ Φιλιμοὺθ, ὅσπερ Φανιθέου τετελευτηκότος ἐν Καισήνῃ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔσχεν. 6.22.9 Οὐίττιγις δὲ καὶ οἱ ξὺν αὐτῷ Γότθοι Βελισάριον ἅμα ἦρι ἀρχομένῳ ἐπὶ σφᾶς τε καὶ Ῥάβενναν ἥξειν ἀκούοντες ἐν δείματι μεγάλῳ καθίσταντο καὶ τὰ παρόντα σφίσιν ἐν βουλῇ ἐποιοῦντο. καὶ αὐτοῖς πολλὰ βουλευσαμένοις (οὐ γὰρ ἀξιόμαχοι τοῖς πολεμίοις κατὰ μόνας ᾤοντο εἶναι) ἔδοξεν ἄλλων τινῶν βαρβάρων 6.22.10 ἐπικουρίαν ἐπάγεσθαι. Γερμανῶν μὲν οὖν τοῦ τε δολεροῦ καὶ ἀπίστου ἤδη ἐν πείρᾳ γεγενημένοι ἀπέσχοντο, ἀγαπῶντες, ἢν μὴ καὶ αὐτοὶ ξὺν Βελισαρίῳ ἐπὶ σφᾶς 6.22.11 ἴωσιν, ἀλλ' ἀμφοτέροις ἐκποδὼν στήσωνται. ἐς δὲ Λαγγοβαρδῶν τὸν ἄρχοντα Οὐάκην πρέσβεις ἔπεμψαν, χρήματά τε μεγάλα προτεινόμενοι καὶ ἐς τὴν ὁμαιχμίαν 6.22.12 παρακαλοῦντες. οἳ δὴ, ἐπεὶ βασιλεῖ φίλον τε καὶ ξύμμαχον τὸν Οὐάκην ἔγνωσαν εἶναι, ἄπρακτοι ἀνε6.22.13 χώρησαν. Οὐίττιγις τοίνυν τοῖς παροῦσιν, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, ἀπορούμενος τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἀεὶ ξυνεκάλει πολλούς. παρ' ὧν δὴ συχνὰ ἐπυνθάνετο ὅ τί ποτέ οἱ βουλευομένῳ τε καὶ πράσσοντι ἄμεινον τὰ πράγματα 6.22.14 ἕξει. γνῶμαι οὖν πολλαὶ πρὸς τῶν ἐς τὴν βουλὴν ξυνιόντων ἐλέγοντο, αἱ μὲν ἐπιτηδείως τοῖς παροῦσιν οὐδαμῆ ἔχουσαι, αἱ δέ τι καὶ λόγου ἄξιον φέρουσαι. 6.22.15 ἐν αἷς καὶ τόδε ἐς τὸν λόγον ἦλθεν, ὡς οὐ πρότερόν ποτε Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς τοῖς ἐν τῇ ἑσπερίᾳ βαρβάροις πολεμεῖν ἴσχυσε, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτε αἱ σπονδαὶ ἐς Πέρσας 6.22.16 γεγένηνται. τούς τε γὰρ Βανδίλους καὶ Μαυρουσίους τηνικαῦτα ἀπολωλέναι καὶ Γότθοις τὰ παρόντα ξυμπεπτωκέναι. ὥστε, ἤν τις καὶ νῦν Ἰουστινιανῷ αὐτοκράτορι τὸν Μήδων βασιλέα ξυγκρούῃ, οὐ μήποτε Ῥωμαῖοι, τούτου δὴ ἐκπεπολεμωμένου σφίσι τοῦ ἔθνους, πόλεμον ἄλλον διενεγκεῖν πρὸς οὐδένας ἀνθρώπων τὸ 6.22.17 λοιπὸν ἕξουσι. ταῦτα Οὐιττίγιδί τε αὐτῷ ἤρεσε καὶ Γότθοις τοῖς ἄλλοις. ἔδοξεν οὖν πρέσβεις παρὰ τὸν Μήδων βασιλέα Χοσρόην στέλλεσθαι, οὐ Γότθους μέντοι, ὅπως μὴ κατάδηλοι αὐτόθεν γινόμενοι ξυγχέωσι τὰ πρασσόμενα, ἀλλὰ Ῥωμαίους, οἵπερ