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comes forth from some thick bronze.” Procopius, then, said so much. But Belisarius was pleased with the suggestion and, calling together the whole army, spoke as follows: “I think that eagerness up to a certain point is both advantageous and worthy of much praise, as long as it is moderate and brings no 6.23.30 harm to those who possess it. For by excess all good things are accustomed to be turned to the worse. You, therefore, should not henceforth be tripped up by contentiousness; for there is surely no disgrace in fleeing from one who is doing evil. 6.23.31 But the man who goes inconsiderately into a manifest evil, and is saved from it, if it so happen, is convicted of folly; but he is noble who plays the man in necessities. 6.23.32 The barbarians, then, since they are not able to fight with us in the open, are attempting to destroy us by setting ambushes. But for us, to undergo the danger is more blameable than to escape their ambush. 6.23.33 For nothing is more shameful than to give in to the plans of the enemy. It will, then, be my care that you do not 6.23.34 fall into the ambushes of the enemy. But it would be your task, whenever I give the signal, to go speedily into retreat. And this signal for you, 6.23.35 O soldiers, will be from the infantry trumpet.” Belisarius, then, said so much. But the soldiers, seeing the enemy in the grass, went at a run against them, and killed some of them in the first assault. 6.23.36 Among these a certain one of the Moors, seeing one wearing gold, seized him by the hair of his head and was dragging the corpse, in order to strip it. 6.23.37 But a certain Goth, striking him with a javelin and hitting both the muscles which are behind the shins, by the insertion of the javelin bound both his feet together. 6.23.38 But none the less the Moor, holding on to the hair, kept dragging the corpse. Meanwhile the barbarians were setting their ambushes in motion, but Belisarius, seeing what was being done from the camp, ordered the infantry trumpets, to whom this task was assigned, to sound with all speed. 6.23.39 And the Romans, perceiving this, now began to withdraw little by little, picking up the Moor along with the javelin. And the Goths no longer dared to follow them, but withdrew, having accomplished nothing. 6.24.1 As time went on and the barbarians' lack of provisions grew to a great degree, they planned to report their present situation to Vittigis. 6.24.2 And since none of them dared to be sent on this mission (for they thought they could never escape the notice of the besiegers), they devised the following plan. 6.24.3 Watching for a moonless night and having made ready the men whom they intended to send to Vittigis, and putting a letter in their hands, when it was far into the night, 6.24.4 they all raised a tremendous shout from many parts of the circuit wall. One would have guessed that they had been thrown into confusion, with the enemy pressing them hard and the city being captured contrary to expectation. 6.24.5 But the Romans, being altogether unable to guess what was happening, by the advice of Belisarius remained quiet in their camps, suspecting that there would be some plot from the city and that an army had come from Ravenna to reinforce the enemy against them. Fearing these things, they thought it was better for them to be saved by remaining quiet in safety than to advance into some manifest danger on a moonless night. 6.24.6 In this way, then, the barbarians, escaping the notice of the enemy, sent the men to Ravenna. And they, coming into sight of no enemy man, arrived before Vittigis on the third day and showed him the letter. 6.24.7 The writing revealed the following: “When you, O king, were establishing us as the garrison in Auximum, you said that you were entrusting to us the keys of Ravenna 6.24.8 itself and of your kingdom. Wherefore you commanded us to keep guard with all our strength, so that we might not for our part surrender to the enemy the power of the Goths, and you promised of your own accord that you would come to us with the whole army if we were in need. 6.24.9 We, then, up to the present time, fighting with both famine and Belisarius, have been faithful guardians of your kingdom, but you have not decided to help us in any way at all. 6.24.10 Consider, therefore, lest at some time the Romans, having captured Auximum and the keys

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δὲ ἐκ παχέος τινὸς χαλκοῦ πρόεισι.» Προκόπιος μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπε. Βελισάριος δὲ ἥσθη τε τῇ ὑποθήκῃ καὶ ἅπαν ξυγκαλέσας τὸ στράτευμα ἔλεξε τοιάδε «Προ»θυμίαν ἐς τόδε ξυμφέρειν τε οἶμαι καὶ πολλοῦ ἐπαί»νου ἀξίαν εἶναι, μέχρις ἂν μετρία τις οὖσα οὐδὲν 6.23.30 «τοῖς ἔχουσι προσποιῆται βλάβος. τῷ γὰρ ὑπερβάλλοντι «τὰ ἀγαθὰ πάντα πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον ἀεὶ τρέπεσθαι εἴω»θεν. ὑμεῖς οὖν μὴ τῷ φιλονείκῳ τὸ λοιπὸν σφάλλε»σθε· φεύγειν γὰρ δή που τὸν κακουργοῦντα οὐδεμία 6.23.31 «αἰσχύνη. ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἐς κακὸν προὖπτον ἀνεπισκέπτως «ἰὼν καὶ σωθεὶς ἐνθένδε, ἂν οὕτω τύχῃ, ἄνοιαν ὀφλι»σκάνει· γενναῖος δὲ ὃς ἂν ἐν τοῖς ἀναγκαίοις ἀνδρα6.23.32 «γαθίζηται. οἱ μὲν οὖν βάρβαροι, ἐπεὶ ἐκ τοῦ εὐθέος «ἡμῖν οὐχ οἷοί τέ εἰσι διαμάχεσθαι, προλοχίζοντες «διαφθείρειν ἡμᾶς ἐγχειροῦσιν. ἡμῖν δὲ τοῦ διαφυ»γεῖν τὴν αὐτῶν ἐνέδραν τὸ τὸν κίνδυνον ὑποστῆναι 6.23.33 «μεμπτότερον. τοῦ γὰρ ἐνδιδόναι ταῖς τῶν ἐχθρῶν «γνώμαις οὐδὲν αἴσχιον. ἐμοὶ μὲν οὖν ὅπως μὴ προσ6.23.34 «πεσεῖσθε ταῖς τῶν πολεμίων ἐνέδραις μελήσει. ἔργον «δ' ἂν ὑμέτερον εἴη, ἐπειδὰν σημήνω, ἐς τὴν ἀναχώ»ρησιν κατὰ τάχος ἰέναι. αὕτη δὲ ὑμῖν ἡ δήλωσις ἐκ 6.23.35 «σάλπιγγος, ὦ στρατιῶται, τῆς πεζικῆς ἔσται.» Βελισάριος μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπεν. οἱ δὲ στρατιῶται ἀμφὶ τὴν πόαν κατιδόντες τοὺς πολεμίους, δρόμῳ ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ᾔεσαν, τινάς τε αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ ὁρμῇ ἔκτεινον. 6.23.36 ἐν οἷς ἕνα χρυσοφοροῦντα τῶν τις Μαυρουσίων ἰδὼν λαβόμενός τε τῶν ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ τριχῶν, ὅπως ἀποδύοι, 6.23.37 τὸν νεκρὸν ἐφεῖλκε. Γότθος δέ τις αὐτὸν ἀκοντίῳ βαλὼν μυώνων τε, οἳ ὄπισθέν εἰσι τῶν κνημῶν, ἑκατέρων ἐπιτυχὼν, ἐνέρσει τοῦ ἀκοντίου ἄμφω τὼ πόδε 6.23.38 ξυνέδησεν. ἀλλ' οὐδέν τι ἧσσον ὁ Μαυρούσιος τῶν τριχῶν ἐχόμενος τὸν νεκρὸν εἷλκεν. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ οἱ μὲν βάρβαροι τὰς ἐνέδρας ἐκίνουν, Βελισάριος δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ στρατοπέδου ὁρῶν τὰ ποιούμενα, ταῖς σάλπιγξι τοὺς πεζοὺς, οἷς τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο ἐπέκειτο, ἠχεῖν κατὰ 6.23.39 τάχος ἐκέλευεν. οἵ τε Ῥωμαῖοι αἰσθόμενοι κατὰ βραχὺ ἤδη ὑπεχώρουν, τὸν Μαυρούσιον ξὺν τῷ ἀκοντίῳ ἀράμενοι. οἷς δὴ οἱ Γότθοι ἕπεσθαι οὐκέτι ἐτόλμων, ἀλλ' ἄπρακτοι ἀνεχώρησαν. 6.24.1 Προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ χρόνου καὶ τῆς ἀπορίας οἱ βάρβαροι τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἐπὶ μέγα χωρούσης, ἀνενεγκεῖν 6.24.2 ἐς Οὐίττιγιν ἐβουλεύοντο τὰ παρόντα σφίσι. καὶ ἐπεὶ αὐτῶν οὐδεὶς στέλλεσθαι ἐς ταύτην δὴ τὴν πρᾶξιν ἐτόλμα (λήσειν γὰρ τοὺς πολιορκοῦντας οὐκ ἄν ποτε 6.24.3 ᾤοντο), ἐπενόουν τάδε. ἀσέληνον νύκτα τηρήσαντες καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐν παρασκευῇ ποιησάμενοι, οὓς δὴ παρὰ τὸν Οὐίττιγιν πέμπειν διενοοῦντο, γράμματά τε αὐτοῖς ἐν χερσὶ θέμενοι, ἐπειδὴ πόρρω ἦν τῶν νυκτῶν, 6.24.4 ἐβόων ἅπαντες πολλαχῆ τοῦ περιβόλου ἐξαίσιον. εἴκασεν ἄν τις ἐς ταραχὴν αὐτοὺς καταστῆναι λίαν τε σφίσιν ἐγκειμένων τῶν πολεμίων καὶ παρὰ δόξαν ἁλισκομένης 6.24.5 τῆς πόλεως. οὐκ ἔχοντες δὲ παντάπασι Ῥωμαῖοι ξυμβαλεῖν τὸ γινόμενον, Βελισαρίου γνώμῃ ἐν τοῖς στρατοπέδοις ἡσυχῆ ἔμενον, ἔκ τε τῆς πόλεως ἐπιβουλήν τινα ὑποτοπάσαντες ἔσεσθαι καὶ στρατὸν ἐκ Ῥαβέννης ἐπιβεβοηθηκότα τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐπὶ σφᾶς ἥκειν. ἃ δὴ δεδιότες ᾤοντο ἄμεινον σφίσιν εἶναι ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ ἡσυχάζουσι διασώζεσθαι ἢ ἐς προὖπτόν 6.24.6 τινα κίνδυνον ἐν νυκτὶ ἀσελήνῳ χωρεῖν. οὕτω γοῦν οἱ βάρβαροι λαθόντες τοὺς πολεμίους ἐπὶ Ῥαβέννης τοὺς ἄνδρας ἔπεμψαν. οἳ οὐδενὸς πολεμίου ἀνδρὸς ἐς ὄψιν ἐλθόντες παρά τε Οὐίττιγιν τριταῖοι ἀφίκοντο 6.24.7 καὶ τὰ γράμματα ἔδειξαν. ἐδήλου δὲ ἡ γραφὴ τάδε «Ἡνίκα «ἡμᾶς, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἐς τὴν ἐν Αὐξίμῳ φρουρὰν καθίστης, «τὰς κλεῖς ἔφησθα παρακαταθέσθαι ἡμῖν Ῥαβέννης τε 6.24.8 «αὐτῆς καὶ τῆς βασιλείας τῆς σῆς. διὸ δὴ ἐπήγγελλες «ἡμῖν παντὶ σθένει φυλάσσεσθαι, ὅπως μὴ τὸ καθ' ἡμᾶς «μέρος παραδῶμεν τοῖς πολεμίοις τὸ Γότθων κράτος, «ἰσχυρίζου τε δεομένοις ἡμῖν παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ παρέ6.24.9 «σεσθαι αὐτεπάγγελτος. ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν ἄχρι τοῦδε «λιμῷ τε καὶ Βελισαρίῳ μαχόμενοι πιστοὶ φύλακες τῆς «σῆς βασιλείας γεγόναμεν, σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ ὁπωστιοῦν ἡμῖν 6.24.10 «βοηθεῖν ἔγνωκας. λογίζου τοίνυν μή ποτε Αὔξιμον «ἑλόντες Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ τὰς κλεῖς