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he took the strongest measures. And the Goths, still expectantly awaiting the army from Ravenna, remained quiet in great want of necessities. 6.27.25 And by now those besieged in Fiesole were very hard pressed by the famine, and being unable to bear the hardship, and having given up hope also of help from Ravenna, 6.27.26 they decided to go over to the enemy. Accordingly, having entered into discussions with Cyprian and Justin, and having received pledges for their personal safety, they surrendered themselves and the fortress by agreement. And Cyprian's men, bringing them along with the Roman army, and having established a sufficient garrison in Fiesole, came to Auximum. 6.27.27 And Belisarius, by constantly showing their leaders to the barbarians in Auximum, urged them to give up their desperation, having cast off their hope from Ravenna; for no help would ever come to them, but after being afflicted for a very long time by their misery, they would no less 6.27.28 arrive at the same fate as those in Fiesole. And they, after much deliberation among themselves, since they could no longer hold out against the famine, accepted the proposals and asked to surrender the city, on the condition that they themselves, unharmed by evils, 6.27.29 should proceed to Ravenna with their property. For this reason, indeed, Belisarius was perplexed by the situation, thinking it disadvantageous for enemies so great in valour and so numerous to join those in Ravenna, and he was most unwilling to be late for the opportunity, but wished to go against both Ravenna and Vittigis while matters were still 6.27.30 in suspense. For the Franks were troubling him, being expected to arrive very soon to the aid of the Goths. And being eager to anticipate their arrival, he was not able to break off the siege with Auximum not yet 6.27.31 having been captured. And the soldiers would not permit conceding the property to the barbarians, pointing out the many wounds which they had received from them there, and recounting all the toils that had befallen them in this siege, for which, they insisted, the spoils of the vanquished were the prizes. 6.27.32 But at last, both the Romans, compelled by the urgency of the moment, and the Goths, forced by the famine, came to an agreement with each other, on the condition that the Romans should distribute half of the property among themselves, and the Goths, keeping the remainder, 6.27.33 should be subjects of the emperor. Therefore both sides gave pledges concerning these things, the Roman commanders that the agreements would be binding, and the Goths that they would conceal not even 6.27.34 a thing of their property. And so they divided all the property, and the Romans took Auximum, while the barbarians were mingled with the emperor's army. 6.28.1 When Belisarius captured Auximum, he made haste to besiege Ravenna and led the whole army there. And sending Magnus with a large force above Ravenna, he ordered him to keep guard, constantly patrolling the bank of the river Po, so that the Goths might no longer bring in provisions from there. 6.28.2 And Vitalius, having arrived with an army from Dalmatia, was guarding the other bank of the river for him. There a certain fortune befell them, making a clear declaration that she herself directs for both sides their 6.28.3 affairs. For the Goths, having previously collected many skiffs in Liguria, had launched them into the Po, which, having filled with grain and other provi6.28.4sions, they intended to sail to Ravenna. But the water of this river had at that time so subsided that it was altogether impossible to navigate it, until the Romans came upon them and captured the skiffs with all 6.28.5 their cargo. And the river, not long afterwards, returning to its proper flow, thereafter became navigable. And that this had happened to it we have never by report known be6.28.6fore. And already the barbarians began to run short of provisions. For they could neither bring anything in through the Ionian gulf, since the enemy controlled the sea everywhere, and they had been shut off from the river. 6.28.7 And the rulers of the Franks, learning what was being done and wishing to make Italy their own, send envoys to Vittigis, offering a promise of an alli6.28.8ance.

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ἰσχυρότατα ἐπεμελεῖτο. οἵ τε Γότθοι καραδοκοῦντες ἔτι τὸν ἐκ Ῥαβέννης στρατὸν ἐν πολλῇ ἀπορίᾳ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἡσύχαζον. 6.27.25 Ἤδη δὲ οἱ ἐν Φισούλῃ πολιορκούμενοι ὡς μάλιστα τῷ λιμῷ ἐπιέζοντο, φέρειν τε τὸ κακὸν οὐχ οἷοί τε ὄντες, ἀπειπόντες δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐκ Ῥαβέννης ἐλπίδα, 6.27.26 τοῖς ἐναντίοις προσχωρεῖν ἔγνωσαν. Κυπριανῷ τοίνυν καὶ Ἰουστίνῳ ἐς λόγους ἐλθόντες, τά τε πιστὰ ὑπὲρ τῶν σωμάτων λαβόντες, σφᾶς τε αὐτοὺς καὶ τὸ φρούριον ὁμολογίᾳ παρέδοσαν. καὶ αὐτοὺς οἱ ἀμφὶ Κυπριανὸν ξὺν τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ ἐπαγόμενοι, φρουράν τε αὐτάρκη ἐν Φισούλῃ καταστησάμενοι, ἐς Αὔξιμον ἦλθον. 6.27.27 Βελισάριος δὲ αὐτῶν τοὺς ἡγουμένους τοῖς ἐν Αὐξίμῳ βαρβάροις ἀεὶ ἐνδεικνύμενος ἐκέλευε τῆς ἀπονοίας μεθίεσθαι, τὴν ἐκ Ῥαβέννης ἀποσεισαμένοις ἐλπίδα· ὄνησις γάρ τις οὐ μή ποτε οὐδὲ αὐτοῖς ἔσται, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τῇ ταλαιπωρίᾳ κεκακωμένοι οὐδὲν ἧσσον 6.27.28 ἐς ταὐτὸν τύχης τοῖς ἐν Φισούλῃ ἀφίξονται. οἱ δὲ πολλὰ ἐν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς λογισάμενοι, ἐπειδὴ τῷ λιμῷ οὐκέτι ἀντεῖχον, τούς τε λόγους ἐνεδέχοντο καὶ παραδοῦναι τὴν πόλιν ἠξίουν, ἐφ' ᾧ αὐτοὶ ἀπαθεῖς κακῶν 6.27.29 ξὺν τοῖς χρήμασιν ἐπὶ Ῥαβέννης πορεύσονται. διὸ δὴ Βελισάριος τοῖς παροῦσι διηπορεῖτο, πολεμίους μὲν τοιούτους τε τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τοσούτους τὸ πλῆθος τοῖς ἐν Ῥαβέννῃ ἀναμίγνυσθαι ἀξύμφορον εἶναι οἰόμενος, τοῦ δὲ καιροῦ ὑστερῆσαι ὡς ἥκιστα ἤθελεν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ Ῥάβεννάν τε καὶ Οὐίττιγιν, ᾐωρημένων ἔτι 6.27.30 τῶν πραγμάτων, ἰέναι. Φράγγοι γὰρ αὐτὸν ξυνετάρασσον, Γότθοις ἐς ἐπικουρίαν ἀφίξεσθαι αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα ἐπίδοξοι ὄντες. ὧν δὴ προτερῆσαι τὴν παρουσίαν ἐν σπουδῇ ἔχων διαλύειν τὴν προσεδρείαν μήπω 6.27.31 Αὐξίμου ἁλούσης οὐχ οἷός τε ἦν. οἵ τε στρατιῶται οὐκ εἴων συγχωρεῖν τοῖς βαρβάροις τὰ χρήματα, τραύματα μὲν πολλὰ ἐνδεικνύμενοι, ὧνπερ ἐνταῦθα πρὸς αὐτῶν ἔτυχον, πόνους δὲ πάντας ἀπαριθμοῦντες τοὺς ἐν ταύτῃ σφίσι τῇ πολιορκίᾳ ξυμπεπτωκότας, ὧν δὴ ἆθλα εἶναι τῶν ἡσσημένων τὰ λάφυρα ἰσχυρίζοντο. 6.27.32 τέλος δὲ οἵ τε Ῥωμαῖοι καιροῦ ὀξύτητι ἀναγκασθέντες, καὶ Γότθοι τῷ λιμῷ βιαζόμενοι ξυνίασιν ἀλλήλοις, ἐφ' ᾧ τῶν μὲν χρημάτων τὰ ἡμίσεια Ῥωμαῖοι ἐν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς διανέμωνται, τὰ δὲ λειπόμενα Γότθοι ἔχοντες 6.27.33 βασιλέως κατήκοοι ὦσιν. ἑκάτεροι τοίνυν ὑπὲρ τούτων τὰ πιστὰ ἔδοσαν, Ῥωμαίων μὲν οἱ ἄρχοντες τὰ ξυγκείμενα κύρια εἶναι, Γότθοι δὲ τῶν χρημάτων οὐδ' 6.27.34 ὁτιοῦν ἀποκρύψασθαι. οὕτω τε δὴ τὰ χρήματα πάντα ἐνείμαντο καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν Αὔξιμον ἔσχον, οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι τῷ βασιλέως στρατεύματι ἀνεμίγνυντο. 6.28.1 Ἐπεὶ δὲ Βελισάριος Αὔξιμον εἷλε, Ῥάβενναν πολιορκεῖν ἐν σπουδῇ ἐποιεῖτο καὶ ἅπαν τὸ στράτευμα ἐνταῦθα ἐπῆγε. Μάγνον τε πέμψας ξὺν πλήθει πολλῷ ὑπὲρ Ῥαβέννης ἐκέλευε Πάδου τε τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὴν ὄχθην ἀεὶ περιιόντα φυλακὴν ἔχειν, ὅπως δὴ μὴ τὸ λοιπὸν ἐνθένδε οἱ Γότθοι τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ἐσκομίζωνται. 6.28.2 καὶ Βιτάλιος δέ οἱ ξὺν στρατῷ ἐκ ∆αλματίας ἀφικόμενος ὄχθην τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὴν ἑτέραν ἐφύλασσεν. ἐνταῦθα αὐτοῖς ξυνέβη τις τύχη, δήλωσιν ἄντικρυς ποιουμένη ὅτι δὴ αὐτὴ πρυτανεύει ἀμφοτέροις τὰ 6.28.3 πράγματα. συχνὰς γὰρ οἱ Γότθοι ἀκάτους πρότερον ἐν Λιγούροις συλλέξαντες ἐς τὸν Πάδον καθῆκαν, ἅσπερ ἐμπλησάμενοι σίτου τε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιτη6.28.4 δείων πλεῖν ἐπὶ Ῥαβέννης διενοοῦντο. οὕτω δὲ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τούτου τὸ ὕδωρ ἐκείνῳ τῷ χρόνῳ ὑπέληγεν ὥστε αὐτοῦ ναυτίλλεσθαι τὸ παράπαν ἀδύνατα ἦν, ἕως ἐπελθόντες Ῥωμαῖοι τὰς ἀκάτους σὺν τοῖς φορτίοις 6.28.5 ἅπασιν εἷλον. ὅ τε ποταμὸς οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον ἐς ῥοῦν ἐπανιὼν τὸν καθήκοντα ναυσίπορος τὸ λοιπὸν ἐγεγόνει. τοῦτο δὲ αὐτῷ ξυμβῆναι οὐ πώποτε πρό6.28.6 τερον ἀκοῇ ἴσμεν. ἤδη τε οἱ βάρβαροι ἤρξαντο τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ὑποσπανίζειν. οὔτε γὰρ διὰ κόλπου τι ἐσκομίζεσθαι τοῦ Ἰονίου εἶχον, θαλασσοκρατούντων πανταχῆ τῶν πολεμίων, καὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἀπεκέκλειντο. 6.28.7 γνόντες δὲ οἱ Φράγγων ἄρχοντες τὰ ποιούμενα προσποιεῖσθαί τε τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἐθέλοντες, πρέσβεις παρὰ τὸν Οὐίττιγιν πέμπουσι, ξυμμαχίας ὑπόσχεσιν προτει6.28.8