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each of you to think the same as I 6.29.9 I think, concerning it. For the hope of victory, being promising because it would indeed come to them, has deceived many, and it has happened that those of the enemy who seemed to have failed already survived contrary to 6.29.10 expectation. For this reason, indeed, I say that those deliberating about peace ought not to put forward only the good hope, but keeping in mind that the outcome for them will go either way, thus they should make their choice of 6.29.11 opinion. And since these things are so, it seemed best to me, at least, to bring in both you, my fellow-commanders, and these envoys of the emperor, so that having chosen in the present circumstances with full authority whatever may seem to be advantageous for the emperor, you may never afterwards make any complaint against 6.29.12 me. For it would be one of the most absurd things to be silent as long as it is possible to choose the better course, but when considering the outcome resulting from chance, to lay the 6.29.13 blame. Now as to all the things that have been decided by the emperor for the termination of the war and are agreeable to 6.29.14 Vittigis, you doubtless know. But if these things also seem advantageous to you, let each man come forward and speak. But if, on the other hand, you think you are able to recover all of Italy for the Romans and achieve mastery over the enemy, nothing will prevent you from speaking without any 6.29.15 reservation.” When Belisarius had said these things, all of them openly declared that the emperor's counsels were the best, and that they would not be able to do anything further against the 6.29.16 enemy. And Belisarius, being pleased with the opinion of the commanders, requested them to declare it in writing, so that they might never deny it. And they wrote it in a small book, declaring that they were not able to prevail in the war against their adversaries. 6.29.17 These things were happening in the camp of the Romans. But the Goths, being pressed by the famine and no longer able to hold out against the hardship, were vexed with the rule of Vittigis, as one who had been especially unfortunate, but they hesitated to go over to the emperor, fearing nothing else but that, having become slaves of the emperor, they might be forced to depart from Italy and, going to Byzantium, be settled 6.29.18 there. Therefore, having deliberated among themselves, whatever noble element there was among the Goths, they decided to proclaim Belisarius emperor of the West. And sending to him secretly, they begged him to establish himself in the imperial office; for in this way, 6.29.19 they insisted, they would gladly follow him. But Belisarius was by no means willing to establish himself in the office without the emperor's 6.29.20 consent. For he was exceedingly vexed by the name of tyrant and he had previously been bound by the most terrible oaths to the emperor, that he would never engage in revolution while he was alive; but in order that he might manage the present situation as well as possible, it seemed best to him to accept gladly the proposals of the 6.29.21 barbarians. And Vittigis, perceiving these things, was afraid, and telling Belisarius that the Goths had deliberated in the best possible way, he himself also secretly urged him to assume the imperial office; for no one, he said, would 6.29.22 stand in his way. And then indeed Belisarius again called together both the emperor's envoys and all the commanders and asked if it seemed to them a matter of great account to make all the Goths with Vittigis prisoners of war, and to plunder all their wealth, and to recover all of Italy for the Romans. 6.29.23 And they said that this would be a lofty and immense success for the Romans, and they urged him to do it in whatever way he 6.29.24 could as quickly as possible. At once, therefore, Belisarius sent some of his trusted men both to Vittigis and to the notable men of the Goths, bidding them to carry out 6.29.25 all that they had promised. For the famine did not permit them to put off the action to any other time, but pressing on them still 6.29.26 more, it urged them to this course. For this reason they also sent envoys again to the Roman camp, ostensibly to speak to the multitude, but in secret to receive pledges from Belisarius that he would do no harm to any of them and that he himself would henceforth be king of the Italians and Goths, and so they would come to Ravenna with him and 6.29.27 the Roman army. And Belisarius swore to all the other things, just as the envoys demanded, but concerning the kingship, to Vittigis himself

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ὑμῶν ἕκαστον ταὐτά μοι γινώσκειν 6.29.9 «ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς οἶμαι. πολλούς τε γὰρ ἐπίδοξος, ὅτι δὴ «ἐς αὐτοὺς ἀφίξεται, οὖσα ἡ τῆς νίκης ἐλπὶς ἔσφηλε, «καὶ τοῖς ἠτυχηκέναι δοκοῦσι τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἤδη παρὰ 6.29.10 «δόξαν περιεῖναι ξυνέβη. διὸ δή φημι χρῆναι τοὺς «ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰρήνης βουλευομένους οὐ τὴν ἀγαθὴν «ἐλπίδα προβάλλεσθαι μόνον, ἐφ' ἑκάτερα δὲ τὴν ἀπό»βασιν ἔσεσθαι σφίσιν ἐν νῷ ἔχοντας, οὕτω τὴν αἵρεσιν 6.29.11 «ποιεῖσθαι τῆς γνώμης. τούτων δὲ τοιούτων ὄντων, «ὑμᾶς τε τοὺς ξυνάρχοντας καὶ τούσδε τοὺς βασιλέως «πρέσβεις ξυνεισάγειν ἔδοξεν ἔμοιγε, ὅπως ἐν τῷ «παρόντι κατ' ἐξουσίαν ἑλόμενοι ὅ τι ἂν βασιλεῖ «ξυνοίσειν δοκῇ, μήποτέ τινα ὀπίσω τῶν πραγμάτων 6.29.12 «κατ' ἐμοῦ ποιήσησθε μέμψιν. τῶν γὰρ ἀτοπωτάτων «ἂν εἴη σιωπᾶν μὲν ἕως ἔξεστιν ἐξελέσθαι τὰ κρείσσω, «σκοπουμένοις δὲ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς τύχης ἀπόβασιν τὰς 6.29.13 «αἰτίας ποιεῖσθαι. ὅσα μὲν οὖν ἐς τὴν τοῦ πολέμου «διάλυσιν βασιλεῖ τε δέδοκται καὶ Οὐιττίγιδι βουλο6.29.14 «μένῳ ἐστὶν, ἐπίστασθε δή που. εἰ δὲ καὶ ὑμῖν ξύμ»φορα ταῦτα εἶναι δοκεῖ, λεγέτω παρελθὼν ἕκαστος. «εἰ μέντοι πᾶσάν τε Ἰταλίαν οἴεσθε Ῥωμαίοις ἀνασώ»σασθαι οἷοί τε εἶναι καὶ τῶν πολεμίων τὴν ἐπικρά»τησιν ποιήσασθαι, οὐδὲν κωλύσει μηδὲν ὑποστειλα6.29.15 «μένους εἰπεῖν.» ταῦτα ἐπεὶ Βελισάριος εἶπεν, ἅπαντες ἄντικρυς ἀπεφήναντο τὰ βασιλέως βουλεύματα βέλτιστα εἶναι, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτοὺς οἵους τε ἔσεσθαι περαι6.29.16 τέρω τοὺς πολεμίους ἐργάζεσθαι. Βελισάριος δὲ ἡσθεὶς τῶν ἀρχόντων τῇ γνώμῃ γράμμασιν αὐτὴν ἠξίου δηλῶσαι, ὡς μήποτε αὐτὴν ἀρνηθεῖεν. οἱ δὲ καὶ γράψαντες ἐν βιβλιδίῳ ἐδήλουν οὐχ οἷοί τε εἶναι περιέσεσθαι τῷ πολέμῳ τῶν ἐναντίων. 6.29.17 Ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατοπέδῳ ἐγίνετο. Γότθοι δὲ τῷ λιμῷ πιεζόμενοι οὐκέτι τε ἀντέχειν τῇ ταλαιπωρίᾳ δυνάμενοι Οὐιττίγιδος μὲν τῇ ἀρχῇ ἤχθοντο ἅτε ὡς μάλιστα δεδυστυχηκότος, βασιλεῖ δὲ προσχωρεῖν ὤκνουν, δεδιότες ἄλλο μὲν οὐδὲν, ὅπως δὲ μὴ δοῦλοι βασιλέως γενόμενοι ἔκ τε Ἰταλίας ἀνίστασθαι ἀναγκάζοιντο καὶ ἐς Βυζάντιον ἰόντες ἐνταῦθα ἱδρύσε6.29.18 σθαι. ἐν σφίσιν οὖν αὐτοῖς βουλευσάμενοι, εἴ τι ἐν Γότθοις καθαρὸν ἦν, βασιλέα τῆς ἑσπερίας Βελισάριον ἀνειπεῖν ἔγνωσαν. πέμψαντες δὲ παρ' αὐτὸν λάθρα ἐδέοντο ἐς τὴν βασιλείαν καθίστασθαι· ταύτῃ γὰρ 6.29.19 αὐτῷ ἄσμενοι ἕψεσθαι ἰσχυρίζοντο. Βελισάριος δὲ καταστῆναι μὲν ἐς τὴν ἀρχὴν οὐχ ἑκόντος βασιλέως 6.29.20 ἥκιστα ἤθελε. τῷ τε γὰρ τοῦ τυράννου ὀνόματι ὑπερφυῶς ἤχθετο καὶ ὅρκοις δεινοτάτοις πρὸς βασιλέως καταληφθεὶς πρότερον ἔτυχε, μήποτε αὐτοῦ περιόντος νεωτεριεῖν· ὅπως δὲ τὰ παρόντα ὡς ἄριστα διοικήσηται, ἀσμένως ἔδοξε τοὺς τῶν βαρβάρων λόγους ἐνδέχεσθαι. 6.29.21 ὧν δὴ αἰσθόμενος Οὐίττιγις ἔδεισέ τε καὶ Γότθους ὡς βέλτιστα βεβουλεῦσθαι εἰπὼν Βελισαρίῳ καὶ αὐτὸς λάθρα παρῄνει ἐς τὴν βασιλείαν ἰέναι· οὐδένα γάρ οἱ 6.29.22 ἐμποδὼν στήσεσθαι. καὶ τότε δὴ Βελισάριος αὖθις τούς τε βασιλέως πρέσβεις καὶ πάντας ξυγκαλέσας τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἠρώτα, εἰ αὐτοῖς λόγου πολλοῦ ἄξιον εἶναι δοκεῖ Γότθους τε ἅπαντας ξὺν Οὐιττίγιδι δορυαλώτους ποιήσασθαι, καὶ χρήματα μὲν πάντα ληΐσασθαι, Ἰταλίαν δὲ Ῥωμαίοις ξύμπασαν ἀνασώσασθαι. 6.29.23 οἱ δὲ ὑψηλόν τε καὶ ὑπέρογκον τοῦτο Ῥωμαίοις εὐτύχημα ἔφασκον ἔσεσθαι, καὶ πράσσειν αὐτὸν ὅπη ἂν 6.29.24 δύνηταί τι ὡς τάχιστα ἠξίουν. αὐτίκα γοῦν παρά τε Οὐίττιγιν καὶ Γότθων τοὺς δοκίμους Βελισάριος τῶν ἐπιτηδείων τινὰς ἔπεμψε, κελεύων ἐπιτελῆ ποιήσειν 6.29.25 ὅσα ὑπέσχοντο. οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐς ἄλλον τινὰ χρόνον τὴν πρᾶξιν ἀποτίθεσθαι ὁ λιμὸς ξυνεχώρει, ἀλλ' ἔτι 6.29.26 μᾶλλον ἐγκείμενος ἐς ταύτην ἐνῆγε. διὸ καὶ πρέσβεις ἐς τὸ Ῥωμαίων στρατόπεδον στέλλουσιν αὖθις, ἄλλο μὲν ὅτι δὴ ἐς τὸ πλῆθος ἐροῦντας, ἐν παραβύστῳ δὲ πρὸς Βελισαρίου τὰ πιστὰ ληψομένους, ὡς ἄχαρί τε αὐτῶν ἐργάσεται οὐδένα καὶ βασιλεὺς τὸ λοιπὸν Ἰταλιωτῶν αὐτὸς καὶ Γότθων εἴη, οὕτω τε ξὺν αὐτῷ καὶ 6.29.27 τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ ἐς Ῥάβενναν ἥξοντας. Βελισάριος δὲ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ὤμοσεν ἅπαντα, καθάπερ οἱ πρέσβεις ἠξίουν, ὑπὲρ δὲ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτῷ Οὐιττίγιδι