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6.30.3 But the Goths, who were settled outside the river Po and Ravenna, when they heard that the emperor was recalling Belisarius, at first held the matter in disregard, not thinking that Belisarius would ever value the kingdom of Italy less than his loyalty to Justinian. 6.30.4 But when they learned that his preparation for departure was extensive, having come to an agreement, as many of their forces as were still left intact there, went to Ticinum to Uraias, the nephew of Vittigis, and after first weeping much with him, 6.30.5 they spoke as follows: "No "one else is more to blame for the present evils of the Gothic "nation than you have become. For we would long ago "have deposed your uncle from power, who led so unmanly "and so unfortunately, just as we did Theodatus, the "nephew of Theoderic, if we had not, out of respect "for your apparent energy, decided to concede the name "of royalty to Vittigis, but in fact to hand over to you alone 6.30.6 "the rule of the Goths. But what then seemed our "good judgment has turned out, now appearing as "both folly and the cause of these misfortunes for us. 6.30.7 "For of the Goths, as you know, my dear Uraias, "it happens that the most and the best have died in "the war, and of the survivors, whatever best is "left, along with Vittigis and all the treasure, Belisarius 6.30.8 "will take away and be gone. And that we too shall "not suffer this very same thing a little later, being few "and very pitiable, 6.30.9 no one would deny. Since "such terrible things have beset us, then, it will be better "to die with glory than to see our children and wives "led by the enemy to the ends of the earth. 6.30.10 "And we shall do something, as is likely, worthy of valor, "if we have you as leader of our deeds." The Goths said so much. 6.30.11 And Uraias answered thus: "That in "the present perils we must choose danger before slavery, "it happens that I think the same as you. 6.30.12 "But for me to be established in the kingdom of the Goths, "I think is altogether inexpedient; first, because being "the nephew of Vittigis, a man so unfortunate, I would seem easy to despise "for the enemy, since men think that similar fortunes are "always passed down to relatives. 6.30.13 And secondly, I "would not seem to be doing a pious thing, by seizing the "rule of my uncle, and for this very reason I would, "as is likely, have most of you angry with me. 6.30.14 But I say that Ildibadus should be appointed ruler of the Goths for "this peril, a man who has reached the height "of valor and is exceptionally energetic. 6.30.15 "To whom, indeed, Theudis, being his uncle and the leader "of the Visigoths, it is not unlikely would join in the war "because of kinship. For this reason we shall also carry on the struggle "with better hope against our opponents." 6.30.16 Uraias, having said so much, seemed to all the Goths to be speaking what was expedient. And Ildibadus, summoned from Verona, 6.30.17 came to them immediately. Putting the purple upon him, they proclaimed him king of the Goths and begged him to set their present affairs in order. In this way, then, Ildibadus 6.30.18 was established in power. A little later, having called together all the Goths, he spoke as follows: "All of you, my fellow "soldiers, I know to be experienced in many "wars, so that we shall never reasonably proceed to fight "straightaway. For experience, bringing calculation, 6.30.19 is least accustomed to be rash. But it is right for you, "having recalled all that has previously happened, 6.30.20 to deliberate now in this way concerning the present situation. For "forgetfulness of things that have already passed, coming "upon many, has unseasonably puffed up their "minds through ignorance, 6.30.21 and has caused them to fail grievously in the greatest matters. Vittigis, "then, not while you were unwilling or resisting, gave "himself into the hands of the enemy, but you, having "at that time given up in the face of fortune's adversities, "considered it most advantageous for yourselves to sit at "home and obey Belisarius rather than to risk your "lives 6.30.22 endlessly. Now, however, having heard that he "is being sent to Byzantium, to undertake new enterprises

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6.30.3 Γότθοι δὲ, οἳ Πάδου τε ποταμοῦ καὶ Ῥαβέννης ἐκτὸς ἵδρυντο, ἀκούσαντες ὡς Βελισάριον βασιλεὺς μεταπέμποιτο, τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἐν ἀλογίᾳ τὸ πρᾶγμα εἶχον, οὐκ ἄν ποτε οἰόμενοι Βελισάριον τῆς ἐς Ἰουστινιανὸν πίστεως περὶ ἐλάσσονος τὴν Ἰταλίας βασιλείαν ποιή6.30.4 σασθαι. ἐπεὶ δὲ αὐτοῦ πολλὴν τῆς ἀφόδου τὴν παρασκευὴν ἐπύθοντο εἶναι, ξυμφρονήσαντες, εἴ τι αὐτῶν καθαρὸν ἐνταῦθα ἔτι ἐλέλειπτο, ἐς Τικινὸν παρὰ Οὐραΐαν τὸν Οὐιττίγιδος ἀδελφιδοῦν ἦλθον, πολλά τε 6.30.5 πρότερον ξὺν αὐτῷ κλαύσαντες ἔλεξαν τοιάδε «Οὐκ «ἄλλος οὐδεὶς τῷ Γότθων γένει αἰτιώτατος τῶν παρ»όντων κακῶν ἢ σὺ γέγονας. ἡμεῖς γὰρ τὸν θεῖον «τὸν σὸν, οὕτως ἀνάνδρως τε καὶ ἀτυχῶς ἐξηγούμενον, «πάλαι ἂν τῆς ἀρχῆς παρελύσαμεν, ὥσπερ Θευδάτον «τὸν Θευδερίχου ἀδελφιδοῦν, εἰ μή σου τὸ δοκοῦν «δραστήριον αἰσχυνόμενοι Οὐιττίγιδι μὲν τὸ τῆς βασι»λείας ὄνομα ξυγχωρεῖν ἔγνωμεν, ἔργῳ δὲ σοὶ μόνῳ 6.30.6 «παραδιδόναι τὴν Γότθων ἀρχήν. ἀλλὰ περιέστηκεν «ἡ τότε δοκοῦσα ἡμῶν εὐγνωμοσύνη, νῦν ἄνοιά τε «φαινομένη καὶ τῶνδε ἡμῖν τῶν ξυμφορῶν αἰτία. 6.30.7 «Γότθων γὰρ, ὥσπερ οἶσθα, ὦ φίλε Οὐραΐα, τεθνάναι «μὲν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ πλείστους τε καὶ ἀρίστους ξυμ»βαίνει, τῶν δὲ περιόντων, εἴ τι μὲν ἄριστον ἀπο»λέλειπται, ξύν τε Οὐιττίγιδι καὶ χρήμασι πᾶσι Βελι6.30.8 «σάριος ἄγων οἰχήσεται. ταὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο μὴ οὐχὶ καὶ «ἡμᾶς ὀλίγῳ ὕστερον πείσεσθαι, ὀλίγους τε καὶ λίαν 6.30.9 «οἰκτροὺς καθεστῶτας, οὐδεὶς ἂν ἀντείποι. τοιούτων «τοίνυν περιεστηκότων δεινῶν, τὸ ξὺν εὐκλείᾳ τεθνάναι «μᾶλλον ξυνοίσει ἢ παῖδάς τε καὶ γυναῖκας πρὸς τῶν «πολεμίων ἐς τῆς γῆς τὰς ἐσχατιὰς ἀγομένους ἰδεῖν. 6.30.10 «πράξομεν δέ τι, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, ἀρετῆς ἄξιον, ἤν γέ σε «τῶν ἔργων ἀρχηγὸν ἕξομεν.» Γότθοι μὲν τοσαῦτα 6.30.11 εἶπον. Οὐραΐας δὲ ἀμείβεται ὧδε «Ὡς μὲν δεῖ ἐν «τοῖς παροῦσι δεινοῖς πρὸ τῆς δουλείας ἡμᾶς τὸν κίν»δυνον αἱρεῖσθαι, ταὐτά με ὑμῖν γινώσκειν ξυμβαίνει. 6.30.12 «ἐς Γότθων δέ με τὴν βασιλείαν καθίστασθαι παντά»πασιν οἶμαι ἀξύμφορον εἶναι· πρῶτα μὲν, ὅτι Οὐιττί»γιδος ἀδελφιδοῦς ὢν, ἀνδρὸς οὕτως ἠτυχηκότος, «εὐκαταφρόνητος ἂν τοῖς πολεμίοις εἶναι δοκοίην, ἐπεὶ «ἐς τοὺς συγγενέας ἀεὶ τὰς ὁμοίας τύχας παραπέμπε6.30.13 «σθαι οἴονται ἄνθρωποι. ἔπειτα δὲ οὐδὲ ὅσια ποιεῖν «δόξαιμι, ἐπιβατεύων τῆς τοῦ θείου ἀρχῆς, καὶ ἀπ' «αὐτοῦ μοι ἀχθομένους ὑμῶν τοὺς πλείστους, ὡς τὸ 6.30.14 «εἰκὸς, ἕξω. ἐγὼ δέ φημι χρῆναι Γότθων ἄρχοντα ἐς «κίνδυνον τόνδε Ἰλδίβαδον καθίστασθαι, ἄνδρα ἐς «ἄκρον ἀρετῆς ἥκοντα καὶ διαφερόντως δραστήριον. 6.30.15 «ᾧ δὴ καὶ Θεῦδιν θεῖόν γε ὄντα τὸν τῶν Οὐισιγότθων «ἡγούμενον ξυνάρασθαι τοῦ πολέμου διὰ τὸ ξυγγενὲς «οὐδὲν ἀπεικός. διὸ δὴ καὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα ξὺν ἐλπίδι «ἀμείνονι πρὸς τοὺς ἐναντίους διοίσομεν.» 6.30.16 Τοσαῦτα καὶ Οὐραΐας εἰπὼν τὰ ξύμφορα Γότθοις ἅπασι λέγειν ἔδοξε. καὶ αὐτοῖς Ἰλδίβαδος ἐκ Βερώνης 6.30.17 αὐτίκα μετάπεμπτος ἦλθεν. ᾧ δὴ τὴν πορφύραν περιβαλόντες, βασιλέα τε Γότθων ἀνεῖπον καὶ σφίσιν εὖ θέσθαι τὰ παρόντα ἐδέοντο. ὧδε μὲν ἐς τὴν ἀρχὴν 6.30.18 Ἰλδίβαδος κατέστη. ὀλίγῳ δὲ ὕστερον Γότθους ἅπαντας ξυγκαλέσας ἔλεξε τοιάδε «Ἅπαντας ὑμᾶς, ἄνδρες «ξυστρατιῶται, πολλῶν ξυνεπίσταμαι εἶναι πολέμων «ἐμπείρους, ὥστε οὔποτε εἰκότως εἰς τὸ πολεμεῖν ἐκ «τοῦ εὐθέος χωρήσομεν. ἐμπειρία γὰρ λογισμὸν φέ6.30.19 «ρουσα θρασύνεσθαι ἥκιστα εἴωθεν. ἄξιον δὲ ἀναμνη»σθέντας πάντων ὑμᾶς τῶν πρότερον ξυμπεπτωκότων, 6.30.20 «οὕτω τανῦν ὑπὲρ τῶν παρόντων βουλεύεσθαι. λήθη «γὰρ πολλοῖς τισιν ἐπιγενομένη τῶν ἤδη φθασάντων «ἐπῆρε μὲν αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐν δέοντι ὑπὸ ἀμαθίας τὰς 6.30.21 «γνώμας, ἐν δὲ τοῖς μεγίστοις ἱκανῶς ἔσφηλεν. Οὐίττι»γις τοίνυν οὐκ ἀκόντων γε οὐδὲ ἀντιτεινόντων ὑμῶν «ἐς τῶν πολεμίων αὑτὸν καθῆκε τὰς χεῖρας, ἀλλ' «ἀπειπόντες τότε πρὸς τὰ τῆς τύχης ἐναντιώματα ξυμ»φορώτατον ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς ἡγήσασθε εἶναι Βελισαρίῳ «οἴκοι καθήμενοι ἐπακούειν μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς σώμασι 6.30.22 «διακινδυνεύειν ἀπέραντα. νῦν μέντοι αὐτὸν ἀκη»κοότες ἐς Βυζάντιον στέλλεσθαι, νεωτέροις πράγμασιν «ἐγχειρεῖν