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you have learned. And yet it were proper for each of you to consider that not all things happen for men as they think, but often the outcome of events, contrary to what has been decided, has proceeded from the opposite direction. 6.30.23 For fortune and afterthought are by nature wont to set most things right unexpectedly. And it is not unlikely that this will happen to Belisarius now. 6.30.24 It is better, therefore, first to enquire of him, and to try to restore the man to the former agreements, and so 6.30.25 for you to proceed to the second course of action.” When Ildibadus said this, he seemed to the Goths to have counselled well, and he sent envoys to Ravenna with all speed. They came into the presence of Belisarius, reminded him of their agreements, and reproached him as a breaker of the compact, calling him a self-chosen slave, and reproaching him that he did not blush to choose servitude before kingship, and saying many other such 6.30.26 things they urged him to take the rule. For thus, they insisted, Ildibadus also would come willingly, to lay down the purple at his feet and to do obeisance to Belisarius as king of both Goths and 6.30.27 Italians. The envoys said these things, thinking that the man would without any hesitation 6.30.28 immediately take upon himself the name of king. But he, to their surprise, flatly refused, saying that never while the emperor Justinian was alive would Belisarius mount to the name of 6.30.29 king. And they, hearing this, departed as quickly as possible and reported the whole 6.30.30 matter to Ildibadus. But Belisarius proceeded to Byzantium, and the winter was ending, and the fifth year was coming to a close in this war, which Procopius wrote down. 7.t.1 PROCOPIUS OF CAESAREA, THE SEVENTH BOOK OF THE WARS. 7.1.1 So Belisarius, while matters were still in suspense, arrived in Byzantium, bringing with him Vittigis and the notables of the Goths and the children of Ildibadus and all the treasure, and only Ildiger and Valerian and Martinus, together with Herodian, followed him. 7.1.2 The Emperor Justinian gladly saw Vittigis with his wife, and he marvelled at the host of barbarians for the beauty 7.1.3 of their bodies and their size. And receiving the treasure of Theuderic, which was worthy of admiration, in the Palace, he set it forth as a spectacle in private for those of the senate, priding himself on the greatness of his achievements, but he neither brought it out to the people nor granted the triumph to Belisarius, as when he came having conquered Gelimer and 7.1.4 the Vandals. Nevertheless, Belisarius was on everyone's lips, having won two victories such as it had never before befallen any man to achieve, and having brought two kings as captives to Byzantium, and having, beyond all expectation, made the race and the wealth of Gizeric and Theuderic spoils for the Romans, than whom, indeed, no one more famous among the barbarians had ever happened to be, and having brought back the wealth from the enemy again to the state, and having in a short time recovered for the empire about half the portion of the land and 7.1.5 sea. And it was a pleasure to the people of Byzantium to see Belisarius going forth from his house to the forum each day, or returning to it, 7.1.6 and no one ever had their fill of this spectacle. For his procession was like a most powerful escort, since a multitude of Vandals and Goths and Moors always followed him. And in person he was handsome and tall and of all men most 7.1.7 comely of face. And he presented himself so gently and affably to those who met him that he seemed to be like a man both exceedingly poor and obscure. 7.1.8 But the devotion to his command on the part of both soldiers and rustics was always invincible, because, on the one hand, to the soldiers he had become the most generous of all men; for he would console with large sums of money those who had suffered misfortune in an engagement for their former wounds, and to those who had won distinction he would grant bracelets and torques to have as prizes, and if a soldier's horse or bow or anything else had been lost in battle, another was immediately supplied by Belisarius in its place; and to the

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ἔγνωτε. καίτοι ἐχρῆν ἐκλογίζεσθαι ὑμῶν «ἕκαστον ὡς οὐχ ἅπαντα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ᾗ δοκεῖ «γίγνεται, ἀλλὰ τῶν δεδογμένων παρὰ δόξαν πολλάκις «ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀπόβασις ἀπ' ἐναντίας ἐχώρησε. 6.30.23 «τύχη γὰρ καὶ μετάμελος τὰ πολλὰ κατορθοῦν ἐκ τοῦ «ἀπροσδοκήτου πεφύκασιν. ὅπερ καὶ νῦν Βελισαρίῳ 6.30.24 «ξυμβήσεσθαι οὐδὲν ἀπεικός. ἄμεινον τοίνυν πυθέ»σθαι μὲν αὐτοῦ πρότερον, πειρᾶσθαι δὲ ἀντικαθιστά»ναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐπὶ τὰ πρώην ξυγκείμενα, οὕτω 6.30.25 «τε ὑμᾶς ἐπὶ τῶν πράξεων τὰ δεύτερα ἰέναι.» ταῦτα Ἰλδίβαδος εἰπὼν εὖ τε βεβουλεῦσθαι Γότθοις ἔδοξε καὶ πρέσβεις ἐς Ῥάβενναν κατὰ τάχος ἔπεμψεν. οἳ δὴ Βελισαρίῳ ἐς ὄψιν ἐλθόντες τῶν τε ξυγκειμένων σφίσιν ὑπέμνησαν καὶ ἅτε διαλυτὴν τῶν ὡμολογημένων ἐκάκιζον, αὐθαίρετον μὲν ἀποκαλοῦντες ἀνδράποδον, ὀνειδίζοντες δὲ, ὅτι δὴ οὐκ ἐρυθριῴη πρὸ τῆς βασιλείας τὴν δουλείαν αἱρούμενος, ἄλλα τε τοιαῦτα πολλὰ λέ6.30.26 γοντες ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν παρεκάλουν. οὕτω γὰρ καὶ Ἰλδίβαδον ἐθελούσιον ἀφίξεσθαι ἰσχυρίζοντο, τήν τε πορφυρίδα καταθησόμενον ἐς τοὺς αὐτοῦ πόδας καὶ βασιλέα Βελισάριον Γότθων τε καὶ Ἰταλιωτῶν προσκυ6.30.27 νήσοντα. οἱ μὲν πρέσβεις ταῦτα ἔλεγον, οἰόμενοι τὸν ἄνδρα τὸ τῆς βασιλείας ὄνομα οὐδὲν μελλήσαντα 6.30.28 ἐπισπάσασθαι αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα. ὁ δὲ οὐ προσδεχομένοις αὐτοῖς ἄντικρυς ἀπεῖπεν, ὡς οὐκ ἄν ποτε ζῶντος Ἰουστινιανοῦ βασιλέως Βελισάριος ἐπιβατεύοι τοῦ τῆς 6.30.29 βασιλείας ὀνόματος. καὶ οἱ μὲν ταῦτα ἀκούσαντες ἀπηλλάσσοντό τε ὡς τάχιστα καὶ Ἰλδιβάδῳ τὸν πάντα 6.30.30 λόγον ἀπήγγελλον. Βελισάριος δὲ τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ Βυζάντιον ᾔει καὶ ὁ χειμὼν ἔληγε, καὶ τὸ πέμπτον ἔτος ἐτελεύτα τῷ πολέμῳ τῷδε, ὃν Προκόπιος ξυνέγραψεν. 7.τ.1 ΠΡΟΚΟΠΙΟΥ ΚΑΙΣΑΡΕΩΣ ΥΠΕΡ ΤΩΝ ΠΟΛΕΜΩΝ ΛΟΓΟΣ ΕΒ∆ΟΜΟΣ. 7.1.1 Οὕτω μὲν Βελισάριος, ἔτι τῶν πραγμάτων ᾐωρημένων, ξύν τε Οὐιττίγιδι καὶ Γότθων τοῖς δοκίμοις καὶ τοῖς Ἰλδιβάδου παισὶ τὰ χρήματα πάντα ἐπαγόμενος ἐς Βυζάντιον ἧκε, καί οἱ Ἴλδιγέρ τε καὶ Βαλεριανὸς καὶ Μαρτῖνος ξὺν Ἡρωδιανῷ εἵποντο μόνοι. 7.1.2 βασιλεὺς δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς Οὐίττιγιν μὲν ξὺν τῇ γυναικὶ ἀσμένως εἶδε, καὶ τῶν βαρβάρων τὸν ὅμιλον κάλλους 7.1.3 τε σώματος καὶ μεγέθους πέρι ἐθαύμασε. τὸν δὲ Θευδερίχου πλοῦτον ἀξιοθέατον ὄντα δεξάμενος ἐν Παλατίῳ τοῖς μὲν ἐκ βουλῆς ἐν παραβύστῳ θέαμα προὔθηκεν, ἐπὶ τῷ ὄγκῳ τῶν πεπραγμένων φιλοτιμούμενος, οὔτε δὲ ἐς τὸν δῆμον ἐξήνεγκεν οὔτε τὸν θρίαμβον Βελισαρίῳ παρέσχετο, ὥσπερ ἡνίκα Γελίμερά τε καὶ 7.1.4 Βανδίλους νενικηκὼς ἦλθε. πᾶσι μέντοι ἐν διηγήμασι Βελισάριος ἦν, νίκας τε δύο ἀναδησάμενος, οἵας οὔπω πρότερον ἀνθρώπων οὐδενὶ διαπεπρᾶχθαι ξυνέπεσε, καὶ βασιλεῖς μὲν ἀγαγὼν αἰχμαλώτους ἐς Βυζάντιον δύο, Γιζερίχου δὲ καὶ Θευδερίχου τό τε γένος καὶ τὰ χρήματα λάφυρον Ῥωμαίοις παρὰ δόξαν πεποιημένος, ὧν δὴ ἐπιφανέστερος ἔν γε βαρβάροις οὐδεὶς πώποτε γεγονὼς ἔτυχε, καὶ τὸν μὲν πλοῦτον ἐκ τῶν πολεμίων αὖθις ἐς τὴν πολιτείαν ἀποκομίσας, γῆς τε καὶ θαλάσσης τὴν ἡμίσειαν μάλιστα μοῖραν τῇ βασιλείᾳ ἐν 7.1.5 χρόνῳ ὀλίγῳ ἀνασωσάμενος. ἦν τε Βυζαντίοις πρὸς ἡδονὴν Βελισάριον ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἐς ἡμέραν ἑκάστην ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας προϊόντα ἰδεῖν, ἢ ἐς αὐτὴν ἐπανήκοντα, 7.1.6 κόρον τε αὐτῶν τοῦ θεάματος τούτου οὐδεὶς ἔλαβε. πομπῇ γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἰσχυροτάτῃ ἡ πρόοδος ἐῴκει, ἐπεί οἱ Βανδίλων τε πλῆθος καὶ Γότθων τε καὶ Μαυρουσίων ἀεὶ εἵπετο. ἦν δὲ καὶ τὸ σῶμα καλός τε καὶ μέγας καὶ 7.1.7 εὐπρόσωπος πάντων μάλιστα. οὕτω δὲ πρᾷόν τε καὶ εὐπρόσοδον παρεῖχεν ἑαυτὸν τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν ὥστε ἀνθρώπῳ πένητί τε λίαν καὶ ἀδόξῳ ἐμφερὴς εἶναι. 7.1.8 ἔρως δὲ αὐτοῦ τῆς ἀρχῆς πρός τε στρατιωτῶν ἀεὶ καὶ ἀγροίκων ἄμαχός τις ἐγένετο, ὅτι δὴ ἐς μὲν τοὺς στρατιώτας φιλοδωρότατος ἐγεγόνει ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων· τῶν τε γὰρ ἐν ξυμβολῇ ἠτυχηκότων χρήμασι μεγάλοις παρεμυθεῖτο τὰ πρότερα τραύματα καὶ τοῖς εὐδοκιμήσασι ψέλλιά τε καὶ στρεπτοὺς ἔχειν ἆθλα παρεῖχεν, ἵππου δὲ ἢ τόξου ἢ ἄλλου ὁτουοῦν στρατιώτου ἐν τῇ μάχῃ ἀπολωλότος ἕτερον ἀντ' αὐτοῦ πρὸς Βελισαρίου αὐτίκα ὑπῆρχεν· ἐς δὲ τοὺς