282

took refuge on the battlements, and as the barbarians came to close quarters with them with a great multitude, both the others and Artabazes, displaying marvellous deeds above all, most stoutly defended themselves against their assailants. 7.3.18 And then indeed the commanders of the Roman army, having arranged among themselves the matter concerning the money in Verona, decided to proceed against the city with all the rest of the 7.3.19 army. But finding the gates closed against them and the enemy defending themselves most vigorously, they rode back with all speed, although they saw the others fighting inside the circuit-wall and begging them not to abandon them, but to remain there, until they, having taken refuge with them, might be saved. 7.3.20 For this very reason Artabazes and his men, being hard-pressed by the multitude of the enemy and despairing of aid from their comrades, all leaped down outside from the wall. 7.3.21 Now those who happened to fall on level ground, these indeed were brought unharmed to the Roman camp, among whom was also Artabazes; but as many as fell into rough 7.3.22 places, were all killed on the spot. And when Artabazes came to the Roman camp, after heaping many reproaches and insults upon all, he went along with them, and crossing the Eridanus they came to the city of Faventia, which is in the country of Aemilia, and is a hundred and twenty stades distant from Ravenna. 7.4.1 But Totila, learning what had happened at Verona, both sent for many of the Goths from Verona, and when they arrived, he advanced against the enemy with his whole army, which numbered five thousand. When the commanders of the Roman army learned this, they began to deliberate upon their present situation. 7.4.2 And Artabazes came forward and spoke as follows: "Let none of you, fellow commanders, think it right to look down on the "enemy because they are now inferior to us in numbers, "nor, because he is fighting against those enslaved by Belisarius," let him go against them with a listless 7.4.3 mind. "For many, deceived by a "false opinion, have caused their own downfall, and contempt arising at an inopportune moment "has availed to destroy the power they possessed, 7.4.4 "since, besides, their previous adversity urges these men on to good fortune. For fortune, "when it comes to despair of good hopes, is converted to an excess 7.4.5 "of daring. And I have not said these things "among you now led by suspicion, but from what I learned well of the men's daring "when I recently fought a perilous battle against them. 7.4.6 "And let no one think that I, defeated with "a few men by the enemy, marvel at their "strength, since the valor of men, both to those who surpass "in number and to those inferior in this respect, becomes manifest to those at least who will fight against them. 7.4.7 "I think, therefore, that it will be more to our advantage to guard the river crossing "against the barbarians, and when they are halfway across, to come 7.4.8 "to grips with them rather than when they are all together already. And let such "a victory seem to no one inglorious. For glory "and ingloriousness the outcome of events is wont to "determine, and men are accustomed to praise the victors, "without scrutinizing the manner of the victory." 7.4.9 Thus spoke Artabazes. But the commanders, because of their conflicting opinions, did nothing of what was necessary, but remained where they were, wasting time. 7.4.10 And already the army of the Goths had come very near, and when they were about to cross the river, Totila called them all together and exhorted them as follows: "All "other battles, O my kinsmen, for the most part "promise a similar fight to the "armies as they rush into the conflict, but we against the "enemy, with our fortunes not evenly matched, but differing greatly, "are entering into this 7.4.11 "contest. For they, if they should be defeated, "will be able to fight again against us before long. For in "the strongholds of all Italy a multitude "of their soldiers has been left behind and it is not at all unlikely "that another army will very soon come to their aid from Byzantium. "But if we suffer this same fate, the name of the Goths 7.4.12 "will be left to perish along with our hope. For "from twenty myriads we have been reduced to five thousand

282

ἐπάλξεις κατέφυγον, τῶν δὲ βαρβάρων αὐτοῖς πλήθει πολλῷ ἐς χεῖρας ἰόντων οἵ τε ἄλλοι καὶ Ἀρταβάζης πάντων μάλιστα ἔργα θαυμαστὰ ἐνδεικνύμενοι καρτε7.3.18 ρώτατα τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἠμύνοντο. καὶ τότε δὴ οἱ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἄρχοντες τὰ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν Βερώνῃ χρημάτων πρὸς ἀλλήλους διοικησάμενοι παντὶ τῷ ἄλλῳ 7.3.19 στρατῷ ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν χωρεῖν ἔγνωσαν. ἀποκεκλεισμέ7.3.19 νας δὲ σφίσι τὰς πύλας εὑρόντες ἰσχυρότατά τε τοὺς πολεμίους ἀμυνομένους ὀπίσω κατὰ τάχος ἀπήλαυνον, καίπερ μαχομένους ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου τοὺς ἑτέρους θεώμενοι καὶ δεομένους μὴ σφᾶς ἀπολιπεῖν, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ μένειν, ἕως ἂν καταφυγόντες ἐς αὐτοὺς σώζοιντο. 7.3.20 διὸ δὴ οἱ ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἀρταβάζην τῷ τε πλήθει βιαζόμενοι τῶν πολεμίων καὶ ἀπογνόντες τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων ἐπικουρίαν, ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους ἔξω ἥλαντο ἅπαν7.3.21 τες. οἷς μὲν οὖν καταπεσεῖν ἐφ' ὁμαλοῦ χωρίου ξυνέβη, οὗτοι δὴ ἀθῷοι ἐς τὸ Ῥωμαίων στρατόπεδον ἐκομίσθησαν, ἐν οἷς καὶ Ἀρταβάζης ἦν, ὅσοι μέντοι ἐς δυσχω7.3.22 ρίας κατέπεσον, αὐτοῦ ἅπαντες διεφθάρησαν. ἐπεί τε Ἀρταβάζης ἐς τὸ Ῥωμαίων στρατόπεδον ἦλθε, πολλά τε ὀνειδίσας καὶ λοιδορησάμενος ἅπασι ξὺν αὐτοῖς ᾔει, τόν τε Ἠριδανὸν διαβάντες ἐν Φαβεντίᾳ πόλει ἐγένοντο, ἣ χώρας μὲν τῆς Αἰμιλίας ἐστὶ, σταδίους δὲ εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατὸν Ῥαβέννης διέχει. 7.4.1 Τουτίλας δὲ τὰ ἐν Βερώνῃ ξυμπεσόντα μαθὼν Γότθων τε τῶν ἐκ Βερώνης πολλοὺς μετεπέμπετο, καὶ ἐπεὶ παρῆσαν, παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ, ἐς πεντακισχιλίους ὄντι, ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐναντίους ᾔει. ὃ δὴ μαθόντες οἱ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἄρχοντες τὰ παρόντα σφίσιν ἐν βουλῇ 7.4.2 ἐποιοῦντο. καὶ παρελθὼν Ἀρταβάζης ἔλεξε τοιάδε «Μηδεὶς ὑμῶν, ἄνδρες ἄρχοντες, ὑπερφρονεῖν τῶν «πολεμίων ἅτε ἡμῶν τῷ πλήθει ἐλασσουμένων τανῦν «ἀξιούτω, μηδὲ, ὅτι πρὸς τοὺς Βελισαρίῳ δεδουλω»μένους ἀγωνίζεται, λογισμῷ ἀναπεπτωκότι ἐπ' αὐτοὺς 7.4.3 «ἴτω. πολλοὶ γὰρ δόξῃ οὐκ ἀληθεῖ ἐξηπατημένοι σφᾶς «αὐτοὺς ἔσφηλαν, καὶ καταφρόνημά τισιν οὐκ ἐν δέοντι «γινόμενον τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν αὐτοῖς καταλῦσαι δύναμιν «ἴσχυσεν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἄλλως ἡ προλαβοῦσα κακοπραγία 7.4.4 «τούσδε τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐς εὐτυχίαν παρακαλεῖ. τύχη «γὰρ εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν ἀγαθῶν ἐλπίδων ἐλθοῦσα ἐς 7.4.5 «εὐτολμίας ὑπερβολὴν περιίσταται. καὶ ταῦτα οὐχ «ὑποψίᾳ τανῦν ἠγμένος ἐν ὑμῖν εἴρηκα, ἀλλ' οἷς δια»κινδυνεύσας πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔναγχος ἐκμεμάθηκα τὴν 7.4.6 «τῶν ἀνδρῶν τόλμαν. καί με νομιζέτω μηδεὶς ξὺν «ὀλίγοις τισὶν ἡσσηθέντα τῶν πολεμίων θαυμάσαι τὴν «δύναμιν, ἐπεὶ ἀνδρῶν ἀρετὴ καὶ πλήθει ὑπεραιρόν»των καὶ τούτῳ ἐλασσουμένων τοῖς γε πρὸς αὐτοὺς δια7.4.7 «μαχησομένοις ἔνδηλος γίνεται. οἶμαι τοίνυν ἡμῖν «μᾶλλον ξυνοίσειν τοῦ ποταμοῦ τηρήσασι τὴν διάβα»σιν τοῖς βαρβάροις, ἐπειδὰν ἐς ἥμισυ διαβαίνοιεν, ἐς 7.4.8 «χεῖρας ἰέναι ἢ πᾶσιν ἀθρόοις ἤδη γεγενημένοις. μηδενί «τε ἄδοξος εἶναι ἡ τοιαύτη δεδόχθω νίκη. δόξαν τε «γὰρ καὶ ἀδοξίαν ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀπόβασις ὀνο»μάζειν φιλεῖ, καὶ τοὺς νενικηκότας εἰώθασιν ἐπαινεῖν «ἄνθρωποι, οὐ διερευνώμενοι τῆς νίκης τὸν τρόπον.» 7.4.9 Ἀρταβάζης μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπεν. οἱ δὲ δὴ ἄρχοντες τῷ διαμαχομένῳ τῆς γνώμης τῶν δεόντων οὐδὲν ἔπρασσον, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ μένοντες τὸν καιρὸν ἔτριβον. 7.4.10 Ἤδη δὲ ὁ τῶν Γότθων στρατὸς ἄγχιστα ἐγεγόνει, καὶ ἐπεὶ διαβαίνειν τὸν ποταμὸν ἔμελλον, ξυγκαλέσας Τουτίλας ἅπαντας τοιαῦτα παρεκελεύσατο «Αἱ μὲν «ἄλλαι ξύμπασαι μάχαι, ὦ ἄνδρες ξυγγενεῖς, ὁμοίαν «τινὰ μάχην ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐπαγγελλόμεναι τοῖς «στρατοπέδοις ἐς τὴν ἀγωνίαν ὁρμῶσιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ τοῖς «πολεμίοις οὐκ ἐξ ἀντιπάλου τῆς τύχης, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ «τῷ διαλλάσσοντι χρώμενοι ἐς τὸν ἀγῶνα καθιστάμεθα 7.4.11 «τόνδε. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἡσσηθέντες, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι, «οὐκ ἐς μακρὰν ἀναμάχεσθαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἕξουσιν. ἔν «τε γὰρ τοῖς ὀχυρώμασιν Ἰταλίας ἁπάσης πλῆθος «αὐτοῖς στρατιωτῶν ἀπολέλειπται καὶ ἄλλο στράτευμα «ἐκ Βυζαντίου αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα ἐπιβοηθήσειν οὐδὲν «ἀπεικός. ἡμῶν δὲ ταὐτὸ τοῦτο παθόντων τὸ Γότθων 7.4.12 «ὄνομα μετὰ τῆς ἐλπίδος ἀπολωλέναι λελείψεται. ἐκ «μυριάδων γὰρ εἴκοσιν ἐς πεντακισχιλίους ἡμᾶς ἀπο»κεκρίσθαι