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appeared suddenly, and the Romans, catching sight of them and thinking that the number of those fighting them was great, fell into a panic and immediately rushed to flight, 7.4.32 as was possible for each man. And the barbarians killed the fleeing Romans without any order, and having captured many of them alive, they held them under guard, and they took all the standards, which had never before happened to the Romans. And of the commanders, each one fled with a few men as he was able, and wherever they happened to find safety, they guarded the cities. 7.5.1 And not much time later, Totila sent an army against both Justinus and Florence, over which he indeed set the most warlike of the Goths as commanders, Bleda and Ruderic and Uliaris. who, when they came to Florence, encamped around the wall 7.5.2 and began a siege. But Justinus, being greatly disturbed, since he happened to have brought in none of the necessary provisions, sent to Ravenna to the commanders of the Roman army, 7.5.3 begging them to help with all speed. And by night the one who was sent, eluding the enemy, both arrived at Ravenna 7.5.4 and reported their present situation. Wherefore, indeed, a Roman army of considerable size immediately went to Florence, which indeed Bessas and Cyprian and John the 7.5.5 nephew of Vitalian were leading. When the Goths learned this from their spies, they raised the siege and withdrew to a place named Mucellium, a day’s journey distant from 7.5.6 Florence. And when the Roman army joined with Justinus, they left a few of his followers there to guard the city, but they themselves, leading the rest, advanced against the enemy. 7.5.7 And as they were marching on the way, it seemed most advantageous for one of the commanders, having selected the most notable men from the whole army, to go forward and himself come to grips unexpectedly with the enemy in a sudden attack, while the rest of the army was to proceed there marching at a slow pace. And having cast lots for this, 7.5.8 they awaited the decision of fortune in this matter. The lot, then, had leaped out for John, but it was no longer the will of the commanders to carry out what had been agreed upon. 7.5.9 Wherefore, indeed, John with his followers was forced, going ahead, to advance against the enemy. But the barbarians, perceiving the attack of the enemy, decided in great fear to abandon the plain, where they happened to be encamped, and to a certain large hill, which rises there, 7.5.10 they ran up in confusion. And when John's men got there, they too ran up 7.5.11 against the enemy and set to the task. And as the barbarians defended themselves stoutly, there was a great deal of shoving and many from both sides, displaying wondrous deeds, 7.5.12 fell. But as John rushed with a great shout and commotion against the enemy before him, it happened that one of his bodyguards, being struck by a javelin by one of the enemy, fell; and at this the Romans were 7.5.13 repulsed and began to retreat. And by now the rest of the Roman army, having arrived in the plain, formed a phalanx and stood their ground. And if they had received John's men as they fled, and with them advanced to close quarters with the enemy, they would both have been victorious in the engagement 7.5.14 and would have been able to capture almost all of them. But by some chance it happened that a false rumor circulated in the Roman camp, that John, indeed, by one of his own bodyguards had been killed in this action. 7.5.15 And when the report came to the commanders, they no longer saw fit to remain there, but all together began a shameful retreat. 7.5.16 For they were not in formation nor in any companies, but each man for himself rushed into flight as he was able. And many perished in this flight, but as many as were saved fled for many days 7.5.17 though pursued by no one. And later in time, having entered some strongholds as each one chanced, they reported nothing else to those they met than that John was 7.5.18 dead. And from this, they neither joined one another any longer nor did they intend for the future to band together against the enemy, but

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τοῦ αἰφνιδίου ἐφάνησαν, οὓς δὴ κατιδόντες Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ πολὺ πλῆθος εἶναι τῶν σφίσι μαχομένων οἰόμενοι ἔς τε ὀρρωδίαν ἔπεσον καὶ αὐτίκα ἐς φυγὴν 7.4.32 ὥρμηντο, ὥσπερ ἑκάστῳ δυνατὰ γέγονε. φεύγοντάς τε οἱ βάρβαροι οὐδενὶ κόσμῳ Ῥωμαίους ἔκτεινον, καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν αὐτῶν ζωγρήσαντες ἐν φυλακῇ εἶχον, τὰ δὲ σημεῖα ξύμπαντα ἔλαβον, ὅπερ οὔπω πρότερον Ῥωμαίοις ξυνέπεσε. τῶν τε ἀρχόντων ὡς ἕκαστός πη ἐδύνατο ξὺν ὀλίγοις τισὶν ἔφευγε, καὶ τὰς πόλεις ὅπη ἔτυχον διασωθέντες ἐφύλασσον. 7.5.1 Χρόνῳ δὲ Τουτίλας οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον στράτευμα ἐπί τε Ἰουστῖνον καὶ Φλωρεντίαν ἔπεμψεν, οἷς δὴ ἄρχοντας Γότθων τοὺς μαχιμωτάτους ἐπέστησε, Βλέδαν καὶ Ῥουδέριχον καὶ Οὐλίαριν. οἵπερ ἐπειδὴ ἐς Φλωρεντίαν ἦλθον, ἐγκαθεζόμενοι ἀμφὶ τὸ τεῖχος 7.5.2 ἐς πολιορκίαν καθίσταντο. Ἰουστῖνος δὲ ξυνταραχθεὶς ἐπεὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἐσκομισάμενος οὐδὲν ἔτυχεν, ἔπεμψεν ἐς Ῥάβενναν πρὸς τοὺς τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ 7.5.3 ἄρχοντας, βοηθεῖν σφίσι κατὰ τάχος δεόμενος. νύκτωρ τε ὁ σταλεὶς τοὺς πολεμίους λαθὼν ἐς Ῥάβεννάν τε 7.5.4 ἀφίκετο καὶ τὰ παρόντα σφίσιν ἀπήγγειλε. διὸ δὴ στράτευμα Ῥωμαίων λόγου ἄξιον εὐθὺς ἐς Φλωρεντίαν ᾔει, ὧν δὴ Βέσσας τε καὶ Κυπριανὸς καὶ Ἰωάννης ὁ 7.5.5 Βιταλιανοῦ ἀδελφιδοῦς ἡγοῦντο. ὅπερ ἐπεὶ Γότθοι πρὸς τῶν κατασκόπων ἐπύθοντο, λύσαντες τὴν προσεδρείαν, ἀνεχώρησαν εἰς χωρίον Μουκέλλιν ὄνομα, Φλω7.5.6 ρεντίας διέχον ἡμέρας ὁδόν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς Ἰουστίνῳ ξυνέμιξεν, ὀλίγους μέν τινας τῶν αὐτῷ ἑπομένων ἐπὶ φυλακῇ τῆς πόλεως αὐτοῦ εἴασαν, αὐτοὶ δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐπαγόμενοι ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους 7.5.7 ἐχώρουν. καὶ αὐτοῖς ὁδῷ πορευομένοις ξυμφορώτατον ἔδοξεν εἶναι τῶν ἀρχόντων ἕνα παντὸς τοῦ στρατοῦ τοὺς λογιμωτάτους ἀπολεξάμενον πρόσω ἰέναι καὶ αὐτὸν μὲν ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀπροσδόκητον ἐς χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν, τὸ δὲ ἄλλο στράτευμα σχολῇ βαδίζον ἐνταῦθα ἰέναι. κλήρους τε ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐμβεβλημένοι 7.5.8 τὴν τῆς τύχης ἐκαραδόκουν ἐς τοῦτο γνώμην. ὁ μὲν οὖν κλῆρος ἐκπεπήδηκεν ἐς Ἰωάννην, οὐκέτι δὲ βουλομένοις τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἦν ἐπιτελεῖν τὰ ξυγκείμενα. 7.5.9 διὸ δὴ ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις Ἰωάννης ἠνάγκαστο ἐπίπροσθεν ἰὼν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους χωρεῖν. οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι τὴν τῶν ἐναντίων ἔφοδον γνόντες τὸ μὲν πεδίον, οὗ δὴ ἐνστρατοπεδευσάμενοι ἐτύγχανον, δέει πολλῷ ἀπολιπεῖν ἔγνωσαν, ἐς λόφον δὲ μέγαν τινὰ, ὃς ταύτῃ 7.5.10 ἀνέχει, ξὺν θορύβῳ ἀνέδραμον. ἐπεὶ δὲ οἱ ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην ἐνταῦθα ἐγένοντο, ἀναδραμόντες καὶ αὐτοὶ 7.5.11 ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἔργου εἴχοντο. καρτερῶς δὲ τῶν βαρβάρων ἀμυνομένων ὠθισμός τε πολὺς γέγονε καὶ πολλοὶ ἑκατέρωθεν ἔργα ἐνδεικνύμενοι θαυμαστὰ ἔπι7.5.12 πτον. Ἰωάννου δὲ κραυγῇ τε καὶ ταραχῇ πολλῇ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατ' αὐτὸν πολεμίους ὁρμήσαντος ξυνέβη τῶν δορυφόρων τῶν αὐτοῦ ἕνα πρός του τῶν πολεμίων ἀκοντίῳ βληθέντα πεσεῖν· ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τε Ῥωμαῖοι ἀπο7.5.13 κρουσθέντες ὀπίσω ἐχώρουν. ἤδη δὲ καὶ ὁ λοιπὸς τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς ἐς τὸ πεδίον ἀφικόμενοι φάλαγγά τε ποιησάμενοι ἵσταντο. καὶ εἰ μὲν φυγόντας τοὺς ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην ἐδέξαντο, ξὺν αὐτοῖς ἂν ὁμόσε τοῖς πολεμίοις χωρήσαντες ἐνίκησάν τε τῇ ξυμβολῇ 7.5.14 καὶ σχεδόν τι ἅπαντας ἑλεῖν ἴσχυσαν. ἀλλὰ τύχῃ τινὶ ξυνέβη ἐς τὸ Ῥωμαίων στρατόπεδον φήμην οὐκ ἀληθῆ περιφέρεσθαι, ὡς δὴ Ἰωάννης πρός του τῶν αὐτοῦ δορυφόρων ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ τούτῳ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀφανισθείη. 7.5.15 ἐπεί τε ὁ λόγος ἐς τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἦλθε, μένειν ἐνταῦθα οὐκέτι ἠξίουν, ἀλλ' ἐς ὑπαγωγὴν αἰσχράν τινα ξύμπαν7.5.16 τες ᾔεσαν. οὐδὲ γὰρ ξυντεταγμένοι οὐδὲ κατὰ ξυμμορίας τινὰς, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἕκαστος ὥς πη ἐδύνατο ἐς φυγὴν ὥρμητο. καὶ πολλοὶ μὲν ἐν τῇ φυγῇ ταύτῃ ἀπώλοντο, ὅσοι μέντοι διεσώθησαν ἡμέρας πολλὰς 7.5.17 οὐδαμῆ διωκόμενοι ἔφευγον. χρόνῳ τε ὕστερον ὡς ἑκάστῳ ἔτυχεν ἐς ὀχυρώματά τινα ἐσελθόντες ἄλλο οὐδὲν ἀπήγγελλον τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν ἢ ὅτι τεθνεὼς 7.5.18 Ἰωάννης εἴη. καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ οὔτε ξυνεμίγνυντο ἔτι ἀλλήλοις οὔτε ξυνίστασθαι τὸ λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους διενοοῦντο, ἀλλ'