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to act justly will be more profitable than "that we, by going contrary to it, should seem to have become envious against our very selves. 7.8.24 "For it is not, it is not possible, for the one who does wrong and uses force to win acclaim "in the contests, but the fortune of war is decided according to the life of each man." Totila, then, said these things. 7.8.25 And having praised what was said, the notables of the Goths no longer demanded the bodyguard, but allowed him to act in whatever way seemed best to him. And he dispatched the man not long after, and the property, all that happened to belong to him, he gave to the woman who had been violated. 7.9.1 And while Totila was doing these things, at this time the commanders of the Roman army, along with the soldiers, were plundering the property of their subjects, and they left nothing undone of insolence and licentiousness, but the commanders were revelling with their mistresses in the fortresses, and the soldiers, showing themselves more disobedient to their commanders, fell into every form of misconduct. 7.9.2 and it was the lot of all the Italians to suffer the most grievous 7.9.3 things from both armies. For they were deprived of their fields by the enemy, and of all their furnishings by the emperor's army. And in addition they were being mistreated and destroyed for no reason, being oppressed by the lack of necessities. 7.9.4 For the soldiers, being in no way able to defend them when they were being abused by the enemy, not only did they not think to be ashamed in the least at the present situation, but they even caused the barbarians to be longed for 7.9.5 by those against whom they were sinning. At which Constantianus, being at a loss, sent a letter to the Emperor Justinian, declaring outright that he was unable to withstand the Goths 7.9.6 in the war. And the other commanders, as if ratifying this opinion, indicated in this same letter their admission of their reluctance for the struggle. For the Italians, affairs were moving in this direction. But Totila sent a letter to the Roman senate. 7.9.7 The letter declared the following: "For all who wrong their "neighbors, perhaps from prior ignorance or from some onset of forgetfulness, "it is fitting for those who have suffered terrible things to be forgiving toward them. "For the accidental cause of the error 7.9.8 "excuses for them the greater part of the charges. "But if anyone does wrong from premeditation alone, for him there will be left not even "the chance to ever speak in defence of his actions. 7.9.9 "For he would justly bear the blame not only for the deed, "but also for the intention. 7.9.10 "Therefore, since "these things are so, consider now what "defence you will happen to have for what you have done against the Goths; "whether it has happened that you are ignorant of the benefactions of Theoderic and "Amalasuntha, or that with time and 7.9.11 "forgetfulness they have faded among you? And yet it is "neither of these. For it did not happen that they displayed their favors in some trivial matters "nor towards your ancestors, in ancient "times, but "in the most necessary things toward you yourselves, both recently 7.9.12 "and right at hand, O my Roman friends. But "the virtue of the Greeks towards their subjects, either having learned of it by hearsay or "by experience, did you thus decide to betray to them the affairs of the Goths "and the Italians? And yet 7.9.13 "you entertain them, I think, very well, but what sort "of guests and friends you have found them to be, you know, I suppose, 7.9.14 "if you remember any of the calculations of Alexander. For I forbear to "mention the soldiers and the commanders of the soldiers, "whose kindness and magnanimity you have enjoyed; "on whose account their affairs have come to this point of fortune. 7.9.15 "But let no one of you think either that these reproaches are "brought against them out of youthful ambition, or that I, as a "ruler of barbarians, am making my words rather boastful. 7.9.16 "For I do not say that our victory over these men is the work of our own valor, "but I maintain that some punishment "for their injustice towards you has come upon them. 7.9.17 "And yet how would it not seem to be one of the most absurd things, "that God is punishing them on your behalf, while you "delight in their misconduct and are unwilling to be rid of the "resulting evils? Give, therefore, some pretext "for yourselves for a defense regarding the Goths, 7.9.18

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δίκαια πράσσειν ξυνοίσει μᾶλλον ἢ «ἀπ' ἐναντίας αὐτῇ ἰόντας φθονεροὺς ἡμᾶς ἐφ' ἡμῖν 7.8.24 «αὐτοῖς γεγενῆσθαι δοκεῖν. οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστι, «τὸν ἀδικοῦντα καὶ βιαζόμενον ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσιν εὐδο»κιμεῖν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν βίον ἑκάστου ἡ τοῦ πολέμου «πρυτανεύεται τύχη.» Τουτίλας μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπεν. 7.8.25 ἐπαινέσαντες δὲ τὰ εἰρημένα οἱ Γότθων λόγιμοι τὸν δορυφόρον οὐκέτι ἐξῃτοῦντο, ἀλλ' εἴων ὅπως ποτὲ αὐτῷ πράσσειν δοκοίη. καὶ ὃς τὸν μὲν ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἐς μακρὰν διεχρήσατο, τὰ δὲ χρήματα, ὅσα δὴ αὐτοῦ ἐτύγχανεν ὄντα, τῇ βιασθείσῃ παρέσχετο. 7.9.1 Ἐν ᾧ δὲ ταῦτα Τουτίλας ἔπρασσεν, ἐν τούτῳ οἱ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἄρχοντες ξὺν τοῖς στρατιώταις τὰ τῶν κατηκόων χρήματα ἥρπαζον, καὶ ὕβρεώς τε καὶ ἀσελγείας οὐδ' ὁτιοῦν ὑπελίποντο, ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν ἄρχοντες ἐν τοῖς ὀχυρώμασιν ἔχοντες ἐρωμένας ἐκώμαζον, οἱ δὲ στρατιῶται ἀπειθεστέρους αὑτοὺς τοῖς ἄρχουσι παρεχόμενοι εἰς πᾶσαν ἰδέαν ἀτοπίας ἐνέπιπτον. 7.9.2 τοῖς τε Ἰταλιώταις περιῆν ἅπασι πάσχειν τὰ χαλεπώ7.9.3 τατα πρὸς ἑκατέρων τῶν στρατοπέδων. τοὺς μὲν γὰρ ἀγροὺς ἐστέρηντο πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων, ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως στρατοῦ ἔπιπλα πάντα. καὶ προσῆν αὐτοῖς αἰκίζεσθαί τε καὶ οὐδενὶ λόγῳ διαφθείρεσθαι, τῶν 7.9.4 ἀναγκαίων τῇ ἀπορίᾳ πιεζομένοις. οἱ γὰρ στρατιῶται ἀμύνειν σφίσι κακουμένοις πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων οὐδαμῆ ἔχοντες οὐχ ὅσον ἐρυθριᾶν ὡς ἥκιστα ἐπὶ τοῖς παροῦσιν ἐγίνωσκον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους ποθεινοὺς 7.9.5 αὐτοῖς εἶναι οἷς ἐξημάρτανον ἀπειργάζοντο. οἷς δὴ Κωνσταντιανὸς ἀπορούμενος γράμματα Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ ἔπεμψεν, ἄντικρυς ἀποφαίνων ὅτι δὴ Γότθων 7.9.6 τῷ πολέμῳ ἀντέχειν ἀδύνατος εἴη. οἵ τε ἄλλοι ἄρχοντες, ὥσπερ τὴν γνώμην ἐπιψηφίζοντες, ἐν τούτῳ δὴ τῷ γραμματείῳ τὴν ὁμολογίαν ἐσήμαινον τῆς ἐς τὴν ἀγωνίαν ὀκνήσεως. Ἰταλιώταις μὲν τὰ πράγματα ἐφέρετο τῇδε. Τουτίλας δὲ Ῥωμαίων τῇ βουλῇ ἐπιστολὴν ἔπεμψεν. 7.9.7 ἐδήλου δὲ ἡ γραφὴ τάδε «Ὅσοι μὲν ἀδικοῦσι τοὺς «πέλας ἢ προλαβούσης ἀγνοίας ἴσως ἢ λήθης ἐπιγε»νομένης τινὸς, τούτοις ἄξιον τοὺς τὰ δεινὰ πεπονθότας «συγγνώμονας εἶναι. τὸ γὰρ τῆς ἁμαρτάδος ξυμπεσὸν 7.9.8 «αἴτιον τῶν ἐγκλημάτων αὐτοῖς παραιτεῖται τὸ πλεῖστον. «ἢν δέ τις ἐκ προνοίας ἀδικῇ μόνης, τούτῳ δὴ μηδὲ «ἀντιλέγειν ποτὲ περὶ τῶν πεπραγμένων λελείψεται. 7.9.9 «οὐ γὰρ τοῦ ἔργου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς γνώμης αὐτὸς 7.9.10 «φέρεσθαι τὴν αἰτίαν δίκαιος ἂν εἴη. οὐκοῦν, ἐπειδὴ «ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει, λογίζεσθε ἤδη τί ποτε ἄρα ὑμῖν «ἀπολελογῆσθαι πρὸς τὰ ἐς Γότθους εἰργασμένα ξυμ»βήσεται· πότερα ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν τὰς Θευδερίχου τε καὶ «Ἀμαλασούνθης εὐεργεσίας τετύχηκεν, ἢ χρόνῳ τε 7.9.11 «αὐτὰς καὶ λήθῃ ἐν ὑμῖν ἐξιτήλους εἶναι; καίτοι οὐκ «ἔστι τούτων οὐδέτερον. οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ φαύλοις τισὶν «οὐδὲ εἰς τοὺς ὑμετέρους τὰς χάριτας αὐτοὺς, κατὰ «δὴ τὸν παλαιὸν χρόνον, ἐπιδεδεῖχθαι ξυνέβη, ἀλλ' «ἐν τοῖς ἀναγκαιοτάτοις ἔς γε ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἔναγχός 7.9.12 «τε καὶ ἐξ ὑπογυίου, ὦ φίλοι Ῥωμαῖοι. ἀλλὰ τὴν «Γραικῶν ἐς τὸ ὑπήκοον ἀρετὴν ἢ ἀκοῇ λαβόντες ἢ «πείρᾳ μαθόντες οὕτω δὴ προήσεσθαι αὐτοῖς τὰ Γότ»θων τε καὶ Ἰταλιωτῶν πράγματα ἔγνωτε; καίτοι 7.9.13 «ἐξεναγεῖσθε μὲν ὑμεῖς αὐτοὺς, οἶμαι, ἄριστα, ὁποίων «δὲ αὐτῶν ἐτύχετε ξένων καὶ φίλων ἐπίστασθε δή που, 7.9.14 «εἴ τι τῶν Ἀλεξάνδρου μέμνησθε λογισμῶν. ἐῶ γὰρ «λέγειν τούς τε στρατιώτας καὶ τοὺς στρατιωτῶν ἄρχον»τας, ὧν τῆς τε φιλοφροσύνης καὶ μεγαλοψυχίας ἀπώ»νασθε· ὧν δὴ αὐτοῖς ἕνεκα ἐς τοῦτο τύχης τὰ πράγματα 7.9.15 «ἥκει. ὑμῶν δὲ οἰέσθω μηδεὶς μήτε ὑπὸ νέου φιλο»τιμίας τὰ ὀνείδη ταῦτα ἐς αὐτοὺς φέρεσθαι μήτε με «ἅτε βαρβάρων ἄρχοντα κομπωδεστέρους ποιεῖσθαι 7.9.16 «τοὺς λόγους. οὐ γὰρ ἡμετέρας ἀρετῆς ἔργον εἶναί «φημι τὴν τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐπικράτησιν, ἀλλὰ τίσιν τινὰ «ἰσχυρίζομαι τῆς εἰς ὑμᾶς ἀδικίας αὐτοὺς μετελθεῖν. 7.9.17 «καίτοι πῶς οὐκ ἂν τῶν ἀτοπωτάτων δόξειεν εἶναι «τὸν μὲν θεὸν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν αὐτοὺς τίννυσθαι, ὑμᾶς δὲ «τῇ τούτων ἐμφιλοχωρεῖν ἀτοπίᾳ καὶ τῶν ἐντεῦθεν οὐκ «ἐθέλειν ἀπηλλάχθαι κακῶν; δότε τοίνυν τινὰ πρόφα»σιν ὑμῖν μὲν αὐτοῖς τῆς ἐς τοὺς Γότθους ἀπολογίας, 7.9.18