290

«for us, pardon for our actions toward you. And you will grant it, if you do not wait for the end of the war, but while some slight and, at that, unprofitable hope is still left to you, you choose the better course and set right 7.9.19 what you have improperly done against us.» Such was the message of the letter. And Totila, entrusting it to some of the captives, ordered them to go to Rome and give it to the members of the senate. And they proceeded to do this. 7.9.20 But John forbade those who saw this letter to make any reply to Totila. Therefore Totila again wrote many notices, and inserting in them the most dreadful oaths, swore explicitly that the Goths would never do any harm to any Roman. 7.9.21 Now what men brought these little documents to Rome I am unable to say. For they were all fixed up in the conspicuous places of the city during the night, and when day came, they were discovered; and the commanders of the Roman army, being moved by great suspicion toward the Arian priests, immediately stationed them all outside the city. 7.9.22 And Totila, hearing these things, sent a certain part of his army to Calabria and instructed it to make an attempt on the fortress at Hydruntum. But since the garrison there was by no means willing to surrender to him, he ordered the men sent there to begin a siege, while he himself with the greater part of his 7.9.23 army went to the districts around Rome. When the emperor learned these things, he fell into a state of helplessness and was compelled to send Belisarius against Totila, although the Persians were still pressing very strongly. And the winter was ending, and the ninth year of this war, which Procopius recorded, was coming to a close. 7.10.1 Thus Belisarius went to Italy for the second time. But since he had very few soldiers (for he had by no means been able to detach his followers from the army in Media), he went about all Thrace and, by offering money, 7.10.2 gathered young volunteers. And with him, by the emperor's will, was also Vitalius, the general of the Illyrians, who had recently returned from Italy, where he happened to have left the Illyrian 7.10.3 soldiers. So they both gathered about four thousand men and came to Salona, with the intention of going first against Ravenna, and from there carrying on the war 7.10.4 in whatever way might be possible. For they were in no way able to land in the districts of Rome, neither escaping the notice of the enemy (since they heard they were encamped in both Calabria and Campania) nor overpowering them by any means. For they were not marching against them 7.10.5 with an opposing force of equal strength. Meanwhile the men besieged in Hydruntum, since their necessary supplies had completely failed them, entered into negotiations with the besieging barbarians, on the condition that they would surrender the fortress by agreement, and a fixed day was agreed upon by both sides for this. 7.10.6 But Belisarius, loading ships with provisions for a year's time, ordered Valentinus to sail with them to Hydruntum, and to lead away from there as quickly as possible the former guards of the fortress, who he learned had been wasted away by both disease and famine, and to station in their place some of those sailing with him for the garrison; 7.10.7 for thus they, being fresh and lacking none of the necessities, would more easily guard the fortress in safety. Valentinus, accordingly, with this fleet, chancing upon a favouring wind, sailed into Hydruntum four days before the appointed day, and finding the harbour unguarded, he both took possession of it and was able with no trouble to enter the fortress. 7.10.8 For the Goths, trusting in the terms of the agreement and not suspecting that any opposition would arise for them in the meantime, had already arranged matters concerning Hydruntum carelessly 7.10.9 and were waiting quietly. Then, however, seeing the fleet sailing in unexpectedly, they were frightened and broke up the siege, and moving a long way off from the place, they made camp and reported to Totila all that had happened to them. The fortress of Hydruntum, then, 7.10.10 came so close to danger. But some of the men with Valentinus, wishing to plunder the

290

«ἡμῖν δὲ τῆς ἐς ὑμᾶς συγγνώμης. δώσετε δὲ, ἤν γε «μὴ ἀναμενοῦντες τὸ τοῦ πολέμου πέρας, ἀλλ' ἔτι «βραχείας τινὸς καὶ ταύτης ἀνονήτου ὑμῖν ἀπολελειμ»μένης ἐλπίδος ἕλησθε μὲν τὰ κρείσσω, ἐπανορθώσητε 7.9.19 «δὲ τὰ ἐς ἡμᾶς οὐ δέον ὑμῖν πεπραγμένα.» τοσαῦτα μὲν ἡ γραφὴ ἐδήλου. ἐγχειρίσας δὲ αὐτὴν τῶν τισιν αἰχμαλώτων ὁ Τουτίλας ἐπὶ Ῥώμης ἐκέλευεν ἰόντας τοῖς ἐκ βουλῆς διδόναι. καὶ οἱ μὲν κατὰ ταῦτα ἐποίουν. 7.9.20 Ἰωάννης δὲ τοὺς τὸ γράμμα τοῦτο ἰδόντας ἀποκρίνασθαί τι πρὸς Τουτίλαν διεκώλυσε. διὸ δὴ αὖθις ὁ Τουτίλας γράψας γραμμάτια πολλὰ, ὅρκους τε αὐτοῖς τοὺς δεινοτάτους ἐνθέμενος διαρρήδην ἀπώμοσε μήποτε Ῥωμαίων τινὰ κακόν τι ἐργάσασθαι Γότθους. 7.9.21 οἵτινες μὲν οὖν ἀνθρώπων ἐς Ῥώμην τὰ βιβλίδια ταῦτα ἐκόμισαν οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν. ἅπαντα γὰρ ἀωρὶ τῶν νυκτῶν ἐν τοῖς διαφανέσι τῆς πόλεως χωρίοις παγέντα, ἐπεὶ ἐγένετο ἡμέρα, ἐγνώσθη· οἱ δὲ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἄρχοντες ὑποψίᾳ πολλῇ ἐς τῶν Ἀρειανῶν τοὺς ἱερέας ἐχόμενοι ἔξω τῆς πόλεως κατεστήσαντο 7.9.22 εὐθὺς ἅπαντας. Τουτίλας δὲ ταῦτα ἀκούσας μοῖραν μέν τινα τοῦ στρατοῦ πέμψας ἐς Καλαβρίαν ἀποπειράσασθαι τοῦ ἐν ∆ρυοῦντι φρουρίου ἐπέστελλεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὡς ἥκιστά οἱ προσχωρεῖν ἤθελον οἱ φυλακτήριον ταύτῃ ἔχοντες, τοὺς μὲν ἐνταῦθα ἐσταλμένους ἐκέλευεν ἐς πολιορκίαν καθίστασθαι, αὐτὸς δὲ τῷ πλείονι τοῦ 7.9.23 στρατοῦ ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ Ῥώμης χωρία ᾔει. ταῦτα ἐπεὶ βασιλεὺς ἔμαθεν, ἔς τε ἀμηχανίαν ἐμπέπτωκε καὶ Βελισάριον ἐπὶ Τουτίλαν πέμψαι, καίπερ ἔτι Περσῶν ἰσχυρότατα ἐγκειμένων, ἠνάγκαστο. καὶ ὁ χειμὼν ἔληγε, καὶ τὸ ἔνατον ἔτος ἐτελεύτα τῷ πολέμῳ τῷδε, ὃν Προκόπιος ξυνέγραψεν. 7.10.1 Οὕτω μὲν Βελισάριος τὸ δεύτερον ἐς Ἰταλίαν ᾔει. ἐπεὶ δὲ στρατιώτας ὡς μάλιστα ὀλίγους εἶχε (τοὺς γάρ οἱ ἑπομένους τοῦ ἐν Μήδοις στρατοπέδου ἀποστῆσαι οὐδαμῆ ἴσχυσε) Θρᾴκην ὅλην περιιὼν χρήματά τε 7.10.2 προϊέμενος, ξυνῆγε νέους ἐθελουσίους. ξυνῆν δὲ αὐτῷ βασιλέως γνώμῃ καὶ Βιτάλιος ὁ τῶν Ἰλλυριῶν στρατηγὸς, ἄρτι ἐπανήκων ἐξ Ἰταλίας, οὗ δὴ τοὺς Ἰλλυ7.10.3 ριοὺς στρατιώτας ἀπολιπὼν ἔτυχεν. ἄμφω γοῦν ἐς τετρακισχιλίους ἀγείραντες ἐν Σάλωσιν ἐγένοντο, γνώμην ἔχοντες ἐπὶ Ῥαβέννης τὰ πρῶτα ἰέναι, τὸν δὲ 7.10.4 πόλεμον ἐνθένδε ὅπη ἂν δυνατὸν εἴη διενεγκεῖν. τὸ γὰρ ἐπὶ τὰ Ῥώμης χωρία ἀποβαίνειν οὐδαμῆ ἴσχυον, οὔτε τοὺς πολεμίους λανθάνοντες (ἐπεὶ αὐτοὺς ἔν τε Καλαβροῖς στρατοπεδεύεσθαι καὶ Καμπανοῖς ἤκουσαν) οὔτε αὐτοὺς τρόπῳ ὁτῳοῦν βιαζόμενοι. οὐ γὰρ ἐξ 7.10.5 ἀντιπάλου τῆς δυνάμεως ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ᾔεσαν. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ οἱ ἐν ∆ρυοῦντι πολιορκούμενοι τῶν ἀναγκαίων σφᾶς παντάπασιν ἐκλελοιπότων βαρβάροις τοῖς πολιορκοῦσιν ἐς λόγους ξυνῆλθον, ἐφ' ᾧ τὸ φρούριον ὁμολογίᾳ ἐνδώσουσι, τακτή τε ἀμφοτέροις ἐν τούτῳ ἡμέρα 7.10.6 ξυνέκειτο. Βελισάριος δὲ τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ἐς ἐνιαυτοῦ μῆκος πλοίοις ἐνθέμενος Βαλεντῖνον ξὺν αὐτοῖς πλεῖν εἰς ∆ρυοῦντα ἐκέλευε, καὶ τοὺς μὲν προτέρους φύλακας τοῦ φρουρίου ἐνθένδε ὑπεξαγαγεῖν ὅτι τάχιστα, οὓς δὴ νόσῳ τε ξυντετηκέναι καὶ λιμῷ ἔμαθε, τῶν δὲ ξυμπλεόντων τινὰς ἐπὶ τῷ φυλακτηρίῳ ἀντ' αὐτῶν καταστήσασθαι· ῥᾷον γὰρ οὕτως αὐτοὺς ἀκμῆτάς τε ὄντας καὶ οὐδενὸς τῶν ἀναγκαίων σπανίζοντας τὸ 7.10.7 φρούριον ξὺν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ διαφυλάξειν. Βαλεντῖνος μὲν οὖν τῷ στόλῳ τούτῳ πνεύματος ἐπιφόρου ἐπιτυχὼν ἐς τὸν ∆ρυοῦντα κατέπλευσε τέτρασι πρότερον τῆς κυρίας ἡμέραις, ἀφύλακτόν τε τὸν λιμένα εὑρὼν αὐτοῦ τε ἐκράτησε καὶ πόνῳ οὐδενὶ ἐς τὸ φρούριον εἰσελθεῖν 7.10.8 ἴσχυσε. τοῖς γὰρ ὡμολογημένοις οἱ Γότθοι θαρσοῦντες οὐδέν τε μεταξὺ ἐναντίωμα ὑποτοπάζοντες σφίσιν ἔσεσθαι, ὀλιγώρως ἤδη τὰ ἐς τὸν ∆ρυοῦντα διαθέμενοι 7.10.9 ἡσυχῆ ἔμενον. τότε μέντοι καταπλέοντα ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου τὸν στόλον ἰδόντες ἔδεισάν τε καὶ τὴν προσεδρείαν διέλυσαν, μακράν τε ἄποθεν τοῦ χωρίου γενόμενοι ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο καὶ πάντα ἐς Τουτίλαν τὰ ξυμβεβηκότα σφίσιν ἀνήνεγκαν. παρὰ τοσοῦτον μὲν 7.10.10 ∆ρυοῦντος τὸ φρούριον κινδύνου ἦλθε. τῶν δὲ ξὺν Βαλεντίνῳ τινὲς ληΐσασθαι βουλόμενοι τὰ