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I am present, it is fitting that each of you also use all his »power, so that you may reap the benefit from this. 7.11.7 «And whoever of you happens to have kinsmen or friends with «Totila the tyrant, let him summon «them as quickly as possible, declaring the emperor's will. 7.11.8 «For thus you would have both the good things from peace and the good things from the «great emperor; since I for my part have come here neither to «make war on anyone, nor would I ever willingly be an enemy to the 7.11.9 «emperor's subjects. But if even now these men, «considering it a trivial matter to choose the better course for themselves, «should come against us, it will be necessary for «us also, though most unwillingly, to treat them as enemies.» 7.11.10 So much Belisarius said. But none of the enemy came over to him, neither Goth nor Roman. 7.11.11 Then, sending both Thorimuth his guardsman and some of his followers with both Vitalius and the Illyrian soldiers into Aemilia, he ordered them to make an attempt upon 7.11.12 the places in that region. Vitalius, therefore, coming with this army to the city of Bononia and taking some of the forts there by surrender, remained quiet in the city of Bononia. 7.11.13 But not long afterwards all the Illyrians, who were campaigning with him, suddenly, having neither suffered nor heard of any misfortune, secretly withdrew from there and departed for home. 7.11.14 And sending envoys to the emperor, they begged him to grant them pardon, having come to their homes in this manner for no other reason than that, while campaigning for a long time in Italy and receiving their pay very irregularly, the public treasury owed them much money. 7.11.15 And a Hunnic army having fallen upon the Illyrians, it happened that their children and wives were enslaved. 7.11.16 Learning of this and lacking necessities among the Italians, they withdrew. The emperor was at first angry with them, but then became forgiving. But Totila, learning of the withdrawal of the Illyrians, sent an army against Bononia, in order to seize Vitalius and 7.11.17 those with him. But Vitalius and Thorimuth, setting ambushes beforehand, destroyed many of the attackers in some ambuscades, and turned the rest to flight. 7.11.18 There Nazares, a notable man, an Illyrian by race, and a commander of the soldiers in Illyricum, displayed wonderful deeds against the enemy more than all. And so Thorimuth came to Belisarius at Ravenna. 7.11.19 Then indeed Belisarius sent three of his own guardsmen, Thorimuth and Ricilas and Sabinianus, with a thousand soldiers to the city of Auximum, to assist Magnus and the Romans being besieged there. 7.11.20 And they, eluding both Totila and the enemy's camp, got into Auximum by night, and were planning to make some sorties against the enemy. 7.11.21 But on the next day, learning around midday that some of the enemy were somewhere very near, they went out to meet them, but first decided to send scouts against them, to observe their 7.11.22 force, so that they might not go against them unadvisedly. But Ricilas, the guardsman of Belisarius (for he happened to be drunk at the time), did not allow others to go on the reconnaissance, but alone he rode his horse out and went with speed. 7.11.23 And encountering three Goths in a precipitous place, he 7.11.23 at first stood as if to oppose them; for he happened to have reached a great degree of manliness; but seeing many rushing upon him from all sides, 7.11.24 he was set on flight. But as his horse stumbled in a difficult place, a great shout from the enemy arose and they all hurled their javelins at him. When the Romans perceived this, they ran to his aid. 7.11.25 And Ricilas, covered with many spears, dies, and the men with Thorimuth, having routed the enemy and taken up the body, carried it into the city of Auximum, he having met an end to his life unworthy of his valor. 7.11.26 Then Sabinianus and Thorimuth, conferring with Magnus, found it to be disadvantageous for them to make any further delay there, reasoning that

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πάρειμι, προσήκει καὶ ὑμῶν ἕκαστον πάσῃ δυ»νάμει χρήσασθαι, ὅπως ἂν τῆς ἐντεῦθεν ὠφελείας 7.11.7 «ἀπόναισθε. ὅτῳ τε ὑμῶν ξυγγενεῖς ἢ φίλοι παρὰ «Τουτίλᾳ τῷ τυράννῳ τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες, μεταπεμψάσθω «τούτους ὅτι τάχιστα τὴν βασιλέως δηλώσας γνώμην. 7.11.8 «οὕτω γὰρ ἂν ὑμῖν τά τε ἐκ τῆς εἰρήνης καὶ τὰ ἐκ τοῦ «μεγάλου βασιλέως ἀγαθὰ γένοιτο· ὡς ἔγωγε οὔτε τῳ «πολεμησείων ἐνθάδε ἀφῖγμαι οὔτ' ἂν ἑκών ποτε τοῖς 7.11.9 «βασιλέως κατηκόοις πολέμιος εἴην. εἰ μέντοι καὶ νῦν «παρὰ φαῦλον ἡγησάμενοι τὸ τὰ βελτίω σφίσιν αὐτοῖς «ἑλέσθαι οἵδε ἀπ' ἐναντίας ἡμῖν ἴωσιν, ἀνάγκη καὶ «ἡμᾶς αὐτοῖς ὡς μάλιστα ἀκουσίους ὡς πολεμίοις χρῆ7.11.10 «σθαι.» τοσαῦτα μὲν Βελισάριος εἶπε. προσεχώρει δέ οἱ τῶν ἐναντίων οὐδεὶς οὔτε Γότθος οὔτε Ῥωμαῖος. 7.11.11 ἔπειτα δὲ Θουριμούθ τε τὸν δορυφόρον καὶ τῶν ἑπομένων τινὰς ξύν τε Βιταλίῳ καὶ τοῖς Ἰλλυριοῖς στρατιώταις ἐς Αἰμιλίαν πέμψας, ἐκέλευεν ἀποπειρᾶσθαι 7.11.12 τῶν ταύτῃ χωρίων. Βιτάλιος οὖν ξὺν τῷ στρατῷ τούτῳ ἀμφὶ πόλιν Βονώνειαν γενόμενος τινά τε τῶν ἐνταῦθα φρουρίων ὁμολογίᾳ ἑλὼν ἐν Βονωνείᾳ πόλει 7.11.13 ἡσύχαζε. χρόνῳ δὲ οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον Ἰλλυριοὶ ξύμπαντες, ὅσοι ξὺν αὐτῷ ἐστρατεύοντο, ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου, κακὸν οὐδὲν οὔτε παθόντες οὔτε ἀκούσαντες, λάθρα ἐνθένδε ἀναχωρήσαντες ἐπ' οἴκου ἀπεκομίσθησαν. 7.11.14 πρέσβεις τε παρὰ βασιλέα πέμψαντες συγγνώμην διδόναι σφίσιν ἐδέοντο, οὐκ ἄλλου του ἕνεκα εἰς τὰ οἰκεῖα τῷ τρόπῳ τούτῳ ἀφικομένοις ἢ ὅτι συχνὸν σφίσι χρόνον ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ στρατευομένοις τάς τε συντάξεις ὡς ἥκιστα κομιζομένοις χρήματα δὴ πολλὰ τὸ δημόσιον 7.11.15 ὤφειλε. στρατεύματος δὲ Οὐννικοῦ τοῖς Ἰλλυριοῖς ἐπισκήψαντος παῖδάς τε καὶ γυναῖκας ἐξηνδραποδίσθαι 7.11.16 τετύχηκεν. ἃ δὴ πυθόμενοι καὶ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἔν γε Ἰταλιώταις σπανίζοντες ἀνεχώρησαν. οἷς δὴ βασιλεὺς τὰ πρῶτα χαλεπήνας, εἶτα συγγνώμων ἐγένετο. γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Τουτίλας τὴν τῶν Ἰλλυριῶν ἀναχώρησιν στράτευμα ἐπὶ Βονώνειαν ἔπεμψεν, ὡς Βιτάλιον καὶ 7.11.17 τοὺς ξὺν αὐτῷ ἀναρπάσοντας. ἀλλὰ Βιτάλιός τε καὶ Θουριμοὺθ προλοχίσαντες ἐνέδραις τισὶ τοὺς ἐπιόντας πολλοὺς μὲν διέφθειραν, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ἐς φυγὴν 7.11.18 ἔτρεψαν. ἔνθα Ναζάρης, ἀνὴρ λόγιμος, Ἰλλυριὸς γένος, στρατιωτῶν τε τῶν ἐν Ἰλλυριοῖς ἄρχων, ἔργα θαυμαστὰ ἐς τοὺς πολεμίους πάντων μάλιστα ἐπεδείξατο. οὕτω τε ὁ Θουριμοὺθ παρὰ Βελισάριον ἐς Ῥάβενναν ἦλθε. 7.11.19 Τότε δὴ Βελισάριος τρεῖς τῶν δορυφόρων τῶν αὑτοῦ, Θουριμούθ τε καὶ Ῥικίλαν καὶ Σαβινιανὸν, ἔστειλε ξὺν χιλίοις στρατιώταις ἐς Αὔξιμον πόλιν, Μάγνῳ τε καὶ Ῥωμαίοις ἐνταῦθα πολιορκουμένοις ἐπα7.11.20 μυνοῦντας. οἱ δὲ Τουτίλαν τε λαθόντες καὶ τὸ τῶν πολεμίων στρατόπεδον νύκτωρ ἐν Αὐξίμῳ ἐγένοντο, ἐπεκδρομάς τέ τινας ποιεῖσθαι ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐναντίους διε7.11.21 νοοῦντο. τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ πυθόμενοι ἀμφὶ ἡμέραν μέσην τῶν πολεμίων τινὰς ἄγχιστά πη εἶναι ἐξῆλθον μὲν ὡς ὑπαντιάσοντες, κατασκόπους δὲ πέμψαι πρότερον ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἔγνωσαν, κατασκεψομένους τὴν δύ7.11.22 ναμιν, ὡς μὴ ἀνεπισκέπτως ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἴωσι. Ῥικίλας δὲ ὁ Βελισαρίου δορυφόρος (οἰνωμένος γὰρ τηνικαῦτα ἐτύγχανεν) ἄλλους μὲν ἐπὶ κατασκοπῇ οὐκ εἴα ἰέναι, μόνος δὲ αὐτὸς τὸν ἵππον ἐξελάσας κατὰ τάχος ᾔει. 7.11.23 Γότθοις τε τρισὶν ἐντυχὼν ἐν χώρῳ κρημνώδει τὰ 7.11.23 μὲν πρῶτα ὡς ἀντιταξόμενος ἔστη· ἐπὶ πλεῖστον γὰρ ἀνδρίας ἐτύγχανεν ἥκων· πολλοὺς δὲ πανταχόθεν ἰδὼν 7.11.24 ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἐπιρρέοντας ἐς φυγὴν ὥρμητο. τοῦ δέ οἱ ἵππου ἐν δυσχωρίᾳ ὀκλάσαντος, κραυγή τε πολλὴ τῶν πολεμίων γέγονε καὶ τὰ δοράτια ἠκόντιζον ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἅπαντες. ὧν δὴ Ῥωμαῖοι αἰσθόμενοι ἐβοήθουν δρόμῳ. 7.11.25 καὶ Ῥικίλας μὲν δόρασι πολλοῖς κεκαλυμμένος θνήσκει, τρέψαντες δὲ τοὺς ἐναντίους οἱ ἀμφὶ Θουριμοὺθ, ἄραντές τε τὸν νεκρὸν, ἐς Αὔξιμον πόλιν ἐκόμισαν, οὐκ ἐπαξίως τῆς ἀρετῆς τὴν τοῦ βίου καταστροφὴν 7.11.26 κληρωσάμενον. ἔπειτα Σαβινιανός τε καὶ Θουριμοὺθ Μάγνῳ κοινολογησάμενοι ἀξύμφορον σφίσιν εὕρισκον εἶναι περαιτέρω διατριβήν τινα ἐνταῦθα ποιεῖσθαι, λογισάμενοι ὅτι δὴ