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were often defeated by those men, who indeed did not escape their opponents without a reason, but by letting go of their horses and casting their arms upon 7.12.6 the ground. And it is impossible for us to procure an income of money from Italy, since it has again been occupied by the 7.12.7 enemy. For this reason, having fallen behind in the soldiers' pay, we are quite unable to give them orders. For our debt has taken away our freedom of speech. 7.12.8 And know this well, O Master, that the majority of those serving under you have happened to desert to the 7.12.9 enemy. If, then, it was necessary for Belisarius to be sent to Italy alone, your preparations for the war have been made most excellently; for I am already somewhere in the midst of the Italians. But if you wish to prevail over the enemy in the war, the other things too must be prepared. 7.12.10 For a general, I think, cannot exist without his subordinates. It is fitting, therefore, that my own guards and shield-bearers, most of all, be sent to me, and then a very great multitude of both Huns and other barbarians, to whom money must be given at once." 7.12.11 So much Belisarius wrote. But John, after spending much time in Byzantium, accomplished nothing for which he had come, but he married the daughter of Germanus, the emperor's nephew. 7.12.12 Meanwhile Totila captured Firmum and Asculum by surrender. And arriving in Tuscany he besieged Spoletium and Asisium. Herodianus was in command of the garrison in Spoletium, and Sisifridus of that in Asisium, a Goth by birth, but exceedingly well-disposed both toward the Romans and the emperor's affairs. 7.12.13 Herodianus, therefore, entered into negotiations with the enemy, on the condition that they remain quiet for thirty days. 7.12.14 And if no assistance should come to them during this time, he would surrender himself and the city, together with the soldiers and the Gothic inhabitants. And he gave his son as a hostage for this agreement. 7.12.15 But when the appointed day arrived, and no Roman army came from anywhere, Herodianus and all who held the garrison there, according to the agreement, handed over themselves and Spoletium to Totila and the Goths. 7.12.16 But they say that Herodianus surrendered himself and Spoletium to the Goths because of his hatred for Belisarius; for Belisarius had threatened to call him to account for his past actions. Thus, then, did matters concerning Spoletium proceed. 7.12.17 But Sisifridus, making a sally with his followers, lost most of those with him and he himself was killed. 7.12.18 And the people of Asisium, being in despair at their present situation, immediately surrendered the city to the enemy. And Totila immediately sent to Cyprian, demanding that he surrender Perusia to him, threatening him if he should disobey, but promising to reward him with great sums of money if he would do this. 7.12.19 And when he made no progress with Cyprian, he persuaded with money one of his bodyguards, Ulifus by name, to kill the man by treachery. 7.12.20 Ulifus, therefore, finding Cyprian alone, killed him and went in flight to Totila. But nonetheless the soldiers of Cyprian kept the city for the emperor, for which reason the Goths decided to withdraw from there. 7.13.1 After this Totila went against Rome, and when he drew near, he began the siege. He did no harm, however, to the farmers throughout all Italy, but bade them continue to cultivate the land without fear, just as they were accustomed, paying to him the taxes which previously they had been required to pay to the state and to the landowners. 7.13.2 But when some of the Goths came very near the circuit-wall of Rome, Artasires and Barbation, bringing up many of their followers, although Bessas by no means approved, made a sally against them. 7.13.3 And they killed many at once, and turned the rest to flight. But in pursuing them, they were carried very far in the chase and fell into ambushes set by the enemy. 7.13.4 There they lost most of their men and themselves escaped with a few only with difficulty, and for the future they no longer dared to go out against their opponents, even though they pressed them hard. 7.13.5 And from this a severe famine began to oppress the Romans, no longer

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ἐκείνων πολ»λάκις ἡσσῆσθαι, οἵ γε οὐδὲ εἰκῆ τοὺς ἐναντίους διέ»φυγον, ἀλλὰ τούς τε ἵππους ἀφέντες καὶ τὰ ὅπλα ἐς 7.12.6 «τὴν γῆν ῥίψαντες. χρημάτων δὲ πρόσοδον ἐξ Ἰταλίας «πορίζεσθαι ἡμῖν ἀδύνατά ἐστι, πάλιν πρὸς τῶν πο7.12.7 «λεμίων κατειλημμένης. διὸ δὴ καὶ ὑπερήμεροι γεγε»νημένοι ἐς τῶν στρατιωτῶν τὰς συντάξεις ἐπιτάττειν «αὐτοῖς ἥκιστα ἔχομεν. ἀφείλετο γὰρ ἡμῶν τὴν παρρη7.12.8 «σίαν τὸ ὄφλημα. εὖ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ὦ δέσποτα, ἴσθι, «ὡς τῶν ὑπὸ σοὶ στρατευομένων οἱ πλείους πρὸς τοὺς 7.12.9 «πολεμίους ηὐτομοληκότες τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες. εἰ μὲν «οὖν ἔδει Βελισάριον ἐς Ἰταλίαν στέλλεσθαι μόνον, «ἄριστά σοι τὰ ἐς τὸν πόλεμον παρεσκεύασται· εἰμὶ «γὰρ ἐν Ἰταλιώταις ἤδη που μέσοις· εἰ δὲ περιεῖναι «βούλει τῷ πολέμῳ τῶν δυσμενῶν, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἐξαρτύε7.12.10 «σθαι δεῖ. στρατηγὸς γάρ τις, οἶμαι, τῶν ὑπουρ»γούντων χωρὶς οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο. δορυφόρους τοίνυν «καὶ ὑπασπιστὰς τοὺς ἐμοὺς μάλιστά μοι πάντων στα»λῆναι προσήκει, ἔπειτα πάμπολύ τι πλῆθος Οὔννων «τε καὶ ἄλλων βαρβάρων, οἷς καὶ χρήματα ἤδη δοτέον.» 7.12.11 Τοσαῦτα μὲν Βελισάριος ἔγραψεν. Ἰωάννης δὲ χρόνον ἐν Βυζαντίῳ διατρίψας πολὺν οὐδὲν μὲν διεπράξατο ὧν ἕνεκα ἦλθεν, ἔγημε δὲ τοῦ Γερμανοῦ βα7.12.12 σιλέως ἀνεψιοῦ παῖδα. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Τουτίλας Φίρμον τε καὶ Ἄσκουλον ὁμολογίᾳ εἷλεν. ἐς Τούσκους τε ἀφικόμενος Σπολίτιόν τε καὶ Ἀσίσην ἐπολιόρκει. ἦρχε δὲ τοῦ μὲν ἐν Σπολιτίῳ φυλακτηρίου Ἡρωδιανὸς, τοῦ δὲ ἐν Ἀσίσῃ Σισίφριδος, Γότθος μὲν γένος, εὐνοϊκῶς δὲ λίαν ἔς τε Ῥωμαίους καὶ τὰ βασιλέως πράγματα 7.12.13 ἔχων. Ἡρωδιανὸς μὲν οὖν τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐς λόγους 7.12.14 ἦλθεν, ἐφ' ᾧ τριάκοντα ἡμέρας ἡσυχῆ μείνωσιν. ὧν ἢν μὴ ἐπικουρία τις αὐτοῖς ἐπιγένηται, αὑτόν τε καὶ τὴν πόλιν ξύν τε τοῖς στρατιώταις καὶ τοῖς ἐνοικοῦσι Γότθοις ἐνδώσειν. τόν τε παῖδα ὅμηρον ἐπὶ ταύτῃ 7.12.15 τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ παρέσχετο. ἐπειδὴ δὲ παρῆν μὲν ἡ κυρία, στράτευμα δὲ οὐδαμόθεν Ῥωμαίων ἦλθεν, Ἡρωδιανός τε καὶ ὅσοι φρουρὰν ἐνταῦθα εἶχον κατὰ τὰ ξυγκείμενα Τουτίλᾳ καὶ Γότθοις σφᾶς τε αὐτοὺς καὶ Σπο7.12.16 λίτιον ἐνεχείρισαν. φασὶ δὲ Ἡρωδιανὸν κατὰ τὸ ἐς Βελισάριον ἔχθος αὑτόν τε καὶ Σπολίτιον Γότθοις ἐνδοῦναι· λογισμοὺς γὰρ αὐτὸν Βελισάριος τῶν βεβιωμένων ἠπείλησε πράξειν. τὰ μὲν οὖν ἀμφὶ Σπολιτίῳ 7.12.17 ταύτῃ ἐχώρησε. Σισίφριδος δὲ ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις ἐπεκδρομὴν ποιησάμενος, τῶν τε ξὺν αὐτῷ πλείστους ἀπο7.12.18 βάλλει καὶ αὐτὸς θνήσκει. Ἀσίσηνοί τε τοῖς παροῦσιν 7.12.18 ἀπορούμενοι, αὐτίκα τὴν πόλιν τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐνέδοσαν. πέμψας δὲ καὶ παρὰ Κυπριανὸν εὐθὺς Τουτίλας, ἐνδοῦναί οἱ αὐτῷ Περυσίαν ἠξίου, δεδιττόμενος μὲν, ἢν ἀπειθήσῃ, χρήμασι δὲ αὐτὸν δωρήσασθαι μεγάλοις 7.12.19 ἐπαγγελλόμενος, ἤν γε ταῦτα ἐπιτελοίη. ἐπεί τέ οἱ πρὸς Κυπριανοῦ οὐδὲν προὐχώρει, τῶν ἐκείνου δορυφόρων ἕνα, Οὔλιφον ὄνομα, χρήμασιν ἀναπείθει 7.12.20 δόλῳ τὸν ἄνθρωπον διαχρήσασθαι. Οὔλιφος μὲν οὖν μόνῳ τῷ Κυπριανῷ ἐντυχὼν ἔκτεινέ τε αὐτὸν καὶ παρὰ Τουτίλαν φεύγων ᾤχετο. οὐδὲν δὲ ἧσσον οἱ Κυπριανοῦ στρατιῶται βασιλεῖ τὴν πόλιν ἐφύλασσον, διὸ δὴ Γότθοι ἐνθένδε ἀναχωρεῖν ἔγνωσαν. 7.13.1 Μετὰ δὲ Τουτίλας ἐπὶ Ῥώμην ᾔει, καὶ ἐπεὶ ἀγχοῦ ἐγένετο, ἐς πολιορκίαν καθίστατο. τοὺς μέντοι γεωργοὺς οὐδὲν ἄχαρι ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν Ἰταλίαν εἰργάσατο, ἀλλὰ τὴν γῆν ἀδεῶς ἐκέλευεν, ᾗπερ εἰώθασιν, ἐς ἀεὶ γεωργεῖν, τοὺς φόρους αὐτῷ ἀποφέροντας ὅσους τὸ πρότερον ἔς τε τὸ δημόσιον καὶ ἐς τοὺς κεκτη7.13.2 μένους ἀποφέρειν ἠξίουν. Γότθων δέ τινων ἄγχιστα τοῦ Ῥώμης περιβόλου ἀφικομένων Ἀρτασίρης τε καὶ Βαρβατίων, πολλούς τε τῶν ἑπομένων ἐπαγαγόμενοι, Βέσσα ὡς ἥκιστα ἐπαινοῦντος, ἐπεκδρομὴν ἐπ' αὐτοὺς 7.13.3 ἐποιήσαντο. καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν εὐθὺς ἔκτειναν, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ἐς φυγὴν ἔτρεψαν. οἷς δὴ ἐπισπόμενοι, ἔς τε τὴν δίωξιν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐκπεπτωκότες ἐνέδραις 7.13.4 ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων ἐνέτυχον. οὗ δὴ τοὺς πλείστους ἀποβαλόντες αὐτοὶ ξὺν ὀλίγοις τισὶ διέφυγον μόλις, καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ἐπεξιέναι τοῖς ἐναντίοις, καίπερ ἐγκει7.13.5 μένοις, οὐκέτι ἐτόλμων. καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ λιμός τις ἀκριβὴς τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ἐπίεζεν, οὐκέτι