296

who were overweening, they both killed them and allowed all the captives to go to their own homes. And then Narses, having found someone usurping the name of Chilbudius, a famous man and once a general of the Romans, was easily able to expose the plot. And what this was I shall immediately declare. 7.14.1 There was a certain Chilbudius from the household of the Emperor Justinian, exceedingly energetic in matters of war, and so superior to money that as his greatest possession in his own substance he held the possessing of nothing; 7.14.2 this Chilbudius the emperor, when he had held the imperial power for the fourth year, proclaimed general of Thrace, and appointed him to the guarding of the Ister River, commanding him to see to it that the river would no longer be crossable by the barbarians there, since by crossing it many times already the Huns and Antae and Sclaveni 7.14.3 had done irreparable deeds to the Romans. And Chilbudius became so fearsome to the barbarians that for a period of three years, as long as he spent time there with this very honour, not only was no one able to cross the Ister against the Romans, but the Romans also, going often with Chilbudius to the mainland on the opposite side, both killed and enslaved the 7.14.4 barbarians there. But three years later Chilbudius crossed the river where he was accustomed to with a small 7.14.5 army, and the Sclaveni met him with their whole force. And when a fierce battle took place, many of the Romans fell, and 7.14.6 also Chilbudius the general. And for the future the river was always crossable for the barbarians at will and Roman affairs became easy to attack, and the whole Roman empire was in no way strong enough in this task to be a counterweight to the valour of one man. 7.14.7 And later in time the Antae and Sclaveni, having become hostile to each other, came to blows, where indeed it happened that the 7.14.8 Antae were defeated by their opponents. And in this battle a Sclavenian man took captive one of the enemies, just growing a beard, named Chilbudius, and taking him went off to his own home. 7.14.9 This Chilbudius, as time went on, became as well-disposed as possible to his owner 7.14.10 and energetic in matters concerning the enemy. And having often faced danger before his master, he both fought most bravely and was able to win for himself great glory from it. 7.14.11 And around this time the Antae, having attacked the lands in Thrace, plundered and enslaved many of the Romans there. whom they brought with them and were carried back to their ancestral lands. 7.14.12 And one of these captives fortune brought to a certain humane and gentle master. But this man was both exceedingly malicious 7.14.13 and the sort to circumvent by deceit those he met. And since, wishing to return to the land of the Romans, he had no means, he devised the following. Coming into the presence of his owner, he both praised his humanity and assured him that for this reason many good things would come to him from God, and that he himself would in no way appear ungrateful to a most humane master, but, if he were willing to listen to him suggesting what was best, he would before long make him master of great sums of money. 7.14.14 For there was among the nation of the Sclaveni Chilbudius, who had been a general of the Romans, in the condition of a slave, with his identity unknown to all the barbarians. 7.14.15 If, therefore, it should be his will to both pay the price for Chilbudius and to convey the man to the land of the Romans, it was not unlikely that he would win for himself both a good reputation and a very great amount of wealth from the emperor. 7.14.16 The Roman, having said these things, immediately persuaded his owner, and with him he comes into the midst of the Sclaveni. For these barbarians were already sending messages and mingling with one another without fear. At any rate, having offered much money to the one who owned Chilbudius, they bought the man and departing with him they immediately went away. 7.14.17 And when they were in their own country, the one who had bought him inquired of the man, if he was himself Chilbudius, the general of the Romans. 7.14.18 And he did not refuse to speak the truth

296

ὑπεραίροντας, αὐτούς τε κτείνουσι καὶ τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους ἐς τὰ οἰκεῖα ξύμπαν7.13.26 τας ἀφῆκαν ἰέναι. τότε δὲ ὁ Ναρσῆς καί τινα εὑρὼν ἐπιβατεύοντα τοῦ Χιλβουδίου ὀνόματος, ἀνδρὸς ἐπιφανοῦς καὶ Ῥωμαίων ποτὲ στρατηγήσαντος, διελέγξαι τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ῥᾳδίως ἔσχε. τοῦτο δὲ ὅ τί ποτε ἦν αὐτίκα δηλώσω. 7.14.1 Χιλβούδιος ἦν τις ἐκ τῆς Ἰουστινιανοῦ βασιλέως οἰκίας ἐσάγαν μὲν δραστήριος τὰ πολέμια, ἐς τόσον δὲ χρημάτων κρείσσων ὥστε ἀντὶ μεγίστου κτήματος ἐν τῇ οὐσίᾳ τῇ αὑτοῦ εἶχε τὸ κεκτῆσθαι μηδέν· 7.14.2 τοῦτον βασιλεὺς τὸν Χιλβούδιον, ὅτε δὴ τέταρτον ἔτος τὴν αὐτοκράτορα εἶχεν ἀρχὴν, Θρᾴκης στρατηγὸν ἀνειπὼν, ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ Ἴστρου ποταμοῦ φυλακῇ κατεστήσατο, φυλάσσειν κελεύσας ὅπως μηκέτι τοῖς ταύτῃ βαρβάροις ὁ ποταμὸς διαβατὸς ἔσται, ἐπεὶ αὐτοῦ τὴν διάβασιν πολλάκις ἤδη Οὖννοί τε καὶ Ἄνται καὶ Σκλαβηνοὶ 7.14.3 πεποιημένοι ἀνήκεστα Ῥωμαίους ἔργα εἰργάσαντο. Χιλβούδιος δὲ οὕτω τοῖς βαρβάροις φοβερὸς γέγονεν ὥστε ἐς τριῶν ἐνιαυτῶν χρόνον, ὅσον ξὺν ταύτῃ δὴ τῇ τιμῇ τὴν διατριβὴν ἐνταῦθα εἶχεν, οὐχ ὅσον διαβῆναι τὸν Ἴστρον ἐπὶ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους οὐδεὶς ἴσχυσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι ἐς ἤπειρον τὴν ἀντιπέρας σὺν Χιλβουδίῳ πολλάκις ἰόντες ἔκτεινάν τε καὶ ἠνδραπόδισαν τοὺς 7.14.4 ταύτῃ βαρβάρους. ἐνιαυτοῖς δὲ τρισὶν ὕστερον διέβη μὲν ὁ Χιλβούδιος τὸν ποταμὸν ᾗπερ εἰώθει ξὺν ὀλίγῳ 7.14.5 στρατῷ, Σκλαβηνοὶ δὲ πανδημεὶ ὑπηντίαζον. μάχης τε καρτερᾶς γενομένης Ῥωμαίων τε πολλοὶ ἔπεσον καὶ 7.14.6 Χιλβούδιος ὁ στρατηγός. καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ὅ τε ποταμὸς 7.14.6 ἐσβατὸς ἀεὶ τοῖς βαρβάροις κατ' ἐξουσίαν καὶ τὰ Ῥωμαίων πράγματα εὐέφοδα γέγονε, ξύμπασά τε ἡ Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴ ἀνδρὸς ἑνὸς ἀρετῇ ἀντίρροπος γενέσθαι ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ τούτῳ οὐδαμῆ ἴσχυσε. 7.14.7 Χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον Ἄνται καὶ Σκλαβηνοὶ διάφοροι ἀλλήλοις γενόμενοι ἐς χεῖρας ἦλθον, ἔνθα δὴ τοῖς 7.14.8 Ἄνταις ἡσσηθῆναι τῶν ἐναντίων τετύχηκεν. ἐν ταύτῃ δὲ τῇ μάχῃ Σκλαβηνὸς ἀνὴρ τῶν τινα πολεμίων ἄρτι γενειάσκοντα, Χιλβούδιον ὄνομα, αἰχμάλωτον εἷλεν, ἔς τε 7.14.9 τὰ οἰκεῖα λαβὼν ᾤχετο. οὗτος ὁ Χιλβούδιος προϊόντος τοῦ χρόνου εὔνους τε ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα τῷ κεκτημένῳ 7.14.10 ἐγένετο καὶ τὰ ἐς τοὺς πολεμίους δραστήριος. πολλάκις τε τοῦ δεσπότου προκινδυνεύσας ἠρίστευσέ τε διαφερόντως καὶ κλέος ἴσχυσε περιβαλέσθαι ἀπ' αὐτοῦ μέγα. 7.14.11 ὑπὸ δὲ τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον Ἄνται ἐπισκήψαντες εἰς τὰ ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης χωρία πολλοὺς ἐληΐσαντο καὶ ἠνδραπόδισαν τῶν ἐκείνῃ Ῥωμαίων. οὕσπερ ἐπαγόμενοι ἀπεκομί7.14.12 σθησαν εἰς τὰ πάτρια ἤθη. τούτων δὲ ἕνα τῶν αἰχμαλώτων εἰς φιλάνθρωπόν τινα ἤγαγεν ἡ τύχη καὶ πρᾷον δεσπότην. ἦν δὲ οὗτος ἀνὴρ κακοῦργός τε λίαν 7.14.13 καὶ οἷος ἀπάτῃ τοὺς ἐντυχόντας περιελθεῖν. ἐπειδή τε βουλόμενος ἐπανήκειν ἐς Ῥωμαίων τὴν γῆν οὐδεμιᾷ μηχανῇ εἶχεν, ἐπενόει τοιάδε. τῷ κεκτημένῳ ἐς ὄψιν ἥκων τῆς τε φιλανθρωπίας ἐπῄνεσε καὶ πολλὰ μέν οἱ διὰ τοῦτο πρὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἰσχυρίσατο τἀγαθὰ ἔσεσθαι, καὶ αὐτὸν δὲ οὐδαμῆ ἀχάριστον δεσπότῃ φιλανθρωποτάτῳ φανήσεσθαι, ἀλλ', ἤν γε αὐτῷ τὰ βέλτιστα εἰσηγουμένῳ ἐπακούειν ἐθέλῃ, κύριον αὐτὸν οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν 7.14.14 καταστήσεσθαι χρημάτων μεγάλων. εἶναι γὰρ ἐν τῷ Σκλαβηνῶν ἔθνει Χιλβούδιον, τὸν Ῥωμαίων στρατηγήσαντα, ἐν ἀνδραπόδων λόγῳ, πάντας βαρβάρους λαν7.14.15 θάνοντα ὅστις ποτέ ἐστιν. ἢν τοίνυν αὐτῷ βουλομένῳ εἴη προέσθαι τε τὰς τοῦ Χιλβουδίου τιμὰς καὶ διακομίζειν τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐς Ῥωμαίων τὴν γῆν, δόξαν τε ἀγαθὴν καὶ πλούτου αὐτὸν πάμπολυ χρῆμα περιβαλέ7.14.16 σθαι πρὸς βασιλέως οὐκ ἀπεικὸς εἶναι. ταῦτα ὁ Ῥωμαῖος εἰπὼν τὸν κεκτημένον εὐθὺς ἔπεισε, καὶ ξὺν αὐτῷ γίνεται ἐν Σκλαβηνοῖς μέσοις. ἐπεκηρυκεύοντο γὰρ ἤδη καὶ ἀλλήλοις ἀνεμίγνυντο ἀδεῶς οἱ βάρβαροι οὗτοι. χρήματα γοῦν πολλὰ τῷ Χιλβούδιον κεκτημένῳ προέμενοι τὸν ἄνδρα ὠνοῦντο καὶ ξὺν αὐτῷ ἀπιόντες 7.14.17 εὐθὺς ᾤχοντο. ἐπεί τε ἐν ἤθεσι τοῖς σφετέροις ἐγένοντο, ἀνεπυνθάνετο τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὁ πριάμενος, εἰ 7.14.18 Χιλβούδιος αὐτὸς ὁ Ῥωμαίων στρατηγὸς εἴη. καὶ ὃς οὐκ ἀπηξίου τὰ ὄντα λέγειν