300

we shall resolve the suspicion by speaking out. The island was prosperous from of old in its revenue of money and in the abundance of its crops, which grow there more than anywhere else, so that it not only sufficed for its inhabitants, but you Romans also, importing the supply of provisions from there each year, had enough. 7.16.17 Therefore, in the beginning, the Romans begged Theuderic that a guard of many Goths not be stationed here, so that there might be no obstacle to their liberty or other 7.16.18 prosperity. But while things were thus, the enemy's army sailed to Sicily, being no match for us either in number of men or in any other respect at all. 7.16.19 But the Sicilians, seeing the fleet, did not report this to the Goths, did not shut themselves up in their fortresses, did not decide to do anything else to oppose the enemy, but throwing open the gates of their cities with all eagerness, they received the enemy's army with open arms, just like, I think, the most faithless of slaves, watching for a long time for the opportunity to escape from the hand of their masters and to find for themselves some new and unknown 7.16.20 masters. And starting from there as from a base of operations, the enemy took the rest of Italy without a struggle and captured this city of Rome, bringing in from Sicily so great a quantity of grain that it was enough to hold out for all the Romans for the length of a year while being besieged. 7.16.21 Such, then, are the deeds of the Sicilians, for which there will be no way for the Goths to be forgiving to them, since the magnitude of the crimes 7.16.22 takes away pity for those who have done wrong. And the enemy, having shut themselves up inside these walls, in no way decided to come down to the plain and draw up in battle against us, but by stratagems and deceptions they are always, day by day, beating back the Goths and have unexpectedly become masters of our possessions. 7.16.23 It is worthwhile, therefore, to take care that we do not suffer these things in the future. For when men who have once erred through ignorance fall again into the same misfortune because they did not foresee the disaster now familiar to them from experience, this seems to be not an opposition of fortune, but is likely to be attributed to the folly of those who have failed. 7.16.24 And one might add that it will be most advantageous for you for the circuit-wall of Rome to be demolished. For in the future, you will not be shut up with others and cut off from all necessities and be besieged by attackers, but both sides will risk themselves in battle against each other, and you will be the prize of the victors 7.16.25 without danger to yourselves. However, concerning the slaves who have come over to us, we will say this much, that if we should decide to hand over to you now those who have arrayed themselves with us against the enemy and have received our promise that we would never surrender them to their former masters, 7.16.26 we would not keep faith even with you. For it is not possible, it is not, for one who disregards his agreements with the most wretched of all men to show a steadfast disposition toward any other, but, as some other token of his nature, he is wont always to carry about his faithlessness to all who deal with him.” 7.16.27 Totila said so much, and Pelagius answered thus: “That you are most zealous against me of all men, O noble one, you have shown by using the name of embassy, and 7.16.28 you have put us in the most dishonorable position. For I think that to insult a man who is both a friend and an ambassador is not what one does who might strike him on the temple and use other violence against him, but one who would decide to send away empty-handed 7.16.29 him who has come to him. For men are not accustomed to undertake an embassy in order to receive some honor from those who receive them, but so that, having accomplished some good, they may return to those who sent them. 7.16.30 So that it is better for them, having been insulted, to have accomplished something for which they came than, having heard more reasonable words, to have failed of their hope and returned. To ask pardon

300

ἐξειπεῖν τὴν ὑποψίαν ἐκλύσομεν. ἦν μὲν ἡ «νῆσος εὐδαίμων ἐκ παλαιοῦ χρημάτων προσόδῳ καὶ «καρπῶν ἀφθονίᾳ τῶν ἐκεῖ φυομένων πασῶν μάλιστα, «ὥστε οὐ τοῖς αὐτὴν ἐνοικοῦσιν ἐπαρκεῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ «καὶ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ὑμᾶς ἐνθένδε εἰσκομιζομένους «ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος τὴν τῶν ἐπιτηδείων φορὰν διαρκῶς 7.16.17 «ἔχειν. διόπερ κατ' ἀρχὰς ἐδέοντο Θευδερίχου Ῥω»μαῖοι μὴ πολλῶν ἐνταῦθα Γότθων καταστῆναι «φρουρὰν, ὡς μηδὲν αὐτῶν τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ ἢ τῇ ἄλλῃ 7.16.18 «εὐδαιμονίᾳ ἐμπόδιον εἴη. τούτων δὲ τοιούτων ὄντων «κατέπλευσεν ἐς Σικελίαν ὁ τῶν πολεμίων στρατὸς, «οὔτε ἀνδρῶν πλήθει οὔτε ἄλλῳ τῶν πάντων οὐδενὶ 7.16.19 «ἀξιόμαχοι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὄντες. Σικελιῶται δὲ τὸν στόλον «ἰδόντες οὐκ ἐς Γότθους ταῦτα ἀνήνεγκαν, οὐκ ἐν «τοῖς ὀχυρώμασι καθεῖρξαν αὑτοὺς, οὐκ ἄλλο προσ»κρούειν τοῖς ἐναντίοις οὐδὲν ἔγνωσαν, ἀλλ' ἀναπετά»σαντες προθυμίᾳ τῇ πάσῃ τὰς τῶν πόλεων πύλας «ἐδέξαντο ὑπτίαις χερσὶ τὸν τῶν πολεμίων στρατὸν, «ὥσπερ, οἶμαι, τὰ τῶν ἀνδραπόδων ἀπιστότατα, ἐκ «χρόνου καιροφυλακοῦντες πολλοῦ δραπετεῦσαι μὲν «τῆς τῶν κεκτημένων χειρὸς, νέους δέ τινας καὶ ἀγνῶ7.16.20 «τας αὑτοῖς δεσπότας εὑρεῖν. ἐντεῦθέν τε ὁρμώμενοι «καθάπερ ἐξ ἐπιτειχίσματος οἱ πολέμιοι τήν τε ἄλ»λην Ἰταλίαν ἀπονητὶ ἔσχον καὶ Ῥώμην τήνδε κατέ»λαβον, σῖτον ἐκ Σικελίας ἐπαγαγόμενοι τοσοῦτον τὸ «πλῆθος, ὥστε πολιορκουμένοις ἐς ἐνιαυτοῦ μῆκος 7.16.21 «ἀντέχειν ξύμπασι Ῥωμαίοις. τὰ μὲν οὖν Σικελιωτῶν «τοιαῦτά ἐστιν, ὧνπερ αὐτοῖς Γότθους συγγνώμονας «εἶναι οὐδεμία μηχανὴ ἔσται, τοῦ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων 7.16.22 «ὄγκου παραιρουμένου τοῖς ἠδικηκόσι τὸν ἔλεον. τού»των δὲ τῶν περιβόλων ἐντὸς καθείρξαντες αὑτοὺς οἱ «πολέμιοι ἐς μὲν τὸ πεδίον καταβαίνοντες παρατάσσε»σθαι ἡμῖν οὐδαμῆ ἔγνωσαν, σοφίσμασι δὲ καὶ παρα»γωγαῖς ἀεί τε καὶ καθ' ἡμέραν Γότθους ἐκκρούοντες «κύριοι τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐκ τοῦ παραλόγου γεγένηνται. 7.16.23 «ὅπως τοίνυν καὶ ὕστερον μὴ ταῦτα πάθοιμεν προνοεῖν «ἄξιον. τοὺς γὰρ ἅπαξ ἀγνοίᾳ σφαλέντας ἐς τὴν αὐτὴν «αὖθις ἐκπεπτωκέναι κακοπραγίαν οὐ προειδομένους «τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς πείρας ἤδη συνειθισμένην αὐτοῖς συμ»φορὰν οὐ τύχης ἐναντίωμα γεγενῆσθαι δοκεῖ, ἀλλ' «ἐς ἄνοιαν τῶν ἐπταικότων, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, περιίστασθαι. 7.16.24 «προσθείη δ' ἄν τις ὡς καὶ τὸν Ῥώμης καθαιρεθῆναι «περίβολον μάλιστα πάντων ὑμῖν ξυνοίσει. οὐδὲ μεθ' «ἑτέρων γὰρ τὸ λοιπὸν καθειργμένοι πάντων τε ἀπο»κεκλεισμένοι τῶν ἀναγκαίων, πολιορκηθήσεσθε πρὸς «τῶν ἐπιόντων, ἀλλὰ κινδυνεύσουσι μὲν τῇ μάχῃ «πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἑκάτεροι, ἆθλον δὲ τῶν νικώντων 7.16.25 «ὑμεῖς οὐ μετὰ κινδύνων ὑμετέρων γενήσεσθε. τῶν «μέντοι προσκεχωρηκότων ἡμῖν οἰκετῶν ἕνεκα τοσαῦτα «ἐροῦμεν, ὡς, ἤνπερ ἐκείνους συνταξαμένους τε ἡμῖν «ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐναντίους καὶ παρ' ἡμῶν τὴν ὁμολογίαν «κεκομισμένους τοῦ μή ποτε αὐτοὺς τοῖς πάλαι κεκτη»μένοις προήσεσθαι τανῦν ἐγχειρίσειν ὑμῖν γνοίημεν, 7.16.26 «οὐδὲ πρὸς ὑμᾶς τὸ πιστὸν ἕξομεν. οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, «οὐκ ἔστι, τὸν τῶν ξυγκειμένων ἐς τοὺς ἁπάντων «οἰκτροτάτους ὀλιγωροῦντα βέβαιον ἐς τῶν ἄλλων τινὰ «τὴν αὑτοῦ γνώμην ἐνδείκνυσθαι, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τῆς «φύσεως ἄλλο τι γνώρισμα ἐς πάντας τοὺς αὐτῷ ξυμ»βάλλοντας τὴν ἀπιστίαν ἀεὶ περιφέρειν φιλεῖ.» 7.16.27 Τουτίλας μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπε, Πελάγιος δὲ ἀμείβεται ὧδε «Κατεσπουδάσθαι σοι μάλιστα πάντων ἐμέ τε, ὦ «γενναῖε, καὶ τὸ τῆς πρεσβείας ὑπειπὼν ὄνομα ἐν 7.16.28 «μοίρᾳ ἡμᾶς τῇ ἀτιμοτάτῃ ξυνέταξας. ὑβρίζειν γὰρ «εἰς ἄνδρα φίλον τε καὶ πρεσβευτὴν ἔγωγε οἶμαι οὐχ «ὃς ἂν κατὰ κόρρης πατάξαι καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ ἀσελγείᾳ ἐς «αὐτὸν χρήσαιτο, ἀλλ' ὃς ἂν ἄπρακτον ἀποπέμψασθαι 7.16.29 «τὸν ἐς αὐτὸν ἥκοντα γνοίη. οὐ γὰρ ὅπως τιμῆς «πρὸς τῶν ὑποδεξαμένων τινὸς τύχωσι, καθεῖναι αὑτοὺς «ἐς τὴν πρεσβείαν εἰώθασιν ἄνθρωποι, ἀλλ' ὅπως τι «ἀγαθὸν διαπεπραγμένοι τοῖς ἐσταλκόσιν ἐς αὐτοὺς 7.16.30 «ἐπανήξωσιν. ὥστε προπηλακισθέντας ξυνοίσει μᾶλλον «διαπεπρᾶχθαί τι ὧν ἕνεκα ἦλθον ἢ λόγων ἐπιεικεστέ»ρων ἀκούσαντας τῆς ἐλπίδος ἀποτυχόντας ἐπανελθεῖν. «παραιτεῖσθαι