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they ate, such as grow in abundance about the circuit-wall and in 7.17.14 the ruins everywhere in the city. But so that the pungency of the grass might not sting their lips and the region of their throats, they did not eat them without first boiling them. 7.17.15 For a time, then, while the Romans still had gold coin, they managed by buying grain and bran in this way, as has been said; but when this was already failing them, those bringing goods to the market exchanged them for all 7.17.16 of their household possessions for their daily sustenance. And at last, since the emperor's soldiers had no grain to sell to the Romans, except for a little that was still left for Bessas, and the Romans had nothing 7.17.17 with which to buy, they all looked to the nettles. And since this food was not sufficient for them, as they were entirely unable to eat their fill of it, their flesh for the most part wasted away, and their color, gradually turning livid, made them look most like spectres. 7.17.18 And many, while still walking and with their teeth chewing the nettles, would suddenly die and fall to the ground. 7.17.19 And they even began to eat one another's dung. And many, pressed by hunger, killed themselves, since they could no longer find either dogs or mice or any other 7.17.20 dead animal on which to feed. There was a certain Roman man there, the father of five children, whom his children surrounded, and clinging to his garments, they demanded food; 7.17.21 but he, neither crying out nor showing any sign of being disturbed, but concealing the whole emotion most firmly in his mind, bade his children follow him, as if 7.17.22 to receive food. But when he came to the bridge of the Tiber, tying his cloak over his face and covering his eyes with it, he leaped from the bridge into the water of the Tiber, while his children and all the Romans who were 7.17.23 there watched what was done. And for the future, the emperor's commanders, taking other money, let go those Romans who wished 7.17.24 to depart from there. And with a few left there, all the others went off in flight, as each was able. And most of them, their strength having been wasted away by the 7.17.25 famine, died while now sailing or going by road. And many, also being caught by the enemy on the way, were killed. To this point had fortune proceeded for the Romans, both for the senate and for the people. 7.18.1 When the army with John and Isaac arrived at Epidamnus and joined Belisarius, John thought it best that they all cross the gulf and, proceeding on foot with the whole army, bear together whatever befell them, but to Belisarius this seemed inexpedient, but rather it would be more advantageous for them to sail to the regions about 7.18.2 Rome; for going on foot, more time would be wasted by them and some obstacle might perhaps meet them; but John, going through Calabria and the nations there, should drive out the very few barbarians there, and after subjecting the lands inside the Ionian gulf, should join them when he came 7.18.3 to the regions about Rome. where he himself intended to land with the rest of the army. For he thought that, with the Romans being most bitterly besieged, even the slightest delay, as was likely, would bring irreparable ruin to the situation. 7.18.4 And if they sailed, with a favorable wind blowing for them, it would be possible to land in the harbor of the Romans on the fifth day, but for an army going on foot from Dryous, they would not be in Rome even in forty days. 7.18.5 Having written this to John, Belisarius set sail from there with the whole fleet; but a strong wind having fallen upon them, 7.18.6 they put in at Dryous. And when the Goths perceived this, as many as had been stationed for the siege of the fort there, they broke off the siege and immediately betook themselves to the city of Brundisium, which is a two days' journey from Dryous, and lies on the shore of the gulf, being unwalled, suspecting that Belisarius would immediately cross the strait there, 7.18.7 and to Totila their present circumstances

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ἤσθιον, οἷαι πολλαὶ ἀμφὶ τὸν περίβολον κἀν 7.17.14 τοῖς ἐρειπίοις πανταχῆ τῆς πόλεως φύονται. ὅπως δὲ αὐτοῖς μὴ τὸ τῆς πόας δριμὺ τά τε χείλη καὶ τὰ ἀμφὶ τὴν φάρυγγα δάκνῃ οὐ παρέργως αὐτὰς ἕψοντες ἤσθιον. 7.17.15 τέως μὲν οὖν Ῥωμαῖοι τὸ τοῦ χρυσοῦ νόμισμα εἶχον, οὕτως, ὥσπερ ἐρρήθη, τὸν σῖτον καὶ τὰ πίτυρα ὠνούμενοι ἀπηλλάσσοντο· ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς ἤδη ἐπελελοίπει, οἱ δὲ φέροντες ἐς τὴν ἀγορὰν τὰ ἔπιπλα 7.17.16 πάντα βίον αὐτῶν τὸν ἐφήμερον ἀντηλλάσσοντο. τελευτῶντες δὲ, ἐπεὶ οἱ τοῦ βασιλέως στρατιῶται σῖτον οὐκ εἶχον, ὅνπερ καὶ Ῥωμαίοις ἀπόδωνται, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι τῷ Βέσσᾳ ὀλίγος ἔτι ἐλέλειπτο, οὔτε Ῥωμαῖοι 7.17.17 ὅτου ὠνοῖντο, ἐς τὰς ἀκαλήφας ἅπαντες ἔβλεπον. ταύτης δὲ αὐτοῖς οὐ διαρκούσης τῆς βρώσεως, οἵ γε οὐδὲ αὐτῆς ἐς κόρον ἰέναι παντάπασιν εἶχον, ἐξίτηλοι μὲν αἱ σάρκες ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐγίνοντο, τὸ δὲ χρῶμα ἐς τὸ πελιδνὸν κατὰ βραχὺ ἧκον εἰδώλοις αὐτοὺς 7.17.18 ἐμφερεστάτους εἰργάζετο. πολλοί τε βαδίζοντες ἔτι καὶ τῶν ὀδόντων αὐτοῖς μασσομένων τὰς ἀκαλήφας, ἔθνησκόν τε ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου καὶ ἐς γῆν ἔπιπτον. 7.17.19 ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἀλλήλων τὴν κόπρον ἤσθιον. πολλοί τε σφᾶς αὐτοὺς τῷ λιμῷ πιεζόμενοι διεχρήσαντο, ἐπεὶ οὐκέτι οὔτε κύνας οὔτε μῦς εὕρισκον οὔτε ἄλλο τι 7.17.20 ζῷον νεκρὸν ὅτῳ σιτίζοιντο. ἦν δέ τις ἐνταῦθα Ῥωμαῖος ἀνὴρ, πέντε παίδων πατὴρ, ὃν δὴ περιστάντες οἱ παῖδες καὶ τῆς ἐσθῆτος ἁπτόμενοι τροφὴν ἔπραττον· 7.17.21 ὁ δὲ οὔτε ἀνοιμώξας οὔτε ὅτι ξυνεταράχθη ἔνδηλος γεγονὼς, ἀλλ' ἰσχυρότατα ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ τὸ πάθος ὅλον ἀποκρυψάμενος, ἕπεσθαί οἱ τοὺς παῖδας ὡς δὴ 7.17.22 τροφὴν ληψομένους ἐκέλευεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐς τοῦ Τιβέριδος τὴν γέφυραν ἦλθε, δήσας ἐπὶ τῷ προσώπῳ θοἰμάτιον, τούτῳ τε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καλυπτόμενος ἥλατο ἀπὸ τῆς γεφύρας ἐς τὸ τοῦ Τιβέριδος ὕδωρ, θεωμένων τὰ δρώμενα τῶν τε παίδων καὶ πάντων Ῥωμαίων, οἳ 7.17.23 ταύτῃ ἦσαν. καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν οἱ τοῦ βασιλέως ἄρχοντες λαμβάνοντες χρήματα ἕτερα μεθῆκαν Ῥωμαίους ὅσοις 7.17.24 ἐνθένδε βουλομένοις ἦν ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι. ὀλίγων τε ἀπολελειμμένων ἐνταῦθα οἱ ἄλλοι ἅπαντες ᾤχοντο φεύγοντες ὥς πη ἕκαστος δυνατὸς ἐγεγόνει. καὶ αὐτῶν οἱ πλεῖστοι τῆς δυνάμεως καταμαρανθείσης αὐτοῖς τῷ 7.17.25 λιμῷ ἤδη πλέοντες ἢ ὁδῷ ἰόντες ἀπέθανον. πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ καταληφθέντες πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ διεφθάρησαν. Ῥωμαίων μὲν τῇ τε βουλῇ καὶ τῷ δήμῳ ἐκεχωρήκει ἐς τοῦτο ἡ τύχη. 7.18.1 Ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ ξὺν τῷ Ἰωάννῃ καὶ Ἰσαάκῃ στράτευμα ἐς Ἐπίδαμνόν τε ἀφίκετο καὶ Βελισαρίῳ ξυνέμιξεν, Ἰωάννης μὲν ἅπαντας διαπορθμευσαμένους ἠξίου τὸν κόλπον πεζῇ ἰόντας παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ κοινῇ τὰ προσπίπτοντα φέρειν, Βελισαρίῳ δὲ ἀξύμφορον τοῦτο ἔδοξεν εἶναι, ἀλλὰ πλέουσι μὲν αὐτοῖς ἐς τὰ ἀμφὶ 7.18.2 Ῥώμην χωρία μᾶλλον ξυνοίσειν· πεζῇ γὰρ ἰοῦσι χρόνον τε σφίσι τετρίψεσθαι πλείω καί τι ὑπαντιάσειν ἴσως ἐμπόδιον· Ἰωάννην δὲ διά τε Καλαβρῶν καὶ τῶν ταύτῃ ἐθνῶν ἰόντα ἐξελάσαι μὲν ὀλίγους κομιδῆ τοὺς ἐνταῦθα βαρβάρους ὄντας, ὑποχείρια δὲ ποιησάμενον τὰ ἐντὸς κόλπου τοῦ Ἰονίου ξυμμῖξαι σφίσιν ἥκοντα 7.18.3 ἐς τὰ ἀμφὶ Ῥώμην χωρία. οὗ δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς καταίρειν τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ διενοεῖτο. ᾤετο γὰρ πικρότατα πολιορκουμένων Ῥωμαίων, καί τινα, ὥς γε τὸ εἰκὸς, βραχυτάτην τριβὴν τὰ ἀνήκεστα λυμανεῖσθαι τοῖς πράγμασι. 7.18.4 καὶ πλέουσι μὲν ἀνέμου τε σφίσιν ἐπιφόρου ἐπιπεσόντος πεμπταίοις ἐς τὸν Ῥωμαίων λιμένα καταίρειν δυνατὰ ἔσεσθαι, στρατῷ δὲ ἐκ ∆ρυοῦντος πεζῇ ἰοῦσιν οὐδ' ἂν τεσσαράκοντα ἡμερῶν ἐν Ῥώμῃ γενέσθαι. 7.18.5 ταῦτα Βελισάριος Ἰωάννῃ ἐπιστείλας παντὶ τῷ στόλῳ ἐνθένδε ἀπῆρε· πνεύματος δὲ σκληροῦ σφίσιν ἐπιπε7.18.6 σόντος ∆ρυοῦντι προσέσχον. οὗπερ οἱ Γότθοι αἰσθόμενοι, ὅσοι δὴ ἐτετάχατο ἐπὶ τῇ πολιορκίᾳ τοῦ ἐνταῦθα φρουρίου, διαλύσαντες τὴν προσεδρείαν εὐθὺς κομίζονται ἀμφὶ πόλιν Βρεντέσιον, δυοῖν μὲν ἡμέραιν ὁδῷ ∆ρυοῦντος διέχουσαν, πρὸς δὲ τῇ ἀκτῇ τοῦ κόλπου κειμένην, ἀτείχιστον οὖσαν, ὑποτοπάζοντες Βελισάριον αὐτίκα δὴ διαβήσεσθαι τὸν ἐκείνῃ πορθμὸν, 7.18.7 ἔς τε Τουτίλαν τὰ παρόντα σφίσιν