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7.19.13 But Bessas decided to not carry out his promises, neither before nor in this battle. 7.19.14 For some of the grain was still left for him alone, since all that the rulers of Sicily had previously sent to Rome, sufficient both for the soldiers and for all the people, he himself released only a very small amount to the people, but having taken the greatest part on the account of the soldiers, he hid it, which, by selling it to the members of the senate for great sums of money, he was very unwilling for the siege to be broken. 7.19.15 So Belisarius and the Roman fleet were proceeding with difficulty, sailing up against the current which opposed them. But the Goths nowhere came to meet them, but remained quietly in their 7.19.16 entrenchments. And now the Romans, having come very near the bridge, encountered a guard of the enemy, who had been stationed on either side of the river for the guarding of an iron chain, which Totila had happened to place there not long before, stretching from one bank of the Tiber to the other, so that the enemy might not be able to proceed easily even as far as the bridge. 7.19.17 And attacking them, they killed some, and putting the others to flight and taking up the chain, they advanced straight for the bridge. And as soon as they came to it, they set to work, and the barbarians defended themselves most vigorously from 7.19.18 the towers. And now, having risen up from the entrenchments, they were advancing on the run toward the bridge. Then indeed Belisarius, bringing the skiffs, upon which the tower had been built, as close as possible to one of the enemy's towers, which stood on the road toward Portus right at the water of the river, ordered them to set the boat on fire and hurl it over the enemy's 7.19.19 tower. And the Romans did so accordingly. And the boat, falling upon the tower, immediately set it on fire and with it all the Goths, 7.19.20 who were about two hundred in number. And Osdas also was burned with them, who was their commander, being the most warlike of all the Goths. And now the Romans, taking courage, assailed the barbarians who had come to the rescue from the entrenchments even more 7.19.21 than before. But they, terrified by what had happened, turned their backs and, as each one was able, rushed to flight. And the Romans were taking hold of the bridge and were about to destroy it very soon and go forward, and to make their way into Rome with no one any longer oppo7.19.22sing them. But since this was not the will of fortune, a device of some envious demon came to pass, which ruined the Roman cause in the following manner. 7.19.23 While the armies were engaged in this way, as was said, at this time a certain rumor came to Portus to the detriment of the Romans, reporting that Belisarius was victorious, had taken up the chain, having destroyed the barbarians there, and the other things which have been said by me before. 7.19.24 But Isaac, hearing these things, was no longer able to remain where he was, but was eager to have a share in this glory. And disregarding the commands of Belisarius, as quickly as possible he went away to 7.19.25 the other bank of the river. And taking with him one hundred of the horsemen whom Belisarius happened to have stationed there, he rode against the enemy's entrenchment, which Ruderic commanded, 7.19.26 a man brave in matters of war. And falling suddenly upon the barbarians there, he wounded some others and also Ruderic 7.19.27 who came to meet him. But the Goths immediately abandoned the camp and withdrew, either suspecting that a multitude of the enemy was behind Isaac, or deceiving the enemy, so that they might capture them, which is what 7.19.28 happened. So those with Isaac, having penetrated into the enemy's entrenchment, were plundering both the silver which was lying there and the other valuables. 7.19.29 But the Goths, turning back immediately, killed many of the enemy, and captured Isaac alive along with a few others. And horsemen came to Belisarius on the run, announcing that Isaac had been taken 7.19.30 by the enemy. But Belisarius, struck with consternation by what he had heard and not having investigated by what device Isaac had been captured, but thinking that both Portus and his wife had been lost and

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7.19.13 ἀλλὰ Βέσσας οὔτε πρότερον οὔτε ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ μάχῃ 7.19.14 ἐπιτελῆ ποιεῖν τὰ ἐπαγγελλόμενα ἔγνω. ἔτι γάρ οἱ μόνῳ τι τοῦ σίτου ἐλέλειπτο, ἐπεὶ ὅσον ἐς Ῥώμην οἱ Σικελίας ἄρχοντες πρότερον ἔπεμψαν τοῖς τε στρατιώταις ἐπαρκέσοντα καὶ τῷ δήμῳ παντὶ, αὐτὸς ὀλίγον μὲν κομιδῆ τῷ δήμῳ ἀφῆκε, τὸν δὲ πλεῖστον κεκομισμένος ἐπὶ τῷ τῶν στρατιωτῶν λόγῳ ἀπέκρυψεν, ὅνπερ τοῖς ἐκ βουλῆς ἀποδιδόμενος χρημάτων μεγάλων διαλύεσθαι τὴν πολιορκίαν ἥκιστα ἤθελε. 7.19.15 Βελισάριος μὲν οὖν καὶ ὁ Ῥωμαίων στόλος πόνῳ ἀναπλέοντες ἅτε τοῦ ῥεύματος σφίσιν ἀντιστατοῦντος ᾔεσαν. Γότθοι δὲ οὐδαμῆ ὑπηντίαζον, ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς 7.19.16 χαρακώμασιν ἡσυχῆ ἔμενον. ἤδη δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι ἄγχιστα τῆς γεφύρας γενόμενοι φρουρᾷ πολεμίων ἐνέτυχον, οἳ δὴ ἐφ' ἑκάτερα τοῦ ποταμοῦ σειρᾶς σιδηρᾶς ἐπὶ τῇ φυλακῇ ἐτετάχατο, ἣν οὐ πολλῷ πρότερον ἐνταῦθα ἐναποθέμενος Τουτίλας ἔτυχεν, ἐκ τῆς ἑτέρας τοῦ Τιβέριδος ὄχθης ἄχρι ἐς τὴν ἑτέραν ἐξικνουμένην, ὅπως δὴ μηδὲ ὅσον ἐς τὴν γέφυραν ἰέναι οἱ ἐναντίοι 7.19.17 εὐπετῶς δύνωνται. καὶ αὐτῶν βάλλοντες τοὺς μὲν ἔκτειναν, τοὺς δὲ τρεψάμενοι καὶ τὴν ἅλυσιν ἀνελόμενοι εὐθὺ τῆς γεφύρας ἐχώρησαν. ἐπειδή τε τάχιστα ἐς αὐτὴν ἦλθον, ἔργου εἴχοντο, οἵ τε βάρβαροι ἐκ 7.19.18 τῶν πύργων ἠμύνοντο καρτερώτατα. ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῶν χαρακωμάτων ἐξαναστάντες ἐπὶ τὴν γέφυραν δρόμῳ ἐχώρουν. τότε δὴ Βελισάριος τὰς ἀκάτους, ἐφ' ὧν οἱ ὁ πύργος πεποίηται, ὡς ἀγχοτάτω ἀγαγὼν θατέρου τῶν πολεμίων πύργου, ὃς δὴ ἐπὶ τῆς κατὰ τὸν Πόρτον ὁδοῦ ἐπ' αὐτὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὸ ὕδωρ εἱστήκει, ἐκέλευε τὸν λέμβον ὑφάψαντας ὕπερθεν τῶν πολεμίων 7.19.19 τοῦ πύργου ῥίπτειν. καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν κατὰ ταῦτα ἐποίουν. ἐμπεσὼν δὲ τῷ πύργῳ ὁ λέμβος αὐτόν τε αὐτίκα μάλα ἐνέπρησε καὶ ξὺν αὐτῷ Γότθους ἅπαντας, 7.19.20 ἐς διακοσίους μάλιστα ὄντας. ἐκαύθη δὲ καὶ Ὅσδας σὺν αὐτοῖς, ὃς αὐτῶν ἦρχε, Γότθων ἁπάντων μαχιμώτατος ὤν. θαρσήσαντες δὲ ἤδη Ῥωμαῖοι τοὺς ἐκ τῶν χαρακωμάτων ἐπιβεβοηθηκότας βαρβάρους ἔτι μᾶλλον 7.19.21 ἢ πρότερον ἔβαλλον. οἱ δὲ καταπεπληγμένοι τοῖς ξυμπεσοῦσι στρέψαντες τὰ νῶτα, ὡς ἕκαστός πη ἠδύνατο, ἐς φυγὴν ὥρμηντο. τῆς τε γεφύρας Ῥωμαῖοι ἥπτοντο καὶ αὐτὴν ἔμελλον αὐτίκα μάλα διαφθείραντες πρόσω ἰέναι, ἔς τε Ῥώμην κομίζεσθαι οὐδενὸς ἔτι ἀντιστα7.19.22 τοῦντος. ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἦν ταῦτα βουλομένῃ τῇ τύχῃ, τῶν τινος φθονερῶν δαιμόνων μηχανὴ γέγονεν, ἣ τὰ Ῥωμαίων πράγματα ἔφθειρε τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. 7.19.23 Ἐν ᾧ τὰ στρατόπεδα τῇδε, ᾗπερ ἐρρήθη, ἐφέρετο, ἐν τούτῳ τις φήμη ἐπὶ πονηρῷ τῷ Ῥωμαίων ἐς Πόρτον ἐλθοῦσα περιήγγελλεν, ὡς νικῴη μὲν Βελισάριος, ἀνέλοιτο δὲ τὴν ἅλυσιν, διαφθείρας τοὺς ταύτῃ βαρβάρους, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα, ἅπερ μοι ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται. 7.19.24 Ἰσαάκης δὲ ταῦτα ἀκούσας οὐκέτι οἷός τε ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ μένειν, ἀλλὰ κλέους τοῦδε μεταλαχεῖν ἐν σπουδῇ εἶχε. τάς τε Βελισαρίου ἐντολὰς ἀλογήσας, ὅτι τάχιστα ἐς 7.19.25 τὴν ἑτέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ ὄχθην ἀπιὼν ᾤχετο. καὶ τῶν στρατιωτῶν, οὕσπερ ἐνταῦθα Βελισάριος καταστησάμενος ἔτυχεν, ἱππεῖς ἐπαγόμενος ἑκατὸν ἐπὶ τὸ τῶν πολεμίων χαράκωμα ἤλαυνεν, οὗ Ῥουδέριχος ἦρχεν, 7.19.26 ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς τὰ πολέμια. ἐπελθών τε ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου τοῖς ἐκείνῃ βαρβάροις ἄλλους τέ τινας καὶ Ῥου7.19.27 δέριχον ὑπαντιάσαντα ἔπληξεν. οἱ δὲ Γότθοι εὐθὺς λιπόντες τὸ στρατόπεδον ὑπεχώρησαν, ἢ πλῆθος πολεμίων ὑποτοπήσαντες ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἰσαάκην ὄπισθεν εἶναι, ἢ τοὺς ἐναντίους ἐξαπατῶντες, ὅπως δὴ αὐτοὺς, ὅπερ 7.19.28 ἐγένετο, ἑλεῖν δύνωνται. οἱ μὲν οὖν ξὺν τῷ Ἰσαάκῃ εἰσδύσαντες ἐς τὸ τῶν πολεμίων χαράκωμα τόν τε ἄργυρον, ὅσπερ ἐνταῦθα ἔκειτο, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα χρήματα 7.19.29 ἥρπαζον. ἀναστρέψαντες δὲ αὐτίκα οἱ Γότθοι πολλοὺς μὲν κτείνουσι τῶν ἐναντίων, ζῶντα δὲ Ἰσαάκην ξὺν ἑτέροις τισὶν οὐ πολλοῖς εἷλον. ἥκοντές τε ἱππεῖς παρὰ Βελισάριον δρόμῳ ἀγγέλλουσιν ὅτι δὴ ἔχοιτο 7.19.30 πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων Ἰσαάκης. Βελισάριος δὲ καταπλαγεὶς οἷς ἠκηκόει καὶ οὐ διερευνησάμενος ὁποίᾳ ποτὲ μηχανῇ Ἰσαάκης ἁλῴη, ἀλλ' οἰόμενος τόν τε Πόρτον καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα ἀπολωλέναι καὶ