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or to scorn and deny that they are 7.25.19 men. For to err at no time would be the special quality of a god. Therefore I say that you must put these things aside and with all eagerness go to meet the enemy in Perusia. For if you are able to destroy them, the affairs of fortune will again be in a good state for you. 7.25.20 For what has happened not even all time could render undone, but when other successes come to those who have failed, it happens that the memory of their troubles is abated. And the conquest of Perusia will be yours with no trouble. 7.25.21 For Cyprian, who commanded the Romans there, has been removed by our fortune and our counsels, and a leaderless multitude, especially one that is short of provisions, is by nature least able to be brave. 7.25.22 Nor indeed will anyone from behind do us harm; for I have decided for this reason to destroy the bridges of the river, so that we might not suffer anything unexpected from a raid, and it happens that Belisarius and John are suspicious of each other, which one can see from what has been done. 7.25.23 For counsels that fight each other are revealed through their actions. Therefore they have not been able in any way to join each other up to this point in time. For their mutual suspicion holds each of them back. And in whomsoever this arises, it is inevitable that envy 7.25.24 and hatred dwell together. And with these things coming between them, it is impossible for anything needful to be done.” After Totila had said these things, he led his army against Perusia, and arriving there they encamped very near the circuit-wall and settling down established a siege. 7.26.1 While these things were happening here, at this time to John, who was besieging the fortress of Acherontis, since nothing was progressing, a certain thought and daring came, which was able to save the Roman senate, and to win for himself great and extraordinary glory among all 7.26.2 men. For hearing that Totila and the Gothic army were assaulting the walls of Rome, he selected the most proven of his horsemen, with the matter being told beforehand to no one at all, and went into Campania, resting neither by night nor by day (for Totila happened to have left them there), so that by falling upon them unexpectedly he might be able to snatch away and rescue the members of the senatorial council, since the places there were entirely 7.26.3 unwalled. But it happened at this time that Totila, fearing what actually happened, that some one of the enemy might go to do harm to the prisoners, 7.26.4 sent an army of horsemen to Campania. When these men reached the city of Menturnae, it seemed better to them for the majority to remain there quietly and care for the horses (for it happened that they had encountered great fatigue on this march), and to send some men to scout out the situation in Capua and the places thereabouts. Now it happens that the land between is no more than three hundred 7.26.5 stades. Therefore they sent four hundred men, who happened to have horses and bodies that were fresh, for 7.26.6 reconnaissance. And by some chance it happened that on that day at the same time both the army with John and these four hundred barbarians arrived in Capua, neither side having heard anything previously about their 7.26.7 opponents. And a fierce battle suddenly ensued; for at the very sight they came to blows; and the Romans won a decisive victory and immediately killed most of the 7.26.8 enemy. And a few of the barbarians managed to flee, and making their way at a run arrived at Menturnae. When the others saw these men, some streaming with blood, some still carrying the missiles in their bodies, and others neither uttering a sound nor reporting any of what had happened, but still in the grip of their flight and showing the fear within themselves, immediately leaping upon their 7.26.9 horses they fled with them. And coming to Totila they reported that the number of the enemy was past telling, in this way obviously healing the shame of their 7.26.10 flight. Now it happened that not less than seventy Roman soldiers of those who had previously deserted to the Goths to

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ἢ ἀπαξιοῦν τε καὶ ἀπαρνεῖσθαι ἀνθρώ7.25.19 «πους εἶναι. τὸ γὰρ ἐν οὐδενὶ σφάλλεσθαι χρόνῳ «θεοῦ ἂν ἴδιον γένοιτο. τούτων τοίνυν φημὶ χρῆναι «ἀφεμένους ὑμᾶς προθυμίᾳ τῇ πάσῃ ὁμόσε τοῖς ἐν «Περυσίᾳ πολεμίοις ἰέναι. ἢν γὰρ ἐκείνους ἐξελεῖν «δυνήσησθε, αὖθις ὑμῖν τὰ τῆς τύχης ἐν καλῷ κεί7.25.20 «σεται. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ξυμπεσὸν οὐδ' ἂν ὁ πᾶς αἰὼν «ἀποίητον τίθεσθαι δύναιτο, εὐτυχημάτων δὲ ἄλλων «ἐπιγινομένων τοῖς ἐπταικόσι λελωφηκέναι ξυμβαίνει «τὴν τῶν κακῶν μνήμην. ἔσται δὲ ὑμῖν ἡ Περυσίας 7.25.21 «ἐπικράτησις οὐδενὶ πόνῳ. Κυπριανὸς γὰρ ὃς τῶν «ἐνταῦθα Ῥωμαίων ἦρχε, τύχῃ τε καὶ βουλαῖς ἡμε»τέραις ἐκποδὼν γέγονε, πλῆθος δὲ ἄναρχον ἄλλως τε «καὶ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ὑποσπανίζον ἀνδραγαθίζεσθαι 7.25.22 «ἥκιστα πέφυκεν. οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ ὄπισθέν τις ἐς ἡμᾶς «κακουργήσει· τάς τε γὰρ τοῦ ποταμοῦ γεφύρας τού»του ἕνεκα καθελεῖν ἔγνωκα, ὡς μή τι πάθοιμεν ἐξ «ἐπιδρομῆς ἀπροσδόκητον, καὶ ὑπόπτους ξυμβαίνει Βε»λισάριόν τε καὶ Ἰωάννην ἀλλήλοις εἶναι, ὅπερ διὰ 7.25.23 «τῶν πεπραγμένων ὁρᾶν πάρεστι. γνῶμαι γὰρ ἀλλή»λαις μαχόμεναι διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐλέγχονται. οὐκοῦν «οὐδέ πη ἀλλήλοις ἐπιμίγνυσθαι ἐς τόδε τοῦ χρόνου «δεδύνηνται. ἀναχαιτίζει γὰρ ἑκάτερον ἡ ἐς ἀλλήλους «ἀμφοῖν ὑποψία. οἷς δ' ἂν αὕτη ἐγγένηται, φθόνον 7.25.24 «τε καὶ ἔχθος ἐπάναγκες ξυνοικίζεσθαι. ὧν δὴ με»ταξὺ ἐπιπεσόντων γενέσθαι τι τῶν δεόντων ἀδύνατον.» τοσαῦτα ὁ Τουτίλας εἰπὼν ἐπὶ Περυσίαν ἐξῆγε τὸ στράτευμα, ἐνταῦθά τε ἀφικόμενοι ἄγχιστα τοῦ περιβόλου ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο καὶ ἐγκαθεζόμενοι ἐς πολιορκίαν καθίσταντο. 7.26.1 Ἐν ᾧ δὲ ταῦτα ἐγίνετο τῇδε, ἐν τούτῳ Ἰωάννῃ Ἀχεροντίδα τὸ φρούριον πολιορκοῦντι, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲν προὐχώρει, ἔννοιά τις καὶ τόλμα γέγονεν, ἣ Ῥωμαίων μὲν τὴν βουλὴν διασώσασθαι, αὐτῷ δὲ κλέος περιβαλέσθαι μέγα τε καὶ ὑπερφυὲς ἐς ἀνθρώπους 7.26.2 ἅπαντας ἴσχυσε. Τουτίλαν γὰρ καὶ τὸν Γότθων στρατὸν τειχομαχεῖν ἀκούσας ἀμφὶ τὸν Ῥώμης περίβολον, τῶν ἱππέων τοὺς δοκιμωτάτους ἀπολεξάμενος, τῶν πάντων οὐδενὶ προρρηθὲν, ἐς Καμπανοὺς, οὔτε νύκτα ἀνιεὶς οὔτε ἡμέραν, ᾔει (ἐνταῦθα γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἀπολιπὼν Τουτίλας ἔτυχεν), ὅπως ἐπιπεσὼν ἀπροσδόκητος ἀναρπάσαι τε καὶ διασώσασθαι τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς συγκλήτου βουλῆς οἷός τε εἴη ἅτε τῶν ἐνταῦθα χωρίων ἀτει7.26.3 χίστων παντάπασιν ὄντων. ξυνηνέχθη δὲ ὑπὸ τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον Τουτίλαν δείσαντα, ὅπερ ἐγένετο, μή τις τῶν πολεμίων ἐς τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους κακουργήσων 7.26.4 ἴοι, στράτευμα ἐπὶ Καμπανίας ἱππέων στεῖλαι. οἳ δὴ ἐπεὶ ἐν Μεντούρνῃ πόλει ἐγένοντο, ἄμεινον σφίσιν ἔδοξεν εἶναι τοὺς μὲν πλείστους ἐνταῦθα ἡσυχῆ μένειν τῶν τε ἵππων ἐπιμελεῖσθαι (κόπῳ γὰρ πολλῷ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ πορείᾳ σφίσιν ὁμιλῆσαι ξυνέβη), στεῖλαι δέ τινας τὰ ἐν Καπύῃ τε κατασκεψομένους καὶ τοῖς ταύτῃ χωρίοις. χώραν δὲ ξυμβαίνει εἶναι τὴν μεταξὺ οὐ πλέον ἢ σταδίους 7.26.5 τριακοσίους. τετρακοσίους οὖν, οὕσπερ δὴ ἵπποις τε καὶ σώμασιν ἀκραιφνέσι χρῆσθαι ξυνέτυχε, ἐπὶ κατα7.26.6 σκοπῇ ἔπεμψαν. τύχῃ τέ τινι ξυνηνέχθη ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ὑπὸ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον τόν τε ξὺν τῷ Ἰωάννῃ στρατὸν καὶ τούτους δὴ τοὺς τετρακοσίους βαρβάρους ἐν Καπύῃ γενέσθαι, οὐδετέρους τι πρότερον τῶν 7.26.7 ἐναντίων πέρι ἀκούσαντας. καὶ μάχη μὲν ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου ἰσχυρὰ γίνεται· ἅμα γὰρ τῇ ὄψει ἐς χεῖρας ἦλθον· νικῶσι δὲ κατὰ κράτος Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ τοὺς 7.26.8 πλείστους τῶν πολεμίων εὐθὺς ἔκτειναν. ὀλίγοι τε τῶν βαρβάρων τινὲς φυγεῖν ἴσχυσαν, καὶ δρόμῳ ἐχόμενοι ἐς Μεντοῦρναν ἀφίκοντο. οὕσπερ ἐπεὶ οἱ ἄλλοι εἶδον τοὺς μὲν αἵματι περιρρεομένους, τοὺς δὲ καὶ τὰ βέλη ἐν τοῖς σώμασιν ἔτι φέροντας, ἄλλους δὲ οὔτε τι φθεγγομένους οὔτε τι ἀπαγγέλλοντας τῶν ξυμπεσόντων, ἀλλ' ἔτι τῆς ὑπαγωγῆς ἐχομένους καὶ τὸ ἐν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς δέος ἐνδεικνύντας, αὐτίκα ἐς τοὺς 7.26.9 ἵππους ἀναθορόντες ξὺν αὐτοῖς ἔφευγον. καὶ παρὰ Τουτίλαν ἐλθόντες πλῆθος ἀμύθητον εἶναι τῶν πολεμίων ἐσήγγελλον, ταύτῃ δηλονότι τὴν ἐκ τῆς φυγῆς 7.26.10 αἰσχύνην ἰώμενοι. ἐτύγχανον δὲ στρατιῶται Ῥωμαῖοι οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ ἑβδομήκοντα τῶν εἰς Γότθους ηὐτομοληκότων τὸ πρότερον ἐς