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leaving the explanations to others, I know this well, that the Nile's lingering over the land has become the cause of great misfortunes at the present time, while the disappearance of the sea-monster is shown 7.29.20 to be a deliverance from many evils. But some say that it was not this sea-monster which I mentioned, but another, which happened to be caught. But I shall return to the point from which I made the digression in my narrative. 7.29.21 Totila, therefore, having accomplished these things which have been previously related, when he learned that the Romans in the fortress at Rusciane were running short of necessities, thinking he would capture them very quickly if they were not able to bring in any provisions, encamped as close as possible and settling down began a siege. And the winter was ending, and the thirteenth year was coming to a close for this war, which Procopius wrote. 7.30.1 But the Emperor Justinian sent infantry soldiers, not less than two thousand, to Sicily by ship and ordered Valerian to go to Belisarius 7.30.2 without any delay. And he, having crossed over, sailed into Dryous, where indeed he found Belisarius with his 7.30.3 wife. About this time Antonina, the wife of Belisarius, was sent to Byzantium, to ask the empress that the war be equipped with a greater preparation. 7.30.4 But the Empress Theodora had fallen ill and passed from the world, having survived on the throne for twenty-one years 7.30.5 and three months. Meanwhile, those being besieged in the fortress at Rusciane, being pressed by the lack of necessities, entered into discussions with the enemy, and they agreed to surrender the fortress around the middle of the summer season, if no help should come to them in the meantime, on the condition, however, that they all remain unharmed 7.30.6 from evils. There were in this fortress many notable Italians, including Deopheron the brother of Tullianus, and of the Roman army, three hundred Illyrian cavalry, whom John happened to have stationed there, having set over them his bodyguard Chalazar, a Massagete by race, exceptionally good in matters of war, and Gudilas a Thracian, and one hundred infantry sent by Belisarius for the garrison of the fortress. 7.30.7 At that time also, all the soldiers who had been assigned by Belisarius to the garrison of Rome killed their commander, Conon, charging him with trafficking in both grain and other provisions to their own detriment. 7.30.8 And they sent some of the priests as ambassadors, insisting that, unless the emperor should grant them amnesty for this very crime and pay out within a specified time the wages which the state owed them, they would without delay go over to Totila and the Goths. And the emperor fulfilled their request. 7.30.9 But Belisarius, having summoned John to Dryous, with him and Valerian and other commanders, assembled a large fleet and sailed with speed straight for Rusciane, being eager to bring aid to the besieged. 7.30.10 And those in the fortress, catching sight of this fleet from their high position, became hopeful and decided no longer to go over to the enemy, although the day agreed upon by them was already at hand. 7.30.11 And at first, since a tremendous storm fell upon them, and especially since the coast there was altogether without harbours, it came about that all the ships were scattered as far as possible from one another; 7.30.12 and for this reason it happened that a long time was spent by them. And being gathered again in the harbour of the Crotoniates they set sail for Rusciane. When the barbarians saw them, leaping upon their horses they came to the shore, intending to prevent the landing of the enemy. 7.30.13 And Totila stationed them over a great part of the shore facing the prows of the ships, some holding spears 7.30.14 and others with their bows drawn. When the Romans saw this, they were terrified and dared not go near anywhere, but for some time, holding their ships far off, they waited quietly, but later, despairing of the landing, they all backed water and putting out to sea to the Crotoniates again

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δηλώσεις ἄλλοις ἀφιεὶς ἐκεῖνο εὖ οἶδα, ὡς ἡ μὲν τοῦ Νείλου ἐπὶ τῆς χώρας διατριβὴ μεγάλων αἰτία ἔν γε τῷ παρόντι συμφορῶν γέγονε, τὸ δὲ κῆτος ἀφανισθὲν πολλῶν ἀπαλλαγὴ κακῶν διαδείκνυται 7.29.20 οὖσα. τινὲς δέ φασιν οὐ τὸ κῆτος τοῦτο, οὗπερ ἐμνήσθην, ἀλλ' ἕτερον εἶναι, ὃ δὴ ἁλῶναι ξυνέπεσεν. ἐγὼ δὲ ὅθεν τὴν ἐκβολὴν τοῦ λόγου ἐποιησάμην ἐπάνειμι. 7.29.21 Τουτίλας οὖν ταῦτα διαπεπραγμένος, ἃ προδεδήλωται, ἐπεὶ Ῥωμαίους τοὺς ἐν τῷ ἐπὶ Ῥουσκιανῆς φρουρίῳ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ὑποσπανίζειν ἐπύθετο, ἐξαιρήσειν αὐτοὺς οἰόμενος ὅτι τάχιστα, ἢν μή τι ἐσκομίζεσθαι τῶν ἐπιτηδείων οἷοί τε ὦσιν, ἐστρατοπεδεύσατό τε ὡς ἀγχοτάτω καὶ ἐγκαθεζόμενος ἐς πολιορκίαν καθίστατο. καὶ ὁ χειμὼν ἔληγε, καὶ τρισκαιδέκατον ἔτος ἐτελεύτα τῷ πολέμῳ τῷδε, ὃν Προκόπιος ξυνέγραψε. 7.30.1 Βασιλεὺς δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς πεζοὺς στρατιώτας οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ δισχιλίους ἐς Σικελίαν ναυσὶν ἔπεμψε καὶ Βαλεριανὸν οὐδεμιᾷ μελλήσει παρὰ Βελισάριον 7.30.2 ἐκέλευεν ἰέναι. καὶ ὃς διαπορθμευσάμενος ἐς τὸν ∆ρυοῦντα κατέπλευσεν, οὗ δὴ καὶ Βελισάριον ξὺν τῇ 7.30.3 γυναικὶ εὗρεν. ὑπὸ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον Ἀντωνίνα μὲν ἡ Βελισαρίου γυνὴ ἐς Βυζάντιον στέλλεται, τῆς βασιλίδος δεησομένη μείζονι παρασκευῇ τὸν πόλεμον ἐξαρτύε7.30.4 σθαι. ἡ δὲ βασιλὶς Θεοδώρα νοσήσασα ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἠφάνιστο, ἐνιαυτοὺς ἕνα τε καὶ εἴκοσι τῇ βασιλείᾳ 7.30.5 ἐπιβιοῦσα καὶ μῆνας τρεῖς. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ οἱ ἐν τῷ ἐπὶ Ῥουσκιανῆς φρουρίῳ πολιορκούμενοι πιεζόμενοι τῶν ἀναγκαίων τῇ ἀπορίᾳ ἐς λόγους τοῖς πολεμίοις ξυνίασιν, ὡμολόγησάν τε μεσούσης μάλιστα τῆς τοῦ θέρους ὥρας τὸ φρούριον ἐνδώσειν, ἢν μή τις ἐπιγένηται μεταξὺ βοήθεια σφίσιν, ἐφ' ᾧ μέντοι ἀπαθεῖς 7.30.6 κακῶν ἅπαντες μείνωσιν. ἦσαν δὲ Ἰταλῶν μὲν ἐν τῷ φρουρίῳ τούτῳ πολλοί τε καὶ λόγιμοι, καὶ ∆εοφέρων ὁ Τουλλιανοῦ ἀδελφὸς, τοῦ δὲ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἱππεῖς μὲν Ἰλλυριοὶ τριακόσιοι, οὕσπερ Ἰωάννης ἐνταῦθα καταστησάμενος ἔτυχε, Χαλαζάρ τε αὐτοῖς τὸν δορυφόρον ἐπιστήσας, Μασσαγέτην γένος, διαφερόντως ἀγαθὸν τὰ πολέμια, καὶ Γουδίλαν Θρᾷκα, καὶ πεζοὶ ἑκατὸν πρὸς Βελισαρίου ἐπὶ τῇ φυλακῇ τοῦ φρουρίου 7.30.7 σταλέντες. τότε καὶ ὅσοι στρατιῶται πρὸς Βελισαρίου ἐπὶ τῇ Ῥώμης φρουρᾷ ἐτετάχατο τὸν σφῶν ἄρχοντα Κόνωνα κτείνουσιν, ἐμπορίαν αὐτῷ τοῦ τε σίτου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιτηδείων ἐπὶ πονηρῷ τῷ σφετέρῳ ἐπενεγ7.30.8 κόντες. πρέσβεις τε τῶν ἱερέων τινὰς πέμπουσιν, ἀπισχυριζόμενοι ὡς, ἢν μὴ βασιλεὺς τούτου δὴ τοῦ ἐγκλήματος ἀμνηστίαν σφίσι διδοίη χρόνου τε ῥητοῦ τὰς συντάξεις ἐκτίσοι ὅσας δὴ αὐτοῖς τὸ δημόσιον ὤφειλε, Τουτίλᾳ τε καὶ Γότθοις οὐδὲν μελλήσαντες προσχωρήσουσι. βασιλεύς τε αὐτοῖς τὴν δέησιν ἐπιτελῆ ἐποίει. 7.30.9 Βελισάριος δὲ τὸν Ἰωάννην ἐς τὸν ∆ρυοῦντα μεταπεμψάμενος ξύν τε αὐτῷ καὶ Βαλεριανῷ καὶ ἄλλοις ἄρχουσι στόλον πολὺν ἀγείρας εὐθὺ Ῥουσκιανῆς κατὰ τάχος ἔπλει, τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις ἐπαμύνειν ἐν σπουδῇ 7.30.10 ἔχων. οἵ τε ἐν τῷ φρουρίῳ τὸν στόλον τοῦτον ἅτε ἀφ' ὑψηλοῦ κατιδόντες εὐέλπιδές τε γενόμενοι οὐκέτι τοῖς πολεμίοις προσχωρεῖν ἔγνωσαν, καίπερ ἐνισταμένης 7.30.11 ἤδη τῆς σφίσι ξυγκειμένης ἡμέρας. καὶ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα χειμῶνος ἐξαισίου ἐπιπεσόντος, ἄλλως τε καὶ τῆς ἐκείνῃ ἀκτῆς ἀλιμένου παντάπασιν οὔσης, ταῖς ναυσὶν ἁπάσαις ὡς ἀπωτάτω ἀλλήλων ξυνηνέχθη διασκεδάννυσθαι· 7.30.12 ταύτῃ τε χρόνου μῆκος σφίσι τριβῆναι ξυνέβη. αὖθίς τε ἀγηγερμένοι ἐν τῷ Κροτωνιατῶν λιμένι ἐπὶ Ῥουσκιανὴν ἀνήγοντο. οὕσπερ ἐπεὶ οἱ βάρβαροι εἶδον, ἐπὶ τοὺς ἵππους ἀναθορόντες ἀμφὶ τὴν ἠϊόνα ἐγένοντο τὴν ἀπόβασιν τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀναστέλλειν διανοούμενοι. 7.30.13 Τουτίλας τε αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τῆς ἀκτῆς ἀντιμετώπους ἔστησε ταῖς τῶν νηῶν πρῴραις, τοὺς μὲν δόρατα 7.30.14 ἔχοντας, τοὺς δὲ τὰ τόξα ἐντειναμένους. ὅπερ ἐπεὶ Ῥωμαῖοι εἶδον, κατωρρώδησάν τε καὶ ἄγχιστα οὐδαμῆ ἐτόλμων ἰέναι, ἀλλὰ χρόνον μέν τινα τὰς ναῦς ἑκαστάτω ἀνακωχεύσαντες ἡσυχῆ ἔμενον, ὕστερον δὲ ἀπογνόντες τὴν ἀπόβασιν πρύμναν τε πάντες ἐκρούοντο καὶ ἀναχθέντες τῷ Κροτωνιατῶν αὖθις