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and with many other lands and with exceedingly 7.33.11 great sums of money. For this very reason the Langobards, departing from their ancestral homes, settled this side of the Ister 7.33.12 river, not far from the Gepids. And they, for their part, having plundered and enslaved the Dalmatians and Illyrians as far as the borders of Epidamnus, and when some of the captives, having escaped from there, managed to get back home, these barbarians, being in treaty with the Romans, went about the Roman territory and if they recognized any of the fugitives there, they laid hands on them as if they were their own runaway slaves, tearing them away from their parents and carrying them off to their own homes with them, 7.33.13 with no one resisting them. And indeed, when the emperor granted other lands of Dacia, the Eruli took possession of the region around the city of Singidonon, where they are now settled, overrunning and plundering for the most part both the Illyrians and the lands toward Thrace. Some of them have also become Roman soldiers, being enrolled among those called 7.33.14 *foederati*. Whenever, then, envoys of the Eruli are sent to Byzantium, these very men, who plunder the subjects of the Romans, having collected all their payments from the emperor, depart with no trouble at all. 7.34.1 In this way, then, the barbarians divided up the Roman empire. But later on the Gepids and the Langobards, since they were settled somewhere as neighbors, became hostile to each other 7.34.2 in the extreme. And desiring to make war on each other with all eagerness, both sides were eager to meet their enemies in battle, and a fixed time was set for the engagement. 7.34.3 But the Langobards, not thinking that they would be a match for the Gepids by themselves alone (for it happened that they were inferior to the enemy in numbers), 7.34.4 decided to win over the Romans to an alliance. So, sending envoys to the emperor Justinian, they asked him to send an army to them. When the Gepids learned of this, they too send envoys to Byzantium to ask for the same things. At that time, the ruler of the Gepids 7.34.5 was named Thorisin, and of the others, Audoin. But the emperor Justinian decided to hear the speeches of both sides, not, however, when they came together, but also 7.34.6 when they came before him separately. So the Langobards were the first to come before the emperor and spoke as follows: "For our part, O emperor, we are astounded at the absurdity of the Gepids, who, after having committed so many and such great transgressions against your empire, now come to you intending to bring you the greatest of insults. 7.34.7 "For only those would commit the ultimate insults against their neighbors who, thinking them exceedingly easy to deceive, would come before them to take advantage of the simple-mindedness of those they have wronged. 7.34.8 "We ask you only to consider this, in what state of mind your friendship with the Gepids stands. For in this way you would most safely accomplish what is advantageous for the Roman empire, since men can with safety judge the future by what has happened in the past. 7.34.9 "If, then, it had happened that the nation of the Gepids had displayed its insolence only towards some others, we should need much argument and time and outside testimony, in our desire to expose the character of these men; but now it is possible to take the example from near at hand, from 7.34.10 yourselves. For consider: the Goths formerly held the country of the Dacians by payment of tribute, but the Gepids all dwelt from the beginning on the other side of the Ister, so cowering before the power of the Goths that they were never able so much as to attempt to cross the river, "but being allies and friends of the Romans in the highest degree, and receiving many gifts in the name of friendship every year both from the emperors before 7.34.11 and from you, indeed, no less. We would gladly learn, then, what good these men have ever done for the Romans in return for these things. 7.34.12 "But they would not be able to name anything, small or great. As long, therefore, as they had no pretext on which they might wrong you, not by any intention, but by lack of opportunity

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καὶ ἄλλοις χωρίοις πολλοῖς καὶ χρήμασι 7.33.11 μεγάλοις ἄγαν. διά τοι τοῦτο ἐξ ἠθῶν τῶν πατρίων Λαγγοβάρδαι ἐξαναστάντες ἐνθένδε ποταμοῦ Ἴστρου 7.33.12 ἱδρύσαντο, Γηπαίδων οὐ πολλῷ ἄποθεν. καὶ αὐτοὶ μὲν ∆αλμάτας τε καὶ Ἰλλυριοὺς μέχρι τῶν Ἐπιδάμνου ὁρίων ληϊσάμενοι ἠνδραπόδισαν, ἐπειδή τε τῶν τινες αἰχμαλώτων ἐνθένδε φυγόντες οἴκαδε ἀποκομίζεσθαι ἴσχυσαν, περιιόντες τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν οἱ βάρβαροι οὗτοι ἅτε Ῥωμαίοις ἔνσπονδοι ὄντες ἤν τινας τῶν ἀποδράντων ἐπιγνοῖεν ἐνταῦθα, ὥσπερ ἀνδραπόδων οἰκείων δεδραπετευκότων ἐπελαμβάνοντο, τῶν τε γειναμένων ἀφέλκοντες ἐς τὰ οἰκεῖα ξὺν αὑτοῖς ἐκομί7.33.13 ζοντο, οὐδενὸς σφίσιν ἀντιστατοῦντος. καὶ ἄλλα μέντοι ∆ακίας χωρία δόντος βασιλέως Ἔρουλοι ἔσχον ἀμφὶ πόλιν Σιγγιδόνον, οὗ δὴ ἵδρυνται νῦν, Ἰλλυριούς τε καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης χωρία καταθέοντες καὶ ληϊζόμενοι ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον. τινὲς δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ Ῥωμαίων στρατιῶται γεγένηνται ἐν τοῖς φοιδεράτοις κα7.33.14 λουμένοις ταττόμενοι. ἡνίκα οὖν Ἐρούλων ἐς Βυζάντιον πρέσβεις σταλεῖεν, τούτων δὴ τῶν ἀνδρῶν, οἳ τοὺς Ῥωμαίων κατηκόους ληΐζονται, τὰς συντάξεις ἁπάσας πρὸς βασιλέως κεκομισμένοι πόνῳ οὐδενὶ ἀπαλλάσσονται. 7.34.1 Οὕτω μὲν οἱ βάρβαροι διεδάσαντο τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχήν. χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον Γήπαιδές τε καὶ Λαγγοβάρδαι ἅτε δὴ ἐν γειτόνων πη ᾠκημένοι ἀλλή7.34.2 λοις διάφοροι γεγένηνται ἐς τὰ μάλιστα. πολεμησείοντές τε προθυμίᾳ τῇ πάσῃ ἐς ἀλλήλους ἑκάτεροι ὤργων τοῖς πολεμίοις διὰ μάχης ἰέναι, χρόνος τε τῇ ξυμβολῇ 7.34.3 τακτὸς ὥριστο. Λαγγοβάρδαι δὲ οὐκ ἂν οἰόμενοι Γήπαισιν ἀξιόμαχοι κατὰ μόνας αὐτοὶ ἔσεσθαι (πλήθει γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐλασσοῦσθαι τῶν πολεμίων ξυνέβαινε) 7.34.4 Ῥωμαίους ἔγνωσαν ἐς ξυμμαχίαν ἐπαγαγέσθαι. πέμψαντες οὖν παρὰ βασιλέα Ἰουστινιανὸν πρέσβεις στράτευμα σφίσιν ἐδέοντο πέμψαι. ὅπερ ἐπεὶ Γήπαιδες ἔγνωσαν, πέμπουσι καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐς Βυζάντιον πρέσβεις ὑπὲρ τῶν αὐτῶν δεησομένους. ἦρχε δὲ τότε Γηπαίδων 7.34.5 μὲν Θορισὶν ὄνομα, τῶν δὲ ἑτέρων Αὐδουίν. βασιλεὺς δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς λόγους μὲν τοὺς πρὸς ἀμφοτέρων ἀκούειν ἔγνω, οὐχ ἅμα μέντοι ξυνιόντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ 7.34.6 χωρὶς παρ' αὐτὸν γινομένων. ἐν τοῖς πρῶτοι οὖν Λαγγοβάρδαι βασιλεῖ ἐς ὄψιν ἐλθόντες ἔλεξαν τοιάδε «Ἡμῖν μὲν, ὦ βασιλεῦ, καταπεπλῆχθαι τῇ Γηπαίδων «ἀτοπίᾳ ξυμβαίνει, οἵ γε τοσαῦτά τε τὸ πλῆθος καὶ «τοιαῦτα τὸ μέγεθος ἐς τὴν ὑμετέραν παρανενομηκότες «ἀρχὴν νῦν καὶ τὴν μεγίστην τῶν ὕβρεων ὑμῖν κο7.34.7 «μιοῦντες ἐφ' ὑμᾶς ἥκουσιν. οὗτοι γὰρ ἂν μόνοι τὰ «ἔσχατα ἐς τοὺς πέλας ὑβρίζοιεν, οἳ λίαν αὐτοὺς «εὐπετεῖς εἰς τὸ ἐξαπατᾶσθαι οἰόμενοι τῆς τῶν ἠδικη»μένων ἀπολαύσοντες εὐηθείας παρ' αὐτοὺς ἥκοιεν. 7.34.8 «ὑμᾶς δὲ διασκοπεῖσθαι τοσοῦτον αἰτοῦμεν, ὅπη ποτὲ «γνώμης τὰ ἐς φιλίαν Γήπαισιν ἔχει. οὕτω γὰρ ἂν «τὰ ξυνοίσοντα ὡς ἀσφαλέστατα ἐξεργάσαισθε τῇ Ῥω»μαίων ἀρχῇ, ἐπεὶ τοῖς ἀεὶ προγεγενημένοις τεκμη»ριοῦσθαι τὰ ἐσόμενα ξὺν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ δύνανται ἄν7.34.9 «θρωποι. εἰ μὲν οὖν ἐς ἑτέρους τινὰς τὴν ἀγνωμο»σύνην ἐπιδεδεῖχθαι μόνον τὸ Γηπαίδων ἔθνος ξυνέβαινε, «πολλοῦ λόγου τε ἂν ἡμῖν καὶ χρόνου καὶ τῆς ἔξωθεν «μαρτυρίας ἐδέησε, διελέγχειν ἐφιεμένοις τὸν τῶν ἀν»δρῶν τρόπον· νῦν δὲ τὸ παράδειγμα ἐγγύθεν παρ' 7.34.10 «ὑμῶν αὐτῶν λαβεῖν πάρεστι. σκέψασθε γάρ· Γότθοι «μὲν τὴν ∆ακῶν χώραν ἐς φόρου ἀπαγωγὴν τὰ πρό»τερα εἶχον, Γήπαιδες δὲ τοῦ Ἴστρου ἐπὶ θάτερα τὸ «ἐξ ἀρχῆς ᾤκηντο ἅπαντες, Γότθων μὲν οὕτω κατεπτη»χότες τὴν δύναμιν ὥστε τὸν ποταμὸν διαπορθμεύε»σθαι οὐδὲ ὅσον ἀποπειράσασθαι πώποτε ἴσχυσαν, «ἔνσπονδοι δὲ καὶ φίλοι Ῥωμαίοις τὰ μάλιστα ὄντες «καὶ δῶρα πολλὰ τῷ τῆς φιλίας ὀνόματι κομιζόμενοι «ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος πρός τε τῶν ἔμπροσθεν βεβασιλευκό7.34.11 «των, καὶ παρὰ σοῦ μέντοι οὐδέν τι ἧσσον. ἡδέως «ἂν οὖν πυθοίμεθα τούτων δὴ τῶν ἀνδρῶν τί ποτε «ὑπὲρ τούτων αὐτοῖς ἐς Ῥωμαίους ἀγαθὸν εἴργασται. 7.34.12 «ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἔχοιεν οὐ μικρὸν ἢ μέγα εἰπεῖν. ἕως «μὲν οὖν οὐκ εἶχον ἐφ' ὅτῳ ἂν ὑμᾶς ἀδικοῖεν, οὐ «γνώμῃ τινὶ, ἀλλ' ἀπορίᾳ