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forced, they remained quiet. 7.34.13 "For you did not deign to lay claim to anything "beyond the Ister, and on this side the fear of the Goths 7.34.14 drove them away. Who would ever call weakness "good will"? And what assurance of friendship can there be in the "inability to do wrong? It is not so, O "emperor, this is not so, it is not so. For power alone reveals a man's "nature, bringing his character out into the open for all 7.34.15 by the authority to act. For behold, as soon "as the Gepids saw that the Goths had been driven from all of Dacia, "and that you were occupied with your "enemies, these most foul men have dared to set foot everywhere on your 7.34.16 land. How could "anyone express in words the absurdity of the "matter? Did they not show contempt for Roman rule? Did they not break 7.34.17 "the laws of treaties and allies? Did they not commit outrage "against those they least ought to have? Did they not violate a kingdom, whose "slaves they would pray to be, if you should have any leisure to deal "with them? The Gepids, O emperor, hold Sirmium "and are enslaving Romans, and they boast that they lay claim 7.34.18 to all of Dacia. What war have they ever "won on your behalf, or with you, or against you yourselves? Or "as prizes for what contest have they made this country their own? "And this, though they have often been in your pay "and have received money, as has been said, for a time 7.34.19 we know not how long past. And yet of their present "embassy there has never been a more foul action in all of "time. For since they saw that we were about to make war on them, "they dare to have come to Byzantium and to come 7.34.20 into the presence of an emperor so greatly insulted. Perhaps "even, in their abundance of shamelessness, they will call for an alliance against us who are so devoted to you. 7.34.21 "And indeed if they have come to give back what they have "trespassed upon, which did not belong to them, the Lombards must be counted "by the Romans as most responsible for this benefit, "by fear of whom they have been compelled, late in the day, to put on 7.34.22 this involuntary goodwill. For he who has received "the good deed will rightly know gratitude towards the one who created "the necessity. But if not even now they have wished to withdraw "from what is not theirs, what could surpass this 7.34.23 wickedness? Let these things, then, be said by us "with barbarian simplicity, lacking in eloquence, in no way 7.34.24 worthy of the matters. But you, O emperor, "considering all that has been said by us too inadequately for the need, "do what will be of advantage to the Romans and to the Lombards who are "yours, bearing this in mind along with all "else, that the Romans will rightly be arrayed with us from the beginning as we are of one mind "concerning God, but against those who are Arians they will for this very reason take the opposite side." 7.34.25 The Lombards said this much. And on the next day the envoys of the Gepids came before the emperor and spoke as follows: "It is right, O emperor, for those who have come to their neighbors "with a request for an alliance to first explain "that they are present to ask for things that are just and advantageous "to those who will be their allies, and so to make the speeches, 7.34.26 for which they are serving as envoys. That we have been "wronged by the Lombards is immediately clear, for 7.34.27 we are eager to settle our differences by justice, and "it is in no way fitting to use force against those by whom justice is sought. 7.34.28 And as to the Gepids "being by far superior to the Lombards in both population and valor, 7.34.29 why should one speak at length to those who know? And to enter into the contest with the "weaker side and go toward "a foreseeable evil, when it is possible to be arrayed with the "more powerful and have a victory free from danger, we think no one "who is even slightly prudent would 7.34.30 choose. So for the future the Gepids will also be arrayed "with you when you go against any others, owing gratitude for what "has been done, and by their abundance of power "helping to secure, as is likely, victory 7.34.31 over the enemy. And indeed it would be fitting for you to consider "this also, that the Lombards have become friends to the Romans "only recently, but the Gepids

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ἠναγκασμένοι ἡσυχῆ ἔμενον. 7.34.13 «τοῦ μὲν γὰρ Ἴστρου ἐπέκεινα προσποιεῖσθαι ὑμεῖς «οὐδὲν ἠξιοῦτε, τὸ δὲ ἐνθένδε τὸ ἐκ Γότθων αὐτοὺς 7.34.14 «ἀνεσόβει δέος. τίς δ' ἂν εὐγνωμοσύνην ποτὲ τὴν «ἀδυναμίαν καλοίη; ποία δὲ φιλίας βεβαίωσις ἐν τῇ «τοῦ ἐξαμαρτάνειν ἀμηχανίᾳ γενήσεται; οὐκ ἔστιν, ὦ «βασιλεῦ, ταῦτα, οὐκ ἔστι. δύναμις γὰρ ἀνθρώπου «φύσιν ἐνδείκνυται μόνη, ἐξάγουσα πᾶσιν ἐν δημοσίῳ 7.34.15 «τῇ τοῦ δρᾶν ἐξουσίᾳ τὸν τρόπον. ἰδοὺ γὰρ, ἐπειδὴ «τάχιστα Γήπαιδες εἶδον Γότθους μὲν ἐκ ∆ακίας ἀπε»ληλαμένους ἁπάσης, ὑμᾶς δὲ ἀσχολίᾳ τῇ πρὸς τοὺς «πολεμίους ἐχομένους, πανταχόθι τῆς γῆς ἐπιβατεῦσαι 7.34.16 «τῆς ὑμετέρας οἱ μιαρώτατοι τετολμήκασι. πῶς ἄν «τις ἐφικέσθαι δύναιτο λόγῳ τῆς τοῦ πράγματος ἀτο»πίας; οὐ κατεφρόνησαν τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς; οὐκ ἔλυ7.34.17 «σαν σπονδῶν τε καὶ συμμάχων θεσμούς; οὐχ ὕβρισαν «εἰς οὓς ἥκιστα ἐχρῆν; οὐκ ἐβιάσαντο βασιλείαν, ἧς «δοῦλοι ἂν εὔξαιντο εἶναι, ἤν τις σχολὴ ὑμῖν ἐπ' «αὐτοῖς γένηται; Γήπαιδες, ὦ βασιλεῦ, Σίρμιον ἔχουσι «καὶ Ῥωμαίους ἀνδραποδίζουσιν, ὅλην τε προσποιεῖ7.34.18 «σθαι ∆ακίαν αὐχοῦσι. τίνα πόλεμον ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν «ποτε ἢ ξὺν ὑμῖν ἢ πρὸς ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς νενικηκότες; ἢ «τίνος ἀγωνίας ἆθλα τὴν χώραν ταύτην πεποιημένοι; «καὶ ταῦτα ἔμμισθοι πρὸς ὑμῶν γεγονότες πολλάκις «καὶ τὰ χρήματα, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, κεκομισμένοι χρόνον 7.34.19 «οὐκ ἴσμεν ὁπόσον ἄνω. καίτοι τῆς παρούσης αὐτῶν «πρεσβείας οὐ γέγονε πρᾶξις μιαρωτέρα ἐκ τοῦ παντὸς «χρόνου. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡμᾶς πολεμησείοντας ἐπ' αὐτοὺς «εἶδον, ἐς Βυζάντιόν τε θαρσοῦσιν ἀφῖχθαι καὶ βα7.34.20 «σιλεῖ ἐς τοσόνδε περιυβρισμένῳ ἐς ὄψιν ἥκειν. ἴσως «που καὶ ἀναιδείας περιουσίᾳ ἐς ξυμμαχίαν παρακα»λέσουσιν ἐφ' ἡμῖν τοῖς οὕτω κατεσπουδασμένοις ὑμῖν. 7.34.21 «καὶ μὴν εἰ μὲν ἀποδωσείοντες ἥκουσιν ὧνπερ ἐπε»βάτευσαν, οὐδὲν σφίσι προσῆκον, Λαγγοβάρδας αἰτιω»τάτους τῆς ἐνθένδε ὠφελείας λογιστέον Ῥωμαίοις, «ὧνπερ τῷ δέει ἀναγκασθέντες τὴν ἀκούσιον εὐγνω7.34.22 «μοσύνην ὀψὲ τοῦ καιροῦ μεταμπίσχονται. τῷ γὰρ «τὴν ἀνάγκην πεποιημένῳ τὴν χάριν εἰκότως ὁ τῆς «εὐεργεσίας τυχὼν εἴσεται. εἰ δέ γε μηδὲ νῦν ἐκστῆναι «τῶν οὐ προσηκόντων βεβούληνται, τίς ἂν εἴη ταύτης 7.34.23 «δὴ τῆς κακοτροπίας ὑπερβολή; ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἡμῖν «ἀφελείᾳ βαρβαρικῇ, λόγων σπανιζούσῃ, τῶν πραγμά7.34.24 «των οὐδαμῆ ἐπαξίως εἰρήσθω. σὺ δὲ, ὦ βασιλεῦ, «διασκοπούμενος ὅσα ἐνδεεστέρως ἢ κατὰ τὴν χρείαν «ἡμῖν εἴρηται, τὰ Ῥωμαίοις τε καὶ Λαγγοβάρδαις τοῖς «σοῖς ξυνοίσοντα πρᾶσσε, τοῦτο πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις «ἅπασιν ἐννοῶν, ὡς ἡμῖν μὲν ἀμφὶ τῷ θεῷ ὁμογνω»μονοῦσι τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς συντετάξονται Ῥωμαῖοι δικαίως, «τοῖς δὲ Ἀρειανοῖς οὖσι καὶ δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἀπ' ἐναν»τίας χωρήσουσι.» 7.34.25 Λαγγοβάρδαι μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπον. γενόμενοι δὲ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ παρὰ βασιλέα καὶ οἱ Γηπαίδων πρέσβεις ἔλεξαν ὧδε «∆ίκαιον, ὦ βασιλεῦ, τοὺς ἐπὶ ξυμμαχίας «αἰτήσει παρὰ τοὺς πέλας ἀφικομένους ἀναδιδάξαι «πρῶτον, ὡς δίκαιά τε δεησόμενοι πάρεισι καὶ ξύμ»φορα τοῖς ξυμμαχήσουσιν, οὕτω τε τοὺς λόγους, 7.34.26 «ὧνπερ ἕνεκα πρεσβεύουσι, ποιεῖσθαι. ὡς μὲν οὖν «ἠδικήμεθα πρὸς Λαγγοβαρδῶν, αὐτόθεν δῆλον, δίκῃ 7.34.27 «γὰρ διαλύειν τὰ διάφορα ἐν σπουδῇ ἔχομεν, δικά»ζεσθαι δὲ οἷς ἂν σπουδάζηται βιάζεσθαι οὐδαμῆ πρόσ7.34.28 «εστιν. ὡς δὲ πολυανθρωπίᾳ τε καὶ ἀρετῇ Γήπαιδες «παρὰ πολὺ Λαγγοβαρδῶν κρείσσους τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες, 7.34.29 «τί ἄν τις ἐν εἰδόσι μακρολογοίη; τὸ δὲ ξὺν τοῖς «καταδεεστέροις ἐς τὴν ἀγωνίαν καθισταμένους ἐς «κακόν τι προὖπτον ἰέναι, παρὸν τὴν νίκην ξὺν τοῖς «δυνατωτέροις ταττομένους ἀκίνδυνον ἔχειν, οὐκ ἄν «τινας οἰόμεθα τῶν καὶ κατὰ βραχὺ σωφρονούντων 7.34.30 «ἑλέσθαι. ὥστε καὶ ὑμῖν ἐφ' ἑτέρους τινὰς ἰοῦσι ξυν»τετάξονται τὸ λοιπὸν Γήπαιδες, χάριν μὲν τῶν «πεπραγμένων ὀφείλοντες, δυνάμεως δὲ περιουσίᾳ «ξυμποριζόμενοι τὴν τῶν πολεμίων, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, ἐπι7.34.31 «κράτησιν. καὶ μὴν καὶ τοῦτο λογίζεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἂν «πρέποι, ὡς Λαγγοβάρδαι μὲν ἐξ ὑπογυίου Ῥωμαίοις «γεγένηνται φίλοι, Γήπαιδας δὲ