328

it happens that we have been both bound by treaty to you from of old and have been your friends. 7.34.32 And a friendship woven together by length of time does not have an easy dissolution. so that you will possess allies not only 7.34.33 powerful, but also steadfast. These, then, are our claims which are inducements for an alliance with you. But consider what sort of people the Langobards are 7.34.34 in their character. To settle their differences by justice, although we challenged them many times, they by no means resolved, being possessed by an unreasoning boldness; but since the war is now at hand, they, retreating from the business because they are conscious of their own weakness, have come to you, asking the Romans to take up 7.34.35 the struggle on their behalf which is not their duty. And in any case these thieves put forward both Sirmium and some other places in Dacia as a pretext for you for this war. 7.34.36 And yet of cities and land so much is available to your empire that you are even searching for some people, to whom you might give some portion for settlement. 7.34.37 Indeed the Franks and the nation of the Heruli and these Langobards you have gifted with so many measures of both city and land, O emperor, as one could not count. 7.34.38 But we, having confidence in your friendship, this, which you wanted, have accomplished; but he who has decided to give up some of his possessions thinks that the one who has acted first and with autonomous judgment chosen the gift is far better than the one who has received the favour from him, provided that he is not seen as being insolent towards the owner, but, trusting in being his greatest friend, seems to have made the claim for the thing, which is precisely the situation of the 7.34.39 Gepids with respect to the Romans. Bearing which things in mind, we ask you first, in accordance with our alliance, to march with us against the Langobards with all your force; but if not, to stand out of the way of both. For in deciding this you do both what is just and what is very advantageous for the Roman empire.” 7.34.40 And the Gepids for their part said this much. And after much deliberation the emperor Justinian decided to send them away unsuccessful, and having made an alliance with the Langobards under oath, he sent them more than ten thousand cavalrymen, of whom Constantianus and Bouzes and 7.34.41 Aratius were in command. With them also was John, the nephew of Vi7.34.41talian, it having been previously directed to him by the emperor, that as soon as they had fought it out with the nation of the Gepids, he should go from there with haste to Italy with his followers. For he himself had also happened to come from Italy. 7.34.42 And as their allies one thousand five hundred Heruli followed, whom Philemouth and others commanded. 7.34.43 For all the other Heruli, being about three thousand, had been arrayed with the Gepids, since they happened to have revolted from the Romans not long before for a reason which was told by me in the 7.34.44 preceding account. And a portion of the Romans who were going to the Langobards for an alliance suddenly fell in with some Heruli along with Aordus, the brother of the ruler. 7.34.45 And a fierce battle taking place, the Romans were victorious, and they killed both Aordus and many of the Heruli. But when the Gepids learned that the Roman army was somewhere very near, they immediately settled their differences with the Langobards, and these barbarians came to a treaty with one another, against the 7.34.46 will of the Romans. When the Roman army learned these things, they were in great perplexity. For they could neither go forward any longer nor could they turn back, the generals fearing that the Gepids and Heruli 7.34.47 might run down and plunder the land of the Illyrians. So remaining where they were, they reported their present circumstances to the emperor. These things, then, were happening in this way. But I shall return to the point from which I made the digression in my narrative. 7.35.1 Belisarius, for his part, was proceeding to Byzantium with no ceremony, for five years having nowhere disembarked from the land of the Italians, nor having been strong enough to proceed by land there at all, but clinging to a hidden flight all this time, and sailing continually from some coastal stronghold to another 7.35.2 stronghold on the coast. and as a result it has happened that the enemy more fearlessly... both Rome and

328

ὑμῖν ἐνσπόνδους τε «τὸ ἀνέκαθεν καὶ γνωρίμους γεγονέναι ξυμβαίνει. 7.34.32 «φιλία δὲ χρόνου μήκει ξυμπλεκομένη τὴν διάλυσιν «οὐκ εὐπετῆ ἔχει. ὥστε ξυμμάχους οὐ δυνατοὺς μό7.34.33 «νον, ἀλλὰ καὶ βεβαίους κεκτήσεσθε. δικαιώματα μὲν «οὖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐς τὴν ξυμμαχίαν ἐπαγωγὰ ταῦτά «ἐστιν ἡμῖν. θεάσασθε δὲ ὁποῖοι Λαγγοβάρδαι τοὺς 7.34.34 «τρόπους εἰσί. δίκῃ μὲν τὰ διάφορα διαλῦσαι, καίπερ «πολλὰ προκαλουμένων ἡμῶν, οὐδαμῆ ἔγνωσαν, θράσει «ἀλογίστῳ ἐχόμενοι· ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ πόλεμος ἤδη που ἐν «χερσὶ γέγονεν, οἱ δὲ ὀπίσω τῶν πραγμάτων ἀναπο»δίζοντες τῷ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀσθένειαν ξυνεπίστασθαι «παρ' ὑμᾶς ἥκουσιν, ἀξιοῦντες Ῥωμαίους ἀνελέσθαι 7.34.35 «τὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν οὐ δέον ἀγῶνα. πάντως δὲ οἱ κλῶπες «οὗτοι τό τε Σίρμιον καὶ ἄλλα ἐπὶ ∆ακίας ἄττα χωρία «ὑπόθεσιν ὑμῖν τοῦ πολέμου τοῦδε προΐσχονται εἶναι. 7.34.36 «καίτοι πόλεών τε καὶ χώρας τοσοῦτον τῇ σῇ βασιλείᾳ «περίεστιν ὥστε καὶ διερευνᾶσθαι τῶν ἀνθρώπων «τινὰς, οἷς ἂν καὶ δοίης μοῖράν τινα πρὸς ἐνοίκησιν. 7.34.37 «Φράγγους ἀμέλει καὶ τὸ Ἐρούλων ἔθνος καὶ τούτους «Λαγγοβάρδας τοσούτοις ἐδωρήσω πόλεώς τε καὶ χώρας, «ὦ βασιλεῦ, μέτροις, ὁπόσα οὐκ ἄν τις διαριθμήσαιτο. 7.34.38 «ἡμεῖς δὲ τῇ φιλίᾳ τῇ σῇ τὸ θαρσεῖν ἔχοντες, τοῦτο, «ὅπερ ἐβούλου, διαπεπράγμεθα· ὁ δέ τι προΐεσθαι «τῶν ὑπαρχόντων βεβουλευμένος κρείσσω παρὰ πολὺ «τοῦ πρὸς αὐτοῦ τετυχηκότος τῆς χάριτος τὸν προτε»ρήσαντά τε καὶ γνώμῃ τὸ δῶρον αὐτονόμῳ ἑλόμενον «οἴεται εἶναι, ἢν μὴ ἐς τὸν κεκτημένον ὑβρίζων, ἀλλὰ «τῷ φίλος οἱ ἐς τὰ μάλιστα εἶναι θαρσῶν, τὴν τοῦ «πράγματος ἀξίωσιν πεποιῆσθαι δοκεῖ, ὅπερ καὶ Γή7.34.39 «παισιν ἐς Ῥωμαίους τετύχηκεν εἶναι. ὧν ἐνθυμου»μένους ὑμᾶς μάλιστα μὲν κατὰ τὸ ξυμμαχικὸν αἰτοῦ»μεν σὺν ἡμῖν ἐπὶ Λαγγοβάρδας ἰέναι δυνάμει τῇ «πάσῃ· εἰ δὲ μὴ, ἐκποδὼν ἀμφοτέροις στῆναι. ταῦτα «γὰρ βουλευόμενοι δίκαιά τε ποιεῖτε καὶ λίαν ἐπιτη»δείως τῇ Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῇ.» 7.34.40 Καὶ Γήπαιδες μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπον. βουλευσάμενος δὲ πολλὰ Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς αὐτοὺς μὲν ἀποπέμψασθαι ἀπράκτους ἔγνω, ὁμαιχμίαν δὲ πρὸς Λαγγοβάρδας διώμοτον πεποιημένος πλέον αὐτοῖς ἢ ἐς μυρίους ἱππεῖς ἔπεμψεν, ὧν δὴ Κωνσταντιανὸς καὶ Βούζης καὶ 7.34.41 Ἀράτιος ἦρχον. ξυνῆν δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ Ἰωάννης, ὁ Βι7.34.41 ταλιανοῦ ἀδελφιδοῦς, προρρηθὲν αὐτῷ ἐκ βασιλέως, ἐπειδὰν τάχιστα διαμαχήσωνται πρὸς τὸ Γηπαίδων ἔθνος, ἐνθένδε σπουδῇ ἐς τὴν Ἰταλίαν ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις ἰέναι. ἐτύγχανε γὰρ ἐξ Ἰταλίας καὶ αὐτὸς 7.34.42 ἥκων. ξύμμαχοι δὲ αὐτοῖς Ἔρουλοι πεντακόσιοί τε καὶ χίλιοι εἵποντο, ὧν ἄλλοι τε καὶ Φιλημοὺθ ἦρχον. 7.34.43 οἱ γὰρ ἄλλοι ξύμπαντες Ἔρουλοι ἐς τρισχιλίους ὄντες ξὺν τοῖς Γήπαισιν ἐτετάχατο, ἐπεὶ Ῥωμαίων ἀποστάντες οὐ πολλῷ ἔμπροσθεν ἔτυχον ἐξ αἰτίας ἥ μοι ἐν τοῖς 7.34.44 ἔμπροσθεν ἐρρήθη. μοῖρα δὲ Ῥωμαίων τῶν παρὰ Λαγγοβάρδας ἐπὶ ξυμμαχίᾳ ἰόντων Ἐρούλων τισὶ ξὺν Ἀόρδῳ τῷ τοῦ ἄρχοντος ἀδελφῷ ἐξαπιναίως ἐπιτυγχά7.34.45 νουσι. μάχης τε καρτερᾶς γενομένης νικῶσι Ῥωμαῖοι, καὶ τόν τε Ἄορδον τῶν τε Ἐρούλων πολλοὺς ἔκτειναν. γνόντες δὲ Γήπαιδες ἄγχιστά πη εἶναι τὸν Ῥωμαίων στρατὸν, τὰ διάφορα εὐθὺς Λαγγοβάρδαις διέλυσαν, ἔς τε σπονδὰς οἱ βάρβαροι οὗτοι ξυνέβησαν ἀλλήλοις, ἀκόν7.34.46 των Ῥωμαίων. ταῦτα ἐπεὶ ὁ Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς ἔμαθον, ἐν πολλῇ ἀμηχανίᾳ ἐγένοντο. οὔτε γὰρ ἔτι ἐδύναντο πρόσω ἰέναι οὔτε ἀναστρέφειν ὀπίσω εἶχον δειμαίνοντες οἱ στρατηγοὶ μὴ Γήπαιδές τε καὶ Ἔρουλοι κα7.34.47 ταθέοντες τὴν Ἰλλυριῶν ληΐσωνται χώραν. αὐτοῦ γοῦν μείναντες ἐς βασιλέα τὰ παρόντα σφίσιν ἀνήνεγκαν. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐπράσσετο τῇδε. ἐγὼ δὲ ὅθεν τὴν ἐκβολὴν τοῦ λόγου ἐποιησάμην ἐπάνειμι. 7.35.1 Βελισάριος μὲν τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ Βυζάντιον οὐδενὶ κόσμῳ ᾔει, γῆς μὲν τῆς Ἰταλῶν πενταετὲς οὐδαμῆ ἀποβὰς, οὐδέ πη ὁδῷ ἰέναι ἐνταῦθα ἰσχύσας, ἀλλὰ φυγῇ κεκρυμμένῃ ἐχόμενος πάντα τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον, ἔκ τε ὀχυρώματος ἀεὶ ἐπιθαλασσίου τινὸς ἐς ἄλλο ἐπὶ 7.35.2 τῆς παραλίας ὀχύρωμα διηνεκὲς ναυτιλλόμενος. καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἀδεέστερον τοὺς πολεμίους τετύχηκε Ῥώμην τε