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having brought much money, they were mixed in with the Roman army. 7.39.20 And other barbarians, gathering from every land, were streaming together. And the leader of the Lombards, having made ready a thousand hoplites, promised to send them very soon indeed. 7.39.21 When these things and more were reported in Italy, as rumour is accustomed to work upon human affairs as it spreads, the Goths were at once afraid, and also at a loss as to whether they should fight against the family of 7.39.22 Theoderic. But the Roman soldiers, all who happened to be campaigning unwillingly with the Goths, sending a messenger, ordered him to signify to Germanus that, as soon as they saw him in Italy and his army encamped, they too, without any 7.39.23 delay, would certainly be arrayed with them. Encouraged by all these things, the Emperor's soldiers in Ravenna and whatever other city happened to be left to them, having become exceedingly hopeful, saw fit to guard the places 7.39.24 for the Emperor with precision. But also all who had previously come to blows with Verus or certain other enemies and, having been defeated by their opponents in the engagement, had escaped and were wandering about scattered, wherever each one happened to be, when they heard that Germanus was on the way, they gathered in Istria, and there, awaiting this army, they remained quiet. 7.39.25 Then indeed Totila, for the day agreed upon by him and Diogenes concerning Centumcellae had arrived, sent to him and ordered him to hand over the city according to the agreement. 7.39.26 But Diogenes said that he himself was no longer master of this. For he had heard that Germanus had been appointed commander-in-chief of this war and was not far off with his 7.39.27 army. And concerning the hostages, it was his wish to receive back his own, and to return those given to them by the 7.39.28 Goths. And having sent away those who had been sent, he took care of the city's garrison, expectantly awaiting Germanus and the army with 7.39.29 him. So these things were done in this way, and the winter was ending, and the fifteenth year was coming to a close for this war, which Procopius wrote. 7.40.1 While Germanus was gathering and managing the army in Sardica, the city of the Illyrians, and very strongly preparing everything for the war's preparation, a host of Sclaveni, such as had never before arrived, came into the land of the Romans. 7.40.2 And having crossed the Ister river, they came near Naissus. Some Romans, having seized and bound a few of them who had been scattered from the camp, and were wandering about alone through the places there, inquired for what reason this army of the Sclaveni had crossed the 7.40.3 Ister river and what they intended to accomplish. They asserted that they had come to take by siege both Thessalonica itself and the cities around it. When the Emperor heard this, he was greatly disturbed and immediately wrote to Germanus, to postpone for the present the journey to Italy, but to defend Thessalonica and the other cities, and to beat back the Sclaveni's attack with all his might. 7.40.4 And Germanus was occupied with these things. But the Sclaveni, learning explicitly from the captives 7.40.5 that Germanus was in Sardica, became afraid. For Germanus had a great name among these barbarians for the following reason. When Justinian, the uncle of Germanus, held the imperial power, the Antae, who dwell very near the Sclaveni, crossed the Ister river and invaded the land of the Romans with a great 7.40.6 army. And it happened that the Emperor had appointed Germanus general of all Thrace not long before. He, coming to blows with the army of the enemy, and having conquered them decisively in battle, killed almost all of them, and from this deed Germanus won great fame among all men and especially among these barbarians. 7.40.7 Therefore the Sclaveni, fearing him, as has been said by me, and at the same time thinking that he was leading a most noteworthy force

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χρήματα πολλὰ κεκομισμένοι ἀνε7.39.20 μίγνυντο τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ. ἄλλοι τε βάρβαροι ἐκ πάσης ἀγειρόμενοι ξυνέρρεον γῆς. καὶ ὁ τῶν Λαγγοβαρδῶν ἡγούμενος ὁπλίτας χιλίους ἐν παρασκευῇ πεποιημένος αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα ὑπέσχετο πέμψειν. 7.39.21 Τούτων δὴ καὶ πλειοτέρων ἐς τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἀγγελλομένων, οἷα δὴ ἐξεργάζεσθαι εἴωθεν ἐς τὰ ἀνθρώπεια προϊοῦσα ἡ φήμη, Γότθοι ἅμα μὲν ἔδεισαν, ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἐν ἀπόρῳ ἐγένοντο, εἰ σφίσιν ἐς γένος τὸ Θευ7.39.22 δερίχου πολεμητέα εἴη. στρατιῶται δὲ Ῥωμαίων, ὅσοι Γότθοις ἐτύγχανον ἀκούσιοι ξυστρατεύοντες, ἄγγελον πέμψαντες Γερμανῷ σημαίνειν ἐκέλευον ὡς, ἐπειδὰν τάχιστα ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ γενόμενον αὐτὸν ἴδοιεν, ἐνστρατοπεδευομένην τε τὴν αὐτοῦ στρατιὰν, καὶ αὐτοὶ οὐδέν 7.39.23 τι μελλήσαντες ξὺν ἐκείνοις τετάξονται πάντως. οἷς δὴ ἅπασι θαρσήσαντες οἱ τοῦ βασιλέως στρατοῦ ἔν τε Ῥαβέννῃ καὶ εἴ που ἄλλη πόλις σφίσι λελεῖφθαι τετύχηκεν, εὐέλπιδες ἰσχυρότατα γεγενημένοι, τὰ χωρία 7.39.24 βασιλεῖ ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς φυλάσσειν ἠξίουν. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅσοι ξὺν τῷ Βήρῳ τὰ πρότερα ἢ ἄλλοις τισὶ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐς χεῖρας ἐλθόντες ἡσσημένοι τε τῶν ἐναντίων ἐν τῇ ξυμβολῇ διέφυγόν τε καὶ σκεδαννύμενοι περιῄεσαν, ὅπη ἑκάστῳ τετύχηκεν, ἐπειδὴ ὁδῷ ἰέναι Γερμανὸν ἤκουσαν, ἀθρόοι ἐν Ἰστρίᾳ γεγενημένοι, ἐνταῦθά τε τὸ στράτευμα τοῦτο προσδεχόμενοι, ἡσυχῆ ἔμενον 7.39.25 τότε δὴ ὁ Τουτίλας, ἡμέρα γὰρ ἡ ξυγκειμένη αὐτῷ τε καὶ ∆ιογένει ἀμφὶ Κεντουκέλλαις εἱστήκει, πέμψας παρ' αὐτὸν ἐκέλευέν οἱ κατὰ τὰ ξυγκείμενα τὴν πόλιν 7.39.26 ἐνδοῦναι. ∆ιογένης δὲ τούτου δὴ κύριος ἔφασκεν αὐτὸς οὐκέτι εἶναι. ἀκηκοέναι γὰρ αὐτοκράτορα τοῦδε τοῦ πολέμου τὸν Γερμανὸν καταστῆναί τε καὶ ξὺν τῷ 7.39.27 στρατῷ οὐκ ἄποθεν εἶναι. τῶν δὲ ὁμήρων βουλομένῳ οἱ αὐτῷ εἶναι τοὺς μὲν σφετέρους ἀπολαβεῖν, τοὺς δὲ 7.39.28 πρὸς Γότθων σφίσι δεδομένους ἀποτιννύναι. τούς τε σταλέντας ἀποπεμψάμενος τοῦ τῆς πόλεως φυλακτηρίου ἐπεμελεῖτο, Γερμανόν τε καὶ τὸ ξὺν αὐτῷ καραδοκῶν 7.39.29 στράτευμα. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐπράσσετο τῇδε, καὶ ὁ χειμὼν ἔληγε, καὶ τὸ πέμπτον καὶ δέκατον ἔτος ἐτελεύτα τῷ πολέμῳ τῷδε, ὃν Προκόπιος ξυνέγραψε. 7.40.1 Γερμανοῦ δὲ τὸ στράτευμα ἐν Σαρδικῇ, τῇ Ἰλλυριῶν πόλει, ἀγείραντός τε καὶ διέποντος, ἅπαντά τε ἰσχυρότατα ἐξαρτυομένου τὰ ἐς τὴν τοῦ πολέμου παρασκευὴν, Σκλαβηνῶν ὅμιλος ὅσος οὔπω πρότερον ἀφίκετο ἐς Ῥωμαίων τὴν γῆν. Ἴστρον τε ποταμὸν 7.40.2 διαβάντες ἀμφὶ Νάϊσον ἦλθον. ὧν δὴ ὀλίγους τινὰς ἀποσκεδασθέντας μὲν τοῦ στρατοπέδου, πλανωμένους δὲ καὶ κατὰ μόνας περιιόντας τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία τῶν τινες Ῥωμαίων καταλαβόντες τε καὶ ξυνδήσαντες ἀνεπυνθάνοντο ὅτου δὴ ἕνεκα οὗτος δὴ ὁ τῶν Σκλαβηνῶν στρατὸς καὶ ὅ τι κατεργασόμενοι διέβησαν ποτα7.40.3 μὸν Ἴστρον. οἱ δὲ ἰσχυρίσαντο ὡς Θεσσαλονίκην τε αὐτὴν καὶ πόλεις τὰς ἀμφ' αὐτὴν πολιορκίᾳ ἐξαιρήσοντες ἥκοιεν. ἅπερ ἐπεὶ βασιλεὺς ἤκουσεν, ἄγαν τε ξυνεταράχθη καὶ πρὸς Γερμανὸν εὐθὺς ἔγραψεν, ὁδὸν μὲν ἐν τῷ παραυτίκα τὴν ἐπὶ Ἰταλίαν ἀναβαλέσθαι, Θεσσαλονίκῃ δὲ καὶ πόλεσι ταῖς ἄλλαις ἀμῦναι, καὶ τὴν Σκλαβηνῶν ἔφοδον ὅση δύναμις ἀποκρούσασθαι. 7.40.4 καὶ Γερμανὸς μὲν ἀμφὶ ταῦτα διατριβὴν εἶχε. Σκλαβηνοὶ δὲ γνόντες διαρρήδην πρὸς τῶν αἰχμαλώτων 7.40.5 Γερμανὸν ἐν Σαρδικῇ εἶναι ἐς δέος ἦλθον. μέγα γὰρ ὄνομα ἐς τούτους δὴ τοὺς βαρβάρους ὁ Γερμανὸς εἶχεν ἐξ αἰτίας τοιᾶσδε. ἡνίκα Ἰουστινιανὸς ὁ Γερμανοῦ θεῖος τὴν βασιλείαν εἶχεν, Ἄνται, οἳ Σκλαβηνῶν ἄγχιστα ᾤκηνται, Ἴστρον ποταμὸν διαβάντες στρατῷ 7.40.6 μεγάλῳ ἐσέβαλον ἐς Ῥωμαίων τὴν γῆν. ἐτύγχανε δὲ Γερμανὸν βασιλεὺς Θρᾴκης ὅλης στρατηγὸν καταστησάμενος οὐ πολλῷ πρότερον. ὃς δὴ ἐς χεῖρας ἐλθὼν τῷ τῶν πολεμίων στρατῷ κατὰ κράτος τε μάχῃ νικήσας σχεδόν τι ἅπαντας ἔκτεινε, κλέος τε μέγα ἐκ τοῦ ἔργου τούτου ὁ Γερμανὸς ἐς πάντας ἀνθρώπους καὶ διαφερόντως ἐς τούτους δὴ τοὺς βαρβάρους περιεβάλετο. 7.40.7 δειμαίνοντες οὖν αὐτὸν, ὥσπερ μοι εἴρηται, Σκλαβηνοὶ, ἅμα δὲ καὶ δύναμιν ἀξιολογωτάτην αὐτὸν ἐπάγεσθαι οἰόμενοι