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since it was being sent by the emperor against Totila and the Goths, they at once refrained from the road to Thessalonica, and no longer dared to descend to the plain, but after traversing all the mountains of Illyricum they came to be in 7.40.8 Dalmatia. Germanus, paying no heed to them, announced to the whole army to prepare, as he was going to begin the march from there to 7.40.9 Italy two days later. But a certain fate befell him, for he suddenly fell ill and his life was cut short. And straightway Germanus had vanished from among men, a man courageous and active to the highest degree, in war both an excellent general and a skillful man of action, and in peace and good affairs knowing how to guard most steadfastly the laws and the order of the state, judging most rightly of all men, having lent large sums of money to all who were in need and never having received from them so much as a word of interest, in the Palace and the forum most grave and exceedingly majestic, but at home a daily host, pleasant, liberal, and gracious, not permitting, so far as he was able, anything contrary to custom to be done amiss in the Palace, nor ever having shared in the purpose or the company of the partisans in Byzantium, although many of those in power had been driven to this absurdity. So these things proceeded thus. 7.40.10 But the Emperor, being greatly distressed at what had happened, ordered John, the nephew of Vitalian and son-in-law of Germanus, together with Justinian, the other of Germanus' two sons, to lead this army to Italy. 7.40.11 And they went towards Dalmatia, intending to spend the winter in Salona, since they thought it impossible for them at that time of year to be conveyed to Italy by going around the circuit of the gulf; for to cross over 7.40.12 was impossible, as they had no ships. But Liberius, not yet having heard anything of the Emperor's change of mind concerning this fleet, put in at Syracuse, which was being besieged 7.40.13 by the enemy. And having overpowered the barbarians there, he sailed down into the harbour and with his whole fleet 7.40.14 got inside the mole. And Artabanes, having arrived not long after at Cephallenia, when he learned that Liberius and his men had already set sail from there and departed for Sicily, he set out from there and immediately crossed the sea 7.40.15 called the Adriatic. But when he came near Calabria, a tremendous storm fell upon him and the wind being exceedingly violent and blowing against them, it happened that all the ships were so scattered, that it seemed that most of them, carried off course to Calabria, had fallen into the hands of the enemy. 7.40.16 But it was not so, but being driven back with great force by the wind they turned back, driven with extraordinary violence, and were again in the Peloponnesus. And as for the others, wherever it might chance, it happened that they were either destroyed or 7.40.17 saved. But one ship, on which Artabanes himself was sailing, its mast having been broken off in this swell, came into such great danger, and being carried by the surf and following the billows, it put in at the island of Melita. Thus it happened that Artabanes was saved unexpectedly. 7.40.18 But Liberius, being able neither to sally out against the besiegers nor to decide the issue with them in battle, and since his provisions, as they were many men, were by no means sufficient for a longer time, he set out from there with his followers and, eluding the enemy, withdrew to Panormus. 7.40.19 And Totila and the Goths, having plundered almost all the places in Sicily, carrying off a great quantity of horses and other animals, and having transported all the grain and other produce from the island, and having put all the valuables, which were very great, on their ships, they suddenly left the island and returned to Italy, setting out in the following manner. 7.40.20 For Totila had happened not long 7.40.21 before to have appointed a certain Roman, Spinus by name, from Spoletium, as his assessor. This man had his residence in the city of Catana, which was unwalled. And a certain fate befell him, to fall into the hands of the enemy there 7.40.22

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ἅτε πρὸς βασιλέως στελλόμενον ἐπὶ Τουτίλαν τε καὶ Γότθους, ὁδοῦ μὲν εὐθὺς τῆς ἐπὶ Θεσσαλονίκην ἀπέσχοντο, ἐς δὲ τὸ πεδίον καταβῆναι οὐκέτι ἐτόλμων, ἀλλὰ ξύμπαντα τὰ ὄρη τὰ Ἰλλυριῶν διαμείψαντες ἐν 7.40.8 ∆αλματίᾳ ἐγένοντο. ὧν δὴ ὁ Γερμανὸς ἀφροντιστήσας πάσῃ ἐπήγγελλε τῇ στρατιᾷ ξυσκευάζεσθαι, ὡς ἡμέραιν δυοῖν ὕστερον ὁδοῦ ἐνθένδε τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν 7.40.9 Ἰταλίαν ἀρξόμενος. ἀλλά τις αὐτῷ ξυνέπεσε τύχη νοσήσαντι ἐξαπιναίως τὸν βίον διαμετρήσασθαι. εὐθυωρόν τε ὁ Γερμανὸς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἠφάνιστο, ἀνὴρ ἀνδρεῖός τε καὶ δραστήριος ἐς τὰ μάλιστα, ἐν μὲν τῷ πολέμῳ στρατηγός τε ἄριστος καὶ αὐτουργὸς δεξιὸς, ἐν δὲ εἰρήνῃ καὶ ἀγαθοῖς πράγμασι τά τε νόμιμα καὶ τὸν τῆς πολιτείας κόσμον βεβαιότατα φυλάσσειν ἐξεπιστάμενος, δικάσας μὲν ὀρθότατα πάντων μάλιστα, χρήματα δὲ τοῖς δεομένοις ἅπασι δεδανεικὼς μεγάλα καὶ τόκον οὐδ' ὅσον λόγῳ κεκομισμένος πρὸς αὐτῶν πώποτε, ἐν Παλατίῳ μὲν καὶ τῇ ἀγορᾷ ἐμβριθέστατός τε καὶ σοβαρὸς ἄγαν, ἑστιάτωρ δὲ καθ' ἡμέραν οἴκοι ἡδύς τε καὶ ἐλευθέριος καὶ ἐπίχαρις, οὐδέ τι ἐν Παλατίῳ ἁμαρτάνεσθαι παρὰ τὰ εἰωθότα ὅση δύναμις ξυγχωρῶν, οὐδὲ στασιώταις τοῖς ἐν Βυζαντίῳ τῆς βουλήσεως ἢ τῆς ὁμιλίας μεταλαχὼν πώποτε, καίπερ καὶ τῶν ἐν δυνάμει πολλῶν ἐς τοῦτο ἀτοπίας ἐληλακότων. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τῇδε κεχώρηκε. 7.40.10 Βασιλεὺς δὲ τοῖς ξυμπεσοῦσι περιώδυνος γεγονὼς Ἰωάννην ἐκέλευε, τὸν Βιταλιανοῦ μὲν ἀδελφιδοῦν, Γερμανοῦ δὲ γαμβρὸν, ξὺν Ἰουστινιανῷ θατέρῳ τοῖν Γερμανοῦ παίδοιν τῷ στρατῷ τούτῳ ἐς τὴν Ἰταλίαν 7.40.11 ἡγήσασθαι. καὶ οἱ μὲν τὴν ἐπὶ ∆αλματίας ᾔεσαν, ὡς ἐν Σάλωσι διαχειμάσοντες, ἐπεὶ ἀδύνατα σφίσιν ᾤοντο εἶναι τηνικάδε τοῦ καιροῦ περιιοῦσι τὴν τοῦ κόλπου περίοδον ἐς Ἰταλίαν κομίζεσθαι· διαπορθμεύεσθαι γὰρ 7.40.12 νηῶν σφίσιν οὐ παρουσῶν ἀμήχανα ἦν. Λιβέριος δὲ, οὔπω τι πεπυσμένος ὧνπερ βασιλεῖ ἀμφὶ τῷ στόλῳ τούτῳ μετέμελε, Συρακούσαις προσέσχε πολιορκουμέναις 7.40.13 πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων. βιασάμενός τε τοὺς ταύτῃ βαρβάρους ἔς τε τὸν λιμένα κατῆρε καὶ παντὶ τῷ στόλῳ 7.40.14 ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου ἐγένετο. καὶ Ἀρταβάνης δὲ οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον ἐν Κεφαλωνίᾳ γενόμενος, ἐπειδὴ τοὺς ἀμφὶ Λιβέριον ἤδη ἐνθένδε ἀναχθέντας ἐπὶ Σικελίας κεχωρηκέναι ἔγνω, ἄρας ἐνθένδε πέλαγος αὐτίκα τὸ 7.40.15 Ἀδριατικὸν καλούμενον διέβη. ἐπεὶ δὲ Καλαβρῶν ἀγχοῦ ἐγένετο, χειμῶνός οἱ ἐξαισίου ἐπιπεσόντος καὶ τοῦ πνεύματος σκληροῦ τε ὑπεράγαν ὄντος καὶ ἀπ' ἐναντίας σφίσιν ἰόντος, οὕτως ἁπάσας διασκεδάννυσθαι τὰς ναῦς ξυνηνέχθη, ὡς δοκεῖν ὅτι δὴ αἱ πολλαὶ ἐς τὴν Καλαβρίαν ἐξενεχθεῖσαι ὑπὸ τοῖς πολεμίοις 7.40.16 ἐγένοντο. οὐκ ἦν δὲ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τοῦ πνεύματος ξὺν βίᾳ πολλῇ διωθούμεναι ἀνέστρεφόν τε βιαζόμεναι ὑπερφυῶς καὶ αὖθις ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ ἐγένοντο. καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις δὲ, ὅπη παρατύχῃ, ἢ διεφθάρθαι ἢ δια7.40.17 σεσῶσθαι τετύχηκε. ναῦς δὲ μία, ἐν ᾗ ἔπλει Ἀρταβάνης αὐτὸς, τοῦ ἱστοῦ οἱ ἐν τῷ σάλῳ τούτῳ ἀποκοπέντος, ἐς τοσόνδε κινδύνου ἐλθοῦσα, πρός τε τοῦ ῥοθίου φερομένη καὶ τῷ κλύδωνι ἐπισπομένη Μελίτῃ προσέσχε τῇ νήσῳ. οὕτω μὲν Ἀρταβάνην διασεσῶσθαι ἐκ τοῦ ἀπροσδοκήτου ξυνέπεσε. 7.40.18 Λιβέριος δὲ οὔτε τοῖς πολιορκοῦσιν ἐπεξιέναι ἢ μάχῃ πρὸς αὐτοὺς οἷός τε ὢν διακρίνεσθαι, καὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων σφίσιν ἅτε πολλοῖς οὖσιν ἐς πλείω χρόνον οὐδαμῆ διαρκούντων, ἄρας ἐνθένδε ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις καὶ τοὺς πολεμίους λαθὼν ἐς Πάνορμον ἀπε7.40.19 χώρησε. Τουτίλας δὲ καὶ Γότθοι σχεδόν τι ἅπαντα ληϊσάμενοι τὰ ἐπὶ Σικελίας χωρία ἵππων μὲν ἐπαγόμενοι καὶ ζῴων ἄλλων μέγα τι χρῆμα, σῖτον δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους καρποὺς ἅπαντας ἐκ τῆς νήσου μετενεγκόντες καὶ πάντα τὰ χρήματα, μεγάλα κομιδῆ ὄντα, ἐν τοῖς πλοίοις ἐνθέμενοι, τήν τε νῆσον ἐξαπιναίως ἐξέλιπον καὶ ἐς τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἀνέστρεφον, τρόπῳ ὁρμώ7.40.20 μενοι τοιῷδε. τῶν τινα Ῥωμαίων, Σπῖνον ὄνομα, ἐκ Σπολιτίου ὁρμώμενόν οἱ αὐτῷ πάρεδρον οὐ πολλῷ 7.40.21 πρότερον καταστησάμενος Τουτίλας ἔτυχεν. οὗτος ἀνὴρ ἐν πόλει Κατάνῃ, ἀτειχίστῳ οὔσῃ, διατριβὴν εἶχε. τύχη τέ τις αὐτῷ ξυνέβη ὑπὸ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐνταῦθα 7.40.22