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being suddenly lifted by the surge and sinking in the water nothing else at all, 8.20.56 except at least what pertains to the keel itself. And they themselves see no one of the men, neither sailing with them nor leaving the ship, but they say they hear a certain voice from there which seems to be announcing to those who receive them each of those who have sailed with them by name, and reciting the dignities which they formerly held and calling them by their father's name. 8.20.57 And if women also happen to have been ferried across with them, they recite the names of the husbands with whom they lived. 8.20.58 These things, then, the people here say happen. But I shall return to my former narrative. 8.21.1 Thus, then, it came to pass that the events of the wars in each country happened. But the Gothic war proceeded as follows. The emperor, having summoned Belisarius to Byzantium, as has been related by me in the preceding books, held him in honour, and not even when Germanus had died did he intend to send him to Italy, but having made him general of the East and commander of the royal 8.21.2 bodyguards, he kept him there. And in dignity Belisarius was the first of all the Romans, although some of them had been enrolled as patricians before him and had ascended to the consular 8.21.3 seat itself. But even so all yielded the first place to him, being ashamed to use the law against his merit and to assume the right derived from 8.21.4 it. And these things pleased the emperor exceedingly. But John, the son of Vitalian, was wintering in Salona. And the commanders of the Roman army, expecting him in Italy during this time, remained inactive. And the winter came to an end, and the sixteenth year was ending for this Gothic war, which Procopius wrote. 8.21.5 In the following year John intended to set out from Salona and lead the army 8.21.6 as quickly as possible against Totila and the Goths. But the emperor prevented him, and sent orders for him to remain there, until Narses the eunuch should arrive. For he had decided to appoint him commander-in-chief of this war. 8.21.7 For what reason, indeed, this was the emperor's wish has become clearly known to no one among all men; for it is impossible for an emperor's counsel to be learned, unless of his own free will; but what men suspected and said, 8.21.8 I shall make clear. The thought occurred to the Emperor Justinian that the other commanders of the Roman army would be very unwilling to obey John, not deeming their own rank to be in any way inferior to his. 8.21.9 And for this reason he feared that, disagreeing in judgment or acting maliciously out of envy, they might throw the operations into confusion. 8.21.10 But I also heard the following story told by a Roman man, when I was staying in Rome; 8.21.11 and this man was of the senatorial council. So this Roman said that once Atalaric, the grandson of Theuderic, was ruling Italy, a certain herd of cattle came from the country into Rome at this time, late in the afternoon, through the forum, which the Romans call the Forum of Peace. 8.21.12 For in that place, I suppose, lies the temple of Peace, having been struck by lightning long ago. And there is a certain ancient fountain in front of this forum, and upon it stands a bronze bull, a work, I think, of Phidias 8.21.13 the Athenian or of Lysippus. For in this place there are many statues which are the creations of these two men. Where there is indeed another work of Phidias; for this 8.21.14 the letters on the statue say. Here too is the little heifer of Myron. For it had been a care to the Romans of old to make all the most beautiful things of Greece 8.21.15 adornments of Rome. And he said that one of the bullocks passing by at that time, having been left behind by the herd and having mounted this fountain, 8.21.16 stood on top of the bronze bull. And that a certain man passing by by some chance, a Tuscan by race, who seemed to be exceedingly rustic, interpreting what was happening, said (for Tuscans are prophetic even to this day) that a eunuch would one day overthrow the ruler

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αἰφνιδίου κἀκ τοῦ ῥοθίου ἐπαιρομένων ἔν τε τῷ ὕδατι καταδυομένων οὐδέν τι ἄλλο, 8.20.56 πλήν γε ὅσα ἐς τὴν τρόπιν αὐτήν. καὶ αὐτοὶ μὲν ἀνθρώπων οὐδένα ὁρῶσιν οὔτε ξυμπλέοντα οὔτε ἀπαλλασσόμενον τῆς νηὸς, φωνῆς δὲ ἀκούειν τινὸς ἐνθένδε φασὶ τοῖς ὑποδεχομένοις ἀπαγγέλλειν δοκούσης πρὸς ὄνομα τῶν συμπεπλευκότων αὐτοῖς ἕκαστον, τά τε ἀξιώματα ἐπιλεγούσης οἷς πρώην ἐχρῶντο καὶ πατρό8.20.57 θεν αὐτοὺς ἀνακαλούσης. ἢν δὲ καὶ γυναῖκες ξυνδιαπορθμευσάμεναι αὐτοῖς τύχωσι, τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀποστοματίζουσι τὰ ὀνόματα οἷσπερ ξυνοικοῦσαι ἐβίων. 8.20.58 ταῦτα μὲν οὖν οἱ τῇδε ἄνθρωποι ξυμβαίνειν φασίν. ἐγὼ δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν πρότερον λόγον ἐπάνειμι. 8.21.1 Οὕτω μὲν οὖν τὰ κατὰ τοὺς πολέμους ἐν χώρᾳ ἑκάστῃ ξυνηνέχθη γενέσθαι. ὁ δὲ Γοτθικὸς πόλεμος ἐφέρετο ὧδε. Βελισάριον μὲν ἐς Βυζάντιον μεταπεμψάμενος βασιλεὺς, ᾗπέρ μοι ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐρρήθη, διὰ τιμῆς ἦγε, καὶ οὐδὲ Γερμανοῦ τετελευτηκότος πέμπειν αὐτὸν ἐς τὴν Ἰταλίαν διενοεῖτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ στρατηγὸν τῆς ἑῴας ὄντα, τῶν βασιλικῶν σωματο8.21.2 φυλάκων ἄρχοντα καταστησάμενος, αὐτοῦ κατεῖχεν. ἦν τε τῷ ἀξιώματι πρῶτος ὁ Βελισάριος Ῥωμαίων ἁπάντων, καίτοι τινὲς αὐτῶν πρότεροι ἀνάγραπτοί τε ἐς πατρικίους γεγόνασι καὶ ἐς αὐτὸν ἀναβεβήκεσαν τῶν 8.21.3 ὑπάτων τὸν δίφρον. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὣς αὐτῷ τῶν πρωτείων ἐξίσταντο πάντες, αἰσχυνόμενοι κατὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς τῷ νόμῳ χρῆσθαι καὶ τὸ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ δικαίωμα περιβάλλε8.21.4 σθαι. ταῦτά τε βασιλέα κομιδῆ ἤρεσκεν. Ἰωάννης δὲ ὁ Βιταλιανοῦ διεχείμαζεν ἐν Σάλωσι. προσδεχόμενοί τε αὐτὸν ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ τοῦτον δὴ τὸν χρόνον οἱ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἄρχοντες ἄπρακτοι ἔμενον. καὶ ὁ χειμὼν ἔληγε, καὶ τὸ ἑκκαιδέκατον ἔτος ἐτελεύτα τῷ Γοτθικῷ πολέμῳ τῷδε, ὃν Προκόπιος ξυνέγραψε. 8.21.5 Τῷ δὲ ἐπιγενομένῳ ἐνιαυτῷ Ἰωάννης μὲν διενοεῖτο ἐκ Σαλώνων τε ἐξανίστασθαι καὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἐξηγεῖ8.21.6 σθαι ὅτι τάχιστα ἐπὶ Τουτίλαν τε καὶ Γότθους. βασιλεὺς δὲ αὐτὸν διεκώλυεν, αὐτοῦ τε μένειν ἐπέστελλεν, ἕως Ναρσῆς ὁ εὐνοῦχος ἀφίκηται. αὐτὸν γὰρ τοῦδε αὐτοκράτορα καταστήσασθαι τοῦ πολέμου ἐβούλευσεν. 8.21.7 ὅτου δὲ δὴ ἕνεκα ταῦτα βουλομένῳ βασιλεῖ εἴη διαρρήδην μὲν τῶν πάντων οὐδενὶ φανερὸν γέγονε· βασιλέως γὰρ βούλευμα ἔκπυστον ὅτι μὴ αὐτοῦ ἐθελουσίου ἀμήχανά ἐστιν· ἃ δὲ ὑποπτεύοντες ἄνθρωποι 8.21.8 ἔλεγον, ἐγὼ δηλώσω. ἔννοια Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ γέγονεν ὡς οἱ ἄλλοι τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἄρχοντες Ἰωάννου ἐπακούειν ὡς ἥκιστα ἐθελήσουσιν, οὐκ ἀξιοῦντες καταδεέστεροί τι αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀξίωμα εἶναι. 8.21.9 καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἔδεισε μὴ διχοστατοῦντες τῇ γνώμῃ ἢ ἐθελοκακοῦντες τῷ φθόνῳ ξυγχέωσι τὰ πρασσόμενα. 8.21.10 ἤκουσα δὲ καὶ τόνδε τὸν λόγον ἀπαγγέλλοντος Ῥωμαίου ἀνδρὸς, ἡνίκα ἐπὶ Ῥώμης διατριβὴν εἶχον· ἦν 8.21.11 δὲ οὗτος ἀνὴρ τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς συγκλήτου βουλῆς. ἔλεγεν οὖν ὁ Ῥωμαῖος οὗτος ὡς ἄρχοι μὲν Ἰταλίας ποτὲ Ἀταλάριχος ὁ Θευδερίχου θυγατριδοῦς, βοῶν δέ τις ἀγέλη ἐς Ῥώμην ὑπὸ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον ἀμφὶ δείλην ὀψίαν ἐξ ἀγροῦ ἥκει διὰ τῆς ἀγορᾶς, ἣν Φόρον Εἰρήνης 8.21.12 καλοῦσι Ῥωμαῖοι. ἐνταῦθα γάρ πη ὁ τῆς Εἰρήνης νεὼς κεραυνόβλητος γενόμενος ἐκ παλαιοῦ κεῖται. ἔστι δέ τις ἀρχαία πρὸ ταύτης δὴ τῆς ἀγορᾶς κρήνη, καὶ βοῦς ἐπὶ ταύτης χαλκοῦς ἕστηκε, Φειδίου, οἶμαι, 8.21.13 τοῦ Ἀθηναίου ἢ Λυσίππου ἔργον. ἀγάλματα γὰρ ἐν χώρῳ τούτῳ πολλὰ τούτοιν δὴ τοῖν ἀνδροῖν ποιήματά ἐστιν. οὗ δὴ καὶ Φειδίου ἔργον ἕτερον· τοῦτο 8.21.14 γὰρ λέγει τὰ ἐν τῷ ἀγάλματι γράμματα. ἐνταῦθα καὶ τὸ τοῦ Μύρωνος βοΐδιον. ἐπιμελὲς γὰρ ἐγεγόνει τοῖς πάλαι Ῥωμαίοις τῆς Ἑλλάδος τὰ κάλλιστα πάντα 8.21.15 ἐγκαλλωπίσματα Ῥώμης ποιήσασθαι. ἕνα δὲ ταῦρον ἔφη τῶν τηνικάδε παριόντων εὐνοῦχον τῆς τε ἀγέλης ἀπολειπόμενον καὶ ταύτης δὴ τῆς κρήνης ἐπιβατεύ8.21.16 σαντα καθύπερθεν βοὸς τοῦ χαλκοῦ στῆναι. τύχῃ δέ τινι παριόντα τινὰ, Τοῦσκον γένος, κομιδῆ ἄγροικον δόξαντα εἶναι, ξυμβάλλοντα τὸ ποιούμενον φάναι (εἰσὶ γὰρ μαντικοὶ καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ Τοῦσκοι) ὡς εὐνοῦχός ποτε 8.21.17 καταλύσει τὸν ἄρχοντα