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he had sent the Picenes, in order that they might capture Ancona; over whom he set as commanders the most esteemed among the Goths, Scipuar and Gibal and Gundulf, who had once been a bodyguard of Belisarius. 8.23.2 But some called him Indulf. To them he also gave forty-seven long ships, so that by besieging the fortress by both land and sea they might gain mastery of it more easily and with less toil. 8.23.3 And when much time had been spent in this siege, it came to pass that the besieged were hard pressed by the lack of 8.23.4 necessities. When Valerian learned this, being stationed at Ravenna, and since he was not able by himself to bring aid to the Romans in Ancona, he sent to John, the nephew of Vitalianus, who was at Salona, and wrote the following: “Ancona alone has been left to us “inside the gulf, as you yourself know, 8.23.5 “if indeed it is still left to us now. For the situation for the “Romans most bitterly besieged in this place is such that I fear lest in bringing aid we may be too late, making our effort after “the opportune moment, and rendering our zeal on its behalf 8.23.6 “stale. But I shall stop. For “the distress of the besieged does not allow the letter to be longer, “since it severely constricts the time for itself, and the danger “demands assistance swifter than 8.23.7 “words.” John, upon reading this letter, although it had been forbidden him by the emperor, dared to go on his own initiative, considering the straits brought on by 8.23.8 fortune more urgent than the things promised him by the emperor. And selecting men whom he thought to be the best of all in warfare, and manning thirty-eight of their long ships, which sailed as swiftly as possible and were made as well as possible for war at sea, and putting some of the provisions on board them, he set sail from Salona and put in at Scardon. And there Valerian also came not long after with twelve ships. 8.23.9 And when they had joined one another, and after conferring together and deciding upon what seemed expedient to them, they sailed away from there, and putting in to the opposite mainland they anchored at a place which the Romans call Senogallia, not far from Ancona. 8.23.10 When the generals of the Goths learned this, they themselves also straightway manned the long ships they had with them, forty-seven 8.23.11 in number, with the most notable of the Goths. And leaving the rest of the army at the siege of the fortress, 8.23.12 they proceeded straight against the enemy. Scipuar commanded those who remained at the siege, while Gibal and Gundulf commanded those who were on the ships. 8.23.13 And when they came very near to each other, both sides held back their ships, and gathering them into a small space, they made a certain exhortation to their soldiers. 8.23.14 And first John and Valerian spoke as follows: “Let no one of you, O fellow soldiers, think that you are now about to fight for this Ancona “alone and for the Romans besieged in it, nor that this engagement will decide for us only so much, but rather that the whole “sum of the war, to put it concisely, stands here, and that wherever the battle may happen to incline, “with it the final outcome of fortune is also cast. 8.23.15 “For consider the present circumstances thus: a great “part of the war's momentum depends on its costs, “and it is necessary that those who lack provisions be defeated by their 8.23.16 “enemies. For valour does not know how to dwell with hunger, “since nature does not tolerate both starving and acting bravely. 8.23.17 “And this being the case, “no other stronghold has been left to us from Dryous to “Ravenna where it will be necessary for foodstuffs for both us “and our horses to be stored, and so completely do “the enemy control the land that no friendly place “remains for us here from which we might procure even a 8.23.18 “small amount of any provisions. But in “Ancona all our hope remains, that “those sailing down from the opposite mainland will be able to put in here “and have a place of safety. 8.23.19

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Πικηνοὺς ἐτύγχανε πέμψας, ἐφ' ᾧ δὴ τὸν Ἀγκῶνα ἐξελοῦσιν· οἷς δὴ ἄρχοντας τοὺς ἐν Γότθοις δοκιμωτάτους ἐπέστησε, Σκιποῦάρ τε καὶ Γίβαλ καὶ Γουνδοὺλφ, ὅσπερ Βελισαρίου δορυφόρος ἐγεγόνει 8.23.2 ποτέ. τινὲς δὲ αὐτὸν Ἰνδοὺλφ ἐκάλουν. οἷς δὴ καὶ πλοῖα μακρὰ ἑπτὰ καὶ τεσσαράκοντα ἔδωκεν, ὅπως τὸ φρούριον κατὰ γῆν τε καὶ θάλασσαν πολιορκοῦντες ῥᾷόν τε καὶ ἀπονώτερον τὴν αὐτοῦ ἐπικράτειαν θή8.23.3 σονται. χρόνου δὲ ταύτῃ τῇ προσεδρείᾳ τριβέντος συχνοῦ, συνέβαινε τοὺς πολιορκουμένους τῇ τῶν 8.23.4 ἀναγκαίων ἀπορίᾳ πιέζεσθαι. ἅπερ ἐπεὶ Βαλεριανὸς ἔμαθεν, ἐπὶ Ῥαβέννης διατριβὴν ἔχων, ἀμύνειν τε κατὰ μόνας τοῖς ἐν τῷ Ἀγκῶνι Ῥωμαίοις οὐχ οἷός τε ὢν, πέμψας πρὸς Ἰωάννην τὸν Βιταλιανοῦ ἀδελφιδοῦν ἐπὶ Σαλώνων ὄντα ἔγραψε τάδε «Μόνος ὁ Ἀγκὼν ἡμῖν «τοῦ κόλπου ἐντὸς ἀπολέλειπται, ὡς αὐτὸς οἶσθα, 8.23.5 «εἴπερ ἔτι νῦν ἀπολέλειπται. οὕτω γὰρ τοῖς ἐν τούτῳ «Ῥωμαίοις πικρότατα πολιορκουμένοις τὰ πράγματα «ἔχει ὥστε δέδοικα μὴ βοηθοῦντες ἔξωροι ὦμεν, ὀπίσω «τοῦ καιροῦ τὴν σπουδὴν ἔχοντες, ἕωλόν τε τὴν ὑπὲρ 8.23.6 «αὐτοῦ προθυμίαν ποιούμενοι. ἀλλὰ παύσομαι. ἡ «γὰρ τῶν πολιορκουμένων ἀνάγκη μακροτέραν τὴν «ἐπιστολὴν οὐκ ἐᾷ γίνεσθαι τὸν χρόνον ἐφ' ἑαυτὴν «ἀκριβῶς σφίγγουσα καὶ ὁ κίνδυνος ὀξυτέραν τοῦ 8.23.7 «λόγου τὴν ἐπικουρίαν ζητῶν.» ταύτην Ἰωάννης ἀναλεξάμενος τὴν ἐπιστολὴν, καίπερ αὐτῷ πρὸς βασιλέως ἀπορρηθὲν, αὐτοκέλευστος ἐτόλμα ἰέναι, τῶν οἱ πρὸς αὐτοκράτορος ἐπηγγελμένων προὐργιαιτέραν τὴν ἀπὸ 8.23.8 τῆς τύχης στενοχωρίαν πεποιημένος. ἄνδρας τε ἀπολεξάμενος, οὓς μάλιστα πάντων ἀγαθοὺς τὰ πολέμια ᾤετο εἶναι, καὶ αὐτῶν ὀκτὼ καὶ τριάκοντα πλοῖα μακρὰ ἐμπλησάμενος πλέοντά τε ὡς τάχιστα καὶ πρὸς πόλεμον τὸν ἐν θαλάσσῃ ὡς ἄριστα πεποιημένα, ἔνιά τε αὐτοῖς τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἐνθέμενος, ἄρας ἐκ Σαλώνων τῷ Σκάρδωνι προσέσχεν. οὗ δὴ καὶ Βαλεριανὸς ξὺν ναυσὶ δώδεκα οὐκ ἐς μακρὰν ἦλθεν. 8.23.9 Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀλλήλοις ξυνέμιξαν, κοινολογησάμενοί τε καὶ τὰ σφίσι ξύμφορα δόξαντα εἶναι βεβουλευμένοι, ἐνθένδε μὲν ἀποπλέουσιν, ἐς δὲ ἤπειρον τὴν ἀντιπέρας κατάραντες ἐς χωρίον ὁρμίζονται, ὃ δὴ Σενογαλλίαν Ῥωμαῖοι καλοῦσι, τοῦ Ἀγκῶνος οὐ πολλῷ ἄποθεν. 8.23.10 ὅπερ ἐπεὶ οἱ Γότθων στρατηγοὶ ἔμαθον, πλοῖα μακρὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ τὰ σφίσι παρόντα, ἑπτὰ καὶ τεσσαράκοντα 8.23.11 ὄντα, Γότθων τῶν λογίμων αὐτίκα ἐπλήρουν. τὸ δὲ ἄλλο στράτευμα ἐπὶ τῇ προσεδρείᾳ τοῦ φρουρίου ἀπο8.23.12 λιπόντες εὐθὺ τῶν πολεμίων ἐχώρουν. ἡγεῖτο δὲ τῶν μὲν ἐπὶ τῇ πολιορκίᾳ μεμενηκότων ὁ Σκιποῦαρ, τῶν δὲ δὴ ἐν ταῖς ναυσὶν ὄντων Γίβαλ τε καὶ Γουνδούλφ. 8.23.13 ἐπειδή τε ἄγχιστα ἀλλήλων ἐγένοντο, τάς τε ναῦς ἑκάτεροι ἀνεκώχευον καὶ ξυναγαγόντες αὐτὰς ἐς ὀλίγον παραίνεσιν ἐς τοὺς στρατιώτας ἐποιοῦντό τινα. 8.23.14 πρῶτοί τε Ἰωάννης καὶ Βαλεριανὸς ἔλεξαν τοιάδε «Μηδεὶς ὑμῶν, ὦ ξυστρατιῶται, ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἀγκῶνος «μόνου τούτου καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ πολιορκουμένων Ῥω»μαίων ἀγωνιεῖσθαι τανῦν οἰέσθω, μηδὲ ἄχρι τοῦδε «ἀποκριθήσεσθαι ἡμῖν τὴν ξυμβολὴν τήνδε, ἀλλὰ ξύμ»παν, ὡς συνελόντας εἰπεῖν, τὸ τοῦ πολέμου κεφάλαιον «ἐνταῦθα ἑστάναι, ἔνθα τε ἂν ἀποκλῖναι ξυμβαίη τὴν «μάχην, συγκληροῦσθαι αὐτῇ καὶ τῆς τύχης τὸ πέρας. 8.23.15 «οὑτωσὶ γὰρ περὶ τῶν παρόντων σκοπεῖσθε· πολλή «τις ἐπὶ ταῖς δαπάναις ἀπόκειται τοῦ πολέμου ῥοπὴ, «τούς τε τῶν ἐπιτηδείων σπανίζοντας ἡττᾶσθαι τῶν 8.23.16 «πολεμίων ἐπάναγκες. λιμῷ γὰρ οὐκ οἶδεν ἡ ἀρετὴ «ξυνοικίζεσθαι, πεινῆν τε καὶ ἀνδραγαθίζεσθαι οὐκ 8.23.17 «ἀνεχομένης τῆς φύσεως. τούτων δὲ τοιούτων ὄντων «ἄλλο μὲν οὐδὲν ὀχύρωμα ἡμῖν ἐκ τοῦ ∆ρυοῦντος ἐς «Ῥάβενναν ἀπολέλειπται, ὅπη ἂν τὰ ἐδώδιμα ἡμῖν τε «καὶ ἵπποις τοῖς ἡμετέροις ἀποκεῖσθαι δεήσει, οὕτω τε «οἱ πολέμιοι κρατοῦσι τῆς χώρας ὥστε φίλιον οὐδὲν «μεμένηκεν ἡμῖν ἐνταῦθα χωρίον, ὅθεν ἂν καὶ κατὰ 8.23.18 «βραχὺ τῶν τι ἐπιτηδείων ἐκπορίζεσθαι χρή. ἐς δὲ «τὸν Ἀγκῶνα ἡμῖν ἡ προσδοκία μεμένηκε πᾶσα τοῦ «καὶ τοῖς ἐξ ἠπείρου τῆς ἀντιπέρας καταίρουσιν ἐν»ταῦθα προσχεῖν δυνατοῖς εἶναι καὶ ἀσφάλειαν ἔχειν. 8.23.19