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for all time. 8.24.22 Who now, out of fear of us, do not disdain to be flattering toward you; but if they should ever be rid of us, they will not for long conceal their disposition toward the Franks. 8.24.23 For wicked men are able to change their character neither when they are fortunate nor when they are faring badly, but they are accustomed to conceal it for the most part in times of hardship, especially if they are in need of any of their neighbors, since necessity forces them to cover up their wickedness. 8.24.24 Considering these things, renew your friendship with the emperor, and defend yourselves with all your might against those who have been your enemies from of old.” 8.24.25 Leontius said so much. And Theudibald answered as follows: “You do not act rightly nor justly in calling us as allies against the Goths. For the Goths happen to be friends to us at present. But if the Franks were to be faithless toward them, they would never be faithful to you either. 8.24.26 For a wicked disposition, once shown toward friends, is by nature always inclined to turn from the path of justice. However, concerning the lands you mentioned, we shall say this much, that my father Theudibert never was eager either to do violence to any of his neighbors or to leap upon the possessions of others. 8.24.27 And here is the proof: for I am not rich. Therefore, he did not take these lands from the Romans, but he took possession of them and held them when Totila already had them and was explicitly giving them up, for which reason Emperor Justinian should have been especially pleased with the Franks. 8.24.28 For one who sees those who took some of his own possessions being overpowered by certain others, would reasonably rejoice, thinking that those who wronged him had paid the penalty rightly and justly, unless he himself should become envious toward those who overpowered them, since men think that to lay claim to the rights of enemies generally results in envy. 8.24.29 We are able, however, to entrust the decision concerning these things to judges, so that if it becomes clear that my father took anything from the Romans, it would be necessary for us to pay it back without any delay. And concerning these matters ambassadors will be sent from us to Byzantium not much later.” 8.24.30 Having said so much, he sent Leontius away and he sent the ambassador Leudaris, a Frankish man, as the fourth one to the Emperor Justinian. And when they arrived in Byzantium, they set about the business for which they had come. 8.24.31 But Totila was eager to seize the islands belonging to Libya. Therefore, he at once gathered a fleet of ships, and putting a sufficient army on it, he sent it to both Corsica and Sardinia. 8.24.32 They first sailed to Corsica, and since no one defended it, they took the island, and afterwards they also seized Sardinia. 8.24.33 And Totila made both islands subject to the payment of tribute. When John, who commanded the Roman army in Libya, learned of this, he sent a fleet of ships and a multitude of soldiers to Sardinia. 8.24.34 When they came very near the city of Caranalis, they made camp and intended to begin a siege. For they did not think they were able to assault the walls, since the Goths had a sufficient garrison there. 8.24.35 But when the barbarians learned this, they came out from the city, fell upon the enemy unexpectedly, routed them with no trouble, and killed many. 8.24.36 The rest, fleeing, were saved for the moment by reaching their ships, and a little later they departed from there and arrived at Carthage with the whole fleet. 8.24.37 And there they waited, having passed the winter, with the intention of campaigning again against both Corsica and Sardinia at the beginning of spring with a greater preparation. This Sardo they now call Sardinia. 8.24.38 It happens that a plant grows there, and when men taste of it, a deadly spasm at once comes upon them, and they die not much later, seeming from the spasm to be laughing a certain laugh, which, homonymously with the country, they call Sardonic. 8.24.39 And Corsica the men of old used to call Cyrnus. There, just as men become apes, so indeed there are herds of certain horses that

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τὸν 8.24.22 «πάντα αἰῶνα. οἳ δὴ νῦν μὲν δέει τῷ ἐξ ἡμῶν οὐκ «ἀπαξιοῦσι κολακικοὶ ἐς ὑμᾶς εἶναι· εἰ δέ ποτε ἡμῶν «ἀπαλλαγεῖεν, οὐκ ἐς μακρὰν τὴν ἐς Φράγγους ἐνδεί8.24.23 «ξονται γνώμην. πονηροὶ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι τὸν αὑτῶν «τρόπον ἀμείβειν μὲν οὐκ εὐτυχοῦντες, οὐ πράσσοντες «κακῶς δύνανται, ἀποκρύπτειν δὲ αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ «πλεῖστον ἐν κακοπαθείαις εἰώθασιν, ἄλλως τε ἢν καὶ «τῶν πέλας τινὸς δέωνται, τῆς χρείας αὐτοὺς συγκα8.24.24 «λύπτειν ἀναγκαζούσης τὴν μοχθηρίαν. ὧν ἐνθυμηθέν»τες ἀνανεοῦτε μὲν τὴν ἐς βασιλέα φιλίαν, ἀμύνεσθε «δὲ τοὺς ἄνωθεν ὑμῖν δυσμενεῖς δυνάμει τῇ πάσῃ.» 8.24.25 Λεόντιος μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπε. Θευδίβαλδος δὲ ἀμείβεται ὧδε «Συμμάχους μὲν ἐπὶ Γότθους ἡμᾶς οὐκ «ὀρθῶς οὐδὲ τὰ δίκαια ποιοῦντες καλεῖτε. φίλοι γὰρ «ἡμῖν τανῦν Γότθοι τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες. εἰ δὲ ἀβέ»βαιοι Φράγγοι ἐς αὐτοὺς εἶεν, οὐδὲ ὑμῖν ποτε πιστοὶ 8.24.26 «ἔσονται. γνώμη γὰρ ἅπαξ μοχθηρὰ ἐς τοὺς φίλους «ὀφθεῖσα ἐκτρέπεσθαι τῆς δικαίας ὁδοῦ ἀεὶ πέφυκεν. «ὧν μέντοι ἐπεμνήσθητε χωρίων ἕνεκα, τοσαῦτα ἐροῦ»μεν, ὡς ὁ πατὴρ ὁ ἐμὸς Θευδίβερτος οὔτε βιάσασθαι «πώποτε τῶν ὁμόρων τινὰ ἐν σπουδῇ ἔσχεν οὔτε κτή8.24.27 «μασιν ἀλλοτρίοις ἐπιπηδᾶν. τεκμήριον δέ· οὐ γάρ «εἰμι πλούσιος. οὐ τοίνυν οὐδὲ τὰ χωρία ταῦτα Ῥω»μαίους ἀφελόμενος, ἀλλὰ Τουτίλα ἔχοντος ἤδη αὐτὰ «καὶ διαρρήδην ἐνδιδόντος καταλαβὼν ἔσχεν, ἐφ' ᾧ «χρῆν μάλιστα βασιλέα Ἰουστινιανὸν συνήδεσθαι Φράγ8.24.28 «γοις. ὁ γὰρ τούς τι ἀφελομένους τῶν αὐτοῦ κτη»μάτων ἰδίων ὑφ' ἑτέρων τινῶν βιασθέντας ὁρῶν, «εἰκότως ἂν χαίροι, τὴν δίκην ἐκτετικέναι ὀρθῶς καὶ «δικαίως τοὺς αὐτὸν ἠδικηκότας οἰόμενος, ἢν μὴ ἐς «τοὺς βιασαμένους αὐτὸς φθονερὸς γένηται, ἐπεὶ τὸ «προσποιεῖσθαι τὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν δικαιώματα ἐς φθόνον 8.24.29 «ὡς τὰ πολλὰ περιίστασθαι οἴονται ἄνθρωποι. δικασταῖς «μέντοι ἐπιτρέπειν οἷοί τέ ἐσμεν τὴν περὶ τούτων «διάγνωσιν, ὥστε εἴ τι Ῥωμαίους ἀφελέσθαι τὸν «πατέρα τὸν ἐμὸν φανερὸν γένηται, τοῦτο ἡμᾶς ἀπο»τιννύναι μελλήσει οὐδεμιᾷ ἐπάναγκες εἴη. ὑπέρ τε «τούτων πρέσβεις ἐς Βυζάντιον σταλήσονται παρ' 8.24.30 «ἡμῶν οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον.» τοσαῦτα εἰπὼν τόν τε Λεόντιον ἀπεπέμψατο καὶ πρεσβευτὴν Λεύδαρδον, ἄνδρα Φράγγον, τέταρτον αὐτὸν παρὰ βασιλέα Ἰουστινιανὸν ἔστειλε. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐς Βυζάντιον ἀφικόμενοι ἔπρασσον ὧνπερ ἕνεκα ἦλθον. 8.24.31 Τουτίλας δὲ νήσους τὰς Λιβύῃ προσηκούσας καταλαβεῖν διὰ σπουδῆς εἶχε. στόλον οὖν αὐτίκα νηῶν ἀγείρας καὶ στράτευμα τούτῳ ἐνθέμενος ἀξιόχρεων ἔς 8.24.32 τε Κουρσικὴν καὶ Σαρδὼ στέλλει. οἱ δὲ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἐς Κουρσικὴν ἀποπλεύσαντες, οὐδενὸς αὐτῆς ἀμυνομένου, τὴν νῆσον ἔσχον, μετὰ δὲ καὶ Σαρδὼ κατέ8.24.33 λαβον. ἄμφω δὲ τὰ νήσω ὁ Τουτίλας ὑποτελεῖς ἐς ἀπαγωγὴν φόρου πεποίηται. ὅπερ Ἰωάννης μαθὼν, ὃς τοῦ ἐν Λιβύῃ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἦρχε, στόλον τε 8.24.34 νηῶν καὶ στρατιωτῶν πλῆθος ἐς Σαρδὼ ἔπεμψεν. οἵπερ ἐπειδὴ Καρανάλεως πόλεως ἄγχιστα ἵκοντο, ἐνστρατοπεδευσάμενοι ἐς πολιορκίαν καθίστασθαι διενοοῦντο. τειχομαχεῖν γὰρ οὐκ ᾤοντο οἷοί τε εἶναι, ἐπεὶ Γότθοι 8.24.35 ἐνταῦθα φυλακτήριον διαρκὲς εἶχον. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ταῦτα οἱ βάρβαροι ἔγνωσαν, ἐπεξελθόντες ἐκ τῆς πόλεως καὶ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐξαπιναίως ἐπιπεσόντες τρεψάμενοί τε 8.24.36 αὐτοὺς οὐδενὶ πόνῳ πολλοὺς ἔκτειναν. οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ φεύγοντες, ἐν μὲν τῷ παραυτίκα ἐς τὰς ναῦς διεσώθησαν, ὀλίγῳ δὲ ὕστερον ἐνθένδε ἀπάραντες ἐς Καρχη8.24.37 δόνα παντὶ τῷ στόλῳ ἀφίκοντο. ἐνταῦθά τε διαχειμάσαντες ἔμενον, ἐφ' ᾧ δὴ ἅμα ἦρι ἀρχομένῳ παρασκευῇ πλείονι ἐπί τε Κουρσικὴν καὶ Σαρδὼ αὖθις στρατεύσωσι. ταύτην δὲ τὴν Σαρδὼ τανῦν Σαρδινίαν κα8.24.38 λοῦσιν. ἐνταῦθα φύεσθαι ξυμβαίνει πόαν ἧς δὴ ἀπογευομένοις ἀνθρώποις αὐτίκα σπασμὸς θανάσιμος ἐπιγίνεται, οἳ δὴ τελευτῶσιν οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον, γέλωτα γελᾶν ἀπὸ τοῦ σπασμοῦ δοκοῦντές τινα, ὅνπερ 8.24.39 ὁμωνύμως τῇ χώρᾳ Σαρδώνιον καλοῦσι. τὴν δὲ Κουρσικὴν οἱ πάλαι ἄνθρωποι Κύρνον ἐκάλουν. ἐνταῦθα, ὥσπερ ἄνθρωποι πίθηκες γίνονται, οὕτω δή τινων ἵππων ἀγέλαι εἰσὶ τῶν