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he marched against Totila and the Goths with the whole Roman army, which was exceedingly large. For he had brought with him a great deal of 8.26.6 money from the emperor. from which indeed he was about both to gather a most notable army and to meet the other necessities of the war, and for the soldiers in Italy to pay off all the previous debts, for which the emperor had been in arrears to them for a long time, since they were not receiving from the public treasury, as is customary, the stipends assigned to them; and moreover to sway the opinions of those who had deserted to Totila, so that they, having been tamed by this money, might repent their choice regarding the state. 8.26.7 For though he had previously conducted this war very neglectfully, the emperor Justinian had made his preparation for it most remarkable at the 8.26.8 last. For when Narses saw him pressing him to march to Italy, he shewed an ambition befitting a general, agreeing on no other condition to promise the emperor he would serve, unless he should be about to lead forces fit for battle. 8.26.9 And so money and men and arms were in this manner brought together by the emperor worthily of the Roman empire, and he himself, shewing the most unwearying zeal, raised a sufficient army. 8.26.10 For from Byzantium he brought a great number of Roman soldiers and from the places in Thrace 8.26.11 and from Illyria he gathered many. And John also went with him, both with his own force and with that which had been left by Germanus his kinsman by marriage. 8.26.12 And Audoin, the leader of the Lombards, having been persuaded by Emperor Justinian with much money and by the treaty of alliance, selected two thousand five hundred of his followers, men good at warfare, and sent them to him as an alliance, who were followed by a retinue of more than three thousand fighting men. 8.26.13 And there followed him also of the nation of the Heruli more than three thousand, all horsemen, whom Philemouth and others commanded, and very many Huns and Dagisthaeus with his followers, released from prison for this purpose, and Cabades, having many Persian deserters, the son of Zames and grandson of Cabades the king of the Persians, whom I mentioned in the previous account as one who had escaped Chosroes his uncle through the zeal of the chanaranges and who had arrived in Roman territory much earlier; and Asbadus, a certain youth, a Gepid by race, exceptionally active, having with him four hundred of his countrymen, men good at warfare; and Aruth, a Herul by race, but from boyhood having loved the Roman way of life and having married the wife of Maurice, the son of Mundus, being himself most warlike and having many of the Herulian nation following him, who were most proven in the dangers of war; and John, surnamed the Glutton, whom I mentioned in the preceding account, bringing a crowd of warlike Romans. 8.26.14 Narses was therefore most generous and exceedingly quick to do good to those in need, and being invested with great power from the emperor he exercised his judgment more fearlessly in the matters at hand. 8.26.15 And from him many in former times, both commanders and soldiers, had received benefits from him as a benefactor. 8.26.16 When, therefore, he had been appointed general against Totila and the Goths, each one was most gladly willing to serve under him, some wishing to repay old favours, others expecting, as was likely, to receive great benefits from him. 8.26.17 And especially the Heruli and the other barbarians were well-disposed towards him, having been exceptionally well treated by the man. 8.26.18 But when they came very near to Venetia, he sent an envoy to the leaders of the Franks, who commanded the garrisons there, and asked that they provide passage for them as being friends. 8.26.19 But they said that by no means would they permit this to Narses, not openly bringing forth the reason, but, concealing it as much as possible, for the sake of the Franks' advantage or of their goodwill towards the Goths the

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ἐπὶ Τουτίλαν τε καὶ Γότθους ᾔει παντὶ τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ, μεγάλῳ ὑπερφυῶς ὄντι. χρήματα γὰρ κεκομισμένος ἐπιεικῶς 8.26.6 μεγάλα πρὸς βασιλέως ἐτύγχανεν. ἀφ' ὧν δὴ ἔμελλε στρατιάν τε ἀξιολογωτάτην ἀγεῖραι καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις ἐπαρκέσειν τοῦ πολέμου ἀνάγκαις, τοῖς δὲ δὴ ἐπὶ τῆς Ἰταλίας στρατιώταις ἐκλῦσαι τὰ πρόσθεν ὀφλήματα πάντα, ἐφ' οἷσπερ αὐτοῖς ὑπερήμερος χρόνου πολλοῦ βασιλεὺς ἐγεγόνει, οὐ κομιζομένοις ἐκ τοῦ δημοσίου, ᾗπερ εἴθισται, τὰς σφίσι τεταγμένας συντάξεις· ἔτι μέντοι καὶ αὐτῶν βιάσασθαι τῶν παρὰ Τουτίλαν ἀπηυτομοληκότων τὰς γνώμας, ὥστε δὴ αὐτοὺς τοῖς χρήμασι τούτοις χειροήθεις γεγενημένους τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ πολιτείᾳ 8.26.7 μεταγνῶναι προαίρεσιν. λίαν γὰρ τὰ πρότερα πόλεμον τόνδε ἀπημελημένως διαφέρων Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἀξιολογωτάτην αὐτοῦ πεποίηται τὴν παρασκευὴν ἐν 8.26.8 ὑστάτῳ. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αὐτόν οἱ ὁ Ναρσῆς ἐγκείμενον εἶδεν, ἐφ' ᾧ ἐς Ἰταλίαν στρατεύοι, φιλοτιμίαν ἐνδέδεικται στρατηγῷ πρέπουσαν, οὐκ ἄλλως βασιλεῖ ἐπαγγέλλοντι ὑπηρετήσειν ὁμολογήσας, ἢν μὴ τὰς δυνάμεις 8.26.9 ἀξιομάχους ἐπάγεσθαι μέλλῃ. χρήματά τε οὖν καὶ σώματα καὶ ὅπλα τῷ τρόπῳ τούτῳ ἐπαξίως πρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως κεκόμισται τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς, καὶ προθυμίαν αὐτὸς ἀοκνοτάτην ἐπιδειξάμενος ἀξιόχρεων στρα8.26.10 τιὰν ἐξήγειρεν. ἔκ τε γὰρ Βυζαντίου ἐπηγάγετο Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν μέγα τι χρῆμα κἀκ τῶν ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης 8.26.11 χωρίων ἔκ τε Ἰλλυριῶν πολλοὺς ἤθροισε. καὶ Ἰωάννης δὲ ξύν τε τῷ οἰκείῳ στρατεύματι καὶ τῷ πρὸς Γερμανοῦ τοῦ κηδεστοῦ ἀπολελειμμένῳ ξὺν αὐτῷ ᾔει. 8.26.12 καὶ Αὐδουὶν, ὁ Λαγγοβαρδῶν ἡγούμενος, χρήμασι πολλοῖς ἀναπεισθεὶς Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ τῇ τῆς ὁμαιχμίας ξυνθήκῃ, πεντακοσίους τε καὶ δισχιλίους τῶν οἱ ἑπομένων ἀπολεξάμενος ἄνδρας ἀγαθοὺς τὰ πολέμια ἐς ξυμμαχίαν αὐτῷ ἔπεμψεν, οἷς δὴ καὶ θεραπεία εἵπετο μαχίμων ἀνδρῶν πλέον ἢ τρισχιλίων. 8.26.13 εἵποντο δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ τοῦ Ἐρούλων ἔθνους πλέον ἢ τρισχίλιοι, ἱππεῖς ἅπαντες, ὧν ἄλλοι τε καὶ Φιλημοὺθ ἦρχον, καὶ Οὖννοί τε παμπληθεῖς καὶ ∆αγισθαῖος ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις ἐκ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου διὰ τοῦτο ἀπαλλαγεὶς, καὶ Καβάδης, Πέρσας ἔχων αὐτομόλους πολλοὺς, ὁ Ζάμου μὲν υἱὸς, Καβάδου δὲ τοῦ Περσῶν βασιλέως υἱωνὸς, οὗπερ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐμνήσθην ἅτε τοῦ χαναράγγου σπουδῇ διαφυγόντος τε Χοσρόην τὸν θεῖον καὶ πολλῷ πρότερον ἀφικομένου ἐς τὰ Ῥωμαίων ἤθη· καὶ Ἄσβαδος, νεανίας τις, Γήπαις γένος, διαφερόντως δραστήριος, ὁμογενεῖς τετρακοσίους ξὺν αὑτῷ ἔχων, ἄνδρας ἀγαθοὺς τὰ πολέμια· καὶ Ἀροὺθ, Ἔρουλος μὲν τὸ γένος, ἐκ παιδὸς δὲ Ῥωμαίων τὴν δίαιταν στέρξας καὶ τὴν Μαυρικίου τοῦ Μούνδου γυναῖκα γαμετὴν ποιησάμενος, αὐτός τε μαχιμώτατος ὢν καὶ πολλοὺς τοῦ Ἐρούλων ἔθνους ἑπομένους ἔχων ἐν πολέμου κινδύνοις ὡς μάλιστα δοκιμωτάτους· Ἰωάννης τε, ὁ Φαγᾶς τὴν ἐπίκλησιν, οὗπερ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐμνήσθην, Ῥωμαίων ἐπαγαγόμενος ὅμιλον 8.26.14 ἀνδρῶν μαχίμων. ἦν οὖν μεγαλοδωρότατος ὁ Ναρσῆς καὶ πρὸς τὸ εὖ ποιεῖν τοὺς δεομένους ὀξὺς ἐσάγαν, δύναμίν τε πολλὴν περιβεβλημένος ἐκ βασιλέως ἀδεέ8.26.15 στερον ἐς τὰ σπουδαζόμενα ἐχρῆτο τῇ γνώμῃ. καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ πολλοὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν χρόνοις ἄρχοντές τε 8.26.16 καὶ στρατιῶται εὐεργέτου αὐτοῦ ἔτυχον. ἐπεὶ οὖν ἀποδέδεικτο στρατηγὸς ἐπὶ Τουτίλαν τε καὶ Γότθους, ὡς ἀσμενέστατα ἕκαστοι στρατεύεσθαι ὑπ' αὐτῷ ἤθελον, οἱ μὲν ἐκτίνειν οἱ ἐθέλοντες παλαιὰς χάριτας, οἱ δὲ καραδοκοῦντες, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, μεγάλων ἀγαθῶν παρ' 8.26.17 αὐτοῦ τεύξεσθαι. μάλιστα δὲ αὐτῷ Ἔρουλοί τε καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι βάρβαροι εὐνοϊκῶς εἶχον, διαφερόντως πρὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εὖ πεπονθότες. 8.26.18 Ἐπειδὴ δὲ Βενετίων ὡς ἀγχοτάτω ἐγένοντο, παρὰ τῶν Φράγγων τοὺς ἡγεμόνας, οἳ τῶν ἐκείνῃ φυλακτηρίων ἦρχον, ἄγγελον στείλας ᾐτεῖτο τὴν δίοδον σφίσιν ἅτε 8.26.19 φίλοις οὖσι παρέχεσθαι. οἱ δὲ τοῦτο Ναρσῇ ἐπιτρέψειν οὐδεμιᾷ μηχανῇ ἔφασαν, ἐς μὲν τὸ ἐμφανὲς τὴν αἰτίαν οὐκ ἐξενεγκόντες, ἀλλ', ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα κατακρυψάμενοι, τοῦ Φράγγων ἕνεκα ξυμφόρου ἢ τῆς ἐς τοὺς Γότθους εὐνοίας τὴν