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to stir up a war, which had been stopped with much toil and time, against both the Romans and the Lombards, he still 8.27.26 wished. Later, however, he devised the following. Sending to Audoin, he demanded Ustrogothus, the son of Elemund, embarking on a similar crime himself, and urging an exchange in the betrayal of the suppliants. 8.27.27 For by their hesitation at the similar outrageousness, he expected to check their demand, but Audoin said that he would accept it with the illegality and the agreement without any 8.27.28 delay. And when this had been decided by them, knowing well that neither the Lombards nor the Gepids were willing to share the pollution with them, they indeed did nothing openly, but each killed the enemy of the other by treachery. 8.27.29 In what manner, however, I forbear to say. For the accounts concerning them do not agree with each other, but differ greatly, as is the case with the most secret of affairs. So the story of Ildigisal and Ustrogothus ended in this way. 8.28.1 And Narses and his men, upon arriving at the city of Ravenna, were joined by the generals Valerian and Justin, and whatever other Roman army 8.28.2 had been left there. But when a period of nine days had been spent by them in Ravenna, Usdrilas, a Goth, exceptionally good in matters of war, commander of the garrison in Ariminum, wrote the following to Valerian: "Having seized everything "by rumors, and already holding all "Italy with your phantoms, and putting on airs beyond "human measure, and in this way terrifying the Goths, as you suppose, "do you then sit now in Ravenna, "hidden away so as to be least visible to the enemy, I think, "still guarding this proud spirit, while with a motley "crowd of barbarians you wear down a land which in no way belongs to you? 8.28.3 "But rise up as quickly as possible and for the future "take up the works of war, and show "yourselves to the Goths, and do not keep us in suspense with longer 8.28.4 "hopes, we who have long been awaiting the spectacle." "The letter indicated so much. And when Narses saw this brought to him, laughing at the arrogance of the Goths, he immediately prepared the whole army for departure, leaving a guard with Justin in Ravenna. 8.28.5 And having come very near the city of Ariminum, they found the passage from there was not easy for them, since the Goths had destroyed the bridge there not long before. 8.28.6 For the river that flows by Ariminum is barely crossable by a single unarmed man going on foot over the bridge with much toil and hardship, and this with no one harassing or blocking the passage; but for a multitude of men, and especially those who are armed, and particularly with enemies resisting, it is impossible to get across there 8.27.7 in any way. Therefore Narses, having come to the place of the bridge with a few men, being at a loss for a long time, was considering from where 8.28.8 he might ever find some way through the difficulty. And to this place Usdrilas also came, bringing some horsemen with him, lest any of the things being done escape his notice. But one of Narses' followers, drawing his bow, shot at them, 8.28.9 and hitting one of the horses, killed it immediately. And Usdrilas' men at that time quickly departed from there and got inside the circuit-wall, but immediately bringing up others of their most warlike men, they rushed against them through another gate, so as to fall upon them unexpectedly and kill Narses right 8.28.10 away. For he had already arrived on the other side of the river, searching for a crossing for the army. But some of the Heruli, meeting them there by some chance, killed Usdrilas, and when he was recognized for who he was by a Roman soldier, they cut off his head, came to the Roman camp, and by showing it to Narses, encouraged everyone with their zeal, concluding from what had happened that the powers of God were hostile to the Goths; for while they had laid an ambush for the enemy's general, they themselves, not by any plot or forethought, had been suddenly deprived of their own commander. 8.28.11 But Narses, although Usdrilas had fallen, who of the in

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ἀνακυκλεῖν πόλεμον, πόνῳ τε καὶ χρόνῳ πεπαυμένον πολλῷ, πρός τε Ῥωμαίους καὶ Λαγγοβάρδας ἔτι 8.27.26 ἤθελεν. ὕστερον μέντοι ἐπενόει τάδε. πέμψας παρὰ τὸν Αὐδουὶν ἐξῃτεῖτο τὸν Ἐλεμούνδου υἱὸν Οὐστρίγοτθον, ἐπὶ τὴν ὁμοίαν αὐτῷ ἁμαρτάδα ὁρμῶν, τῶν τε ἱκετῶν ἀνταλλάσσεσθαι τὴν προδοσίαν παρακαλῶν. 8.27.27 τῇ γὰρ τῆς ἐμφεροῦς ἀτοπίας ὀκνήσει τὴν ἐπίταξιν αὐτῶν ἀναχαιτίσειν εἶχεν, ἀλλ' Αὐδουὶν αὐτὸν μηδεμιᾷ 8.27.28 μελλήσει τῇ παρανομίᾳ καὶ ὁμολογίᾳ λήψεσθαι. τούτων τε αὐτοῖς δεδογμένων ἐξεπιστάμενοι ὡς οὔτε Λαγγοβάρδαι οὔτε Γήπαιδες ἐθέλουσι τοῦ μιάσματος μεταλαχεῖν σφίσιν, ἐς μὲν οὖν τὸ ἐμφανὲς οὐδὲν ἔδρασαν, ἑκάτερος δὲ δόλῳ τὸν θατέρου ἐχθρὸν ἔκτει8.27.29 νεν. ὅντινα μέντοι τρόπον, ἀφίημι λέγειν. οὐ γὰρ ὁμολογοῦσιν ἀλλήλοις οἱ ἀμφ' αὐτοῖν λόγοι, ἀλλὰ κατὰ πολὺ διαλλάσσουσιν οἷά γε τῶν πραγμάτων τὰ λαθραιότατα. τὰ μὲν οὖν κατὰ Ἰλδιγισὰλ καὶ Οὐστρίγοτθον ἐς τοῦτο ἐτελεύτα. 8.28.1 Τοῖς δὲ ἀμφὶ Ναρσῆν ἀφικομένοις ἐς Ῥάβενναν πόλιν ἀνεμίγνυντο Βαλεριανὸς καὶ Ἰουστῖνος οἱ στρατηγοὶ, καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο στράτευμα Ῥωμαίων 8.28.2 ταύτῃ ἐλέλειπτο. ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐννέα ἡμερῶν χρόνος ἐς Ῥάβενναν ἐτέτριπτο, Οὐσδρίλας, Γότθος ἀνὴρ, διαφερόντως ἀγαθὸς τὰ πολέμια, τοῦ ἐν Ἀριμίνῳ φυλακτηρίου ἄρχων, πρὸς Βαλεριανὸν ἔγραψε τάδε «Πάντα «ταῖς φήμαις καταλαβόντες, τοῖς τε φάσμασιν ἤδη ξύμ»πασαν Ἰταλίαν συσχόντες καὶ ὀφρυάσαντες οὐχ ὅσα «γε τὰ ἀνθρώπεια, ταύτῃ τε Γότθους, ὥσπερ οἴεσθε, «δεδιξάμενοι, εἶτα κάθησθε νῦν ἐν Ῥαβέννῃ τῷ μὲν «ἀποκεκρύφθαι ὡς ἥκιστα τοῖς πολεμίοις ἔνδηλοι, οἶμαι, «ξυμφρουροῦντες ἔτι τὸ φρόνημα τοῦτο, βαρβάρων «δὲ παμμίκτῳ ὁμίλῳ τὴν οὐδαμόθεν προσήκουσαν ὑμῖν 8.28.3 «κατατρίβοντες χώραν. ἀλλ' ἀνάστητε ὅτι τάχιστα καὶ «πολεμίων ἔργων τὸ λοιπὸν ἅπτεσθε, δείξατέ τε «ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς Γότθοις, μηδὲ ἀναρτήσητε μακροτέραις 8.28.4 «ἐλπίσιν ἡμᾶς, προσδεχομένους ἐκ παλαιοῦ τὸ θέα»μα.» ἡ μὲν γραφὴ τοσαῦτα ἐδήλου. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ταῦτα Ναρσῆς ἀπενεχθέντα εἶδε, Γότθων τῆς ἀλαζονείας γελάσας, καθίστατο εὐθὺς παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἐς τὴν ἔξοδον, φρουρὰν ξὺν Ἰουστίνῳ ἐν Ῥαβέννῃ ἀπολιπών. 8.28.5 γενόμενοί τε πόλεως Ἀριμίνου ἄγχιστα, εὗρον οὐκ εὐπετῆ σφίσι τὸ ἐνθένδε τὴν δίοδον οὖσαν, Γότθων περιῃρηκότων τὴν ἐκείνῃ γέφυραν οὐ πολλῷ πρότερον. 8.28.6 ὁ γὰρ ποταμὸς ὁ τὴν Ἀρίμινον παραρρέων ἀνδρὶ μὲν ἀόπλῳ ἑνὶ πεζῇ ἰόντι μόλις διαβατὸς γίνεται διὰ τῆς γεφύρας πόνῳ τε καὶ ταλαιπωρίᾳ πολλῇ, καὶ ταῦτα μηδενὸς ἐνοχλοῦντος ἢ τὴν δίοδον ἀναστέλλοντος· πλήθει δὲ ἀνθρώπων καὶ διαφερόντως ἐξωπλισμένων, ἄλλως τε καὶ πολεμίων ἀντιστατούντων, τρόπῳ ὁτῳοῦν 8.28.7 ἐνταῦθα διαπορθμεύσασθαι ἀδύνατά ἐστι. διόπερ ὁ Ναρσῆς ἐν τῷ γεφύρας χώρῳ γενόμενος ξὺν ὀλίγοις τισὶν ἀπορούμενος ἐπὶ πλεῖστον διεσκοπεῖτο ὁπόθεν 8.28.8 ἄν ποτε πόρον τινὰ τῷ πράγματι εὕροι. οὗ δὴ καὶ Οὐσδρίλας τινὰς ἐπαγαγόμενος ἱππέων ἦλθε, μή τι τῶν πρασσομένων αὐτὸν διαλάθοι. τῶν δέ τις Ναρσῇ ἐπισπομένων τὸ τόξον ἐντείνας ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἔβαλλεν, 8.28.9 ἑνί τε τῶν ἵππων κατατυχὼν εὐθὺς ἔκτεινεν. οἵ τε ἀμφὶ τὸν Οὐσδρίλαν τότε μὲν ἐνθένδε κατὰ τάχος ἀπαλλαγέντες ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου ἐγένοντο, αὐτίκα δὲ καὶ ἄλλους ἐπαγαγόμενοι τῶν σφίσι μαχιμωτάτων διὰ πύλης ἑτέρας ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἵεντο, ὡς ἀπροσδόκητοί τε αὐτοῖς ἐπιπεσόντες καὶ τὸν Ναρσῆν διαχρησόμενοι 8.28.10 αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα. ἐπὶ θάτερα γὰρ τοῦ ποταμοῦ διερευνώμενος τῇ στρατιᾷ τὴν διάβασιν ἤδη ἀφῖκτο. ἀλλὰ τῶν τινες Ἐρούλων τύχῃ αὐτοῖς τινι ἐνταῦθα ὑπαντιάσαντες κτείνουσί τε τὸν Οὐσδρίλαν, καὶ ὅστις ποτὲ ἦν ἐπιγνωσθέντα παρὰ Ῥωμαίου ἀνδρὸς τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀφαιρούμενοι, ἐς τὸ Ῥωμαίων στρατόπεδον ἦλθον, καὶ Ναρσῇ ἐπιδείξαντες τῇ προθυμίᾳ ἐπέρρωσαν πάντας, τεκμηριουμένους τῷ ξυμβεβηκότι τὰ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ Γότθοις πολέμια εἶναι· οἵ γε τῶν πολεμίων τῷ στρατηγῷ ἐνεδρεύσαντες αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς ἢ προνοίας τινὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα σφῶν ἐξαπιναίως ἀφῄρηντο. 8.28.11 Ναρσῆς δὲ, καίπερ Οὐσδρίλα πεπτωκότος, ὃς τοῦ ἐν