392

to be established. Therefore, by most constantly calling upon Him in prayer for an alliance, seek with great contempt the victory over these very brigands, who, being from the beginning slaves of the great king and having become runaways, and having set up for themselves some common tyrant from the rabble, have for some time 8.30.3 been able to throw the Roman empire into confusion by their thievery. And yet, no one would have suspected that these men, if they considered what is likely, would even now be drawing up in battle line against us. 8.30.4 But they, with some irrational and death-dealing audacity and displaying a mad recklessness, dare to take upon themselves a death that is manifest to them, not holding before them the good hope, nor expecting what may come to them from the unexpected and the paradoxical, but are being led explicitly by God to the penalties for their deeds. For those who have been condemned from above to suffer something, proceed to their 8.30.5 punishments of their own accord. And apart from these things, you, for your part, are entering this engagement as champions of a well-ordered state, while they are revolutionaries, fighting against the laws, not expecting to hand down any of their possessions to any successors, but knowing well that all things will perish with them, and they live with a hope that lasts but a day. So they are most 8.30.6 worthy of being despised. For from those not constituted by law and a good state, all virtue is absent, and victory, as is likely, has been decided, since it is not accustomed 8.30.7 to oppose virtues.» Such was the exhortation Narses made. And Totila, seeing his followers astonished at the Roman army, called them all together and he himself said these things: «About to make a final exhortation to you, I have gathered you here, fellow 8.30.8 soldiers. For, I think, there will be no more need of another exhortation after this engagement, but it will surely come to pass that the war has been decided in a single 8.30.9 day. For it has so happened that both we and the emperor Justinian have been exhausted and stripped of all our forces, having been engaged with toils and battles and hardships for a very great length of time, and have grown weary of the necessities of war, so that, if in the present engagement we overcome the enemy, they will have no way at all to retreat hereafter, but if we should stumble at all in this battle, no hope will be left for the Goths to fight again, but the defeat will provide a plausible pretext for both sides for peace 8.30.10 sufficiently. For men, despairing of the worst situations, no longer dare to return to them, but even if need perhaps strongly impels them toward these things, they are held back in their minds, their souls being terrified by the memory of their misfortunes. 8.30.11 Having heard so much, O men, be brave with all your strength, putting aside the virtue of your spirit for no other time, and toil with all your might, not sparing your body for another 8.30.12 danger. And let there be no sparing on your part of weapons and horses, as they will no longer be useful to you. For fortune, having worn down everything else before, has preserved the head of hope alone for this 8.30.13 day. Therefore, practice courage and prepare yourselves for boldness. For to whom hope stands on a hair's breadth, as it does for you now, it will not be advantageous to fall back even for the slightest 8.30.14 turn of time. For when the height of the opportunity has passed, effort hereafter becomes useless, even if it be exceedingly great, since the nature of things does not admit a stale virtue, because when the need has passed, the things that follow must be out of season. 8.30.15 I think, therefore, it befits you most opportunely to take the struggle in hand, as you may be able, and to make use of the good things that come from it. And know well that in the present circumstances flight becomes especially 8.30.16 worthy of destruction. For men flee, having left the ranks, for no other reason than that they may live; but if flight is about to bring on a manifest death, he who the danger

392

καθίστασθαι. εὐχῇ τοίνυν αὐτὸν ἐνδε»λεχέστατα ἐς ξυμμαχίαν ἐπαγόμενοι πολλῷ τῷ κατα»φρονήματι ἐπὶ τούτων δὴ τῶν λῃστῶν τὴν ἐπικράτησιν «ἵεσθε, οἵ γε δοῦλοι βασιλέως τοῦ μεγάλου τὸ ἐξ «ἀρχῆς ὄντες καὶ δραπέται γεγενημένοι τύραννόν τε «αὑτοῖς ἀγελαῖόν τινα ἐκ τοῦ συρφετοῦ προστησάμενοι «ἐπικλοπώτερον συνταράξαι τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν ἐπὶ 8.30.3 «καιροῦ τινος ἴσχυσαν. καίτοι τούτους γε ἡμῖν οὐδὲ «ἀντιπαρατάσσεσθαι νῦν τὰ εἰκότα λογιζομένους ὑπώ8.30.4 «πτευσεν ἄν τις. οἱ δὲ θράσει θανατῶντες ἀλογίστῳ «τινὶ καὶ μανιώδη προπέτειαν ἐνδεικνύμενοι προὖπτον «αὐτοῖς θάνατον ἀναιρεῖσθαι τολμῶσιν, οὐ προβεβλη»μένοι τὴν ἀγαθὴν ἐλπίδα, οὐδὲ τί ἐπιγενήσεται σφί»σιν αὐτοῖς ἐκ τοῦ παραλόγου καὶ τοῦ παραδόξου «καραδοκοῦντες, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τοῦ θεοῦ διαρρήδην ἐπὶ «τὰς ποινὰς τῶν πεπολιτευμένων ἀγόμενοι. ὧν γὰρ «ἄνωθέν τι κατεγνώσθη παθεῖν, χωροῦσιν ἐπὶ τὰς 8.30.5 «τιμωρίας αὐτόματοι. χωρὶς δὲ τούτων ὑμεῖς μὲν πο»λιτείας εὐνόμου προκινδυνεύοντες καθίστασθε εἰς «ξυμβολὴν τήνδε, οἱ δὲ νεωτερίζουσιν ἐπὶ τοῖς νόμοις «ζυγομαχοῦντες, οὐ παραπέμψειν τι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων «ἐς διαδόχους προσδοκῶντές τινας, ἀλλ' εὖ εἰδότες «ὡς συναπολεῖται αὐτοῖς ἅπαντα καὶ μετ' ἐφημέρου «βιοτεύουσι τῆς ἐλπίδος. ὥστε καταφρονεῖσθαι τὰ 8.30.6 «μάλιστά εἰσιν ἄξιοι. τῶν γὰρ οὐ νόμῳ καὶ ἀγαθῇ «πολιτείᾳ ξυνισταμένων ἀπολέλειπται μὲν ἀρετὴ πᾶσα, «διακέκριται δὲ, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, ἡ νίκη, οὐκ εἰωθυῖα 8.30.7 «ταῖς ἀρεταῖς ἀντιτάσσεσθαι.» τοιαύτην μὲν ὁ Ναρσῆς τὴν παρακέλευσιν ἐποιήσατο. καὶ Τουτίλας δὲ τεθηπότας τὴν Ῥωμαίων στρατιὰν τούς οἱ ἑπομένους ὁρῶν ξυγκαλέσας καὶ αὐτὸς ἅπαντας ἔλεξε τάδε «Ὑστάτην «ὑμῖν παραίνεσιν ποιησόμενος ἐνταῦθα ὑμᾶς, ἄνδρες 8.30.8 «ξυστρατιῶται, ξυνήγαγον. ἄλλης γὰρ, οἶμαι, παρα»κελεύσεως μετὰ τήνδε τὴν ξυμβολὴν οὐκέτι δεήσει, «ἀλλὰ τὸν πόλεμον ἐς ἡμέραν μίαν ἀποκεκρίσθαι ξυμ8.30.9 «βήσεται πάντως. οὕτω γὰρ ἡμᾶς τε καὶ βασιλέα «Ἰουστινιανὸν ἐκνενευρίσθαι τετύχηκε καὶ περιῃρῆ»σθαι δυνάμεις ἁπάσας, πόνοις τε καὶ μάχαις καὶ τα»λαιπωρίαις ὡμιληκότας ἐπὶ χρόνου παμμέγεθες μῆκος, «ἀπειρηκέναι τε πρὸς τὰς τοῦ πολέμου ἀνάγκας, ὥστε, «ἢν τῇ ξυμβολῇ τῇ νῦν τῶν ἐναντίων περιεσόμεθα, «οὐδαμῶς ἀναποδιεῖν τὸ λοιπὸν ἕξουσιν, ἢν δὲ ἡμεῖς «τι προσπταίσωμεν ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ μάχῃ, ἐλπὶς οὐδεμία «εἰς τὸ ἀναμαχήσεσθαι λελείψεται Γότθοις, ἀλλὰ τὴν «ἧσσαν ἑκατέροις σκῆψιν ἐς τὴν ἡσυχίαν εὐπρόσωπον 8.30.10 «διαρκῶς ἕξομεν. ἀπολέγοντες γὰρ ἄνθρωποι πρὸς «τῶν πραγμάτων τὰ πονηρότατα ἐς αὐτὰ ἐπανιέναι «οὐκέτι τολμῶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα ἴσως διωθουμένης «αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ ταῦτα τῆς χρείας ταῖς γνώμαις ἀναχαιτί»ζονται, δεδισσομένης αὐτοῖς τὰς ψυχὰς τῆς τῶν κακῶν 8.30.11 «μνήμης. τοσαῦτα, ὦ ἄνδρες, ἀκηκοότες ἀνδραγαθίζε»σθε μὲν τῷ παντὶ σθένει, μηδεμίαν ἐς ἄλλον τινὰ «χρόνον ἀποτιθέμενοι τῆς ψυχῆς ἀρετὴν, ταλαιπωρεῖσθε «δὲ ἀλκῇ τῇ πάσῃ, μηδὲ τὸ σῶμα ταμιευόμενοι ἐς κίν8.30.12 «δυνον ἄλλον. ὅπλων δὲ ὑμῖν γινέσθω καὶ ἵππων «μηδεμία φειδὼ, ὡς οὐκέτι χρησίμων ἐσομένων ὑμῖν. «ἅπαντα γὰρ προκατατρίψασα τὰ ἄλλα ἡ τύχη, μόνην «τῆς ἐλπίδος τὴν κεφαλὴν εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν ἐφύλαξε 8.30.13 «ταύτην. τὴν εὐψυχίαν τοίνυν ἀσκεῖτε καὶ πρὸς εὐτολ»μίαν παρασκευάζεσθε. οἷς γὰρ ἐπὶ τριχὸς ἡ ἐλπὶς, «ὥσπερ τανῦν ὑμῖν, ἕστηκεν, οὐδὲ χρόνου τινὰ βραχυ8.30.14 «τάτην ῥοπὴν ἀναπεπτωκέναι ξυνοίσει. παρεληλυθυίας 8.30.14 «γὰρ τῆς ἀκμῆς τοῦ καιροῦ ἀνόνητος ἡ σπουδὴ τὸ «λοιπὸν γίνεται, κἂν διαφερόντως ὑπέρογκος ᾖ, οὐκ «ἐνδεχομένης τῶν πραγμάτων τῆς φύσεως ἀρετὴν «ἕωλον, ἐπεὶ παρελθούσης τῆς χρείας ἔξωρα καὶ τὰ 8.30.15 «ἐπιγινόμενα ἐπάναγκες εἶναι. οἶμαι τοίνυν προσή»κειν ὑμᾶς ἐπικαιριώτατα ἐνεργολαβεῖν τὴν ἀγώνι»σιν, ὡς ἂν δυνήσεσθε, καὶ τοῖς ἀπ' αὐτῆς ἀγαθοῖς «χρῆσθαι. ἐξεπίστασθέ τε ὡς ἐν τῷ παρόντι ὡς 8.30.16 «ἀξιώλεθρος μάλιστα ἡ φυγὴ γίνεται. φεύγουσι γὰρ «ἄνθρωποι λιπόντες τὴν τάξιν οὐκ ἄλλου τοῦ ἕνεκα «ἢ ὅπως βιώσονται· ἢν δὲ θάνατον ἡ φυγὴ προὖπτον «ἐπάγεσθαι μέλλῃ, ὁ τὸν κίνδυνον