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who has withstood the one who fled8.30.17 will be in much greater safety still. And it is right to despise the throng of the "enemy, gathered from the greatest possible number of nations. For an "alliance collected from many places brings with it neither secure loyalty nor strength, "but, being rent by differences of race, it is divided 8.30.18 "and naturally also in its opinions. For do not suppose that Huns "and Lombards and Heruls, ever, hired for I know not how much "money, will risk their lives for them even to the point of death. 8.30.19 "For their life is not so worthless in their eyes that it should take second "place to silver among them, but I know well that while making a show "of fighting, they will straightway play the coward, either having "received their pay, or having fulfilled the command 8.30.20 "of their own leaders. For to men, even "things that seem most delightful, not to "speak of the things of war, if they are not done according to their own will, "but by compulsion or for hire or by some other constraint, "it will no longer happen that they are adjudged agreeable to them, "but because of the necessity they seem wretched. "Bearing these things in mind, let us go against the "enemy with all eagerness.” 8.31.1 So much, then, Totila also said. And the armies came together for battle and drew themselves up as follows. On both sides they all stood in a line, so as to make the front of the phalanx both very deep and very long. 8.31.2 And on the Roman side, Narses and John held the left wing near the hill, and with them was whatever was best in the Roman army; 8.31.3 for each of them was followed, apart from the other soldiers, by a multitude of bodyguards and shield-bearers and barbarian Huns, gathered from the best men; 8.31.4 and on the right, Valerian and John the Glutton with Dagisthaeus and all the rest of the Romans were stationed. 8.31.5 However, they placed about eight thousand foot-archers from the regular troops on both wings. And in the center of the phalanx Narses stationed the Lombards and the nation of the Heruls and all the other barbarians, having dismounted them from their horses and made them into infantry, so that if they should prove cowardly in the action or play the coward, as 8.31.6 might happen, they would not be too quick to retreat. But the end of the left wing of the Roman front Narses arranged at an angle, stationing fifteen hundred 8.31.7 horsemen there. And instructions had been given to the fifteen hundred, that as soon as it should happen that some of the Romans were routed, they should hasten to their assistance, and to the thousand, that whenever the enemy's foot-soldiers should begin the action, they should at once get behind them 8.31.8 and make them be attacked from two sides. And Totila also, in the same manner, drew up his whole army opposite the enemy. And going about his own battle-line he both encouraged the soldiers and urged them 8.31.9 to daring with his expression and his words. And Narses also was doing this same thing, raising aloft on spears bracelets and torques and golden bridles and displaying other things as incitements to eagerness for the danger. 8.31.10 For some time neither side began the battle, but both remained quiet, awaiting the attack of their opponents. 8.31.11 Afterwards one from the army of the Goths, Coccas by name, who had a great reputation for being energetic, rode out on his horse and came very near the Roman army, and challenged anyone who wished to come out against him for single combat. 8.31.12 This Coccas happened to be one of the Roman soldiers who had previously deserted to Totila. 8.31.13 And immediately one of the bodyguards of Narses stood against him, an Armenian by race, Anzalas 8.31.14 by name, he too mounted on a horse. Coccas then, charging first as if to strike the enemy with his spear, rushed on, 8.31.15 aiming at his belly. But Anzalas, suddenly swerving his horse, caused him to fail in his own charge. And in this way, getting to the flank of the enemy, into his left 8.31.16 side the spear

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ὑποστὰς τοῦ φυγόν8.30.17 «τος πολλῷ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ ἔσται. τοῦ δὲ τῶν «πολεμίων ὁμίλου ὑπερφρονεῖν ἄξιον, ἐξ ἐθνῶν ξυνει»λεγμένων ὅτι μάλιστα πλείστων. ξυμμαχία γὰρ πολλα»χόθεν ἐρανισθεῖσα οὔτε τὴν πίστιν οὔτε τὴν δύναμιν «ἀσφαλῆ φέρεται, ἀλλὰ σχιζομένη τοῖς γένεσι μερίζεται 8.30.18 «καὶ ταῖς γνώμαις εἰκότως. μηδὲ γὰρ οἴεσθε Οὔννους «τε καὶ Λαγγοβάρδας καὶ Ἐρούλους ποτὲ, χρημάτων «αὐτοῖς μεμισθωμένους οὐκ οἶδα ὁπόσων, προκινδυνεύ8.30.19 «σειν αὐτῶν ἄχρι ἐς θάνατον. οὐ γὰρ οὕτως αὐτοῖς ἡ «ψυχὴ ἄτιμος ὥστε καὶ ἀργυρίου τὰ δευτερεῖα παρ' αὐτοῖς «φέρεσθαι, ἀλλ' εὖ οἶδα ὡς μάχεσθαι τὰ ἐς τὴν ὄψιν «ποιούμενοι ἐθελοκακήσουσιν αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα, ἢ κεκο»μισμένοι τὴν μίσθωσιν, ἢ τὴν ἐπίταξιν ὑποτετελεκότες 8.30.20 «τῶν ἐν σφίσιν ἀρχόντων. τοῖς γὰρ ἀνθρώποις καὶ «τὰ τῶν πραγμάτων τερπνότατα δοκοῦντα εἶναι μὴ «ὅτι πολέμια, ἢν μὴ κατὰ γνώμην αὐτοῖς πράσσηται, «ἀλλὰ βιασθεῖσιν ἢ μισθαρνήσασιν ἢ ἄλλῳ τῳ ἀναγκα»σθεῖσιν, οὐκέτι αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ τὸ καταθύμιον ἀποκεκρί»σθαι ξυμβήσεται, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἀναγκαίῳ μοχθηρὰ φαίνεται. «ὧν ἐνθυμηθέντες προθυμίᾳ τῇ πάσῃ ὁμόσε τοῖς πο»λεμίοις χωρήσωμεν.» 8.31.1 Τοσαῦτα μὲν οὖν καὶ ὁ Τουτίλας εἶπε. τὰ δὲ στρατεύματα ἐς μάχην ξυνῄει καὶ ἐτάξαντο ὧδε. μετωπηδὸν μὲν ἀμφοτέρωθεν ἅπαντες ἔστησαν, ὡς βαθύτατόν τε καὶ περίμηκες τῆς φάλαγγος τὸ μέτωπον 8.31.2 ποιησόμενοι. τῶν δὲ Ῥωμαίων κέρας μὲν τὸ ἀριστερὸν Ναρσῆς τε καὶ Ἰωάννης ἀμφὶ τὸ γεώλοφον εἶχον καὶ ξὺν αὐτοῖς εἴ τι ἄριστον ἐν τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ 8.31.3 ἐτύγχανεν ὄν· ἑκατέρῳ γὰρ τῶν ἄλλων χωρὶς στρατιωτῶν, δορυφόρων τε καὶ ὑπασπιστῶν καὶ βαρβάρων Οὔννων εἵπετο πλῆθος ἀριστίνδην συνειλεγμένων· 8.31.4 κατὰ δὲ δεξιὸν Βαλεριανός τε καὶ Ἰωάννης ὁ Φαγᾶς σὺν τῷ ∆αγισθαίῳ καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι Ῥωμαῖοι ἐτάξαντο 8.31.5 πάντες. πεζοὺς μέντοι τοξότας ἐκ τῶν καταλόγου στρατιωτῶν ὀκτακισχιλίους μάλιστα ἔστησαν ἐς ἄμφω τὰ κέρα. κατὰ δὲ τὰ μέσα τῆς φάλαγγος τούς τε Λαγγοβάρδας καὶ τὸ Ἐρούλων ἔθνος καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἄλλους βαρβάρους ὁ Ναρσῆς ἔταξεν, ἔκ τε τῶν ἵππων ἀποβιβάσας καὶ πεζοὺς εἶναι καταστησάμενος, ὅπως ἂν μὴ κακοὶ ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ γενόμενοι ἢ ἐθελοκακοῦντες, ἂν 8.31.6 οὕτω τύχῃ, ἐς ὑπαγωγὴν ὀξύτεροι εἶεν. τὸ μέντοι πέρας κέρως τοῦ εὐωνύμου τῶν Ῥωμαίων μετώπου Ναρσῆς ἐγγώνιον κατεστήσατο, πεντακοσίους τε καὶ 8.31.7 χιλίους ἱππεῖς ἐνταῦθα στήσας. προείρητο δὲ τοῖς μὲν πεντακοσίοις τε καὶ χιλίοις, ἐπειδὰν τάχιστα τῶν Ῥωμαίων τισὶ τραπῆναι ξυμβαίη, ἐπιβοηθεῖν αὐτοῖς ἐν σπουδῇ, τοῖς δὲ χιλίοις, ὁπηνίκα οἱ τῶν πολεμίων πεζοὶ ἔργου ἄρχωνται, κατόπισθέν τε αὐτῶν αὐτίκα 8.31.8 γενέσθαι καὶ ἀμφιβόλους ποιήσασθαι. καὶ ὁ Τουτίλας δὲ τρόπῳ τῷ αὐτῷ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀντίαν τὴν στρατιὰν ξύμπασαν ἔστησε. καὶ περιιὼν τὴν οἰκείαν παράταξιν τοὺς στρατιώτας παρεθράσυνέ τε καὶ παρεκάλει 8.31.9 ἐς εὐτολμίαν προσώπῳ καὶ λόγῳ. καὶ ὁ Ναρσῆς δὲ ταὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐποίει, ψέλλιά τε καὶ στρεπτοὺς καὶ χαλινοὺς χρυσοῦς ἐπὶ κοντῶν μετεωρίσας καὶ ἄλλα ἄττα τῆς ἐς τὸν κίνδυνον προθυμίας ὑπεκκαύματα ἐνδεικ8.31.10 νύμενος. χρόνον δέ τινα μάχης οὐδέτεροι ἦρχον, ἀλλ' ἡσυχῆ ἀμφότεροι ἔμενον, προσδεχόμενοι τὴν τῶν ἐναντίων ἐπίθεσιν. 8.31.11 Μετὰ δὲ εἷς ἐκ τοῦ Γότθων στρατοῦ, Κόκκας ὄνομα, δόξαν ἐπὶ τῷ δραστηρίῳ διαρκῶς ἔχων, τὸν ἵππον ἐξελάσας, ἄγχιστα ἦλθε τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ, προὐκαλεῖτό τε, εἴ τίς οἱ βούλοιτο πρὸς μονομαχίαν ἐπεξ8.31.12 ιέναι. ὁ δὲ Κόκκας οὗτος εἷς τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν ἐτύγχανεν ὢν τῶν παρὰ Τουτίλαν ἀπηυτο8.31.13 μοληκότων τὰ πρότερα. καί οἱ αὐτίκα τῶν τις Ναρσοῦ δορυφόρων ἀντίος ἔστη, Ἀρμένιος γένος, Ἀνζαλᾶς 8.31.14 ὄνομα, καὶ αὐτὸς ἵππῳ ὀχούμενος. ὁ μὲν οὖν Κόκκας ὁρμήσας πρῶτος ὡς τῷ δόρατι παίσων ἐπὶ τὸν πολέ8.31.15 μιον ἵετο, καταστοχαζόμενος τῆς ἐκείνου γαστρός. ὁ δ' Ἀνζαλᾶς ἐξαπιναίως τὸν ἵππον ἐκκλίνας ἀνόνητον αὐτὸν κατεστήσατο γενέσθαι τῆς οἰκείας ὁρμῆς. ταύτῃ τε αὐτὸς ἐκ πλαγίου τοῦ πολεμίου γενόμενος ἐς πλευρὰν 8.31.16 αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀριστερὰν τὸ δόρυ