:LO =Qn THE LOEB CLASSICAL LIBRARY FOUNDED BY JAMES LOEB, LL.D. EDITED BY tT. E. PAGE, C.H., LITT.D. fE. CAPPS, PH.D., LL.D. tW. H. D. ROUSE, litt.d. L. A. POST, l.h.d. E. H. WARMINGTON, m.a., f.r.hlst.soc. PROCOPIUS IV PROCOPIUS WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY H. B. DEWING IN SEVEN VOLUMES IV HISTORY OF THE WARS, BOOKS VI {continued) and VII LONDON WILLIAM HEINEMANN LTD CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS MCMLXII First printed 1924 Reprinted 1954, 1962 Printed in Great Britain CONTENTS PAOK HISTORY OF THE WARS— BOOK VI.—THE GOTHIC WAR {contimied) .... 1 ROOK VII. — THE GOTHIC WAR (continued) .... 149 INDEX , 469 Map—Northern Italy At end PROCOPIUS OF CAESAREA HISTORY OF THE WARS: BOOK VI THE GOTHIC WAR {continued) nPOKOniOY KAI2APE122: TDEP THN nOAEMnN AOrOS EKTOS XVI BeXtcrdpio^ Se koI NapaPj'; ^vv dfxcporepoLf; (nparevixacFLV dWijXoa dve/xiyvvvTO d/jL(f)l ttoXlv ^ipjjiov, r) KeiTai fjuev irapd ^ rrjv ^)iova rod ^lovlov koXttov, dire^et Se Av^l/jlov TroXeo)? 7)/jLipa<; oBov. 2 ivravOa Be ^vv irdai to?? rov arparov dp')(^ovaiv iv ^ovXfj eTroLovvTo, ony irore a (plat irporepov 3 eVi Tou? 7ToXeiJLLou<; lovai fxaXXov ^vvoiaeL.'^ tjv T€ 'ydp eirl tou? ^Apljiivov TToXtopKOvvra^ X^PV~ aeiav, to 1)9 iv Av^i/x^p vTrooirrevov /jlt) Kara vootov l6vT€<; cr^a? re koI 'Fco/jLaLOV<; tou? ravrrj a)K7]' /jL€Vov<; TO, dvTjKecTTa, 0)9 TO e//co9, Bpdacoai, koI dfKpl T0t9 7ro\iopfcovfi€voi.<; iSeijuaivov firj rfj 4 diropia rwv dva^yKaiwv Betvov tl irdOwcnv. ol fjLev ovv irXelcTTot 'Icodvprj ;;^aX,e7rw9 e)^ovT€<i eVot- oifVTO Toi/? X6<yov<;. iireKuXovp ydp ol ore Opdaeu * iraph. K : inpi L. ' Ivvoiffii. Hoeschel : Iwoiaeiv MSS. PROCOPIUS OF CAESAREA HISTORY OF THE WARS : BOOK VI THE GOTHIC WAR {continued) XVI Belisarius and Narses came together with their two armies near the city of Firmum,i which lies on the shore of the Ionian Gulf, and is one day's journey distant from the city of Auximus. In that place they began to hold conferences with all the commanders of the army, considering at what par- ticular point it would be most to their advantage to make the first attack upon the enemy. For if, on the one hand, they should proceed against the forces besieging Ariminum, they suspected that the Goths in Auximus would in all probability, taking them in the rear, inflict irreparable harm both upon them and upon the Romans who lived in that region ; but, on the other hand, they were anxious concerning the besieged, dreading lest by reason of their lack of provisions they should suffer some great misfortune. Now the majority were hostile toward John, and made their accordingly speeches ; and the charge they brought against him was that he had been ^ Modem Fermo. PROCOPIUS OF CAESAREA r€ ako'yicrrw kol y^prjiiaTaiv ttoWwv epcori es Toaov Kivhvvov d(f)iKono, kol ovk iv rci^et ovBe ^ BeXtcrtt/9fo? i^yjyetTO iwv '^cl tov iroXe^xov irepai- 5 vecrdai. Napo-^? Be (fcal yap oi (f^LXraro'^ rjv 'l(i)dvvr}<:^ dvdpdi'TTwv dirdvTwv) Seiaa<; /jltj BeXt- adpio<^ TTpo*; ra rol^ dp')(^ovaiv elprj/iiva ivSov^ iv hevrepw ra iv 'Apc/jLiVfo Trpdy/jbara OP/tul eXefe roidSe' 6 "Ovk iv TOt? elcoOoai hLaXoyi^ecrOe, dvhpe^ dpxovre^, ovhk virep (op dv Ti? ecKorcof; ayLt^t- yvo7](T€i6 rrjv ^ovXrjV exere, aXV iv ot? irdpean Kul rot? e? TToXifjiov irelpav ovSefilav iXOovai rrjv aipecLV avTOcyehidi^ovcjiv eXeadai rd Kpeiaaw. 7 el fiev yap 6 re klvBvvo^ ev law elvai hoKsl KaX ^Xd^o<; eKarepcodev rot? ye aTTorvxovaiv avrl- iraXov, ^ovXeveadai re UavM^ d^iov kuI Xoyi,- (T/iwv €7rl irXelarov lovaiv ^ ovto) TroielcrOat rvjv 8 virep -Twv nrapovrtov Bidyvwaiv. r]p,el'^ he el pev rrjv €9 Av^i/u,ov TTpocr/SoXrjv e? dXXov rivd ^^/ooi^oi^ diToOeaOai ^ovXoipeOa, rrjv ^7)p,Lav iv roU dvay- KaioL<; ovSapw'i e^opev tl yap dv fiera^v rb htaXXdaaov eirj; iv 'hpip,iv(p Be, co? to etVo?, acjiaXevre^, el prj Xlav rriKpov elirelv rj, rrjv 9 'Vwpiaiwv la^yv KaraXvcropev. el p^ev ovv Icodv- vr)<; 6? ra? era? ivToXd^ v^piaev, dpiare l^eXto-dpie, TToXXrjv ye rrjv Blktjv e;^6t? Trap' ifcelvov Xapoav, iirei cot, Trdpeajt aco^eiv t€ tov iinaiKOTa Kai ' 'iwa.vvT)s K : om. L. ' lovtTiv K : -noiovciv L. : HISTORY OF THE WARS, VI. xvi. 4-9 moved by unreasoning daring and a desire to gain great sums of money to place himself in his present dangerous })Osition, and that he would not allow the operations of the war to be carried out in due order nor in the manner prescribed by Belisarius. But Narses, who loved John above all other men, beginning to be fearful lest Belisarius should give way to the words of the officers and treat the situa- tion at Ariminum as of secondary importance, spoke as follows " Fellow officers, you are not debating a question of the customary sort, nor are you holding this council regarding a situation about which one would naturally be in doubt, but in circumstances where it is possible even for those who have had no experience of war to make their choice offliand and in so doing to choose the better course. For if it seems to be true that each of these two alternatives offers to those who fail an equal degree of danger and evenly balanced possibilities of mischief, it is alto- gether worth while to deliberate and to go most thoroughly into the arguments, and only then to make our decision regarding the situation before us. But if we should wish to put off the assault upon Auximus to some other time, the penalty we shall suffer will involve in no way any vital interest of ours ; for what difference could arise during the interval ? But if we fail at Ariminum, we shall in all probability, if it is not too bitter a thing to say, shatter the strength of the Romans. Now if John treated your commands with insolence, most excellent Belisarius, the atonement you have already exacted from him is surely ample, since it is now in your power either to save him in his reverse or to abandon PROCOPIUS OF CAESAREA 10 TOt? TToXe/iLot-'; nrpoteaOai. aKoirei he fjbrj Ta<; TTOLvaf; (x)v Icodvvi]^ a'^/vorjaa<^ rjiiapre irapa ^aai- A,e&)? re koI ^'ijioyv \d^r)<;. el <ydp vvv \\pi,/xivov e^eXwai VotOol, arpaT'q'yov re avTo2<^ 'Fco/jiaLO)v BpaaryjpLov kol arpdrev/jLa oXov koI itoXlv Kari]- Koov ^aaiXel SopvdXcorov TreiroLrjaOai ^vfilSriaeTai. 11 Koi ovK dy^pi TovTov arrjcTeraL to heivov, dXXd Kal ^v/jL7racrav KaraarrjcraL rrjv rov iroXe/jLov Su- vrjaerai rv^ijv. ovrwal yap Xoyi^ov nrepl tmv iroXefiiwv, cb? irXrjOei fxev arparLcoTcov en kol vvv rj/nMV irapd ttoXvjTpoyXpvjIAK> ^'^ dvavhpiav he oh 7roXXd/CL<^ ia(f)dXy]aav e/jiTre'jrTcoKaaiv.^ elfcoTco^;' TO yap tt}? TV')(y]<; evavriwfia Trdaav avrcov ttjv 12 Trapprjaiav ucpeiXero. rjv tolvvv ev rw Trapovri evr]/jL€prj<Tcocn, to re (fypovrj/xa ovk e? fiaKpav dTToXijyjrovTaL Kal to Xolitov ovk ef dvTiirdXov fjLovov yj/jLiv tt}? roXfjurji^, dXXa Kal TroXXo) fiei^6vco<; 13 Toi' TToXefiov rovSe hioiaovaL. (^iXovai yap ol T(ov hvdKoXwv diraXXaaaoiJLevoi tmv ovttco heSva- tv')(iik6tcov dfieivovf; del Ta? yv(i)^a<; elvai'* Napcr?}? fiev roaavra elTre. 14 '^TpaTL(t)Tr)<; Be Tt? ef ^AptfiLvov XaOcov t(x)v ^ap/3dp(ov rr)v (pvXaKtjv^ e<? re rb (rrparoTreSov r)X6e Kal ^eXiaapiw ypdfxp.ara ehet^ev a tt/^o? 15 avrov ^l(odvvr)(; eypa^frev. ihtjXov he r) ypacprj rdhe' ""Airavra r)^d<; rd eTnrrjheia y^povov ttoX- Xov eiTiXeXoLTTevai Kal rb XoLirbv fiijre tt/jo? rbv hrjpiov dvreyeiv rifxd<; lcfOl /xtjre rov<i €7n6vra<i dfjLvvecrOaL o'lov<; re elvai, dXX! eirrd rj/xepMV aKOV- aLov<; rjfjLa^ re avrov^ Kal irbXiv rrjvhe rol<; iro- ^ i/jLTreiTTccKaaiy K : iKireTrrcoKaaiP L. ' rwu fiap^apuv t^v <pvXaKi]v K : tovs ^ap$apovs L 6 HISTORY OF THE WARS, VI. xvi. 9-15 him to the enemy. But see that you do not exact from the emperor and from us the penalty for mistakes committed by John through ignorance. For if the Goths capture Ariminum at the present juncture^ it will be their good fortune to have made captive a capable Roman general^ as well as a whole army and a city subject to the emperor. And the calamity will not stop witn this, Due it will also have such weight as to determine the fortune of the war in every field. For you should reason thus regarding the enemy, that they are still, even at the present time, far superior to us in the number of their soldiers, and they have lost their courage only because of the many reverses they have suffered. And this is natural ; for the adversity of fortune has taken away all their confidence. If, therefore, they meet with success at the present time, they will at no distant date recover their spirit and thereafter they will carry on this war with a boldness, not merely equal to ours, but actually much greater. For it is a way with tliose who are freeing themselves from a difficult situation always to have a better heart than those who have not yet met with disaster." Thus spoke Narses. At this time a soldier who had escaped from Ariminum by slipping through the guard of the barbarians came into the camp and shewed Belisarius a letter which John had written to him, conveying '' the following message : Know that for a long time all our provisions have been exhausted, that we are no longer able either to hold out against the populace or to ward off our assailants, and that within seven days we shall unwillingly surrender both ourselves 7 PROCOPIUS OF CAESAREA 16 X€/iLOi<; €y)(€ipi€LU' Trepairepo) yap /Sia^eaOai rrjv Trapouaav avdyKTjv ijKtara 6')(^0fiev, ^virep airoko- yelaOat vrrep rj/xayv, rjv ri ovk €vrrpe7re<i Bpdaco/iev, 17 d^L6)(pe(i)v ol/iac.^' 'lcodpvr)<; /jlep eypayjrev a)Be.