Delphi complete works of.., p.401
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius, page 401
XVI
When the emperor learned this, he sent his nephew Germanus, a man of patrician rank, with some few men to Libya. And Symmachus also and Domnicus, men of the senate, followed him, the former to be prefect and charged with the maintenance of the army, while Domnicus was to command the infantry forces. For John, who had held the office of prefect, had already died of disease. And when they had sailed into Carthage, Germanus counted the soldiers whom they had, and upon looking over the books of the scribes where the names of all the soldiers were registered, he found that the third part of the army was in Carthage and the other cities, while all the rest were arrayed with the tyrant against the Romans. He did not, therefore, begin any fighting, but bestowed the greatest care upon his army. And considering that those left in Carthage were the kinsmen or tentmates of the enemy, he kept addressing many winning words to all, and in particular said that he had himself been sent by the emperor to Libya in order to defend the soldiers who had been wronged and to punish those who had unprovoked done them any injury. And when this was found out by the mutineers, they began to come over to him a few at a time. And Germanus both received them into the city in a friendly manner and, giving pledges, held them in honour, and he gave them their pay for the time during which they had been in arms against the Romans. And when the report of these acts was circulated and came to all, they began now to detach themselves in large numbers from the tyrant and to march to Carthage. Then at last Germanus, hoping that in the battle he would be evenly matched in strength with his opponents, began to make preparations for the conflict.
But in the meantime Stotzas, already perceiving the trouble, and fearing lest by the defection of still others of his soldiers the army should be reduced still more, was pressing for a decisive encounter immediately and trying to take hold of the war with more vigour. And since he had some hope regarding the soldiers in Carthage, that they would come over to him, and thought that they would readily desert if he came near them, he held out the hope to all his men; and after encouraging them exceedingly in this way, he advanced swiftly with his whole army against Carthage. And when he had come within thirty-five stades of the city, he made camp not far from the sea, and Germanus, after arming his whole army and arraying them for battle, marched forth. And when they were all outside the city, since he had heard what Stotzas was hoping for, he called together the whole army and spoke as follows:
“That there is nothing, fellow-soldiers, with which you can justly reproach the emperor, and no fault which you can find with what he has done to you, this, I think, no one of you all could deny; for it was he who took you as you came from the fields with your wallets and one small frock apiece and brought you together in Byzantium, and has caused you to be so powerful that the Roman state now depends upon you. And that he has not only been treated with wanton insult, but has also suffered the most dreadful of all things at your hands, you yourselves, doubtless, know full well. And desiring that you should preserve the memory of these things for ever, he has dismissed the accusations brought against you for your crimes, asking that this debt alone be due to him from you — shame for what you have done. It is reasonable, therefore, that you, being thus regarded by him, should learn anew the lesson of good faith and correct your former folly. For when repentance comes at the fitting time upon those who have done wrong, it is accustomed to make those who have been injured indulgent; and service which comes in season is wont to bring another name to those who have been called ungrateful.
“And it will be needful for you to know well this also, that if at the present time you shew yourselves completely loyal to the emperor, no remembrance will remain of what has gone before. For in the nature of things every course of action is characterized by men in accordance with its final outcome; and while a wrong which has once been committed can never be undone in all time, still, when it has been corrected by better deeds on the part of those who committed it, it receives the fitting reward of silence and generally comes to be forgotten. Moreover, if you act with any disregard of duty toward these accursed rascals at the present time, even though afterwards you fight through many wars in behalf of the Romans and often win the victory over the enemy, you will never again be regarded as having requited the emperor as you can requite him to-day. For those who win applause in the very matter of their former wrong-doing always gain for themselves a fairer apology. As regards the emperor, then, let each one of you reason in some such way. But as for me, I have not voluntarily done you any injustice, and I have displayed my good-will to you by all possible means, and now, facing this danger, I have decided to ask this much of you all: let no man advance with us against the enemy contrary to his judgement. But if anyone of you is already desirous of arraying himself with them, without delay let him go with his weapons to the enemy’s camp, granting us this one favour, that it be not stealthily, but openly, that he has decided to do us wrong. Indeed, it is for this reason that I am making my speech, not in Carthage, but after coming on the battle-field, in order that I might not be an obstacle to anyone who desires to desert to our opponents, since it is possible for all without danger to shew their disposition toward the state.” Thus spoke Germanus. And a great uproar ensued in the Roman army, for each one demanded the right to be the first to display to the general his loyalty to the emperor and to swear the most dread oaths in confirmation.
Χρόνον μὲν οὖν τινα ἑκάτεροι ἀλλήλοις ἀντικαθήμενοι ἔμενον. μετὰ δὲ οἱ στασιῶται οὐδὲν σφίσι προχωροῦν ἐνορῶντες ὧν προὔλεγε Στότζας, ἔδεισάν τε ἅτε τῆς ἐλπίδος παρὰ δόξαν ψευσθέντες, καὶ τὴν τάξιν διαλύσαντες ἀνεχώρησαν, ἔς τε Νουμίδας ἀπήλαυνον, οὗ δὴ αὐτοῖς αἵ τε γυναῖκες καὶ τὰ τῆς λείας χρήματα ἦσαν. [2] ἔνθα καὶ ὁ Γερμανὸς παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ οὐκ ἐς μακρὰν ἦλθε, τά τε ἄλλα παρεσκευασμένος ὡς ἄριστα καὶ ἁμάξας πολλὰς τῷ στρατοπέδῳ ἐπαγαγόμενος. [3] καταλαβών τε τοὺς ἐναντίους ἐν χωρίῳ ὃ δὴ Σκάλας Βέτερες καλοῦσι Ῥωμαῖοι, τὰ ἐς τὴν παράταξιν ἐξηρτύετο τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. [4] τὰς ἁμάξας μετωπηδὸν στήσας τοὺς πεζοὺς πάντας κατ̓ αὐτὰς ἔταξεν, ὧν Δόμνικος ἦρχεν, ὅπως τὰ νῶτα ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ ἔχοντες θαρσήσωσι μᾶλλον. [5] τῶν δὲ ἱππέων ἄνδρας τε ἀρίστους καὶ τοὺς ἐκ Βυζαντίου ξὺν αὐτῷ ἥκοντας αὐτὸς ἐν ἀριστερᾷ τῶν πεζῶν εἶχε, τοὺς δὲ ἄλλους ἅπαντας ἐς κέρας τὸ δεξιὸν οὐ ξυντεταγμένους, ἀλλὰ κατὰ λόχους τρεῖς μάλιστα ἔστησε. [6] καὶ αὐτῶν Ἰλδίγερ μὲν ἑνὸς ἡγεῖτο, ἑτέρου δὲ Θεόδωρος ὁ Καππαδόκης, τοῦ δὲ λειπομένου, μείζονος ὄντος, Ἰωάννης ὁ Πάππου ἀδελφός, τέταρτος αὐτός. οὕτω μὲν Ῥωμαῖοι ἐτάξαντο. [7] Οἱ δὲ στασιῶται ἀντίξοοι μὲν αὐτοῖς ἔστησαν, οὐκ ἐν κόσμῳ μέντοι ταξάμενοι, ἀλλὰ βαρβαρικώτερον ἐσκεδασμένοι. [8] εἵποντο δὲ αὐτοῖς οὐ μακρὰν ἄποθεν Μαυρουσίων μυριάδες πολλαί, ὧν ἄλλοι τε πολλοὶ καὶ Ἰαύδας καὶ Ὀρταΐας ἦρχον. [9] οὐ μέντοι ἅπαντες πιστοὶ τοῖς ἀμφὶ τὸν Στότζαν ἐτύγχανον ὄντες, ἀλλὰ πολλοὶ παρὰ Γερμανὸν πέμποντες πρότερον ὡμολόγουν, ἐπειδὰν ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ γένωνται, ξὺν τῷ βασιλέως στρατῷ ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους τετάξεσθαι. [10] οὐ μὴν αὐτοῖς πιστεύειν παντάπασιν ὁ Γερμανὸς εἶχεν, ἐπεὶ ἄπιστον φύσει τὸ Μαυρουσίων γένος ἐστὶν ἐς πάντας ἀνθρώπους. [11] διὸ δὴ οὐδὲ ξὺν τοῖς στασιώταις ἐτάξαντο, ἀλλ̓ ὄπισθεν ἔμενον, καραδοκοῦντες τὸ ἐσόμενον, ὅπως ξὺν τοῖς νικήσουσι καὶ αὐτοὶ τὴν δίωξιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἡσσημένους ποιήσωνται. [12] Μαυρούσιοι μὲν τοιαύτῃ γνώμῃ οὐκ ἀναμιγνύμενοι τοῖς στασιώταις ὄπισθεν εἵποντο. [13] Στότζας δὲ ἄγχιστά πη τῶν πολεμίων γενόμενος, ἐπειδὴ σημεῖον τὸ Γερμανοῦ εἶδε, τοῖς παροῦσιν ἐγκελευσάμενος ἐπ̓ αὐτὸν ᾔει. [14] Ἔρουλοι δὲ ὅσοι στασιῶται ἀμφ̓ αὐτὸν τεταγμένοι ἐτύγχανον, οὐδὲ εἵποντο, ἀλλὰ καὶ παντὶ σθένει ἐκώλυον, φάσκοντες οὐκ εἰδέναι μὲν τὴν Γερμανοῦ δύναμιν, ὁποία ποτέ ἐστιν, ἐξεπίστασθαι μέντοι ὡς οὐδαμῆ σφίσιν ἀνθέξουσιν ὅσοι ἐς κέρας τὸ δεξιὸν τῶν πολεμίων ἐτάξαντο. [15] ἢν μὲν οὖν ἐπ̓ ἐκείνους χωρήσαιεν, αὐτοί τε οὐχ ὑποστάντες ἐς φυγὴν τρέψονται καὶ τὸ ἄλλο στράτευμα, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, συνταράξουσιν: ἢν δέ γε σφᾶς ἀπωσάμενος Γερμανὸς τρέψηται, ἅπαντα σφίσι διαφθαρήσεται αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα τὰ πράγματα. [16] τούτοις ὁ Στότζας ἀναπεισθεὶς τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους τοῖς ἀμφὶ Γερμανὸν μάχεσθαι εἴασεν, αὐτὸς δὲ ξὺν τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἐπί τε Ἰωάννην καὶ τοὺς ξὺν αὐτῷ τεταγμένους ᾔει. [17] οἱ δὲ οὐχ ὑποστάντες κόσμῳ οὐδενὶ ἐς φυγὴν ὥρμηντο. οἵ τε στασιῶται πάντα μὲν τὰ σημεῖα αὐτῶν εὐθὺς ἔλαβον, φεύγοντας δὲ ἀνὰ κράτος ἐδίωκον, τινὲς δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς πεζοὺς ἤλαυνον, [18] ἤδη τε τὴν τάξιν ἐκλείπειν οἱ πεζοὶ ἤρξαντο. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Γερμανὸς αὐτός τε τὸ ξίφος σπασάμενος καὶ ἅπαν τὸ ταύτῃ στράτευμα ἐς τοῦτο ὁρμήσας, πόνῳ τε πολλῷ τοὺς κατ̓ αὐτὸν στασιώτας ἐτρέψατο καὶ δρόμῳ ἐπὶ τὸν Στότζαν ἐχώρησε. [19] τούτου δέ οἱ ἐνταῦθα τοῦ ἔργου καὶ τῶν ἀμφὶ Ἰλδίγερά τε καὶ Θεόδωρον ξυναραμένων, οὕτως ἀλλήλοις ἑκάτεροι ἀνεμίγνυντο, ὥστε διώκοντες οἱ στασιῶται τῶν τινας πολεμίων ὑφ̓ ἑτέρων καταλαμβανόμενοι ἔθνησκον. [20] τῆς τε ξυγχύσεως ἐπὶ μέγα χωρούσης οἱ μὲν ἀμφὶ Γερμανόν, ὄπισθεν ἰόντες, ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐνέκειντο, οἱ δὲ στασιῶται ἐς πολὺ δέος ἐμπεπτωκότες οὐκέτι ἐς ἀλκὴν ἔβλεπον. [21] ἔνδηλοι μέντοι οὐδέτεροι οὔτε σφίσιν αὐτοῖς οὔτε ἀλλήλοις ἐγίνοντο. μιᾷ τε γὰρ φωνῇ καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ τῶν ὅπλων σκευῇ οἱ πάντες ἐχρῶντο, οὔτε μορφῇ τινι οὔτε σχήματι οὔτε ἄλλῳ ὁτῳοῦν διαλλάσσοντες. [22] διὸ δὴ Γερμανοῦ γνώμῃ οἱ τοῦ βασιλέως στρατιῶται, ὅτου ἂν λάβοιντο, ἐπυνθάνοντο ὅστις ποτὲ εἴη: ἔπειτα, ἤν τις Γερμανοῦ στρατιώτης φήσειεν εἶναι, οὐκοῦν τὸ Γερμανοῦ ξύμβολον ἐκέλευον λέγειν, τοῦτο δὲ εἰπεῖν οὐδαμῆ ἔχοντα εὐθὺς ἔκτεινον. [23] ἐν τούτῳ τῷ πόνῳ τὸν Γερμανοῦ ἵππον τῶν τις πολεμίων λαθὼν ἔκτεινεν, αὐτός τε ὁ Γερμανὸς ἐς τὸ ἔδαφος ἐκπεσὼν ἐς κίνδυνον ἦλθεν, εἰ μὴ κατὰ τάχος οἱ δορυφόροι ἐσώσαντο, φραξάμενοί τε ἀμφ̓ αὐτὸν καὶ ἀναβιβάσαντες ἐφ̓ ἕτερον ἵππον. [24] Ὁ μὲν οὖν Στότζας ἐν τῷ θορύβῳ τούτῳ ξὺν ὀλίγοις τισὶ διαφυγεῖν ἴσχυσε. Γερμανὸς δὲ τοῖς ἀμφ̓ αὑτὸν ἐγκελευσάμενος εὐθὺ τοῦ τῶν πολεμίων στρατοπέδου ἐχώρησεν. [25] ἐνταῦθά οἱ τῶν στασιωτῶν ὑπηντίαζον ὅσοι τοῦ χαρακώματος ἐπὶ τῇ φυλακῇ ἐτετάχατο. [26] μάχης τε ἀμφὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ εἴσοδον καρτερᾶς γενομένης παῤ ὀλίγον μὲν οἱ στασιῶται ἦλθον τοὺς ἐναντίους ἀπώσασθαι, πέμψας δὲ ὁ Γερμανὸς τῶν οἱ ἑπομένων τινὰς κατ̓ ἄλλην ἀποπειρᾶσθαι χώραν τοῦ στρατοπέδου ἐκέλευεν. [27] οἳ δὴ οὐδενὸς ταύτῃ ἀμυνομένου ἐντὸς τοῦ χαρακώματος ξὺν βραχεῖ πόνῳ ἐγένοντο. [28] οἵ τε στασιῶται κατιδόντες αὐτοὺς ἐς φυγὴν ὥρμηντο, καὶ Γερμανὸς παντὶ τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ ἐσεπήδησεν εἰς τὸ τῶν πολεμίων στρατόπεδον. [29] ἐνταῦθα τὰ χρήματα οἱ στρατιῶται οὐδενὶ πόνῳ ἁρπάζοντες οὔτε τοὺς ἐναντίους ἐν λόγῳ ἐποιοῦντό τινι οὔτε τοῦ στρατηγοῦ ἐγκελευομένου ἔτι κατήκουον, παρόντων χρημάτων διὸ δὴ ὁ Γερμανός, [30] δείσας μὴ ξυμφρονήσαντες ὁ̣̣̓ πολέμιοι ἐπ̓ αὐτοὺς ἴωσιν, αὐτὸς ξὺν ὀλιγοις τισὶν ἐς τοῦ χαρακώματος τὴν εἴσοδον ἔστη, πολλά τε ὀλοφυρόμενος καὶ τοὺς οὐδὲν ἐπαΐοντας ἐς εὐκοσμίαν παρακαλῶν. [31] τῶν δὲ Μαυρουσίων πολλοὶ τῆς τροπῆς οὕτω γεγενημένης τούς τε στασιώτας ἐδίωκον ἤδη καὶ ξὺν τῷ βασιλέως στρατῷ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς τάξαντες ἐληίζοντο τὸ τῶν ἡσσημένων στρατόπεδον. [32] Στότζας δέ, κατ̓ ἀρχὰς μὲν ἐπὶ τῷ Μαυρουσίων στρατῷ τὸ θαρσεῖν ἔχων, ὡς ἀναμαχούμενος παῤ αὐτοὺς ἤλαυνεν. [33] αἰσθόμενος δὲ τῶν ποιουμένων, ξὺν ἑκατὸν ἀνδράσι διαφυγεῖν μόλις ἴσχυσεν. [34] αὖθις δὲ ἀμφ̓ αὐτὸν πολλοὶ ξυλλεγέντες ἐνεχείρησαν μὲν τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐς χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν, ἀποκρουσθέντες δὲ οὐδέν τι ἧσσον, εἰ μὴ καὶ μᾶλλον, Γερμανῷ ἅπαντες προσεχώρησαν. [35] μόνος δὲ ὁ Στότζας ξὺν Βανδίλοις ὀλίγοις τισὶν ἐς Μαυριτανοὺς ἀνεχώρησε, καὶ παῖδα τῶν τινος ἀρχόντων γυναῖκα λαβὼν αὐτοῦ ἔμεινε. καὶ ἡ μὲν στάσις αὕτη ἐς τοῦτο ἐτελεύτα.
