Delphi complete works of.., p.462
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius, page 462
XXIV
As time went on and the barbarians saw that their supply of food was coming to be exceedingly scant, they purposed to report their situation to Vittigis. And since no one of them dared set out on this mission (for they thought that they would never elude their besiegers), they devised the following plan. They first put in readiness the men whom they were intending to send to Vittigis, and then waited for a moonless night; when this came they put a letter into their hands, when it was well on in the night, and thereupon all raised a mighty shout at many parts of the circuit-wall. One would have supposed that they had been thrown into confusion owing to a violent attack of the enemy and an unexpected capture of the city. And the Romans, utterly unable to understand what was taking place, by the will of Belisarius remained quietly in the camps, suspecting that some stratagem would be carried out from the city and that an army from Ravenna bringing assistance to the enemy had come against them. And moved as they were by these fears, they thought it better for them to remain quietly in a secure position and thus save themselves than to go on a moonless night into a danger which could, in a way, be foreseen. By such means, therefore, the barbarians concealed their plan from the enemy and despatched the men on the way to Ravenna. And they, without being seen by a single one of the enemy, came before Vittigis on the third day and displayed the letter. And the writing was as follows: “When you appointed us, O King, for the garrison of Auximus, you said that you had placed in our keeping the keys of Ravenna itself and of your kingdom. And for this very reason you enjoined upon us to be on guard with every fibre of our being, that we should not by any act of ours betray the power of the Goths to the enemy, and you declared that, if we craved your assistance, you would be at hand with the whole army even before any messenger could announce your coming. Now as for us, we have, up to the present time, though fighting both with famine and with Belisarius, proved ourselves faithful guardians of your kingdom, but you have seen fit to aid us in no way whatsoever. You must consider, therefore, whether the Romans may not one day capture Auximus and take up the keys which you yourself are disregarding as they lie here, and thereby be excluded in future from none of your possessions.” Such was the purport of the letter.
When it was brought to Vittigis and he saw it, he did at the moment send the men away with the promise that he would bring assistance to Auximus with the whole army of the Goths; but later, after long consideration, he continued to remain inactive. For, on the one hand, he suspected that the troops of John would follow up his rear and thus make him exposed to attack on two sides, and, on the other, he thought that Belisarius had with him a numerous force of able fighting men; consequently he fell into a sort of helpless fear. But chief among the many causes of his concern was the famine, which disturbed him greatly, since he had no source from which to provide supplies for his army. For the Romans, on the one hand, being as they were masters of the sea and holding the fortress in Ancon, brought all their supplies from Sicily and Calabria and stored them in that place, and, at the proper time, easily got them from there. The Goths, on the other hand, if they marched into the land of Picenum, would have no means of securing provisions; this he fully realized, and so he found himself completely at a loss. So the men who had lately been sent to Vittigis from Auximus brought back his promise to the city without being detected by their enemy, and thus fortified the barbarians there with empty hopes. And Belisarius, upon hearing this from the deserters, ordered that a still stricter guard should be kept in order that no such thing might happen again. Such was the course of these events.
Meanwhile the troops of Cyprian and Justinus who were besieging Fisula were quite unable to make an assault upon the fortifications or even to get very close to them; for this fortress was difficult of access on every side. But the barbarians made frequent sallies against them, wishing rather to reach a decision by battle with the Romans than to be hard pressed by lack of provisions; and the engagements at first, indeed, proved indecisive, but after a time the Romans, now having the advantage, shut the enemy up within their wall and continued to guard them securely, so that no one could leave the city. So the barbarians, seeing that their provisions were failing, and finding themselves helpless in their present situation, sent to Vittigis without the knowledge of their enemy, begging him to bring them assistance with all speed, on the ground that they would not hold out very much longer. And Vittigis commanded Uraias to go to Ticinum with the army then in Liguria; for, after that, he declared, he too would come to the aid of the besieged himself with the whole Gothic army. And Uraïas, acting accordingly, set in motion the whole army he had with him and went to Ticinum. And crossing the river Po, they came to the vicinity of the Roman camp. There they too made camp and established themselves over against their enemy, at a distance of about sixty stades from them. And neither side began an attack. For the Romans, on the one hand, deemed it sufficient if they should block the way for their enemy, so that they could not advance upon the besieging army, and the barbarians, on the other, were reluctant to fight a decisive battle with their enemy in that place, reasoning that, if they should fail in this engagement, they would ruin the whole cause of the Goths. For, in that case, they would no longer be able to unite with the troops of Vittigis and with him to give assistance to the besieged. So both sides, reasoning thus, continued to remain quiet.
Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Φράγγοι κεκακῶσθαι τῷ πολέμῳ Γότθους τε καὶ Ῥωμαίους ἀκούσαντες καὶ δἰ αὐτὸ ῥᾷστα ἂν οἰόμενοι Ἰταλίας τὰ πολλὰ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς προσποιήσασθαι, δεινὰ ἐποιοῦντο, εἰ πόλεμον μὲν ἕτεροι ἐς τοσόνδε χρόνου διαφέρουσι μῆκος περὶ χώρας ἀρχῇ οὕτω δὴ αὐτοῖς ἐν γειτόνων οὔσης, αὐτοὶ δὲ ἡσυχῆ μένοντες ἀμφοτέροις ἐκποδὼν στήσονται. [2] ὅρκων τοίνυν ἐν τῷ παραυτίκα καὶ ξυνθηκῶν ἐπιλελησμένοι, αἵπερ αὐτοῖς ὀλίγῳ πρότερον πρός τε Ῥωμαίους καὶ Γότθους ἐπεποίηντο ῾ἔστι γὰρ τὸ ἔθνος τοῦτο τὰ ἐς πίστιν σφαλερώτατον ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων̓ ἐς μυριάδας δέκα εὐθὺς ξυλλεγέντες, ἡγουμένου σφίσι Θευδιβέρτου, ἐς Ἰταλίαν ἐστράτευσαν, ἱππέας μὲν ὀλίγους τινὰς ἀμφὶ τὸν ἡγούμενον ἔχοντες, [3] οἳ δὴ καὶ μόνοι δόρατα ἔφερον, οἱ λοιποὶ δὲ πεζοὶ ἅπαντες οὔτε τόξα οὔτε δόρατα ἔχοντες, ἀλλὰ ξίφος τε καὶ ἀσπίδα φέρων ἕκαστος καὶ πέλεκυν ἕνα. οὗ δὴ ὁ μὲν σίδηρος ἁδρός τε καὶ ὀξὺς ἑκατέρωθι ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ἦν, ἡ λαβὴ δὲ τοῦ ξύλου βραχεῖα ἐς ἄγαν. [4] τοῦτον δὴ τὸν πέλεκυν ῥίπτοντες ἀεὶ ἐκ σημείου ἑνὸς εἰώθασιν ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ ὁρμῇ τάς τε ἀσπίδας διαρρηγνύναι τῶν πολεμίων καὶ αὐτοὺς κτείνειν. [5] Οὕτω μὲν Φράγγοι τὰς Ἄλπεις ἀμείψαντες αἳ Γάλλους τε καὶ Ἰταλοὺς διορίζουσιν, ἐν Λιγούροις ἐγένοντο. [6] Γότθοι δὲ αὐτῶν πρότερον τῇ ἀγνωμοσύνῃ ἀχθόμενοι, ὅτι δὴ χώραν τε πολλὴν καὶ χρήματα ὑποσχομένοις μεγάλα πολλάκις ὑπὲρ ξυμμαχίας προέσθαι τρόπῳ οὐδενὶ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν ἐπιτελῆ ποιήσασθαι ἤθελον, ἐπειδὴ Θευδίβερτον παρεῖναι στρατῷ πολλῷ ἤκουσαν, ἔχαιρον ταῖς ἐλπίσιν ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ἐπαιρόμενοι καὶ τῶν πολεμίων ἀμαχητὶ περιέσεσθαι τὸ λοιπὸν ᾤοντο. [7] οἱ δὲ Γερμανοί, τέως μὲν ἐν Λιγούροις ἦσαν, οὐδὲν ἐς Γότθους ἄχαρι ἔπρασσον, ὅπως σφίσι μηδεμία κωλύμη ἐς τοῦ Πάδου τὴν διάβασιν πρὸς αὐτῶν γένηται. [8] ὡς δὲ ἵκοντο ἐς Τικινῶν πόλιν, ἵνα δὴ γέφυραν ἐς τὸν ποταμὸν τοῦτον ἐτεκτήναντο οἱ πάλαι Ῥωμαῖοι, τά τε ἄλλα ὑπούργουν οἱ ταῦτα φυλάσσοντες καὶ τὸν Πάδον κατ̓ ἐξουσίαν διαβαίνειν εἴων. [9] ἐπιλαβόμενοι δὲ τῆς γεφύρας οἱ Φράγγοι παῖδάς τε καὶ γυναῖκας τῶν Γότθων οὕσπερ ἐνταῦθα εὗρον ἱέρευόν τε καὶ αὐτῶν τὰ σώματα ἐς τὸν ποταμὸν ἀκροθίνια τοῦ πολέμου ἐρρίπτουν. [10] οἱ γὰρ βάρβαροι οὗτοι, Χριστιανοὶ γεγονότες, τὰ πολλὰ τῆς παλαιᾶς δόξης φυλάσσουσι, θυσίαις τε χρώμενοι ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἄλλα οὐχ ὅσια ἱερεύοντες, ταύτῃ τε τὰς μαντείας ποιούμενοι. [11] κατιδόντες δὲ Γότθοι τὰ ποιούμενα ἔς τε ἄμαχόν τι δέος κατέστησαν καὶ φυγῇ ἐχόμενοι ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου ἐγένοντο. Οἱ μὲν οὖν Γερμανοὶ Πάδον ποταμὸν διαβάντες ἐς τὸ Γότθων στρατόπεδον ἦλθον, οἱ δὲ Γότθοι κατ̓ ἀρχὰς μὲν ἄσμενοι ἐθεῶντο κατ̓ ὀλίγους αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ σφᾶς προσιόντας, ἐπὶ ξυμμαχίᾳ τῇ σφετέρᾳ τοὺς ἄνδρας ἥκειν οἰόμενοι. [12] ἐπεὶ δὲ ὅμιλος Γερμανῶν πολὺς ἐπιρρεύσας ἔργου τε εἴχοντο καὶ τοὺς πελέκυς ἐσακοντίζοντες συχνοὺς ἤδη ἐσίνοντο, στρέψαντες τὰ νῶτα ἐς φυγὴν ὥρμηντο, καὶ διὰ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοπέδου ἰόντες τὴν ἐπὶ Ῥάβενναν ἔθεον. [13] φεύγοντάς τε αὐτοὺς ἰδόντες Ῥωμαῖοι Βελισάριον ἐπιβεβοηθηκότα σφίσιν ᾤοντο ἑλεῖν τὸ τῶν πολεμίων στρατόπεδον, ἐνθένδε τε αὐτοὺς ἐξελάσαι μάχῃ νικήσαντα. ᾧ δὴ ξυμμῖξαι βουλόμενοι ἄραντες τὰ ὅπλα κατὰ τάχος ᾔεσαν. [14] ἐντυχόντες δὲ παρὰ δόξαν πολεμίων στρατῷ οὔτι ἐθελούσιοι ἐς χεῖρας ἦλθον, παρὰ πολύ τε ἡσσηθέντες τῇ μάχῃ ἐς μὲν τὸ στρατόπεδον ἀναστρέφειν οὐκέτι εἶχον, ἐπὶ Τουσκίαν δὲ ἅπαντες ἔφευγον. [15] ἔν τε τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ ἤδη γενόμενοι ἅπαντα ἐς Βελισάριον τὰ ξυμπεσόντα σφίσιν ἀνήνεγκαν. [16] Φράγγοι δὲ ἀμφοτέρους, ὥσπερ ἐρρήθη, νενικηκότες, τά τε στρατόπεδα ἑκάτερα ἑλόντες παντάπασιν ἀνδρῶν ἔρημα, ἐν μὲν τῷ παραυτίκα τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ἐνταῦθα εὗρον, δἰ ὀλίγου δὲ ἅπαντα διὰ πολυανθρωπίαν δαπανήσαντες, ἄλλο τι οὐδὲν ἐν χώρᾳ ἐρήμῳ ἀνθρώπων ὅτι μὴ βόας τε καὶ τοῦ Πάδου τὸ ὕδωρ προσφέρεσθαι εἶχον. [17] ταῦτα τὰ κρέα τῇ τοῦ ὕδατος περιουσίᾳ καταπέψαι οὐχ οἷοί τε ὄντες γαστρός τε ῥύσει καὶ δυσεντερίας νόσῳ οἱ πλεῖστοι ἡλίσκοντο, ὧν δὴ ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι ἀπορίᾳ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ὡς ἥκιστα ἴσχυον. [18] φασὶ γοῦν τὸ τριτημόριον τοῦ Φράγγων στρατοῦ τῷ τρόπῳ τούτῳ ἀπολωλέναι. διὸ δὴ περαιτέρω ἰέναι οὐδαμῆ ἔχοντες αὐτοῦ ἔμενον. [19] Βελισάριος δὲ Φράγγων τε στρατὸν παρεῖναι ἀκούσας καὶ τοὺς ἀμφὶ Μαρτῖνόν τε καὶ Ἰωάννην μάχῃ ἡσσηθέντας φυγεῖν ἐς ἀμηχανίαν κατέστη, περί τε τῇ πάσῃ στρατιᾷ δείσας καὶ διαφερόντως περὶ τοῖς ἐν Φισούλῃ πολιορκοῦσιν, ἐπεὶ αὐτῶν μάλιστα ἐγγυτέρω τούτους δὴ τοὺς βαρβάρους ἐπύθετο εἶναι. αὐτίκα δὴ πρὸς Θευδίβερτον ἔγραψε τάδε: [20] ‘Ἄνδρα μὲν ἀρετῆς μεταποιούμενον μὴ οὐχὶ ἀψευδεῖν, ἄλλως τε καὶ ἄρχοντα ἐθνῶν τοσούτων τὸ πλῆθος, οἶμαι, ὦ γενναῖε Θευδίβερτε, [21] οὐκ εὐπρεπὲς εἶναι. τὸ δὲ καὶ ὅρκους ἀδικοῦντας ἐν γράμμασι κειμένους περιορᾶν τὰ ξυγκείμενα οὐδ̓ ἂν τοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀτιμοτάτοις ἐπιτηδείως ἔχοι. ἅπερ αὐτὸς ἔν γε τῷ παρόντι ἐξαμαρτάνων οἶσθα, καίτοι ὁμολογήσας ἔναγχος πόλεμον ἡμῖν ἐπὶ Γότθους τόνδε ξυλλήψεσθαι. [22] νῦν δὲ οὐχ ὅσον ἀμφοτέροις ἐκποδὼν ἕστηκας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅπλα οὕτως ἀνεπισκέπτως ἀράμενος ἐφ̓ ἡμᾶς ἥκεις. μὴ σύ γε, ὦ βέλτιστε, καὶ ταῦτα ἐς βασιλέα μέγαν ὑβρίζων, ὃν δή που τὴν ὕβριν μὴ λίαν ἐν τοῖς μεγίστοις ἀμείψεσθαι οὐκ εἰκὸς εἴη. [23] κρεῖσσον δὲ τὰ οἰκεῖα ἀσφαλῶς αὐτόν τινα ἔχειν ἢ τῶν οὐ προσηκόντων μεταποιούμενον ἐς κίνδυνόν τινα ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀναγκαιοτάτων καθίστασθαι.’ [24] ταύτην ἐπεὶ Θευδίβερτος τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀνελέξατο, τοῖς τε παροῦσιν ἀπορούμενος ἤδη καὶ πρὸς Γερμανῶν κακιζόμενος, ὅτι δὴ ἐξ οὐδεμιᾶς προφάσεως θνήσκοιεν ἐν χώρᾳ ἐφήμῳ, ἄρας τοῖς περιοῦσι τῶν Φράγγων ἐπ̓ οἴκου ξὺν τάχει πολλῷ ἀπεχώρησεν.
