第1巻 第12章

Greek Εὐθὺς δὲ Καβάδης, καίπερ ἐν σπουδῇ ἔχων ἐσβολήν τινα ἐς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ποιεῖσθαι τὴν γῆν, οὐδαμῆ ἴσχυσεν, ἐπεὶ αὐτῷ ἐναντίωμα τοιόνδε ξυνηνέχθη γενέσθαι.

Dewing Immediately after this, Cabades, though eager to make some kind of an invasion into the land of the Romans, was utterly unable to do so on account of the following obstacle which happened to arise.

Greek Ἴβηρες οἳ ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ οἰκοῦσι πρὸς αὐταῖς που ταῖς Κασπίαις ἵδρυνται πύλαις, αἵπερ αὐτοῖς εἰσι πρὸς βορρᾶν ἄνεμον. καὶ αὐτῶν ἐν ἀριστερᾷ μὲν ἐχομένη πρὸς τὰς ἡλίου δυσμὰς Λαζική ἐστιν, ἐν δεξιᾷ δὲ πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα ἥλιον τὰ Περσῶν ἔθνη.

Dewing The Iberians, who live in Asia, are settled in the immediate neighbourhood of the Caspian Gates, which lie to the north of them. Adjoining them on the left towards the west is Lazica, and on the right towards the east are the Persian peoples.

Greek οὗτος ὁ λεὼς Χριστιανοί τέ εἰσι καὶ τὰ νόμιμα τῆς δόξης φυλάσσουσι ταύτης πάντων μάλιστα ἀνθρώπων ὧν ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν, κατήκοοι μέντοι ἐκ παλαιοῦ τοῦ Περσῶν βασιλέως τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες.

Dewing This nation is Christian and they guard the rites of this faith more closely than any other men known to us, but they have been subjects of the Persian king, as it happens, from ancient times.

Greek τότε δὲ αὐτοὺς ἤθελε Καβάδης ἐς τὰ νόμιμα τῆς αὑτοῦ δόξης βιάζεσθαι. καὶ αὐτῶν τῷ βασιλεῖ Γουργένῃ ἐπέστελλε τά τε ἄλλα ποιεῖν ᾗ Πέρσαι νομίζουσι καὶ τοὺς νεκροὺς τῇ γῇ ὡς ἥκιστα κρύπτειν, ἀλλ᾽ ὄρνισί τε ῥιπτεῖν καὶ κυσὶν ἅπαντας.

Dewing And just then Cabades was desirous of forcing them to adopt the rites of his own religion. And he enjoined upon their king, Gourgenes, to do all things as the Persians are accustomed to them, and in particular not under any circumstances to hide their dead in the earth, but to throw them all to the birds and dogs.

Greek διὸ δὴ Γουργένης προσχωρεῖν Ἰουστίνῳ βασιλεῖ ἤθελε τά τε πιστὰ ἠξίου λαβεῖν ὡς οὔποτε Ἴβηρας καταπροήσονται Πέρσαις Ῥωμαῖοι.

Dewing For this reason, then, Gourgenes wished to go over to the Emperor Justinus, and he asked that he might receive pledges that the Romans would never abandon the Iberians to the Persians.

Greek ὁ δὲ ταῦτά τε αὐτῷ ξὺν προθυμίᾳ πολλῇ ἐδίδου καὶ Πρόβον τὸν Ἀναστασίου τοῦ βεβασιλευκότος ἀδελφιδοῦν, ἄνδρα πατρίκιον, ξὺν χρήμασι πολλοῖς ἐς Βόσπορον ἔπεμψεν, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ στράτευμα Οὔννων χρήμασιν ἀναπείσας Ἴβηρσι πέμψῃ ἐς ξυμμαχίαν.

Dewing And the emperor gave him these pledges with great eagerness, and he sent Probus, the nephew of the late emperor Anastasius, a man of patrician rank, with a great sum of merely to Bosporus, that he might win over with money an army of Huns and sent down them as allies to the Iberians.

Greek ἔστι δὲ πόλις ἐπιθαλασσία ἡ Βόσπορος, ἐν ἀριστερᾷ μὲν ἐσπλέοντι τὸν Εὔξεινον καλούμενον πόντον, Χερσῶνος δὲ πόλεως, ἣ γῆς τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἐσχάτη ἐστίν, ὁδῷ διέχουσα ἡμερῶν εἴκοσιν. ὦν δὴ τὰ ἐν μέσῳ ἅπαντα Οὖννοι ἔχουσιν.

Dewing This Bosporus is a city by the sea, on the left as one sails into the so‑called Euxine Sea, twenty days' journey distant from the city of Cherson, which is the limit of the Roman territory. Between these cities everything is held by the Huns.

Greek οἱ δὲ Βοσπορῖται αὐτόνομοι μὲν τὸ παλαιὸν ᾤκουν, Ἰουστίνῳ δὲ βασιλεῖ ἔναγχος προσχωρεῖν ἔγνωσαν.

Dewing Now in ancient times the people of Bosporus were autonomous, but lately they had decided to become subject to the Emperor Justinus.

Greek ἐπεὶ δὲ Πρόβος ἐνθένδε ἄπρακτος ἀνεχώρησε, Πέτρον στρατηγὸν σὺν Οὔννοις τισὶν ἐς Λαζικὴν βασιλεὺς ἔπεμψε Γουργένῃ ὅση δύναμις ξυμμαχήσοντα.

Dewing Probus, however, departed from there without accomplishing his mission, and the emperor sent Peter as general with some Huns to Lazica to fight with all their strength for Gourgenes.

Greek ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Καβάδης στράτευμα λόγου πολλοῦ ἄξιον ἐπί τε Γουργένην καὶ Ἴβηρας ἔπεμψε καὶ στρατηγὸν ἄνδρα Πέρσην, οὐαρίζην μὲν τὸ ἀξίωμα, Βόην δὲ ὄνομα.

Dewing Meanwhile Cabades sent a very considerable army against Gourgenes and the Iberians, and as general a Persian bearing that of "varizes," Boes by name.

Greek ὅ τε Γουργένης ἐλάσσων ὀφθεὶς ἢ φέρειν τὴν Περσῶν ἔφοδον, ἐπεί οἱ τὰ ἐκ Ῥωμαίων οὐχ ἱκανὰ ἦν, ξὺν Ἰβήρων τοῖς λογίμοις ἅπασιν ἐς Λαζικὴν ἔφυγε, τήν τε γυναῖκα καὶ τοὺς παῖδας ξὺν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἐπαγόμενος, ὧν δὴ Περάνιος ὁ πρεσβύτατος ἦν.

Dewing Then it was seen that Gourgenes was too weak to withstand the attack of the Persians, for the help from the Romans was insufficient, and with all the notables of the Iberians he fled to Lazica, taking with him his wife and children and also his brothers, of whom Peranius was the eldest.

Greek ἐν δὲ τοῖς Λαζικῆς ὁρίοις γενόμενοι ἔμενον, ταῖς τε δυσχωρίαις φραξάμενοι τοὺς πολεμίους ὑφίσταντο.

Dewing And when they had reached the boundaries of Lazica, they remained there, and, sheltering themselves by the roughness of the country, they took their stand against the enemy.

Greek Πέρσαι δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐπισπόμενοι οὐδὲν ὅ τι καὶ λόγου ἄξιον ἔπρασσον, τοῦ πράγματος σφίσι διὰ τὰς δυσχωρίας ἀντιστατοῦντος.

Dewing And the Persians followed after them but did nothing deserving even of mention since the circumstance of the rough country was against them.

Greek Ἔπειτα δὲ οἵ τε Ἴβηρες ἐς Βυζάντιον παρεγένοντο καὶ Πέτρος ἐς βασιλέα μετάπεμπτος ἦλθε, καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν βασιλεὺς Λαζοῖς οὐ βουλομένοις ξυμφυλάσσειν τὴν χώραν ἠξίου, στράτευμά τε καὶ Εἰρηναῖον ἄρχοντα πέμψας.

Dewing Thereafter the Iberians presented themselves at Byzantium and Petrus came to the emperor at his summons; and from then on the emperor demanded that he should assist the Lazi to guard their country, even against their will, and he sent an army and Eirenaeus in command of it.

Greek ἔστι δὲ φρούρια ἐν Λαζοῖς δύο εὐθὺς εἰσιόντι ἐκ τῶν Ἰβηρίας ὁρίων, ὧν ἡ φυλακὴ τοῖς ἐπιχωρίοις ἐκ παλαιοῦ ἐπιμελὴς ἦν, καίπερ ταλαιπωρίᾳ πολλῇ ἐχομένοις, ἐπεὶ οὔτε σῖτος ἐνταῦθα οὔτε οἶνος οὔτε ἄλλο τι ἀγαθὸν γίνεται.

Dewing Now there are two fortresses in Lazica⁠ which one comes upon immediately upon entering their country from the boundaries of Iberia, and the defence of them had been from of old in charge of the natives, although they experienced great hardship in this matter; for neither cornº nor wine nor any other good thing is produced there.

Greek οὐ μὴν οὐδέ τι ἑτέρωθεν ἐσκομίζεσθαι διὰ τὴν στενοχωρίαν οἷόν τέ ἐστιν,

Dewing Nor indeed can anything be carried in from elsewhere on account of the narrowness of the paths, unless it be carried by men.

Greek ὅτι μὴ φερόντων ἀνθρώπων. ἐλύμοις μέντοι τισὶν ἐνταῦθα γιγνομένοις εἰθισμένον σφίσιν οἱ Λαζοὶ ἀποζῆν ἴσχυον.

Dewing However, the Lazi were able to live on a certain kind of millet which grows there, since they were accustomed to it.

Greek τούτους ἐξαναστήσας ἐνθένδε βασιλεὺς τοὺς φρουρούς, στρατιώτας Ῥωμαίους ἐκέλευεν ἐπὶ τῇ φυλακῇ τῶν φρουρίων καθίστασθαι.

Dewing These garrisons the emperor removed from the place and commanded that Roman soldiers should be stationed there to guard the fortress.

Greek οἷς δὴ κατ᾽ ἀρχὰς μὲν ἐπιτήδεια μόλις Λαζοὶ ἔφερον, ὕστερον δὲ αὐτοί τε πρὸς τὴν ὑπουργίαν ἀπεῖπον καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι τὰ φρούρια ταῦτα ἐξέλιπον, οἵ τε Πέρσαι πόνῳ αὐτὰ οὐδενὶ ἔσχον. ταῦτα μὲν ἐν Λαζοῖς γέγονε.

Dewing And at first the Lazi with difficulty brought in provisions for these soldiers, but later they gave up the serve and the Romans abandoned these forts, whereupon the Persians with no trouble took possession of them. This then happened in Lazica.

Greek Ῥωμαῖοι δέ, Σίττα τε καὶ Βελισαρίου ἡγουμένων σφίσιν, ἐς Περσαρμενίαν τὴν Περσῶν κατήκοον ἐσβαλόντες χώραν τε πολλὴν ἐληίσαντο καὶ Ἀρμενίων πάμπολυ πλῆθος ἀνδραποδίσαντες ἀπεχώρησαν.

Dewing And the Romans, under the leader­ship of Sittas and Belisarius, made an inroad into Persarmenia, a territory subject to the Persians, where they plundered a large tract of country and then withdrew with a great multitude of Armenian captives.

Greek τούτω δὲ τὼ ἄνδρε νεανία μὲν καὶ πρῶτον ὑπηνήτα ἤστην, Ἰουστινιανοῦ δὲ στρατηγοῦ δορυφόρω, ὃς δὴ χρόνῳ ὕστερον ξὺν Ἰουστίνῳ τῷ θείῳ τὴν βασιλείαν ἔσχεν. ἑτέρας δὲ ἐσβολῆς Ῥωμαίοις ἐς Ἀρμενίαν γεγενημένης Ναρσῆς τε καὶ Ἀράτιος παρὰ δόξαν ὑπαντιάσαντες ἐς χεῖρας ἦλθον.

Dewing These two men were both youths and wearing their first beards,⁠ body-guards of the general Justinian, who later shared the empire with his uncle Justinus. But when a second inroad had been made by the Romans into Armenia, Narses and Aratius unexpectedly confronted them and engaged them in battle.

Greek οἳ οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον ἐς Ῥωμαίους τε αὐτόμολοι ἵκοντο καὶ ξὺν Βελισαρίῳ ἐς Ἰταλίαν ἐστράτευσαν, τότε μέντοι τοῖς ἀμφὶ Σίτταν τε καὶ Βελισάριον ξυμβαλόντες τὸ πλέον ἔσχον.

Dewing These men not long after came to the Romans as deserters, and made the expedition to Italy with Belisarius; but on the present occasion they joined battle with the forces of Sittas and Belisarius and gained the advantage over them.

Greek εἰσέβαλε δὲ καὶ ἀμφὶ πόλιν Νίσιβιν ἄλλη Ῥωμαίων στρατιά, ἧς Λιβελάριος ἐκ Θρᾴκης ἦρχεν. οἳ φεύγοντες εὐθυωρὸν τὴν ἀναχώρησιν ἐποιήσαντο, καίπερ οὐδενὸς σφίσιν ἐπεξιόντος.

Dewing An invasion was also made near the city of Nisibis by another Roman army under command of Libelarius of Thrace. This army retired abruptly in flight although no one came out against them.

Greek διὸ δὴ Λιβελάριον μὲν παρέλυσε τῆς ἀρχῆς βασιλεύς, Βελισάριον δὲ ἄρχοντα καταλόγων τῶν ἐν Δάρας κατεστήσατο. τότε δὴ αὐτῷ ξύμβουλος ᾑρέθη Προκόπιος ὃς τάδε ξυνέγραψε.

Dewing And because of this the emperor reduced Libelarius from his office and appointed Belisarius commander of the troops in Daras. It was at that time that Procopius, who wrote this history, was chosen as his adviser.