第1巻 第2章

Greek Ἡνίκα τὸν βίον Ἀρκάδιος ὁ Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς ἐν Βυζαντίῳ τελευτᾶν ἤμελλεν (ἦν γάρ οἱ παῖς Θεοδόσιος οὔπω τοῦ τιτθοῦ ἀπαλλαγείς), διηπορεῖτο ἀμφί τε τῷ παιδὶ καὶ τῇ βασιλείᾳ, εὖ θέσθαι ἄμφω ὡς ἥκιστα ἔχων.

Dewing When the Roman Emperor Arcadius was at the point of death in Byzantium, having a male child, Theodosius, who was still unweaned, he felt grave fears not only for him but for the government as well, not knowing how he should provide wisely for both.

Greek ἐγίνετο γάρ τις αὐτῷ ἔννοια, ὡς, ἢν μὲν κοινωνόν τινα Θεοδοσίῳ τῆς ἡγεμονίας πορίζηται, αὐτὸς ἂν τὸν παῖδα τὸν αὑτοῦ διαχρησάμενος τῷ ἔργῳ εἴη, πολέμιον αὐτῷ δύναμιν τὴν βασίλειον περιβεβλημένον ἐπαγαγών,

Dewing For he perceived that, if he provided a partner in government for Theodosius, he would in fact be destroying his own son by bringing forward against him a foe clothed in the regal power;

Greek ἢν δὲ μόνον αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς καταστήσηται, πολλοὶ μὲν τῆς βασιλείας ἐπιβατεύσουσι, τῆς τοῦ παιδὸς ἐρημίας, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, ἀπολαύοντες, ἐπαναστάντες δὲ πόνῳ οὐδενὶ τυραννήσουσι, τὸν Θεοδόσιον διαφθείραντες, ἐπεὶ οὐδένα ἐν Βυζαντίῳ ξυγγενῆ εἶχεν ὅστις ἂν αὐτῷ ἐπίτροπος εἴη.

Dewing while if he set him alone over the empire, many would try to mount the throne, taking advantage, as they might be expected to do, of the helplessness of the child. These men would rise against the government, and, after destroying Theodosius, would make themselves tyrants without difficulty, since the boy had no kinsman in Byzantium to be his guardian.

Greek Ὁνώριον γάρ οἱ τὸν θεῖον ἐπαρκέσειν οὐδαμῆ ἤλπισε, πονηρῶν ἤδη τῶν Ἰταλίας πραγμάτων ὄντων.

Dewing For Arcadius had no hope that the boy's uncle, Honorius, would succour him, inasmuch as the situation in Italy was already troublesome.

Greek οὐδὲν δὲ ἧσσον καὶ τὰ ἐκ Μήδων αὐτὸν ξυνετάρασσε, δεδιότα μὴ οἱ βάρβαροι οὗτοι τῆς τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος καταθέοντες ἡλικίας ἀνήκεστα ἔργα Ῥωμαίους δράσωσιν.

Dewing And he was equally disturbed by the attitude of the Medes, fearing lest these barbarians should trample down the youthful emperor and do the Romans irreparable harm.

Greek ἐς ταύτην Ἀρκάδιος τὴν ἀμηχανίαν ἐμπεπτωκώς, καίπερ οὐ γεγονὼς εἰς τὰ ἄλλα ἀγχίνους, βουλεύεται βουλὴν ἥτις οἱ τόν τε παῖδα καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν διασώσασθαι εὐπετῶς ἴσχυσεν, εἴτε κοινολογησάμενος τῶν λογίων τισίν, οἷοι πολλοὶ βασιλεῖ παρεδρεύειν εἰώθασιν, ἢ θείας τινὸς ἐπιπνοίας αὐτῷ γενομένης.

Dewing When Arcadius was confronted with this difficult situation, though he had not shown himself sagacious in other matters, he devised a plan which was destined to preserve without trouble both his child and his throne, either as a result of conversation with certain of the learned men, such as are usually found in numbers among the advisers of a sovereign, or from some divine inspiration which came to him.

Greek διαθήκης γὰρ διαθεὶς γράμματα, διάδοχον μὲν τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἀνεῖπε τὸν παῖδα, ἐπίτροπον δὲ αὐτῷ κατεστήσατο Ἰσδιγέρδην τὸν Περσῶν βασιλέα, ᾧ δὴ πολλὰ ἐν ταῖς διαθήκαις ἐπέσκηψε Θεοδοσίῳ τὴν βασιλείαν σθένει τε καὶ προνοίᾳ πάσῃ ξυνδιασώσασθαι.

Dewing For in drawing up the writings of his will, he designated the child as his successor to the throne, but appointed as guardian over him Isdigerdes, the Persian King, enjoining upon him earnestly in his will to preserve the empire for Theodosius by all his power and foresight.

Greek Ἀρκάδιος μὲν ὧδε τήν τε ἀρχὴν καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα διοικησάμενος ἐτελεύτησεν: Ἰσδιγέρδης δὲ ὁ Περσῶν βασιλεύς, ἐπεὶ τὸ γράμμα τοῦτο ἀπενεχθὲν εἶδεν, ὢν καὶ πρότερον ἐπὶ τρόπου μεγαλοφροσύνῃ διαβόητος ἐς τὰ μάλιστα, ἀρετὴν ἐπεδείξατο θαύματός τε πολλοῦ καὶ λόγου ἀξίαν.

Dewing So Arcadius died, having thus arranged his private affairs as well as those of the empire. But Isdigerdes, the Persian King, when he saw this writing which was duly delivered to him, being even before a sovereign whose nobility of character had won for him the greatest renown, did then display a virtue at once amazing and remarkable.

Greek τὰς γὰρ Ἀρκαδίου ἐντολὰς ἐν ἀλογίᾳ οὐδεμιᾷ ποιησάμενος εἰρήνῃ τε ἀφθόνῳ χρώμενος διαγέγονεν ἐς Ῥωμαίους τὸν πάντα χρόνον καὶ Θεοδοσίῳ τὴν ἀρχὴν διεσώσατο.

Dewing For, loyally observing the behests of Arcadius, he adopted and continued without interruption a policy of profound peace with the Romans, and thus preserved the empire for Theodosius.

Greek αὐτίκα γοῦν πρὸς Ῥωμαίων τὴν βουλὴν γράμματα ἔγραψεν, ἐπίτροπός τε οὐκ ἀπαρνούμενος Θεοδοσίου βασιλέως εἶναι καὶ πόλεμον ἐπανατεινόμενος, ἤν τις αὐτῷ ἐς ἐπιβουλὴν ἐγχειροίη καθίστασθαι.

Dewing Indeed, he straightway dispatched a letter to the Roman senate, not declining the office of guardian of the Emperor Theodosius, and threatening war against any who should attempt to enter into a conspiracy against him.

Greek Ἐπεὶ δὲ Θεοδόσιος μὲν ἀνήρ τε ἐγεγόνει καὶ ἡλικίας πόρρω ἀφῖκτο, Ἰσδιγέρδης δὲ νοσήσας ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἠφάνιστο, ἐπῆλθε μὲν ἐς Ῥωμαίων τὴν γῆν Οὐαραράνης ὁ Περσῶν βασιλεὺς στρατῷ μεγάλῳ, ἔδρασε δὲ οὐδὲν ἄχαρι, ἀλλ᾽ ἄπρακτος ἐπανῆλθεν εἰς τὰ οἰκεῖα τρόπῳ τοιῷδε.

Dewing When Theodosius had grown to manhood and was in the prime of life, and Isdigerdes had been taken from the world by disease, Vararanes, the Persian King, invaded the Roman domains with a mighty army; however, he did no damage, but returned to his home without accomplishing anything. This came about in the following way.

Greek Ἀνατόλιον τὸν τῆς ἕω στρατηγὸν Θεοδόσιος ὁ βασιλεὺς πρεσβευτὴν ἐς Πέρσας μόνον αὐτὸν ἐτύγχανε πέμψας: ὃς ἐπειδὴ ἄγχιστα ἐγεγόνει τοῦ Μήδων στρατοῦ, ἀποθρώσκει μὲν τοῦ ἵππου μόνος, πεζῇ δὲ βαδίζων ἐπὶ Οὐαραράνην ᾔει.

Dewing Anatolius, General of the East, had, as it happened, been sent by the Emperor Theodosius as ambassador to the Persians, alone and unaccompanied; as he approached the Median army, solitary as he was, he leapt down from his horse, and advanced on foot toward Vararanes.

Greek καὶ αὐτὸν Οὐαραράνης ἰδὼν τῶν παρόντων ἀνεπυνθάνετο ὅστις ποτὲ ὁ προσιὼν εἴη. οἱ δὲ τῶν Ῥωμαίων εἶναι στρατηγὸν ἔφασαν.

Dewing And when Vararanes saw him, he enquired from those who were near who this man could be who was coming forward. And they replied that he was the general of the Romans.

Greek καταπλαγεὶς οὖν τῷ ὑπερβάλλοντι τῆς τιμῆς ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτὸς στρέψας τὸν ἵππον ὀπίσω ἀπήλαυνε, καί οἱ ἅπας ὁ τῶν Περσῶν λεὼς εἵπετο.

Dewing Thereupon the king was so dumbfounded by this excessive mark of respect that he himself wheeled his horse about and rode away, and the whole Persian host followed him.

Greek γενόμενος δὲ ἐν γῇ τῇ οἰκείᾳ τόν τε πρεσβευτὴν ξὺν φιλοφροσύνῃ πολλῇ εἶδε, καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην ξυνεχώρησεν οὕτως ὥσπερ Ἀνατόλιος αὐτοῦ ἔχρῃζεν, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ μέντοι μηδέτεροι ἐν χωρίῳ οἰκείῳ ἐν γειτόνων τοῖς τῶν ἑτέρων ὁρίοις ὄντι ὀχύρωμα νεώτερόν τι ἐργάζονται. οὗ δὴ αὐτοῖς ἐξειργασμένου ἑκάτεροι τὰ οἰκεῖα ὅπη ἐβούλοντο ἔπρασσον.

Dewing When he had reached his own territory, he received the envoy with great cordiality, and granted the treaty of peace on the terms which Anatolius desired of him; one condition, however, he added, that neither party should construct any new fortification in his own territory in the neighbourhood of the boundary line between the two countries. When this treaty had been executed, both sovereigns then continued to administer the affairs of their respective countries as seemed best to them.