第3巻 第10章

Greek Βασιλεὺς δὲ Ἰουστινιανός, ἐπεί οἱ τά τε οἴκοι καὶ τὰ ἐς τοὺς Πέρσας ὡς ἄριστα εἶχε, τὰ ἐν Λιβύῃ πράγματα ἐν βουλῇ ἐποιεῖτο.

Dewing And when the Emperor Justinian considered that the situation was as favourable as possible, both as to domestic affairs and as to his relations with Persia, he took under consideration the situation in Libya.

Greek ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐς τὰς ἀρχὰς ἐξήνεγκεν ὡς στρατιὰν ἀγείροι ἐπὶ Βανδίλους τε καὶ Γελίμερα, οἱ πλεῖστοι ἤδη ἐδυσχέραινόν τε καὶ ἐν ξυμφορᾷ ἦσαν, τόν τε Λέοντος τοῦ βασιλέως στόλον καὶ τὸ τοῦ Βασιλίσκου πάθος ἀνανεούμενοί τε καὶ ἀποστοματίζοντες στρατιώτας μὲν ὅσοι ἀπέθανον, χρήματα δὲ ὅσα τὸ δημόσιον ὦφλε.

Dewing But when he disclosed to the magistrates that he was gathering an army against the Vandals and Gelimer, the most of them began immediately to show hostility to the plan, and they lamented it as a misfortune, recalling the expedition of the Emperor Leon and the disaster of Basiliscus, and reciting how many soldiers had perished and how much money the state had lost.

Greek μάλιστα δὲ ἤλγουν τε καὶ περιώδυνοι τῇ μερίμνῃ ἐγίνοντο ὅ τε τῆς αὐλῆς ἔπαρχος, ὃν δὴ πραίτωρα καλοῦσι Ῥωμαῖοι, καὶ ὁ τοῦ ταμιείου ἡγούμενος καὶ ὅτῳ ἄλλῳ φόρου ξυλλογὴ δημοσίου ἢ βασιλικοῦ ἐπετέτακτο, λογιζόμενοι ὅτι αὐτοῖς εἰς τὴν τοῦ πολέμου χρείαν δεήσει ἄμετρα φέρουσιν οὔτε ξυγγνώμης τινὸς οὔτε ἀναβολῆς ἀξίοις εἶναι.

Dewing But the men who were the most sorrowful of all, and who, by reason of their anxiety, felt the keenest regret, were the pretorian prefect, whom the Romans call "praetor," and the administrator of the treasury, and all to whom had been assigned the collection of either public or imperial⁠ taxes, for they reasoned that while it would be necessary for them to produce countless sums for the needs of the war, they would be granted neither pardon in case of failure nor extension of time in which to raise these sums.

Greek τῶν δὲ στρατηγῶν αὐτὸς ἕκαστος στρατηγήσειν οἰόμενος κατωρρώδει τε καὶ ἀπώκνει τοῦ κινδύνου τὸ μέγεθος, εἴ οἱ ἀναγκαῖον εἴη διασωθέντι ἐκ τῶν ἐν θαλάσσῃ κακῶν στρατοπεδεύεσθαι μὲν ἐν τῇ πολεμίᾳ, ἐκ δὲ τῶν νεῶν ὁρμωμένῳ διαμάχεσθαι πρὸς βασιλείαν μεγάλην τε καὶ λόγου ἀξίαν.

Dewing And every one of the generals, supposing that he himself would command the army, was in terror and dread at the greatness of the danger, if it should be necessary for him, if he were preserved from the perils of the sea, to encamp in the enemy's land, and, using his ships as a base, to engage in a struggle against a kingdom both large and formidable.

Greek οἱ δὲ στρατιῶται ἄρτι ἐκ πολέμου μακροῦ τε καὶ χαλεποῦ ἐπανήκοντες οὔπω τε ὅλῃ γλώσσῃ ἀγαθῶν τῶν κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν γευσάμενοι ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ ἐγίνοντο ἔς τε ναυμαχίαν ἀγόμενοι, ἣν οὐδὲ ἀκοῇ πρότερον παραλαβόντες ἐτύγχανον, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἑῴων ὁρίων στελλόμενοι ἐς τὰς τοῦ ἡλίου δυσμάς, ἐφ’ ᾧ διακινδυνεύσουσι πρός τε Βανδίλους καὶ Μαυρουσίους.

Dewing The soldiers, also, having recently returned from a long, hard war, and having not yet tasted to the full the blessings of home, were in despair, both because they were being led into sea‑fighting, — a thing which they had not learned even from tradition before then, — and because they were sent from the eastern frontier to the West, in order to risk their lives against Vandals and Moors.

Greek οἱ δὲ δὴ ἄλλοι, ἅπερ ἐν ὁμίλῳ φιλεῖ γίγνεσθαι, νεωτέρων πραγμάτων ἤθελον διὰ κινδύνων ἀλλοτρίων θεαταὶ γενέσθαι.

Dewing But all the rest, as usually happens in a great throng, wished to be spectators of new adventures while others faced the dangers.

Greek Βασιλεῖ μέντοι εἰπεῖν τι ἐπὶ κωλύμῃ τῆς στρατιᾶς οὐδείς, ὅτι μὴ ὁ Καππαδόκης Ἰωάννης, ἐτόλμησεν, ὁ τῆς αὐλῆς ἔπαρχος, θρασύτατός τε ὢν καὶ δεινότατος τῶν κατ’ αὐτὸν ἁπάντων.

Dewing But as for saying anything to the emperor to prevent the expedition, no one dared to do this except John the Cappadocian, the pretorian prefect, a man of the greatest daring and the cleverest of all men of his time.

Greek οὗτος γὰρ Ἰωάννης, τῶν ἄλλων σιωπῇ τὰς παρούσας ὀδυρομένων τύχας, παρελθὼν ἐς βασιλέα ἔλεξε τοιάδε· “Τὸ πιστόν, ὦ βασιλεῦ, τῆς ἐς τοὺς ὑπηκόους τοὺς σοὺς ὁμιλίας τὴν παρρησίαν ἡμῖν ἀναπετάννυσιν ὅ τι ἂν μέλλοι τῇ πολιτείᾳ τῇ σῇ ξυνοίσειν, ἢν καὶ μὴ πρὸς ἡδονήν σοι τὰ λεγόμενά τε καὶ πρασσόμενα ᾖ.

Dewing For this John, while all the others were bewailing in silence the fortune which was upon them, came before the emperor and spoke as follows: "O Emperor, the good faith which thou dost shew in dealing with thy subjects enables us to speak frankly regarding anything which will be of advantage to thy government, even though what is said and done may not be agreeable to thee.

Greek οὕτω γάρ σοι κεράννυσι τῷ δικαίῳ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἡ σύνεσις, ὥστε οὐ τὸν ὑπηρετήσαντα πάντως εὔνουν εἶναι ἡγῇ τοῖς σαυτοῦ πράγμασιν, οὐδὲ τῷ ἀντειπόντι χαλεπῶς ἔχεις, ἀλλὰ μόνῳ τῷ τῆς διανοίας ἀκραιφνεῖ πάντα σταθμώμενος ἀκίνδυνον ἡμῖν ἀπέδειξας πολλάκις τὸ τοῖς σοῖς ἀντιστῆναι βουλεύμασι.

Dewing For thus does thy wisdom temper thy authority with justice, in that thou dost not consider that man only as loyal to thy cause who serves thee under any and all conditions, nor art thou angry with the man who speaks against thee, but by weighing all things by pure reason alone, thou hast often shewn that it involves us in no danger to oppose thy purposes.

Greek τούτοις ἠγμένος, ὦ βασιλεῦ, κατέστην εἰς ξυμβουλὴν τήνδε, προσκρούσων μὲν τὸ παραυτίκα ἴσως, ἂν οὕτω τύχῃ, ἐς δὲ τὸ μέλλον τὴν εὔνοιαν τὴν ἐμὴν καταφανῆ δείξων, ταύτης τέ σε μάρτυρα παρεξόμενος.

Dewing Led by these considerations, O Emperor, I have come to offer this advice, knowing that, though I shall give perhaps offence at the moment, if it so chance, yet in the future the loyalty which I bear you will be made clear, and that for this I shall be able to shew thee as a witness.

Greek ἢν γὰρ ἀπειθῶν τοῖς λεγομένοις ἐξοίσεις ἐς Βανδίλους τὸν πόλεμον, μηκυνομένης σοι τῆς ἀγωνίας τὴν ἐμὴν παραίνεσιν εὐδοκιμῆσαι ξυμβήσεται.

Dewing For if, through not hearkening to my words, thou shalt carry out the war against the Vandals, it will come about, if the struggle is prolonged for thee, that my advice will win renown.

Greek εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὡς κρατήσεις τῶν πολεμίων τὸ θαρρεῖν ἔχεις, οὐδὲν ἀπεικός σε τά τε σώματα προΐεσθαι καὶ χρημάτων δαπανᾶν πλῆθος, καὶ τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀγώνων ὑφίστασθαι πόνους· νίκη γὰρ ἐπιγενομένη πάντα καλύπτει τὰ τοῦ πολέμου πάθη.

Dewing For if thou hast confidence that thou wilt conquer the enemy, it is not at all unreasonable that thou shouldst sacrifice the lives of men and expend a vast amount of treasure, and undergo the difficulties of the struggle; for victory, coming at the end, covers up all the calamities of war.

Greek εἰ δὲ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τοῖς τοῦ θεοῦ γούνασι κεῖται, παραδείγμασι δὲ τῶν προγεγενημένων χρωμένους ἡμᾶς ἀνάγκη δεδιέναι τὸ τοῦ πολέμου πέρας, πῶς οὐχὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι κινδύνων τὸ τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἀγαπᾶν ἄμεινον;

Dewing But if in reality these things lie on the knees of God, and if it behoves us, taking example from what has happened in the past, to fear the outcome of war, on what grounds is it not better to love a state of quiet rather than the dangers of mortal strife?

Greek ἐπὶ Καρχηδόνα διανοῇ στρατεύειν, εἰς ἣν κατὰ μὲν τὴν ἤπειρον ἰόντι ὁδὸς τεσσαράκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν ἡμερῶν ἐστι, πλέοντι δὲ ἀνάγκη τὸ πέλαγος ὅλον ἀμειψαμένῳ πρὸς τὰς ἐσχατιὰς τῆς θαλάσσης ἐλθεῖν. ὥστε τῶν ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ ξυμβησομένων ἐνιαύσιόν σοι δεήσει τὸν ἄγγελον ἥκειν.

Dewing Thou art purposing to make an expedition against Carthage, to which, if one goes by land, the journey is one of a hundred and forty days, and if one goes by water, he is forced to cross the whole open sea and go to its very end. So that he who brings thee news of what will happen in the camp must needs reach thee a year after the event.

Greek προσθείη δὲ ἄν τις ὡς, ἢν μὲν κρατήσῃς τῶν πολεμίων, Λιβύης μεταποιεῖσθαι οὐκ ἂν δύναιο, τῆς τε Σικελίας καὶ Ἰταλίας ὑφ’ ἑτέροις κειμένης·

Dewing And one might add that if thou art victorious over thy enemy, thou couldst not take possession of Libya while Sicily and Italy lie in the hands of others;

Greek ἢν δέ τι καὶ πταίσῃς, ὦ βασιλεῦ, λελυμένων ἤδη σοι τῶν σπονδῶν, εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν τὸν κίνδυνον ἄξεις· ξυνελόντι τε εἰπεῖν οὔτε ἀπόνασθαι παρέσται σοι τῆς νίκης καὶ τὸ τῆς τύχης ἐναντίωμα λυμανεῖται τοῖς εὖ καθεστῶσι.

Dewing and at the same time, if any reverse befall thee, O Emperor, the treaty having already been broken by thee, thou wilt bring the danger upon our own land. In fact, putting all in a word, it will not be possible for thee to reap the fruits of victory, and at the same time any reversal of fortune will bring harm to what is well established.

Greek πρὸ τῶν πραγμάτων τὸ τῆς εὐβουλίας ὄφελός ἐστι. τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἐπταικόσι τὸ μεταμελεῖσθαι ἀνόνητον, πρὸ δὲ τῶν δεινῶν τὸ μεταμανθάνειν ἀκίνδυνον. οὐκοῦν ξυνοίσει πάντων μάλιστα τὸ τοῖς καιροῖς ἐν δέοντι χρῆσθαι.”

Dewing It is before an enterprise that wise planning is useful. For when men have failed, repentance is of no avail, but before disaster comes there is no danger in altering plans. Therefore it will be of advantage above all else to make fitting use of the decisive moment."

Greek Ἰωάννης μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπεν. ἀποδεξάμενος δὲ βασιλεὺς τὴν ἐς τὸν πόλεμον προθυμίαν κατέπαυσε. τῶν δέ τις ἱερέων οὓς δὴ ἐπισκόπους καλοῦσιν, ἐκ τῆς ἑῴας ἥκων ἔφη ἐς λόγους τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐλθεῖν βούλεσθαι.

Dewing Thus spoke John; and the Emperor Justinian, hearkening to his words, checked his eager desire for the war. But one of the priests whom they call bishops, who had come from the East, said that he wished to have a word with the emperor.

Greek καὶ ἐπειδὴ αὐτῷ ξυνέμιξεν, ἔλεγέν οἱ τὸν θεὸν ἐπισκῆψαι ὄναρ γενέσθαι τε ὡς βασιλέα καὶ αὐτὸν αἰτιάσασθαι ὅτι δὴ Χριστιανοὺς τοὺς ἐν Λιβύῃ ῥύεσθαι ἐκ τυράννων ὑποδεξάμενος εἶτα λόγῳ οὐδενὶ κατωρρώδησε·

Dewing And when he met Justinian, he said that God had visited him in a dream, and bidden him go to the emperor and rebuke him, because, after undertaking the task of protecting the Christians in Libya from tyrants, he had for no good reason become afraid.

Greek “Καίτοι αὐτός,” ἔφη, “οἱ πολεμοῦντι

Dewing "And yet," He had said, "I will Myself join with him in waging war and make him lord of Libya."

Greek ξυλλήψομαι Λιβύης τε κύριον θήσομαι.” ταῦτα βασιλεὺς ἐπεὶ ἤκουσε, κατέχειν τὴν διάνοιαν οὐκέτι ἐδύνατο, ἀλλὰ τήν τε στρατιὰν καὶ τὰς ναῦς ἤγειρεν, ὅπλα τε καὶ σιτία ἡτοίμαζε καὶ Βελισαρίῳ ἐν παρασκευῇ ἐπήγγελλεν εἶναι ὡς ἐν Λιβύῃ στρατηγήσοντι αὐτίκα μάλα.

Dewing When the emperor heard this, he was no longer able to restrain his purpose, and he began to collect the army and the ships, and to make ready supplies of weapons and of food, and he announced to Belisarius that he should be in readiness, because he was very soon to act as general in Libya.

Greek Τρίπολιν δὲ τὴν ἐν Λιβύῃ τῶν τις ἐπιχωρίων Πουδέντιος ἀπὸ Βανδίλων ἀπέστησε, πέμψας τε ὡς βασιλέα ἐδεῖτό οἱ στρατιὰν στεῖλαι·

Dewing Meanwhile Pudentius, one of the natives of Tripolis in Libya, caused his district to revolt from the Vandals, and sending to the emperor he begged that he should despatch an army to him;

Greek πόνῳ γὰρ αὐτῷ τὴν χώραν οὐδενὶ προσποιήσειν. ὁ δέ οἱ ἄρχοντά τε Ταττιμοὺθ καὶ στράτευμα οὐ πολὺ ἔστειλεν.

Dewing for, he said, he would with no trouble win the land for the emperor. And Justinian sent him Tattimuth and an army of no very great size.

Greek ὃ δὴ ἑταιρισάμενος Πουδέντιος Βανδίλων οὐ παρόντων τήν τε χώραν ἔσχε καὶ βασιλεῖ προσεποίησε. τῷ δὲ Γελίμερι τιμωρεῖν βουλομένῳ Πουδέντιον ἐναντίωμα ξυνέπεσε τόδε.

Dewing This force Pudentius joined with his own troops and, the Vandals being absent, he gained possession of the land and made it subject to the emperor. And Gelimer, though wishing to inflict punishment upon Pudentius, found the following obstacle in his way.

Greek Γώδας τις ἦν ἐν τοῖς Γελίμερος δούλοις, Γότθος τὸ γένος, θυμοειδὴς μὲν καὶ δραστήριος καὶ πρὸς ἰσχὺν ἱκανὼς πεφυκώς, εὐνοϊκῶς δὲ δοκῶν ἐς τὰ τοῦ δεσπότου πράγματα ἔχειν.

Dewing There was a certain Godas among the slaves of Gelimer, a Goth by birth a passionate and energetic fellow possessed of great bodily strength, but appearing to be well-disposed to the cause of his master.

Greek τούτῳ τῷ Γώδᾳ ὁ Γελίμερ Σαρδὼ τὴν νῆσον ἐπέτρεψε, φυλακῆς τε ἕνεκα καὶ φόρον τὸν ἐπέτειον ἀποφέρειν.

Dewing To this Godas Gelimer entrusted the island of Sardinia, in order both to guard the island and to pay over the annual tribute.

Greek ὁ δὲ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς τύχης εὐημερίαν οὔτε καταπέψαι οὔτε τῇ ψυχῇ φέρειν οἷός τε ὢν τυραννίδι ἐπεχείρησε, καὶ οὐδὲ τὴν τοῦ φόρου ἀπαγωγὴν ἀποφέρειν ἔτι ἠξίου, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν νῆσον αὐτὸς Βανδίλων ἀποστήσας εἶχε.

Dewing But he neither could digest the prosperity brought by fortune nor had he the spirit to endure it, and so he undertook to establish a tyranny, and he refused to continue the payment of the tribute, and actually detached the island from the Vandals and held it himself.

Greek καὶ ἐπεὶ ᾔσθετο βασιλέα Ἰουστινιανὸν πολεμησείοντα ἐπί τε Λιβύην καὶ Γελίμερα, ἔγραψε πρὸς αὐτὸν τάδε·

Dewing And when he perceived that the Emperor Justinian was eager to make war against Libya and Gelimer, he wrote to him as follows:

Greek “Οὔτε ἀγνωμοσύνῃ εἴκων οὔτε τι ἄχαρι πρὸς δεσπότου παθὼν τοῦ ἐμοῦ εἰς ἀπόστασιν εἶδον, ἀλλὰ τἀνδρὸς ἰδὼν τὴν ὠμότητα ἰσχυρὰν οἵαν εἴς τε τὸ ξυγγενὲς καὶ ὑπήκοον μετέχειν τῆς ἀπανθρωπίας οὐκ ἂν δόξαιμι ἑκών γε εἶναι.

Dewing "It was neither because I yielded to folly nor because I had suffered anything unpleasant at my master's hands that I turned my thoughts towards rebellion, but seeing the extreme cruelty of the man both toward his kinsmen and toward his subjects, I could not, willingly at least, be reputed to have a share in his inhumanity.

Greek ἄμεινον γὰρ βασιλεῖ δικαίῳ ὑπηρετεῖν ἢ τυράννῳ τὰ οὐκ ἔννομα ἐπαγγέλλοντι.

Dewing For it is better to serve a just king than a tyrant whose commands are unlawful.

Greek ἀλλ’ ὅπως μὲν συλλήψῃ μοι ταῦτα σπουδάζοντι, ὅπως δὲ στρατιώτας πέμποις ὥστε με ἀμύνεσθαι τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἱκανῶς ἔχειν.”

Dewing But do thou join with me to assist in this my effort and send soldiers so that I may be able to ward off my assailants."

Greek Ταύτην βασιλεὺς ἄσμενος λαβὼν τὴν ἐπιστολὴν Εὐλόγιον πρεσβευτὴν ἔπεμψε καὶ γράμματα ἔγραψεν, ἐπαινῶν τὸν Γώδαν τῆς τε ξυνέσεως καὶ τῆς ἐς τὴν δικαιοσύνην προθυμίας, ξυμμαχίαν τε ἐπαγγελλόμενος καὶ στρατιώτας καὶ στρατηγόν, ὃς αὐτῷ ξυμφυλάξαι τε τὴν νῆσον οἷός τε εἴη καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ξυλλήψεσθαι, ὥστε αὐτῷ δύσκολον μηδὲν πρὸς Βανδίλων ξυμβῆναι.

Dewing And the emperor, on receiving this letter, was pleased and he sent Eulogius as envoy and wrote a letter praising Godas for his wisdom and his zeal for justice, and he promised an alliance and soldiers and a general, who would be able to guard the island with him and to assist him in every other way, so that no trouble should come to him from the Vandals.

Greek Εὐλόγιος δὲ ἀφικόμενος εἰς Σαρδὼ εὕρισκε Γώδαν ὄνομά τε καὶ σχῆμα βασιλέως περιβαλλόμενον καὶ δορυφόρους προσποιησάμενον.

Dewing But Eulogius, upon coming to Sardinia, found that Godas was assuming the name and wearing the dress of a king and that he had attached a body-guard to his person.

Greek ὃς ἐπειδὴ τὴν βασιλέως ἐπιστολὴν ἀνελέξατο, στρατιώτας μὲν ἔφη ἐς ξυμμαχίαν ἐλθεῖν βουλομένῳ εἶναι, ἄρχοντος δὲ οὐ πάνυ χρῄζειν. κατὰ ταῦτά τε πρὸς βασιλέα γράψας τὸν Εὐλόγιον ἀπεπέμψατο.

Dewing And when Godas read the emperor's letter, he said that it was his wish to have soldiers, indeed, come to fight along with him, but as for a commander, he had absolutely no desire for one. And having written to the emperor in this sense, he dismissed Eulogius.