第3巻 第16章

Greek Τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ, ἐπειδὴ τῶν στρατιωτῶν τινες ἐς τοὺς ἀγροὺς ἀναβαίνοντες τῶν ὡραίων ἥπτοντο, αὐτῶν τε τὰ σώματα ὁ στρατηγὸς οὐ παρέργως ᾐκίσατο καὶ ξυγκαλέσας ἅπαντας ἔλεξε τοιάδε·

Dewing But on the following day, when some of the soldiers went out into the fields and laid hands on the fruit, the general inflicted corporal punishment of no casual sort upon them, and he called all the army together and spoke as follows:

Greek “Τὸ μὲν βιάζεσθαι καὶ τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις σιτίζεσθαι ταύτῃ μόνον ἔν γε τοῖς ἄλλοις καιροῖς μοχθηρὸν πεφυκέναι δοκεῖ, ὅτι τὸ ἄδικον ἐν αὑτῷ φέρεται· νῦν δὲ τοσοῦτον αὐτῷ τῆς δυσκολίας περίεστιν ὥστε, εἰ μὴ πικρὸν εἰπεῖν, τὸν τοῦ δικαίου λόγον περὶ ἐλάσσονος ποιησαμένους τὸν ἐντεῦθεν κίνδυνον ἡμᾶς ἡλίκος ποτέ ἐστιν ἐκλογίζεσθαι χρή.

Dewing "This using of violence and the eating of that which belongs to others seems at other times a wicked thing only on this account, that injustice is in the deed itself, as the saying is; but in the present instance so great an element of detriment is added to the wrongdoing that — if it is not too harsh to say so — we must consider the question of justice of less account and calculate the magnitude of the danger that may arise from your act.

Greek ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐκείνῳ μόνῳ τὸ θαρρεῖν ἔχων εἰς τὴν γῆν ὑμᾶς ἀπεβίβασα ταύτην, ὅτι τοῖς Βανδίλοις οἱ Λίβυες, Ῥωμαῖοι τὸ ἀνέκαθεν ὄντες, ἄπιστοί τέ εἰσι καὶ χαλεπῶς ἔχουσι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ᾤμην ὡς οὔτ’ ἄν τι τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἡμᾶς ἐπιλείποι οὔτε τι ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς κακὸν ἐργάσονται ἡμᾶς οἱ πολέμιοι.

Dewing For I have disembarked you upon this land basing my confidence on this alone, that the Libyans, being Romans from of old, are unfaithful and hostile to the Vandals, and for this reason I thought that no necessaries would fail us and, besides, that the enemy would not do us any injury by a sudden attack.

Greek ἀλλὰ νῦν αὕτη ὑμῶν ἡ ἀκράτεια ταῦτα εἰς τοὐναντίον ἡμῖν μεταβέβληκε. τοὺς γὰρ Λίβυας δήπου κατηλλάξατε τοῖς Βανδίλοις, εἰς ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἤδη τὴν τούτων περιαγαγόντες δυσμένειαν.

Dewing But now this your lack of self-control has changed it all and made the opposite true. For you have doubtless reconciled the Libyans to the Vandals, bringing their hostility round upon your own selves.

Greek φύσει γὰρ πρόσεστι τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις ἡ πρὸς τοὺς βιαζομένους ἔχθρα, καὶ περιέστηκεν ὑμῖν τῆς τε ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἀσφαλείας καὶ τῆς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀφθονίας ὀλίγα ἄττα ἀργύρια ἀνταλλάξασθαι, παρὸν ὑμῖν παρ’ ἑκόντων ὠνουμένοις τὰ ἐπιτήδεια τῶν κυρίων μήτε ἀδίκοις εἶναι δοκεῖν καὶ φίλοις ἐκείνοις ἐς τὰ μάλιστα χρῆσθαι.

Dewing For by nature those who are wronged feel enmity toward those who have done them violence, and it has come round to this that you have exchanged your own safety and a bountiful supply of good things for some few pieces of silver, when it was possible for you, by purchasing provisions from willing owners, not to appear unjust and at the same time to enjoy their friendship to the utmost.

Greek νῦν οὖν πρός τε Βανδίλους ὑμῖν καὶ Λίβυας ὁ πόλεμος ἔσται, λέγω δὲ ἔγωγε καὶ τὸν θεὸν αὐτόν, ὃν οὐδεὶς ἀδικῶν ἐς ἐπικουρίαν παρακαλεῖ.

Dewing Now, therefore, the war will be between you and both Vandals and Libyans, and I, at least, say further that it will be against God himself, whose aid no one who does wrong can invoke.

Greek ἀλλὰ παύσασθε μὲν τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις ἐπιπηδῶντες, κέρδος δὲ ἀποσείσασθε κινδύνων μεστόν.

Dewing But do you cease trespassing upon the possessions of others, and reject a gain which is full of dangers.

Greek οὗτος γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ὁ καιρός ἐστιν ἐν ᾧ μάλιστα σωφροσύνη μὲν οἵα τε σώζειν, ἀκοσμία δὲ ἐς θάνατον φέρει. τούτων γὰρ ἐπιμελομένοις ὑμῖν ἵλεως μὲν ὁ θεός, εὔνους δὲ ὁ τῶν Λιβύων λεώς, καὶ τὸ τῶν Βανδίλων γένος εὐέφοδον ἔσται.”

Dewing For this is that time in which above all others moderation is able to save, but lawlessness leads to death. For if you give heed to these things, you will find God propitious, the Libyan people well-disposed, and the race of the Vandals open to your attack."

Greek Τοσαῦτα εἰπὼν Βελισάριος καὶ τὸν ξύλλογον διαλύσας, ἐπεὶ ἤκουσε Σύλλεκτον πόλιν ἡμέρας ὁδὸν τοῦ στρατοπέδου διέχουσαν ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ εἶναι ἐν τῇ ἐπὶ Καρχηδόνα φερούσῃ, ἧς τὸ μὲν τεῖχος ἐκ παλαιοῦ καθῃρημένον ἐτύγχανεν, οἱ δὲ ταύτῃ ᾠκημένοι τοὺς τῶν οἰκιῶν τοίχους πανταχόθεν ἀποφράξαντες διὰ τὰς τῶν Μαυρουσίων ἐπιδρομὰς περιβόλου ἐφύλασσον σχῆμα, τῶν δορυφόρων ἕνα Βοριάδην ἅμα τῶν ὑπασπιστῶν τισιν ἔστελλεν, ἐπαγγείλας αὐτοῖς τῆς τε πόλεως ἀποπειρᾶσθαι καί, ἢν ἕλωσι, κακὸν μὲν μηδὲν ἐν αὐτῇ δρᾶσαι, ἐπαγγείλασθαι δὲ ἀγαθὰ μυρία, καὶ ὡς ἐπὶ τῇ αὐτῶν ἐλευθερίᾳ ἥκοιεν, ὥστε εἰσιτητὰ τῷ στρατῷ ἐς αὐτὴν γενέσθαι.

Dewing With these words Belisarius dismissed the assembly. And at that time he heard that the city of Syllectus was distant one day's journey from the camp, lying close to the sea on the road leading to Carthage, and that the wall of this city had been torn down for a long time, but the inhabitants of the place had made a barrier on all sides by means of the walls of their houses, on account of the attacks of the Moors, and guarded a kind of fortified enclosure; he, accordingly, sent one of his spearmen, Boriades, together with some of the guards, commanding them to make an attempt on the city, and if they captured it, to do no harm in it, but to promise a thousand good things and to say that they had come for the sake of the people's freedom, that so the army might be able to enter into it.

Greek οἱ δὲ περὶ λύχνων ἁφὰς ἀγχοῦ τῆς πόλεως γενόμενοι ἐν φάραγγί τε λαθόντες διενυκτέρευσαν. ἕωθεν δὲ ἀγροίκων σὺν ἁμάξαις ἐς αὐτὴν εἰσιόντων ἐπιτυχόντες συνεισῆλθόν τε σιωπῇ καὶ οὐδενὶ πόνῳ τὴν πόλιν ἔσχον.

Dewing And they came near the city about dusk and passed the night hidden in a ravine. But at early dawn, meeting country folk going into the city with waggons, they entered quietly with them and with no trouble took possession of the city.

Greek καὶ ἐπεὶ ἡμέρα ἐγένετο, οὐδενὸς θορύβου ἡγησαμένου, τόν τε ἱερέα καὶ εἴ τι δόκιμον ἦν ξυγκαλέσαντες τάς τε τοῦ στρατηγοῦ ἐντολὰς ἀπήγγελλον, καὶ τὰς κλεῖς τῶν εἰσόδων παρ’ ἑκόντων λαβόντες τῷ στρατηγῷ ἔπεμψαν.

Dewing And when day came, no one having begun any disturbance, they called together the priest and all the other notables and announced the commands of the general, and receiving the keys of the entrances from willing hands, they went them to the general.

Greek Τῇ δὲ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ὁ τοῦ δημοσίου δρόμου ἐπιμελούμενος ηὐτομόλησε παραδοὺς τοὺς δημοσίους ξύμπαντας ἵππους. ξυλληφθέντα δὲ καί τινα τῶν ἐς τὰς βασιλικὰς ἀποκρίσεις ἀεὶ στελλομένων, οὓς δὴ βεριδαρίους καλοῦσι, κακὸν μὲν οὐδὲν ὁ στρατηγὸς ἔδρασε, χρυσῷ δὲ πολλῷ δωρησάμενος καὶ πιστὰ λαβὼν τὰς ἐπιστολὰς ἐνεχείρισεν ἅσπερ Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς πρὸς Βανδίλους ἔγραψεν, ἐφ’ ᾧ τοῖς Βανδίλων ἄρχουσι δοῦναι.

Dewing On the same day the overseer of the public post deserted, handing over all the government horses. And they captured also one of those who are occasionally sent to bear the royal responses, whom they call "veredarii";⁠ and the general did him no harm but presented him with much gold and, receiving pledges from him, put into his hand the letter which the Emperor Justinian had written to the Vandals, that he might give it to the magistrates of the Vandals.

Greek ἐδήλου δὲ ἡ γραφὴ τάδε· “Οὔτε Βανδίλοις πολεμεῖν ἔγνωμεν οὔτε τὰς Γιζερίχου σπονδὰς λύομεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ὑμέτερον τύραννον καθελεῖν ἐγχειροῦμεν, ὃς τῶν Γιζερίχου διαθηκῶν ὀλιγωρήσας τὸν μὲν βασιλέα ὑμῶν καθείρξας τηρεῖ, τῶν δὲ αὐτοῦ συγγενῶν οὓς μὲν σφόδρα ἐμίσει κατ’ ἀρχὰς ἔκτεινε, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς τὰς ὄψεις ἀφελόμενος ἐν φυλακῇ ἔχει, οὐκ ἐῶν θανάτῳ καταλῦσαι τὰς συμφοράς.

Dewing And the writing was as follows: "Neither have we decided to make war upon the Vandals, nor are we breaking the treaty of Gizeric but we are attempting to dethrone your tyrant, who, making light of the testament of Gizeric, has imprisoned your king and is keeping him in custody, and those of his relatives whom he hated exceedingly he put to death at the first, and the rest, after robbing them of their sight, he keeps under guard, not allowing them to terminate their misfortunes by death.

Greek συλλάβεσθε τοίνυν ἡμῖν καὶ συνελευθεροῦτε ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς οὕτω μοχθηρᾶς τυραννίδος, ὅπως ἂν δύνησθε τῆς τε εἰρήνης καὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἀπόνασθαι. ταῦτα γὰρ ὑμῖν παρ’ ἡμῶν ἔσεσθαι πρὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τὰ

Dewing Do you, therefore, join forces with us and help us in freeing yourselves from so wicked a tyranny, in order that you may be able to enjoy both peace and freedom. For we give you pledges in the name of God that these things will come to you by our hand."

Greek πιστὰ δίδομεν.” τοσαῦτα μὲν τὰ βασιλέως γράμματα ἐδήλου. ὁ δὲ ταῦτα παρὰ Βελισαρίου λαβὼν ἐξενεγκεῖν μὲν εἰς τὸ φανερὸν οὐκ ἐτόλμησε, λάθρα δὲ τοῖς φίλοις ἐπιδείξας οὐδὲν ὅ τι καὶ λόγου ἄξιον διεπράξατο.

Dewing Such was the message of the emperor's letter. But the man who received this from Belisarius did not dare to publish it openly, and though he shewed it secretly to his friends, he accomplished nothing whatever of consequence.