第3巻 第2章

Greek Ὁνωρίου δὲ τὴν πρὸς ἡλίου δυσμαῖς ἔχοντος βασιλείαν βάρβαροι τὴν ἐκείνου κατέλαβον χώραν· οἵτινες δὲ καὶ ὅτῳ τρόπῳ, λελέξεται.

Dewing Now while Honorius was holding the imperial power in the West, barbarians took possession of his land; and I shall tell who they were and in what manner they did so.

Greek Γοτθικὰ ἔθνη πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλα πρότερόν τε ἦν καὶ τανῦν ἔστι, τὰ δὲ δὴ πάντων μέγιστά τε καὶ ἀξιολογώτατα Γότθοι τέ εἰσι καὶ Βανδίλοι καὶ Οὐισίγοτθοι καὶ Γήπαιδες. πάλαι μέντοι Σαυρομάται καὶ Μελάγχλαινοι ὠνομάζοντο· εἰσὶ δὲ οἳ καὶ Γετικὰ ἔθνη ταῦτ’ ἐκάλουν.

Dewing There were many Gothic nations in earlier times, just as also at the present, but the greatest and most important of all are the Goths, Vandals, Visigoths, and Gepaedes. In ancient times, however, they were named Sauromatae and Melanchlaeni;⁠ and there were some too who called these nations Getic.

Greek οὗτοι ἅπαντες ὀνόμασι μὲν ἀλλήλων διαφέρουσιν, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, ἄλλῳ δὲ τῶν πάντων οὐδενὶ διαλλάσσουσι.

Dewing All these, while they are distinguished from one another by their names, as has been said, do not differ in anything else at all.

Greek λευκοί τε γὰρ ἅπαντες τὰ σώματά εἰσι καὶ τὰς κόμας ξανθοί, εὐμήκεις τε καὶ ἀγαθοὶ τὰς ὄψεις, καὶ νόμοις μὲν τοῖς αὐτοῖς χρῶνται,

Dewing For they all have white bodies and fair hair, and are tall and handsome to look upon, and they use the same laws and practise a common religion.

Greek ὁμοίως δὲ τὰ ἐς τὸν θεὸν αὐτοῖς ἤσκηται. τῆς γὰρ Ἀρείου δόξης εἰσὶν ἅπαντες, φωνή τε αὐτοῖς ἐστι μία, Γοτθικὴ λεγομένη· καί μοι δοκοῦν ἐξ ἑνὸς μὲν εἶναι ἅπαντες τὸ παλαιὸν ἔθνους, ὀνόμασι δὲ ὕστερον τῶν ἑκάστοις ἡγησαμένων διακεκρίσθαι.

Dewing For they are all of the Arian faith, and have one language called Gothic; and, as it seems to me, they all came originally from one tribe, and were distinguished later by the names of those who led each group.

Greek οὗτος ὁ λεὼς ὑπὲρ ποταμὸν Ἴστρον ἐκ παλαιοῦ ᾤκουν. ἔπειτα Γήπαιδες μὲν τὰ ἀμφὶ Σιγγιδόνον τε καὶ Σίρμιον χωρία ἔσχον, ἐντός τε καὶ ἐκτὸς ποταμοῦ Ἴστρου, ἔνθα δὴ καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ ἵδρυνται.

Dewing This people used to dwell above the Ister River from of old. Later on the Gepaedes got possession of the country about Singidunum⁠ and Sirmium,⁠ on both sides of the Ister River, where they have remained settled even down to my time.

Greek Τῶν δὲ δὴ ἄλλων Οὐισίγοτθοι μὲν ἐνθένδε ἀναστάντες τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἐς ξυμμαχίαν Ἀρκαδίου βασιλέως ἀφίκοντο, χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον ʽοὐ γὰρ οἶδε βαρβάροις ἐνδιαιτᾶσθαι ἡ ἐς Ῥωμαίους πίστισ̓, ἡγουμένου αὐτοῖς Ἀλαρίχου, ἐς ἐπιβουλὴν ἑκατέρου βασιλέως ἐτράποντο, ἐκ Θρᾴκης τε ἀρξάμενοι ξυμπάσῃ Εὐρώπῃ ὡς πολεμίᾳ ἐχρήσαντο.

Dewing But the Visigoths, separating from the others, removed from there and at first entered into an alliance with the Emperor Arcadius, but at a later time (for faith with the Romans cannot dwell in barbarians), under the leader­ship of Alaric, became hostile to both emperors, and, beginning with Thrace, treated all Europe as an enemy's land.

Greek βασιλεὺς δὲ Ὁνώριος πρότερον μὲν ἐν Ῥώμῃ καθῆστο, οὐδὲν ὅ τι καὶ πολέμιον ἐν νῷ ἔχων, ἀλλ’ ἀγαπῶν, οἶμαι, ἤν τις αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἡσυχάζειν ἐῴη.

Dewing Now the Emperor Honorius had before this time been sitting in Rome, with never a thought of war in his mind, but glad, I think, if men allowed him to remain quiet in his palace.

Greek ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐκ ἄποθεν οἱ βάρβαροι, ἀλλά που ἐν Ταυλαντίοις εἶναι στρατῷ μεγάλῳ ἠγγέλλοντο, καταλιπὼν τὰ βασίλεια οὐδενὶ κόσμῳ ἐς Ῥάβενναν φεύγει, πόλιν ἐχυρὰν ἐς αὐτόν που λήγοντα κειμένην τὸν Ἰόνιον κόλπον.

Dewing But when word was brought that the barbarians with a great army were not far off, but somewhere among the Taulantii,⁠ he abandoned the palace and fled in disorderly fashion to Ravenna, a strong city lying just about at the end of the Ionian Gulf,

Greek εἰσὶ δὲ οἳ καὶ φασὶν αὐτὸν τοὺς βαρβάρους ἐπαγαγέσθαι, στάσεως αὐτῷ πρὸς τῶν ὑπηκόων γεγενημένης, ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐ πιστὰ λέγοντες,

Dewing while some say that he brought in the barbarians himself, because an uprising had been started against him among his subjects; but this does not seem to me trustworthy, as far, at least, as one can judge of the character of the man.

Greek ὅσα γε τὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκλογίζεσθαι ἦθος. οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲν σφίσιν ἀπήντα πολέμιον, γίνονται ὠμότατοι ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων. πόλεις τε γάρ, ὅσας εἷλον, οὕτω κατειργάσαντο ὥστε οὐδὲν εἰς ἐμὲ αὐταῖς ἀπολέλειπται γνώρισμα, ἄλλως τε καὶ ἐντὸς τοῦ Ἰονίου κόλπου, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι πύργον ἕνα ἢ πύλην μίαν ἤ τι τοιοῦτο αὐταῖς περιεῖναι ξυνέβη·

Dewing And the barbarians, finding that they had no hostile force to encounter them, became the most cruel of all men. For they destroyed all the cities which they captured, especially those south of the Ionian Gulf, so completely that nothing has been left to my time to know them by, unless, indeed, it might be one tower or one gate or some such thing which chanced to remain.

Greek τούς τε ἀνθρώπους ἅπαντας ἔκτεινον, ὅσοι ἐγένοντο ἐν ποσίν, ὁμοίως μὲν πρεσβύτας, ὁμοίως δὲ νέους, οὔτε γυναικῶν οὔτε παίδων φειδόμενοι. ὅθεν εἰς ἔτι καὶ νῦν ὀλιγάνθρωπον τὴν Ἰταλίαν ξυμβαίνει εἶναι.

Dewing And they killed all the people, as many as came in their way, both old and young alike, sparing neither women nor children. Wherefore even up to the present time Italy is sparsely populated.

Greek χρήματα δὲ ἅπαντα ἐληίσαντο ἐκ πάσης Εὐρώπης, καί, τό γε κεφάλαιον, ἐν Ῥώμῃ τῶν τε δημοσίων τῶν τε ἰδίων οὐδ’ ὁτιοῦν ἀπολιπόντες ἐπὶ Γαλλίας ἐχώρησαν. τρόπῳ δὲ ὅτῳ Ῥώμην Ἀλάριχος εἷλεν, ἐγὼ δηλώσω.

Dewing They also gathered as plunder all the money out of all Europe, and, most important of all, they left in Rome nothing whatever of public or private wealth when they moved on to Gaul. But I shall now tell how Alaric captured Rome.

Greek Ἐπειδὴ χρόνος τέ οἱ πολὺς ἐν τῇ προσεδρείᾳ ἐτέτριπτο καὶ οὔτε βίᾳ οὔτε τινὶ μηχανῇ ἄλλῃ ἴσχυσε τὸ χωρίον ἑλεῖν, ἐπενόει τάδε.

Dewing After much time had been spent by him in the siege, and he had not been able either by force or by any other device to capture the place, he formed the following plan.

Greek τῶν ἐν στρατῷ νεανιῶν οὔπω γενειασκόντων, ἀλλ’ ἄρτι ἡβηκότων, τριακοσίους ἀπολεξάμενος, οὕσπερ εὖ τε γεγονέναι καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἡλικίαν ἀρετῆς μεταποιεῖσθαι ἠπίστατο, ἔφασκε μὲν αὐτοῖς κρύφα ὡς σφίσι τῶν ἐν Ῥώμῃ πατρικίων τινάς, ἅτε δούλοις οὖσι δῆθεν τῷ λόγῳ, δωρήσεσθαι μέλλοι.

Dewing Among the youths in the army whose beards had not yet grown, but who had just come of age, he chose out three hundred whom he knew to be of good birth and possessed of valour beyond their years, and told them secretly that he was about to make a present of them to certain of the patricians in Rome, pretending that they were slaves.

Greek παρήγγελλε δὲ ὥστε, ἐπειδὰν ἐν ταῖς ἐκείνων οἰκίαις τάχιστα γένωνται, πρᾳότητα πολλὴν καὶ σωφροσύνην ἐνδεικνυμένους ἅπαντα προθύμως ὑπηρετεῖν, ἅπερ ἂν αὐτοῖς πρὸς τῶν κεκτημένων ἐπικείμενα ᾖ·

Dewing And he instructed them that, as soon as they got inside the houses of those men, they should display much gentleness and moderation and serve them eagerly in whatever tasks should be laid upon them by their owners;

Greek ἔπειτα οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τακτῇ ἀμφὶ ἡμέραν μάλιστα μέσην, ἁπάντων ἤδη τῶν αὐτοὺς ληψομένων ὕπνον, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, μετὰ τὰ σιτία αἱρουμένων, ἐν πύλῃ ἅπαντας τῇ Σαλαρίᾳ καλουμένῃ γενέσθαι, καὶ τούς τε φύλακας οὐδὲν προαισθομένους ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς κτεῖναι τάς τε πύλας ἀνοιγνύναι ὡς τάχιστα.

Dewing and he further directed them that not long afterwards, on an appointed day at about midday, when all those who were to be their masters would most likely be already asleep after their meal, they should all come to the gate called Salarian and with a sudden rush kill the guards, who would have no previous knowledge of the plot, and open the gates as quickly as possible.

Greek ταῦτα ἐπαγγείλας Ἀλάριχος τοῖς νεανίαις, πρέσβεις αὐτίκα πρὸς τοὺς ἐκ βουλῆς ἔπεμψε, δηλῶν ὅτι ἀγασθείη μὲν αὐτοὺς τῆς ἐς τὸν σφῶν βασιλέα εὐνοίας, οὐκέτι δὲ τὸ λοιπὸν ἐνοχλήσει, τῆς τε ἀρετῆς καὶ πίστεως ἕνεκα, ἧς ἐς ἄγαν μεταποιεῖσθαί εἰσιν ἔνδηλοι, ὅπως τε αὐτοῦ μνημεῖα παρ’ ἀνδράσι καλοῖς τε καὶ ἀγαθοῖς σώζοιτο, οἰκέταις τισὶ δωρεῖσθαι βούλοιτο αὐτῶν ἕκαστον.

Dewing After giving these orders to the youths, Alaric straightway sent ambassadors to the members of the senate, stating that he admired them for their loyalty toward their emperor, and that he would trouble them no longer, because of their valour and faithfulness, with which it was plain that they were endowed to a remarkable degree, and in order that tokens of himself might be preserved among men both noble and brave, he wished to present each one of them with some domestics.

Greek ταῦτα σημήνας καὶ τοὺς νεανίας οὐκ ἐς μακρὰν στείλας, συσκευάζεσθαι ἐς τὴν ἄφοδον τοὺς βαρβάρους ἐκέλευε, τούτου τε αἴσθησιν Ῥωμαίοις παρεῖχεν.

Dewing After making this declaration and sending the youths not long afterwards, he commanded the barbarians to make preparations for the departure, and he let this be known to the Romans.

Greek οἳ δὴ τούς τε λόγους ἄσμενοι ἤκουσαν καὶ τὰ δῶρα δεξάμενοι ἐν πολλῇ εὐπαθείᾳ ἐγένοντο, ἑκαστάτω τῆς τοῦ βαρβάρου ἐπιβουλῆς ὄντες.

Dewing And they heard his words gladly, and receiving the gifts began to be exceedingly happy, since they were completely ignorant of the plot of the barbarian.

Greek οἵ τε γὰρ νέοι τῷ εὐπειθέστεροι τοῖς κεκτημένοις εἶναι τὸ ὕποπτον ἀπεκρούοντο, τοῦ τε στρατοπέδου οἱ μὲν ἤδη ἐξανιστάμενοί τε καὶ διαλύοντες τὴν προσεδρείαν ἐφαίνοντο, οἱ δὲ ὅσον οὔπω ταὐτὸ τοῦτο ποιήσειν ἐπίδοξοι ἦσαν.

Dewing For the youths, by being unusually obedient to their owners, averted suspicion, and in camp some were already seen moving from their positions and raising the siege, while it seemed that the others were just on the point of doing the very same thing.

Greek ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡ κυρία παρῆν, Ἀλάριχος μὲν ἅπαν ἐξοπλίσας τὸ στράτευμα ὡς ἐς τὴν ἔφοδον ἐν παρασκευῇ εἶχεν ἄγχιστα πύλης τῆς Σαλαρίας· ἐνταῦθα γὰρ ἐνστρατοπεδευσάμενος τῆς πολιορκίας κατ’ ἀρχὰς ἔτυχε.

Dewing But when the appointed day had come, Alaric armed his whole force for the attack and was holding them in readiness close by the Salarian Gate; for it happened that he had encamped there at the beginning of the siege.

Greek ξύμπαντες δὲ οἱ νεανίαι καιρῷ τῆς ἡμέρας τῷ ξυγκειμένῳ ἐς ταύτην δὴ τὴν πύλην γενόμενοι τούς τε φύλακας ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου ἐπελθόντες ἀπέκτειναν, τάς τε πύλας ἀνακλίναντες κατ’ ἐξουσίαν Ἀλάριχόν τε καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν τῇ πόλει ἐδέξαντο.

Dewing And all the youths at the time of the day agreed upon came to the gate, and, assailing the guards suddenly, put them to death; then they opened the gates and received Alaric and the army into the city at their leisure.

Greek οἱ δὲ τάς τε οἰκίας ἐνέπρησαν αἳ τῆς πύλης ἄγχιστα ἦσαν, ἐν αἷς ἦν καὶ ἡ Σαλουστίου, τοῦ Ῥωμαίοις τὸ παλαιὸν τὴν ἱστορίαν γράψαντος, ἧς δὴ τὰ πλεῖστα ἡμίκαυτα καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ ἕστηκε· τήν τε πόλιν ὅλην ληισάμενοι καὶ Ῥωμαίων τοὺς πλείστους διαφθείραντες πρόσω ἐχώρουν.

Dewing And they set fire to the houses which were next to the gate, among which was also the house of Sallust, who in ancient times wrote the history of the Romans, and the greater part of this house has stood half-burned up to my time; and after plundering the whole city and destroying the most of the Romans, they moved on.

Greek τότε λέγουσιν ἐν Ῥαβέννῃ Ὁνωρίῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν τινα εὐνούχων δηλονότι ὀρνιθοκόμον ἀγγεῖλαι ὅτι δὴ Ῥώμη ἀπόλωλε. καὶ τὸν ἀναβοήσαντα φάναι “Καίτοι ἔναγχος ἐδήδοκεν ἐκ χειρῶν τῶν ἐμῶν.” εἶναι γάρ οἱ ἀλεκτρυόνα ὑπερμεγέθη,

Dewing At that time they say that the Emperor Honorius in Ravenna received the message from one of the eunuchs, evidently a keeper of the poultry, that Rome had perished. And he cried out and said, "And yet it has just eaten from my hands!"

Greek Ῥώμην ὄνομα· καὶ τὸν μὲν εὐνοῦχον ξυνέντα τοῦ λόγου εἰπεῖν Ῥώμην τὴν πόλιν πρὸς Ἀλαρίχου ἀπολωλέναι, ἀνενεγκόντα δὲ τὸν βασιλέα ὑπολαβεῖν “Ἀλλ’ ἔγωγε, ὦ ἑταῖρε, Ῥώμην μοι ἀπολωλέναι τὴν ὄρνιν ᾠήθην.” τοσαύτῃ ἀμαθίᾳ τὸν βασιλέα τοῦτον ἔχεσθαι λέγουσι.

Dewing For he had a very large cock, Rome by name; and the eunuch comprehending his words said that it was the city of Rome which had perished at the hands of Alaric, and the emperor with a sigh of relief answered quickly: "But I, my good fellow, thought that my fowl Rome had perished." So great, they say, was the folly with which this emperor was possessed.

Greek Τινὲς δὲ οὐχ οὕτω Ῥώμην Ἀλαρίχῳ ἁλῶναί φασιν, ἀλλὰ Πρόβην γυναῖκα, πλούτῳ τε καὶ δόξῃ ἔν γε τῇ Ῥωμαίων βουλῇ ἐπιφανεστάτην μάλιστα οὖσαν, οἰκτεῖραι μὲν λιμῷ τε καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ κακοπαθείᾳ διαφθειρομένους Ῥωμαίους, οἵ γε καὶ ἀλλήλων ἤδη ἐγεύοντο· ὁρῶσαν δὲ ὡς πᾶσα αὐτοὺς ἐλπὶς ἀγαθὴ ἐπιλελοίπει, τοῦ τε ποταμοῦ καὶ τοῦ λιμένος ἐχομένου πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων, τοῖς οἰκέταις ἐγκελεύσασθαι νύκτωρ ἀνοιγνύναι τὰς πύλας.

Dewing But some say that Rome was not captured in this way by Alaric, but that Proba, a woman of very unusual eminence in wealth and in fame among the Roman senatorial class, felt pity for the Romans who were being destroyed by hunger and the other suffering they endured; and seeing that every good hope had left them, since both the river and the harbour were held by the enemy, she commanded her domestics, they say, to open the gates by night.

Greek Ἐπειδὴ δὲ Ἀλάριχος ἐκ Ῥώμης ἐξανίστασθαι ἔμελλεν, Ἄτταλον τῶν τινα εὐπατριδῶν βασιλέα Ῥωμαίων ἀνεῖπε, περιθέμενος αὐτῷ τό τε διάδημα καὶ τὴν ἁλουργίδα καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο ἐς βασιλικὸν ἀξίωμα ἥκει. ἔπρασσε δὲ ταῦτα ὡς παραλύσων μὲν τῆς βασιλείας Ὁνώριον, παραδώσων δὲ ἅπαν Ἀττάλῳ τὸ ἑσπέριον κράτος.

Dewing Now when Alaric was about to depart from Rome, he declared Attalus, one of their nobles, emperor of the Romans, investing him with the diadem and the purple and whatever else pertains to the imperial dignity. And he did this with the intention of removing Honorius from his throne and of giving over the whole power in the West to Attalus.

Greek τοιαύτῃ μὲν γνώμῃ Ἄτταλός τε καὶ Ἀλάριχος ἐπὶ Ῥάβενναν στρατῷ πολλῷ ᾔεσαν. ἦν δὲ ὁ Ἄτταλος οὗτος οὔτε αὐτός τι νοεῖν ἱκανὸς οὔτε τῷ εὖ εἰπόντι πεισθῆναι.

Dewing With such a purpose, then, both Attalus and Alaric were going with a great army against Ravenna. But this Attalus was neither able to think wisely himself, nor to be persuaded by one who had wisdom to offer.

Greek Ἀλαρίχου γοῦν ἥκιστα ἐπαινοῦντος ἐς Λιβύην στρατιᾶς χωρὶς ἄρχοντας ἔπεμψε. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐπράσσετο τῇδε.

Dewing So while Alaric did not by any means approve the plan, Attalus sent commanders to Libya without an army. Thus, then, were these things going on.

Greek Βρεττανία δὲ ἡ νῆσος Ῥωμαίων ἀπέστη, οἵ τε ἐκείνῃ στρατιῶται βασιλέα σφίσι Κωνσταντῖνον εἵλοντο, οὐκ ἀφανῆ ἄνδρα. ὃς δὴ αὐτίκα στόλον τε ἀγείρας νηῶν καὶ στρατιὰν λόγου ἀξίαν ἐς Ἱσπανίαν τε καὶ Γαλλίαν ὡς δουλωσόμενος στρατῷ μεγάλῳ ἐσέβαλεν.

Dewing And the island of Britain revolted from the Romans, and the soldiers there chose as their king Constantinus, a man of no mean station. And he straightway gathered a fleet of ships and a formidable army and invaded both Spain and Gaul with a great force, thinking to enslave these countries.

Greek Ὁνώριος δὲ πλοῖα μὲν ἐν παρασκευῇ εἶχε, προσεδέχετο δὲ τὰς ἐκ Λιβύης τύχας, ὅπως, ἢν μὲν ἀποκρουσθεῖεν οἱ παρὰ Ἀττάλου σταλέντες, πλέοι τε αὐτὸς ἐπὶ Λιβύης καὶ μοῖράν τινα τῆς βασιλείας τῆς αὐτοῦ ἔχοι, ἢν δὲ ἀπ’ ἐναντίας αὐτῷ τὰ ἐκείνῃ πράγματα ἴοι, ἐς Θεοδόσιόν τε ἵκοιτο καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ εἴη.

Dewing But Honorius was holding ships in readiness and waiting to see what would happen in Libya, in order that, if those sent by Attalus were repulsed, he might himself sail for Libya and keep some portion of his own kingdom, while if matters should go against him, he might reach Theodosius and remain with him.

Greek Ἀρκαδίου γὰρ ἤδη πολλῷ πρότερον τελευτήσαντος, Θεοδόσιος ἐκείνου υἱός, ἔτι παῖς ὢν κομιδῆ, εἶχε τῆς ἕω ἀρχήν.

Dewing For Arcadius had already died long before, and his son Theodosius, still a very young child,⁠ held the power of the East.

Greek ταῦτα Ὁνωρίῳ καραδοκοῦντι καὶ ἐν τρικυμίαις φερομένῳ τῆς τύχης εὐτυχήματα θαυμάσια ἡλίκα ξυνηνέχθη γενέσθαι.

Dewing But while Honorius was thus anxiously awaiting the outcome of these events and tossed amid the billows of uncertain fortune, it so chanced that some wonderful pieces of good fortune befell him.

Greek φιλεῖ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τοῖς οὔτε ἀγχίνοις οὔτε τι οἴκοθεν μηχανᾶσθαι οἵοις τε οὖσιν, ἢν μὴ πονηροὶ εἶεν, ἀπορουμένοις τὰ ἔσχατα ἐπικουρεῖν τε καὶ ξυλλαμβάνεσθαι· ὁποῖον δή τι καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ τούτῳ τετύχηκεν.

Dewing For God is accustomed to succour those who are neither clever nor able to devise anything of themselves, and to lend them assistance, if they be not wicked, when they are in the last extremity of despair; such a thing, indeed, befell this emperor.

Greek ἔκ τε γὰρ Λιβύης ὡς διαφθαρεῖεν οἱ Ἀττάλου ἄρχοντες ἄφνω ἠγγέλλετο, καὶ νηῶν πλῆθος ἐκ Βυζαντίου στρατιώτας ἔχουσαι ὅτι πλείστους ἐς ἐπικουρίαν αὐτῷ ἀφικομένους οὐ προσδεχομένῳ παρῆσαν, διάφορός τε Ἀττάλῳ γεγονὼς Ἀλάριχος τό τε τοῦ βασιλέως αὐτὸν ἀφαιρεῖται σχῆμα καὶ ἐν ἰδιώτου ἤδη τελοῦντα μοίρᾳ ἐν φυλακῇ εἶχε.

Dewing For it was suddenly reported from Libya that the commanders of Attalus had been destroyed, and that a host of ships was at hand from Byzantium with a very great number of soldiers who had come to assist him, though he had not expected them, and that Alaric, having quarrelled with Attalus, had stripped him of the emperor's garb and was now keeping him under guard in the position of a private citizen.

Greek μετὰ δὲ Ἀλάριχος μὲν τελευτᾷ νόσῳ, ὁ δὲ τῶν Οὐισιγότθων στρατός, ἡγουμένου σφίσιν Ἀδαούλφου, ἐπὶ Γαλλίας ἐχώρησαν, καὶ Κωνσταντῖνος μάχῃ ἡσσηθεὶς ξὺν τοῖς παισὶ θνήσκει.

Dewing And afterwards Alaric died of disease, and the army of the Visigoths under the leader­ship of Adaulphus proceeded into Gaul, and Constantinus, defeated in battle, died with his sons.

Greek Βρεττανίαν μέντοι Ῥωμαῖοι ἀνασώσασθαι οὐκέτι ἔσχον, ἀλλ’ οὖσα ὑπὸ τυράννοις ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἔμεινε.

Dewing However the Romans never succeeded in recovering Britain, but it remained from that time on under tyrants.

Greek Γότθοι δὲ τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἴστρου διάβασιν ποιησάμενοι Παννονίαν μὲν τὰ πρῶτα ἔσχον, ἔπειτα δὲ βασιλέως δόντος ᾤκησαν τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς Θρᾴκης χωρία.

Dewing And the Goths, after making the crossing of the Ister, at first occupied Pannonia, but afterwards, since the emperor gave them the right, they inhabited the country of Thrace.

Greek ἐνταῦθά τε οὐ πολὺν διατρίψαντες χρόνον τῆς ἑσπερίας ἐκράτησαν. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τοῖς περὶ τῶν Γότθων εἰρήσεται.

Dewing And after spending no great time there they conquered the West. But this will be told in the narrative concerning the Goths. The Loeb Editor's Notes: 1 Cadiz. ❦ 2 Sea of Azov. ❦ 3 Abila. ❦ 4 Or Septem Fratres. ❦ 5 Most ancient geographers divided the inhabited world into three continents, but some made two divisions. It was a debated question with these latter whether Africa belonged to Asia or to Europe; cf. Sallust, Jugurtha, 17. ❦ 6 Kadi Keui. ❦ 7 More correctly Hydrous, Lat. Hydruntum (Otranto). Thayer's Note: Usually transcribed as Hydrus; also often Dryus — the form adopted by our translator everywhere else in the Wars. ❦ 8 At Aulon (Avlona). ❦ 9 Adding these four days to the other items (285, 22, 40), the total is 351 days. ❦ 10 Calpe (Gibraltar). ❦ 11 i.e., instead of stopping at Otranto, one might also reckon in the coast-line around the Adriatic to Dyrrachium. ❦ 12 Almost twenty-four English miles. Thayer's Note: It is often stated that there were exactly 8 stadia in one Roman mile, by which reckoning 210 stadia would be 26.25 Roman miles, equal to 38.85 km (24.14 miles). Our translator here has adopted a slightly lower equivalence, which seems to be closer to the truth. By today's roads, and the ancient road must have been very much the same, the distance between Athens and Megara is 40.8 km (25.35 English miles, 27.55 Roman miles). So in fact, Procopius here makes the Roman mile equal to about 7.6 stadia; elsewhere, his figure ranges rather wildly from 5.9 to 17.5 stadia to the mile: see the details in my note to B. G. I.11.2. ❦ 13 Iviza. Thayer's Note: Today, usually spelled Ibiza. ❦ 14 "Black-cloaks." ❦ 15 Belgrade. ❦ 16 Mitrovitz. ❦ 17 In Illyricum. ❦ 18 He ascended the throne at the age of seven. Thayer's Notes: a Following on the end of the author's Persian Wars. ❦ b Something is wrong here. The distance across the Adriatic at Otranto is only about 90 km. The sailing speed of ships in Antiquity was about 2 to 5 knots depending on the winds (Casson, "Speed under Sail of Ancient Ships", TAPA 82:139 ff.), so this crossing should have taken only ten hours to a day at most. Even measuring to Dryus from Epidamnus, which will be mentioned in this context a few sentences further on, the distance is about 150 km, and the crossing would have taken at most sixteen to forty hours, not four days. ◂ previous next ▸ Images with borders lead to more information. The thicker the border, the more information. (Details here.) UP TO: Vandal Wars Ancient Military History Military History Home Procopius Greek & Latin Texts LacusCurtius A page or image on this site is in the public domain ONLY if its URL has a total of one *asterisk. If the URL has two **asterisks, the item is copyright someone else, and used by permission or fair use. If the URL has none the item is © Bill Thayer. See my copyright page for details and contact information. Page updated: 14 Sep 20 Accessibility