第5巻 第24章

Greek Βελισάριός τε γράμματα βασιλεῖ ἔγραψεν· ἐδήλου δὲ ἡ γραφὴ τάδε· “Ἀφίγμεθα εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν, ὥσπερ ἐκέλευες, χώραν τε αὐτῆς περιβεβλημένοι πολλὴν καὶ Ῥώμην κατελάβομεν, ἀπωσάμενοι τοὺς ταύτῃ βαρβάρους, ὧνπερ ἔναγχος τὸν ἄρχοντα Λεύδεριν ἐς ὑμᾶς ἔπεμψα.

Dewing And Belisarius wrote a letter to the emperor of the following purport: "We have arrived in Italy, as thou didst command, and we have made ourselves masters of much territory in it and have taken possession of Rome also, after driving out the barbarians who were here, whose leader, Leuderis, I have recently sent to you.

Greek συμβέβηκε δὲ ἡμῖν τῶν στρατιωτῶν πλῆθος ἔν τε Σικελίᾳ καὶ Ἰταλίᾳ ἐπὶ φυλακῇ τῶν ὀχυρωμάτων καταστησαμένοις ὧνπερ δυνατοὶ κατακεκρατηκέναι γεγόναμεν, τὸ στράτευμα ἐς πεντακισχιλίους ἀπολελεῖφθαι.

Dewing But since we have stationed a great number of soldiers both in Sicily and in Italy to guard the strongholds which we have proved able to capture, our army has in consequence been reduced to only five thousand men.

Greek οἱ δὲ πολέμιοι ἥκουσιν ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς ἐς μυριάδας πεντεκαίδεκα συνειλεγμένοι. καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἡμῖν ἐπὶ κατασκοπῇ τῶν ἀνδρῶν γενομένοις παρὰ Τίβεριν ποταμόν, ἠναγκασμένοις τε παρὰ γνώμην αὐτοῖς ἐς χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν, μικροῦ κατακεχῶσθαι δοράτων συμβέβηκε πλήθει.

Dewing But the enemy have come against us, gathered together to the number of one hundred and fifty thousand. And first of all, when we went out to spy upon their forces along the Tiber River and were compelled, contrary to our intention, to engage with them, we lacked only a little of being buried under a multitude of spears.

Greek ἔπειτα δὲ τειχομαχήσαντες οἱ βάρβαροι παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ καὶ μηχαναῖς τισι προσβαλόντες πανταχόσε τοῦ τείχους, ὀλίγου ἐδέησαν ἡμᾶς τε αὐτοβοεὶ καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἑλεῖν, εἰ μή τις ἡμᾶς ἀνήρπασε τύχη.

Dewing And after this, when the barbarians attacked the wall with their whole army and assaulted the fortifications at every point with sundry engines of war, they came within a little of capturing both us and the city at the first onset, and they would have succeeded had not some chance snatched us from ruin.

Greek τὰ γὰρ τῶν πραγμάτων νικῶντα τὴν φύσιν οὐκ ἂν εἰκότως ἐς ἀνδρῶν ἀρετήν, ἀλλ’ ἐς τὸ κρεῖσσον, ἀναφέρεσθαι πρέποι.

Dewing For achievements which transcend the nature of things may not properly and fittingly be ascribed to man's valour, but to a stronger power.

Greek τὰ μὲν οὖν ἄχρι τοῦδε ἡμῖν πεπραγμένα, εἴτε τύχῃ τινὶ εἴτε ἀρετῇ, ὡς ἄριστα ἔχει· τὰ δὲ ἐνθένδε βουλοίμην ἂν ἀμείνω τοῖς πράγμασι τοῖς σοῖς ἔσεσθαι.

Dewing Now all that has been achieved by us hitherto, whether it has been due to some kind fortune or to valour, is for the best; but as to our prospects from now on, I could wish better things for thy cause.

Greek ὅσα μέντοι προσήκει ἐμέ τε εἰπεῖν καὶ ὑμᾶς πρᾶξαι, οὐ μήποτε ἀποκρύψομαι, ἐκεῖνο εἰδώς, ὡς πρόεισι μὲν τὰ ἀνθρώπινα ὅπη ἂν βουλομένῳ τῷ θεῷ εἴη, οἱ δὲ τῶν ἔργων ἁπάντων προστάται ἐκ τῶν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς πεπραγμένων τὰς αἰτίας ἢ τοὺς ἐπαίνους ἐς ἀεὶ φέρονται.

Dewing However, I shall never hide from you anything that it is my duty to say and yours to do, knowing that while human affairs follow whatever course may be in accordance with God's will, yet those who are in charge of any enterprise always win praise or blame according to their own deeds.

Greek οὐκοῦν ὅπλα τε καὶ στρατιῶται στελλέσθων ἐς ἡμᾶς τοσοῦτοι τὸ πλῆθος ὥστε τοῖς πολεμίοις ἡμᾶς τὸ λοιπὸν ἐξ ἀντιπάλου τῆς δυνάμεως ἐς πόλεμον τόνδε καθίστασθαι.

Dewing Therefore let both arms and soldiers be sent to us in such numbers that from now on we may engage with the enemy in this war with an equality of strength.

Greek οὐ γὰρ ἅπαντα χρεὼν πιστεύειν τῇ τύχῃ, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ ὁμοίως ἐς πάντα τὸν χρόνον φέρεσθαι πέφυκεν. ἀλλὰ σέ, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἐκεῖνο εἰσίτω, ὡς ἢν νῦν ἡμῶν οἱ βάρβαροι περιέσονται, Ἰταλίας τε τῆς σῆς ἐκπεσούμεθα καὶ προσαποβαλοῦμεν τὸ στράτευμα, καὶ προσέσται ἡμῖν τοσαύτη τις οὖσα ἡ ὑπὲρ τῶν πεπραγμένων αἰσχύνη.

Dewing For one ought not to trust everything to fortune, since fortune, on its part, is not given to following the same course forever. But do thou, O Emperor, take this thought to heart, that if at this time the barbarians win the victory over us, we shall be cast out of Italy which is thine and shall lose the army in addition, and besides all this we shall have to bear the shame, however great it may be, that attaches to our conduct.

Greek ἐῶ γὰρ λέγειν ὡς καὶ Ῥωμαίους ἀπολεῖν δόξαιμεν, οἵ γε περὶ ἐλάσσονος τὴν σωτηρίαν τῆς ἐς τὴν σὴν βασιλείαν πεποίηνται πίστεως.

Dewing For I refrain from saying that we should also be regarded as having ruined the Romans, men who have held deter safety more lightly than their loyalty to thy kingdom.

Greek ὥστε ἡμῖν καὶ τὴν ἄχρι τοῦδε γενομένην εὐημερίαν εἰς συμφορῶν ὑπόθεσιν τετελευτηκέναι ξυμβήσεται.

Dewing Consequently, if this should happen, the result for us will be that the successes we have won thus far will in the end prove to have been but a prelude to calamities.

Greek εἰ γὰρ Ῥώμης ἡμῖν καὶ Καμπανίας καὶ πολλῷ πρότερον Σικελίας ἀποκεκροῦσθαι τετύχηκε, τὸ πάντων ἂν ἡμᾶς κουφότατον τῶν κακῶν ἔδακνε τὸ μὴ τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις δεδυνῆσθαι πλουτεῖν.

Dewing For if it had so happened that we had been repulsed from Rome and Campania and, at a much earlier time, from Sicily, we should only be feeling the sting of the lightest of all misfortunes, that of having found ourselves unable to grow wealthy on the possessions of others.

Greek καὶ μὴν καὶ τοῦτο ἐκλογίζεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἄξιον, ὡς Ῥώμην πώποτε πλείω τινὰ χρόνον οὐδὲ μυριάσι πολλαῖς διαφυλάξαι δυνατὸν γέγονε, χώραν τε περιβεβλημένην πολλὴν καὶ τῷ μὴ ἐπιθαλασσίαν εἶναι τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἀποκεκλεισμένην ἁπάντων.

Dewing And again, this too is worthy of consideration by you, that it has never been possible even for many times ten thousand men to guard Rome for any considerable length of time, since the city embraces a large territory, and, because it is not on the sea, is shut off from all supplies.

Greek καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι νῦν μὲν εὐνοϊκῶς ἡμῖν ἔχουσι, τῶν δὲ κακῶν αὐτοῖς, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, μηκυνομένων, οὐδὲν μελλήσουσιν ὑπὲρ αὑτῶν ἑλέσθαι τὰ κρείσσω.

Dewing And although at the present time the Romans are well disposed toward us, yet when their troubles are prolonged, they will probably not hesitate to choose the course which is better for their own interests.

Greek οἱ γὰρ ἐξ ὑπογύου τισὶν ἐς εὔνοιαν καθιστάμενοι, οὐ κακοτυχοῦντες, ἀλλ’ εὖ πάσχοντες, τὸ πιστὸν ἐς αὐτοὺς διασώζειν εἰώθασιν.

Dewing For when men have entered into friendship with others on the spur of the moment, it is not while they are in evil fortune, but while they prosper, that they are accustomed to keep faith with them.

Greek ἄλλως τε καὶ λιμῷ Ῥωμαῖοι ἀναγκασθήσονται πολλὰ ὧν οὐκ ἂν βούλοιντο πρᾶξαι.

Dewing Furthermore, the Romans will be compelled by hunger to do many things they would prefer not to do.

Greek ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν οἶδα θάνατον ὀφείλων τῇ σῇ βασιλείᾳ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ζῶντά με οὐδεὶς ἂν ἐνθένδε ἐξελᾶν δύναιτο· σκόπει δὲ ὁποίαν ποτέ σοι δόξαν ἡ τοιαύτη Βελισαρίου τελευτὴ φέρει.”

Dewing Now as for me, I know I am bound even to die for thy kingdom, and for this reason no man will ever be able to remove me from this city while I live; but I beg thee to consider what kind of a fame such an end of Belisarius would bring thee."

Greek Τοσαῦτα μὲν Βελισάριος ἔγραψε. βασιλεὺς δὲ λίαν ξυνταραχθεὶς στράτευμά τε καὶ ναῦς σπουδῇ ἤγειρε καὶ τοῖς ἀμφὶ Βαλεριανόν τε καὶ Μαρτῖνον ἐπέστελλε κατὰ τάχος ἰέναι.

Dewing Such was the letter written by Belisarius. And the emperor, greatly distressed, began in haste to gather an army and ships, and sent orders to the troops of Valerian and Martinus⁠ to proceed with all speed.

Greek σταλέντες γὰρ ξὺν στρατεύματι ἄλλῳ ἀμφὶ τὰς χειμερινὰς τροπὰς ἔτυχον, ἐφ’ ᾧ πλεύσουσιν ἐς Ἰταλίαν.

Dewing For they had been sent, as it happened, with another army at about the winter solstice, with instructions to sail to Italy.

Greek οἱ δὲ καταπλεύσαντες ἐς τὴν Ἑλλάδα ʽπεραιτέρω γὰρ βιάζεσθαι τὸν πλοῦν οὐχ οἷοί τε ἦσαν’ διεχείμαζον ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ Αἰτωλίας τε καὶ Ἀκαρνανίας χωρία.

Dewing But they had sailed as far as Greece, and since they were unable to force their way any farther, they were passing the winter in the land of Aetolia and Acarnania.

Greek ταῦτά τε Βελισαρίῳ δηλώσας Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἔτι μᾶλλον αὐτόν τε καὶ Ῥωμαίους ἅπαντας ἐς τὴν προθυμίαν ἐπέρρωσεν.

Dewing And the Emperor Justinian sent word of all this to Belisarius, and thus filled him and all the Romans with still greater courage and confirmed their zeal.

Greek Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ ξυνηνέχθη ἐν Νεαπόλει τοιόνδε γενέσθαι. Θευδερίχου τοῦ Γότθων ἄρχοντος εἰκὼν ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ ἐτύγχανεν οὖσα, ἐκ ψηφίδων τινῶν ξυγκειμένη, μικρῶν μὲν ἐς ἄγαν, χροιαῖς δὲ βεβαμμένων σχεδόν τι ἁπάσαις.

Dewing At this time it so happened that the following event took place in Naples. There was in the market-place a picture of Theoderic, the ruler of the Goths, made by means of sundry stones which were exceedingly small and tinted with nearly every colour.

Greek ταύτης τῆς εἰκόνος ποτὲ τὴν κεφαλὴν διαρρυῆναι ζῶντος Θευδερίχου ξυμβέβηκε, τῆς τῶν ψηφίδων ἐπιβολῆς ἐκ τοῦ αὐτομάτου ξυνταραχθείσης, καὶ Θευδερίχῳ ξυνηνέχθη τελευτῆσαι τὸν βίον αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα.

Dewing At one time during the life of Theoderic it had come to pass that the head of this picture fell apart, the stones as they had been set having become disarranged without having been touched by anyone, and by a coincidence Theoderic finished his life forthwith.

Greek ἐνιαυτοῖς δὲ ὀκτὼ ὕστερον αἱ τὴν τῆς εἰκόνος γαστέρα ποιοῦσαι ψηφῖδες διερρύησαν ἐξαπιναίως, καὶ Ἀταλάριχος ὁ Θευδερίχου θυγατριδοῦς εὐθὺς ἐτελεύτα.

Dewing And eight years later the stones which formed the body of the picture fell apart suddenly, and Atalaric, the grandson of Theoderic, immediately died.

Greek χρόνου τε τριβέντος ὀλίγου πίπτουσι μὲν ἐς γῆν αἱ περὶ τὰ αἰδοῖα ψηφῖδες, Ἀμαλασοῦνθα δὲ ἡ Θευδερίχου παῖς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἠφάνιστο. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τῇδε ἐχώρησε.

Dewing And after the passage of a short time, the stones about the groin fell to the ground, and Amalasuntha, the child of Theoderic, passed from the world. Now these things had already happened as described.

Greek Γότθων δὲ Ῥώμης ἐς τὴν πολιορκίαν καθισταμένων τὰ ἐκ τῶν τῆς εἰκόνος μηρῶν ἄχρι ἐς ἄκρους πόδας διεφθάρθαι τετύχηκε,

Dewing But when the Goths began the siege of Rome, as chance would have it, the portion of the picture from the thighs to the tips of the feet fell into ruin,

Greek ταύτῃ τε ἅπασα ἐκ τοῦ τοίχου ἐξίτηλος ἡ εἰκὼν γέγονεν· οἵ τε Ῥωμαῖοι τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο ξυμβαλόντες περιέσεσθαι τῷ πολέμῳ ἰσχυρίζοντο τὸν τοῦ βασιλέως στρατόν, οὐκ ἄλλο οὐδὲν εἶναι τοὺς Θευδερίχου πόδας ἢ τὸν Γότθων λεὼν ὧν ἐκεῖνος ἦρχεν οἰόμενοι, καὶ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ εὐέλπιδες ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐγένοντο.

Dewing and thus the whole picture disappeared from the wall. And the Romans, divining the meaning of the incident, maintained that the emperor's army would be victorious in the war, thinking that the feet of Theoderic were nothing else than the Gothic people whom he ruled, and, in consequence, they became still more hopeful.

Greek Ἐν μέντοι Ῥώμῃ τῶν τινες πατρικίων τὰ Σιβύλλης λόγια προὔφερον, ἰσχυριζόμενοι τὸν κίνδυνον τῇ πόλει ἄχρι ἐς τὸν Ἰούλιον μῆνα γεγενῆσθαι μόνον.

Dewing In Rome, moreover, some of the patricians brought out the Sibylline oracles,⁠ declaring that the danger which had come to the city would continue only up till the month of July.

Greek χρῆναι γὰρ τότε βασιλέα Ῥωμαίοις καταστῆναί τινα, ἐξ οὗ δὴ Γετικὸν οὐδὲν Ῥώμη τὸ λοιπὸν δείσειε·

Dewing For it was fated that at that time someone should be appointed king over the Romans and thenceforth Rome should have no longer any Getic peril to fear;

Greek Γετικὸν γάρ φασιν ἔθνος τοὺς Γότθους εἶναι. εἶχε δὲ τὸ λόγιον ὧδε· θυιντιλι μενσε ρεγε νιηιλ γετιξυμ ιαμ.

Dewing for they say that the Goths are of the Getic race. And the oracle was as follows: "In the fifth (Quintilis) month . . . under . . . as king nothing Getic longer . . ."

Greek πέμπτον δὲ μῆνα τὸν Ἰούλιον ἰσχυρίζοντο εἶναι, οἱ μέν, ὅτι Μαρτίου ἱσταμένου ἡ πολιορκία κατ’ ἀρχὰς γέγονεν, ἀφ’ οὗ δὴ πέμπτον Ἰούλιον ξυμβαίνει εἶναι, οἱ δέ, ὅτι Μάρτιον πρῶτον πρὸ τῆς Νουμᾶ βασιλείας ἐνόμιζον μῆνα, ὅτε δὴ Ῥωμαίοις ἐς δέκα μῆνας ὁ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ χρόνος ξυνῄει, Ἰούλιός τε ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ Κυιντίλιος ὠνομάζετο. ἀλλ’ ἦν ἄρα τούτων οὐδὲν ὑγιές.

Dewing And they declared that the "fifth month" was July, some because the siege began on the first day of March, from which July is the fifth month, others because March was considered the first month until the reign of Numa, the full year before that time containing ten months and our July for this reason having its name Quintilis. But after all, none of these predictions came true.

Greek οὔτε γὰρ βασιλεὺς τότε Ῥωμαίοις κατέστη, καὶ ἡ πολιορκία ἐνιαυτῷ ὕστερον διαλυθήσεσθαι ἔμελλε, καὶ αὖθις ἐπὶ Τουτίλα Γότθων ἄρχοντος ἐς τοὺς ὁμοίους Ῥώμη κινδύνους ἰέναι, ὥς μοι ἐν τοῖς ὄπισθε λελέξεται λόγοις.

Dewing For neither was a king appointed over the Romans at that time, nor was the siege destined to be broken up until a year later, and Rome was again to come into similar perils in the reign of Totila, ruler of the Goths, as will be told by me in the subsequent narrative.⁠

Greek δοκεῖ γάρ μοι οὐ ταύτην δὴ τὴν τῶν βαρβάρων ἔφοδον τὸ μαντεῖον δηλοῦν, ἀλλ’ ἑτέραν τινὰ ἢ ἤδη ξυμβᾶσαν ἢ ὕστερόν ποτε ἐσομένην.

Dewing For it seems to me that the oracle does not indicate this present attack of the barbarians, but some other attack which has either happened already or will come at some later time.

Greek τῶν γὰρ Σιβύλλης λογίων τὴν διάνοιαν πρὸ τοῦ ἔργου ἐξευρεῖν ἀνθρώπῳ οἶμαι ἀδύνατον εἶναι.

Dewing Indeed, in my opinion, it is impossible for a mortal man to discover the meaning of the Sibyl's oracles before the actual event.

Greek αἴτιον δὲ ὅπερ ἐγὼ αὐτίκα δηλώσω ἐκεῖνα ἀναλεξάμενος ἅπαντα. ἡ Σίβυλλα οὐχ ἅπαντα ἑξῆς τὰ πράγματα λέγει οὐδὲ ἁρμονίαν τινὰ ποιουμένη τοῦ λόγου, ἀλλ’ ἔπος εἰποῦσα ὅ τι δὴ ἀμφὶ τοῖς Λιβύης κακοῖς ἀπεπήδησεν εὐθὺς ἐς τὰ Περσῶν ἤθη,

Dewing The reason for this I shall now set forth, having read all the oracles in question. The Sibyl does not invariably mention events in their order, much less construct a well-arranged narrative, but after uttering some verse or other concerning the troubles in Libya she leaps straightway to the land of Persia,

Greek ἐνθένδε τε Ῥωμαίων ἐς μνήμην ἐλθοῦσα μεταβιβάζει ἐς τοὺς Ἀσσυρίους τὸν λόγον. καὶ πάλιν ἀμφὶ Ῥωμαίοις μαντευομένη προλέγει τὰ Βρεττανῶν πάθη.

Dewing thence proceeds to mention the Romans, and then transfers the narrative to the Assyrians. And again, while uttering prophecies about the Romans, she foretells the misfortunes of the Britons.

Greek ταύτῃ τε ἀδύνατά ἐστιν ἀνθρώπῳ ὁτῳοῦν πρὸ τοῦ ἔργου τῶν Σιβύλλης λογίων ξυνεῖναι, ἢν μὴ ὁ χρόνος αὐτὸς ἐκβάντος ἤδη τοῦ πράγματος καὶ τοῦ λόγου ἐς πεῖραν ἐλθόντος ἀκριβὴς τοῦ ἔπους ἑρμηνεὺς γένοιτο. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν λογιζέσθω ἕκαστος ὅπη αὐτῷ φίλον. ἐγὼ δὲ ὅθενπερ ἐξέβην ἐπάνειμι.

Dewing For this reason it is impossible for any man soever to comprehend the oracles of the Sibyl before the event, and it is only time itself, after the event has already come to pass and the words can be tested by experience, that can shew itself an accurate interpreter of her sayings. But as for these things, let each one reason as he desires. But I shall return to the point from which I have strayed.