第6巻 第14章

Greek Οἵτινες δὲ ἀνθρώπων εἰσὶν Ἔρουλοι καὶ ὅθεν Ῥωμαίοις ἐς ξυμμαχίαν κατέστησαν ἐρῶν ἔρχομαι. ὑπὲρ μὲν Ἴστρον ποταμὸν ἐκ παλαιοῦ ᾤκουν πολύν τινα νομίζοντες θεῶν ὅμιλον, οὓς δὴ καὶ ἀνθρώπων θυσίαις ἱλάσκεσθαι ὅσιον αὐτοῖς ἐδόκει εἶναι.

Dewing Now as to who in the world the Eruli are, and how they entered into alliance with the Romans, I shall forthwith explain.⁠ They used to dwell beyond the Ister⁠ River from of old, worshipping a great host of gods, whom it seemed to them holy to appease even by human sacrifices.

Greek νόμοις δὲ πολλοῖς οὐ κατὰ ταὐτὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώπων ἑτέροις ἐχρῶντο. οὔτε γὰρ γηράσκουσιν οὔτε νοσοῦσιν αὐτοῖς βιοτεύειν ἐξῆν, ἀλλ’ ἐπειδάν τις αὐτῶν ἢ γήρᾳ ἢ νόσῳ ἁλῴη, ἐπάναγκές οἱ ἐγίνετο τοὺς ξυγγενεῖς αἰτεῖσθαι ὅτι τάχιστα ἐξ ἀνθρώπων αὐτὸν ἀφανίζειν.

Dewing And they observed many customs which were not in accord with those of other men. For they were not permitted to live either when they grew old or when they fell sick, but as soon as one of them was overtaken by old age or by sickness, it became necessary for him to ask his relatives to remove him from the world as quickly as possible.

Greek οἱ δὲ ξύλα πολλὰ ἐς μέγα τι ὕψος ξυννήσαντες καθίσαντές τε τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐν τῇ τῶν ξύλων ὑπερβολῇ, τῶν τινα Ἐρούλων, ἀλλότριον μέντοι, ξὺν ξιφιδίῳ παρ’ αὐτὸν ἔπεμπον·

Dewing And these relatives would pile up a quantity of wood to a great height and lay the man on top of the wood, and then they would send one of the Eruli, but not a relative of the man, to his side with a dagger; for it was not lawful for a kinsman to be his slayer.

Greek ξυγγενῆ γὰρ αὐτῷ τὸν φονέα εἶναι οὐ θέμις. ἐπειδὰν δὲ αὐτοῖς ὁ τοῦ ξυγγενοῦς φονεὺς ἐπανῄει, ξύμπαντα ἔκαιον αὐτίκα τὰ ξύλα, ἐκ τῶν ἐσχάτων ἀρξάμενοι.

Dewing And when the slayer of their relative had returned, they would straightway burn the whole pile of wood, beginning at the edges.

Greek παυσαμένης τε αὐτοῖς τῆς φλογὸς ξυλλέξαντες τὰ ὀστᾶ ἐν τῷ παραυτίκα τῇ γῇ ἔκρυπτον.

Dewing And after the fire had ceased, they would immediately collect the bones and bury them in the earth.

Greek Ἐρούλου δὲ ἀνδρὸς τελευτήσαντος ἐπάναγκες τῇ γυναικὶ ἀρετῆς τε μεταποιουμένῃ καὶ κλέος αὑτῇ ἐθελούσῃ λείπεσθαι βρόχον ἀναψαμένῃ παρὰ τὸν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τάφον οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν θνήσκειν.

Dewing And when a man of the Eruli died, it was necessary for his wife, if she laid claim to virtue and wished to leave a fair name behind her, to die not long afterward beside the tomb of her husband by hanging herself with a rope.

Greek οὐ ποιούσῃ τε ταῦτα περιειστήκει τὸ λοιπὸν ἀδόξῳ τε εἶναι καὶ τοῖς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς συγγενέσι προσκεκρουκέναι. τοιούτοις μὲν ἐχρῶντο Ἔρουλοι τὸ παλαιὸν νόμοις.

Dewing And if she did not do this, the result was that she was in ill repute thereafter and an offence to the relatives of her husband. Such were the customs observed by the Eruli in ancient times.

Greek Προϊόντος δὲ χρόνου δυνάμει τε καὶ πολυανθρωπίᾳ τῶν περιοίκων βαρβάρων ἁπάντων καθυπέρτεροι γεγενημένοι, ἐπιόντες τε, ὡς τὸ εἰκός,

Dewing But as time went on they became superior to all the barbarians who dwelt about them both in power and in numbers, and, as was natural, they attacked and vanquished them severally and kept plundering their possessions by force.

Greek ἑκάστους ἐνίκων καὶ βιαζόμενοι ἐληΐζοντο. καὶ τελευτῶντες Λαγγοβάρδας τε Χριστιανοὺς ὄντας καὶ ἄλλα ἄττα ἔθνη ὑπήκοα σφίσιν ἐς ἀπαγωγὴν φόρου πεποίηνται, οὐκ εἰθισμένον τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο τοῖς ἐκείνῃ βαρβάροις, ὑπὸ δὲ φιλοχρηματίας τε καὶ ἀλαζονείας ἐνταῦθα ἠγμένοι.

Dewing And finally they made the Lombards, who were Christians, together with several other nations, subject and tributary to themselves, though the barbarians of that region were not accustomed to that sort of thing; but the Eruli were led to take this course by love of money and a lawless spirit.

Greek ἡνίκα μέντοι Ἀναστάσιος Ῥωμαίων τὴν βασιλείαν παρέλαβεν, οὐκ ἔχοντες Ἔρουλοι ἐφ’ οὕστινας ἀνθρώπους τὸ λοιπὸν ἔλθοιεν, καταθέμενοι τὰ ὅπλα ἡσυχῆ ἔμενον, χρόνος τε αὐτοῖς ἐνιαυτῶν τριῶν ἐν ταύτῃ δὴ τῇ εἰρήνῃ ἐτρίβη.

Dewing When, however, Anastasius took over the Roman empire, the Eruli, having no longer anyone in the world whom they could assail, laid down their arms and remained quiet, and they observed peace in this way for a space of three years.

Greek καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐς ἄγαν ἀχθόμενοι Ῥοδοῦλφον ἀνέδην σφῶν τὸν ἡγεμόνα ἐκάκιζον, φοιτῶντές τε ἀεὶ παρ’ αὐτὸν μαλθακόν τε καὶ γυναικώδη ἐκάλουν, ἄλλοις τέ τισιν αὐτὸν ἐρεσχελοῦντες ὀνόμασι κόσμῳ οὐδενὶ ἐλοιδοροῦντο.

Dewing But the people themselves, being exceedingly vexed, began to abuse their leader Rodolphus without restraint, and going to him constantly they called him cowardly and effeminate, and railed at him in a most unruly manner, taunting him with certain other names besides.

Greek Ῥοδοῦλφός τε τὴν ὕβριν ὡς ἥκιστα φέρων ἐπὶ Λαγγοβάρδας οὐδὲν ἀδικοῦντας ἐστράτευσεν, οὔτε τινὰ σφίσιν ἁμαρτάδα ἐπενεγκὼν οὔτε λύσιν τινὰ τῶν ξυγκειμένων σκηψάμενος,

Dewing And Rodolphus, being quite unable to bear the insult, marched against the Lombards, who were doing no wrong, without charging against them any fault or alleging any violation of their agreement, but bringing upon them a war which had no real cause.

Greek ἀλλὰ πόλεμον ἐπιφέρων αἰτίαν οὐκ ἔχοντα. ὅπερ ἐπειδὴ Λαγγοβάρδαι ἀκοῇ ἔλαβον, πέμψαντες παρὰ τὸν Ῥοδοῦλφον ἀνεπυνθάνοντο καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἠξίουν εἰπεῖν ἧς δὴ ἕνεκα Ἔρουλοι ἐν ὅπλοις ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἴοιεν, ὁμολογοῦντες, εἰ μέν τι ἀπεστερήκασι τοῦ φόρου, ἀλλ’ αὐτίκα μάλα ξὺν μεγάλῳ αὐτὸ ἀποτίσειν· εἰ δὲ μέμφονται μέτριον σφίσι τετάχθαι τὸν φόρον, ἀλλὰ μείζω ποιήσειν αὐτὸν οὐ μήποτε Λαγγοβάρδαι ὀκνηροὶ ἔσονται.

Dewing And when the Lombards got word of this, they sent to Rodolphus and made enquiry and demanded that he should state the charge on account of which the Eruli were coming against them in arms, agreeing that if they had deprived the Eruli of any of the tribute, then they would instantly pay it with large interest; and if their grievance was that only a moderate tribute had been imposed upon them, then the Lombards would never be reluctant to make it greater.

Greek ταῦτα μὲν τοὺς πρέσβεις προτεινομένους ξὺν ἀπειλῇ ὁ Ῥοδοῦλφος ἀποπεμψάμενος πρόσω ἤλαυνεν. οἱ δὲ καὶ αὖθις πρέσβεις ἑτέρους πρὸς αὐτὸν στείλαντες περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν πολλὰ λιπαροῦντες ἱκέτευον.

Dewing Such were the offers which the envoys made, but Rodolphus with a threat sent them away and marched forward. And they again sent other envoys to him on the same mission and supplicated him with many entreaties.

Greek οὕτω δὲ καὶ τῶν δευτέρων ἀπαλλαγέντων τρίτοι πρέσβεις παρ’ αὐτὸν ἥκοντες ἀπεῖπον Ἐρούλους πόλεμον ἀπροφάσιστον μηδαμῶς σφίσιν ἐπενεγκεῖν.

Dewing And when the second envoys had fared in the same way, a third embassy came to him and forbade the Eruli on any account to bring upon them a war without excuse.

Greek ἢν γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι γνώμῃ τοιαύτῃ ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἴωσι, καὶ αὐτοὶ οὐχ ἑκούσιοι, ἀλλ’ ὡς μάλιστα ἠναγκασμένοι, ἀντιτάξονται τοῖς ἐπιοῦσι, μαρτυράμενοι τὸν θεόν, οὗπερ τῆς ῥοπῆς καὶ βραχεῖά τις τὸ παράπαν ἰκμὰς πάσῃ τῇ ἀνθρώπων δυνάμει ἀντίξους ἔσται· αὐτόν τε εἰκὸς ταῖς τοῦ πολέμου αἰτίαις ἠγμένον ἀμφοτέροις πρυτανεῦσαι τῆς μάχης τὸ πέρας.

Dewing For if they should come against them with such a purpose, they too, not willingly, but under the direst necessity, would array themselves against their assailants, calling upon God as their witness, the slightest breath of whose favour, turning the scales, would be a match for all the strength of men; and He, in all likelihood, would be moved by the causes of the war and would determine the issue of the fight for both sides accordingly.

Greek οἱ μὲν ταῦτα εἶπον, δεδίσσεσθαι ταύτῃ τοὺς ἐπιόντας οἰόμενοι, Ἔρουλοι δέ, ὑποστειλάμενοι τῶν πάντων οὐδέν, Λαγγοβάρδαις ἔγνωσαν ἐς χεῖρας ἰέναι.

Dewing So they spoke, thinking in this way to terrify their assailants, but the Eruli, shrinking from nothing whatever, decided to meet the Lombards in battle.

Greek ἡνίκα δὲ ἀμφότεροι ἄγχιστά πη ἀλλήλων ἐγένοντο, τὸν μὲν ὕπερθεν Λαγγοβαρδῶν ἀέρα ξυνέβαινε μελαίνῃ τινὶ νεφέλῃ καὶ ἐς ἄγαν παχείᾳ καλύπτεσθαι, ὑπὲρ δὲ τοὺς Ἐρούλους αἰθρίαν ὑπερφυῶς εἶναι.

Dewing And when the two armies came close to one another, it so happened that the sky above the Lombards was obscured by a sort of cloud, black and very thick, but above the Eruli it was exceedingly clear.

Greek οἷς δὴ τεκμηριούμενος εἴκασεν ἄν τις ἐπὶ τῷ σφῶν πονηρῷ ἐς τὴν ξυμβολὴν Ἐρούλους ἰέναι· οὐ γάρ τι τούτου πικρότερον βαρβάροις τέρας εἰς μάχην καθισταμένοις οἷόν τε εἶναι.

Dewing And judging by this one would have supposed that the Eruli were entering the conflict to their own harm; for there can be no more forbidding portent than this for barbarians as they go into battle.

Greek οὐ μέντοι οὐδὲ τούτῳ Ἔρουλοι προσεῖχον τὸν νοῦν, ἀλλὰ παντάπασιν ἀφροντιστήσαντες πολλῷ τῷ καταφρονήματι ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐχώρουν, πλήθει ὁμίλου τὸ τοῦ πολέμου σταθμώμενοι πέρας.

Dewing However, the Eruli gave no heed even to this, but in absolute disregard of it they advanced against their enemy with utter contempt, estimating the outcome of war by mere superiority of numbers.

Greek ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡ μάχη ἐν χερσὶ γέγονε, θνήσκουσι μὲν τῶν Ἐρούλων πολλοί, θνήσκει δὲ καὶ Ῥοδοῦλφος αὐτός, οἵ τε ἄλλοι πάντες φεύγουσιν ἀνὰ κράτος, οὐδεμιᾶς ἀλκῆς μεμνημένοι.

Dewing But when the battle came to close quarters, many of the Eruli perished and Rodolphus himself also perished, and the rest fled at full speed, forgetting all their courage.

Greek καὶ τῶν πολεμίων σφίσιν ἐπισπομένων οἱ μὲν πλεῖστοι αὐτοῦ ἔπεσον, ὀλίγοι δέ τινες διεσώθησαν.

Dewing And since their enemy followed them up, the most of them fell on the field of battle and only a few succeeded in saving themselves.

Greek Διὸ δὴ ἐνδιατρίβειν ἤθεσι τοῖς πατρῴοις οὐκέτι εἶχον, ἀλλ’ ἐνθένδε ὅτι τάχιστα ἐξαναστάντες ἐπίπροσθεν ἀεὶ ἐχώρουν, τὴν γῆν ξύμπασαν ἣ ἐκτὸς Ἴστρου ποταμοῦ ἐστι ξύν τε παισὶ καὶ γυναιξὶ περιιόντες.

Dewing For this reason the Eruli were no longer able to tarry in their ancestral homes, but departing from there as quickly as possible they kept moving forward, traversing the whole country which is beyond the Ister River, together with their wives and children.

Greek ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀφίκοντο ἐς χώραν οὗ δὴ Ῥογοὶ τὸ παλαιὸν ᾤκηντο, οἳ τῷ Γότθων στρατῷ ἀναμιχθέντες ἐς Ἰταλίαν ἐχώρησαν, ἐνταῦθα ἱδρύσαντο.

Dewing But when they reached a land where the Rogi dwelt of old, a people who had joined the Gothic host and gone to Italy, they settled in that place.

Greek ἀλλ’ ἐπεὶ τῷ λιμῷ ἐπιέζοντο ἅτε ἐν χώρᾳ ἐρήμῳ ἐνθένδε οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον ἐξαναστάντες, ἄγχιστά που τῆς Γηπαίδων χώρας ἀφίκοντο.

Dewing But since they were pressed by famine, because they were in a barren land, they removed from there not long afterward, and came to a place close to the country of the Gepaedes.⁠

Greek καὶ αὐτοὺς Γήπαιδες τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἱκέτας γενομένους ἐνοικίζεσθαί τε καὶ προσοίκους σφίσι ξυνεχώρουν εἶναι.

Dewing And at first the Gepaedes permitted them to dwell there and be neighbours to them, since they came as suppliants.

Greek ἔπειτα δὲ ἤρξαντο ἐξ αἰτίας οὐδεμιᾶς ἀνόσια ἔργα ἐς αὐτοὺς ἐνδείκνυσθαι. γυναῖκάς τε γὰρ ἐβιάζοντο καὶ βοῦς τε καὶ ἄλλα χρήματα ἥρπαζον, καὶ ἀδικίας οὐδ’ ὁτιοῦν ὑπελείποντο, καὶ τελευτῶντες ἀδίκων χειρῶν ἐς αὐτοὺς ἦρχον.

Dewing But afterwards for no good reason the Gepaedes began to practise unholy deeds upon them. For they violated their women and seized their cattle and other property, and abstained from no wickedness whatever, and finally began an unjust attack upon them.

Greek ἅπερ Ἔρουλοι φέρειν τὸ λοιπὸν οὐχ οἷοί τε ὄντες Ἴστρον τε ποταμὸν διαβαίνουσι καὶ τοῖς ἐκείνῃ Ῥωμαίοις προσοικεῖν ἔγνωσαν, Ἀναστασίου τὴν αὐτοκράτορα ἀρχὴν ἔχοντος, ὅσπερ αὐτοὺς πολλῇ φιλοφροσύνῃ δεξάμενος ἱδρύεσθαι αὐτοῦ εἴασε.

Dewing And the Eruli, unable to bear all this any longer, crossed the Ister River and decided to live as neighbours to the Romans in that region; this was during the reign of the Emperor Anastasius, who received them with great friendliness and allowed them to settle where they were.

Greek χρόνῳ δὲ οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον προσκεκρούκασιν αὐτῷ οἱ βάρβαροι οὗτοι, ἀνόσια ἔργα ἐργασάμενοι τοὺς ταύτῃ Ῥωμαίους· διὸ δὴ στράτευμα ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἔπεμψε.

Dewing But a short time afterwards these barbarians gave him offence by their lawless treatment of the Romans there, and for this reason he sent an army against them.

Greek νικήσαντες δὲ τῇ μάχῃ Ῥωμαῖοι πλείστους μὲν ἔκτειναν, ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ δὲ πολλῇ ξύμπαντας διαφθεῖραι γεγόνασιν.

Dewing And the Romans, after defeating them in battle, slew most of their number, and had ample opportunity to destroy them all.

Greek ἀλλ’ εἰς ἱκετείαν τῶν στρατηγῶν οἱ κατάλοιποι αὐτῶν γεγονότες ἐδέοντο διασώσασθαί τε αὐτοὺς καὶ ξυμμάχους τε καὶ βασιλέως ὑπηρέτας τὸ λοιπὸν ἔχειν.

Dewing But the remainder of them threw themselves upon the mercy of the generals and begged them to spare their lives and to have them as allies and servants of the emperor thereafter.

Greek ταῦτά τε μαθόντα τὸν Ἀναστάσιον ἤρεσκε, καὶ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ λειφθῆναι μέν τισιν Ἐρούλων ξυνέβη, οὐ μέντοι οὔτε ξύμμαχοι Ῥωμαίοις γεγένηνται οὔτε τι εἰργάσαντο αὐτοὺς ἀγαθόν.

Dewing And when Anastasius learned this, he was pleased, and consequently a number of the Eruli were left; however, they neither became allies of the Romans, nor did they do them any good.

Greek Ἐπεὶ δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς τὴν βασιλείαν παρέλαβε. χώρᾳ τε ἀγαθῇ καὶ ἄλλοις χρήμασιν αὐτοὺς δωρησάμενος, ἑταιρίζεσθαί τε παντελῶς ἴσχυσε καὶ Χριστιανοὺς γενέσθαι ἅπαντας ἔπεισε.

Dewing But when Justinian took over the empire, he bestowed upon them good lands and other possessions, and thus completely succeeded in winning their friendship and persuaded them all to become Christians.

Greek διόπερ τὴν δίαιταν ἐπὶ τὸ ἡμερώτερον μεταβαλόντες τοῖς Χριστιανῶν νόμοις ἐπὶ πλεῖστον προσχωρεῖν ἔγνωσαν, καὶ Ῥωμαίοις κατὰ τὸ ξυμμαχικὸν τὰ πολλὰ ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ξυντάσσονται.

Dewing As a result of this they adopted a gentler manner of life and decided to submit themselves wholly to the laws of the Christians, and in keeping with the terms of their alliance they are generally arrayed with the Romans against their enemies.

Greek ἔτι μέντοι αὐτοῖς εἰσιν ἄπιστοι καὶ πλεονεξίᾳ ἐχόμενοι βιάζεσθαι τοὺς πέλας ἐν σπουδῇ ἔχουσιν,

Dewing They are still, however, faithless toward them, and since they are given to avarice, they are eager to do violence to their neighbours, feeling no shame at such conduct.

Greek οὐ φέροντος αὐτοῖς αἰσχύνην τοῦ ἔργου. καὶ μίξεις οὐχ ὁσίας τελοῦσιν, ἄλλας τε καὶ ἀνδρῶν καὶ ὄνων, καί εἰσι πονηρότατοι ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων καὶ κακοὶ κακῶς ἀπολούμενοι.

Dewing And they mate in an unholy manner, especially men with asses, and they are the basest of all men and utterly abandoned rascals.

Greek Ὕστερον δὲ αὐτῶν ὀλίγοι μέν τινες ἔνσπονδοι Ῥωμαίοις διέμειναν, ὥσπερ μοι ἐν τοῖς ὄπισθεν λόγοις γεγράψεται· οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ ἅπαντες ἀπέστησαν ἐξ αἰτίας τοιᾶσδε.

Dewing Afterwards, although some few of them remained at peace with the Romans, as will be told by me in the following narrative,⁠ all the rest revolted for the following reason.

Greek Ἔρουλοι τὸ τοῦ τρόπου θηριῶδές τε καὶ μανιῶδες ἐνδειξάμενοι ἐς τὸν αὐτῶν ῥῆγα ʽἦν δὲ οὗτος ἀνὴρ Ὄχος ὄνομἀ, ἐξαπιναίως τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀπ’ οὐδεμιᾶς αἰτίας ἔκτειναν, ἄλλο οὐδὲν ἐπενεγκόντες ἢ ὅτι ἀβασίλευτοι τὸ λοιπὸν βούλονται εἶναι.

Dewing The Eruli, displaying their beastly and fanatical character against their own "rex," one Ochus by name, suddenly killed the man for no good reason at all, laying against him no other charge than that they wished to be without a king thereafter.

Greek καίτοι καὶ πρότερον ὄνομα μὲν αὐτοῖς ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶχεν, ἰδιώτου δὲ ὁτουοῦν οὐδέν τι σχεδὸν ἐφέρετο πλέον.

Dewing And yet even before this, while their king did have the title, he had practically no advantage over any private citizen whomsoever.

Greek ἀλλὰ καὶ ξυγκαθῆσθαι αὐτῷ ἅπαντες καὶ ξύσσιτοι εἶναι ἠξίουν, καὶ ἀνέδην ὅστις βούλοιτο ἐς αὐτὸν ὕβριζεν·

Dewing But all claimed the right to sit with him and eat with him, and whoever wished insulted him without restraint;

Greek ἀσυνθετώτεροι γὰρ ἢ ἀσταθμητότεροι Ἐρούλων εἰσὶν ἀνθρώπων οὐδένες. τοῦ δὲ κακοῦ σφίσιν ἐξειργασμένου μετέμελεν ἤδη.

Dewing for no men in the world are less bound by convention or more unstable than the Eruli. Now when the evil deed had been accomplished, they were immediately repentant.

Greek ἔφασκον γὰρ ἄναρχοί τε καὶ ἀστρατήγητοι βιοτεύειν οὐχ οἷοί τε εἶναι· πολλὰ γοῦν σφίσι βουλευσαμένοις ἄμεινον τῷ παντὶ ἔδοξεν εἶναι τῶν τινα γένους τοῦ βασιλείου μεταπέμψασθαι ἐκ Θούλης τῆς νήσου. ὅ τι δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν αὐτίκα δηλώσω.

Dewing For they said that they were not able to live without a ruler and without a general; so after much deliberation it seemed to them best in every way to summon one of their royal family from the island of Thule. And the reason for this I shall now explain.