第6巻 第19章

Greek Ταῦτα ἀκούσας Βελισάριος Περάνιον μὲν ἐς Οὐρβιβεντὸν ξὺν πολλῇ στρατιᾷ, ἐφ’ ᾧ πολιορκήσουσιν αὐτήν, ἔπεμψεν, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐπὶ Οὐρβῖνον τὸ στράτευμα ἐπῆγε, πόλιν τε ἐχυρὰν καὶ Γότθων φρουρὰν διαρκῆ ἔχουσαν ʽἀπέχει δὲ αὕτη Ἀριμίνου πόλεως ἡμέρας ὁδὸν εὐζώνῳ ἀνδρἴ, καί οἱ τῆς στρατιᾶς ἐξηγουμένῳ Ναρσῆς τε καὶ Ἰωάννης καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ξύμπαντες εἵποντο.

Dewing Upon hearing this Belisarius sent Peranius with a numerous army to Urviventus with instructions to besiege it, while he himself led his army against Urbinus,⁠ a city of strong defences and guarded by a sufficient garrison of Goths (it is at a distance from the city of Ariminum of one day's journey for an unencumbered traveller), and as he led forth the army he was followed by Narses and John and all the others.

Greek τῆς τε πόλεως ἀγχοῦ ἐλθόντες παρὰ τοῦ λόφου τὸν πρόποδα ἐστρατοπέδευσαν δίχα· οὐ γάρ πη ἀλλήλοις ξυνετετάχατο, ἀλλ’ οἱ μὲν ἀμφὶ Βελισάριον τὰ πρὸς ἕω τῆς πόλεως εἶχον, οἱ δὲ ἀμφὶ Ναρσῆν τὰ πρὸς ἑσπέραν.

Dewing And upon coming near the city, they encamped in two divisions along the foot of the hill; for they had not combined their forces at all, but the troops of Belisarius held the position to the east of the city, and those of Narses that to the west.

Greek κεῖται δὲ Οὐρβῖνος ἐπὶ λόφου περιφεροῦς τε καὶ ὑψηλοῦ λίαν. οὐ μέντοι ὁ λόφος οὔτε κρημνώδης οὔτε παντάπασιν ἀπόρευτός ἐστι, μόνον δὲ δύσοδος τῷ ἀνάντης ἐς ἄγαν εἶναι, ἄλλως τε καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἀγχοτάτω ἰόντι.

Dewing Now the city of Urbinus is situated upon a hill which is round and exceedingly high. However, the hill is neither precipitous nor altogether impossible to climb, and it is difficult only by reason of being very steep, especially as one comes very close to the city.

Greek μίαν δὲ εἴσοδον ἐν τῷ ὁμαλεῖ ἔχει πρὸς βορρᾶν ἄνεμον. Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν οὖν ἐς τὴν πολιορκίαν ἐτετάχατο ὧδε. Βελισάριος δὲ ῥᾷον σφίσι προσχωρήσειν ὁμολογίᾳ τοὺς βαρβάρους οἰόμενος ἅτε κατωρρωδηκότας τὸν κίνδυνον, πρέσβεις τε παρ’ αὐτοὺς ἔπεμψε καὶ πολλὰ ὑποσχόμενος αὐτοῖς ἀγαθὰ ἔσεσθαι κατηκόους βασιλέως γενέσθαι παρῄνει.

Dewing But it has one approach by level ground on the north. So the Romans were stationed for the siege as has been stated. Now Belisarius was of the opinion that the barbarians would somewhat readily make terms with the Romans for a surrender, believing that they had become terrified by the danger, and so he sent envoys to them, promising that they would receive many benefits, and exhorting them to become subjects of the emperor.

Greek οἱ μὲν οὖν πρέσβεις τῶν πυλῶν ἀγχοῦ γενόμενοι ʽοὐ γὰρ τῇ πόλει σφᾶς ἐδέξαντο οἱ πολέμιοἰ πολλά τε καὶ λίαν ἐπαγωγὰ εἶπον, οἱ δὲ Γότθοι χωρίου τε ἰσχύϊ θαρροῦντες καὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων τῇ ἀφθονίᾳ τοὺς μὲν λόγους ἥκιστα ἐνεδέχοντο, κατὰ τάχος δὲ Ῥωμαίους ἐνθένδε ἐκέλευον ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι.

Dewing These envoys stood near the gates (for the enemy would not receive them into the city), and spoke at length, making a great effort to win them over, but the Goths, confident in the strength of their position and their abundance of provisions, would not listen to their proposals, and bade the Romans depart from the city with all speed.

Greek Βελισάριος οὖν ταῦτα ἀκούσας ῥάβδους παχείας τῷ στρατῷ ξυλλέγειν ἐπήγγελλε, στοάν τε ἀπ’ αὐτῶν ποιεῖσθαι μακράν.

Dewing So when Belisarius heard this, he ordered the army to collect thick poles and to make of them a long colonnade.

Greek ἧς δὴ ἐντὸς κρυπτόμενοι ἔμελλον τῶν τε πυλῶν ξὺν αὐτῇ ἀγχοτάτω ἰέναι, ᾗ μάλιστα ὁ χῶρος ὁμαλός ἐστι, καὶ τῇ ἐς τὸ τεῖχος ἐπιβουλῇ χρῆσθαι. καὶ οἱ μὲν κατὰ ταῦτα ἐποίουν.

Dewing This device was destined to cover the men hidden inside as they moved it forward close up to the gate at the particular point where the ground was level and carried on their operations against the wall. So the soldiers were engaged in this work.

Greek Ναρσῇ δὲ ξυγγενόμενοι τῶν ἐπιτηδείων τινές, ἀπέραντά τε ποιεῖν Βελισάριον καὶ τὰ ἀμήχανα ἐπινοεῖν ἔφασκον. ἤδη γὰρ Ἰωάννην τοῦ χωρίου ἀποπειρασάμενον, καὶ ταῦτα ὀλίγων τινῶν τηνικαῦτα φρουρὰν ἔχοντος, ἀνάλωτον αὐτὸ ᾐσθῆσθαι παντάπασιν εἶναι ʽκαὶ ἦν δὲ οὕτωσ̓, ἀλλ’ αὐτὸν χρῆναι βασιλεῖ ἀνασώσασθαι τὰ ἐπὶ Αἰμιλίας χωρία.

Dewing But some of the intimates of Narses gathered around him and declared that Belisarius was undertaking an endless task and devising impracticable plans. For John, they said, had already made an attempt upon the place,⁠ and that too at a time when it was guarded by only a few men, and had perceived that it was altogether impregnable (and this was true), and they said that he ought to recover for the emperor the land of Aemilia.

Greek ταύτῃ ὁ Ναρσῆς τῇ ὑποθήκῃ ἀναπεισθεὶς νύκτωρ τὴν προσεδρείαν διέλυσε, καίπερ Βελισαρίου πολλὰ λιπαροῦντος μένειν τε αὐτοῦ καὶ Οὐρβῖνον πόλιν σφίσι ξυνελεῖν.

Dewing And since he was won over by this suggestion, Narses at night abandoned the siege, although Belisarius begged him earnestly to remain there and assist his own troops in capturing the city of Urbinus.

Greek οὗτοι μὲν ἐς Ἀρίμινον κατὰ τάχος ξὺν τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ ἵκοντο. Μώρας δὲ καὶ οἱ βάρβαροι ἐπεὶ κατὰ ἥμισυ τοὺς πολεμίους ἀναχωρήσαντας ἅμα ἡμέρᾳ εἶδον, ἐτώθαζον ἀπὸ τοῦ περιβόλου τοὺς μεμενηκότας ἐρεσχελοῦντες.

Dewing So Narses and his followers went in haste to Ariminum with a portion of the army. And as soon as Moras and his barbarians saw at daybreak that one-half of the enemy had withdrawn, they began to shout taunts and bantering words from the fortifications at those who had remained.

Greek Βελισάριος δὲ τῇ λειπομένῃ στρατιᾷ τειχομαχεῖν ἤθελε. καί οἱ ταῦτα βουλευομένῳ εὐτύχημα γενέσθαι ξυνηνέχθη θαυμάσιον οἷον.

Dewing Belisarius, however, was purposing to storm the wall with his remaining force. And while he was laying plans for this attack, an altogether wonderful piece of good fortune befell him.

Greek μία τις ἦν ἐν Οὐρβίνῳ πηγή, ἐξ ἧς δὴ πάντες οἱ ταύτῃ οἰκοῦντες ὑδρεύοντο. αὕτη κατὰ βραχὺ ἀπὸ ταὐτομάτου ἀποξηρανθεῖσα ὑπέληγεν.

Dewing There was only one spring in Urbinus, and from it all the inhabitants of the city were drawing water. This spring of its own accord little by little dried up and began to give out.

Greek ἔν τε ἡμέραις τρισὶν οὕτως αὐτὴν τὸ ὕδωρ ἀπέλιπεν ὥστε ξὺν τῷ πηλῷ ἐνθένδε αὐτὸ οἱ βάρβαροι ἀρυόμενοι ἔπινον. διὸ δὴ Ῥωμαίοις προσχωρεῖν ἔγνωσαν.

Dewing And in three days the water had left it to such an extent that the barbarians drawing from it were drinking the water along with mud. Consequently they decided to capitulate to the Romans.

Greek Βελισάριος δὲ ταῦτα μὲν οὐδαμῆ πεπυσμένος ἤθελεν ἀποπειράσασθαι τοῦ περιβόλου. καὶ τὸ μὲν ἄλλο στράτευμα ἐξοπλίσας κύκλῳ ἀμφὶ τὸν λόφον ἅπαντα ἔστησε, τινὰς δὲ ἐκέλευσεν ἐν τῷ ὁμαλεῖ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ῥάβδων ἐπάγειν στοάν·

Dewing But Belisarius, who had not received any information of this, was still purposing to make an attempt upon the fortifications. And he armed his entire force and placed it in a circle about the whole hill, and then commanded a few men to move forward the colonnade of poles

Greek οὕτω γὰρ καλεῖν τὴν μηχανὴν νενομίκασι ταύτην. οἱ δὲ αὐτῆς ἐντὸς ὑποδύντες ἐβάδιζόν τε καὶ τὴν στοὰν ἐφεῖλκον τοὺς πολεμίους λανθάνοντες.

Dewing (for such is the name by which this device is customarily called)⁠ where the ground was level. So these men went into it and began to walk and to draw the colonnade with them, hidden from the eyes of the enemy.

Greek οἱ μὲν οὖν βάρβαροι χεῖρας τὰς δεξιὰς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπάλξεων προτεινόμενοι ἐδέοντο τῆς εἰρήνης τυχεῖν. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ οὐκ εἰδότες τι τῶν ἀμφὶ τῇ πηγῇ ξυμπεπτωκότων τόν τε πόλεμον αὐτοὺς καὶ τὴν μηχανὴν δεδιέναι ὑπώπτευον. ἀμφότεροι γοῦν τῆς μάχης ἄσμενοι ἀπέσχοντο.

Dewing Thereupon, the barbarians, stretching forth their right hands from the parapet, begged to receive peace. But the Romans, not knowing anything of what had taken place regarding the spring, supposed that it was the combat and the Roman device which they dreaded. Both sides, at any rate, gladly refrained from battle.

Greek καὶ Γότθοι Βελισαρίῳ σφᾶς τε αὐτοὺς καὶ τὴν πόλιν ὁμολογίᾳ παρέδοσαν, ἐφ’ ᾧ κακῶν ἀπαθεῖς μείνωσι, βασιλέως κατήκοοι ξὺν τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ ἐπὶ τῇ ἴσῃ καὶ ὁμοίᾳ γεγενημένοι.

Dewing And the Goths surrendered both themselves and the city to Belisarius with the condition that they should remain free from harm and that they should become subjects of the emperor on terms of complete equality with the Roman army.

Greek Ναρσῆς δὲ ταῦτα ἀκούσας ἐν θαύματί τε καὶ ξυμφορᾷ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐποιεῖτο.

Dewing But Narses, upon hearing of this success, was filled with both astonishment and dejection.

Greek καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν ἐν Ἀριμίνῳ ἔτι ἡσύχαζεν, Ἰωάννην δὲ τῷ παντὶ στρατῷ ἐπὶ Καισῆναν ἐξηγεῖσθαι ἐκέλευεν. οἱ δὲ κλίμακας φέροντες ᾔεσαν.

Dewing And he himself still remained quietly in Ariminum, but he ordered John to lead his whole army against Caesena.⁠ So they went, taking ladders with them.

Greek ἐπεὶ δὲ ἄγχιστα τοῦ φρουρίου ἐγένοντο, προσέβαλλόν τε καὶ τοῦ περιβόλου ἀπεπειρῶντο. καρτερῶς δὲ τῶν βαρβάρων ἀμυνομένων ἄλλοι τε πολλοὶ αὐτοῦ ἔπεσον καὶ Φανίθεος ὁ τῶν Ἐρούλων ἡγούμενος.

Dewing And when they came close to the fortress, they delivered an attack and made trial of the fortifications. But since the barbarians defended themselves manfully, many fell in the fight and among them Phanitheus, the leader of the Eruli.

Greek Ἰωάννης δὲ Καισήνης τότε τοῦ φρουρίου ἀποτυχὼν ἀποπειρᾶσθαι οὐκέτι ἠξίου, ἐπεί οἱ ἀνάλωτον ἔδοξεν εἶναι, ξύν τε Ἰουστίνῳ καὶ τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ πρόσω ἤλαυνε.

Dewing So John, failing to capture the fortress of Caesena at that time, saw fit to make no further attempt upon it, since it seemed to him impregnable, and he marched forward with Justinus and the rest of the army.

Greek καὶ πόλιν μὲν ἀρχαίαν ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου κατέλαβεν ἣ Φοροκορνήλιος ὠνόμασται, τῶν δὲ βαρβάρων οἱ ἀεί τε ὑποχωρούντων καὶ οὐδαμῆ ἐς χεῖρας ἰόντων, ξύμπασαν βασιλεῖ τὴν Αἰμιλίαν ἀνεσώσατο. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐφέρετο τῇδε.

Dewing And by a sudden move he succeeded in taking possession of an ancient city which is named Forocornelius;⁠ and since the barbarians constantly retired before him and never came to an engagement, he recovered the whole of Aemilia for the emperor. Such was the course of these events.