第6巻 第3章

Greek Ἤδη δὲ τῆς θερινῆς τροπῆς ἀρξαμένης λιμός τε ὁμοῦ καὶ λοιμὸς τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐπέπεσε. καὶ τοῖς στρατιώταις σῖτος μὲν ἔτι ἐλείπετο, ἄλλο δὲ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων οὐδέν, Ῥωμαίους δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους ὅ τε σῖτος ἐπελελοίπει καὶ ὁ λιμὸς ἀκριβῶς ξὺν τῷ λοιμῷ ἐπίεζεν.

Dewing But at the beginning of the spring equinox famine and pestilence together fell upon the inhabitants of the city. There was still, it is true, some grain for the soldiers, though no other kind of provisions, but the grain-supply of the rest of the Romans had been exhausted, and actual famine as well as pestilence was pressing hard upon them.

Greek ὧν δὴ οἱ Γότθοι αἰσθόμενοι μάχῃ μὲν διακινδυνεύειν πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους οὐκέτι ἤθελον, ἐφύλασσον δὲ ὅπως αὐτοῖς μηδὲν τοῦ λοιποῦ ἐσκομίζοιτο.

Dewing And the Goths, perceiving this, no longer cared to risk a decisive battle with their enemy, but they kept guard that nothing in future should be brought in to them.

Greek ἐστὸν δὲ ὕδατος ὀχετὼ δύο μεταξὺ Λατίνης τε καὶ Ἀππίας ὁδοῦ, ὑψηλὼ ἐς ἄγαν, κυρτώμασί τε ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀνεχομένω.

Dewing Now there are two aqueducts between the Latin and the Appian Ways, exceedingly high and carried on arches for a great distance.

Greek τούτω δὴ τὼ ὀχετὼ ἐν χώρῳ διέχοντι Ῥώμης σταδίοις πεντήκοντα ξυμβάλλετόν τε ἀλλήλοιν καὶ τὴν ἐναντίαν ὁδὸν δι’ ὀλίγου τρέπεσθον.

Dewing These two aqueducts meet at a place fifty stades distant from Rome⁠ and cross each other, so that for a little space they reverse their relative position.

Greek ὁ γὰρ ἔμπροσθεν χώραν λαχὼν τὴν ἐν δεξιᾷ τηνικαῦτα χωρεῖ φερόμενος τὰ εὐώνυμα.

Dewing For the one which previously lay to the right from then on continues on the left side.

Greek πάλιν δὲ ξυνιόντε καὶ χώραν τὴν προτέραν ἀπολαβόντε τὸ λοιπὸν διακέκρισθον, καὶ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ χῶρον τὸν μεταξὺ ὀχύρωμα ξυμβαίνει τῷ ἐκ τῶν ὀχετῶν περιβάλλεσθαι.

Dewing And again coming together, they resume their former places, and thereafter remain apart. Consequently the space between them, enclosed, as it is, by the aqueducts, comes to be a fortress.

Greek τούτων δὲ τὰ κάτω κυρτώματα οἱ βάρβαροι λίθοις τε καὶ πηλῷ φράξαντες φρουρίου σχῆμα πεποίηνται κἀνταῦθα οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ ἐς ἑπτακισχιλίους ἐνστρατοπεδευσάμενοι φυλακὴν εἶχον τοῦ μηκέτι τοὺς πολεμίους ἐς τὴν πόλιν τι τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἐσκομίζεσθαι.

Dewing And the barbarians walled up the lower arches of the aqueducts here with stones and mud and in this way gave it the form of a fort, and encamping there to the number of no fewer than seven thousand men, they kept guard that no provisions should thereafter be brought into the city by the enemy.

Greek Τότε δὴ Ῥωμαίους πᾶσα μὲν ἐλπὶς ἀγαθοῦ ἐπελελοίπει, πᾶσα δὲ ἰδέα κακοῦ περιεστήκει. τέως μὲν οὖν ὁ σῖτος ἤκμαζε, τῶν στρατιωτῶν οἱ εὐτολμότατοι ἐναγούσης αὐτοὺς τῆς τῶν χρημάτων ἐπιθυμίας τοῖς ἵπποις τε ὀχούμενοι καὶ ἄλλους ἐφέλκοντες ἐν τοῖς ληΐοις ἐγίνοντο νύκτωρ τῆς πόλεως οὐ μακρὰν ἄποθεν.

Dewing Then indeed every hope of better things abandoned the Romans, and every form of evil encompassed them round about. As long as there was ripe grain, however, the most daring of the soldiers, led on by lust of money, went by night to the grain-fields not far from the city mounted on horses and leading other horses after them.

Greek τέμνοντές τε τοὺς ἀστάχυας καὶ τοῖς ἵπποις οὓς αὐτοὶ ἐφεῖλκον ἐνθέμενοι, ἐς τὴν πόλιν λανθάνοντες τοὺς πολεμίους ἐκόμιζον χρημάτων τε μεγάλων Ῥωμαίων τοῖς εὐδαίμοσιν ἀπεδίδοντο.

Dewing Then they cut off the heads of grain, and putting them on the horses which they led, would carry them into the city without being seen by the enemy and sell them at a great price to such of the Romans as were wealthy.

Greek οἱ μέντοι ἄλλοι βοτάναις τισὶν ἀπέζων, οἷαι πολλαὶ ἀμφί τε τὰ προάστεια καὶ τοῦ περιβόλου ἐντὸς γίνονται. βοτάνη γὰρ γῆν τὴν Ῥωμαίων οὔτε χειμῶνος ὥρᾳ οὔτε ἐς ἄλλον τινὰ ἐπιλείπει καιρόν, ἀλλ’ ἀνθεῖ τε ἀεὶ καὶ τέθηλεν ἐς πάντα τὸν χρόνον.

Dewing But the other inhabitants lived on various herbs such as grow in abundance not only in the outskirts but also inside the fortifications. For the land of the Romans is never lacking in herbs either in winter or at any other season, but they always flourish and grow luxuriantly at all times.

Greek ἀφ’ οὗ δὴ καὶ ἱπποφορβεῖν ἐνταῦθα τοὺς πολιορκουμένους τετύχηκε. τινὲς δὲ καὶ ἐξ ἡμιόνων τῶν ἐν Ῥώμῃ θνησκόντων ἀλλᾶντας ποιούμενοι ἀπεδίδοντο λάθρα.

Dewing Wherefore the besieged also pastured their horses in those places. And some too made sausages of the mules that died in Rome and secretly sold them.

Greek ἐπεὶ δὲ σῖτον τὰ λήϊα οὐκέτι εἶχε καὶ ἐς μέγα κακὸν ἅπαντες Ῥωμαῖοι ἀφίκοντο, Βελισάριόν τε περιίσταντο καὶ μάχῃ μιᾷ διακρίνεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους ἠνάγκαζον, Ῥωμαίων οὐδένα τῆς ξυμβολῆς ἀπολείψεσθαι ὑποσχόμενοι. καὶ αὐτῷ ἀπορουμένῳ τε τοῖς παροῦσι καὶ λίαν ἀχθομένῳ τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ δήμου ἔλεξάν τινες τοιάδε·

Dewing But when the corn-lands had no more grain and all the Romans had come into an exceedingly evil plight, they surrounded Belisarius and tried to compel him to stake everything on a single battle with the enemy, promising that not one of the Romans would be absent from the engagement. And when he was at a loss what to do in that situation and greatly distressed, some of the populace spoke to him as follows:

Greek “Οὐ προσδεχομένους ἡμᾶς ἡ παροῦσα, ὦ στρατηγέ, κατέλαβε τύχη, ἀλλ’ εἰς πᾶν ἡμῖν τοὐναντίον τὰ τῆς ἐλπίδος ἐκβέβηκε.

Dewing "General, we were not prepared for the fortune which has overtaken us at the present time; on the contrary, what has happened has been altogether the opposite of our expectations.

Greek τετυχηκότες γὰρ ὧν πρότερον ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ κατέστημεν, τανῦν ἐς τὴν παροῦσαν ξυμφορὰν ἥκομεν, καὶ περιέστηκεν ἡμῶν ἡ προλαβοῦσα δόξα τὸ καλῶς τῆς βασιλέως προμηθείας ἐφίεσθαι, νῦν ἄνοιά τε οὖσα καὶ κακῶν τῶν μεγίστων ὑπόθεσις.

Dewing For after achieving what we had formerly set our hearts upon, we have now come into the present misfortune, and we realize at length that our previous opinion that we did well to crave the emperor's watchful care was but folly and the beginning of the greatest evils.

Greek ἀφ’ οὗ δὴ ἐς τόδε ἀνάγκης ἀφίγμεθα ὥστε ἐν τῷ παρόντι ἔτι βιάζεσθαι καὶ πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους ὁπλίζεσθαι τετολμήκαμεν.

Dewing Indeed, this course has brought us to such straits that at the present time we have taken courage to use force once more and to arm ourselves against the barbarians.

Greek καὶ συγγνώμη μὲν εἰ πρὸς Βελισάριον θρασυνόμεθα, γαστὴρ γὰρ οὐκ οἶδεν ἀποροῦσα τῶν ἀναγκαίων αἰσχύνεσθαι,

Dewing And while we may claim forgiveness if we boldly come into the presence of Belisarius — for the belly knows not shame when it lacks its necessities —

Greek ἀπολελογήσθω δὲ ἡμῖν τῆς προπετείας ἡ τύχη. πάντων γὰρ εἰκότως ἀνιαρότατος εἶναι δοκεῖ μηκυνόμενος τοῖς οὐκ εὖ φερομένοις ὁ βίος. τὰ μὲν οὖν ξυμπεσόντα ἡμῖν ὁρᾷς δήπουθεν.

Dewing our plight must be the apology for our rashness; for it will be readily agreed that there is no plight more intolerable for men than a life prolonged amid the adversities of fortune. And as to the fortune which has fallen upon us, you cannot fail to see our distress.

Greek ἀγροὶ μὲν οὗτοι καὶ χώρα ξύμπασα ὑποπέπτωκε ταῖς τῶν πολεμίων χερσίν· ἡ πόλις δὲ αὕτη τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀποκέκλεισται πάντων οὐκ ἴσμεν ἐξ ὅτου δὴ χρόνου.

Dewing These fields and the whole country have fallen under the hand of the enemy; and this city has been shut off from all good things for we know not how long a time.

Greek Ῥωμαίων δὲ οἱ μὲν ἤδη κεῖνται, τὸ μηδὲ γῇ κρύπτεσθαι κληρωσάμενοι, ἡμεῖς δὲ οἱ περιόντες, ὡς ἂν συλλήβδην εἴπωμεν ἅπαντα τὰ δεινά, ξυντετάχθαι τοῖς οὕτω κειμένοις εὐχόμεθα.

Dewing And as for the Romans, some already lie in death, and it has not been their portion to be hidden in the earth, and we who survive, to put all our terrible misfortunes in a word, only pray to be placed beside those who lie thus.

Greek πάντα γὰρ τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν ὁ λιμὸς τὰ κακὰ φορητὰ δείκνυσιν, ἔνθα τε ἂν φαίνηται, μετὰ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων ἐπέρχεται λήθης καὶ θανάτους ἅπαντας, πλὴν τοῦ παρ’ αὐτοῦ προσιόντος πρὸς ἡδονῆς εἶναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐργάζεται.

Dewing For starvation shews to those upon whom it comes that all other evils can be endured, and wherever it appears it is attended by oblivion of all other sufferings, and causes all other forms of death, except that which proceeds from itself, to seem pleasant to men.

Greek ἕως τοίνυν ἔτι μὴ κεκράτηκεν ἡμῶν τὸ κακόν, δὸς ἡμῖν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἀνελέσθαι τὴν ἀγωνίαν, ἐξ ἧς ἡμῖν ἢ περιεῖναι τῶν πολεμίων ἢ τῶν δυσχερῶν ἀπηλλάχθαι ξυμβήσεται.

Dewing Now, therefore, before the evil has yet mastered us, grant us leave on our own behalf to take up the struggle, which will result either in our overcoming the enemy or in deliverance from our troubles.

Greek οἷς μὲν γὰρ ἐλπίδα σωτηρίας ἡ μέλλησις φέρει, πολλὴ ἄνοια ἂν εἴη προτερήσασιν ἐς κίνδυνον τὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ὅλων καθίστασθαι, οἷς δὲ τῇ βραδυτῆτι δυσκολώτερος ὁ ἀγὼν γίνεται, τὸ καὶ πρὸς ὀλίγον ἀναβάλλεσθαι χρόνον τῆς παραυτίκα προπετείας μεμπτότερον.”

Dewing For when delay brings men hope of safety, it would be great folly for them prematurely to enter into a danger which involves their all, but when tarrying makes the struggle more difficult, to put off action even for a little time is more reprehensible than immediate and precipitate haste."

Greek Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπον. Βελισάριος δὲ ἀμείβεται ὧδε· “Ἀλλ’ ἔμοιγε καὶ λίαν προσδεχομένῳ τὰ παρ’ ὑμῶν γεγένηται πάντα, ἐκβέβηκε δὲ παρὰ δόξαν οὐδέν.

Dewing So spoke the Romans. And Belisarius replied as follows: "Well, as for me, I have been quite prepared for your conduct in every respect, and nothing that has happened has been contrary to my expectation.

Greek ἐγὼ γὰρ πάλαι οἶδα δῆμον ὅτι πρᾶγμα ἀβουλότατόν ἐστι, καὶ οὔτε τὰ παρόντα φέρειν πέφυκεν οὔτε τὰ μέλλοντα προβουλεύεσθαι, ἀλλ’ ἐγχειρεῖν μὲν εὐπετῶς ἀεὶ τοῖς ἀμηχάνοις, διαφθείρεσθαι δὲ ἀνεπισκέπτως ἐπίσταται μόνον.

Dewing For long have I known that a populace is a most unreasoning thing, and that by its very nature it cannot endure the present or provide for the future, but only knows how rashly in every case to attempt the impossible and recklessly to destroy itself.

Greek ἐγὼ μέντοι οὐκ ἄν ποτε διὰ τὴν ὑμετέραν ὀλιγωρίαν οὔτε ὑμᾶς ἀπολέσαιμι ἑκών γε εἶναι οὔτε ὑμῖν τὰ βασιλέως συνδιαφθείραιμι πράγματα.

Dewing But as for me, I shall never, willingly at least, be led by your carelessness either to destroy you or to involve the emperor's cause in ruin with you.

Greek πόλεμος γὰρ οὐκ ἐξ ἀλογίστου σπουδῆς κατορθοῦσθαι φιλεῖ, ἀλλ’ εὐβουλίᾳ τε καὶ προμηθείᾳ τὴν τῶν καιρῶν ἀεὶ σταθμώμενος ῥοπήν.

Dewing For war is wont to be brought to a successful issue, not by unreasoning haste, but by the use of good counsel and forethought in estimating the turn of the scale at decisive moments.

Greek ὑμεῖς μὲν οὖν πεττεύειν οἰόμενοι τὸν ἕνα βούλεσθε ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων ἀναρρίπτειν κύβον, ἐμοὶ δὲ οὐ σύνηθες αἱρεῖσθαι πρὸ τοῦ ξυμφόρου τὸ σύντομον.

Dewing You, however, act as though you were playing at dice, and want to risk all on a single cast; but it is not my custom to choose the short course in preference to the advantageous one.

Greek εἶτα σὺν ἡμῖν ἐπαγγέλλεσθε τοῖς πολεμίοις διὰ μάχης ἰέναι, πότε τὰς μελέτας τοῦ πολέμου πεποιημένοι; ἢ ποῖος τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐκμαθὼν τοῖς ὅπλοις οὐκ οἶδεν ὅτι οὐ χωρεῖ ἄχρι τῆς διαπείρας ἡ μάχη; οὐδὲ αὐτός οἱ ἐμμελετᾶν ὁ πολέμιος ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι παρέχεται.

Dewing In the second place, you promise that you will help us do battle against the enemy; but when have you ever taken training in war? Or who that has learned such things by the use of arms does not know that battle affords no room for experiment? Nor does the enemy, on his part, give opportunity, while the struggle is on, to practise on him.

Greek νῦν μὲν τὴν προθυμίαν ὑμῶν ἄγαμαι καὶ συγγνώμων εἰμὶ ταραχῆς τῆσδε·

Dewing This time, indeed, I admire your zeal and forgive you for making this disturbance;

Greek ὡς δὲ ὑμῖν ταῦτα οὐκ εἰς καιρὸν γέγονε καὶ ἡμεῖς μελλήσει προμηθεῖ χρώμεθα ἐγὼ δηλώσω. στράτευμα ἡμῖν ἀριθμοῦ κρεῖσσον ἐκ πάσης γῆς ἀθροίσας βασιλεὺς ἔπεμψε καὶ στόλος ὅσος οὐ πώποτε Ῥωμαίοις ξυνέστη τήν τε Καμπανίας ἀκτὴν καὶ κόλπου τοῦ Ἰονίου τὰ πλεῖστα καλύπτει.

Dewing but that you have taken this action at an unseasonable time and that the policy of waiting which we are following is prudent, I shall now make clear. The emperor has gathered for us from the whole earth and despatched an army too great to number, and a fleet such as was never brought together by the Romans now covers the shore of Campania and the greater part of the Ionian Gulf.

Greek ὀλίγων τε ἡμερῶν ξὺν πᾶσι τοῖς ἐπιτηδείοις παρ’ ἡμᾶς ἥξουσι, τήν τε ἀπορίαν ἡμῖν διαλύσοντες καὶ πλήθει βελῶν τὰ τῶν βαρβάρων στρατόπεδα καταχώσοντες.

Dewing And within a few days these reinforcements will come to us and bring with them all kinds of provisions, to put an end to our destitution and to bury the camps of the barbarians under a multitude of missiles.

Greek ἐλογισάμην οὖν ἐς τὴν ἐκείνων παρουσίαν τὸν τῆς ξυμβολῆς μᾶλλον ἀποθέσθαι καιρὸν καὶ ξὺν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ τὸ τοῦ πολέμου πορίζεσθαι κράτος, ἢ σπουδῇ ἀλογίστῳ θρασυνόμενος τὴν τῶν ὅλων σωτηρίαν προΐεσθαι. ὅπως δὲ αὐτίκα τε ἥξουσι καὶ μὴ περαιτέρω μελλήσουσιν, ἐγὼ προνοήσω.”

Dewing I have therefore reasoned that it was better to put off the time of conflict until they are present, and thus gain the victory in the war with safety, than to make a show of daring in unreasoning haste and thus throw away the salvation of our whole cause. To secure their immediate arrival and to prevent their loitering longer shall be my concern."