第6巻 第8章

Greek Ταῦτα μὲν δὴ ὧδέ πη εἶχε. τῆς δὲ τύχης ὁ φθόνος ᾤδαινεν ἤδη ἐπὶ Ῥωμαίους, ἐπεὶ τὰ πράγματα εὖ τε καὶ καλῶς σφίσιν ἐπίπροσθεν προϊόντα ἑώρα, κακῷ τε κεραννύναι τινὶ ταῦτα ἐθέλουσα, ἔριν ἐξ οὐδεμιᾶς αἰτίας λόγου ἀξίας ἐπενόει Βελισαρίῳ τε καὶ Κωνσταντίνῳ, ἣ ὅπως τε ἔφυ καὶ ἐς ὅ τι ἐτελεύτησεν, ἐρῶν ἔρχομαι.

Dewing Such was the course of these events. But the envy of fortune was already swelling against the Romans, when she saw their affairs progressing successfully and well, and wishing to mingle some evil with this good, she inspired a quarrel, on a trifling pretext, between Belisarius and Constantinus; and how this grew and to what end it came I shall now go on to relate.

Greek Πρεσίδιος ἦν τις, ἀνὴρ Ῥωμαῖος, ᾠκημένος μὲν ἐπὶ Ῥαβέννης, ὢν δὲ οὐκ ἀφανής. οὗτος ὁ Πρεσίδιος, ὅτι δὴ Γότθοις προσκεκρουκώς, ἡνίκα Οὐίττιγις ἐπὶ Ῥώμην στρατεύειν ἔμελλε, ξὺν ὀλίγοις τισὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν ἐπὶ κυνηγέσιον δῆθεν τῷ λόγῳ στελλόμενος φεύγει, οὔτε τῳ τὴν βουλὴν κοινωσάμενος οὔτε τι τῶν χρημάτων ξὺν αὑτῷ ἔχων, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι ξιφίδια δύο αὐτὸς ἔφερεν, ὧν τὼ κουλεὼ χρυσῷ τε πολλῷ καὶ λίθοις ἐντίμοις κεκαλλωπισμένω ἐτυχέτην. καὶ επειδὴ ἐν Σπολιτίῳ ἐγένετο, ἐς νεών τινα ἔξω τοῦ περιβόλου κατέλυσεν.

Dewing There was a certain Presidius, a Roman living at Ravenna, and a man of no mean station. This Presidius had given offence to the Goths at the time when Vittigis was about to march against Rome, and so he set out with some few of his domestics ostensibly on a hunting expedition, and went into exile; he had communicated his plan to no one and took none of his property with him, except indeed that he himself carried two daggers, the scabbards of which happened to be adorned with much gold and precious stones. And when he came to Spolitium, he lodged in a certain temple outside the fortifications.

Greek ὃ δὴ Κωνσταντῖνος ἀκούσας ʽἐτύγχανε γὰρ ἔτι ἐνταῦθα διατριβὴν ἔχων̓,τῶν τινα ὑπασπιστῶν Μαξεντίολον πέμψας ἄμφω ἀφαιρεῖται λόγῳ οὐδενὶ τὼ ἀκινάκα.

Dewing And when Constantinus, who happened to be still tarrying there,⁠ heard of this, he sent one of his guards, Maxentiolus, and took away from him both the daggers for no good reason.

Greek περιαλγὴς δὲ γεγονὼς τοῖς ξυμπεσοῦσιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐς Ῥώμην ὅτι τάχιστα παρὰ Βελισάριον στέλλεται, οὗ δὴ οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν καὶ Κωνσταντῖνος ἀφίκετο· ἤδη γὰρ ὁ τῶν Γότθων στρατὸς οὐκ ἄποθεν εἶναι ἠγγέλλετο.

Dewing The man was deeply offended by what had taken place, and set out for Rome with all speed and came to Belisarius, and Constantinus also arrived there not long afterward; for the Gothic army was already reported to be not far away.

Greek ἕως μὲν οὖν ἔν τε θορύβῳ καὶ κινδύνῳ Ῥωμαίοις καθειστήκει τὰ πράγματα, σιωπῇ ὁ Πρεσίδιος ἔμενεν· ὡς δὲ τά τε Ῥωμαίων καθυπέρτερα εἶδε καὶ Γότθων πρέσβεις παρὰ βασιλέα σταλέντας, καθάπερ μοι ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται, Βελισαρίῳ συχνὰ προσιὼν τήν τε ἀδικίαν ἀπήγγελλε καί οἱ τὰ δίκαια βοηθεῖν ἠξίου.

Dewing Now as long as the affairs of the Romans were critical and in confusion, Presidius remained silent; but when he saw that the Romans were gaining the upper hand and that the envoys of the Goths had been sent to the emperor, as has been told by me above, he frequently approached Belisarius reporting the injustice and demanding that he assist him in obtaining his rights.

Greek ὁ δὲ Κωνσταντίνῳ πολλὰ μὲν αὐτός, πολλὰ δὲ δι’ ἑτέρων μεμφόμενος, παρῄνει ἔργου τε ἀδίκου καὶ δόξης αἰσχρᾶς ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι.

Dewing And Belisarius reproached Constantinus many times himself, and many times through others, urging him to clear himself of the guilt of an unjust deed and of a dishonouring report.

Greek ἀλλὰ Κωνσταντῖνος ʽχρῆν γάρ οἱ γενέσθαι κακῶσ̓ τούς τε λόγους ἀεὶ ἐρεσχελῶν διεκρούετο καὶ τὸν ἠδικημένον ἐτώθαζε.

Dewing But Constantinus — for it must needs be that evil befall him — always lightly evaded the charge and taunted the wronged man.

Greek Βελισαρίῳ δέ ποτε, ἵππῳ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ ὀχουμένῳ, ἐντυχὼν ὁ Πρεσίδιος τοῦ τε χαλινοῦ τοῦ ἵππου ἐλάβετο καὶ μέγα ἀναβοῶν ἠρώτα εἰ ταῦτα λέγουσιν οἱ βασιλέως νόμοι, ἵνα ἐπειδάν τις τοὺς βαρβάρους φυγὼν ἱκέτης ἐς αὐτοὺς ἵκοιτο, οἵδε ἀφέλωνται βίᾳ ὅσα ἂν τύχῃ ἐν χερσὶν ἔχων.

Dewing But on one occasion Presidius met Belisarius riding on horseback in the forum, and he laid hold of the horse's bridle, and crying out with a loud voice asked whether the laws of the emperor said that, whenever anyone fleeing from the barbarians comes to them as a suppliant, they should rob him by violence of whatever he may chance to have in his hands.

Greek πολλῶν δὲ περιεστηκότων ἀνθρώπων καὶ τοῦ χαλινοῦ ξὺν ἀπειλῇ κελευόντων μεθίεσθαι, οὐ πρότερον ἀφῆκε, πρὶν δὴ αὐτῷ ὑπέσχετο Βελισάριος τὰ ξιφίδια δώσειν.

Dewing And though many men gathered about and commanded him with threats to let go his hold of the bridle, he did not let go until at last Belisarius promised to give him the daggers.

Greek τῇ οὖν ὑστεραίᾳ Κωνσταντῖνόν τε καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων πολλοὺς ἐς οἰκίσκον τινὰ ξυγκαλέσας Βελισάριος ἐν Παλατίῳ, τῶν μὲν τῇ προτεραίᾳ ξυμπεπτωκότων ὑπέμνησε, παρῄνει δὲ ὀψὲ γοῦν τοῦ χρόνου τοὺς ἀκινάκας ἀποδιδόναι.

Dewing On the following day, therefore, Belisarius called Constantinus and many of the commanders to an apartment in the palace, and after going over what had happened on the previous day urged him even at that late time to restore the daggers.

Greek ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἔφη δώσειν· ἥδιον γὰρ ἂν αὐτοὺς ἐς τοῦ Τιβέριδος τὸ ὕδωρ ἐμβάλλοι ἢ τῷ Πρεσιδίῳ διδοίη.

Dewing But Constantinus refused to do so; nay, he would more gladly throw them into the waters of the Tiber than give them to Presidius.

Greek θυμῷ τε ἤδη ἐχόμενος Βελισάριος ἐπυνθάνετο εἰ οὐκ οἴοιτο Κωνσταντῖνος πρὸς αὐτοῦ ἄρχεσθαι. καὶ αὐτὸς τὰ μὲν ἄλλα οἱ ὡμολόγει ἅπαντα πείσεσθαι· βουλομένῳ γὰρ ταῦτα βασιλεῖ εἶναι· τόδε μέντοι, ὃ ἐν τῷ παρόντι ἐπιτάττοι, οὐ μήποτε δράσειν.

Dewing And Belisarius, being by now mastered by anger, enquired whether Constantinus did not think that he was subject to his orders. And he agreed to obey him in all other things, for this was the emperor's will; this command, however, which at the present time he was laying upon him, he would never obey.

Greek Βελισάριος μὲν οὖν εἰσιέναι τοὺς δορυφόρους ἐκέλευε, Κωνσταντῖνος δὲ “Ὅπως με δηλαδὴ ἀποκτενοῦσιν,” ἔφη. “Οὐδαμῶς γε,” ὁ Βελισάριος εἶπεν, “ἀλλ’ ἵνα τὸν σὸν ὑπασπιστὴν Μαξεντίολον, ὅς σοι τὰ ξιφίδια βιασάμενος ἤνεγκεν, ἀναγκάσωσι τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἀποδιδόναι ἅπερ αὐτοῦ

Dewing Belisarius then commanded his guards to enter, whereupon Constantinus said: "In order, plainly, to have them kill me." "By no means," said Belisarius, "but to have them compel your bodyguard Maxentiolus, who forcibly carried away the daggers for you, to restore to the man what he took from him by violence."

Greek βίᾳ λαβὼν ἔτυχεν.” ἀλλὰ Κωνσταντῖνος τεθνήξεσθαι παραυτίκα οἰόμενος δρᾶσαί τι μέγα, πρίν τι αὐτὸς πάθοι, ἐβούλετο.

Dewing But Constantinus, thinking that he was to die that very instant, wished to do some great deed before he should suffer anything himself.

Greek διὸ δὴ τὸ ξιφίδιον εἷλκεν ὅπερ οἱ πρὸς τῷ μηρῷ ἀπεκρέματο, ἄφνω τε αὐτὸ ἐπὶ τὴν Βελισαρίου γαστέρα ὦσεν. ὁ δὲ καταπλαγεὶς ὀπίσω τε ἀπέστη καὶ Βέσσᾳ ἐγγύς που ἑστηκότι περιπλακεὶς διαφυγεῖν ἴσχυσε.

Dewing He accordingly drew the dagger which hung by his thigh and suddenly thrust it at the belly of Belisarius. And he in consternation stepped back, and by throwing his arms around Bessas, who was standing near, succeeded in escaping the blow.

Greek Κωνσταντῖνος μὲν οὖν, ἔτι τῷ θυμῷ ζέων, ἐπῄει, κατιδόντες δὲ Ἰλδίγερ τε καὶ Βαλεριανὸς τὸ ποιούμενον ὁ μὲν τῆς δεξιᾶς, ὁ δὲ τῆς ἑτέρας αὐτοῦ χειρὸς λαμβανόμενος ὀπίσω ἀνθεῖλκον.

Dewing Then Constantinus, still boiling with anger, made after him; but Ildiger and Valerian, seeing what was being done, laid hold of his hands, one of the right and the other of the left, and dragged him back.

Greek ἐν τούτῳ δὲ εἰσελθόντες οἱ δορυφόροι οὓς δὴ ὀλίγῳ πρότερον ἐκάλεσε Βελισάριος, Κωνσταντίνου τε τὸ ξιφίδιον ξὺν βίᾳ πολλῇ ἐκ χειρὸς αἱροῦσι, καὶ αὐτὸν πολλῷ θορύβῳ ἁρπάσαντες οὐδὲν μὲν ἄχαρι ἐν τῷ παραυτίκα εἰργάσαντο, παρόντας αἰδούμενοι τοὺς ἄρχοντας, οἶμαι, ἐς οἴκημα δὲ ἄλλο ἀπαγαγόντες, Βελισαρίου κελεύσαντος,

Dewing And at this point the guards entered whom Belisarius had summoned a moment before, snatched the dagger of Constantinus from his hand with great violence, and seized him amid a great uproar. At the moment they did him no harm, out of respect, I suppose, to the officers present, but led him away to another room at the command of Belisarius, and at a somewhat later time put him to death.

Greek χρόνῳ τινὶ ὕστερον ἔκτειναν. τοῦτο Βελισαρίῳ εἴργασται μόνον οὐχ ὅσιον ἔργον καὶ ἤθους τοῦ αὐτοῦ οὐδαμῶν ἄξιον· ἐπιεικείᾳ γὰρ πολλῇ ἐς πάντας τοὺς ἄλλους ἐχρῆτο. ἀλλὰ ἔδει, ὅπερ ἐρρήθη, Κωνσταντίνῳ γενέσθαι κακῶς.

Dewing This was the only unholy deed done by Belisarius, and it was in no way worthy of the character of the man; for he always shewed great gentleness in his treatment of all others. But it had to be, as I have said, that evil should befall Constantinus.