第7巻 第17章

Greek Τοσαῦτα εἰπὼν ὁ Πελάγιος ἀπηλλάσσετο. καὶ αὐτὸν Ῥωμαῖοι ἐπεὶ ἄπρακτον ἐπανήκοντα εἶδον, ἐν πολλῇ ἀμηχανίᾳ ἐγένοντο. ἔτι τε μᾶλλον ἀκμάζων ὁ λιμὸς ἡμέρᾳ ἑκάστῃ ἀνήκεστα αὐτοὺς ἔργα εἰργάζετο. τοὺς μέντοι στρατιώτας οὔπω τὰ ἀναγκαῖα ἐπελελοίπει, ἀλλ’ ἔτι ἀντεῖχον.

Dewing With such words Pelagius departed. And when the Romans saw him returning unsuccessful, they fell into a state of helpless despair. For the famine, becoming still more acute, was working terrible havoc among them from day to day. The soldiers, however, had not yet exhausted their supplies, but they could still hold out.

Greek διὸ δὴ ἀθρόοι Ῥωμαῖοι γενόμενοι καὶ τοῖς τοῦ βασιλέως στρατοῦ ἄρχουσι, Βέσσᾳ τε καὶ Κόνωνι, προσελθόντες, δεδακρυμένοι ξὺν οἰμωγῇ πολλῇ ἔλεξαν τοιάδε· “Τοιαύτας μὲν οὔσας, ὦ στρατηγοί, τύχας ἡμῖν τὰς παρούσας ὁρῶμεν, ὥστε εἰ καί τι δρᾶν ὑμᾶς ἀνόσιον ἔργον ἰσχύομεν, οὐκ ἄν τινα ἡμῖν τὸ ἔγκλημα τοῦτο μέμψιν ἐπήνεγκεν.

Dewing The Romans therefore gathered in a throng and came before Bessas and Conon, the commanders of the emperor's army; there with weeping and loud lamentation they spoke to them as follows: "The fate, Generals, which we see to be upon us at the present time is such that, if we actually had the power to commit some unholy deed against you, such a crime would have brought upon us no reproach.

Greek ἡ γὰρ τῆς ἀνάγκης ὑπερβολὴ τὴν ἀπολογίαν ἐφ’ ἑαυτῆς ἔχει. νῦν δὲ ἀμύνειν ἔργῳ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς οὐχ οἷοί τε ὄντες, δηλώσοντές τε λόγῳ καὶ ἀποκλαύσοντες τὴν ξυμφορὰν παρ’ ὑμᾶς ἥκομεν. ὅπως δὲ ἀκούσησθε πρᾴως, οὐ ξυνταρασσόμενοι τῷ τῶν λόγων θράσει, ἀλλὰ τῇ τοῦ πάθους ἀκμῇ τοῦτο σταθμώμενοι.

Dewing For the overwhelming constraint of necessity furnishes of itself a sufficient defence. But newsmen seeing that our strength cannot suffice for our defence, we have resorted to words and have come before you to make our position clear and to lament v our misfortune; and do you hear us with forbearance, not being stirred up by the boldness of our words, but judging it with due regard to the acuteness of our suffering.

Greek ὁ γὰρ ἀπογνῶναι τὴν σωτηρίαν ἠναγκασμένος οὐκ ἔργοις, οὐ ῥήμασι τὴν εὐκοσμίαν διασώσασθαι τὸ λοιπὸν δύναται.

Dewing For he who has been compelled to despair of safety can no longer control his actions — nor, nor his words — so as to preserve decorum.

Greek ἡμᾶς, ὦ στρατηγοί, μήτε Ῥωμαίους μήτε ξυγγενεῖς ὑμῖν νομίζετε εἶναι, μήτε ὁμοτρόπους τοῖς τῆς πολιτείας ἤθεσι γεγονέναι, μήτε ἀρχὴν ἑκόντας τῇ πόλει τὸν βασιλέως δέχεσθαι στρατόν, ἀλλὰ πολεμίους τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὄντας καὶ ὅπλα ἐφ’ ὑμῖν ἀραμένους, εἶτα ἡσσηθέντας τῇ μάχῃ, ἀνδράποδα δορυάλωτα ὑμῶν αὐτῶν κατά γε τὸν τοῦ πολέμου γενέσθαι νόμον.

Dewing As for us, Generals, do not consider us to be either Romans or fellow-countrymen of yours, or even to have assimilated our ways of government to yours, and do not suppose that in the beginning we received the emperor's army into the city willingly, but regard us as enemies from the first and as men who have taken up arms against you, and later, when defeated in battle, have become your captive slaves simply in accordance with the customs of war.

Greek καὶ χορηγεῖτε τοῖς ὑμετέροις αἰχμαλώτοις τροφὴν οὐ κατὰ τὴν χρείαν ἡμῖν ἀποχρῶσαν, ἀλλ ὥστε ἀποζῆν διαρκῶς ἔχουσαν, ὅπως δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς περιόντες ἀνθυπουργήσωμεν ὑμῖν ὅσα τοὺς οἰκέτας τοῖς κεκτημένοις ὑπηρετεῖν ἄξιον.

Dewing And do you furnish sustenance to these your captives, if not in quantities sufficient for our needs, at least in such measure as to make life possible, that by your so doing we too may survive and render you such service in return as it is it is fitting that slaves should render their masters.

Greek εἰ δὲ τοῦτο οὐ ῥᾴδιον ἢ βουλομένοις ὑμῖν, ἀλλ’ ἀφεῖναι ἡμᾶς τῆς ὑμετέρας δικαιοῦτε χειρός, ἐκεῖνο κερδανοῦντες, τὸ μὴ περὶ τὰς τῶν δούλων πονεῖσθαι ταφάς· ἢν δὲ μηδὲ τοῦτο ἡμῖν ἀπολέλειπται, ἀποκτιννύναι ἡμᾶς ἀξιοῦτε καὶ μὴ ἀποστερήσητε τελευτῆς σώφρονος μηδὲ θανάτου φθονήσητε τοῦ πάντων ἡδίστου, ἀλλὰ πράξει μιᾷ μυρίων ἀπαλλάξατε Ῥωμαίους

Dewing But if you find this difficult or contrary to your wish, then at least consent to release us from your hands, by which action you will gain this advantage that you will not be troubled by the burial of your slaves. And if even this favour is not left us, deign to put us to death and do not deprive us of an honourable end nor begrudge us death, which to us is the sweetest of all things, but by a single act free the Romans from 1ot troubles."

Greek δυσκόλων.” ταῦτα οἱ ἀμφὶ Βέσσαν ἀκούσαντες τὸ μὲν τὰ ἐπιτήδεια χορηγεῖν σφίσιν ἀδύνατον, τὸ δὲ ἀποκτιννύναι ἀνόσιον ἔφασαν εἶναι, οὐ μέντοι οὐδὲ τὸ ἀφεῖναι ἀκίνδυνον. Βελισάριον δὲ καὶ τὸν ἐκ Βυζαντίου στρατὸν αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα παρέσεσθαι ἰσχυρίσαντο, ταύτῃ τε αὐτοὺς παρηγορήσαντες ἀπεπέμψαντο.

Dewing When Bessas and his officers heard this, they asserted, firstly, that to furnish them with provisions was impossible, secondly, that to put them to death would be unholy, and, thirdly, that even to release them was not without danger. But they insisted that Belisarius with the army from Byzantium would arrive right speedily, and after thus consoling them sent them away.

Greek Ὁ δὲ λιμὸς ἔτι μᾶλλον ἀκμάζων τε καὶ μηκυνόμενος ἐπὶ μέγα κακοῦ ᾔρετο, βρώσεις ὑποβάλλων ἐκτόπους τε καὶ τῆς φύσεως ὑπερορίους.

Dewing But the famine, becoming more severe as time went on, was greatly increasing its ravages, driving men to discover monstrous foods unknown to the natural desires of man.

Greek τὰ μὲν οὖν πρῶτα Βέσσας τε καὶ Κόνων, οἵπερ τοῦ ἐν Ῥώμῃ φυλακτηρίου ἦρχον ʽσίτου γὰρ πολύ τι μέτρον ἐντὸς τοῦ Ῥώμης περιβόλου ἐναποθέμενοι σφίσιν ἔτυχον̓, καὶ οἱ στρατιῶται χρείας τῆς οἰκείας ἀποτεμνόμενοι ἀπεδίδοντο Ῥωμαίων τοῖς εὖ πράσσουσι χρημάτων μεγάλων· μεδίμνου μὲν γὰρ τιμὴ ἑπτὰ ἐγεγόνει χρυσοῖ.

Dewing Now at first, since Bessas and Conon, who commanded the garrison in Rome, had, as it happened, stored away a vast supply of grain for their own use within the walls of Rome, they as well as the soldiers were constantly taking from the portion assigned for their own needs and selling at a great price to such Romans as were rich; for the price of a bushel had reached seven gold pieces.⁠

Greek οἷς μέντοι οὐχ οὕτω τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐφέρετο, ὥστε βρώσεως ἐς τόσον ἀξιωτέρας μεταλαγχάνειν ἱκανοῖς εἶναι, οἱ δὲ τῆς τιμῆς τὸ τεταρτημόριον κατατιθέντες πιτύρων τε τὸ μέδιμνον ἐμπλησάμενοι ἤσθιον, τῆς ἀνάγκης αὐτοῖς ἡδίστην τε καὶ τρυφερωτάτην ποιούσης τὴν βρῶσιν.

Dewing Those however, whose domestic circumstances were such that they were unable to partake of food which was so much dearer, were able, by paying in cash one fourth of this price, to get their bushel measures filled with bran; this was their food and necessity made it most sweet and dainty to their taste.

Greek καὶ βοῦν δέ, ὃν ἂν ἐπεξιόντες οἱ Βέσσα ὑπασπισταὶ λάβοιεν, ἀπεδίδοντο κατὰ πεντήκοντα χρυσῶν. ὅτῳ δὲ ἵππος τεθνεὼς ἢ ἄλλο τι τοιοῦτον ὑπῆρχεν, ἐν τοῖς ἄγαν εὐδαίμοσιν ὁ Ῥωμαῖος οὗτος ἐτάσσετο, ὅτι δὴ κρέασι ζῴου τεθνηκότος ἐντρυφᾶν εἶχεν.

Dewing As for beef, whenever the bodyguards of Bessas captured an ox in making a sally, they sold it for fifty gold pieces.⁠ And if any man had a horse or any other animal which had died, this Roman was counted among those exceedingly fortunate, seeing that he was able to live luxuriously upon the flesh of a dead animal.

Greek ὁ δὲ δὴ ἄλλος ἅπας ὅμιλος τὰς ἀκαλήφας μόνας ἤσθιον, οἷαι πολλαὶ ἀμφὶ τὸν περίβολον κὰν τοῖς ἐρειπίοις πανταχῆ τῆς πόλεως φύονται.

Dewing But all the rest of the numerous inhabitants were eating nettles only, such as grow in abundance about the walls and among the ruins in all parts of the city.

Greek ὅπως δὲ αὐτοῖς μὴ τὸ τῆς πόας δριμὺ τά τε χείλη καὶ τὰ ἀμφὶ τὴν φάρυγγα δάκνῃ οὐ παρέργως αὐτὰς ἕψοντες ἤσθιον.

Dewing And in order to prevent the pungent herb from stinging their lips and throat they boiled them thoroughly before eating.

Greek Τέως μὲν οὖν Ῥωμαῖοι τὸ τοῦ χρυσοῦ νόμισμα εἶχον, οὕτως, ὥσπερ ἐρρήθη, τὸν σῖτον καὶ τὰ πίτυρα ὠνούμενοι ἀπηλλάσσοντο· ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς ἤδη ἐπελελοίπει, οἱ δὲ φέροντες ἐς τὴν ἀγορὰν τὰ ἔπιπλα πάντα βίον αὐτῶν τὸν ἐφήμερον ἀντηλλάσσοντο.

Dewing So long, then, as the Romans had their gold currency, they bought their grain and bran in the manner described and went their way; but when their supply of this had at length failed, then they brought all their household goods to the forum and exchanged them for their daily sustenance.

Greek τελευτῶντες δέ, ἐπεὶ οἱ τοῦ βασιλέως στρατιῶται σῖτον οὐκ εἶχον, ὅνπερ καὶ Ῥωμαίοις ἀπόδωνται, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι τῷ Βέσσᾳ ὀλίγος ἔτι ἐλέλειπτο, οὔτε Ῥωμαῖοι ὅτου ὠνοῖντο, ἐς τὰς ἀκαλήφας ἅπαντες ἔβλεπον.

Dewing But when, finally, the soldiers of the emperor had no grain which they could possibly sell to the Romans (except, indeed, that Bessas still had a little left), nor had the Romans anything with which to buy, they all turned to the nettles.

Greek ταύτης δὲ αὐτοῖς οὐ διαρκούσης τῆς βρώσεως, οἵ γε οὐδὲ αὐτῆς ἐς κόρον ἰέναι παντάπασιν εἶχον, ἐξίτηλοι μὲν αἱ σάρκες ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐγίνοντο, τὸ δὲ χρῶμα ἐς τὸ πελιδνὸν κατὰ βραχὺ ἧκον εἰδώλοις αὐτοὺς ἐμφερεστάτους εἰργάζετο.

Dewing But this food was insufficient for them, for it was utterly impossible to satisfy themselves with it, and consequently their flesh withered away almost entirely, while their colour, gradually turning to a livid hue, gave them a most ghostly appearance.

Greek πολλοί τε βαδίζοντες ἔτι καὶ τῶν ὀδόντων αὐτοῖς μασσομένων τὰς ἀκαλήφας, ἔθνησκόν τε ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου καὶ ἐς γῆν ἔπιπτον.

Dewing And it happened to many that, even as they walked along chewing the nettles with their teeth, death came suddenly upon them and they fell to the ground. And now they were even beginning to eat each other's dung.

Greek ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἀλλήλων τὴν κόπρον ἤσθιον. πολλοί τε σφᾶς αὐτοὺς τῷ λιμῷ πιεζόμενοι διεχρήσαντο, ἐπεὶ οὐκέτι οὔτε κύνας οὔτε μῦς εὕρισκον οὔτε ἄλλο τι ζῷον νεκρὸν ὅτῳ σιτίζοιντο.

Dewing There were many too, who, because of the pressure of the famine, destroyed themselves with their own hands; for they could no longer find either dogs or mice or any dead animal of any kind on which to feed.

Greek Ἦν δέ τις ἐνταῦθα Ῥωμαῖος ἀνήρ, πέντε παίδων πατήρ, ὃν δὴ περιστάντες οἱ παῖδες καὶ τῆς ἐσθῆτος ἁπτόμενοι τροφὴν ἔπραττον·

Dewing Now there was a Roman in the city, the father of five children; and they gathered about him and, laying hold of his garment, kept demanding food.

Greek ὁ δὲ οὔτε ἀνοιμώξας οὔτε ὅτι ξυνεταράχθη ἔνδηλος γεγονώς, ἀλλ’ ἰσχυρότατα ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ τὸ πάθος ὅλον ἀποκρυψάμενος, ἕπεσθαί οἱ τοὺς παῖδας ὡς δὴ τροφὴν ληψομένους ἐκέλευεν.

Dewing But he, without a word of lament and without letting it be seen that hes sorely troubled, but most steadfastly concealing all his suffering in his mind, bade the follow him as if for the purpose of getting food.

Greek ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐς τοῦ Τιβέριδος τὴν γέφυραν ἦλθε, δήσας ἐπὶ τῷ προσώπῳ θοἰμάτιον, τούτῳ τε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καλυπτόμενος ἥλατο ἀπὸ τῆς γεφύρας ἐς τὸ τοῦ Τιβέριδος ὕδωρ, θεωμένων τὰ δρώμενα τῶν τε παίδων καὶ πάντων Ῥωμαίων οἳ ταύτῃ ἦσαν.

Dewing But when he came to the bridge over the Tiber, he tied his cloak over his face, thus concealing his eyes, and leaped from the bridge into the waters of the Tiber, the deed being witnessed both by his children and by all the Romans who were there.

Greek Καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν οἱ τοῦ βασιλέως ἄρχοντες λαμβάνοντες χρήματα ἕτερα μεθῆκαν Ῥωμαίους ὅσοις ἐνθένδε βουλομένοις ἦν ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι.

Dewing From that time on the imperial commanders, upon receiving further money, released such of the Romans as desired to depart from the city.

Greek ὀλίγων τε ἀπολελειμμένων ἐνταῦθα οἱ ἄλλοι ἅπαντες ᾤχοντο φεύγοντες ὥς πη ἕκαστος δυνατὸς ἐγεγόνει. καὶ αὐτῶν οἱ πλεῖστοι τῆς δυνάμεως καταμαρανθείσης αὐτοῖς τῷ λιμῷ ἤδη πλέοντες ἢ ὁδῷ ἰόντες ἀπέθανον.

Dewing And only a few were left in the city; for all the rest made their escape by flight in whatever manner proved possible for each one. But the most of these, since their strength had been utterly wasted away by the famine, perished as soon as they had begun their journey, whether by water or by land.

Greek πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ καταληφθέντες πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ διεφθάρησαν. Ῥωμαίων μὲν τῇ τε βουλῇ καὶ τῷ δήμῳ ἐκεχωρήκει ἐς τοῦτο ἡ τύχη.

Dewing Many too were caught on the road by the enemy and destroyed. To such a pass had come the fortune of the senate and people of Rome.