第7巻 第28章

Greek Βελισάριος μὲν οὖν εὐθὺ ἰέναι τοῦ Τάραντος ἐν σπουδῇ εἶχεν. ἔστι δέ τις ἀκτὴ μηνοειδὴς ἐνταῦθα, οὗ δὴ τῆς ἠϊόνος ὑποχωρούσης ἡ θάλασσα ὥσπερ ἐν κόλπῳ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τῆς γῆς ἀναβαίνει.

Dewing So Belisarius was making haste to go straight to Tarentum. Now the shore there has approximately the form of a crescent, where the coast recedes and the sea advances in a gulf, as it were, far up into the land.

Greek καὶ ὁ μὲν τῆς ἀκτῆς ταύτης διάπλους ἅπας ἐς χιλίους σταδίους διήκει, ἑκατέρωθι δὲ παρὰ τοῦ ῥεύματος τὴν ἐκβολὴν κεῖται πολίσματα δύο· θάτερον μὲν ὁ Κρότων πρὸς δύοντά που τὸν ἥλιον, ὁ Τάρας δὲ πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα.

Dewing But the distance, as one sails along this whole coast, extends to one thousand stades, and on either side of the opening of the gulf stand two cities, the one toward the west being Croton,⁠ and the one to the east Tarentum.⁠

Greek κατὰ δὲ τὸ μέσον τῆς ἠϊόνος Θουρίων ἡ πόλις οἰκεῖται. τοῦ δὲ χειμῶνος ἀντιστατοῦντος καὶ τοῦ πνεύματος σὺν πολλῷ ῥοθίῳ βιαζομένου, περαιτέρω δὲ τὰς ναῦς ἰέναι οὐδαμῆ ἐφιέντος, τῷ Κροτωνιατῶν λιμένι προσέσχε.

Dewing And at the middle of this shore is the city of Thurii. But Belisarius was hindered by a storm and forced from his course by a violent wind and a high sea which would not permit his ships to make any progress at all; he therefore put in at the harbour of Croton.

Greek Βελισάριος οὖν, ἐπεὶ οὔτε τι ὀχύρωμα ἐνταῦθα εὗρεν οὔτε τοῖς στρατιώταις ὅθεν ἂν τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ἐσκομίζοιντο εἶχεν, αὐτὸς μὲν ξύν τε τῇ γυναικὶ καὶ τοῖς πεζοῖς αὐτοῦ ἔμεινεν, ὅπως ἐνθένδε μεταπέμπεσθαί τε καὶ διέπειν τὸ ξὺν τῷ Ἰωάννῃ στράτευμα δύνηται·

Dewing And since he neither found any fortress there nor any place from which provisions could be brought in for the soldiers, Belisarius himself together with his wife remained there with the infantry, in order that from there he might be brought back to summon and organize John's army;

Greek τοὺς δὲ ἱππεῖς ἅπαντας ἐπίπροσθεν ἐκέλευεν ἰόντας στρατοπεδεύεσθαι παρὰ τὰς τῆς χώρας εἰσόδους, Φάζαν τε τὸν Ἴβηρα καὶ Βαρβατίωνα τὸν δορυφόρον αὐτοῖς ἐπιστήσας.

Dewing but he ordered all the horsemen to go ahead and make camp at the passes leading into the country, pla­cing in command of them Phazas the Iberian and the guardsman Barbation.

Greek οὕτω γὰρ αὐτοὺς ῥᾷστα ᾤετο σφίσι μὲν καὶ ἵπποις τοῖς σφετέροις τὰ ἐπιτήδεια πάντα πορίζεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ πολεμίους ἐν στενοχωρίᾳ, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, ἀποκρούεσθαι δυνατοὺς ἔσεσθαι.

Dewing For in this way he thought that they could secure all necessary supplies for their horses and themselves very easily, and would probably, too, be able in a narrow pass to repulse the enemy.

Greek τὰ γὰρ Λευκανῶν ὄρη μέχρι ἐς Βριττίους διήκοντα καὶ πρὸς ἄλληλα ἐν στενῷ ξυνιόντα δύο μόνας εἰσόδους στενὰς μάλιστα ἐνταῦθα ποιεῖται, ὧν ἁτέρα μὲν Πέτρα Αἵματος τῇ Λατίνων φωνῇ κέκληται, Λαβοῦλαν δὲ τὴν ἑτέραν καλεῖν οἱ ἐπιχώριοι νενομίκασιν.

Dewing For the mountains of Lucania extend as far as Bruttium, and standing as they do close to one another, they form there only two passes, which are exceedingly narrow, one of which has received the name "Rock of Blood"⁠ in the Latin tongue, while the natives are accustomed to call the other Lavula.

Greek ἐνταῦθα μὲν παρὰ τὴν ἀκτὴν Ῥουσκιανή ἐστι τὸ Θουρίων ἐπίνειον, ὕπερθεν δὲ αὐτοῦ ὅσον ἀπὸ σταδίων ἑξήκοντα φρούριον ἐχυρώτατον ἐδείμαντο οἱ πάλαι Ῥωμαῖοι. ὅπερ Ἰωάννης πολλῷ πρότερον καταλαβὼν ἔτυχε φρουράν τε λόγου ἀξίαν ἐκείνῃ καταστησάμενος.

Dewing Not far from these passes on the coast is Rusciane, the naval harbour of Thurii, while above it at a distance of about sixty stades is a very strong fortress⁠ built by the ancient Romans. This fortress had been occupied by John much earlier and he had established a considerable garrison in it.

Greek Οἱ μὲν οὖν Βελισαρίου στρατιῶται ἐνταῦθά πη ἰόντες πολεμίων στρατεύματι ἐντυγχάνουσιν, οὕσπερ ὁ Τουτίλας ἔπεμψεν, ἐφ’ ᾧ ἀποπειράσονται τοῦ τῇδε φρουρίου.

Dewing Now the soldiers of Belisarius, upon reaching this district, chanced upon a hostile army, which Totila had sent for the purpose of making an attempt on the fortress there.

Greek ἐς χεῖρας δὲ αὐτοῖς αὐτίκα ἐλθόντες ἀρετῇ τε οὐδενὶ πόνῳ ἔτρεψαν, καίπερ αὐτῶν τῷ πλήθει παρὰ πολὺ ἐλασσούμενοι, καὶ πλέον ἢ διακοσίους διέφθειραν.

Dewing And they engaged with them immediately and by their valour routed them without any difficulty, although they were far outnumbered, and they slew more than two hundred.

Greek οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ φεύγοντες παρὰ Τουτίλαν τε ἀφίκοντο καὶ τὰ ξυμπεσόντα πάντα ἐσήγγελλον· οἵ τε Ῥωμαῖοι αὐτοῦ ἐνστρατοπεδευσάμενοι ἔμενον, ἅτε δὲ ἄναρχοι καὶ νενικηκότες ἀδεέστερον τῇ διαίτῃ ἐχρῶντο.

Dewing Those who were left took to flight and when they came before Totila, reported everything that had befallen them. As for the Romans, they made camp and remained there, but since they were without proper commanders and had won a victory, they began to conduct themselves in a rather careless manner.

Greek οὔτε γὰρ ἀγηγερμένοι ἡσύχαζον οὔτε ἄγχιστα τῆς στενοχωρίας ἐγκαθεζόμενοι τὰς εἰσόδους ἐφύλασσον, ἀλλ’ ἐς ὀλιγωρίαν τραπόμενοι νύκτωρ μὲν ὡς ἀπωτάτω ἀλλήλων διεσκηνημένοι ἐκάθευδον, ἐν δὲ δὴ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τὰ ἐπιτήδεια διερευνώμενοι περιήρχοντο, οὔτε τινὰς ἐπὶ κατασκοπῇ στείλαντες οὔτε ἄλλο ὁτιοῦν ἀσφαλείας πέρι βεβουλευμένοι.

Dewing For they neither stayed quietly gathered in one place, nor did they take up positions near the pass and guard the approaches, but, becoming negligent, they were sleeping at night in encampments very far from removed from one another, and during the day they would go about searching for provisions, neither sending any men out as scouts nor taking any other measures for security.

Greek Τουτίλας οὖν, ἐπειδὴ ἐπύθετο ἅπαντα, ἐς τρισχιλίους ἱππεῖς τοῦ παντὸς στρατοπέδου ἀπολεξάμενος ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ᾔει.

Dewing Totila, consequently, upon learning everything, selected three thousand horsemen from his whole army and went against the enemy.

Greek καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐπιπεσὼν ἀπροσδοκήτως οὐ ξυντεταγμένοις, ἀλλ’ οὕτω περιιοῦσιν ὥσπερ εἴρηται,

Dewing And falling upon them unexpectedly, not drawn up in battle formation but going about in the manner described, he threw them all into consternation and complete disorder.

Greek κατέπληξέ τε καὶ συνετάραξεν ἅπαντας. ἐνταῦθα Φάζας ʽἄγχιστα γάρ πη ἐσκηνημένος ἐτύγχανεν’ ὑπαντιάσας τοῖς πολεμίοις ἔργα τε ἀρετῆς ἄξια ἐνδειξάμενος, τισὶ μὲν τοῦ διαφυγεῖν αἴτιος γέγονεν, αὐτὸς δὲ ξὺν τοῖς ἀμφ’ αὐτὸν ἅπασι θνήσκει.

Dewing At this moment Phazas, who happened to be camping near by, encountered the enemy and made a display of valorous deeds, and he did, indeed, thus make himself the cause of the escape of a few men, but he himself perished together with all his men.

Greek μέγα τε πάθος τοῦτο Ῥωμαίοις ξυνέβη, ἐπεὶ ἐς αὐτοὺς ἅτε διαφέροντας τὰ πολέμια τὴν ἐλπίδα ξύμπαντες εἶχον.

Dewing This misfortune fell heavily upon the Romans, because they all pinned their hope on this detachment as an unusually efficient fighting force.

Greek ὅσοι μέντοι φυγεῖν ἴσχυσαν, ὥς πη ἑκάστῳ δυνατὰ γέγονε διεσώθησαν. πρῶτός τε Βαρβατίων ὁ Βελισαρίου δορυφόρος ξὺν ἑτέροις δυοῖν φεύγων ἀνὰ κράτος ἐς τὸν Κρότωνα ἦλθε. καὶ τύχην τὴν παροῦσαν ἀπαγγέλλων ἐπεῖπεν οἴεσθαι αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα καὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους παρέσεσθαι.

Dewing Now as many as succeeded in fleeing saved themselves in such manner as each found possible. And Barbation, the guardsman of Belisarius, fled with two others as hard as he could, and was the first to reach Croton. There he reported how matters stood at the moment, and added that he thought the barbarians too would be at hand right speedily.

Greek Βελισάριος δὲ ταῦτα ἀκούσας ἔν τε μεγάλῳ πένθει ἐγίνετο καὶ ἐς τὰς ναῦς ἐσεπήδησεν. ἔνθεν τε ἄραντες καὶ πνεύματος ἐπιτυχόντες ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ Σικελίας Μεσήνῃ προσέσχον, ἣ τοῦ μὲν Κρότωνος ἑπτακοσίους σταδίους διέχει, Ῥηγίνων δὲ καταντικρὺ κεῖται.

Dewing And Belisarius, upon hearing this, was sorely grieved, and rushed on board the ships. So they set sail from there, and since a wind was blowing, they succeeded that day in reaching Messana in Sicily, which is seven hundred stades from Croton, being situated opposite to Rhegium.