第7巻 第3章

Greek Ἐπεὶ δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἔμαθε τά τε ἀμφὶ Ἐραρίχῳ ξυνενεχθέντα καὶ ὅτι Γότθοι Τουτίλαν σφίσιν ἐς τὴν ἀρχὴν κατεστήσαντο, κακίζων τε καὶ ἐρεσχελῶν τοὺς ἐνταῦθα τοῦ στρατοῦ ἄρχοντας οὐκέτι ἀνίει.

Dewing Now when the Emperor Justinian learned of the fate which had befallen Eraric and that the Goths had established Totila as ruler over them, he began to rebuke and censure the commanders of the army in Italy and gave them no respite.

Greek διὸ δὴ φυλακτήρια καταστησάμενοι ἐν πόλει ἑκάστῃ Ἰωάννης τε ὁ Βιταλιανοῦ ἀδελφιδοῦς καὶ Βέσσας καὶ Βιτάλιος καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ξύμπαντες ἐς Ῥάβενναν ξυνελέγοντο, οὗ δὴ Κωνσταντιανὸς καὶ Ἀλέξανδρος, οὗ πρόσθεν ἐμνήσθην, διατριβὴν εἶχον.

Dewing The consequence of this was that John, the nephew of Vitalian, and Bessas and Vitalius and all the others, after establishing garrisons in each city, gathered at Ravenna, where Constantianus and Alexander, whom I have mentioned previously,⁠ were quartered.

Greek ἐπειδή τε ἅπαντες ξυνελέγησαν, ἔδοξε σφίσιν ἄμεινον εἶναι πρῶτον ἐπὶ Βερώνην, ἣ ἐν Βενετίαις ἐστί, στρατεύεσθαι, καὶ ἐπειδὰν αὐτήν τε καὶ Γότθους τοὺς ἐνταῦθα ἐξέλωσιν, οὕτω δὴ ἐπί τε Τουτίλαν καὶ Τικινοὺς ἰέναι.

Dewing And when they were all gathered together, it was decided that the best procedure for them was to march first against Verona, which is in Venetia, and then, after capturing that city and the Goths there, to move against Totila and Ticinum.

Greek οὗτος μὲν οὖν ὁ Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς εἰς δισχιλίους τε καὶ μυρίους ξυνείλεκτο, ἄρχοντες δὲ αὐτῶν ἕνδεκα ἦσαν, ὧν οἱ πρῶτοι ἐτύγχανον Κωνσταντινανός τε καὶ Ἀλέξανδρος, οἳ καὶ εὐθὺ πόλεως Βερώνης ἐχώρουν.

Dewing So this Roman army was assembled with a strength of twelve thousand men, and its commanders were eleven in number, the first of whom were, as it happened, Constantianus and Alexander; and they marched straight toward the city of Verona.

Greek γενόμενοι δὲ αὐτῆς ἄγχιστα, ὅσον ἀπὸ σταδίων ἑξήκοντα, ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο ἐν τῷ ταύτῃ πεδίῳ. τούτου γὰρ πανταχόσε τοῦ χωρίου πεδία ἱππήλατά ἐστι, διήκοντα ἐς Μάντουαν πόλιν, ἥπερ διέχει πόλεως Βερώνης ἡμέρας ὁδῷ.

Dewing And when they had come to a place close to the city, about sixty stades away, they made camp in the plain there. For plains which are suitable for cavalry stretch out in every direction from this place and extend as far as the city of Mantua, which is one day's justly distant from the city of Verona.

Greek Ἦν δέ τις ἐν Βενέτοις ἀνὴρ λόγιμος, Μαρκιανὸς ὄνομα, ὅσπερ ἐν φρουρίῳ μὲν κατῴκητο πόλεως Βερώνης οὐ πολλῷ ἄποθεν, εὐνοϊκῶς δὲ βασιλεῖ ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ἔχων τὴν πόλιν παραδοῦναι τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ ἐν σπουδῇ ἐποιεῖτο.

Dewing Now there was a man of note among the Veneti, Marcian by name, who lived in a fortress not far distant from the city of Verona, and began as he was a staunch adherent of the emperor, he eagerly undertook to hand over the city to the Roman army.

Greek καί, ἦν γάρ οἱ τῶν τις φυλάκων ἐκ παιδὸς γνώριμος, πέμψας παρ’ αὐτὸν τῶν οἱ ἐπιτηδείων τινὰς χρήμασιν ἀναπείθει τὸν ἄνθρωπον τῇ πόλει τὸ βασιλέως στράτευμα δέξασθαι.

Dewing And since one of the guards had been known to him from childhood, he sent to him some of his intimates and persuaded the man by means of a bribe to receive the emperor's army into the city.

Greek καὶ ἐπεὶ ταῦτα ὡμολόγει ὁ τῶν πυλῶν φύλαξ, πέμπει τοὺς πρὸς αὐτὸν πράξαντας ὁ Μαρκιανὸς παρὰ τοὺς τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἄρχοντας, ἐφ’ ᾧ τά τε ξυγκείμενα ἐσαγγείλωσι καὶ ξὺν αὐτοῖς ἐς τὴν πόλιν εἰσβάλλωσι νύκτωρ.

Dewing Then, when the guard of the gate had agreed, Marcian sent those who had arranged the matter with the guard to the commanders of the nearly, in order both to report to them the arrangements made and to join them in forcing an entrance into the city by night.

Greek ἔδοξε δὲ τοῖς ἄρχουσι ξύμφορον εἶναι προτερῆσαι μὲν αὐτῶν ἕνα ξὺν ὀλίγοις τισίν· ἢν δέ γε ὁ φύλαξ αὐτοῖς ἀνακλίνῃ τὰς πύλας, ἔχεσθαί τε αὐτῶν καὶ τῇ πόλει ξὺν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ τὸν στρατὸν δέξασθαι.

Dewing The commanders then decided that it was advisable for one of their number to go in advance with some few men; and if the guard should set the gates open for them, they were to hold them fast and receive the army in safety into the city.

Greek τῶν μὲν οὖν ἄλλων ὑποστῆναι τὸν κίνδυνον οὐδεὶς ἤθελεν, Ἀρταβάζης δὲ μόνος Ἀρμένιος μὲν γένος, διαφερόντως δὲ ἀγαθὸς τὰ πολέμια, ἐς τὴν πρᾶξιν οὔτι ἀκουσίως καθῆκεν αὑτόν.

Dewing Now no one among them all was willing to undertake this perilous enterprise except Artabazes alone, an Armenian by birth but a man of exceptional ability in war, who not at all unwillingly offered himself for the undertaking.

Greek οὗτος ὁ ἀνὴρ Περσῶν μὲν ἡγεῖτο, οὓς Βελισάριος ἐς Βυζάντιον ἐκ τῆς Περσῶν γῆς σὺν τῷ Βλησχάμῃ ὀλίγῳ ἔμπροσθεν ἐτύγχανε πέμψας, τὸ Σισαυράνων ἐξελὼν φρούριον.

Dewing This man commanded some Persians whom Belisarius had, as it happened, sent to Byzantium from Persian territory along with Bleschames a little before this, after his capture of the fortress Sisauranon.⁠

Greek τότε δὲ ἄνδρας ἑκατὸν ἐκ τοῦ παντὸς στρατοπέδου ἀπολεξάμενος ἀωρὶ τῶν νυκτῶν ἄγχιστα τοῦ περιβόλου ἐγένετο.

Dewing So he on the present occasion selected one hundred men from the whole army and at a late hour of the night went up close to the fortifications.

Greek καὶ ἐπεὶ ὁ φύλαξ ᾗπερ ξυνέκειτο ἀνεπέτασε σφίσι τὰς πύλας, οἱ μέν τινες ἐνταῦθα ἑστῶτες τὸ στράτευμα μετεπέμποντο, οἱ δὲ ἀναβάντες ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος τοὺς ταύτῃ φυλάσσοντας ἔκτειναν ἀπροσδόκητοι ἐπιπεσόντες.

Dewing And when the guard, true to his agreement, opened the gate for them, some of them took their stand there and were urging the army to come, while the others mounted the wall and killed the men on guard there, assailing them as they did without warning.

Greek ἐπεὶ δὲ Γότθοι ἅπαντες ᾔσθοντο τοῦ κακοῦ, διὰ πυλῶν ἑτέρων φεύγοντες ᾤχοντο. Πέτρα δέ τις ἐς ἄγαν ὑψηλὴ πρὸ τοῦ περιβόλου ἀνέχει, ὅθεν ἅπαντα κατανοεῖν πάρεστι τὰ ἐν Βερώνῃ πρασσόμενα καὶ ἀπαριθμεῖσθαι τοὺς ταύτῃ ἀνθρώπους, καὶ μὴν καὶ τοῦ πεδίου ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ὁρᾶν.

Dewing Then the whole Gothic force, upon perceiving their evil plight, rushed off in flight through another gate. Now there is a certain rock which rises to a great height fa­cing the fortifications of Verona, from which it is possible to observe everything which is taking place in the city and to count the people in it, and, besides, to see for a very great distance over the plain.

Greek ἐνταῦθα οἱ Γότθοι καταφυγόντες τὴν νύκτα ὅλην ἡσύχαζον. ὁ δὲ Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς ἀπὸ σταδίων τεσσαράκοντα τῆς πόλεως ἥκων οὐκέτι ἐπίπροσθεν ᾔει, τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει χρημάτων ἀλλήλοις ἀμφισβητούντων τῶν στρατηγῶν.

Dewing Thither the Goths retreated and remained quiet during the whole night. As for the Roman army, it advanced to a point within forty stades of the city, but proceeded no further, the generals being engaged in a dispute among themselves over the money In the city.

Greek ἔτι τε αὐτῶν ἀμφὶ ταύτῃ διαμαχομένων τῇ λείᾳ ἡμέρα τε ἤδη διαφανῶς γέγονε καὶ οἱ Γότθοι ἀπὸ τῆς ἄκρας ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς κατανενοηκότες τῶν τε ἀνὰ τὴν πόλιν πολεμίων καὶ ὅσον Βερώνης τὸ ἄλλο στράτευμα διέχον εἱστήκει, δρόμῳ ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐχώρουν δι’ αὐτῶν τῶν πυλῶν ὅθεν ἀπαλλαγέντες πρότερον ἔτυχον· οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτῶν οἱ ἐσεληλυθότες ἔχεσθαι ἴσχυσαν.

Dewing And they still continued to wrangle over this plunder until day had now clearly dawned; but the Goths, after observing accurately from the height both the number of the enemy scattered through the city and the distance at which the rest of the army had halted from Verona, made a rush toward the city, and passed through the very gate through which, as it happened, they had previously departed; for those who had entered the city were unable even to hold this gate.

Greek Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν οὖν ξυμφρονήσαντες τοῦ περιβόλου ἀμφὶ τὰς ἐπάλξεις κατέφυγον, τῶν δὲ βαρβάρων αὐτοῖς πλήθει πολλῷ ἐς χεῖρας ἰόντων οἵ τε ἄλλοι καὶ Ἀρταβάζης πάντων μάλιστα ἔργα θαυμαστὰ ἐνδεικνύμενοι καρτερώτατα τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἠμύνοντο.

Dewing So the Romans, taking counsel together, hastily sought safety on the parapet along the circuit-wall; and when the barbarians in great numbers assailed them at close quarters, they all, and Artabazes especially, made a display of remarkable deeds and warded off their assailants most vigorously.

Greek Καὶ τότε δὴ οἱ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἄρχοντες τὰ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν Βερώνῃ χρημάτων πρὸς ἀλλήλους διοικησάμενοι παντὶ τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν χωρεῖν ἔγνωσαν.

Dewing At that moment the commanders of the Roman army had at last reached an agreement with each other regarding the money in Verona, and decided to proceed against the city with all the rest of the army.

Greek ἀποκεκλεισμένας δὲ σφίσι τὰς πύλας εὑρόντες ἰσχυρότατά τε τοὺς πολεμίους ἀμυνομένους ὀπίσω κατὰ τάχος ἀπήλαυνον, καίπερ μαχομένους ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου τοὺς ἑτέρους θεώμενοι καὶ δεομένους μὴ σφᾶς ἀπολιπεῖν, ἀλλ’ αὐτοῦ μένειν, ἕως ἂν καταφυγόντες ἐς αὐτοὺς σώζοιντο.

Dewing But finding the gates closed to them and the enemy warding them off most vigorously, they quickly marched to the rear, although they saw the others fighting inside the fortifications and begging them not to abandon them, but to remain there until they should save themselves by fleeing to them.

Greek διὸ δὴ οἱ ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἀρταβάζην τῷ τε πλήθει βιαζόμενοι τῶν πολεμίων καὶ ἀπογνόντες τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων ἐπικουρίαν, ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους ἔξω ἥλαντο ἅπαντες.

Dewing So Artabazes and his men, being overcome by the numbers of the enemy and despairing of assistance from their own army, all leaped down outside the wall.

Greek οἷς μὲν οὖν καταπεσεῖν ἐφ’ ὁμαλοῦ χωρίου ξυνέβη, οὗτοι δὴ ἀθῷοι ἐς τὸ Ῥωμαίων στρατόπεδον ἐκομίσθησαν, ἐν οἷς καὶ Ἀρταβάζης ἦν· ὅσοι μέντοι ἐς δυσχωρίας κατέπεσον, αὐτοῦ ἅπαντες διεφθάρησαν.

Dewing Now all those who had the fortune to fall on smooth ground betook themselves unscathed to the Roman army, among whom was Artabazes also, but as many as fell on rough ground were all killed instantly.

Greek ἐπεί τε Ἀρταβάζης ἐς τὸ Ῥωμαίων στρατόπεδον ἦλθε, πολλά τε ὀνειδίσας καὶ λοιδορησάμενος ἅπασι ξὺν αὐτοῖς ᾔει, τόν τε Ἠριδανὸν διαβάντες ἐν Φαβεντίᾳ πόλει ἐγένοντο, ἣ χώρας μὲν τῆς Αἰμιλίας ἐστί, σταδίους δὲ εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατὸν Ῥαβέννης διέχει.

Dewing And when Artabazes had reached the Roman army, he proceeded with them, having heaped abuse and contumely upon them all; and after crossing the Eridanus,⁠ they entered the city of Faventia,⁠ which is in the land of Aemilia, one hundred and twenty stades distant from Ravenna.