第8巻 第12章

Greek Τῇ δὲ ἐπιγενομένῃ ἡμέρᾳ Ῥωμαῖοι τῶν βαρβάρων τοὺς τὴν ἀκρόπολιν καταλαβόντας πολιορκοῦντες λόγους προὔφερον, τήν τε σωτηρίαν αὐτοῖς προτεινόμενοι καὶ τὰ πιστὰ δώσειν ὑπὲρ τούτων ὁμολογοῦντες, ταύτῃ Πέρσας καραδοκοῦντες σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐγχειριεῖν σφίσιν.

Dewing On the following day the Romans, while besieging those barbarians who had seized the acropolis, made a proposal, offering them personal safety and promising to give them pledges to that effect, thinking that the Persians would submit on this basis.

Greek οἱ δὲ αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐνδεχόμενοι τοὺς λόγους ἐς ἀντίστασιν εἶδον, καίπερ οὐκ ἐπὶ πολὺ ἀνθέξειν τῇ ταλαιπωρίᾳ οἰόμενοι, ἀλλὰ δι’ ἀρετὴν θανατῶντες.

Dewing But they did not receive the suggestion and prepared to resist, not thinking that they would hold out long in their desperate situation, but courting a heroic death.

Greek Βέσσας δὲ αὐτοὺς ἀποστῆσαι τῆς γνώμης ἐθέλων ἀντικαταστῆσαί τε ἐς τὴν τῆς σωτηρίας ἐπιθυμίαν, τῶν τινὰ Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν ὡς πλησιαίτατα αὐτοῖς ἰέναι κελεύει παραίνεσίν τέ τινα ἐς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ποιήσασθαι, δηλώσας ὅσα δὴ ἐς αὐτοὺς εἰπεῖν βούλοιτο.

Dewing But Bessas, wishing to dissuade them from this purpose and to turn them instead to a longing for safety, commanded one of the Roman soldiers to go up as close as he could to them and make a kind of exhortation to the men, he stated what he wished him to say to them.

Greek Καὶ ὃς ἀγχοτάτω γενόμενος ἔλεξε τοιάδε· “Τί πεπονθότες ἐφ’ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς, ὦ βέλτιστοι Πέρσαι, τὸν ὄλεθρον διατείνεσθε τοῦτον, ἐπιτηδεύοντες τὰ θανάσιμα σπουδῇ ἀλογίστῳ καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα διαφανῶς ἀτιμάζοντες; οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἀνδρεῖον τὸ τοῖς ἀμηχάνοις ἀντιστατεῖν, οὐδὲ ξυνετὸν τὸ μὴ βούλεσθαι τοῖς κεκρατηκόσιν ὑπείκειν· οὐδὲ μὴν ἄδοξον̔τὸ τύχῃ τῇ παρούσῃ

Dewing This man then came up close to the fortress and spoke as follows: "Most noble Persians, what has come over you that you are stubbornly holding to this course of destruction, bending your energies with unreasonable zeal to accomplish a certain death and conspicuously dishonouring the practice of valour? For it is not a manly thing to array oneself against the inevitable, nor a wise thing to refuse to bow to those who have won the mastery; norm on the other hand, is it inglorious to live by falling in with the situation chance has brought.

Greek ἑπομένους βιῶναι.ʼ ἀνάγκη γὰρ οὐδὲ ἀγαθῆς τινὸς ἐλπίδος τυχοῦσα τὴν ἀτιμίαν ἐκφεύγει δικαίως, ἢν καὶ τῶν ἔργων περιβάλληται τὰ αἰσχρότατα· κακῷ γὰρ τῷ ἀμηχάνῳ τὸ σύγγνωμον ἕπεσθαι πέφυκε.

Dewing For man, in the grip of necessity which is relieved by no hope of rescue, is thereby justly acquitted of the charge of dishonour, even if he is involved in the most shameful actions; for evil, when it is unavoidable, is naturally followed by forgiveness.

Greek μὴ τοίνυν τὴν ἀπόνοιαν ἐν προὔπτῳ ζηλοῦτε κινδύνῳ, μηδὲ τῆς σωτηρίας τὴν ἀλαζονείαν ἀλλάξασθε, ἀλλ’ ἐνθυμεῖσθε ὡς ἀναβιώσεσθαι μὲν τοὺς τετελευτηκότας ἀδύνατον, οἱ δὲ περιόντες καὶ χρόνῳ διαχρήσονται σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ὕστερον, ἤν γε τοῦτο κρεῖσσον εἶναι δοκῇ.

Dewing Do not, therefore, emulate madmen in the midst of obvious danger, and do not barter your safety for wanton folly, but rather call to mind that it is impossible for the dead to come to life, while the living can destroy themselves at a later time, if indeed this seems best.

Greek βουλεύσασθε οὖν τὴν ὑστάτην βουλὴν καὶ περισκοπεῖσθε τὰ ξύμφορα, ἐκεῖνο εἰδότες, ὡς ταῦτα ἂν τῶν βουλευμάτων τὰ βέλτιστα εἴη ἐν οἷς τὸ μεταμέλειν τοῖς βουλευσαμένοις ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ ἔσται.

Dewing Make, then, your final deliberation and consider well your interests, recalling the fact that those decisions would be the best in which reversal shall still be within the post of those who have made the decision.

Greek ὡς ἡμεῖς γε ὑμᾶς καὶ ζυγομαχοῦντας οἰκτείρομεν καὶ θανατώντων φειδόμεθα καὶ πρὸς τὸν βίον ἐνδιαθρυπτομένους τε καὶ βλακεύοντας ἐλεεῖν ἀξιοῦμεν, ᾗ Ῥωμαίοις Χριστιανοῖς νόμος.

Dewing For we on our part do pity you, though you are fighting against your own friends, and spare you when you are courting death, and we expect, as is customary for Christian Romans,

Greek ἄλλο τε ὑμῖν περιέσται οὐδέν, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι τὴν πολιτείαν ἐπὶ τὰ βελτίω μεταβαλόντες Ἰουστινιανὸν ἀντὶ Χοσρόου κύριον ἕξετε· ὑπὲρ γὰρ τούτων ὑμῖν καὶ τὰ πιστὰ δώσειν ὁμολογοῦμεν.

Dewing to feel compassion for you though you throw life to the winds, and look upon it as a trivial matter. And the result for you will be simply this, that by shifting your citizen­ship for the better you will have Justinian instead of Chosroes as master;

Greek μὴ τοίνυν ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς διαχρήσησθε, παρὸν σώζεσθαι. οὐ γὰρ εὐτυχὲς ἐμφιλοχωρεῖν τοῖς δεινοῖς ἐπ’ οὐδεμιᾷ τὸ παράπαν ὀνήσει, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἀνδραγαθίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ θανατᾶν τοῦτό γε.

Dewing indeed we agree to give you pledges to make this promise binding. Do not then destroy yourselves when it is possible to be saved. For it is not a glorious thing to linger fondly in danger for no advantage whatsoever, since this is not playing the part of brave men, but simply courting death.

Greek γενναῖος δὲ ὃς ἂν ἐγκαρτερῇ τὰ δεινότατα, ἡνίκα τι προσδοκᾷ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ χρήσιμον. οὐ γὰρ ἐπαινοῦσι τὴν ἑκούσιον τελευτὴν ἄνθρωποι, ἔνθα δή τις ἐπίκειται κρείσσων τῷ κατ’ αὐτὴν κινδύνῳ ἐλπίς, ἀλλὰ βίου μὲν καταστροφὴ ἄχρηστος ἄνοια προπετής, τὸ δὲ εἰς θάνατον ἀνόητον θράσος τοῦ δραστηρίου πρόσχημα οὐκ εὐπρεπὲς τοῖς γε σώφροσιν εἶναι δοκεῖ.

Dewing But noble is he who steels himself to endure the most severe fortune, when he can anticipate from it some benefit. For men do not applaud voluntary death in a situation where even the surrounding danger gives ground for so stronger hope, but a useless destruction of life is downright folly, and senseless daring which leads to death, when held out as a pretence of high seriousness, merits no praise, at least in the judgment of thinking men.

Greek καίτοι καὶ τοῦτο ἐκλογίζεσθαι χρή, μή τι δόξητε καὶ εἰς τὸ θεῖον ἀγνωμονεῖν. εἰ γὰρ ἀπολεῖν ἐβούλετο, ὦ ἄνδρες, ὑμᾶς, οὐκ ἄν, οἶμαι, παραδεδώκει τοῖς διασώζειν ἐφιεμένοις.

Dewing Furthermore, you are bound also to take into consideration that you may seem to be shewing some ingratitude toward Heaven. For if God wished to destroy you, my men, he would not, I think, have put you into the hands of those who are striving to preserve you.

Greek τὰ μὲν οὖν παρ’ ἡμῶν τοιαῦτά ἐστι, βουλεύσεσθε δὲ ὑμεῖς δηλονότι ὦνπερ ἀξίοις ὑμῖν ξυμβαίνει εἶναι.”

Dewing Seeing then that such is our stand in the matter, it will clearly be for you to decide what it is fitting should befall you."

Greek Ἡ μὲν παραίνεσις ταύτῃ πη εἶχε. Πέρσαι δὲ τοὺς λόγους οὐδὲ ὅσον ἀκοῇ δέχεσθαι ἤθελον, ἀλλ’ ἐθελοκωφοῦντες ὅτι δὴ οὐκ ἐπαΐοιεν προσεποιοῦντο.

Dewing Such was the exhortation. The Persians, however, were unwilling even to listen to the discourse, but wonderfully shutting their ears pretended that they did not understand.

Greek καὶ τότε, τοῦ στρατηγοῦ ἐγκελευσαμένου, Ῥωμαῖοι πῦρ τῇ ἀκροπόλει ἐμβέβληνται, τῷ τρόπῳ τούτῳ ἐνδώσειν τὰ σώματα σφίσι τοὺς πολεμίους οἰόμενοι.

Dewing Then finally, at the command of the general, the Romans hurled fire into the acropolis, thinking that in this way the enemy would be constrained to surrender themselves.

Greek τῆς δὲ φλογὸς ἐπὶ μέγα χωρούσης οἱ βάρβαροι, τοῦ πάθους αὐτοῖς ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ὄντος, ἐξεπιστάμενοι ὅτι δὴ σφίσιν αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα τετεφρῶσθαι ξυμβήσεται, ἐλπίδα οὐδεμίαν ἔχοντες, οὐδὲ εἰδότες καθ’ ὅ τι σωθήσονται ἀμυνόμενοι, οὐδ’ ὣς ὑποχείριοι τοῖς πολεμίοις γενέσθαι ἤθελον, ἀλλὰ ξὺν τῇ ἀκροπόλει εὐθὺς ἅπαντες, θαυμάζοντος τὰ ποιούμενα τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ, καταφλεγόμενοι διεφθάρησαν.

Dewing Then, as the flames spread in great volume, the barbarians, with disaster before their eyes and knowing full well that they would speedily be burned to ashes, and having no hope, nor yet seeing any possibility of saving themselves by fighting, still even in that situation would not consent to fall into the power of their enemy, but they were immediately burned to death, every man of them, together with the acropolis, while the Roman army marvelled at what was taking place.

Greek δι’ ὅσης τε σπουδῆς ὁ Χοσρόης Λαζικὴν ἦγε τηνικάδε φανερὸν γέγονεν· ὅς γε στρατιώτας μὲν τοὺς πάντων λογιμωτάτους ἀπολεξάμενος ἐν τῷ τῆς Πέτρας κατεστήσατο φυλακτηρίῳ, ὅπλα δὲ κατέθετο τοσαῦτα τὸ πλῆθος, ὥστε ληϊσαμένων αὐτὰ Ῥωμαίων στρατιώτῃ ἑκάστῳ πέντε ἀνδρῶν ἐπιβαλεῖν σκευήν, καίτοι κἀν τῇ ἀκροπόλει πολλὰ καυθῆναι ξυνέβη.

Dewing And at that time it became manifest how much importance Chosroes placed upon Lazica; for he had chosen out the most notable of all his soldiers and assigned them the garrison of Petra, and deposited there such an abundance of weapons that when the Romans took possession of them as plunder, five men's equipment fellow to each soldier, and this too in spite of the fact that many weapons had been burned on the acropolis.

Greek εὕρηται δὲ καὶ σίτου καὶ τεταριχευμένων κρεῶν μέγα τι χρῆμα καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιτηδείων, ὅσα δὴ ἔμελλε πενταετὲς τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις πᾶσιν ἐπαρκέσειν.

Dewing There was also found a vast quantity of grain and of cured meat as well as all other provisions, which were indeed sufficient to keep all the besieged adequately supplied for five years.

Greek οἶνον δὲ οὐκ ἔτυχον ἐνταῦθα καταθέμενοι Πέρσαι, πλήν γε ὅτι τόν τε ὀξίνην καὶ διαρκῆ κύαμον.

Dewing But the Persians had not, as it happened, stored wine there other than sour wine, but they had brought in an ample supply of beans.

Greek ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ ὕδωρ ἐκ τοῦ ὀχετοῦ ἐπίρρεον ἐνταῦθα Ῥωμαῖοι εὗρον, ἐν θαύματι μεγάλῳ γενόμενοι διηποροῦντο, ἕως τὸν πάντα λόγον ἀμφὶ τοῖς κρυφίοις ὀχετοῖς ἔμαθον. ὅ τι δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν αὐτίκα δηλώσω.

Dewing But when the Romans actually found water there flowing from the aqueduct, they were greatly astonished and perplexed, until they learned the whole truth about the concealed pipes. And I shall now explain what these were.

Greek Ἡνίκα Πέτραν ὁ Χοσρόης ἑλὼν τῇδε τὸ φυλακτήριον κατεστήσατο, εὖ εἰδὼς ὡς Ῥωμαῖοι προσεδρεύσουσι μὲν αὐτῇ μηχανῇ πάσῃ, εὐθὺς δὲ διελεῖν τὴν ὀχεταγωγίαν μελλήσει οὐδεμιᾷ ἐγχειρήσουσιν, ἐπενόει τοιάδε.

Dewing At the time when Chosroes established the garrison in Petra after capturing it, knowing well as he did that the Romans would assail it with every means in their power, and would straightway attempt without a moment's hesitation to cut the aqueduct, he contrived the following plan.

Greek τοῦτο δὴ τὸ ὕδωρ ὅπερ ἐς τὴν πόλιν εἰσήγετο ἐς τρεῖς διελὼν μοίρας κατώρυχά τε βαθεῖαν κομιδῆ ποιησάμενος, ὀχετοὺς ἐτεκτήνατο τρεῖς, τὸν ἕνα μὲν κάτω ἐς τῆς κατώρυχος ταύτης τὰ ἔσχατα, κόπρῳ καὶ λίθοις καλύψας ἄχρι ἐς τὰ τῆς κατώρυχος μέσα· ἐνταῦθά τε κρύψας τὸν δεύτερον, ὕπερθεν τὸν τρίτον ἐδείματο, ὑπὲρ γῆς τε ὄντα καὶ ὁρατὸν πᾶσιν· ὥστε τριώροφον κεκρυμμένως τὸν ὀχετὸν εἶναι.

Dewing The water which was being carried into the city he divided into three parts and had a very deep trench dug, in which he constructed three pipe-lines, one lying on the very bottom of the trench, and this he convoyed with mud and stones up to the middle of the trench; at that ville he concealed the second pipe-line, and above it built the third, which was above ground and visible to all; so the piping was on three levels, but this fact was concealed.

Greek ὧνπερ οὐ ξυνέντες κατ’ ἀρχὰς τῆς πολιορκίας Ῥωμαῖοι τοῦτον δὴ τὸν διαφανῆ ὀχετὸν διελόντες, ἐπίπροσθέν τε οὐκ ἐπεξαγαγόντες τὸν ἐπὶ διώρυχι πόνον, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἔργου πρὸ τῆς ἐνθένδε ἀπωλείας ἀποπαυσάμενοι, ᾤοντο ἐνδεῖν τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις τὸ ὕδωρ, σφαλλούσης αὐτοῖς τὴν διάνοιαν τῆς παρὰ τὸ πονεῖσθαι ὀλιγωρίας.

Dewing This the Romans at the beginning of the siege did not understand, and so, after they had cut this obvious pipe-line, they did not carry forward their work on the trench, but gave up the labour before the next pipe-line was destroyed, and thought that the besieged were in want of water, their minds being deceived by their own slipshod methods.

Greek τῆς δὲ προσεδρείας μηκυνομένης, τῶν τινὰς πολεμίων λαβόντες Ῥωμαῖοι ἔμαθον ἐκ τοῦ ὀχετοῦ τοὺς πολιορκουμένους ὑδρεύεσθαι.

Dewing But as the siege was prolonged, the Romans by capturing some of the enemy learned that the besieged were drawing water from the aqueduct.

Greek κατορύξαντες τοίνυν τὸν χῶρον εὑρίσκουσι τὸν δεύτερον ὀχετὸν ἐνταῦθά πη ὄντα, καὶ τοῦτον διελόντες αὐτίκα ᾤοντο ταύτῃ πᾶσαν κατειργάσθαι τῶν πολεμίων τὴν δύναμιν, οὐδὲ τοῖς δευτέροις ἐν τῇ ἀπ’ αὐτῶν διδασκαλίᾳ παιδευθέντες τὰ πρότερα.

Dewing Accordingly they dug down into the ground and found there the second pipe-line, which they cut immediately, and they thought that they had thus crippled the enemy completely, not having learned even the second time from the lesson before them the real meaning of their previous experience.

Greek ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἑλόντες ἐπίρρεον, ὥσπερ μοι ἐρρήθη, ἐκ τοῦ ὀχετοῦ τὸ ὕδωρ εἶδον, ἐθαύμαζόν τε καὶ ἀπορίᾳ πολλῇ εἴχοντο.

Dewing But when they had captured the city and saw as I have said, the water flowing in from the pipe, they began to marvel and were greatly perplexed.

Greek τὸ δὲ γεγονὸς παρὰ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἀκούσαντες, τῆς τε τῶν πολεμίων ἐς τὰ ἔργα ἐπιμελείας καὶ τῆς σφετέρας παρὰ τοὺς πόνους ὀλιγωρίας ὀπίσω τῶν πραγμάτων ᾐσθάνοντο.

Dewing And hearing from their captives what had been done, they came to realize after the event the care shewn by the enemy in their work and the futility of their own feeble efforts.

Greek Τοὺς μὲν οὑν αἰχμαλώτους ἅπαντας ὁ Βέσσας εὐθὺς βασιλεῖ ἔπεμψε, τὸν δὲ Πέτρας περίβολον ἐς ἔδαφος καθεῖλεν, ὡς μὴ πράγματα οἱ πολέμιοι σφίσιν αὖθις παρέχωνται.

Dewing Bessas now straightway sent all the prisoners to the emperor and razed the circuit-wall of Petra to the ground in order that the enemy might not again make trouble for them.

Greek καὶ αὐτὸν βασιλεὺς ἀποδεδειγμένης τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπῄνεσεν ἐς τὰ μάλιστα καὶ τῆς εὐβουλίας, ὅτι δὴ ὅλον καθεῖλε τὸ τεῖχος.

Dewing And the emperor praised him particularly for the valour he had displayed and for his wisdom in tearing down the whole wall.

Greek γέγονεν οὖν ὁ Βέσσας αὖθις οἷς τε εὐημέρησεν οἷς τε ἀρετῆς πεποίηται δήλωσιν ἀπόβλεπτος ἐς πάντας ἀνθρώπους.

Dewing Thus Bessas became once more,⁠ both because of the good fortune he had enjoyed and also because of the valour he had displayed, an object of respectful admiration among all men.

Greek ἡνίκα μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῷ Ῥώμης φυλακτηρίῳ ἐτέτακτο, ἐλπίδα Ῥωμαῖοι πολλὴν ἐπ’ αὐτῷ εἶχον ἅτε ἀνδρειοτάτῳ διαγεγονότι τὰ πρότερα.

Dewing For previously, when he was appointed to command the garrison of Rome, the Romans had great hopes of him, since before that time he had consistently shewn himself a man of the highest courage.

Greek ἐπεὶ δὲ αὐτῷ ἐνταῦθα δεδυστυχηκέναι ξυνέπεσε, Ῥώμης τε οὕτω τοῖς Γότθοις ἁλούσης, ὥσπερ μοι ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐρρήθη, καὶ διεφθαρμένου ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον Ῥωμαίων τοῦ γένους, βασιλεὺς μὲν Ἰουστινιανὸς οὕτω δὴ ἐς Βυζάντιον ἀναστρέψαντα στρατηγὸν κατεστήσατο ἐπὶ Πέρσας αὐτόν.

Dewing But when it came about that he met with ill fortune there, Rome being captured as it was by the Goths, as I have recounted in the previous narrative,⁠ and the race of the Romans being in large part destroyed, still the Emperor Justinian, when he returned after this to Byzantium, appointed him General against the Persians.

Greek διέσυρον δὲ τὴν πρᾶξιν ὡς εἰπεῖν ἅπαντες καὶ τὰ βασιλεῖ βεβουλευμένα ἐχλεύαζον, εἰ τῷ Βέσσᾳ τούτῳ, Γότθων τε ἡσσηθέντι κατὰ κράτος καὶ τυμβογέροντι γεγενημένῳ, πόλεμον τὸν Μηδικὸν ἐγχειρίσειεν ἐπὶ δυσμαῖς βίου.

Dewing Now practically everyone bitterly criticized this act and scoffed at the emperor's decision, if he was going to entrust the Medic war to this Bessas in his closing years, after he had been defeated decisively by the Goths and had now become a doddering old man.

Greek ἀλλὰ τούτων σχεδόν τι ἅπασι δεδογμένων, εὐτυχίᾳ τε καὶ ἀρετῇ τοιᾷδε τῷ στρατηγῷ τῷδε ξυνηνέχθη χρῆσθαι. οὕτως ἄρα οὐχ ᾗπερ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις δοκεῖ, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἐκ θεοῦ ῥοπῇ πρυτανεύεται τὰ ἀνθρώπεια, ὃ δὴ τύχην εἰώθασι καλεῖν ἄνθρωποι, οὐκ εἰδότες ὅτου δὴ ἕνεκα ταύτῃ πρόεισι τὰ ξυμβαίνοντα ᾗπερ αὐτοῖς ἔνδηλα γίνεται.

Dewing But although this was the feeling of practically all men, it actually fell out that this general met with the good fortune and displayed the valour which I have described. Thus it is that human affairs proceed not according to the judgment of men, but are subject to the power and authority of God, which men are wont to call fortune, knowing not why in the world events proceed in the manner in which they manifest themselves to them.

Greek τῷ γὰρ παραλόγῳ δοκοῦντι εἶναι φιλεῖ τὸ τῆς τύχης ὄνομα προσχωρεῖν. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὥς πη ἑκάστῳ φίλον, ταύτῃ δοκείτω.

Dewing For the name of fortune is wont to attach to that which appears to be contrary to reason. But as regards this matter, let each man think as he wishes.