第8巻 第13章

Greek Μερμερόης δέ, δείσας μή τι Πέτρᾳ τε καὶ Πέρσαις τοῖς τῇδε ἀπολελειμμένοις φλαῦρον διὰ χρόνου μῆκος ξυμβαίη, ἄρας παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἐνταῦθα ᾔει, ἐπεὶ αὐτὸν ὁ καιρὸς μετὰ τὴν τοῦ χειμῶνος ὥραν ἐς τοῦτο ἐνῆγε.

Dewing Now Mermeroes, fearing that in the course of a long time some mishap should befall Petra and the Persians left there, had set his whole army in motion and marched in that direction, being further influenced to do so by the season, seeing it was now past winter.

Greek μεταξὺ δὲ τὰ ξυμπεσόντα μαθὼν ἅπαντα τῆς μὲν ὁδοῦ ταύτης τὸ παράπαν ἀπέσχετο, εὖ εἰδὼς ὅτι δὴ ἐκτὸς ποταμοῦ Φάσιδος ἄλλο τι χωρίον Λαζοῖς ὅτι μὴ τὸ ἐν Πέτρᾳ οὐκ ἦν.

Dewing But in the course of this journey he learned all that had befallen and abandoned this march entirely, killed and wounded well that the Lazi had no fortress beyond the Phasis River excepting only the one at Petra.

Greek ἀναστρέψας δὲ καὶ καταλαβὼν τὰς ἐξ Ἰβηρίας ἐπὶ γῆν τὴν Κολχίδα εἰσόδους, ἵνα δὴ ὁ Φᾶσις διαβατός ἐστιν, αὐτόν τε πεζῇ διαμείψας καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα ποταμόν, Ῥέοντα ὄνομα, οὐδὲ αὐτὸν ἐκείνῃ ναυσίπορον ὄντα, τοῦ τε Φάσιδος ἐν δεξιᾷ ταύτῃ γενόμενος ἐπὶ πόλιν, Ἀρχαιόπολιν ὄνομα, ἣ πρώτη τε καὶ μεγίστη ἐν Λαζοῖς ἐστίν, ἐπῆγε τὸ στράτευμα.

Dewing He then returned and seized the passes from Iberia into the land of Colchis, where the Phasis can be forded, and he not only crossed this river on foot but also another river of no less difficulty, named the Rheon, which is likewise not navigable there, and thus getting on the right of the Phasis, he led his army forward against a city named Archaeopolis, which is the first and greatest city in Lazica.

Greek ἦσαν δὲ ὀλίγων χωρὶς ἱππεῖς ἅπαντες, καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐλέφαντες ὀκτὼ εἵποντο. ἐφ’ ὧν δὴ ἔμελλον ἱστάμενοι Πέρσαι τοὺς πολεμίους ὥσπερ ἐκ πύργων κατὰ κορυφῆς ἐνθένδε βάλλειν.

Dewing Now this army, apart from a few men, was all cavalry, and they had with them eight elephants, upon which the Persians were to stand and shoot down upon the heads of the enemy just as from towers.

Greek ὥστε εἰκότως ἄν τις Περσῶν τὴν ἐς τοὺς πολέμους ταλαιπωρίαν τε καὶ ἐπιτέχνησιν ἀγασθείη, οἵ γε τὴν ἐξ Ἰβηρίας ἐς τὴν Κολχίδα ὁδὸν φέρουσαν, κρημνώδεσί τε νάπαις καὶ δυσχωρίαις λοχμώδεσι πανταχόθι ξυνεχομένην, ὕλαις τε οὕτως ἀμφιλαφέσι καλυπτομένην, ὡς καὶ ἀνδρὶ εὐζώνῳ δοκεῖν ἀπόρευτον τὰ πρότερα εἶναι, οὕτως ὁμαλῆ κατεστήσαντο ὥστε οὐχ ὅσον τὴν ἵππον αὐτῶν ὅλην πόνῳ οὐδενὶ ἐνθένδε ἰέναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐλεφάντων ὅσους βούλοιντο ἐπαγομένους ταύτῃ στρατεύειν.

Dewing Indeed one might be led with good reason to marvel at the assiduity and resource­fulness of the Persians in the prosecution of their wars; for it was they who took in hand the road leading from Iberia into Colchis, which was everywhere impeded by precipitous ravines and difficult ground covered with brush, and concealed by forests of wide-spreading trees, so that even for an unencumbered traveller the way had seemed impassable previously, and they made it so smooth that not only did their entire cavalry pass that way with no difficulty, but they also actually marched over that road taking with them as many of their elephants as they wished.

Greek ἦλθον δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ σύμμαχοι Οὖννοι ἐκ τῶν Σαβείρων καλουμένων δισχίλιοί τε καὶ μύριοι.

Dewing And Huns also came to them as allies from the nation of the Sabiri, as they are called, to the number of twelve thousand.

Greek ἀλλὰ δείσας ὁ Μερμερόης μὴ ἐς πλῆθος τοσοῦτον ὄντες οἱ βάρβαροι οὗτοι μήτε τι αὐτῷ ὑπακούειν ἐπαγγέλλοντι ἐθελήσωσιν, ἀλλὰ καί τι ἀνήκεστον ἐς τὸ Περσῶν στράτευμα δράσωσι, τετρακισχιλίους μὲν ξυστρατεύεσθαι σφίσιν εἴασε, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς χρήμασι πολλοῖς δωρησάμενος ἐς τὰ πάτρια ἤθη ἀφῆκεν ἰέναι.

Dewing But Mermeroes, fearing lest these barbarians, being in such numbers, would not only be altogether unwilling to obey his commands, but would actually do some terrible thing to the Persian army, permitted only four thousand to march with him, while he sent all the rest away to their homes after making them a generous present of money.

Greek Ὁ δὲ Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς δισχίλιοι μὲν καὶ μύριοι ἦσαν, οὐ μὴν ἀγηγερμένοι ἐς ταὐτὸ ἅπαντες, ἀλλ’ ἐν μὲν τῷ ἐν Ἀρχαιοπόλει φυλακτηρίῳ τρισχίλιοι ἦσαν, ὧν Ὀδόναχός τε καὶ Βάβας ἦρχον, ἄμφω ἀγαθοὶ τὰ πολέμια·

Dewing Now the Roman army numbered twelve thousand; they were not, however, all concentrated in one place, for there were only three thousand in the garrison at Archaeopolis under command of Odonachus and Babas, both able warriors,

Greek οἱ δὲ δὴ ἄλλοι ἐντὸς τῶν ἐκβολῶν ποταμοῦ Φάσιδος ἐνστρατοπεδευσάμενοι ἔμενον, ἐκεῖνο διανοούμενοι, ὥστε ἤν πη ἐπισκήψῃ ὁ τῶν πολεμίων στρατός, αὐτοὶ ἐνθένδε ἐξανιστάμενοι βοηθοῖεν δυνάμει τῇ πάσῃ.

Dewing while all the rest were waiting in camp on the other side of the Phasis River, having in mind that, if the enemy's army should make an attack at any point, they themselves would move out from there and go to the rescue in full force.

Greek ἦρχον δὲ αὐτῶν Βενῖλός τε καὶ Οὐλίγαγος· ξυνῆν δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ Οὐαράζης ὁ Περσαρμένιος, ἄρτι ἐξ Ἰταλίας ἥκων, ᾧ δὴ Τζάνοι ὀκτακόσιοι εἵποντο.

Dewing These were commanded by Venilus and Uligagus; and Varazes the Persarmenian was also with them, having recently returned from Italy and having eight hundred Tzani under his command.

Greek Βέσσας γάρ, ἐπειδὴ τάχιστα τὴν Πέτραν εἷλε, πονεῖν μὲν ἔτι οὐδαμῆ ἤθελεν, ἐς δὲ Ποντικοὺς καὶ Ἀρμενίους ἀποχωρήσας ἐπεμελεῖτο ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς αὐτοῦ πόρων, ταύτῃ τε τῇ σμικρολογία τὰ Ῥωμαίων αὖθις πράγματα ἔσφηλεν.

Dewing As for Bessas, as soon as he had captured Petra, he was quite unwilling to continue the struggle, but withdrew to the Pontici and the Armenians and was giving the closest possible attention to the revenues from his territory, and by this niggardly policy he again wrecked the cause of the Romans.

Greek εἰ γὰρ εὐθὺς τότε νενικηκώς, ᾗπέρ μοι εἴρηται, καὶ τὴν Πέτραν ἑλὼν ἐς τὰ Λαζῶν τε καὶ Ἰβήρων ὅρια ἦλθε καὶ τὰς ἐκείνῃ δυσχωρίας ἐφράξατο, οὐκ ἄν, μοι δοκεῖ, ἔτι Περσῶν στράτευμα ἐς Λαζικὴν ᾔει.

Dewing For if, straightway after that victory which I have described and his capture of Petra, he had gone to the boundaries of Lazica and Iberia and barricaded the passes there, never again, as it seems to me, would a Persian army have entered Lazica.

Greek νῦν δὲ ὁ στρατηγὸς οὗτος τοῦ πόνου τούτου ὀλιγωρήσας μόνον οὐχὶ τοῖς πολεμίοις Λαζικὴν αὐτοχειρὶ παραδέδωκε, τῆς ἐκ βασιλέως ὀργῆς ὀλίγα φροντίσας.

Dewing But in fact this general, by slighting this task, all but surrendered Lazica to the enemy with his own hand, paying little heed to the emperor's wrath.

Greek εἰώθει γὰρ Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἐπιχωρεῖν τὰ πολλὰ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἁμαρτάνουσι, καὶ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἔς τε τὴν δίαιταν καὶ τὴν πολιτείαν ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον παρανομοῦντες ἡλίσκοντο.

Dewing For the Emperor Justinian was accustomed to condone, for the most part, the mistakes of his commanders, and consequently they were found very generally to be guilty of offences both in private life and against the state.

Greek Ἦν δὲ Λαζῶν φρούρια δύο πρὸς αὐτοῖς μάλιστα τοῖς Ἰβηρίας ὁρίοις, Σκάνδα τε καὶ Σαραπανίς. ἅπερ ἐν δυσχωρίαις κείμενα χαλεπαῖς τισὶ καὶ ὅλως δυσκόλοις δυσπρόσοδα ὑπερφυῶς ὄντα ἐτύγχανε.

Dewing Now there were two fortresses of the Lazi almost exactly on the boundary of Iberia, Scanda and Sarapanis. These, being situated in extremely rugged and difficult country, were extraordinarily hard of access.

Greek ταῦτα Λαζοὶ μὲν τὸ παλαιὸν πόνῳ πολλῷ ἐφρούρουν, ἐπεὶ ἐνταῦθα τῶν ἐδωδίμων τὸ παράπαν οὐδὲν φύεται, ἀλλὰ φέροντες ἄνθρωποι ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ἐσεκομίζοντο.

Dewing They used to be garrisoned by the Lazi in ancient times with great difficulty, for no food at all grows there, and supplies had to be brought in by men who carried them on their shoulders.

Greek βασιλεὺς δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς κατ’ ἀρχὰς τοῦδε τοῦ πολέμου Λαζοὺς ἀναστήσας ἐνθένδε Ῥωμαίων φρουρὰν στρατιωτῶν κατεστήσατο.

Dewing But the Emperor Justinian at the beginning of this war had removed the Lazi from these fortresses and substituted a garrison of Roman soldiers.

Greek οἳ δὴ οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον, πιεζόμενοι τῶν ἀναγκαίων τῇ ἀπορίᾳ, τὰ φρούρια ταῦτα ἐξέλιπον, ἐπεὶ αὐτοὶ μὲν ἐλύμοις ἀποζῆν ὥσπερ οἱ Κόλχοι ἐς πλείω χρόνον, οὐκ εἰωθὸς σφίσιν, ὡς ἥκιστα εἶχον, Λαζοὶ δὲ αὐτοῖς μακρὰν ὁδὸν πορευόμενοι φέροντές τε τὰ ἐπιτήδεια πάντα οὐκέτι ἀντεῖχον.

Dewing These soldiers, then, not long afterwards, being hard pressed by the lack of necessary supplies, abandoned these fortresses because they were quite unable to live for any considerable time on millet, as the Colchians did, since it was not familiar to them, and the Lazi no longer persevered in travelling the long journey to bring them all their supplies.

Greek Πέρσαι δὲ αὐτὰ καταλαβόντες ἔσχον, ἔν τε ταῖς σπονδαῖς αὐτὰ Ῥωμαῖοι ἀπέλαβον τὰς ἀντιδόσεις Βώλου τε τοῦ φρουρίου καὶ τοῦ Φαραγγίου πεποιημένοι, ὥσπερ μοι ταῦτα ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις πάντα ἐρρήθη.

Dewing Whereupon the Persians occupied and held them, but in the treaty the Romans got them back in exchange for the fortress of Bolum and Pharangium, as I have told in detail in the preceding narrative.⁠

Greek Λαζοὶ μὲν οὖν ταῦτα τὰ φρούρια ἐς ἔδαφος καθεῖλον, ὡς μὴ αὐτὰ Πέρσαι ἐπιτειχίσματα κατὰ σφῶν ἔχοιεν. Πέρσαι δὲ αὐτοῖν θάτερον, ὅπερ Σκάνδα καλοῦσιν, αὖθις οἰκοδομησάμενοι ἔσχον, ὅ τε Μερμερόης ἐπίπροσθεν ἦγε τὸν Μήδων στρατόν.

Dewing The Lazi accordingly razed these fortresses to the ground, in order that the Persians might not hold them as outposts against them. But the Persians rebuilt and held the one of the two which they call Scanda, and Mermeroes led the Medic army forward.

Greek Ἦν δὲ πόλις ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ, Ῥοδόπολις ὄνομα, ἥπερ ὑπηντίαζε πρώτη τοῖς ἐς τὴν Κολχίδα ἐξ Ἰβηρίας ἐσβάλλουσιν, εὐέφοδός τε καὶ ἐπιμαχωτάτη ἐς τὰ μάλιστα.

Dewing There had been a city in the plain called Rhodopolis, which lay first in the way of those invading Colchis from Iberia, so situated as to be easily accessible and altogether open to attack.

Greek διὸ δὴ αὐτὴν πολλῷ πρότερον δείσαντες Λαζοὶ τὴν Περσῶν ἔφοδον ἐς ἔδαφος καθεῖλον. ὅπερ ἐπεὶ οἱ Πέρσαι ἔμαθον,

Dewing For this reason the Lazi had long before, in fear of the Persian invasion, razed it to the ground. When the Persians learned this, they proceeded straight for Archaeopolis.

Greek εὐθὺ Ἀρχαιοπόλεως ᾔεσαν. γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Μερμερόης τοὺς πολεμίους ἀμφὶ τὰς ἐκβολὰς ἐνστρατοπεδεύεσθαι ποταμοῦ Φάσιδος ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἤλαυνεν.

Dewing But Mermeroes learned that his enemy was encamped near the mouth of the Phasis River, and he advanced upon them.

Greek ἄμεινον γάρ οἱ ἔδοξεν εἶναι τούτους πρότερον ἐξελόντι οὕτω δὴ ἐς τῆς Ἀρχαιοπόλεως τὴν πολιορκίαν καθίστασθαι, ὡς μὴ ὄπισθεν αὐτοὶ ἰόντες κακουργήσωσι τὸ Περσῶν στράτευμα.

Dewing For it seemed to him better first to capture this force and then to undertake the siege of Archaeopolis, in order that they might not come from the rear and do harm to the Persian army.

Greek ὡς ἀγχοτάτω δὲ τοῦ Ἀρχαιοπόλεως περιβόλου γενόμενος ἠσπάσατο ἐρεσχελῶν τε τοὺς ταύτῃ Ῥωμαίους, καί τι νεανιευσάμενος ὡς αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα ἐπανήξει σφίσι.

Dewing And he went close by the fortifications of Archaeopolis and gave a mocking salutation to the Romans there, and with something of a swagger said that he would come back to them at the earliest moment.

Greek βουλομένῳ γάρ οἱ αὐτῷ ἔφασκεν εἶναι Ῥωμαίους τοὺς ἄλλους προσειπεῖν πρότερον, οἳ δὴ ἐνστρατοπεδεύονται ἀμφὶ ποταμὸν Φᾶσιν.

Dewing For, said he, he wished to address his greetings to the other Romans first who were encamped near the Phasis River.

Greek οἱ δὲ ἀποκρινάμενοι ἰέναι μὲν αὐτὸν ἐκέλευον ὅπη βούλοιτο, ἰσχυρίσαντο μέντοι ὡς, ἢν τοῖς ἐκείνῃ Ῥωμαίοις ἐντύχῃ, οὐ μή ποτε αὐτοῖς ἐπανήξει.

Dewing And the Romans, by way of answer, bade him go wherever he wished, but they declared that if he came upon the Romans there he would never return to them.

Greek ταῦτα ἐπεὶ οἱ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἄρχοντες ἔμαθον, κατωρρώδησάν τε καὶ ἥσσους οἰόμενοι εἶναι ἢ φέρειν τῶν ἐπιόντων τὴν δύναμιν ἐς τὰς σφίσι παρεσκευασμένας ἀκάτους ἐμβάντες ποταμὸν Φᾶσιν διεπορθμεύσαντο ἅπαντες, τῶν σφίσι παρόντων ἐπιτηδείων, ὅσα μὲν διακομίζειν οἷοί τε ἦσαν, ἐν ταῖς ἀκάτοις ἐνθέμενοι, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα ἐς τὸν ποταμὸν ἐμβεβλημένοι, ὅπως μὴ αὐτοῖς οἱ πολέμιοι τρυφᾶν δύνωνται.

Dewing When the commanders of the Roman army learned this, they became thoroughly frightened and, thinking themselves too few to withstand the force of their assailants, embarked on the boats which they had ready and ferried across the Phasis River, every man of them, pla­cing their supplies of provisions on the boats, as much at least as they were able to carry, and throwing the rest of it the river in order that the enemy might not be able to revel in them.

Greek γενόμενος οὖν ἐνταῦθα παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ὁ Μερμερόης οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον, ἔρημόν τε παντάπασιν ἰδὼν τὸ τῶν πολεμίων στρατόπεδον ἤσχαλλέ τε καὶ ἀπορούμενος ἐδυσφορεῖτο.

Dewing So when Mermeroes arrived there with his whole army not long afterward, and saw the enemy's camp entirely abandoned, he was vexed and filled with resentment at the baffling situation.

Greek καύσας τε τὸ Ῥωμαίων χαράκωμα καὶ τῷ θυμῷ ζέων ἀνέστρεφεν αὐτίκα καὶ τὸ στράτευμα ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀρχαιόπολιν ἦγε.

Dewing He then fired the Roman stockade, and boiling with fury turned back immediately and led his army against Archaeopolis.