第8巻 第28章

Greek Τοῖς δὲ ἀμφὶ Ναρσῆν ἀφικομένοις ἐς Ῥάβενναν πόλιν ἀνεμίγνυντο Βαλεριανὸς καὶ Ἰουστῖνος οἱ στρατηγοί, καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο στράτευμα Ῥωμαίων ταύτῃ ἐλέλειπτο.

Dewing When⁠ the forces of Narses reached the city of Ravenna, they were joined by the generals Valerian and Justinus and whatever of the Roman army was left in that region.

Greek ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐννέα ἡμερῶν χρόνος ἐς Ῥάβενναν ἐτέτριπτο, Οὐσδρίλας, Γότθος ἀνήρ, διαφερόντως ἀγαθὸς τὰ πολέμια, τοῦ ἐν Αριμίνῳ φυλακτηρίου ἄρχων, πρὸς Βαλεριανὸν ἔγραψε τάδε·

Dewing Now when they had spent nine days' time at Ravenna, Usdrilas, a Goth and an exceptionally capable warrior, commander of the garrison at Ariminum, wrote to Valerian as follows. "Though you have filled the world with talk of you and have already captivated the whole of Italy with the visions of your power, and have assumed an air of supercilious pride quite above the level of mortal men, and though you have in this way frightened the Goths, as you fondly imagine, you nevertheless now sit in Ravenna without at all shewing your own forces to your enemy, through your policy of keeping hidden — no doubt as a way of guarding still this proud spirit of yours — but using a heterogeneous horde of barbarians with which to ruin the land which belongs to you in no sense whatever.

Greek “Πάντα ταῖς φήμαις καταλαβόντες, τοῖς τε φάσμασιν ἤδη ξύμπασαν Ἰταλίαν συσχόντες καὶ ὀφρυάσαντες οὐχ ὅσα γε τὰ ἀνθρώπεια, ταύτῃ τε Γότθους, ὥσπερ οἴεσθε, δεδιξάμενοι, εἶτα κάθησθε νῦν ἐν Ῥαβέννῃ τῷ μὲν ἀποκεκρύφθαι ὡς ἥκιστα τοῖς πολεμίοις ἔνδηλοι, οἶμαι, ξυμφρουροῦντες ἔτι τὸ φρόνημα τοῦτο, βαρβάρων δὲ παμμίκτῳ ὁμίλῳ τὴν οὐδαμόθεν προσήκουσαν ὑμῖν κατατρίβοντες χώραν. ἀλλ’ ἀνάστητε ὅτι τάχιστα καὶ πολεμίων ἔργων τὸ λοιπὸν ἅπτεσθε, δείξατέ τε ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς Γότθοις, μηδὲ ἀναρτήσητε μακροτέραις ἐλπίσιν ἡμᾶς,

Dewing But arise with all speed and henceforth essay the deeds of war; shew yourselves to the Goths, and do not tantalize us longer with mere hope, since we have been awaiting the spectacle a long time."

Greek προσδεχομένους ἐκ παλαιοῦ τὸ θέαρα.” ἡ μὲν γραφὴ τοσαῦτα ἐδήλου. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ταῦτα Ναρσῆς ἀπενεχθέντα εἶδε, Γότθων τῆς ἀλαζονείας γελάσας, καθίστατο εὐθὺς παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἐς τὴν ἔξοδον, φρουρὰν ξὺν Ἰουστίνῳ ἐν Ῥαβέννῃ ἀπολιπών.

Dewing Such was the message of the letter. When this was brought to Narses and seen by him, he laughed at the effrontery of the Goths and immediately prepared his whole army for departure, leaving a garrison with Justinus at Ravenna.

Greek γενόμενοί τε πόλεως Ἀριμίνου ἄγχιστα, εὗρον οὐκ εὐπετῆ σφίσι τὸ ἐνθένδε τὴν δίοδον οὖσαν, Γότθων περιῃρηκότων τὴν ἐκείνῃ γέφυραν οὐ πολλῷ πρότερον.

Dewing But when they came close to the city of Ariminum, they found that the road from that point was not easy, since the Goths had not long before damaged the bridge there.

Greek ὁ γὰρ ποταμὸς ὁ τὴν Ἀρίμινον παραρρέων ἀνδρὶ μὲν ἀόπλῳ ἑνὶ πεζῇ ἰόντι μόλις διαβατὸς γίνεται διὰ τῆς γεφύρας πόνῳ τε καὶ ταλαιπωρίᾳ πολλῇ, καὶ ταῦτα μηδενὸς ἐνοχλοῦντος ἢ τὴν δίοδον ἀναστέλλοντος· πλήθει δὲ ἀνθρώπων καὶ διαφερόντως ἐξωπλισμένων, ἄλλως τε καὶ πολεμίων ἀντιστατούντων, τρόπῳ ὁτῳοῦν ἐνταῦθα διαπορθμεύσασθαι ἀδύνατά ἐστι.

Dewing For the river which flows by Ariminum is scarcely passable for a single unarmed man making his way on foot over the bridge with great labour and difficulty, and that too when no one is harassing him or disputing the passage;⁠ but for a large number of men, particularly when under arms, and above all when confronted by an enemy, it is impossible by any means whatever to make that crossing.

Greek διόπερ ὁ Ναρσῆς ἐν τῷ γεφύρας χώρῳ γενόμενος ξὺν ὀλίγοις τισὶν ἀπορούμενος ἐπὶ πλεῖστον διεσκοπεῖτο ὁπόθεν ἄν ποτε πόρον τινὰ τῷ πράγματι εὕροι.

Dewing Consequently Narses went to the site of the bridge accompanied by a few, and being thoroughly perplexed he was considering carefully what solution he could possibly find for the difficulty.

Greek οὗ δὴ καὶ Οὐσδρίλας τινὰς ἐπαγαγόμενος ἱππέων ἦλθε, μή τι τῶν πρασσομένων αὐτὸν διαλάθοι. τῶν δέ τις Ναρσῇ ἐπισπομένων τὸ τόξον ἐντείνας ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἔβαλλεν, ἑνί τε τῶν ἵππων κατατυχὼν εὐθὺς ἔκτεινεν.

Dewing And Usdrilas also came thither, bringing some of his horsemen, lest anything that was done should escape him. Then one of the followers of Narses drew his bow and shot at them, and he hit one of their horses and killed it outright.

Greek οἵ τε ἀμφὶ τὸν Οὐσδρίλαν τότε μὲν ἐνθένδε κατὰ τάχος ἀπαλλαγέντες ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου ἐγένοντο, αὐτίκα δὲ καὶ ἄλλους ἐπαγαγόμενοι τῶν σφίσι μαχιμωτάτων διὰ πύλης ἑτέρας ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἵεντο, ὡς ἀπροσδόκητοί τε αὐτοῖς ἐπιπεσόντες καὶ τὸν Ναρσῆν διαχρησόμενοι αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα.

Dewing And the company of Usdrilas for the moment departed from there in haste and got inside the fortifications, but immediately rushed out against the Romans through another gate, bringing with them others of their most warlike men, in order to fall upon them unexpectedly and destroy Narses forthwith.

Greek ἐπὶ θατερα γὰρ τοῦ ποταμοὗδιερευνώμενος τῇ στρατιᾷ τὴν διάβασιν’ ἤδη ἀφῖκτο. ἀλλὰ τῶν τινὲς Ἐρούλων τύχῃ αὐτοῖς τινὶ ἐνταῦθα ὑπαντιάσαντες κτείνουσί τε τὸν Οὐσδρίλαν, καὶ ὅστις ποτὲ ἦν ἐπιγνωσθέντα παρὰ Ῥωμαίου ἀνδρὸς τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀφαιρούμενοι, ἐς τὸ Ῥωμαίων στρατόπεδον ἦλθον, καὶ Ναρσῇ ἐπιδείξαντες τῇ προθυμίᾳ ἐπέρρωσαν πάντας, τεκμηριουμένους τῷ ξυμβεβηκότι τὰ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ Γότθοις πολέμια εἶναι· οἵ γε τῶν πολεμίων τῷ στρατηγῷ ἐνεδρεύσαντες αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς ἢ προνοίας τινὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα σφῶν ἐξαπιναίως ἀφῄρηντο.

Dewing For in reconnoitring the crossing for the army he had already reached the other side of the river. But certain of the Eruli by some chance encountered them there and slew Usdrilas, and since he was identified by a Roman they cut off his head, and coming into the Roman camp displayed it to Narses and so strengthened the courage of all; for they inferred from what had happened that Heaven was hostile to the Goths, seeing that in seeking to ambush the general of their enemy they themselves, not through any plot or preconceived plan, had suddenly lost their own commander.

Greek Ναρσῆς δέ, καίπερ Οὐσδρίλα πεπτωκότος, ὃς τοῦ ἐν Ἀριμήνῳ φυλακτηρίου ἦρχε, πρόσω ἤπειγε τὸ στράτευμα. οὔτε γὰρ Ἀρίμηνον οὔτε ἄλλο τι χωρίον πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων ἐχόμενον ἐνοχλεῖν ἤθελεν, ὡς μή τις αὐτῷ τρίβοιτο χρόνος, μηδὲ τῷ παρέργῳ τῆς χρείας ἡ σπουδαιοτάτη διείργοιτο πρᾶξις.

Dewing But Narses, in spite of the fall of Usdrilas, commander of the garrison at Ariminum, pushed forward with the army. For he did not wish to trouble Ariminum nor any other place held by the enemy, in order that no time might be wasted by him and the accomplishment of the most important thing be crowded out by that which was incidental to his task.

Greek τῶν δὲ πολεμίων ἅτε πεπτωκότος σφίσι τοῦ ἄρχοντος ἡσυχαζόντων τε καὶ οὐκέτι ἐμποδίων καθισταμένων ὁ Ναρσῆς ἀδεέστερον γεφύρᾳ τὸν ποταμὸν ζεύξας διεβίβασε πόνῳ οὐδενὶ τὸν στρατὸν ἅπαντα.

Dewing The enemy, for their part, now that their commander had fallen, remained quiet and sought no longer to block his way, so that Narses without a fear spanned the river with a bridge and took the entire army across without any trouble.

Greek ὁδοῦ δὲ τῆς Φλαμηνίας ἐνθένδε ἀφέμενος ἐν ἀριστερᾷ ᾔει. Πέτρας γὰρ τῆς Περτούσης καλουμένης, ἧσπέρ μοι τὸ τοῦ ὀχυρώματος καρτερὸν χωρίου φύσει ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν δεδιήγηται λόγοις, κατειλημμένης τοῖς ἐναντίοις πολλῷ πρότερον, ἀπόρευτα Ῥωμαίοις καὶ παντάπασιν ἀδιέξοδα, ὅσα γε κατὰ τὴν Φλαμηνίαν ὁδόν, ὄντα ἐτύγχανεν. ὁδὸν οὖν ὁ Ναρσῆς διὰ ταῦτα τὴν ἐπιτομωτέραν ἀφεὶς τὴν βάσιμον ᾔει.

Dewing From there he left the Flaminian Way and went to the left. For the place called Petra Pertusa, whose naturally strong fortress has been described by me in the previous narrative,⁠ had been occupied by his opponents long before, and consequently the road was closed to the Romans and it was out of the question to pass through, as far at least as the Flaminian Way was concerned. Narses accordingly left the shorter road on this account and went by the road which could be travelled. The Loeb Editor's Notes: 1 Book I.xxiii.7 ff. ❦ 2 A Persian title meaning "general"; cf. Book I.v.4. ❦ 3 Book II.xix.15, etc. ❦ 4 Chap. xxiv.8. ❦ 5 Book VII.xxxv.19, where he is called Ildiges. ❦ 6 i.e. "schools." ❦ 7 Chap. xix.7. ❦ 8 The narrative is resumed from chap. xxvi. ❦ 9 The splendid bridge of Augustus over the Marecchia (anc. Fluvius Ariminus), which still stands, must have been very much damaged to justify this statement of Procopius. ❦ 10 Book VI.xi.10‑14. Thayer's Note: a Than the defeat in the naval battle of Sena Gallica; see VIII.23.42. ◂ previous next ▸ Images with borders lead to more information. The thicker the border, the more information. (Details here.) UP TO: Wars Ancient Military History Military History Home Procopius Greek & Latin Texts LacusCurtius A page or image on this site is in the public domain ONLY if its URL has a total of one *asterisk. If the URL has two **asterisks, the item is copyright someone else, and used by permission or fair use. If the URL has none the item is © Bill Thayer. See my copyright page for details and contact information. Page updated: 14 Sep 20 Accessibility