第8巻 第29章

Greek Τῷ μὲν οὖν Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ τά γε ἀμφὶ τῇ πορείᾳ ταύτῃ πη εἶχε. Τουτίλας δὲ πεπυσμένος ἤδη τὰ ἐν Βενετίαις ξυνενεχθέντα Τεΐαν μὲν τὰ πρῶτα καὶ τὴν ξὺν αὐτῷ στρατιὰν προσδεχόμενος ἐν τοῖς ἐπὶ Ῥώμης χωρίοις ἡσυχῆ ἔμενεν.

Dewing Such were the events of the march of the Roman army. Now Totila, having already learned what had taken place in Venetia, at first remained quiet in the vicinity of Rome awaiting Teias and his army.

Greek ἐπειδὴ δὲ παρῆσαν, μόνοι τε δισχίλιοι ἱππεῖς ἐλείποντο ἔτι, τούτους δὴ οὐκ ἀναμείνας ὁ Τουτίλας, ἀλλὰ παντὶ ἄρας τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ ὡς τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐν ἐπιτηδείῳ ὑπαντιάσων ᾔει.

Dewing But when they had come and only two thousand horsemen were still missing, Totila, without awaiting these, started on the march with all the rest of the army in order to encounter the enemy in a suitable place.

Greek ἐν δὲ τῇ ὁδῷ ταύτῃ τά τε τῷ Οὐσδρίλᾳ συμπεπτωκότα καὶ Ἀρίμηνον τοὺς πολεμίους διαβεβηκέναι μαθών, ὅλην μὲν Τουσκίαν ἀμείψας, ἐν ὄρει δὲ τῷ Ἀπεννίνῳ καλουμένῳ γενόμενος, αὐτοῦ ἐνστρατοπεδευσάμενος, ἔμενεν ἄγχιστα κώμης ἥνπερ οἱ ἐπιχώριοι Ταγίνας καλοῦσιν.

Dewing But he learned on this march both what had befallen Usdrilas and also that his enemy had passed by Ariminum, whereupon he crossed the whole of Tuscany, and upon reaching the mountains called the Apennines established his camp there and remained close to a village which the inhabitants call Taginae.⁠

Greek ἥ τε Ῥωμαίων στρατιὰ Ναρσοῦ ἡγουμένου οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον ἐν τῷ ὄρει καὶ αὐτοὶ τῷ Ἀπεννίνῳ ἐνστρατοπεδευσάμενοι ἔμενον, σταδίους ἑκατὸν μάλιστα τοῦ τῶν ἐναντίων στρατοπέδου διέχοντες, ἐν χωρίῳ ὁμαλῷ μέν, λόφους δὲ ἄγχιστά πη περιβεβλημένῳ πολλούς, ἵνα δή ποτε στρατηγοῦντα Ῥωμαίων Κάμιλλον τῶν Γάλλων ὅμιλον διαφθεῖραι μάχῃ νενικηκότα φασί.

Dewing And the Roman army led by Narses also made camp on the Apennines not long afterward and remained in that position, about one hundred stades distant from the camp of their opponents, in a place which is level but surrounded by many hills close by, the very place where once, they say, Camillus as general of the Romans defeated in battle and destroyed the host of the Gauls.⁠

Greek φέρει δὲ καὶ εἰς ἐμὲ μαρτύριον τοῦ ἔργου τούτου τὴν προσηγορίαν ὁ χῶρος καὶ διασώζει τῇ μνήμῃ τῶν Γάλλων τὸ πάθος, Βουσταγαλλώρων καλούμενος. βοῦστα γὰρ Λατῖνοι τὰ ἐκ τῆς πυρᾶς καλοῦσι λείψανα.

Dewing And the place even to my day bears witness to this deed in its name and preserves the memory of the disaster which befell the Gauls, being called Busta Gallorum.⁠ For the Latins call the remains of the funeral pyre "Busta."

Greek τύμβοι τε τῇδε γεώλοφοι τῶν νεκρῶν ἐκείνων παμπληθεῖς εἰσίν. Αὐτίκα δὲ στείλας ἐνθένδε Ναρσῆς τῶν οἱ ἐπιτηδείων τινὰς παραίνεσιν ἐπήγγελλε ποιεῖσθαι τῷ Τουτίλᾳ καταθέσθαι μὲν τὰ πολέμια, βουλεύεσθαι δὲ εἰρηναῖά ποτε, διαριθμουμένῳ ὅτι δὴ αὐτός, ἀνθρώπων ἄρχων ὀλίγων τέ τινων καὶ ὑπόγυον νόμῳ οὐδενὶ ξυνειλεγμένων, πάσῃ τῇ Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῇ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον διαμάχεσθαι οὐκ ἂν δύναιτο.

Dewing And there are great numbers of mounded tombs of their bodies in this place. Now Narses immediately sent from there some of his associates, bidding them exhort Totila to lay aside warfare and at last make plans for peace, for he must realize that as ruler of only a small number of men recently banded together by no law, he would not be able to contend for very long with the whole Roman empire.

Greek ἔφη δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῦτο, ὥστε δὴ αὐτόν, εἰ πολεμησείοντα ἴδοιεν, μελλήσει οὐδεμιᾷ ἐγκελεύεσθαι τακτὴν διορίσαι τινὰ ἡμέραν τῇ μάχῃ.

Dewing But he told them this also, that, if they saw that Totila was determined to fight, they should immediately urge him to appoint a definite day for the battle.

Greek ἐπειδὴ γοῦν οἱ πρέσβεις οὗτοι τῷ Τουτίλᾳ ἐς ὄψιν ἦλθον, τὰ ἐπιτεταγμένα ἐποίουν. καὶ ὁ μὲν νεανιευόμενος ἐκομψεύετο ὡς τρόπῳ αὐτοῖς παντὶ πολεμητέον εἴη, οἱ δὲ ὑπολαβόντες “Ἀλλ̓, ὦ γενναῖε” ἔφασαν “ῥητόν τινα καιρὸν τῇ ξυμβολῇ τίθει.” καὶ ὃς αὐτίκα “ὀκτὼ ἡμερῶν ξυμμίξωμεν” ἔφη.

Dewing These envoys accordingly came before Totila and carried out their instructions. And he in a spirit of bravado began to boast that by all means they must fight, but the envoys rejoined quickly, "Very well, good Sir, appoint some definite time for the engagement." Whereupon he immediately said, "At the end of eight days let us match our strength."

Greek οἱ μὲν οὖν πρέσβεις παρὰ τὸν Ναρσῆν ἐπανήκοντες τὰ ξυγκείμενα σφίσιν ἐπήγγελλον, ὁ δὲ Τουτίλαν δολώσεις ὑποτοπάζων ἐπινοεῖν παρεσκευάζετο ὡς τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ μαχούμενος.

Dewing So the envoys returned to Narses and reported their agreement, whereupon he, suspecting that Totila was planning treachery, made preparations to fight on the following day.

Greek καὶ ἔτυχέ γε τῆς τῶν πολεμίων ἐννοίας. ἡμέρᾳ γὰρ τῇ ἐπιγενομένῃ αὐτάγγελος παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ παρῆν ὁ Τουτίλας. ἤδη δὲ ἀλλήλοις ἑκατεροι ἀντεκάθηντο, οὐ πλέον ἢ δυοῖν διέχοντες τοξευμάτων βολαῖν.

Dewing And in fact he was right in his judgment of the purpose of the enemy. For on the succeeding day Totila was at hand self-announced with his whole army. And immediately the two armies took up positions opposite one another, not more than two bowshots apart.

Greek Ἦν γέ τι γεώλοφον ἐνταῦθα βραχύ, ὃ δὴ καταλαβεῖν ἀμφότεροι διὰ σπουδῆς εἶχον, ἐν ἐπιτηδείῳ σφίσιν οἰόμενοι κεῖσθαι, ὅπως τε βάλλειν τοὺς ἐναντίους ἐξ ὑπερδεξίων ἔχοιεν καὶ ὅτι χῶροι λοφώδεις, ᾗπέρ μοι δεδήλωται, ἐνταῦθά πη ἦσαν, ταύτῃ τοι κυκλώσασθαί τινας τὸ Ῥωμαίων στρατόπεδον κατὰ νώτου ἰόντας ἀμήχανον ἧν, ὅτι μὴ διὰ μιᾶς τινὸς ἀτραποῦ,

Dewing Now there was a small hill there which both were eager to occupy, thinking that it was favourably situated for their purposes, both in order to shoot at their opponents from a high point of vantage, and also because the ground being hilly thereabout, as I have previously stated, it was impossible for anyone to encircle the Roman camp on that side and get behind it except by following a single path which happened to skirt the hill.

Greek ἣ παρὰ τὸ γεώλοφον ἐτύγχανεν οὖσα. διὸ δὴ περὶ πλείονος αὐτὸ ποιεῖσθαι ἀμφοτέροις ἐπάναγκες ἦν, Γότθοις μέν, ὅπως ἐν τῇ ξυμβολῇ κυκλωσάμενοι τοὺς πολεμίους ἐν ἀμφιβόλῳ ποιήσονται, Ῥωμαίοις δέ, ὅπως δὴ ταῦτα μὴ πάθοιεν.

Dewing Consequently both of them were bound to consider it of particular importance; the Goths, in order that they might surround their enemy during the engagement and so place them between two forces, and the Romans, in order that they might not have this thing happen to them.

Greek ἀλλὰ προτερήσας Ναρσῆς πεντήκοντα ἐκ καταλόγου πεζοὺς ἀπολέξας ἀωρὶ νύκτωρ ὡς καταληψομένους τε καὶ καθέξοντας αὐτὸ ἔστειλε.

Dewing But Narses had anticipated the Goths by choosing fifty infantry­men from a cohort and sending them late at night to occupy and hold the hill.

Greek καὶ οἱ μὲν οὐδενὸς σφίσι τῶν πολεμίων ἐμποδὼν ἱσταμένου ἐνταῦθα γενόμενοι ἡσυχῆ ἔμενον.

Dewing And they, finding none of the enemy in the way, went there and remained quiet.

Greek ἔστι δέ τις χειμάρρους τοῦ γεωλόφου ἐπίπροσθεν, παρὰ μὲν τὴν ἀτραπὸν ἧς ἄρτι ἐμνήσθην, τοῦ δὲ χώρου καταντικρὺ οὗ ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο Γότθοι, οὗ δὴ οἱ πεντήκοντα ἔστησαν, ἐν χρῷ μὲν ξυνιόντες ἀλλήλοις, ἐς φάλαγγα δὲ ὡς ἐν στενοχωρίᾳ ξυντεταγμένοι.

Dewing Now there is a certain water-course in front of the hill, running along the path which I have just mentioned and opposite the spot where the Goths had made their camp, and it was at this point that the fifty took up their position, standing shoulder to shoulder and arrayed in the form of a phalanx as well as the limited space permitted.

Greek Μεθ’ ἡμέραν δὲ τὸ γεγονὸς ἰδὼν Τουτίλας ἀπώσασθαι αὐτοὺς ἐν σπουδῇ εἶχεν. ἴλην τε ἱππέων εὐθὺς ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἔπεμψεν, ἐξελᾶν ὅτι τάχιστα ἐνθένδε αὐτοὺς ἐπιστείλας.

Dewing After day came, Totila saw what had happened and was eager to dislodge them. So he immediately sent a troop of horsemen against them with orders to drive them out from there as quickly as possible.

Greek οἱ μὲν οὖν ἱππεῖς θορύβῳ τε πολλῷ καὶ κραυγῇ ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἵεντο, ὡς αὐτοβοεὶ ἐξαιρήσοντες, οἱ δὲ εἰς ὀλίγον ξυντεταγμένοι καὶ ταῖς μὲν ἀσπίσι φραξάμενοι,

Dewing The horsemen accordingly charged upon them with great hubbub and shouting, intending to capture them at the first cry, but the Romans drew up together into a small space and, making a barrier with their shields and thrusting forward their spears, held their ground.

Greek τὰ δὲ δοράτια ἐπανατεινάμενοι ἔστησαν. εἶτα οἱ μὲν Γότθοι σπουδῇ ἐπιόντες ξυνταράξαντες αὑτοὺς ἤλαυνον, οἱ δὲ πεντήκοντα, τῶν τε ἀσπίδων τῷ ὠθισμῷ καὶ τῶν δορατίων τῇ ἐπιβολῇ πυκνοτάτῃ οὔσῃ καὶ οὐδαμῆ ξυγκεχυμένῃ ὡς καρτερώτατα τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἠμύνοντο, ἐξεπίτηδές τε πάταγον ταῖς ἀσπίσιν ἐποίουν, ταύτῃ μὲν τοὺς ἵππους ἀεὶ δεδισσόμενοι, τοὺς δὲ ἄνδρας ταῖς τῶν δορατίων αἰχμαῖς.

Dewing Then the Goths came on, charging in haste and thus getting themselves into disorder, while the fifty, pushing with their shields and thrusting very rapidly with their spears, which were nowhere allowed to interfere one with the other, defended themselves most vigorously against their assailants; and they purposely made a din with their shields, terrifying the horses, on the one hand, by this means, and the men, on the other, with the points of their spears.

Greek καὶ οἵ τε ἵπποι ἀνεχαιτίζοντο τῇ τε δυσχωρίᾳ καὶ τῶν ἀσπίδων τῷ πατάγῳ λίαν ἀχθόμενοι καὶ διέξοδον οὐδαμῆ ἔχοντες, οἵ τε ἄνδρες ἀπεκναίοντο, ἀνθρώποις τε οὕτω ξυμφραξαμένοις μαχόμενοι καὶ τρόπῳ οὐδενὶ εἴκουσι, καὶ ἵπποις ἐγκελευόμενοι ὡς ἥκιστα ἐπαΐουσιν. ἀποκρουσθέντες τε τὴν πρώτην ὀπίσω ἐχώρουν.

Dewing And the horses became excited, because they were greatly troubled both by the rough ground and by the din of the shields, and also because they could not get through anywhere, while the men at the same time were gradually worn out, fighting as they were with men packed so closely together and not giving an inch of ground, and trying to manage horses that did not in the least obey their urging.

Greek καὶ αὖθις ἀποπειρασάμενοι καὶ ταὐτὰ πάσχοντες ἀνεπόδιζον. πολλάκις τε οὕτως ἀπαλλάξαντες οὐκέτι ἠνώχλουν, ἀλλ’ ἑτέραν ἴλην Τουτίλας ἐς τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο ἀντικαθίστη.

Dewing So they were repulsed in the first attack and rode back. And a second time they made the attempt and retired with the same experience. Then, after faring thus many times, they no longer continued the attack, but Totila substituted another troop for this work.

Greek ὧνπερ ὁμοίως τοῖς προτέροις ἀπαλλαγέντων ἕτεροι ἐς την πρᾶξιν καθίσταντο. πολλάς τε ἴλας ὁ Τουτίλας οὕτως ἀμείψας ἐπὶ πάσαις τε ἄπρακτος γεγονὼς εἶτα ἀπεῖπεν.

Dewing And when they fared as their predecessors had, still others undertook the task. So after Totila had in this way sent in many troops and had accomplished nothing with all of them, he finally gave up.

Greek Οἱ μὲν οὖν πεντήκοντα κλέος ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς ἀπήνεγκαν μέγα, δύο δὲ αὐτῶν διαφερόντως ἐν τῷ πόνῳ τούτῳ ἠρίστευσαν, Παῦλός τε καὶ ʼΑνσίλας, οἳ δὴ ἐκπεπηδηκότες τῆς φάλαγγος δήλωσιν ἀρετῆς μάλιστα πάντων πεποίηνται.

Dewing Thus the fifty won great renown for valour, but two of them distinguished themselves particularly in this action, Paulus and Ansilas, who had leaped out from the phalanx and made a display of valour surpassing all others.

Greek τοὺς μὲν γὰρ ἀκινάκας σπασάμενοι κατέθεντο εἰς τὸ ἔδαφος, τὰ δὲ τόξα ἐντεινάμενοι ἔβαλλον ἐπικαιριώτατα στοχαζόμενοι τῶν πολεμίων.

Dewing For they drew their swords and laid them on the ground, and then stretched their bows and kept shooting with a most telling aim at the enemy.

Greek καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν ἄνδρας, πολλοὺς δὲ ἵππους διεχρήσαντο, ἕως ἔτι εἶχον τοὺς ἀτράκτους αὐτοῖς αἱ φαρέτραι. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἅπαντα αὐτοὺς τὰ βέλη ἤδη ἐπιλελοίπει, οἱ δὲ τά τε ξίφη ἀνελόμενοι καὶ τὰς ἀσπίδας προβεβλημένοι κατὰ μόνας τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἠμύνοντο.

Dewing And they destroyed many men and many horses as well, as long as their quivers still held arrows. At length, when their missiles had now entirely failed them, seizing their swords and holding their shields before them, all by themselves they warded off the assailants.

Greek ἐπειδάν τε ἱππευόμενοι τῶν ἐναντίων τινὲς ξὺν τοῖς δόρασιν ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἴοιεν, οἱ δὲ τοῖς ξίφεσι παίοντες ἀπεκαύλιζον τῶν δοράτων εὐθὺς τὰς αἰχμάς.

Dewing And whenever any of their opponents on horseback came at them with their spears, they immediately broke off the heads of the spears with a blow of their swords.

Greek πολλάκις δὲ αὐτῶν οὕτω δὴ ἀναστελλόντων τὰς τῶν πολεμίων ἐπιδρομὰς ξυνηνέχθη τὸ θατέρου ξίφος ʽἦν δὲ οὗτος ἀνὴρ Παῦλος ὀνόματἰ συγκεκάμφθαι τῇ ἐς τὰ ξύλα συνεχεῖ τομῇ καὶ τὸ παράπαν ἀχρεῖον εἶναι. ὅπερ αὐτίκα μὲν προσουδίζει χαμαί,

Dewing But after they had in this manner checked the onrushes of the enemy many times, it came about that the sword of one of them (this was Paulus) was bent double by the frequent cutting of the wooden shafts and so was utterly useless.

Greek χερσὶ δὲ ἀμφοτέραις ἐπιλαβόμενος τῶν δοράτων ἀφῃρεῖτο τοὺς ἐπιόντας. τέτταρά τε δόρατα οὕτω τοὺς πολεμίους διαφανῶς ἀφελόμενος αἰτιώτατος γέγονε τοῦ τὴν πρᾶξιν αὐτοὺς ἀπογνῶναι.

Dewing This then he immediately threw on the ground, and seizing the spears with both hands he would wrench them from his assailants. And by wrenching four spears from the enemy in this way in the sight of all he made himself the chief cause of their abandoning their attempt.

Greek διὸ δὴ αὐτὸν ὑπασπιστὴν αὑτοῦ ἴδιον ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔργου τούτου Ναρσῆς τὸ λοιπὸν κατεστήσατο.

Dewing Wherefore, in consequence of the exploit, Narses made him a personal guard of his own from that time on.