Totila, Maximinus, and the Few Huns

This Good Works Translation begins the Book 7 Procopius dossier passages from the Greek.

The Hunnic detail is brief, but it belongs to the chapter's whole military frame: Justinian answers Totila's recovery of Italy with a naval expedition of Thracians, Armenians, and a small Hunnic contingent, only for inexperience and delay to waste the force before Naples.

The translation is newly made from the Greek source text printed below. Dewing's public-domain English translation was used only as a control.

Translation

Wars 7.6.1-26

After this Totila took the fortresses of Caesena and Petra. A little later he entered Tuscany and made trial of the places there. Since no one was willing to yield to him, he crossed the Tiber, carefully avoiding the territory of Rome, and immediately advanced into Campania and Samnium.

Without trouble he took the strong city of Beneventum, whose walls he razed to the ground, so that any army coming from Byzantium would not be able to use this strong base and trouble the Goths.

After this he decided to besiege Naples, because the inhabitants, although he often spoke winningly to them, were wholly unwilling to receive him into the city.

Conon was guarding Naples with a force of a thousand Romans and Isaurians.

Totila himself, with the greater part of the army, made camp not far from the fortifications and remained quiet. But he sent out part of the army and took the fortress of Cumae and certain other strongholds, from which he succeeded in gathering great sums of money.

When he found the wives of senators there, he not only refrained from offering them any insult, but even showed such kindness that he let them go free; by this deed he won a great name for prudence and humanity among all Romans.

Since no hostile force was operating against him, he was constantly sending small detachments of the army around the country and accomplishing important things.

In this way he brought the Bruttii and Lucani under his power, and gained Apulia as well as Calabria.

He collected the public taxes himself and received the revenues from the land instead of those who owned the estates. In all other matters he conducted himself as one who had become master of Italy.

Because of this the Roman soldiers naturally did not receive their customary payments at the appointed times, and the emperor owed them great sums of money.

Because of these things, the Italians, driven out of their property and falling for a second time into extreme danger, began to be very dejected. The soldiers, for their part, became increasingly insubordinate to their commanders and were glad to remain inside the cities.

Constantianus was holding Ravenna; John, Rome; Bessas, Spolitium; Justinus, Florentia; and Cyprian, Perusia. Each of the others held whatever town had first offered him refuge and safety in his flight.

When the emperor heard these things, he was deeply distressed and quickly appointed Maximinus praetorian prefect of Italy, giving him authority over the commanders for carrying on the war and for furnishing provisions to the soldiers according to their need.

He sent a fleet of ships with him, manning them with Thracian and Armenian soldiers. Herodian was leader of the Thracians, and Phazas the Iberian, nephew of Peranius, was leader of the Armenians. A few Huns also sailed with them.

So Maximinus sailed out from Byzantium with the whole fleet and reached Epirus in Greece, where, for no good reason, he settled down and wasted the critical time.

For he was utterly inexperienced in deeds of war, and consequently both timid and very prone to delay.

Later the emperor also sent Demetrius as general, a man who had previously served under Belisarius as commander of a detachment of infantry.

Demetrius sailed to Sicily. Learning that Conon and the inhabitants of Naples were being pressed very hard by the siege and were altogether without provisions, he wished to go to their aid with all speed, but he was unable to do so because the force following him was so small as to count for little.

Therefore he devised the following plan. Gathering as many ships as possible from all Sicily and filling them with grain and other provisions, he sailed, making it appear to his opponents that an enormous army was aboard the ships.

He judged the enemy's mind correctly, for they thought that a great army was coming against them, drawing this conclusion because they had learned that a great fleet was sailing from Sicily.

If Demetrius had been willing at the very first to steer straight for Naples, I think he would have both struck terror into the enemy and saved the city, with no one opposing him.

But as it was, he thought the danger too great. He did not put in at Naples at all, but sailed to the harbor of Rome and began hastily to gather soldiers from there.

The soldiers at Rome, having been defeated by the barbarians and still regarding them with great awe, were in no way willing to follow Demetrius against Totila and the Goths.

Thus it came about that he was compelled to go to Naples with only the troops who had come with him from Byzantium.

Now there was another Demetrius, a Cephallenian by birth, who had previously been a sailor and was thoroughly experienced in matters of the sea and its dangers. Having sailed with Belisarius to Libya and to Italy, he had become notable for this skill. For this reason the emperor had appointed him governor of Naples.

When the barbarians began to besiege the town, this man was carried away by utter wantonness. He began to heap insults upon Totila and continued often doing so; the man was observed to have an exceedingly reckless tongue during that crisis.

As the situation grew worse and the loss of life among the besieged became serious, acting on Conon's advice he dared to embark secretly on a small boat and go alone to the general Demetrius.

To everyone's surprise he made the voyage safely, came before Demetrius, and tried with all his power to stir him to boldness, urging him to undertake the task before him.

But Totila had heard the whole truth about this fleet and was holding many very swift ships ready. When the enemy put in at that part of the coast not far from Naples, he came upon them unexpectedly, filled the whole force with panic, and turned it to flight.

Although he killed many of them, he captured a very large number. Only those escaped who succeeded at the first in leaping into the small boats of the ships; among them was Demetrius the general.

For the barbarians captured all the ships with their cargoes and crews. Among these they found Demetrius, the governor of Naples.

They cut off his tongue and both his hands. They did not kill him, but released him thus mutilated to go wherever he wished. This, then, was the penalty Demetrius paid to Totila for an unbridled tongue.

Colophon

This Good Works Translation was prepared for the Scythian shelf by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Greek source text printed below. The Greek text was downloaded from the PerseusDL canonical Greek repository as tlg4029.tlg001.perseus-grc2.xml and inspected locally. Dewing's public-domain English, preserved in the local ToposText capture and Ready archival dossier, was used only as a control.

This is the seventeenth unit in the Procopius Wars steppe and Black Sea translation dossier, and the first Book 7 unit.

Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: Procopius, Wars 7.6.1-26

Greek source text from Procopius, Wars 7.6. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

Wars 7.6

§ 7.6.1 Ἔπειτα δὲ ὁ Τουτίλας Καισῆνάν τε καὶ Πέτραν τὰ φρούρια εἷλεν. ὀλίγον τε ὕστερον ἐς Τουσκίαν ἀφίκετο, καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα χωρίων ἀποπειρασάμενος, ἐπεί οἱ προσχωρεῖν οὐδεὶς ἤθελε, Τίβεριν ποταμὸν διαβάς, ἐς μὲν τὰ Ῥώμης ὅρια οὐδαμῆ ἦλθεν, ἐς Καμπανοὺς δὲ καὶ Σαμνίτας αὐτίκα ἥκων Βενεβεντὸν πόλιν ἐχυρὰν παρεστήσατο οὐδενὶ πόνῳ, καὶ αὐτῆς τὰ τείχη ἐς ἔδαφος καθεῖλεν, ὅπως μὴ στράτευμα ἐκ Βυζαντίου ἧκον ἔκ τε ὀχυροῦ ὁρμώμενον πράγματα Γότθοις παρέχειν δύνηται.

§ 7.6.2 μετὰ δὲ Νεαπολίτας πολιορκεῖν ἔγνω, ἐπεὶ αὐτὸν δέχεσθαι τῇ πόλει, καίπερ ἐπαγωγὰ πολλὰ λέγοντα, ὡς ἥκιστα ἤθελον. Κόνων γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ἐφύλασσε, Ῥωμαίων τε καὶ Ἰσαύρων χιλίους ἔχων.

§ 7.6.3 καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν τῷ πλείονι τοῦ στρατοῦ ἐνστρατοπεδευσάμενος οὐ πολλῷ ἄποθεν τοῦ περιβόλου ἡσύχαζε, πέμψας δὲ τῆς στρατιᾶς μοῖραν, Κύμην τε τὸ φρούριον καὶ ἄλλα ἄττα ὀχυρώματα εἷλε, χρήματά τε ἐνθένδε περιβαλέσθαι μεγάλα ἴσχυσε.

§ 7.6.4 καὶ γυναῖκας τῶν ἐκ βουλῆς ἐνταῦθα εὑρὼν οὔτε ὕβρισε καὶ ξὺν πολλῇ φιλοφροσύνῃ ἐλευθέρας ἀφῆκε, μέγα τε ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ὄνομα ἐπί τε ξυνέσει καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ ἐς Ῥωμαίους ἅπαντας ἔσχε. Καὶ ἐπεί οἱ πολέμιον οὐδὲν ὑπηντίαζεν, ὀλίγους ἀεὶ τοῦ στρατοῦ περιπέμπων ἔργα λόγου πολλοῦ ἄξια ἔπρασσε.

§ 7.6.5 Βριττίους μὲν καὶ Λευκανοὺς παρεστήσατο, καὶ Ἀπουλίαν ξὺν Καλαβρίᾳ ἔσχε, τούς τε δημοσίους φόρους αὐτὸς ἔπρασσε, καὶ τὰς τῶν χρημάτων προσόδους ἀντὶ τῶν τὰ χωρία κεκτημένων ἐφέρετο, καὶ τἄλλα καθίστη ἅτε τῆς Ἰταλίας γεγονὼς κύριος.

§ 7.6.6 διὸ δὴ τῇ Ῥωμαίων στρατιᾷ χρόνοις τοῖς καθήκουσιν οὐ κομιζομένῃ τὰς συνειθισμένας συντάξεις χρήματα μεγάλα βασιλεὺς ὤφειλε.

§ 7.6.7 καὶ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ οἱ μὲν Ἰταλιῶται τῶν τε προσηκόντων ἐκπεπτωκότες καὶ ἐς κινδύνου μέγεθος αὖθις ἐληλακότες ἐν πένθει μεγάλῳ ἐγίνοντο. οἱ δὲ στρατιῶται ἀπειθεστέρους αὑτοὺς τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἔτι μᾶλλον παρεῖχον, ἔν τε ταῖς πόλεσιν ἄσμενοι ἔμενον.

§ 7.6.8 Κωνσταντιανὸς μὲν οὖν Ῥάβενναν εἶχεν, Ἰωάννης δὲ Ῥώμην, Σπολίτιον δὲ Βέσσας, καὶ Ἰουστῖνος Φλωρεντιαν, Κυπριανὸς δὲ Περυσίαν, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἕκαστος ὅπη φυγών τε καὶ διασωθεὶς κατ’ ἀρχὰς ἔτυχε.

§ 7.6.9 Ταῦτα βασιλεὺς μαθών τε καὶ ἐν ξυμφορᾷ πεποιημένος τῶν Ἰταλίας πραιτωρίων ἔπαρχον Μαξιμῖνον ὡς τάχιστα κατεστήσατο, ἐφ’ ᾧ τοῖς τε ἄρχουσιν ἐς τὸν πόλεμον ἐπιστάτης εἴη καὶ τοῖς στρατιώταις τὰ ἐπιτήδεια κατὰ τὴν χρείαν πορίζηται.

§ 7.6.10 καί οἱ νεῶν ξυνέπεμψε στόλον, Θρᾳκῶν τε καὶ Ἀρμενίων στρατιωτῶν ἐμπλησάμενος. ἡγεῖτο δὲ τῶν μὲν Θρᾳκῶν Ἡρωδιανός, τῶν δὲ Ἀρμενίων Φάζας Ἴβηρ, Περανίου ἀδελφιδοῦς· ξυνέπλεον δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ Οὖννοι ὀλίγοι.

§ 7.6.11 Μαξιμῖνος μὲν οὖν ἄρας ἐκ Βυζαντίου παντὶ τῷ στόλῳ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἐς τὴν Ἤπειρον ἦλθεν· ἔνθα δὴ τὸν καιρὸν κατατρίβων ἐκάθητο οὐδενὶ λόγῳ.

§ 7.6.12 ἦν γὰρ πολεμίων ἔργων οὐδαμῶς ἔμπειρος καὶ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ δειλός τε καὶ μελλητὴς ἐς τὰ μάλιστα.

§ 7.6.13 Μετὰ δὲ καὶ Δημήτριον στρατηγὸν βασιλεὺς ἔπεμψεν, ὃς δὴ τὰ πρότερα ξὺν Βελισαρίῳ ἐστράτευε καταλόγου πεζικοῦ ἄρχων.

§ 7.6.14 καταπλεύσας οὖν ὁ Δημήτριος ἐς Σικελίαν, ἐπεὶ Κόνωνά τε καὶ Νεαπολίτας πικρότατα πολιορκεῖσθαι τῶν ἐπιτηδείων παντάπασι σπανίζοντας ἤκουσε, βοηθεῖν μὲν κατὰ τάχος ἤθελεν, ἀδύνατος δὲ ὤν, ἐπεί οἱ στράτευμα βραχύ τε καὶ οὐκ ἀξιόλογον εἵπετο,

§ 7.6.15 ἐπενόει τοιάδε. ναῦς ὅτι πλείστας ἐκ Σικελίας ἁπάσης ἀγείρας σίτου τε αὐτὰς ἐμπλησάμενος καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιτηδείων ἔπλει, δόκησιν παρέχων τοῖς ἐναντίοις πάμπολύ τι στράτευμα ἐν ταῖς ναυσὶν εἶναι.

§ 7.6.16 καὶ ἔτυχέ γε τῆς τῶν πολεμίων ἐννοίας. μέγαν γὰρ σφίσιν ἐπιέναι στρατὸν ᾤοντο, τεκμαιρόμενοι ὅτι δὴ στόλου πολύ τι χρῆμα πλεῖν ἐκ Σικελίας ἐπύθοντο.

§ 7.6.17 καὶ εἰ μὲν κατ’ ἀρχὰς εὐθὺ Νεαπόλεως ἰέναι Δημήτριος ἤθελεν, οἶμαι ἂν αὐτὸν ἐκπλῆξαί τε τοὺς πολεμίους καὶ τὴν πόλιν διασώσασθαι, οὐδενός οἱ ἀντιστατοῦντος.

§ 7.6.18 νῦν δὲ κατορρωδήσας τὸν κίνδυνον καταίρειν μὲν ἐς Νεάπολιν ἥκιστα ἔγνω, ἐς δὲ τὸν Ῥώμης καταπλεύσας λιμένα, στρατιώτας ἐνθένδε ἀγείρειν ἐν σπουδῇ ἐποιεῖτο.

§ 7.6.19 οἱ δὲ ἅτε πρὸς τῶν βαρβάρων ἡσσημένοι τε καὶ μέγα δέος ἔτι ἀπ’ αὐτῶν ἔχοντες, ἕπεσθαι Δημητρίῳ ἐπὶ Τουτίλαν τε καὶ Γότθους οὐδαμῆ ἤθελον. διὸ δὴ μόνοις τοῖς ἐκ Βυζαντίου ξὺν αὐτῷ ἥκουσιν ἐς Νεάπολιν ἰέναι ἠνάγκαστο.

§ 7.6.20 Ἦν δέ τις Δημήτριος ἕτερος, Κεφαληνὸς γένος, ναύτης μὲν τὸ παλαιὸν καὶ τῶν κατὰ θάλασσαν ἔργων τε καὶ κινδύνων ἀκριβῶς ἔμπειρος, πλεύσας δὲ ξὺν Βελισαρίῳ ἔς τε Λιβύην καὶ Ἰταλίαν ἐγένετο ἐς ταύτην δὴ τὴν ἐμπειρίαν δόκιμος, καὶ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἐπίτροπον βασιλεὺς αὐτὸν Νεαπόλεως κατεστήσατο.

§ 7.6.21 ἐπειδή τε οἱ βάρβαροι τὸ χωρίον πολιορκεῖν ἤρξαντο, ἀσελγείᾳ πολλῇ ἐχόμενος ἐς τὸν Τουτίλαν συχνὰ ὕβριζε, λίαν τε ἀθυρόγλωσσος ἐν τούτῳ τῷ πόνῳ ὁ ἀνὴρ ὤφθη.

§ 7.6.22 Προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ κακοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀπωλείας Κόνωνος ἐς λέμβον τινὰ λάθρα ἐσβὰς ἐτόλμησε παρὰ τὸν στρατηγὸν Δημήτριον ἰέναι μόνος.

§ 7.6.23 ἐκ δὲ τοῦ παραδόξου σωθείς τε καὶ ξυγγενόμενος τῷ Δημητρίῳ ἐθάρσυνέ τε μάλιστα καὶ ἐς ταύτην δὴ τὴν πρᾶξιν ἐνῆγε.

§ 7.6.24 Τουτίλας δὲ τὸν πάντα λόγον ἀμφὶ τῷ στόλῳ τούτῳ ἀκούσας δρόμωνας μὲν πολλοὺς ἄριστα πλέοντας ἐν παρασκευῇ εἶχεν, ἐπειδὴ δὲ κατῆραν ἐς τὴν ἐκείνῃ ἀκτὴν οἱ πολέμιοι Νεαπόλεως οὐ μακρὰν ἄποθεν, ἐλθὼν ἐκ τοῦ ἀπροσδοκήτου κατέπληξέ τε καὶ ἐς φυγὴν ἅπαντας ἔτρεψε.

§ 7.6.25 καὶ αὐτῶν πολλοὺς μὲν ἔκτεινεν, ἐζώγρησε δὲ πλείστους, διέφυγον δὲ ὅσοι ἐς τῶν νεῶν τοὺς λέμβους ἐσπηδῆσαι κατ’ ἀρχὰς ἴσχυσαν, ἐν τοῖς καὶ Δημήτριος ὁ στρατηγὸς ἦν. τὰς γὰρ ναῦς ἁπάσας σὺν αὐτοῖς φορτίοις, αὐτοῖς ἀνδράσιν,

§ 7.6.26 οἱ βάρβαροι εἷλον. οὗ δὴ καὶ Δημήτριον τὸν Νεαπόλεως ἐπίτροπον εὗρον. γλῶσσάν τε καὶ χεῖρας ἄμφω ἀποτεμόντες οὐκ ἔκτειναν μέν, οὕτω δὲ λωβησάμενοι ὅπη βούλοιτο ἀφῆκαν ἰέναι. ταύτην τε Τουτίλᾳ τὴν δίκην Δημήτριος γλώσσης ἀκολάστου ἐξέτισεν.

Source Colophon

Greek source text from the PerseusDL canonical Greek repository file tlg4029.tlg001.perseus-grc2.xml, inspected locally for this translation unit.

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