Belisarius Asks for Huns and Barbarians

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

The chapter belongs to the Scythian shelf because Belisarius explicitly identifies a large force of Huns and other barbarians as one of the necessary conditions for recovering the war in Italy. The full chapter preserves the manpower crisis, unpaid armies, and Totila's tightening pressure on the Roman-held towns.

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 7.12.1-20

Belisarius, having no way to aid the besieged towns, sent John, the nephew of Vitalian, to Byzantium. He bound him with the most solemn oaths that he would make it his concern to return as quickly as possible, and sent him to beg the emperor to send them a large army, much money, and also arms and horses.

For the soldiers, though very few, were themselves unwilling to fight, saying that the state owed them much money and that they themselves lacked everything.

And this was true. Belisarius also wrote a letter to the emperor about these matters. The writing declared as follows: "We have arrived in Italy, most mighty emperor, without men, horses, arms, or money. Without an adequate supply of these, I think, no one would ever be able to carry on a war.

"For we went most diligently through Thrace and Illyricum and gathered soldiers, but they are altogether few and pitiable, with no arms in their hands and wholly unpracticed in battle.

"We also see that those left here are neither sufficient in number nor free from terror of the enemy. Their spirit has been enslaved by being defeated by them many times. They did not merely escape their opponents at random, but abandoned their horses and threw their arms to the ground.

"It is impossible for us to obtain revenue from Italy, since it has again been taken over by the enemy.

"Therefore, having fallen behind in the soldiers' pay, we are least of all able to give orders to them; for the debt has taken away our freedom of speech.

"Know this well too, master: most of those serving under you have deserted to the enemy.

"If it was necessary only that Belisarius be sent to Italy, then the preparations for your war have been made excellently; for I am already somewhere in the midst of the Italians. But if you wish to overcome your enemies in the war, the other things too must be furnished.

"For a general, I think, cannot exist without those who serve him. Therefore it is especially fitting that my spear-bearers and shield-bearers be sent to me before all others; then a very great multitude of Huns and other barbarians is needed, and money must immediately be given to them."

So much Belisarius wrote. But John spent a long time in Byzantium and accomplished none of the things for which he had come; instead he married the daughter of Germanus, the emperor's nephew.

Meanwhile Totila took Firmum and Asculum by agreement. Coming into Tuscany, he besieged Spolitium and Asisium. Herodian commanded the garrison in Spolitium; Sisifridus commanded the one in Asisium. Sisifridus was Gothic by birth, but very loyal to the Romans and to the emperor's cause.

Herodian came to terms with the enemy, on condition that they remain quiet for thirty days.

If no assistance came to them during that time, he would hand over himself, the city, the soldiers, and the inhabitants to the Goths. He gave his son as hostage for this agreement.

When the appointed time was present and no Roman army came from anywhere, Herodian and those who held the garrison there, according to the agreement, delivered themselves and Spolitium to Totila and the Goths.

They say that Herodian delivered himself and Spolitium to the Goths because of his enmity toward Belisarius; for Belisarius had threatened to call him to account for the life he had lived. The affairs around Spolitium went in this way.

Sisifridus, making a sally with those who followed him, lost most of his men and himself died.

The people of Asisium, being at a loss amid present circumstances, immediately gave the city over to the enemy. Totila also sent at once to Cyprian and demanded that he hand Perusia over to him. He threatened him if he disobeyed, but promised to reward him with great money

if he carried this out. When nothing went forward for him with Cyprian, he persuaded one of Cyprian's spear-bearers, named Ulifus, with money to destroy the man by treachery.

Ulifus, then, met Cyprian alone, killed him, and fled away to Totila. Nevertheless, the soldiers of Cyprian continued to guard the city for the emperor; therefore the Goths resolved to withdraw from there.

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 nineteenth unit in the Procopius Wars steppe and Black Sea translation dossier, and the third 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 7.12.1-20

Greek source text from Procopius, Wars 7.12. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

Wars 7.12

§ 7.12.1 Βελισάριος δὲ ἀμύνειν τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις οὐδαμῆ ἔχων Ἰωάννην τὸν Βιταλιανοῦ ἀνεψιὸν ἐς Βυζάντιον ἔπεμψεν, ὅρκοις αὐτὸν δεινοτάτοις καταλαβὼν ὡς ἐπανήκειν ὅτι τάχιστα ἐν σπουδῇ θήσεται, βασιλέως δεησόμενον στρατιάν τε πολλὴν σφίσι καὶ χρήματα μεγάλα πέμψαι, καὶ μέντοι καὶ ὅπλα καὶ ἵππους.

§ 7.12.2 οἱ γὰρ στρατιῶται ὀλίγοι λίαν ὄντες οὐδὲ αὐτοὶ μάχεσθαι ἤθελον, χρήματά τε πολλὰ φάσκοντες τὸ δημόσιον σφίσιν ὀφείλειν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἁπάντων ἐνδεεῖς εἶναι.

§ 7.12.3 καὶ ἦν δὲ οὕτως. καὶ γράμματα ὑπὲρ τούτων βασιλεῖ ἔγραψεν. ἐδήλου δὲ ἡ γραφὴ τάδε· “Ἀφίγμεθα εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν, ὦ βασιλεῦ κράτιστε, ἀνδρῶν τε καὶ ἵππων καὶ ὅπλων καὶ χρημάτων χωρίς. ὧν οὐδ’ ἄν τις μὴ διαρκῶς ἔχων πόλεμον, οἶμαι, διενεγκεῖν οὐ μή ποτε ἱκανὸς εἴη.

§ 7.12.4 Θρᾷκας μὲν γὰρ καὶ Ἰλλυριοὺς ἐνδελεχέστατα περιελθόντες στρατιώτας ξυνήγομεν κομιδῆ ὀλίγους οἰκτροὺς οὐδέ τι ὅπλων ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντας καὶ μάχης ὄντας παντάπασιν ἀμελετήτους.

§ 7.12.5 ὁρῶμεν δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἀπολελειμμένους ἐνταῦθα οὔτε αὐτάρκεις ὄντας καὶ κατεπτηχότας τοὺς πολεμίους δεδουλωμένους τε τὸ φρόνημα τῷ πρὸς ἐκείνων πολλάκις ἡσσῆσθαι, οἵ γε οὐδὲ εἰκῆ τοὺς ἐναντίους διέφυγον, ἀλλὰ τούς τε ἵππους ἀφέντες καὶ τὰ ὅπλα ἐς τὴν γῆν ῥίψαντες.

§ 7.12.6 χρημάτων δὲ πρόσοδον ἐξ Ἰταλίας πορίζεσθαι ἡμῖν ἀδύνατά ἐστι, πάλιν πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων κατειλημμένης.

§ 7.12.7 διὸ δὴ καὶ ὑπερήμεροι γεγενημένοι ἐς τῶν στρατιωτῶν τὰς συντάξεις ἐπιτάττειν αὐτοῖς ἥκιστα ἔχομεν· ἀφείλετο γὰρ ἡμῶν τὴν παρρησίαν τὸ ὄφλημα.

§ 7.12.8 εὖ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ὦ δέσποτα, ἴσθι, ὡς τῶν ὑπὸ σοὶ στρατευομένων οἱ πλείους πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους ηὐτομοληκότες τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες.

§ 7.12.9 εἰ μὲν οὖν ἔδει Βελισάριον ἐς Ἰταλίαν στέλλεσθαι μόνον, ἄριστά σοι τὰ ἐς τὸν πόλεμον παρεσκεύασται· εἰμὶ γὰρ ἐν Ἰταλιώταις ἤδη που μέσοις· εἰ δὲ περιεῖναι βούλει τῷ πολέμῳ τῶν δυσμενῶν, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἐξαρτύεσθαι δεῖ.

§ 7.12.10 στρατηγὸς γάρ τις, οἶμαι, τῶν ὑπουργούντων χωρὶς οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο. δορυφόρους τοίνυν καὶ ὑπασπιστὰς τοὺς ἐμοὺς μάλιστά μοι πάντων σταλῆναι προσήκει, ἔπειτα πάμπολύ τι πλῆθος Οὔννων τε καὶ ἄλλων βαρβάρων, οἷς καὶ χρήματα ἤδη δοτέον.”

§ 7.12.11 Τοσαῦτα μὲν Βελισάριος ἔγραψεν. Ἰωάννης δὲ χρόνον ἐν Βυζαντίῳ διατρίψας πολὺν οὐδὲν μὲν διεπράξατο ὧν ἕνεκα ἦλθεν, ἔγημε δὲ τοῦ Γερμανοῦ βασιλέως ἀνεψιοῦ παῖδα.

§ 7.12.12 ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Τουτίλας Φίρμον τε καὶ Ἄσκουλον ὁμολογίᾳ εἷλεν· ἐς Τούσκους τε ἀφικόμενος Σπολίτιόν τε καὶ Ἀσίσην ἐπολιόρκει. ἦρχε δὲ τοῦ μὲν ἐν Σπολιτίῳ φυλακτηρίου Ἡρωδιανός, τοῦ δὲ ἐν Ἀσίσῃ Σισίφριδος, Γότθος μὲν γένος, εὐνοϊκῶς δὲ λίαν ἔς τε Ῥωμαίους καὶ τὰ βασιλέως πράγματα ἔχων.

§ 7.12.13 Ἡρωδιανὸς μὲν οὖν τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐς λόγους ἦλθεν, ἐφ’ ᾧ τριάκοντα ἡμέρας ἡσυχῆ μείνωσιν.

§ 7.12.14 ὧν ἢν μὴ ἐπικουρία τις αὐτοῖς ἐπιγένηται, αὑτόν τε καὶ τὴν πόλιν ξύν τε τοῖς στρατιώταις καὶ τοῖς ἐνοικοῦσι Γότθοις ἐνδώσειν. τόν τε παῖδα ὅμηρον ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ παρέσχετο.

§ 7.12.15 ἐπειδὴ δὲ παρῆν μὲν ἡ κυρία, στράτευμα δὲ οὐδαμόθεν Ῥωμαίων ἦλθεν, Ἡρωδιανός τε καὶ ὅσοι φρουρὰν ἐνταῦθα εἶχον κατὰ τὰ ξυγκείμενα Τουτίλᾳ καὶ Γότθοις σφᾶς τε αὐτοὺς καὶ Σπολίτιον ἐνεχείρισαν.

§ 7.12.16 φασὶ δὲ Ἡρωδιανὸν κατὰ τὸ ἐς Βελισάριον ἔχθος αὑτόν τε καὶ Σπολίτιον Γότθοις ἐνδοῦναι· λογισμοὺς γὰρ αὐτὸν Βελισάριος τῶν βεβιωμένων ἠπείλησε πράξειν. Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἀμφὶ Σπολιτίῳ ταύτῃ ἐχώρησε.

§ 7.12.17 Σισίφριδος δὲ ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις ἐπεκδρομὴν ποιησάμενος, τῶν τε ξὺν αὐτῷ πλείστους ἀποβάλλει καὶ αὐτὸς θνήσκει.

§ 7.12.18 Ἀσίσηνοί τε τοῖς παροῦσιν ἀπορούμενοι, αὐτίκα τὴν πόλιν τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐνέδοσαν. πέμψας δὲ καὶ παρὰ Κυπριανὸν εὐθὺς Τουτίλας, ἐνδοῦναί οἱ αὐτῷ Περυσίαν ἠξίου, δεδιττόμενος μὲν ἢν ἀπειθήσῃ, χρήμασι δὲ αὐτὸν δωρήσασθαι μεγάλοις ἐπαγγελλόμενος,

§ 7.12.19 ἤν γε ταῦτα ἐπιτελοίη. ἐπεί τέ οί πρὸς Κυπριανοῦ οὐδὲν προὐχώρει, τῶν ἐκείνου δορυφόρων ἕνα, Οὔλιφον ὄνομα, χρήμασιν ἀναπείθει δόλῳ τὸν ἄνθρωπον διαχρήσασθαι.

§ 7.12.20 Οὔλιφος μὲν οὖν μόνῳ τῷ Κυπριανῷ ἐντυχὼν ἔκτεινέ τε αὐτὸν καὶ παρὰ Τουτίλαν φεύγων ᾤχετο. οὐδὲν δὲ ἧσσον οἱ Κυπριανοῦ στρατιῶται βασιλεῖ τὴν πόλιν ἐφύλασσον· διὸ δὴ Γότθοι ἐνθένδε ἀναχωρεῖν ἔγνωσαν.

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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