Totila, Narses, and the Hunnic Battle Line

This Good Works Translation continues the Book 8 Procopius dossier passages from the Greek.

These chapters belong to the Scythian shelf because Totila names Huns, Lombards, and Eruli as paid auxiliaries in the Roman army, and Procopius then describes Narses' line with chosen barbarian Huns, Lombards, Eruli, and other barbarians dismounted as infantry. The full paired chapters preserve the military, rhetorical, and tactical frame around those notices.

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 8.30.1-20

So these events had gone as described. Both armies now made ready for battle, and Narses gathered his army into a small space and exhorted them as follows.

"Men who are being brought into danger against enemies equal to them in strength may perhaps need much exhortation, and counsel that urges them on to eagerness, so that, by having this advantage over their opponents, they may come out of the battle in the best temper of mind. But for you, men, whose battle is against men far inferior to you in courage, numbers, and all other preparation, I think nothing further is needed than to enter this encounter with God gracious toward you.

"Bring Him, then, constantly to your aid by prayer, and go forward against these robbers with great contempt for them. From the beginning they were slaves of the great emperor; then they became runaways, set up over themselves a common tyrant from the rabble, and by a sort of stealth found strength for a time to throw the Roman empire into confusion.

"Indeed, if they had reasoned as they ought, one would not have suspected that they would now so much as draw themselves up opposite us.

"But dying in a fit of reckless audacity, and displaying a mad forwardness, they dare to choose a death that lies plain before them. They are not putting good hope before them; nor are they watching for anything that may arise for them out of the unexpected or the incredible. Rather, they are plainly being led by God to pay the penalties for what they have done in the state. For men upon whom some suffering has been judged from above go forward to their punishments of their own accord.

"Apart from this, you enter this encounter risking yourselves on behalf of a lawful commonwealth; they are revolutionaries struggling against the laws. They do not expect to pass anything they possess on to any successors, but know well that everything will perish together with them, and that they live with only a day's hope.

"For this reason they most deserve to be despised. From men who are not held together by law and good polity, every virtue has departed; and victory, as is natural, has already been decided, since it is not accustomed to array itself against the virtues."

Such was the exhortation Narses made.

Totila also, seeing his followers astonished at the Roman army, called them all together and spoke as follows.

"Men and fellow soldiers, I have gathered you here to give you my last exhortation.

"For after this encounter, I think, there will be no further need of another address; the war will in every way be decided in a single day.

"For it has so happened that we, and the Emperor Justinian too, have been drained of strength and stripped of all forces. We have lived for a very great length of time with labors, battles, and hardships, and have been exhausted by the necessities of war. Therefore, if in the present encounter we prevail over our opponents, they will have no way hereafter to renew the struggle. But if we suffer some setback in this battle, no hope of fighting again will be left to the Goths. Each side will have a plausible excuse, in defeat, for remaining quiet permanently.

"For when men are forced by events to renounce the worst hardships, they no longer dare to return to them, but even if necessity pushes them toward these things with great force, they are checked in their judgments, since the memory of evils terrifies their souls.

"Knowing these things, men, be brave with all your strength. Do not store away any excellence of soul for another time. Endure hardship with all courage, and do not save your body for some later danger.

"Let there be no sparing of arms or horses among you, since they will no longer be of use to you. For Fortune, having worn out all other things beforehand, has kept only the head of our hope for this day.

"Practice good courage, then, and prepare yourselves for daring. For those whose hope stands on a hair's breadth, as yours does now, will not profit by lying back even for the slightest turn of time.

"When the prime moment has passed, zeal becomes useless thereafter, even if it is extraordinarily great; the nature of events does not admit stale valor, since, after the need has gone by, what comes afterward must be out of season.

"I think, then, that you must seize the contest in action at the most opportune moment, so that you may also be able to use its good things. Know also that at present flight is especially fit to destroy you.

"For men flee, abandoning the line, for no other reason than that they may live; but if flight is going to bring obvious death with it, the man who stands the danger will be far safer than the man who has fled.

"The crowd of the enemy should be despised, since it has been collected from as many nations as possible. An alliance gathered piecemeal from many places brings neither trust nor strength secure with it, but, being split by peoples, is naturally divided also in mind.

"Do not suppose that Huns and Lombards and Eruli, hired by them for I do not know how much money, will ever risk themselves for them to the point of death.

"Their life is not so cheap to them that it takes second place to silver in their judgment. I know well that, while making a show of fighting, they will at once willingly play the coward, either because they have already received their hire or because they have fulfilled the command laid on them by the rulers among them.

"For even those things in human affairs that seem most pleasant, not to mention hostile things, if they are not done according to one's own will, but by compulsion, or for pay, or under some other necessity, no longer fall out according to desire, but appear miserable because of the compulsion. Thinking on these things, let us advance against the enemy with all eagerness."

Wars 8.31.1-21

So much, then, did Totila also say. The armies came together for battle and were drawn up in the following way.

On both sides all stood facing forward, intending to make the front of the phalanx as deep and as long as possible.

On the Roman side, Narses and John held the left wing around the hill, together with whatever was best in the Roman army.

For apart from the other soldiers, each of them was followed by a picked body of spearmen, guards, and barbarian Huns, chosen for their excellence.

On the right Valerian and John the Glutton, together with Dagisthaeus and all the remaining Romans, were arrayed.

They placed about eight thousand foot archers from the enrolled soldiers on the two wings. In the middle of the phalanx Narses posted the Lombards, the nation of the Eruli, and all the other barbarians, after dismounting them from their horses and making them serve as infantry, so that if they proved cowardly in action, or willingly played the coward, they would not have swift means of slipping away.

Narses set the end of the Roman left wing's front at an angle, stationing fifteen hundred cavalry there.

He had ordered the five hundred, as soon as any of the Romans happened to be routed, to hurry to their aid; and he ordered the thousand, whenever the enemy infantry began action, immediately to come behind them and place them between two attacks.

Totila likewise set his whole army opposite the enemy in the same manner. Passing around his own line, he encouraged the soldiers and called them to daring by his look and speech.

Narses did the same thing, raising bracelets, necklaces, and golden bridles on poles, and displaying certain other incentives to kindle eagerness for the danger.

For some time neither side began the battle, but both remained quiet, awaiting the attack of the other.

After this a man from the Gothic army, named Coccas, who had long had a reputation for energy, rode his horse out and came very near the Roman army, challenging anyone who wished to come out against him for single combat.

This Coccas was one of the Roman soldiers who had previously deserted to Totila.

At once one of Narses' guards stood opposite him, an Armenian by birth, named Anzalas, himself mounted on a horse.

Coccas, attacking first, rushed against his enemy as if to strike him with his spear, aiming at his belly.

But Anzalas suddenly turned his horse aside and made Coccas' own onset useless to him. Thus coming at the enemy from the side, he drove his spear into his left flank.

Coccas fell from his horse and lay dead on the ground. An extraordinary shout rose from the Roman army, yet even so neither side began any battle.

Totila then came alone into the space between the armies, not to fight in single combat, but to steal this moment away from his opponents. For learning that the two thousand Goths who were missing were approaching somewhere near, he was putting off the encounter until their arrival, and did the following.

First, he did not disdain to show the enemy what sort of man he was. He wore a suit of armor wholly covered with gold, and the adornment of his cheek-pieces, cap, and spear hung down in purple and in other royal fashion, wonderful in its abundance.

Mounted on an extraordinary horse, he skillfully played an armed game in the space between the armies. He wheeled the horse round in a circle, then turned it to either side and made circular courses again.

As he rode, he let his spear go into the air; then, catching it as it quivered, passing it often from hand to hand on either side and shifting it skillfully, he made a display of his practice in such things, leaning back, bending toward the flank, and inclining to either side, as if he had been accurately taught the dance from childhood.

Doing these things, he wore away the whole early afternoon. Wanting to extend the postponement of the battle still longer, he sent to the Roman camp, saying that he wished to meet them for talks. But Narses insisted that he was trying to deceive them, since if he had formerly meant to make war, when there was opportunity to propose talks, he now came to discussions only after he had entered the space between the armies.

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 forty-second unit in the Procopius Wars steppe and Black Sea translation dossier, and the seventeenth Book 8 unit.

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

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Source Text: Procopius, Wars 8.30.1-20 and 8.31.1-21

Greek source text from Procopius, Wars 8.30-31. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

Wars 8.30

§ 8.30.1 Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τῇδε κεχώρηκεν. ἑκάτεροι δὲ παρεσκευάζοντο εἰς παράταξιν. καὶ Ναρσῆς τὸ στράτευμα ἐν χώρῳ ὀλίγῳ ξυναγαγὼν τοιάδε παρεκελεύσατο· “Τοῖς μὲν ἐξ ἀντιπάλου τῆς δυνάμεως ἐς ἀγωνίαν τοῖς πολεμίοις καθισταμένοις παρακελεύσεώς τε ἂν ἴσως δεήσειε πολλῆς καὶ παραινέσεως ἐς τὴν προθυμίαν ὁρμώσης, ὅπως δὴ ταύτῃ τῶν ἐναντίων πλεονεκτοῦντες κατὰ νοῦν μάλιστα τῆς παρατάξεως ἀπαλλάξωσιν· ὑμῖν δέ, ὦ ἄνδρες, οἷς καὶ τῇ ἀρετῇ καὶ τῷ πλήθει καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ παρασκευῇ πάσῃ πολλῷ τῷ διαλλάσσοντι πρὸς καταδεεστέρους ἡ μάχη ἐστίν, οὐδὲν ἄλλο προσδεῖν οἴομαι ἢ τῷ θεῷ ἵλεῳ ἐς ξυμβολὴν τήνδε καθίστασθαι.

§ 8.30.2 εὐχῇ τοίνυν αὐτὸν ἐνδελεχέστατα ἐς ξυμμαχίαν ἐπαγόμενοι πολλῷ τῷ καταφρονήματι ἐπὶ τούτων δὴ τῶν λῃστῶν τὴν ἐπικράτησιν ἵεσθε, οἵ γε δοῦλοι βασιλέως τοῦ μεγάλου τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὄντες καὶ δραπέται γεγενημένοι τύραννόν τε αὑτοῖς ἀγελαῖόν τινα ἐκ τοῦ συρφετοῦ προστησάμενοι ἐπικλοπώτερον συνταράξαι τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν ἐπὶ καιροῦ τινὸς ἴσχυσαν.

§ 8.30.3 καίτοι τούτους γε ἡμῖν οὐδὲ ἀντιπαρατάσσεσθαι νῦν τὰ εἰκότα λογιζομένους ὑπώπτευσεν ἄν τις.

§ 8.30.4 οἱ δὲ θράσει θανατῶντες ἀλογίστῳ τινὶ καὶ μανιώδη προπέτειαν ἐνδεικνύμενοι προὖπτον αὐτοῖς θάνατον ἀναιρεῖσθαι τολμῶσιν, οὐ προβεβλημένοι τὴν ἀγαθὴν ἐλπίδα, οὐδὲ τί ἐπιγενήσεται σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἐκ τοῦ παραλόγου καὶ τοῦ παραδόξου καραδοκοῦντες, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τοῦ θεοῦ διαρρήδην ἐπὶ τὰς ποινὰς τῶν πεπολιτευμένων ἀγόμενοι. ὧν γὰρ ἄνωθέν τι κατεγνώσθη παθεῖν, χωροῦσιν ἐπὶ τὰς τιμωρίας αὐτόματοι.

§ 8.30.5 χωρὶς δὲ τούτων ὑμεῖς μὲν πολιτείας εὐνόμου προκινδυνεύοντες καθίστασθε εἰς ξυμβολὴν τήνδε, οἱ δὲ νεωτερίζουσιν ἐπὶ τοῖς νόμοις ζυγομαχοῦντες, οὐ παραπέμψειν τι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ἐς διαδόχους προσδοκῶντές τινας, ἀλλ’ εὖ εἰδότες ὡς συναπολεῖται αὐτοῖς ἅπαντα καὶ μετ’ ἐφημέρου βιοτεύουσι τῆς ἐλπίδος.

§ 8.30.6 ὥστε καταφρονεῖσθαι τὰ μάλιστά εἰσιν ἄξιοι. τῶν γὰρ οὐ νόμῳ καὶ ἀγαθῇ πολιτείᾳ ξυνισταμένων ἀπολέλειπται μὲν ἀρετὴ πᾶσα, διακέκριται δέ, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, ἡ νίκη, οὐκ εἰωθυῖα

§ 8.30.7 ταῖς ἀρεταῖς ἀντιτάσσεσθαι.” τοιαύτην μὲν ὁ Ναρσῆς τὴν παρακέλευσιν ἐποιήσατο. Καὶ Τουτίλας δὲ τεθηπότας. τὴν Ῥωμαίων στρατιὰν τούς οἱ ἑπομένους ὁρῶν ξυγκαλέσας καὶ αὐτὸς ἅπαντας ἔλεξε τάδε. “Ὑστάτην ὑμῖν παραίνεσιν ποιησόμενος ἐνταῦθα ὑμᾶς, ἄνδρες ξυστρατιῶται, ξυνήγαγον.

§ 8.30.8 ἄλλης γάρ, οἶμαι, παρακελεύσεως μετὰ τήνδε τὴν ξυμβολὴν οὐκέτι δεήσει, ἀλλὰ τὸν πόλεμον ἐς ἡμέραν μίαν ἀποκεκρίσθαι ξυμβήσεται πάντως.

§ 8.30.9 οὕτω γὰρ ἡμᾶς τε καὶ βασιλέα Ἰουστινιανὸν ἐκνενευρίσθαι τετύχηκε καὶ περιῃρῆσθαι δυνάμεις ἁπάσας, πόνοις τε καὶ μάχαις καὶ ταλαιπωρίαις ὡμιληκότας ἐπὶ χρόνου παμμέγεθες μῆκος, ἀπειρηκέναι τε πρὸς τὰς τοῦ πολέμου ἀνάγκας, ὥστε, ἢν τῇ ξυμβολῇ τῇ νῦν τῶν ἐναντίων περιεσόμεθα, οὐδαμῶς ἀναποδιεῖν τὸ λοιπὸν ἕξουσιν, ἢν δὲ ἡμεῖς τι προσπταίσωμεν ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ μάχῃ, ἐλπὶς οὐδεμία εἰς τὸ ἀναμαχήσεσθαι λελείψεται Γότθοις, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἧσσαν ἑκατέροις σκῆψιν ἐς τὴν ἡσυχίαν εὐπρόσωπον διαρκῶς ἕξομεν.

§ 8.30.10 ἀπολέγοντες γὰρ ἄνθρωποι πρὸς τῶν πραγμάτων τὰ πονηρότατα ἐς αὐτὰ ἐπανιέναι οὐκέτι τολμῶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα ἴσως διωθουμένης αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ ταῦτα τῆς χρείας ταῖς γνώμαις ἀναχαιτίζονται, δεδισσομένης αὐτοῖς τὰς ψυχὰς τῆς τῶν κακῶν μνήμης.

§ 8.30.11 τοσαῦτα, ὦ ἄνδρες, ἀκηκοότες ἀνδραγαθίζεσθε μὲν τῷ παντὶ σθένει, μηδεμίαν ἐς ἄλλον τινὰ χρόνον ἀποτιθέμενοι τῆς ψυχῆς ἀρετήν, ταλαιπωρεῖσθε δὲ ἀλκῇ τῇ πάσῃ, μηδὲ τὸ σῶμα ταμιευόμενοι ἐς κίνδυνον ἄλλον.

§ 8.30.12 ὅπλων δὲ ὑμῖν γινέσθω καὶ ἵππων μηδεμία φειδώ, ὡς οὐκέτι χρησίμων ἐσομένων ὑμῖν. ἅπαντα γὰρ προκατατρίψασα τὰ ἄλλα ἡ τύχη, μόνην τῆς ἐλπίδος τὴν κεφαλὴν εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν ἐφύλαξε ταύτην.

§ 8.30.13 τὴν εὐψυχίαν τοίνυν ἀσκεῖτε καὶ πρὸς εὐτολμίαν παρασκευάζεσθε. οἷς γὰρ ἐπὶ τριχὸς ἡ ἐλπίς, ὥσπερ τανῦν ὑμῖν, ἕστηκεν, οὐδὲ χρόνου τινὰ βραχυτάτην ῥοπὴν ἀναπεπτωκέναι ξυνοίσει.

§ 8.30.14 παρεληλυθυίας γὰρ τῆς ἀκμῆς τοῦ καιροῦ ἀνόνητος ἡ σπουδὴ τὸ λοιπὸν γίνεται, κἂν διαφερόντως ὑπέρογκος ᾖ, οὐκ ἐνδεχομένης τῶν πραγμάτων τῆς φύσεως ἀρετὴν ἕωλον, ἐπεὶ παρελθούσης τῆς χρείας ἔξωρα καὶ τὰ ἐπιγινόμενα ἐπάναγκες εἶναι.

§ 8.30.15 οἶμαι τοίνυν προσήκειν ὑμᾶς ἐπικαιριώτατα ἐν ἔργῳ λαβεῖν τὴν ἀγώνισιν, ὡς ἂν δυνήσεσθε καὶ τοῖς αὐτῆς ἀγαθοῖς χρῆσθαι. ἐξεπίστασθέ τε ὡς ἐν τῷ παρόντι ἀξιώλεθρος μάλιστα ἡ φυγὴ γίνεται.

§ 8.30.16 φεύγουσι γὰρ ἄνθρωποι λιπόντες τὴν τάξιν οὐκ ἄλλου του ἕνεκα ἢ ὅπως βιώσονται· ἢν δὲ θάνατον ἡ φυγὴ προὖπτον ἐπάγεσθαι μέλλῃ, ὁ τὸν κίνδυνον ὑποστὰς τοῦ φυγόντος πολλῷ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ ἔσται.

§ 8.30.17 τοῦ δὲ τῶν πολεμίων ὁμίλου ὑπερφρονεῖν ἄξιον, ἐξ ἐθνῶν ξυνειλεγμένων ὅτι μάλιστα πλείστων. ξυμμαχία γὰρ πολλαχόθεν ἐρανισθεῖσα οὔτε τὴν πίστιν οὔτε τὴν δύναμιν ἀσφαλῆ φέρεται, ἀλλὰ σχοζομένη τοῖς γένεσι μερίζεται καὶ ταῖς γνώμαις εἰκότως.

§ 8.30.18 μηδὲ γὰρ οἴεσθε Οὔννους τε καὶ Λαγγοβάρδας καὶ Ἐρούλους ποτέ, χρημάτων αὐτοῖς μεμισθωμένους οὐκ οἶδα ὁπόσων, προκινδυνεύσειν αὐτῶν ἄχρι ἐς θάνατον.

§ 8.30.19 οὐ γὰρ οὕτως αὐτοῖς ἡ ψυχὴ ἄτιμος ὥστε καὶ ἀργυρίου τὰ δευτερεῖα παρ’ αὐτοῖς φέρεσθαι, ἀλλ’ εὖ οἶδα ὡς μάχεσθαι τὰ ἐς τὴν ὄψιν ποιούμενοι ἐθελοκακήσουσιν αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα, ἢ κεκομισμένοι τὴν μίσθωσιν, ἢ τὴν ἐπίταξιν ὑποτετελεκότες τῶν ἐν σφίσιν ἀρχόντων.

§ 8.30.20 τοῖς γὰρ ἀνθρώποις καὶ τὰ τῶν πραγμάτων τερπνότατα δοκοῦντα εἶναι μὴ ὅτι πολέμια, ἢν μὴ κατὰ γνώμην αὐτοῖς πράσσηται, ἀλλὰ βιασθεῖσιν ἢ μισθαρνήσασιν ἢ ἄλλῳ τῳ ἀναγκασθεῖσιν, οὐκέτι αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ τὸ καταθύμιον ἀποκεκρίσθαι ξυμβήσεται, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἀναγκαίῳ μοχθηρὰ φαίνεται. ὧν ἐνθυμηθέντες προθυμίᾳ τῇ πάσῃ ὁμόσε τοῖς πολεμίοις χωρήσωμεν.”

Wars 8.31

§ 8.31.1 Τοσαῦτα μὲν οὖν καὶ ὁ Τουτίλας εἶπε. τὰ δὲ στρατεύματα ἐς μάχην ξυνῄει καὶ ἐτάξαντο ὧδε. μετωπηδὸν μὲν ἀμφοτέρωθεν ἅπαντες ἔστησαν, ὡς βαθύτατόν τε καὶ περίμηκες τῆς φάλαγγος τὸ μέτωπον ποιησόμενοι.

§ 8.31.2 τῶν δὲ Ῥωμαίων κέρας μὲν τὸ ἀριστερὸν Ναρσῆς τε καὶ Ἰωάννης ἀμφὶ τὸ γεώλοφον εἶχον καὶ ξὺν αὐτοῖς εἴ τι ἄριστον ἐν τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ ἐτύγχανεν ὄν·

§ 8.31.3 ἑκατέρῳ γὰρ τῶν ἄλλων χωρὶς στρατιωτῶν, δορυφόρων τε καὶ ὑπασπιστῶν καὶ βαρβάρων Οὔννων εἵπετο πλῆθος ἀριστίνδην συνειλεγμένων·

§ 8.31.4 κατὰ δὲ δεξιὸν Βαλεριανός τε καὶ Ἰωάννης ὁ Φαγᾶς σὺν τῷ Δαγισθαίῳ καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι Ῥωμαῖοι ἐτάξαντο πάντες.

§ 8.31.5 πεζοὺς μέντοι τοξότας ἐκ τῶν καταλόγου στρατιωτῶν ὀκτακισχιλίους μάλιστα ἔστησαν ἐς ἄμφω τὰ κέρα. κατὰ δὲ τὰ μέσα τῆς φάλαγγος τούς τε Λαγγοβάρδας καὶ τὸ Ἐρούλων ἔθνος καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἄλλους βαρβάρους ὁ Ναρσῆς ἔταξεν, ἔκ τε τῶν ἵππων ἀποβιβάσας καὶ πεζοὺς εἶναι καταστησάμενος, ὅπως ἂν μὴ κακοὶ ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ γενόμενοι ἢ ἐθελοκακοῦντες, ἂν οὕτω τύχῃ, ἐς ὑπαγωγὴν ὀξύτεροι εἶεν.

§ 8.31.6 τὸ μέντοι πέρας κέρως τοῦ εὐωνύμου τῶν Ῥωμαίων μετώπου Ναρσῆς ἐγγώνιον κατεστήσατο, πεντακοσίους τε καὶ χιλίους ἱππεῖς ἐνταῦθα στήσας.

§ 8.31.7 προείρητο δὲ τοῖς μὲν πεντακοσίοις, ἐπειδὰν τάχιστα τῶν Ῥωμαίων τισὶ τραπῆναι ξυμβαίη, ἐπιβοηθεῖν αὐτοῖς ἐν σπουδῇ, τοῖς δὲ χιλίοις, ὁπηνίκα οἱ τῶν πολεμίων πεζοὶ ἔργου ἄρχωνται, κατόπισθέν τε αὐτῶν αὐτίκα γενέσθαι καὶ ἀμφιβόλους ποιήσασθαι.

§ 8.31.8 καὶ ὁ Τουτίλας δὲ τρόπῳ τῷ αὐτῷ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀντίαν τὴν στρατιὰν ξύμπασαν ἔστησε. καὶ περιιὼν τὴν οἰκείαν παράταξιν τοὺς στρατιώτας παρεθράσυνέ τε καὶ παρεκάλει ἐς εὐτολμίαν προσώπῳ καὶ λόγῳ.

§ 8.31.9 καὶ ὁ Ναρσῆς δὲ ταὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐποίει, ψέλλιά τε καὶ στρεπτοὺς καὶ χαλινοὺς χρυσοῦς ἐπὶ κοντῶν μετεωρίσας καὶ ἄλλα ἄττα τῆς ἐς τὸν κίνδυνον προθυμίας ὑπεκκαύματα ἐνδεικνύμενος.

§ 8.31.10 χρόνον δέ τινα μάχης οὐδέτεροι ἦρχον, ἀλλ’ ἡσυχῆ ἀμφότεροι ἔμενον, προσδεχόμενοι τὴν τῶν ἐναντίων ἐπίθεσιν.

§ 8.31.11 Μετὰ δὲ εἷς ἐκ τοῦ Γότθων στρατοῦ, Κόκκας ὄνομα, δόξαν ἐπὶ τῷ δραστηρίῳ διαρκῶς ἔχων, τὸν ἵππον ἐξελάσας, ἄγχιστα ἦλθε τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ, προὐκαλεῖτό τε, εἴ τίς οἱ βούλοιτο πρὸς μονομαχίαν ἐπεξιέναι.

§ 8.31.12 ὁ δὲ Κόκκας οὗτος εἷς τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν ἐτύγχανεν ὢν τῶν παρὰ Τουτίλαν ἀπηυτομοληκότων τὰ πρότερα.

§ 8.31.13 καί οἱ αὐτίκα τῶν τις Ναρσοῦ δορυφόρων ἀντίος ἔστη, Ἀρμένιος γένος, Ἀνζαλᾶς ὄνομα, καὶ αὐτὸς ἵππῳ ὀχούμενος.

§ 8.31.14 ὁ μὲν οὖν Κόκκας ὁρμήσας πρῶτος ὡς τῷ δόρατι παίσων ἐπὶ τὸν πολέμιον ἵετο, καταστοχαζόμενος τῆς ἐκείνου γαστρός.

§ 8.31.15 ὁ δ’ Ἀνζαλᾶς ἐξαπιναίως τὸν ἵππον ἐκκλίνας ἀνόνητον αὐτὸν κατεστήσατο γενέσθαι τῆς οἰκείας ὁρμῆς. ταύτῃ τε αὐτὸς ἐκ πλαγίου τοῦ πολεμίου γενόμενος ἐς πλευρὰν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀριστερὰν τὸ δόρυ ὦσε.

§ 8.31.16 καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐκ τοῦ ἵππου πεσὼν ἐς τὸ ἔδαφος νεκρὸς ἔκειτο· κραυγὴ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ὑπερφυὴς ἤρθη, οὐδ’ ὣς μέντοι μάχης τινὸς οὐδέτεροι ἦρξαν.

§ 8.31.17 Τουτίλας δὲ μόνος ἐν μεταιχμίῳ ἐγένετο, οὐ μονομαχήσων, ἀλλὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῖς ἐναντίοις τοῦτον ἐκκρούσων. Γότθων γὰρ τοὺς ἀπολειπομένους δισχιλίους ἄγχιστά πη προσιέναι μαθὼν ἀπετίθετο ἐς τὴν αὐτῶν παρουσίαν τὴν ξυμβολήν, ἐποίει δὲ τάδε.

§ 8.31.18 πρῶτα μὲν οὐκ ἀπηξίου τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐνδείκνυσθαι ὅστις ποτὲ εἴη. τήν τε γὰρ τῶν ὅπλων σκευὴν κατακόρως τῷ χρυσῷ κατειλημμένην ἠμπίσχετο καὶ τῶν οἱ φαλάρων ὁ κόσμος ἔκ τε τοῦ πίλου καὶ τοῦ δόρατος ἁλουργός τε καὶ ἄλλως βασιλικὸς ἀπεκρέματο θαυμαστος ὅσος.

§ 8.31.19 καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπερφυεῖ ὀχούμενος ἵππῳ παιδιὰν ἐν μεταιχμίῳ ἔπαιζε τὴν ἐνόπλιον ἐπισταμένως. τόν τε γὰρ ἵππον ἐν κύκλῳ περιελίσσων, ἐπὶ θάτερά τε ἀναστρέφων αὖθις κυκλοτερεῖς πεποίητο δρόμους.

§ 8.31.20 καὶ ἱππευόμενος μεθίει ταῖς αὔραις τὸ δόρυ, ἀπ’ αὐτῶν τε κραδαινόμενον ἁρπασάμενος εἶτα ἐκ χειρὸς ἐς χεῖρα παραπέμπων συχνὰ ἐφ’ ἑκάτερα, καὶ μεταβιβάζων ἐμπείρως, ἐφιλοτιμεῖτο τῇ ἐς τὰ τοιαῦτα μελέτῃ, ὑπτιάζων καὶ ἰσχιάζων καὶ πρὸς ἑκάτερα ἐγκλινόμενος, ὥσπερ ἐκ παιδὸς ἀκριβῶς τὰ ἐς τὴν ὀρχήστραν δεδιδαγμένος.

§ 8.31.21 ταῦτά τε ποιῶν πᾶσαν κατέτριψε τὴν δείλην πρωΐαν. ἐπὶ πλεῖστον δὲ τὴν τῆς μάχης ἀναβολὴν μηκύνειν ἐθέλων ἔπεμψεν ἐς τὸ Ῥωμαίων στρατόπεδον, φάσκων ἐθέλειν αὐτοῖς ἐς λόγους ξυμμῖξαι. Ναρσῆς δὲ φενακίζειν αὐτὸν ἰσχυρίζετο, εἴ γε πολεμησείων τὰ πρότερα, ἡνίκα τοῦ προτείνεσθαι λόγους ἐξουσία εἴη, νῦν ἐν μεταιχμίῳ γενόμενος ἐς τοὺς διαλόγους χωροίη.

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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