The history of the warres of the Emperour Justinian in eight books : of the Persian, II, Vandall, II, Gothicke, IV / written in Greek by Procopivs of Caesarea ; and Englished by Henry Holcroft, Knight.

CHAP. XVII.

BUT the people of Rome not used to the miseries of warr, and a siege; and now wanting their baths, and pincht with scarcity, being put also to guard the walls, and want their sleepes; supposing too, that ere long their City would be taken, and seeing already their country farmes spoiled by the E∣nemy; they murmured greivously to be besieged and run this hazard, having done no offence. So assembling themselves, they railed at Belisarius for presuming to make war with the Goths, having no competent forces from the Emperour, and the Senators privatly objected the same unto him. Ʋitigis understanding this from fu∣gitives, to exasperate them yet more, and so to put the Romans affaires into confu∣sion, he sent Ambassadors to Belisarius; among whom was one Albes, who having accesse to him in the presence of the Senate, and Commanders of the army, spake

thus. Anciently, O Generall! men fitly defining names for things, have distin∣guisht presumption from valour; the one drives men into danger with dishonour, the other with virtue brings abundantly glory. One of these hath brought you hither, and which of them you may quickly manifest. If in the confidence of your valour you have entred into this warr; you see from your walls your Enemies; and brave S^•. you have meanes to be valiant enough. If through presumption you have invaded us, you will certainly repent what you have rashly done, as over-weening men ever use when they come to the tryall: Adde not therefore more misery to these Romans, whom Theodorick hath bred in freedom and delights; and oppose not your self against the Lord of the Goths and Italians. How absurd is it for you, shut up thus, and affraid of your Enemies, to lodge in Rome, while her King lives in a trench, acting the mischeifes of a war upon his own Subjects? Yet will wee grant to you and your troopes a free retreat, and leave to carry away your goods; holding it not religious nor manly to insult upon men, who have learnt to be sober again. But we would willingly aske these Romans wherewith they can charge the Goths, that they thus have betrayed both us and themselves; having hitherto enjoyed our moderation, and now finding what your aides are.

Belisarius to this speech made this answer. Our season for fighting shall not be at

your disposing; men use not to make war by the advise of their Enemies, whose Law is for every man to order his owne businesse to his owne liking: The time

will come when you would hide your heads in bushes, and shall not be able. We having taken Rome, possesse nothing that is anothers. You usurped it formerly being not yours, and now have restored it to the ancient owners. And who ever of you hopes to enter Rome without fighting, he is mistaken. It is impossible Be∣lisarius should live, and so much degenerate.

Thus spake Belisarius. But the Romans for fear sate mute, not daring to contradict the Ambassadors, though re∣proached thus with treason. Onely Fidelius was bold to reprove them, being Pre∣fect of the pallace made by Belisarius, and most affected to the Emperours Service. The Ambassadors were reconducted to the campe; whom Vitigis askt what manner of man Belisarius was, and how resolving, touching his retreat. They answered, that the Goths hoped an impossibility, if they thought to fright Belisarius: whereup∣on Vitigis resolved to assault the City; for which he was thus prepared. He made Towers of wood equall with the walls; having the just measure of them by often numbring the stones: at the Bases and corners of the towers were wheeles, which with ease were moved and turned about as the assailants pleased, and drawn by ox∣en. He fitted also many Ladders, and made four Rammes; which Engin is made first setting up four woodden pillars equall and opposite to each other; into which are mortessed eight crosse beams, four above and four into the Bases, making the form of a little house four square. This instead of roofe and walls was covered with Skins, that it might be light to draw, and they within secure from shot. Within a∣bout the Engin aloft, hangs another crosse beam with loose chains, the top where∣of is made sharpe, and over it a great quantity of iron layd as on the head end of an arrow, where the said iron is made four square like an anvill. The Engin is rai∣sed upon four wheeles, fastned to the four pillars; and within fifty men at least move it, who having set it to the walls, draw the said loose beam backward with a pully, then let it go with violence at the walls; and by often shooting it thus, it shakes and makes a breach where it hits: hence the Engin hath the name; the point of the said beam putting forth, and pushing like a ram. The Goths also had quantity of fagots of wood and reed ready, to make the ground and the City ditch even for their Engins to passe without rubb. Belisarius upon the other side placed upon the Towers engins called Balistae. These have the form of a bow, with a hollow horne sticking out beneath and hanging loose, but lying upon a strait peice of Iron: when they are to shoote, they bend the two peices of wood, making the two ends of the bow, with cord; and put the arrow upon the hollow horne, being halfe so long as common arrowes, and four times as thick. It mounts not with feathers, but in∣stead thereof hath thinn peices of wood mortess'd in, and it is in shape wholly like common arrowes, having a head of iron proportionable to its thicknesse; men at both ends bend the bow with pullyes; and the hollow horne going forward, at last falls off, and out flies the arrow with such force, that it reaches twice as far as an arrow from a bow, and lighting upon tree or stone, cleaves it asunder. It is called Balistae, because 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉it shootes very far. Other Engins were set upon the battlements proper for slinging stones, and are like slings, and are called wild Asses. At the Gates they set up wolves, made thus. They set two beams from the ground reaching to the battlements; and laying Chequer wise peices of Timber wrought, some upright and some a crosse, they joynt them so, that the mortessing holes meete one another. And before each joynt sticks out a pointed peice of wood like a thick spurr and fastning the crosse timbers to another beam, which from the top reaches half way down, they lay the beams flat-long upon the Gates, & an Enemy approach∣ing, men above lay hold of the higher ends of the beams and thrust them down, which falling suddenly among the Assailants with those wooden points sticking out, kill all they light on. Belisarius having these preparations, the Goths conducted by Vitigis himself the eighteenth day of the siege about sun rising, marcht to the assault. The Towers and Rams in the head of them astonisht the Romans, not used to such sights. But Belisarius seeing the Enemies order with their Engins, fell into a laughing, and bade the Souldiers stand and begin no fight, till he gave the Signall. He imparted not the reason of his laughing, but afterward it was known. The Romans thinking he jeer'd them, railed at him, and called him an impudent man, and extreamly mur∣mured, that he did not stop the Enemy coming neer or still. Who being approacht the town ditch, the Generall bent his bow and shot an armed man, leading the rest

into the neck; and the wound being mortall, the man fell downe with his face up∣ward. All the people of Rome upon the Battlements taking it for an excellent pre∣sage, made a huge shout. Belisarius shot again, with the like fortune, and againe there was a greater shout from the walls, that the Romans within thought the E∣nemy had been vanquisht. Then Belisarius gave the signall to the whole Army to shoot, and commanded those about himselfe, to employ all their Arrows against the Oxen; which soone fell all, and so the Enemy could neither bring on their Towers, nor invent any remedy, being puzzel'd in the midst of their business. Then was known Belisarius providence, not to stop them afar off; and that he laughed at their sottishnesse, in hoping to bring their Oxen to their Enemies walls so unadvi∣sedly. These things were about Porta Belisaria.

Notes

• These wolves were something like Potteulis∣ses.