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. III.

SOone after the middle of the Summer, the City was visited with Famine, and Pestilence, and the Souldier also was in want of Corn, but of no other Provisi∣on. But the Citizens besides that want, were sorely prest with the Famine, and Pestilence. The Goths found it, and resolved to hazard no more Fights; but with Garrisons to hinder the importing Provisions to the Enemy. Two Aquaeducts between Via Latina, and Via Appia, high built with goodly Arches, meet at a place about six miles from Rome; then that which took the right-hand way before, goes to the left, crossing one another, and again they meet, and sever again, inclosing the ground in the middle; and the Goths damming up the Arches with Stone, and Earth, made it as a Castle, and lodged in it a Garrison of 7000. men, to cut of the Roman Forragers. The Romans then grew hopelesse, compassed with every species of misery. While the Corn was, some Souldiers (the most daring) rode out in the night, and cut off the Eares, and brought them in unseen by the Enemy, upon spare Horses, and sould them to the Rich for great Sums. The rest lived upon Grasse growing within, and neer the Walls, (The Feilds about Rome being green with Grasse Summer, and Winter, which served the Army for their Horses.) Some

made Saussages of Mules flesh which died in the Towne, and sould them secretly. But the Corn being gone, and the Citizens in extremity, they flockt about Beli∣sarius, urging him to end all in one Battell, and promising that not a Citizen should be absent from it. He was much troubled, and the Commons still importuned; say∣ing,

that their present Condition had over-taken them suddenly, and that their hopes ended in the quite contrary; having gotten what they longed for, and yet now being in this Calamity: And their former Opinion of doing well, in affecting the Emperours Protection, being now their folly, and the ground of their misery, which now necessitated them to a daring, and again to put on Armes against the Enemy. They craved Pardon, though sawcy with Belisarius. A hun∣gry belly knowes no modesty; and their fool-hardinesse to fight, Fortune must excuse, seeing life prolonged in misery, is of all the most grievous. That he saw their case, their Farmes in the Country in the Enemies hands, and their City blockt up; the Citizens lying dead without earth to cover them, and the Sur∣vivers wishing their Carkasses lying by them; all mischiefes being made tolerable by the Plague, and forgotten, when that appeares, it making all other Deaths, but from it selfe, a kind of pleasure. They prayed leave to try their Fortune in Fight, before the sicknesse had utterly subdued them; either they should conquer, or be rid of their troubles. Men who have hope in delaying, are unwise to hazard all with forwardnesse; but in such as find their match the worse by deferring, a little delay is more to be blamed, then instant rashnesse. To this Speech Belisa∣rius made this answer; This is no more then I expected from you: I know what an inconsiderate thing a common People is; who neither can beare the pre∣sent, nor provide for the future; only it can attempt Impossibilities, and ruine it selfe unadvisedly. But let me never willingly destroy you, and the Emperours Af∣faires by your negligence. The War prospers not by bruitish eagernesse, but by weighing the Opportunities wisely, and with consultation. You thinking you are at Dice, will throw at all; but it is my manner not to chuse hasty, but profitable counsels. You promise to fight with the Enemy in our Company: since when have you been trained to your Armes? and were you perfect therein, who knowes not, that a Battell is, not proper to try Masteries in? In the Fight the Enemy will not give you leave to practise, and learn. I commend therefore your forward∣nesse, and pardon this Tumult. But why it is not seasonable, and why we use a provident backwardnesse, I will tell you. The Emperour hath sent a mighty Army gathered out of all Lands, and a Fleet (the like whereof the Romans never had) covering the shores of Campania, and much of the Jonian Gulfe. These Forces are coming to us, and will deliver you from your feares, and over-whelme the Barbarians with their Arrowes; and I defer our fighting till their Arrivall, to get rather a secure Victory, then by adventring without reason, to abandon our safety; and I will take order, they shall be with us without delay.

Belisarius with this quieted the Commons, and dismist them. And it being reported, that the Emperour, would send Forces to Naples, he dispatcht Procopius thither, the Writer of his History, with Instructions to freight Ships with Corn, and to assem∣ble the Souldiers come from Constantinople, and the Horse-men quartred in those Countries; and marching then into Campania, to take also some out of every Garri∣son, and to convoy the Corn to Ostia. Procopius went out at Saint Pauls Gate, with Mundilas one of the Life-guard, and some Horse-men, and were not seen by the Enemy, quartered by Via Appia. When Mundilas at his return, reported how Procopius was by that time in Campania, without meeting a Goth, who went not out of their Camp in the night, they all took hart: And Belisarius grown bolder, sent store of Horse to the next Fortresses, from thence to charge the Enemies For∣ragers, and to lay Ambushes to cut of their bringing Provisions to the Camp, that by this the City might be lesse vexed with wants, and the Goths might be beseiged more then It. He sent Martinus, and Traianus with a 1000. men to convoy his Wife Antonina to Taracina, and from thence to give her a convoy to Naples; where she was to expect the Event in a safe place. And he sent Magnus, and Sin∣thues, one of his Life-guard, with 500. men to the Castle of Tibur; standing about 17. miles from Rome. To the small City of Alba, standing so many miles also from Rome, upon Via Appia, he had before sent Gontharis with some Herulians; whom

the Enemy beat out from thence a while after. There stands a Church of the Apo∣stle Saint Paul, a mile and three quarters from the walls of Rome upon the Tiber. It is not fortified, but a Porticus reaches to it from the City, which with the build∣ings upon it make the place not easily to be invaded. The Goths also so much reve∣rence those two Apostles, that during the siege no hurt was done to either of these Temples, but the preists celebrated divine Service in them as formerly. In this place Belisarius commanded Valerianus with all the Hunnes to intrench upon the bancks of Tiber, thereby to favour the pasturing of their own Horse, and to restrain the Goths from coming out so far at their pleasure. Valerianus encamped the Hunns accordingly, and then returned to the City, And Belisarius having setled these things, lay still, resolving to begin no fight, but to defend only the walls from harm, and to some of the Commons he distributed corne.