re, whereupon the boys all fled, and the one called Vittigis, who was
suspended from the tree, remained for some time suffering this
punishment and then died. And when this became known to the Samnites,
they did not inflict any punishment upon these children, but divining
the meaning of the incident declared that Belisarius would conquer
decisively. So much for this.

But the populace of Rome were entirely unacquainted with the evils of
war and siege. When, therefore, they began to be distressed by their
inability to bathe and the scarcity of provisions, and found themselves
obliged to forgo sleep in guarding the circuit-wall, and suspected that
the city would be captured at no distant date; and when, at the same
time, they saw the enemy plundering their fields and other possessions,
they began to be dissatisfied and indignant that they, who had done no
wrong, should suffer siege and be brought into peril of such magnitude.
And gathering in groups by themselves, they railed openly against
Belisarius, on the ground that he had dared to take the field against
the Goths before he had received an adequate force from the emperor. And
these reproaches against Belisarius were secretly indulged in also by
the members of the council which they call the senate. And Vittigis,
hearing all this from the deserters and desiring to embroil them with
one another still more, and thinking that in this way the affairs of the
Romans would be thrown into great confusion, sent to Belisarius some
envoys, among whom was Albis. And when these men came before Belisarius,
they spoke as follows in the presence of the Roman senators and all the
commanders of the army:

"From of old, general, mankind has made true and proper distinctions in
the names they give to things; and one of these distinctions is
this--rashness is different from bravery. For rashness, when it takes
possession of a man, brings him into danger with discredit, but bravery
bestows upon him an adequate prize in reputation for valour. Now one of
these two has brought you against us, but which it is you will
straightway make clear. For if, on the one hand, you placed your
confidence in bravery when you took the field against the Goths, there
is ample opportunity, noble sir, for you to do the deeds of a brave man,
since you have only to look down from your wall to see the army of the
enemy; but if, on the other hand, it was because you were possessed by
rashness that you came to atta