children to Naples, and also such of their domestics as they thought
would not be needed by them for the guarding of the wall, his purpose
being, naturally, to forestall a scarcity of provisions. And he issued
orders to the soldiers to do the same thing, in case anyone had a male
or female attendant. For, he went on to say, he was no longer able while
besieged to provide them with food to the customary amount, but they
would have to accept one half their daily ration in actual supplies,
taking the remainder in silver. So they proceeded to carry out his
instructions. And immediately a great throng set out for Campania. Now
some, who had the good fortune to secure such boats as were lying at
anchor in the harbour[125] of Rome, secured passage, but the rest went
on foot by the road which is called the Appian Way. And no danger or
fear, as far as the besiegers were concerned, arose to disturb either
those who travelled this way on foot or those who set out from the
harbour. For, on the one hand, the enemy were unable to surround the
whole of Rome with their camps on account of the great size of the city,
and, on the other, they did not dare to be found far from the camps in
small companies, fearing the sallies of their opponents. And on this
account abundant opportunity was afforded for some time to the besieged
both to move out of the city and to bring provisions into it from
outside. And especially at night the barbarians were always in great
fear, and so they merely posted guards and remained quietly in their
camps. For parties were continually issuing from the city, and
especially Moors in great numbers, and whenever they found their enemies
either asleep or walking about in small companies (as is accustomed to
happen often in a large army, the men going out not only to attend to
the needs of nature, but also to pasture horses and mules and such
animals as are suitable for food), they would kill them and speedily
strip them, and if perchance a larger number of the enemy should fall
upon them, they would retire on the run, being men swift of foot by
nature and lightly equipped, and always distancing their pursuers in the
flight. Consequently, the great majority were able to withdraw from
Rome, and some went to Campania, some to Sicily, and others wherever
they thought it was easier or better to go. But Belisarius saw that the
number of soldiers at his command was by no means sufficient for the
whole circuit of the wall, f