hants reach the harbour with their
ships, they unload their cargoes and place them in the barges, and sail
by way of the Tiber to Rome; but they do not use sails or oars at all,
for the boats cannot be propelled in the stream by any wind since the
river winds about exceedingly and does not follow a straight course, nor
can oars be employed, either, since the force of the current is always
against them. Instead of using such means, therefore, they fasten ropes
from the barges to the necks of oxen, and so draw them just like waggons
up to Rome. But on the other side of the river, as one goes from the
city of Ostia to Rome, the road is shut in by woods and in general lies
neglected, and is not even near the bank of the Tiber, since there is no
towing of barges on that road.

So the Goths, finding the city at the harbour unguarded, captured it at
the first onset and slew many of the Romans who lived there, and so took
possession of the harbour as well as the city. And they established a
thousand of their number there as guards, while the remainder returned
to the camps. In consequence of this move it was impossible for the
besieged to bring in the goods which came by sea, except by way of
Ostia, a route which naturally involved great labour and danger besides.
For the Roman ships were not even able to put in there any longer, but
they anchored at Anthium,[133] a day's journey distant from Ostia. And
they found great difficulty in carrying the cargoes thence to Rome, the
reason for this being the scarcity of men. For Belisarius, fearing for
the fortifications of Rome, had been unable to strengthen the harbour
with any garrison at all, though I think that if even three hundred men
had been on guard there, the barbarians would never have made an attempt
on the place, which is exceedingly strong.

FOOTNOTES:

[131] The northern mouth.

[132] The Emperor Claudius cut the northern channel for the river, in
order to prevent inundations of Rome, and made the "Portus Claudii,"
opening to the sea, near its mouth; a second enclosed harbour, adjoining
that of Claudius, was built by Trajan.

[133] _i.e._ Antium.

XXVII

This exploit, then, was accomplished by the Goths on the third day after
they were repulsed in the assault on the wall. But twenty days after the
city and harbour of Portus were captured, Martinus and Valerian arrived,
bringing with them sixteen hundred horsemen, the most of whom were Huns
and Sclaveni