he granddaughter[139] of
Theoderic led wherever it suits the pleasure of those who are now our
enemies; and I would have you also enter this battle fearing lest this
fate befall us. For if you do this, on the field of battle you will
count the end of life as more to be desired than safety after defeat.
For noble men consider that there is only one misfortune--to survive
defeat at the hands of their enemy. But as for death, and especially
death which comes quickly, it always brings happiness to those who were
before not blest by fortune. It is very clear that if you keep these
thoughts in mind as you go through the present engagement, you will not
only conquer your opponents most easily, few as they are and
Greeks,[140] but will also punish them forthwith for the injustice and
insolence with which they, without provocation, have treated us. For
although we boast that we are their superiors in valour, in numbers, and
in every other respect, the boldness which they feel in confronting us
is due merely to elation at our misfortunes; and the only asset they
have is the indifference we have shewn. For their self-confidence is fed
by their undeserved good fortune."

With these words of exhortation Vittigis proceeded to array his army for
battle, stationing the infantry in the centre and the cavalry on the two
wings. He did not, however, draw up his phalanx far from the camps, but
very near them, in order that, as soon as the rout should take place,
the enemy might easily be overtaken and killed, there being abundance of
room for the pursuit. For he expected that if the struggle should become
a pitched battle in the plain, they would not withstand him even a short
time; since he judged by the great disparity of numbers that the army of
the enemy was no match for his own.

So the soldiers on both sides, beginning in the early morning, opened
battle; and Vittigis and Belisarius were in the rear urging on both
armies and inciting them to fortitude. And at first the Roman arms
prevailed, and the barbarians kept falling in great numbers before their
archery, but no pursuit of them was made. For since the Gothic cavalry
stood in dense masses, other men very easily stepped into the places of
those who were killed, and so the loss of those who fell among them was
in no way apparent. And the Romans evidently were satisfied, in view of
their very small number, that the struggle should have such a result for
them. So after they had by mi