| Keywords |
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| ID |
5438 |
| Text |
Historia (continuatio Agathiae) (557 - 582) Menander, the Guardsman |
| Quotation |
Ἐπεὶ οὖν ταὺτα τῇδε ἐχώρει, καὶ οἵ γε ἀμφὶ τὸν Ζαβέργαν Οὖννοι πόρρω που τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἐπικρατείας ἀπεληλαμένοι ἐτύγχανον, τηνικαῦτα Ἰουστινιανός (ἐν νῷ γὰρ εἶχεν ὠς ἐλεύσονται καὶ αὖθις οἱ Κοτριάγηροι δῃώσοντες τὰ ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης) ἐγκείμενός τε ἦν τῷ Σανδίλχῳ τῷ τῶν Οὐτιγούρων ἡγεμόνι, ἀνίει τε οὐδαμῶς παραινῶν πρεσβείας τε συχνὰς ἐκπέμπων καὶ ἄλλοτε ἄλλῳ τρόπῳ ἀνερεθίζων, ὡς ἂν ἀμωσγέπως ἐκπολεμώσῃ γε αὐτὸν ὡς τὸν Ζαβέργαν. προσετίθει δὲ ταῖς ὡς τὸν Σάνδιλχον ἀγγελίαις ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ ὠς, εἴ γε καταγωνίσοιτο τοὺς Κοτραγήρους, καὶ τὰ ὅσα ἐτήσια χρήματα ἐκ τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἐπικρατείας ἀπονεμηθέντα ἦσαν τῷ Ζαβέργᾳ μεταθήσειν ὡς αὐτόν. καὶ τοίνυν ὁ Σάνδιλχος (‘Ρωμαίοις γὰρ ἐπιτήδειος ἐβούλετο εἶναι) Βασιλεῖ ἐσήμηνεν ὡς πέφυκεν οὐχ ὅσιον μὲν οὐδὲ ἄλλως εὐπρεπὲς τοὺς ὁμοφύλους ἀφανίσαι ἄρδην, μὴ ὅτι ὁμόγλωσσοί τέ εἰσι καὶ ὁμόσκηνοι ἡμῖν καὶ ὁμοίᾳ χρῶνται στολῇ καὶ διαίτῃ, ἀλλ’ ὅτι καὶ ξυγγενεῖς κἂν ἑτέροις τισὶ τετάχαται ἡγεμόσιν. ὅμως δ’ οὖν (Ἰουστινιανὸς μὲν γὰρ ὁ τὰ τοιάδε ἐγκελευσάμενος) αὐτίκα τὴν ἵππον τοὺς Κοτραγήρους ἀφελόμενος οἰκεῖον ποιήσομαι κτῆμα, ὡς ἂν μὴ ἔχοιεν ὅτῳ ὀχούμενοι σίνοιντο τοὺς Ῥωμαίους. |
| Translation |
While these developments were taking place, the Huns led by Zabergan had been driven far from the Roman Empire. But since he thought the Kutrigurs were planning to return and ravage the land of Thrace, Justinian at this time was applying pressure to Sandilkh, the leader of the Utigurs. He made continual attempts to rouse him somehow to war against Zabergan, sending a stream of embassies and trying various means to provoke him. Justinian added in his messages to Sandilkh that if he destroyed the Kutrigurs the Emperor would transfer to him all the yearly tribute-monies that were paid by the Roman Empire to Zabergan. Therefore, Sandilkh, who wished to be on friendly terms with the Romans, replied that utterly to destroy one’s fellow tribesmen was unholy and altogether improper, “For they not only speak our language, dwell in tents like us, dress like us and live like us, but they are our kin, even if they follow other leaders. Nevertheless, we shall deprive the Kutrigurs of their horses and take possession of them ourselves, so that without their mounts they will be unable to pillage the Romans.” This Justinian asked him to do. |
| Summary |
In order to destroy Zabergan’s Kutrigurs, Emperor Justinian tries to enlist the Utigurs by sending embassies and by bribery. Their leader Sandilkh, citing the kinship and similarities between the two Hunnic peoples, offers to deprive the Kutrigurs of their horses instead, making them less of a threat to the Roman Empire. |
| Quotation source |
Fr. 2, ed. Blockley (pp. 42-45) |
| Temporal Coverage |
559 - 560 |
| Associated use case(s) |
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| Comment |
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