Stelle αὐτίκα, ἓως οἱ ἀμφὶ Υαβεργὰν μαλθακ...; (Historiae, Ε.24.2; 25.1-5 (pp. 195-197)) [5469]

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ID 5469
Text Historiae (565 - 580) Agathias of Myrina
Quotation αὐτίκα, ἓως οἱ ἀμφὶ Υαβεργὰν μαλθακώρερον ἐπορεύοντο, ἔστελλε γράμμα παρὰ Σάνδιλχου τὸν ἕτερον ἡγεμόνα ἔνσπονδόν τέ οἱ ὄντα καὶ μισθοφόρον. (...) 25.1 Ταῦτα ὁ Σάνδιλχος διὰ τῶν ἑρμηνέων ἀναλεξάμενος εὐθὺς ἐχαλέπαινε καὶ ἀλύττα καὶ κατέχειν οὐ μάλα οἷός τε ἦν τὴν ὀργήν. ἀλλ’ αύθημερὸν ἵετο τίσασθαι τοὺς Κοτριγούρους τῆς ἐς αὐτὸν παροονίας. πῶς δὰ οὐκ ἔμελλεν ῥᾳδίως | τοῖδε τοῖς ῥλημασι διαταραχθῆναι ψυχὴ βα΄ρβαρος καὶ αὐθάδης καὶ ἀεὶ ρεςδῶν γλοχομένη; 2 τοιγλαρτοι κινήσας τὸν οἰκεῖον στρατὸν πρῶτα μὲν ἐμβάλλει ἀθρόον τοῖς τῶν πολεμίων χωρίοις· καταπλήξας τε τοὺς αὐτοῶ μεμενηκότας τῷ ἀπροσδοκλητῳ γύναια πολλὰ καὶ παῖδας ἠνδραποδίσατο. ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἐκ Θρᾴκης επανερχομένοις ἄρτι τὸν Ἴστρον ποταμὸν διαπεραιωθεῖσιν ὑπαντιάζει ἐξαπιναίως· καὶ πολλοὺς ὅσους ἀποκτείνας τά τε χρήματα αὐτοὺς τὰ παρὰ βασιλέως καὶ ἅπασαν τὴν λείαν ἀφαιρεῖται. 3 μόλις δὲ οἱ σεσωσμένοι ἐς τὰ σφέτερα ἤθη ἄπονοστήσαντες καὶ κατὰ ταὐτὸ τοῖς ἄλλοις γενόμενοι ἐς πόλεμον τοῖς ἐναντίοις καθίσταντο· οὕτω τε ἐξ ἐκείνου ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἑκάτεροι διερέλουν κατ’ ἀλλήλων τρεπόμενοι καὶ τὴν δυομένειαν ἐμπεδοῦντες. 4 νῦν μὲν γὰρ ἐφόδους καὶ λεηλασίας ἐποιοῦντο, νῦν δὲ ἐς ἐμφανῆ μάχην παρετλαττοντο, ἕως ἑκατέρωθεν αἱ δυνάμεις διαρρυείσαι ἀνάστατοι ἄρδην γεγένηνται, ὡς καὶ αὐτὴν δήπου τὴν πάτριον ἐπωνυμίαν ἀποβεβληκέναι. 5 ἐς τοῦτο γὰρ συμφορᾶς τάδε τὰ Οὐννικὰ ἔθνη ἐξώκειλεν, ὡς εἴπερ ἄρα τι αὐτῶν καὶ μεμένηκε μέρος, σποράδην ἑτέροις δουλεύειν καὶ ἐς τὸ ἐκείνων ὄνομα μεταβεβλῆσθαι. οὕτω δή τι αύτοὺς ἐνεργότατα μετῆλθον αἱ ποιαὶ τῶν προτέρων ἀσεβημάτων. ἀλλ’ἡ μὲν παντελὴς τοῖδε τοῖν γενοῖν ἀνατροπὴ καὶ κατάλυσις χρόνῳ ὕστερον ξυνηνέχθη, καὶ μοι εἰρήσεται ἕκα|στα προσηκόντως ἁρμοζομένῳ ὡς οἶόν τε τῇ τῶν χρόνων ὁμολογία.
Translation [The emperor] immediately sent a letter, while Zabergan and his men were marching at a leisurely pace, to Sandilch the leader of the other Hunnic trible [!], who was an ally and in the pay of the Empire. (..) 25.1 When Sandilch learnt from an interpreter the contents of this letter it immediately produced the desired effect. He fell at once into a rage and was eager to punish the Cotrigurs there and then for their insolence, a predictable reaction in a man with the arrogant and mercenary mentality of a barbarian. 2 Consequently he set off straight away with the army and made a surprise attack on the home territory of the enemy. Those who had remained behind were caught off their guard and he took many women and children into captivity. When the Cotrigurs returning from Thrace had just crossed the Danube he confronted them suddenly, killing many of them and robbing them of all their booty. 3 Then no sooner had the survivors returned home than they joined with the rest of their compatriots in preparing for war against the Utigurs. And so from that time onwards both peoples continued to make war against each other for a very long period of time and they became increasingly hostile as a result. 4 On some occasions they would confine themselves to predatory incursions, on others they would resort to open warfare until they have so weakened themselves and their numbers have become so seriously depleted that they have lost their national identity. 5 The scattered remnant of these Hunnic tribes has in fact been reduced to servitude in the lands of other peoples whose names they have assumed; so severe has been the penalty which they have paid for their earlier misdeeds. But the complete annihilation of these peoples occurred at a later date, so that I shall do my best to preserve a strict chronological order and provide a detailed account of this event in its proper place.
Summary A letter by emperor Justinian prompts the Utigurs to launch an attack on the Cutrigurs, resulting in a long-standing and wearing conflict between the two Hunnic peoples. Similar to the earlier description of Zabergan, Sandilch’s reaction is depicted as one of barbarian rage.
Quotation source Ε.24.2; 25.1-5 (pp. 195-197)
Temporal Coverage None - 559
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