| Keywords |
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| ID |
5679 |
| Text |
Excerpta et fragmenta (441 - 474) Priscus |
| Quotation |
Ὅτι τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐς Κόλχους ἐλϑόντων καὶ συμβαλόντων πόλεμον πρὸς Λαζούς, ὁ μὲν Ῥωμαϊκὸς στρατὸς ἐς τὰ σφέτερα ἐπανέζευξεν, καὶ οἱ ἀμφὶ τὰ βασίλεια πρὸς τὴν ἑτέραν μάχην παρεσκευάζοντο βουλευόμενοι, πότερον τὴν αὐτὴν ἢ τὴν δι’ Ἀρμενίας τῆς Περσῶν χώρας προσοίκου πορευϑέντες ὁδὸν τὸν πόλεμον ἐπάξουσι, πρότερον πρεσβείᾳ τὸν μόναρχον τῶν Παρϑυαίων πείσαντες· κατὰ γὰρ ϑάλατταν ἄπορον αὐτοῖς πάνυ ἐνομίζετο τὰς δυσχωρίας παραπλεῖν, ἀλιμένου τῆς Κόλχου τυγχανούσης. ὁ δὲ Γωβάζης έπρεσβεύετο μὲν καὶ αὐτὸς παρὰ τοὺς Παρϑυαίους, ἐπρεβεύετο δὲ καὶ παρὰ τὸν βασιλέα Ῥωμαίων. καὶ ὁ μὲν τῶν Πάρϑων μόναρχος, ὡς πολέμου αύτῷ συνισταμένου πρὸς Οὔννους τοὺς Κιδαρίτας καλουμένους, ἀπεσείσατο παρ’ αὐτὸν τοὺς Λαζοὺς καταφεύγοντας.
Ὄτι Γωβάζης πρεσβεύεται παρὰ Ῥωμαίους. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ ἀπεκρίναντο τοῖς παρὰ Γωβάζου σταλεῖσι πρέσβεσιν ὡς ἀφέξονται τοῦ πολέμου, εἴ γε ἢ αὐτὸς Γωβάζης ἀπόϑοιτο τὴν ἀρχὴν ἢ γοῦν τὸν παῖδα τῆς βασιλείας ἀφέλοιτο· οὐ γὰρ ϑέμις τῆς χώρας άμφοτέρους ἡγεμονεύειν παρὰ τὸν παλαιὸν ϑεσμόν. ὥστε δὲ ϑάτερον βασιλεύεἶν. Γωβάζγν ἢ τὸν αὐτοῦ παῖδα. τῆς Κολχίδος, καὶ τῇδε λυϑῆναι τὸν πόλεμον. Εὐφήμιος ἐσηγήσατο, τὴν τοῦ μαγάστρου διέπων ἀρχήν· ὃς ἐπὶ συνέσει καὶ λόγων ἀρετῇ δόξαν ἔχων Μαρκιανοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων ἔλαχεν ἐπιτροπὴν καὶ πλείστων τῶν εὖ βουλευϑέντων ἐκείνῳ καϑηγητὴς ἐγένετο· ὃς καὶ Πρίσκον τὸν συγγραφέα τῶν τῆς ἀρχῆς φροντίδων ἐδέξατο κοινωνόν. τῆς δὲ αἰρέσεως [τῆς] αύτῷ δοϑείσης, ὁ Γωβάζης εἵλετο τῆς βασιλείας παραχωρῆσαι τῷ παιδί, αὐτὸς τὰ σύμβολα ἀποϑέμενος τῆς ἀρχῆς, καὶ παρὰ τὸν κρατοῦντα Ῥωμαίων τοὺς δεησομένους ἔπεμπεν, ὡς, ἑωὸς Κόλχων ἡγεμονεύοντος, οὐκ ἔτι δι’ αὐτὸν χαλεπαίνοντα ἐπὶ τὰ ὅπλα χωρεῖν. βασιλεὺς δὲ διαβαίνειν αὐτὸν ἐς τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἐκέλευε καὶ τῶν αὐτῷ δεδογμένων διδόναι λόγον. ὃς δὲ τὴν μὲν ἔφιξιν οὐκ ἠρνήσατο, Διονύσιον δὲ τὸν εἰς τὴν Κολχίδα πάλαι διαπεμφϑέντα τῆς τε αὐτοῦ Γωβάζου διαφορᾶς ἕνεκα πίστω δώσοντα ᾔτησεν, ὡς οὐδὲν ὑποσταίη ἀνήκεστον. διὸ δὴ ἐς τὴν Κολχίδα Διονύσιος ἐστέλλετο, καὶ περὶ τῶν διαφόρων συνέβησαν. |
| Translation |
The Romans went to Colchis, made war on the Lazi, and then the Roman army returned home. The Emperor’s advisers prepared for a second campaign and deliberated whether in pursuing the war they should travel by the same route or through the part of Armenia close to Persian territory, having first sent an embassy to win over the monarch of the Parthians. For it was considered wholly impracticable to take the sea route along the rugged coast, since Colchis had no harbour. Gobazes himself sent envoys to the Parthians and also to the Romans. Since the monarch of the Parthians was involved in a war with the so-called Kidarite Huns, he ejected the Lazi who were fleeing to him.
2. Gobazes sent an embassy to the Romans. The Romans replied to the envoys sent by Gobazes that they would refrain from hostilities if either Gobazes himself resigned his sovereignty or he deprived his son of his royalty, since it was not right that both rule the land in defiance of ancient custom. That one or the other, Gobazes or his son, should rule over Colchis and that war should cease there was the proposal of Euphemius, the master of the offices. Because of his reputation for sagacity and eloquence he was given oversight of the affairs of the Emperor Marcian and was his guide in many good counsels. He took Priscus to share in the cares of his office. When the choice was put to Gobazes, he chose to hand over sovereignty to his son and himself laid down his symbols of office. He sent envoys to the ruler of the Romans to ask that, since Colchis now had one ruler, he should not take arms out of anger against him. The Emperor ordered him to cross to the land of the Romans and give an explanation of what he had decided. Gobazes said that he was willing to come, but asked that the Emperor should hand over Dionysius, who had earlier been sent to Colchis over the disagreement with this same Gobazes, as a pledge that no harm should befall him. Therefore, Dionysius was sent to Colchis, and they composed their differences. |
| Summary |
Information on Roman campaigns in Colchis containing their considerations for the route of the army and the negotiations with the ruler of Colchis, Gobazes, who eventually resigns. |
| Quotation source |
Fr. 33 (pp. 336-337) |
| Temporal Coverage |
455 - 456 |
| Associated use case(s) |
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| Comment |
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