ith them
many ships of war, in order that they might be able to besiege Salones
both by land and by sea. But he himself was hastening to go with his
whole army against Belisarius and Rome, leading against him horsemen and
infantry to the number of not less than one hundred and fifty thousand,
and the most of them as well as their horses were clad in armour.

So Asinarius, upon reaching the country of the Suevi, began to gather
the army of the barbarians, while Uligisalus alone led the Goths into
Liburnia. And when the Romans engaged with them at a place called
Scardon, they were defeated in the battle and retired to the city of
Burnus; and there Uligisalus awaited his colleague. But Constantianus,
upon hearing of the preparations of Asinarius, became afraid for
Salones, and summoned the soldiers who were holding all the fortresses
in that region. He then dug a moat around the whole circuit-wall and
made all the other preparations for the siege in the best manner
possible. And Asinarius, after gathering an exceedingly large army of
barbarians, came to the city of Burnus. There he joined Uligisalus and
the Gothic army and proceeded to Salones. And they made a stockade about
the circuit-wall, and also, filling their ships with soldiers, kept
guard over the side of the fortifications which faced the sea. In this
manner they proceeded to besiege Salones both by land and by sea; but
the Romans suddenly made an attack upon the ships of the enemy and
turned them to flight, and many of them they sunk, men and all, and also
captured many without their crews. However, the Goths did not raise the
siege, but maintained it vigorously and kept the Romans still more
closely confined to the city than before. Such, then, were the fortunes
of the Roman and Gothic armies in Dalmatia.

But Vittigis, upon hearing from the natives who came from Rome that the
army which Belisarius had was very small, began to repent of his
withdrawal from Rome, and was no longer able to endure the situation,
but was now so carried away by fury that he advanced against them. And
on his way thither he fell in with a priest who was coming from Rome.
Whereupon they say that Vittigis in great excitement enquired of this
man whether Belisarius was still in Rome, shewing that he was afraid he
would not be able to catch him, but that Belisarius would forestall him
by running away. But the priest, they say, replied that he need not be
at all concerned about that; for