fearing for the safety
of all their strongholds, shut themselves in and remained in them
thereafter, thinking that the Romans would come against them without the
least delay. In this action one of the barbarians shot Trajan in the
face, above the right eye and not far from the nose. And the whole of
the iron point, penetrated the head and disappeared entirely, although
the barb on it was large and exceedingly long, but the remainder of the
arrow immediately fell to the ground without the application of force by
anyone, in my opinion because the iron point had never been securely
fastened to the shaft. Trajan, however, paid no heed to this at all, but
continued none the less killing and pursuing the enemy. But in the fifth
year afterward the tip of the iron of its own accord began to project
visibly from his face. And this is now the third year since it has been
slowly but steadily coming out. It is to be expected, therefore, that
the whole barb will eventually come out, though not for a long time. But
it has not been an impediment to the man in any way. So much then for
these matters.

FOOTNOTES:

[153] The regular harbour, Portus, was held by the Goths.

[154] Book V. xix. 6.

[155] Cf. Book V. xix. 11.

[156] These were the forces of Trajan and Diogenes.

VI

Now the barbarians straightway began to despair of winning the war and
were considering how they might withdraw from Rome, inasmuch as they had
suffered the ravages both of the pestilence and of the enemy, and were
now reduced from many tens of thousands to a few men; and, not least of
all, they were in a state of distress by reason of the famine, and while
in name they were carrying on a siege, they were in fact being besieged
by their opponents and were shut off from all necessities. And when they
learned that still another army had come to their enemy from Byzantium
both by land and by sea--not being informed as to its actual size, but
supposing it to be as large as the free play of rumour was able to make
it,--they became terrified at the danger and began to plan for their
departure. They accordingly sent three envoys to Rome, one of whom was a
Roman of note among the Goths, and he, coming before Belisarius, spoke
as follows:

"That the war has not turned out to the advantage of either side each of
us knows well, since we both have had actual experience of its
hardships. For why should anyone in either army deny facts of which
neither now r