[2] καὶ αὐτῆς δὲ προεγρηγορὼς ὁ καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς βασιλεὺς προμηθεῖ γνώμῃ, ὡς μή τι αὐτῇ παθεῖν ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς πρὸς Μαυρουσίων τῶν πλησιοχώρων ξυμβαίη, ὀχυρώματά τε δύο καὶ φυλακτήρια κατεστήσατο, ὧν θάτερον μὲν Παρατόνιον ὀνομάζουσιν, ]Ἀντίπυργον δὲ τὸ ἕτερον ἐπικέκληται, οὐ πόρρω Πενταπόλεως κείμενον.
[2] Yet our Emperor takes thought for this land also with watchful care, so that it might not have the ill fortune to suffer anything from inroads of the Moors who inhabit the adjoining country; and to this end he established there two strongholds with garrisons, one of which they call Paratonium,º while the other, which lies not far from the Pentapolis, has received the name Antipyrgum.
[3] διέχει δὲ ἡ Πεντάπολις Ἀλεξανδρείας ὁδῷ ἡμερῶν εἴκοσιν εὐζώνῳ ἀνδρί.
[3] And the Pentapolis is removed from Alexandria by a twenty days’ journey for an unencumbered traveller.
[4] ἐν ταύτῃ δὲ τῇ Πενταπόλει καὶ βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς Τεύχειραν τὴν πόλιν ἐρύματι ἐτειχίσατο ἐχυρωτάτῳ.
[4] In this region of Pentapolis the Emperor Justinian surrounded the city of Teuchira with very strong fortifications.
[5] καὶ Βερνίκης τὸν περίβολον ἐκ θεμελίων ἀνῳκοδομήσατο τῶν ἐσχάτων.
[5] The circuit-wall of Bernicê he rebuilt from its lowest foundations.
[6] οὗ δὴ καὶ βαλανεῖον πεποίηται, δημοσίᾳ παρεχόμενον τῇ πόλει τὴν χρείαν.
[6] In that city he also built a bath for the use of the people.
[7] ἀλλὰ κἀν ταῖς Πενταπόλεως ἐσχατιαῖς, αἵπερ εἰσὶ τετραμμέναι πρὸς ἄνεμον νότον, ὀχυρώματα ἐν δυοῖν μοναστηρίοιν ἐξείργασται, οἷσπερ Ἀγριολώδη τε καὶ Δινάρθισον ὀνόματα ἐστιν· ἅπερ ἐπιτειχίσματα κεῖται τοῖς ταύτῃ βαρβάροις,
[7] Furthermore, on the extreme boundary of the Pentapolis which faces the south, he constructed fortresses in two monasteries which bear the names Agriolodê and Dinarthisum;
[8] τῷ μὴ καταθέοντας ὡς λαθραιότατα ἐπισκήπτειν ἐξαπιναίως ἐς γῆν τὴν Ῥωμαίων.
[8] and these stand as bulwarks against the barbarians of that region, so that they may not come down stealthily into Roman territory and suddenly fall upon it.
[9] Ἔστι δέ τις ἐνταῦθα πόλις, Πτολεμαῒς ὄνομα, τὸ μὲν παλαιὸν εὐδαίμων τε γεγενημένη καὶ πολυάνθρωπος, προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ χρόνου ὕδατος ἀπορίᾳ πολλῇ ἐς ὀλιγανθρωπίαν ἀποκριθεῖσα.
[9] There is a certain city there, Ptolemaïs by name, which in ancient times had been prosperous and populous, but as time went on it had come to be almost deserted owing to extreme scarcity of water.
[10] τῶν γὰρ οἰκητόρων ὁ πολὺς ὅμιλος δίψει ἐχόμενοι πολλῷ ἔμπροσθεν ἐνθένδε ἐξαναστάντες ἀπεχώρησαν ὅπῃ ἑκάστῳ δυνατὰ γέγονεν.
[10] For the great majority of the population, driven by thirst, had moved from there long ago and gone wherever each one could.
[11] ἀλλὰ νῦν ὁ βασιλεὺς οὗτος ἀνανεωσάμενος τὴν ὀχεταγωγίαν τῇ πόλει τὸ πρότερον αὐτῇ τῆς εὐδαιμονίας ἀπέδωκε σχῆμα. Πενταπόλεως δὲ πόλις ἐσχάτη ἐστὶ πρὸς δύοντά που τὸν ἥλιον, Βόρειον ὄνομα.
[11] Now, however, this Emperor has restored the city’s aqueduct and thus brought back to it its former measure of prosperity. The last city of Pentapolis towards the west is named Boreium.
[12] οὗ δὴ τὰ ὄρη συννενευκότα τε πρὸς ἄλληλα, καὶ τῇ ἐνθένδε στενοχωρίᾳ ξυμπεφραγμένα, τῶν ἐπὶ τὴν χώραν εἰσόδων ἀποκεκλεῖσθαι τοὺς πολεμίους διασκευάζονται.
[12] Here the mountains press close upon one another, and thus forming a barrier by their crowding, effectively close the entrance to the enemy.
[13] ταύτην ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν πόλιν ἀτείχιστον οὖσαν ἐρύματι ἐχυρωτάτῳ περιβαλών, ]ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ τὸ λοιπὸν βεβαιότατα σὺν πάσῃ τῇ ἀμφ᾽ αὐτὴν χώρᾳ διεπράξατο εἶναι.
[13] This city, which had been without a wall, the Emperor enclosed with very strong defences, thus making it as safe as possible for the future, together with the whole country round about it.
[14] Πόλεις δέ πού εἰσι δύο ἐπ᾽ ὀνόματος ἑνὸς ᾠκημέναι·
[14] And there are two cities which are known by the same name, each of them being called Augila.a
[15] Αὐγίλα γὰρ ἑκάτερα ἐκλήθη. αὗται τοῦ Βορείου διέχουσιν ὁδῷ τεττάρων ἡμερῶν μάλιστα εὐζώνῳ ἀνδρί, τετραμμέναι μὲν αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἄνεμον νότον, ἀρχαῖαι δὲ οὖσαι καὶ τῶν οἰκητόρων ἀρχαιότροπα τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα ἔχουσαι· θρησκείαν γὰρ πάντες καὶ εἰς ἐμὲ τὴν τῆς πολυθεΐας ἐνόσουν.
[15] These are distant from Boreium about four days’ journey for an unencumbered traveller, and to the south of it; and they are both ancient cities whose inhabitants have preserved the practices of antiquity, for they all were suffering from the disease of polytheism even up to my day.
[16] ἐνταῦθα ἐκ παλαιοῦ τῷ τε Ἄμμωνι καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ τῷ Μακεδόνι ἀνέκειτο ἕδη.
[16] There from ancient times there have been shrines dedicated to Ammon and to Alexander the Macedonian.
[17] οἷς δὴ καὶ ἐσφαγιάζοντο μέχρι ἐς τὴν Ἰουστινιανοῦ βασιλείαν οἱ ἐπιχώριοι.
[17] The natives actually used to make sacrifices to them even up to the reign of Justinian.
[18] ἦν δὲ καὶ ὅμιλος αὐτοῖς τῶν ἱεροδούλων καλουμένων πολύς. νῦν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς οὗτος οὐχ ὅσον ἐς τὰ σώματα τοῖς κατηκόοις ἐκποριζόμενος τὴν ἀσφάλειαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς διασώσασθαι ἐν ἐπιμελείᾳ ποιούμενος, καὶ τῶν ταύτῃ ᾠκημένων ἀνθρώπων κατὰ πάντα προὐνόησε τρόπον.
[18] In this place there was a great throng of those called temple-slaves. But now the Emperor has made provision, not alone for the safety of the persons of his subjects, but he has also made it his concern to save their souls, be thus he has cared in every way for the people living there.
[19] τά τε γὰρ ἄλλα διαφερόντως αὐτῶν ἐπιμελεῖσθαι οὐδαμῇ ἀπηξίωσε καὶ τὴν τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐδίδαξε δόξαν Χριστιανοὺς πανοικεσίᾳ πεποιημένος καὶ μεταπορευόμενος λελυμασμένα σφίσι τὰ πάτρια ἤθη.
[19] Indeed he by no means neglected to take thought for their material interests in an exceptional way, and also he has taught them the doctrine of the true faith, making the whole population Christians and bringing about a transformation of their polluted ancestral cu
stoms.
[20] οἷς δὴ καὶ νεὼν τῆς θεοτόκου ἐδείματο, φυλακτήριον ταῖς πόλεσι τῆς τε σωτηρίας καὶ τῆς ἀμφὶ τῇ δόξῃ ἀληθείας ἐσόμενον. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τῇδέ πη ἔσχε.
[20] Moreover he built for them a Church of the Mother of God to be a guardian of the safety of the cities and of the true faith. So much, then, for this.
[21] Βόρειον δὲ ἡ πόλις Μαυρουσίοις γειτνιῶσα βαρβάροις φόρου ὑποτελὴς οὐ γεγένηται ἐς τόδε τοῦ χρόνου· οὐδέ τινες πώποτε δασμολόγοι ἢ ]φορολόγοι ἐς αὐτὴν ἵκοντο, ἐξ οὗ γεγόνασιν ἄνθρωποι.
[21] The city of Boreium, which lies near the barbarian Moors, has never been subject to tribute up to the present time, nor have any collectors of tribute or taxes come to it since the creation of man.
[22] οἱ δὲ Ἰουδαῖοι ᾤκηντο ἐκ παλαιοῦ αὐτῶν ἄγχιστα. οὗ δὴ καὶ νεὼς ἦν ἀρχαῖος αὐτοῖς, ὅνπερ ἐσέβοντό τε καὶ ἐτεθήπεσαν μάλιστα, δειμαμένου τοῦτο Σολομῶνος, ὥσπερ φασί, βασιλεύοντος Ἑβραίων τοῦ ἔθνους.
[22] The Jews had lived close by from ancient times, and they had an ancient temple there also, which they revered and honoured especially, since it was built, as they say, by Solomon, while he was ruling over the Hebrew nation.
[23] ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὺς ἅπαντας Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς μεταγνῶναί τε τὰ πάτρια ἤθη, καὶ Χριστιανοὺς γεγονέναι διαπραξάμενος, τοῦτον δὴ τὸν νεὼν ἐς ἐκκλησίας μεθηρμόσατο σχῆμα.
[23] But the Emperor Justinian brought it about that all these too changed their ancestral worship and have become Christians, and he transformed their temple into a church.
[3] [3] [1] Μετὰ τούτους αἱ Σύρτεις εἰσὶν αἱ μεγάλαι ὠνομασμέναι. ἐφ᾽ οὗ δέ εἰσι σχήματος αὗται, καὶ ὅτου δὴ ἕνεκα τούτου μεταλαγχάνουσι τοῦ ὀνόματος, ἐγὼ δηλώσω.
[1] Beyond these lie the Great Syrtes, as they are called. And I shall explain what their form is and why they are given this name.
[2] προβέβληταί τις ἐνταῦθα ἠϊών· σχιζομένη δὲ αὐτὴ τῇ τῆς θαλάσσης ἐπιρροῇ, τῷ τε ῥοθίῳ ἀφανιζομένη, ἀποβαίνειν δοκεῖ, καὶ ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτὴν ὑποχωροῦσα ὀπίσω ἰέναι· ἐς κόλπον δὲ μηνοειδῆ ἐπὶ μακρότατον τέτραπται.
[2] A sort of shore projects there, but is itself divided by the influx of the sea, and being hidden by the water it seems to disappear and to retreat back into itself; and it forms by its curve a very long crescent-shaped gulf.
[3] καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀρχομένης πλευρᾶς διάπλους ἐς τετρακοσίους διήκει σταδίους· τοῦ δὲ μηνοειδοῦς τὸ περίμετρον ἐς ἡμερῶν ἓξ ὁδὸν κατατείνει.
[3] The chord of the crescent extends to a distance of four hundred stades, but the perimeter of the crescent amounts to a six-days’ journey,
[4] ταύτης γὰρ ἡ θάλασσα πεπιεσμένη τῆς ἠπείρου ἐντὸς τὸν κόλπον ποιεῖται.
[4] for the sea, thrusting itself inside of this arm of the mainland, forms the gulf.
[5] ἐπειδάν τε ναῦς ἀνέμῳ ἢ κλύδωνι βιαζομένη τοῦ διάπλου ἐντὸς ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηνοειδοῦς τὴν ἀρχὴν γένηται, τὸ ἐνθένδε αὐτῇ ἐπανιέναι ἀμήχανά ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ συρομένῃ τὸ λοιπὸν ἔοικε, καὶ διαφανῶς ἐπίπροσθεν ἀεὶ ]ἑλκομένῃ.
[5] When a ship driven by the wind or wave gets inside the opening and beyond the chord of the crescent, it is then impossible for it to return, but from that moment it seems “to be drawn” (suresthai) and appears distinctly to be dragged steadily forward.
[6] καὶ ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, οἶμαι, τὸν χῶρον οἱ πάλαι ἄνθρωποι τοῦ πάθους τῶν νεῶν ἕνεκα Σύρτεις ὠνόμασαν.
[6] From this fact, I suppose, the men of ancient times named the place Syrtes because of the fate of the ships.
[7] οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ διανεῦσαι τοῖς πλοίοις ἄχρι ἐς τὴν ἠϊόνα δυνατὰ γεγένηται. πέτραι γὰρ ὕφαλοι διακεκληρωμέναι τὰ πλεῖστα τοῦ κόλπου πλώιμα οὐ ξυγχωροῦσιν ἐνταῦθα εἶναι, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν τοῖς βράχεσι τὰς ναῦς διαχρῶνται.
[7] On the other hand, it is not possible for the ships to make their way to the shore, for submerged rocks scattered over the greater part of the gulf do not permit sailing there, since they destroy the ships in the shoals.
[8] μόνοις δὲ τοῖς λέμβοις οἱ πλωτῆρες τούτων δὴ τῶν νηῶν οἷοί τέ εἰσι διασώζεσθαι, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι, μετὰ κινδύνων τὰς διεξόδους ποιούμενοι.
[8] Only in small boats are the sailors of such ships able to save themselves, with good luck, by picking their way amid perils through the outlets.
[9] Τριπόλεως τῇδε τῆς καλουμένης τὰ ὅριά ἐστι, Μαυρούσιοί τε βάρβαροι ἐνταῦθα οἰκοῦσι, Φοινικὸν ἔθνος. οὗ δὴ καὶ πόλις ἐστὶ Κιδαμὴ ὄνομα.
[9] Here are the boundaries of Tripolis, as it is called. It is inhabited by the barbarian Moors, a Phoenician race. Here too is a city, Cidamê by name;
[10] ἐνταῦθά τε Μαυρούσιοι ᾤκηνται Ῥωμαίων ἔνσπονδοι ἐκ παλαιοῦ ὄντες· οἵπερ ἅπαντες πεισθέντες Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ, δόγματι τῷ Χριστιανῶν ἐθελούσιοι προσεχώρησαν.
[10] and in it live Moors who have been at peace with the Romans from ancient times. All these were won over by the Emperor Justinian and voluntarily adopted the Christian doctrine.
[11] Πακᾶτοι δὲ οὗτοι τανῦν οἱ Μαυρούσιοι ἐπικαλοῦνται, ἐπεὶ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ἀεὶ σπονδὰς ἔχουσι· πάκεν γὰρ τὴν εἰρήνην τῇ Λατίνων καλοῦσι φωνῇ.
[11] These Moors are now called pacati, because they have a permanent treaty with the Romans; for peace they call pacem in the Latin tongue.
[12] Πενταπόλεως δὲ Τρίπολις ἡμερῶν διέχει ὁδῷ εἴκοσιν εὐζώνῳ ἀνδρί.
[12] Tripolis is a twenty-days’ journey from the Pentapolis for an unencumbered traveller.
[4] [4] [1] Πόλις ἐνθένδε ἡ Λεπτιμάγνα ἐκδέχεται, μεγάλη μὲν καὶ πολυάνθρωπος τὸ παλαιὸν οὖσα, ἔρημος δὲ χρόνῳ ὕστερον γεγενημένη ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον, ψάμμου τε πλήθει τὰ πολλὰ τῷ ἀπημελῆσθαι καταχωσθεῖσα.
[1] Next after this comes the city of Leptis Magna, which in ancient times was large and populous, though at a later time it came to be deserted for the most part, being through neglect largely buried in sand.
[2] καὶ ταύτης δὲ τὸν περίβολον ἐκ τῶν θεμελίων ὁ καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς ᾠκοδομήσατο βασιλεύς, οὐ τοσοῦτον μέντοι, ὅσος τὸ ]πρότερον ἦν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ πολὺ ἥσσονα, ὡς μὴ
τῷ μεγέθει σφαλερὰ καὶ αὖθις ἡ πόλις εἴη, καὶ πολεμίοις μὲν ἁλωτή, ψάμμῳ δὲ πρόχειρος.
[2] Our Emperor built up the circuit-wall of this city from the foundations, not however on as large a scale as it was formerly, but much smaller, in order that the city might not again be weak because of its very size, and liable to capture by the enemy, and also be exposed to the sand.
[3] νῦν δὲ δὴ τῆς πόλεως τὸ μὲν καταχωσθὲν ἐφ᾽ οὗπερ ἦν σχήματος εἴασεν οὕτω δὴ ψάμμῳ ἐς λόφους συνειλεγμένῃ κεκαλυμμένον, τὴν δὲ λοιπὴν ἐτειχίσατο ἐν τῷ τῆς οἰκοδομίας ἐχυρῷ μάλιστα.
[3] At present, indeed, he has left the buried portion of the city just as it was, covered by the sand heaped up in mounds, but the rest of the city he has surrounded with a very strongly built wall.
[4] καὶ ἱερὸν μὲν ἀξιοθέατον τῇ θεοτόκῳ τῇδε ἀνέθηκεν, ἐκκλησίας δὲ τέτταρας ἐδείματο ἄλλας.
[4] Here he dedicated to the Mother of God a very notable shrine, and built four other churches.
[5] πρὸς δὲ καὶ ἀνῳκοδομήσατο τὰ τῇδε γεγονότα ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις καὶ καταπεπτωκότα βασίλεια, Σεβήρου βασιλέως τοῦ παλαιοῦ ἔργον· ὃς δὴ ἐνθένδε ὁρμώμενος μνημεῖα τῆς εὐδαιμονίας τὰ βασίλεια τάδε ἀπέλιπεν.
[5] Furthermore, he rebuilt the palace, which had been built here in early times and now lay in ruins, the work of the ancient Emperor Severus, who was born in this place and so left this palace as a memorial of his good fortune.
[6] Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα γενόμενος τοῦ λόγου τὸ ξυνενεχθὲν ἐπὶ Λεπτιμάγνης ἐν χρόνῳ τῷ καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς ὡς ἥκιστα σιωπήσομαι. ἤδη μὲν Ἰουστινιανοῦ τὴν βασιλείαν παραλαβόντος, οὔπω δὲ πόλεμον τὸν Βανδιλικὸν ἀνῃρημένου, Μαυρούσιοι βάρβαροι, οἱ Λευάθαι καλούμενοι, βιασάμενοι τοὺς Λιβύης τότε κυρίους Βανδίλους, ἔρημον ἀνθρώπων τὴν Λεπτιμάγναν παντάπασι κατεστήσατο.
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius Page 615
