A letter to Belisarius

Translated letter:

The letter which you have written, most excellent Belisarius, carries sound admonition, but pertinent to some other men, not to us the Goths. For there is nothing of the Emperor Justinian's which we have taken and hold; may we never be so mad as to do such a thing! The whole of Sicily we claim because it is our own, and the fortress of Lilybaeum is one of its promontories. And if Theoderic gave his sister, who was the consort of the king of the Vandals, one of the trading-ports of Sicily for her use, this is nothing. For this fact could not afford a basis for any claim on your part. But you, O General, would be acting justly toward us, if you should be willing to make the settlement of the matters in dispute between us, not as an enemy, but as a friend. And there is this difference, that friends are accustomed to settle their disagreements by arbitration, but enemies by battle. We, therefore, shall commit this matter to the Emperor Justinian, to arbitrate in whatever manner seems to him lawful and just. And we desire that the decisions you make shall be as wise as possible, rather than as hasty as possible, and that you, therefore, await the decision of your emperor.

Original letter:

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Historical context:

Belisarius attempted to recover for the Romans everything the Vandals ruled. He had sent men to Sicily to take the fortress in Lilybaeum, but the Goths denied that the fortress belonged to the Vandals.  (Lilybaeum had been ceded to the Vandals by Theoderic as dower of his sister Amalafrida.)

Printed source:

Procopius History of the Wars, trans. HB Dewing (Loeb Classical Library) Cambridge:  Harvard, 1916, repr.2006, IV, v, 19-25.