Λειποταξίου
desertion
Translated by David Whitehead18 May 2008Vetting: high7 revisions
Translation
and [sc. also attested is the related term] leipota/kths , [meaning] one who flees war.1
Agathias [writes]: "[Sindual] thought it [would be] something shameful and ignoble if, with [so great] a war under way, he and those around him should be convicted of desertion."2 "Heraclius the Roman emperor used to impose penalties of [= for] desertion on those straying from Roman power."3
Agathias [writes]: "[Sindual] thought it [would be] something shameful and ignoble if, with [so great] a war under way, he and those around him should be convicted of desertion."2 "Heraclius the Roman emperor used to impose penalties of [= for] desertion on those straying from Roman power."3
Greek original · Adler’s text
Λειποταξίου· καὶ Λειποτάκτης, ὁ φυγοπόλεμος. Ἀγαθίας· ὁ δὲ αἰσχρόν τι ἡγεῖτο καὶ ἀγεννές, εἰ πολέμου ξυνεστηκότος, αὐτός τε καὶ οἱ ἀμφ' αὐτὸν λειποταξίου ἁλοῖεν. ὅτι Ἡράκλειος ὁ Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς λειποταξίου ποινὰς τοὺς πλανήτας τῆς Ῥωμαϊκῆς δυνάμεως εἰσεπράττετο.
Betacode
*leipotaci/ou: kai\ *leipota/kths, o( fugopo/lemos. *)agaqi/as: o( de\ ai)sxro/n ti h(gei=to kai\ a)genne/s, ei) pole/mou cunesthko/tos, au)to/s te kai\ oi( a)mf' au)to\n leipotaci/ou a(loi=en. o(/ti *(hra/kleios o( *(rwmai/wn basileu\s leipotaci/ou poina\s tou\s planh/tas th=s *(rwmai+kh=s duna/mews ei)sepra/tteto.
Notes (3)
- The unglossed primary headword is in the genitive case, evidently quoted from somewhere (perhaps, though not necessarily, the second quotation given here).
cf. generally lambda 384, lambda 385, lambda 386, lambda 591. - 1cf. already lambda 386. ↩
- 2Agathias, Histories 2.7.6. The leader of the Heruli (cf. epsilon 901 and epsilon 3058) contingent supporting the Romans at the Battle of the Volturnus (Battle of Capua) in 554 CE, Sindual (see PLRE IIIb s.v.) ruminates on the situation in which his men momentarily refuse to fight as the battle commences; cf. Frendo (39) and additional context at delta 506 and epsilon 953. ↩
- 3Theophylact Simocatta, Histories 2.18.26; on the general Heraclius (cf. phi 349), after having been left in command of the eastern Roman army in late 587; cf. de Boor (109), Whitby (71), and pi 1689. The Suda mistakenly inserts
o( *(rwmai/wn basileu\s into Theophylact's text. On the emperor Heraclius, son of the general, see generally eta 465. ↩
References
J.R. Martindale, The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol. IIIb, (Cambridge, 1992)
J.D. Frendo, trans., Agathias: The Histories, (Berlin 1975)
C. de Boor, ed., Theophylacti Simocattae Historiae, (Leipzig 1887, reprint 2022)
M. Whitby and M. Whitby, eds. and trans., The History of Theophylact Simocatta, (Oxford 1986)
J.D. Frendo, trans., Agathias: The Histories, (Berlin 1975)
C. de Boor, ed., Theophylacti Simocattae Historiae, (Leipzig 1887, reprint 2022)
M. Whitby and M. Whitby, eds. and trans., The History of Theophylact Simocatta, (Oxford 1986)
Linked from2 entries
Neighbouring entries
Revision history7 revisions · last 17 Apr 2025
- expanded n.3, added to bibliography, added cross-reference — Ronald Allen
- tweaked translation — Catharine Roth
- expanded n.2, added bibliography, added cross-references — Ronald Allen
- coding — Catharine Roth
- Revised — David Whitehead
- typos — David Whitehead
- added cross-reference, set status — Catharine Roth
- Translated — David Whitehead