Laudator Temporis Acti

Zosimus, New History 5.40.3-4 (p. 269 Mendelssohn; tr. Ronald T. Ridley):

When Alaric heard that the people were trained and ready to fight, he said that thicker grass was easier to mow than thinner and laughed broadly at the ambassadors, but when they turned to discuss peace, he used expressions excessive even for an arrogant barbarian: he declared that he would not give up the siege unless he got all the gold and silver in the city, as well as all movable property and the barbarian slaves. When one of the ambassadors asked what he would leave for the citizens if he took these, he replied: 'Their lives'.

ὧν ̓Αλλάριχος ἀκούσας, καὶ ὅτι μεταχειριζόμενος ὁ δῆμος ὅπλα παρεσκεύασται πολεμεῖν, 'δασύτερος ὢν ὁ χόρτος' ἔφη 'τέμνεσθαι ῥᾴων ἢ ἀραιότερος', καὶ τοῦτο φθεγξάμενος πλατὺν τῶν πρέσβεων κατέχεε γέλωτα. ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἰς τοὺς περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης ἐληλύθασι λόγους, ἐχρῆτο ῥήμασιν ἐπέκεινα πάσης ἀλαζονείας βαρβαρικῆς· ἔλεγε γὰρ οὐκ ἄλλως ἀποστήσεσθαι τῆς πολιορκίας, εἰ μὴ τὸν χρυσὸν ἅπαντα, ὅσον ἡ πόλις ἔχει, καὶ τὸν ἄργυρον λάβοι, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ὅσα ἐν ἐπίπλοις εὕροι κατὰ τὴν πόλιν καὶ ἔτι τοὺς βαρβάρους οἰκέτας. εἰπόντος δὲ τῶν πρέσβεων ἑνὸς 'εἰ ταῦτα λάβοις, τί λοιπὸν ἔτι τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει καταλιμπάνεις'; 'τὰς ψυχὰς' ἀπεκρίνατο.