Src Procopius Vandal War

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Prof. Vicente [email protected]

Universidade de BrasíliaIHD - Dpto. de HistóriaBrasília -DF-70910-900

Fonte: Procópio, Guerra vandálica

Origem: ConstantinoplaPeríodo: +-490 - 560 d.C.

Edição: DEWING, H.B. (trans.) Procopius. History of the Wars.

III-IV. New York: Macmillan, 1914.

PROCOPI US OF CAESAREA

HI STORY OF THE WARS.

BOOK I I I

THE VANDALI C WAR

I

Such, t hen, was t he f i nal out come of t he Per si an War f or t he Emperor J ust i ni an; and I shal l now proceed t o set f or t h al l t hat he di d agai nstt he Vandal s and t he Moor s. But f i r st shal l be tol d whence came the hostof t he Vandal s when t hey descended upon t he l and of t he Romans. Af t er Theodosi us, t he Roman Emperor , had depar t ed f r om t he wor l d, havi ngpr oved hi msel f one of t he most j ust of men and an abl e war r i or, hi ski ngdom was t aken over by hi s t wo sons, Ar cadi us, t he el der , r ecei vi ngt he Easter n port i on, and Honor i us, t he younger, t he Wester n. [ J an. 17,395 A. D. ] But t he Roman power had been thus di vi ded as f ar back as t het i me of Const ant i ne and hi s sons; f or he t r ansf er r ed hi s gover nment t o

Byzant i um, and maki ng t he ci t y l arger and much more renowned, al l owed i tt o be named af t er hi m.

Now t he ear t h i s sur r ounded by a ci r cl e of ocean, ei t her ent i r el y or f ort he most par t ( f or our knowl edge i s not as yet at al l cl ear i n t hi smat t er ) ; and i t i s spl i t i nt o t wo cont i nent s by a sor t of out f l ow f r omt he ocean, a f l ow whi ch ent ers at t he west ern par t and f or ms t hi s Seawhi ch we know, begi nni ng at Gadi r a[1] and ext endi ng al l t he way t o theMaeot i c Lake. [ 2] Of t hese t wo cont i nent s t he one t o t he r i ght , as onesai l s i nt o t he Sea, as f ar as t he Lake, has r ecei ved the name of Asi a,begi nni ng at Gadi r a and at t he sout her n[ 3] of t he two Pi l l ar s of Her acl es. Sept em[ 4] i s t he name gi ven by t he nat i ves t o the f or t at t hatpoi nt , si nce seven hi l l s appear t her e; f or "sept em" has t he f or ce of

" seven" i n t he Lat i n t ongue. And t he whol e cont i nent opposi t e thi s wasnamed Eur ope. And the st r ai t at t hat poi nt separat es t he t wocont i nent s[ 5] by about ei ght y- f our st ades, but f r om t her e on t hey ar e



PEJ - Fontes - Prof. Vicente Dobroruka

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kept apart by wi de expanses of sea as f ar as the Hel l espont . For at t hi spoi nt t hey agai n appr oach each ot her at Sest us and Abydus, and once moreat Byzant i um and Chal cedon as f ar as t he r ocks cal l ed i n anci ent t i mest he "Dark Bl ue Rocks, " wher e even now i s t he pl ace cal l ed Hi eron. For at

t hese pl aces t he cont i nent s are separat ed f r omone another by a di st anceof onl y t en st ades and even l ess t han t hat .

Now t he di st ance f r om one of t he Pi l l ar s of Her acl es t o t he ot her , i f one goes al ong the shore and does not pass around t he I oni an Gul f andt he sea cal l ed the Euxi ne but cr osses f r om Chal cedon[ 6] t o Byzant i um andf r om Dr yous[ 7] t o t he opposi t e mai nl and, [ 8] i s a j our ney of t wo hundr edand ei ght y- f i ve days f or an unencumber ed t r avel l er . For as t o t he l andabout t he Euxi ne Sea, whi ch extends f r omByzant i um t o t he Lake, i t woul dbe i mpossi bl e t o t el l ever yt hi ng wi t h pr eci si on, si nce t he bar bar i ansbeyond the I st er Ri ver , whi ch they al so cal l t he Danube, make t he shoreof t hat sea qui t e i mpossi bl e f or t he Romans t o t r aver se- - except , i ndeed,t hat f r om Byzant i um t o the mout h of t he I st er i s a j our ney of t went y- t wo

days, whi ch shoul d be added t o t he measur e of Eur ope by one maki ng t hecomput at i on. And on t he Asi at i c si de, t hat i s f r om Chal cedon t o t hePhasi s Ri ver , whi ch, f l owi ng f r om t he count r y of t he Col chi ans, descendsi nt o t he Pont us, t he j our ney i s accompl i shed i n f or t y days. So t hat t hewhol e Roman domai n, accor di ng t o t he di st ance al ong the sea at l east ,at t ai ns t he measure of a t hr ee hundr ed and f ort y- seven days' j our ney,i f , as has been sai d, one f er r i es over t he I oni an Gul f , whi ch extendsabout ei ght hundr ed st ades f r omDr yous. For t he passage acr oss t hegul f [ 9] amount s t o a j our ney of not l ess t han f our days. Such, t hen, wast he si ze of t he Roman empi r e i n the anci ent t i mes.

And ther e f el l t o hi m who hel d t he power i n t he West t he most of Li bya,ext endi ng ni net y days' j our ney- - f or such i s t he di st ance f r om Gadi r a t o

t he boundar i es of Tr i pol i s i n Li bya; and i n Eur ope he r ecei ved as hi spor t i on t er r i t or y ext endi ng sevent y- f i ve days' j our ney- - f or such i s t hedi st ance f r om t he nor t her n[ 10] of t he Pi l l ar s of Her acl es t o t he I oni anGul f . [ 11] And one mi ght add al so t he di st ance ar ound the gul f . And theemper or of t he East r ecei ved t err i t ory ext endi ng one hundr ed and t went ydays' j our ney, f r om t he boundar i es of Cyrene i n Li bya as f ar asEpi damnus, whi ch l i es on t he I oni an Gul f and i s cal l ed at t he pr esentt i me Dyr r achi um, as wel l as t hat por t i on of t he count r y about t he Euxi neSea whi ch, as pr evi ousl y st ated, i s subj ect t o t he Romans. Now one day' s j ourney ext ends t wo hundred and t en st ades, [ 12] or as f ar as f r om At henst o Megara. Thus, t hen, t he Roman emper ors di vi ded ei t her cont i nentbet ween t hem. And among t he i sl ands Br i t ai n, whi ch i s out si de t hePi l l ar s of Her acl es and by f ar t he l ar gest of al l i sl ands, was count ed,

as i s nat ur al , wi t h t he West ; and i nsi de t he Pi l l ar s, Ebusa, [ 13] whi chl i es i n t he Medi t er r anean i n what we may cal l t he Pr opont i s, j ust i nsi det he openi ng wher e t he ocean ent ers, about seven days' j our ney f r om t heopeni ng, and two ot her s near i t , Maj or i ca and Mi nor i ca, as t hey ar ecal l ed by t he nat i ves, were al so assi gned t o t he West ern empi r e. Andeach of t he i sl ands i n t he Sea i t sel f f el l t o t he shar e of t hat one of t he two emperors wi t hi n whose boundar i es i t happened t o l i e.

I I

Now whi l e Honor i us was hol di ng t he i mper i al power i n t he West ,bar bar i ans t ook possessi on of hi s l and; and I shal l t el l who t hey wer e

and i n what manner t hey di d so. [ 395- 423 A. D. ] There were many Gothi cnat i ons i n ear l i er t i mes, j ust as al so at t he pr esent , but t he gr eat estand most i mpor t ant of al l ar e the Got hs, Vandal s, Vi si got hs, and




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Gepaedes. I n anci ent t i mes, however, t hey were named Sauromat ae andMel anchl aeni ; [ 14] and there were some too who cal l ed t hese nat i onsGet i c. Al l t hese, whi l e t hey ar e di st i ngui shed f r om one anot her by thei rnames, as has been sai d, do not di f f er i n anythi ng el se at al l . For t hey

al l have whi t e bodi es and f ai r hai r , and ar e t al l and handsome t o l ookupon, and they use t he same l aws and pract i se a common r el i gi on. Fort hey ar e al l of t he Ar i an f ai t h, and have one l anguage cal l ed Got hi c;and, as i t seems t o me, t hey al l came or i gi nal l y f r om one t r i be, andwere di st i ngui shed l ater by t he names of t hose who l ed each group. Thi speopl e used t o dwel l above t he I st er Ri ver f r om of ol d. Lat er on t heGepaedes got possessi on of t he count r y about Si ngi dunum[ 15] andSi r mi um, [ 16] on bot h si des of t he I st er Ri ver , where t hey have r emai nedset t l ed even down t o my t i me.

But t he Vi si got hs, separ at i ng f r om t he ot her s, r emoved f r om t her e and atf i r st ent er ed i nt o an al l i ance wi t h t he Emper or Ar cadi us, but at a l at ert i me ( f or f ai t h wi t h the Romans cannot dwel l i n bar bar i ans) , under t he

l eader shi p of Al ari c, t hey became host i l e t o both emperor s, and,begi nni ng wi t h Thr ace, t r eat ed al l Eur ope as an enemy' s l and. Now t heEmper or Honor i us had bef ore thi s t i me been si t t i ng i n Rome, wi t h never at hought of war i n hi s mi nd, but gl ad, I t hi nk, i f men al l owed hi m t or emai n qui et i n hi s pal ace. But when word was br ought t hat t hebar bar i ans wi t h a gr eat army were not f ar of f , but somewher e among the Taul ant i i , [ 17] he abandoned t he pal ace and f l ed i n di sor der l y f ashi on t oRavenna, a st r ong ci t y l yi ng j ust about at t he end of t he I oni an Gul f ,whi l e some say t hat he br ought i n t he bar bar i ans hi msel f , because anupr i si ng had been star t ed agai nst hi m among hi s subj ect s; but t hi s doesnot seem t o me t r ust wor t hy, as f ar , at l east , as one can j udge of t hecharact er of t he man. And t he barbar i ans, f i ndi ng t hat t hey had nohost i l e f orce to encounter t hem, became t he most cr uel of al l men. For

t hey dest r oyed al l t he ci t i es whi ch t hey capt ur ed, especi al l y t hosesout h of t he I oni an Gul f , so compl et el y that not hi ng has been l ef t t o myt i me t o know t hem by, unl ess, i ndeed, i t mi ght be one t ower or one gateor some such thi ng whi ch chanced t o remai n. And they ki l l ed al l t hepeopl e, as many as came i n t hei r way, bot h ol d and young al i ke, spar i ngnei t her women nor chi l dr en. Wher ef or e even up t o t he pr esent t i me I t al yi s spar sel y popul at ed. They al so gat her ed as pl under al l t he money outof al l Eur ope, and, most i mpor t ant of al l , t hey l ef t i n Rome not hi ngwhatever of publ i c or pr i vat e weal t h when t hey moved on t o Gaul . But Ishal l now t el l how Al ar i c capt ur ed Rome.

Af t er much t i me had been spent by hi m i n the si ege, and he had not beenabl e ei t her by f or ce or by any ot her devi ce t o capt ur e t he pl ace, he

f ormed t he f ol l owi ng pl an. Among t he yout hs i n t he army whose beards hadnot yet grown, but who had j ust come of age, he chose out t hree hundr edwhom he knew t o be of good bi r t h and possessed of val our beyond thei ryears, and t ol d t hem secr et l y that he was about t o make a pr esent of t hem t o cer t ai n of t he pat r i ci ans i n Rome, pr et endi ng t hat t hey wer esl aves. And he i nst r uct ed t hem t hat , as soon as t hey got i nsi de t hehouses of t hose men, t hey shoul d di spl ay much gent l eness and moderat i onand ser ve t hem eagerl y i n what ever t asks shoul d be l ai d upon them byt hei r owner s; and he f ur t her di r ect ed t hem t hat not l ong af t er war ds, onan appoi nted day at about mi dday, when al l t hose who were t o be t hei rmast er s woul d most l i kel y be al r eady asl eep af t er t hei r meal , t heyshoul d al l come t o t he gate cal l ed Sal ari an and wi t h a sudden r ush ki l lt he guards, who woul d have no previ ous knowl edge of t he pl ot , and open

t he gat es as qui ckl y as possi bl e. Af t er gi vi ng t hese or der s t o t heyouths, Al ar i c st r ai ght way sent ambassadors t o the members of t hesenat e, st at i ng t hat he admi r ed t hem f or t hei r l oyal t y t owar d t hei r




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emper or, and that he woul d t r oubl e t hem no l onger , because of t hei rval our and f ai t hf ul ness, wi t h whi ch i t was pl ai n t hat t hey were endowedt o a r emar kabl e degr ee, and i n or der t hat t okens of hi msel f mi ght bepreser ved among men bot h nobl e and brave, he wi shed to present each one

of t hemwi t h some domest i cs. Af t er maki ng t hi s decl arat i on and sendi ngt he yout hs not l ong af t erwards, he commanded t he bar bar i ans t o makepreparat i ons f or t he depart ure, and he l et t hi s be known t o t he Romans.And t hey heard hi s words gl adl y, and r ecei vi ng t he gi f t s began t o beexceedi ngl y happy, si nce they were compl etel y i gnorant of t he pl ot of t he bar bar i an. For t he yout hs, by bei ng unusual l y obedi ent t o thei rowner s, aver t ed suspi ci on, and i n t he camp some were al r eady seen movi ngf r om t hei r posi t i ons and r ai si ng t he si ege, whi l e i t seemed t hat t heother s were j ust on t he poi nt of doi ng t he ver y same thi ng. But when t heappoi nted day had come, Al ar i c armed hi s whol e f orce f or t he at t ack andwas hol di ng t hem i n r eadi ness cl ose by t he Sal ar i an Gat e; f or i thappened t hat he had encamped ther e at t he begi nni ng of t he si ege. Andal l t he yout hs at t he t i me of t he day agr eed upon came to thi s gat e,

and, assai l i ng t he guar ds suddenl y, put t hemt o deat h; t hen t hey openedt he gat es and r ecei ved Al ar i c and t he ar my i nt o the ci t y at t hei rl ei sur e. [ Aug. 24, 410 A. D. ] And they set f i r e to the houses whi ch wer enext t o the gate, among whi ch was al so t he house of Sal l ust , who i nanci ent t i mes wr ote t he hi st or y of t he Romans, and the gr eat er part of t hi s house has st ood hal f - bur ned up to my t i me; and af t er pl under i ng thewhol e ci t y and dest r oyi ng t he most of t he Romans, t hey moved on. At t hatt i me t hey say t hat t he Emper or Honor i us i n Ravenna r ecei ved t he messagef r omone of t he eunuchs, evi dent l y a keeper of t he poul t r y, t hat Romehad per i shed. And he cr i ed out and sai d, "And yet i t has j ust eat en f r ommy hands! " For he had a ver y l ar ge cock, Rome by name; and t he eunuchcompr ehendi ng hi s words sai d t hat i t was t he ci t y of Rome whi ch hadper i shed at t he hands of Al ar i c, and t he emper or wi t h a si gh of r el i ef

answered qui ckl y: "But I , my good f el l ow, t hought t hat my f owl Rome hadper i shed. " So gr eat , t hey say, was t he f ol l y wi t h whi ch t hi s emperor waspossessed.

But some say t hat Rome was not capt ured i n t hi s way by Al ar i c, but t hatPr oba, a woman of very unusual emi nence i n weal t h and i n f ame among t heRoman senatori al cl ass, f el t pi t y f or t he Romans who wer e bei ngdest r oyed by hunger and t he other suf f er i ng t hey endur ed; f or t hey wereal r eady even t ast i ng each ot her' s f l esh; and seei ng t hat ever y good hopehad l ef t t hem, si nce both the r i ver and the har bour were hel d by t heenemy, she commanded her domest i cs, t hey say, t o open the gat es byni ght .

Now when Al ar i c was about t o depart f r om Rome, he decl ared At t al us, oneof t hei r nobl es, emper or of t he Romans, i nvest i ng hi m wi t h the di ademand the pur pl e and what ever el se per t ai ns t o t he i mper i al di gni t y. Andhe di d t hi s wi t h t he i nt ent i on of r emovi ng Honor i us f r om hi s t hr one andof gi vi ng over t he whol e power i n the West t o At t al us. Wi t h such apur pose, t hen, both At t al us and Al ar i c were goi ng wi t h a gr eat ar myagai nst Ravenna. But t hi s At t al us was nei t her abl e t o t hi nk wi sel yhi msel f , nor t o be persuaded by one who had wi sdom t o of f er . So whi l eAl ar i c di d not by any means appr ove t he pl an, At t al us sent commanders t oLi bya wi t hout an army. Thus, t hen, were these t hi ngs goi ng on.

And t he i sl and of Br i t ai n r evol t ed f r om t he Romans, and t he sol di er st here chose as t hei r ki ng Const ant i nus, a man of no mean st at i on. [ 407

A. D. ] And he st r ai ght way gat hered a f l eet of shi ps and a f or mi dabl e ar myand i nvaded both Spai n and Gaul wi t h a gr eat f orce, t hi nki ng to ensl avet hese count r i es. But Honori us was hol di ng shi ps i n r eadi ness and wai t i ng




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t o see what woul d happen i n Li bya, i n order t hat , i f t hose sent byAt t al us were r epul sed, he mi ght hi msel f sai l f or Li bya and keep somepor t i on of hi s own ki ngdom, whi l e i f matt er s t her e shoul d go agai nsthi m, he mi ght r each Theodosi us and r emai n wi t h hi m. For Ar cadi us had

al r eady di ed l ong bef or e, and hi s son Theodosi us, st i l l a ver y youngchi l d, [ 18] hel d t he power of t he East . [ 408- 450 A. D. ] But whi l e Honor i uswas t hus anxi ousl y awai t i ng t he out come of t hese event s and t ossed ami dt he bi l l ows of uncer t ai n f or t une, i t so chanced t hat some wonderf ulpi eces of good f ort une bef el l hi m. For God i s accust omed t o succourt hose who ar e nei t her cl ever nor abl e to devi se anythi ng of t hemsel ves,and t o l end t hem assi st ance, i f t hey be not wi cked, when t hey ar e i n t hel ast ext r emi t y of despai r ; such a t hi ng, i ndeed, bef el l t hi s emper or .For i t was suddenl y r epor t ed f r omLi bya t hat t he commander s of At t al ushad been dest r oyed, and t hat a host of shi ps was at hand f r omByzant i umwi t h a ver y gr eat number of sol di ers who had come to assi st hi m, t houghhe had not expect ed t hem, and t hat Al ar i c, havi ng quar r el l ed wi t hAt t al us, had st r i pped hi m of t he emper or' s gar b and was now keepi ng hi m

under guar d i n t he posi t i on of a pr i vat e ci t i zen. [ 411 A. D. ] Andaf t er war ds Al ari c di ed of di sease, and t he ar my of t he Vi si goths undert he l eader shi p of Adaul phus pr oceeded i nt o Gaul , and Const ant i nus,def eat ed i n bat t l e, di ed wi t h hi s sons. However t he Romans neversucceeded i n recover i ng Br i t ai n, but i t r emai ned f r om t hat t i me on undert yr ant s. And t he Got hs, af t er maki ng t he crossi ng of t he I st er , at f i r stoccupi ed Pannoni a, but af t er wards, si nce t he emper or gave themt her i ght , t hey i nhabi t ed the count r y of Thr ace. And af t er spendi ng no gr eatt i me t her e they conquer ed t he West . But t hi s wi l l be tol d i n t henar r at i ve concer ni ng t he Got hs.

I I I

Now t he Vandal s dwel l i ng about t he Maeot i c Lake, si nce t hey were pr essedby hunger , moved t o t he count r y of t he Germans, who ar e now cal l edFranks, and t he r i ver Rhi ne, associ at i ng wi t h t hemsel ves t he Al ani , aGot hi c peopl e. Then f r om t her e, under t he l eader shi p of Godi gi scl us,t hey moved and set t l ed i n Spai n, whi ch i s t he f i r st l and of t he Romanempi r e on t he si de of t he ocean. At t hat t i me Honor i us made an agr eementwi t h Godi gi scl us t hat t hey shoul d set t l e t her e on condi t i on t hat i tshoul d not be t o t he det r i ment of t he count r y. But t here was a l aw amongt he Romans, t hat i f any per sons shoul d f ai l t o keep t hei r pr oper t y i nt hei r own possessi on, and i f , meanwhi l e, a t i me amount i ng t o t hi r t yyear s shoul d pass, t hat t hese per sons shoul d thencef or t h not be ent i t l edt o pr oceed agai nst t hose who had f orced t hem out , but t hey were excl uded

by demur r er [ 19] f r om access t o the cour t ; and i n vi ew of t hi s heest abl i shed a l aw t hat what ever t i me shoul d be spent by t he Vandal s i nt he Roman domai n shoul d not by any means be count ed t owar d t hi st hi r t y- year demur r er . And Honor i us hi msel f , when t he West had beendr i ven by hi m t o t hi s pass, di ed of di sease. [ Aug. 27, 423 A. D. ] Nowbef ore thi s, as i t happened, t he royal power had been shar ed by Honor i uswi t h Const ant i us, t he husband of Pl aci di a, t he si st er of Ar cadi us andHonori us; but he l i ved t o exerci se t he power onl y a f ew days, and t hen,becomi ng ser i ousl y i l l , he di ed whi l e Honor i us was st i l l l i vi ng, [ 421A. D. ] havi ng never succeeded i n sayi ng or i n doi ng anythi ng wor t hr ecount i ng; f or t he t i me was not suf f i ci ent dur i ng whi ch he l i ved i npossessi on of t he royal power. Now a son of t hi s Const ant i us,Val ent i ni an, a chi l d j ust weaned, was bei ng rear ed i n the pal ace of

Theodosi us, but t he members of t he i mper i al cour t i n Rome chose one of t he sol di ers t here, J ohn by name, as emperor . Thi s man was both gent l eand wel l - endowed wi t h sagaci t y and thoroughl y capabl e of val orous deeds.




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At any rat e he hel d t he t yranny f i ve year s[ 20] and di r ect ed i t wi t hmoderat i on, and he nei t her gave ear t o sl anderers nor di d he do anyunj ust mur der , wi l l i ngl y at l east , nor di d he set hi s hand t o r obbi ngmen of money; but he di d not prove abl e t o do anyt hi ng at al l agai nst

t he bar bar i ans, si nce hi s r el at i ons wi t h Byzant i um wer e host i l e. Agai nstt hi s J ohn, Theodosi us, t he son of Ar cadi us, sent a gr eat army and Asparand Ar dabur i us, t he son of Aspar , as gener al s, and wr est ed f r om hi m t het yranny and gave over t he r oyal power t o Val ent i ni an, who was st i l l achi l d. And Val ent i ni an t ook J ohn al i ve, and he br ought hi m out i n t hehi ppodr ome of Aqui l ei a wi t h one of hi s hands cut of f and caused hi m t or i de i n st at e on an ass, and t hen af t er he had suf f ered much i l lt r eat ment f r om t he st age- per f ormer s t here, both i n wor d and i n deed, heput hi m t o deat h. [ 426 A. D. ] Thus Val ent i ni an took over t he power of t heWest . But Pl aci di a, hi s mot her , had r eared thi s emperor and educat ed hi mi n an al t ogether ef f emi nate manner , and i n consequence he was f i l l edwi t h wi ckedness f r om chi l dhood. For he associ at ed most l y wi t h sor cer er sand those who busy t hemsel ves wi t h t he st ars, and, bei ng an

ext r aor di nar i l y zeal ous pur suer of l ove af f ai r s wi t h ot her men' s wi ves,he conduct ed hi msel f i n a most i ndecent manner , al t hough he was marr i edt o a woman of except i onal beauty. [ 455 A. D. ] And not onl y was t hi s t r ue,but he al so f ai l ed t o recover f or t he empi r e anythi ng of what had beenwr est ed f r om i t bef or e, and he bot h l ost Li bya i n addi t i on t o t het er r i t or y pr evi ousl y l ost and was hi msel f dest r oyed. And when heper i shed, i t f el l t o t he l ot of hi s wi f e and hi s chi l dr en t o becomecapt i ves. Now t he di sast er i n Li bya came about as f ol l ows.

There wer e t wo Roman gener al s, Aet i us and Boni f ace, especi al l y val i antmen and i n experi ence of many wars i nf er i or t o none of t hat t i me atl east . These t wo came to be at var i ance i n regard t o mat t ers of st ate,but t hey at t ai ned t o such a degr ee of hi ghmi ndedness and excel l ence i n

ever y respect t hat i f one shoul d cal l ei t her of t hem "t he l ast of t heRomans" he woul d not er r , so t r ue was i t t hat al l t he excel l entqual i t i es of t he Romans were summed up i n t hese t wo men. One of t hese,Boni f ace, was appoi nt ed by Pl aci di a gener al of al l Li bya. Now t hi s wasnot i n accor d wi t h the wi shes of Aet i us, but he by no means di scl osedt he f act t hat i t di d not pl ease hi m. For t hei r host i l i t y had not as yetcome t o l i ght , but was conceal ed behi nd t he count enance of each. Butwhen Boni f ace had got out of t he way, Aet i us sl ander ed hi m t o Pl aci di a,sayi ng t hat he was set t i ng up a tyr anny and had r obbed her and theemper or of al l Li bya, and he sai d t hat i t was ver y easy f or her t o f i ndout t he t r uth; f or i f she shoul d summon Boni f ace t o Rome, he woul d nevercome. And when t he woman heard t hi s, Aet i us seemed to her t o speak wel land she act ed accor di ngl y. But Aet i us, ant i ci pat i ng her , wr ot e to

Boni f ace secr et l y t hat t he mot her of t he emperor was pl ot t i ng agai nsthi m and wi shed to put hi m out of t he way. And he pr edi ct ed to hi m t hatt her e woul d be convi nci ng proof of t he pl ot ; f or he woul d be summonedver y short l y f or no reason at al l . Such was t he announcement of t hel et t er . And Boni f ace di d not di sr egard t he message, f or as soon as thosear r i ved who were summoni ng hi m t o t he emper or , he r ef used t o gi ve heedt o the emper or and hi s mother , di scl osi ng to no one t he warni ng of Aet i us. So when Pl aci di a heard t hi s, she t hought t hat Aet i us wasexceedi ngl y wel l - di sposed towards t he emper or ' s cause and t ook underconsi der at i on t he quest i on of Boni f ace. But Boni f ace, si nce i t di d notseem t o hi m t hat he was abl e t o ar r ay hi msel f agai nst t he emper or , andsi nce i f he ret ur ned t o Rome there was cl earl y no saf ety f or hi m, begant o l ay pl ans so t hat , i f possi bl e, he mi ght have a def ensi ve al l i ance

wi t h t he Vandal s, who, as pr evi ousl y st at ed, had establ i shed t hemsel vesi n Spai n not f ar f r om Li bya. Ther e Godi gi scl us had di ed and t he royalpower had f al l en t o hi s sons, Gont har i s, who was bor n t o hi m f r om hi s




7

wedded wi f e, and Gi zer i c, [ 21] of i l l egi t i mat e bi r t h. But t he f or mer wasst i l l a chi l d and not of ver y ener get i c t emper , whi l e Gi zer i c had beenexcel l ent l y tr ai ned i n war f ar e, and was t he cl ever est of al l men.Boni f ace accor di ngl y sent t o Spai n those who were hi s own most i nt i mate

f r i ends and gai ned t he adher ence of each of t he sons of Godi gi scl us ont er ms of compl et e equal i t y, i t bei ng agr eed t hat each one of t he t hr ee,hol di ng a t hi r d par t of Li bya, shoul d r ul e over hi s own subj ect s; but i f a f oe shoul d come agai nst any one of t hem t o make war , t hat t hey shoul di n common ward of f t he aggr essors. On the basi s of t hi s agreement t heVandal s cr ossed t he st r ai t at Gadi r a and came i nt o Li bya, and t heVi si got hs i n l at er t i mes set t l ed i n Spai n. But i n Rome t he f r i ends of Boni f ace, r emember i ng t he char act er of t he man and consi der i ng howst r ange hi s act i on was, wer e gr eat l y ast oni shed t o t hi nk t hat Boni f acewas set t i ng up a t yranny, and some of t hemat t he or der of Pl aci di a wentt o Car t hage. Ther e they met Boni f ace, and saw t he l et t er of Aet i us, andaf t er hear i ng the whol e st or y t hey r et ur ned to Rome as qui ckl y as t heycoul d and r epor t ed t o Pl aci di a how Boni f ace st ood i n r el at i on t o her .

And t hough t he woman was dumbf ounded, she di d not hi ng unpl easant t oAet i us nor di d she upbr ai d hi m f or what he had done t o t he emperor ' shouse, f or he hi msel f wi el ded gr eat power and t he af f ai r s of t he empi r ewer e al r eady i n an evi l pl i ght ; but she di scl osed t o t he f r i ends of Boni f ace the advi ce Aet i us had gi ven, and, of f eri ng oaths and pl edges of saf et y, ent r eat ed t hem t o per suade t he man, i f t hey coul d, t o r et ur n t ohi s f ather l and and not t o permi t t he empi r e of t he Romans t o l i e undert he hand of barbar i ans. And when Boni f ace heard t hi s, he repent ed of hi sact and of hi s agr eement wi t h the barbar i ans, and he besought t hemi ncessant l y, pr omi si ng them ever yt hi ng, t o remove f r om Li bya. But si ncet hey di d not r ecei ve hi s wor ds wi t h f avour , but consi der ed that t heywere bei ng i nsul t ed, he was compel l ed t o f i ght wi t h t hem, and bei ngdef eat ed i n t he bat t l e, he r et i r ed t o Hi ppo[ 22] Regi us, a st r ong ci t y i n

t he por t i on of Numi di a that i s on t he sea. There t he Vandal s made campunder t he l eader shi p of Gi zer i c and began a si ege; f or Gont hari s hadal r eady di ed. And t hey say t hat he per i shed at t he hand of hi s brot her. The Vandal s, however , do not agree wi t h t hose who make t hi s st at ement ,but say t hat Gont har i s' was capt ur ed i n bat t l e by Germans i n Spai n andi mpal ed, and that Gi zer i c was al r eady sol e rul er when he l ed the Vandal si nt o Li bya. Thi s, i ndeed, I have hear d f r om t he Vandal s, st at ed i n t hi sway. But af t er much t i me had passed by, si nce t hey were unabl e to secur eHi ppo Regi us ei t her by f orce or by sur r ender, and si nce at t he same t i met hey wer e bei ng pr essed by hunger , t hey r ai sed the si ege. And a l i t t l el at er Boni f ace and t he Romans i n Li bya, si nce a numerous ar my had comef r ombot h Rome and Byzant i um and Aspar wi t h t hemas general , deci ded t or enew t he st r uggl e, and a f i er ce bat t l e was f ought i n whi ch t hey were

badl y beat en by the enemy, and they made hast e t o f l ee as each onecoul d. And Aspar bet ook hi msel f homeward, and Boni f ace, comi ng bef orePl aci di a, acqui t t ed hi msel f of t he suspi ci on, showi ng t hat i t had ar i senagai nst hi m f or no tr ue cause.

I V

So t he Vandal s, havi ng wr est ed Li bya f r omt he Romans i n thi s way, madei t t hei r own. And t hose of t he enemy whom t hey t ook al i ve t hey r educedt o sl avery and hel d under guard. Among these happened to be Marci an, whol ater upon the deat h of Theodosi us assumed t he i mper i al power. At t hatt i me, however , Gi zer i c commanded that t he capt i ves be br ought i nt o the

ki ng' s cour t yar d, i n or der t hat i t mi ght be possi bl e f or hi m, by l ooki ngat t hem, t o know what mast er each of t hem mi ght ser ve wi t houtdegradat i on. And when they were gat her ed under t he open sky, about




8

mi dday, t he season bei ng summer , t hey were di st r essed by t he sun and satdown. And somewher e or other among t hem Marci an, qui t e negl ect ed, wassl eepi ng. Then an eagl e f l ew over hi m spr eadi ng out hi s wi ngs, as t heysay, and al ways r emai ni ng i n the same pl ace i n the ai r he cast a shadow

over Mar ci an al one. And Gi zer i c, upon seei ng f r om t he upper st orey whatwas happeni ng, si nce he was an exceedi ngl y di scerni ng person, suspectedt hat t he t hi ng was a di vi ne mani f est at i on, and summoni ng t he manenqui r ed of hi m who he mi ght be. And he repl i ed t hat he was aconf i dent i al advi ser of Aspar; such a per son t he Romans cal l a"domest i cus" i n t hei r own t ongue. And when Gi zer i c hear d t hi s andconsi der ed f i r st t he meani ng of t he bi r d' s act i on, and then r ememberedhow gr eat power Aspar exerci sed i n Byzant i um, i t became evi dent t o hi mt hat t he man was bei ng l ed t o royal power . He t her ef ore by no meansdeemed i t r i ght t o ki l l hi m, r easoni ng t hat , i f he shoul d r emove hi mf r om t he wor l d, i t woul d be ver y cl ear t hat t he t hi ng whi ch t he bi r d haddone was nothi ng ( f or he woul d not honour wi t h hi s shadow a ki ng who wasabout t o di e st r ai ght way) , and he f el t , t oo, t hat he woul d be ki l l i ng

hi m f or no good cause; and i f , on t he ot her hand, i t was f at ed t hat i nl ater t i mes t he man shoul d become ki ng, i t woul d never be wi t hi n hi spower t o i nf l i ct deat h upon hi m; f or t hat whi ch has been deci ded upon byGod coul d never be prevented by a man' s deci si on. But he bound Marci anby oat hs t hat , i f i t shoul d be i n hi s power , he woul d never t ake up armsagai nst t he Vandal s at l east . [ 450 A. D. ] Thus, t hen, Mar ci an wasr el eased and came to Byzant i um, and when at a l ater t i me Theodosi us di edhe r ecei ved t he empi r e. And i n al l other r espect s he pr oved hi msel f agood emper or , but he pai d no at t ent i on at al l t o af f ai r s i n Li bya. Butt hi s happened i n l at er t i mes.

At t hat t i me Gi zer i c, af t er conquer i ng Aspar and Boni f ace i n bat t l e,di spl ayed a f oresi ght wort h r ecount i ng, whereby he made hi s good f ort une

most t hor oughl y secur e. For f ear i ng l est , i f once agai n an ar my shoul dcome agai nst hi m f r om bot h Rome and Byzant i um, t he Vandal s mi ght not beabl e to use t he same st r ength and enj oy t he same f or t une, ( si nce humanaf f ai r s are wont t o be over t ur ned by Heaven and to f ai l by reason of t heweakness of men' s bodi es) , he was not l i f t ed up by t he good f ort une hehad enj oyed, but r ather became moderate because of what he f ear ed, andso he made a t r eat y wi t h t he Emper or Val ent i ni an provi di ng t hat eachyear he shoul d pay t o t he emperor t r i but e f r omLi bya, and he del i ver edover one of hi s sons, Honori c, as a host age t o make t hi s agreementbi ndi ng. So Gi zer i c bot h showed hi msel f a br ave man i n t he bat t l e andguar ded the vi ct or y as secur el y as possi bl e, and, si nce t he f r i endshi pbet ween t he t wo peopl es i ncr eased gr eat l y, he r ecei ved back hi s sonHonor i c. And at Rome Pl aci di a had di ed bef ore t hi s t i me, and af t er her ,

Val ent i ni an, her son, al so di ed, havi ng no mal e of f spr i ng, but t wodaught er s had been born t o hi m f r omEudoxi a, t he chi l d of Theodosi us.And I shal l now r el at e i n what manner Val ent i ni an di ed.

There was a cer t ai n Maxi mus, a Roman senat or , of t he house of t hatMaxi mus[ 23] who, whi l e usur pi ng t he i mper i al power , was overt hrown byt he el der Theodosi us and put t o deat h, and on whose account al so t heRomans cel ebr ate t he annual f est i val named f r omt he def eat of Maxi mus. Thi s younger Maxi mus was mar r i ed t o a woman di scr eet i n her ways andexceedi ngl y f amous f or her beaut y. For t hi s r eason a desi r e came overVal ent i ni an t o have her t o wi f e. And si nce i t was i mpossi bl e, much as hewi shed i t , t o meet her , he pl ot t ed an unhol y deed and car r i ed i t t of ul f i l ment . For he summoned Maxi mus t o t he pal ace and sat down wi t h hi m

t o a game of dr aught s, and a cer t ai n sum was set as a penal t y f or t hel oser ; and the emperor won i n thi s game, and recei vi ng Maxi mus' r i ng asa pl edge f or t he agr eed amount , he sent i t t o hi s house, i nst r uct i ng t he




9

messenger t o t el l t he wi f e of Maxi mus t hat her husband bade her come asqui ckl y as possi bl e to the pal ace to sal ut e the queen Eudoxi a. And she, j udgi ng by t he r i ng t hat t he message was f r om Maxi mus, entered herl i t t er and was conveyed to the emper or' s cour t . And she was r ecei ved by

t hose who had been assi gned thi s servi ce by t he emperor , and l ed i nto acer t ai n room f ar r emoved f r omt he women' s apart ment s, wher e Val ent i ni anmet her and f orced her, much agai nst her wi l l . And she, af t er t heout r age, went t o her husband' s house weepi ng and f eel i ng t he deepestpossi bl e gr i ef because of her mi sf ort une, and she cast many cur ses uponMaxi mus as havi ng provi ded t he cause f or what had been done. Maxi mus,accor di ngl y, became exceedi ngl y aggr i eved at t hat whi ch had come t opass, and st r ai ght way ent er ed i nt o a conspi r acy agai nst t he emper or ; butwhen he saw t hat Aet i us was exceedi ngl y powerf ul , f or he had r ecent l yconquer ed At t i l a, who had i nvaded the Roman domai n wi t h a great army of Massaget ae and the ot her Scythi ans, t he t hought occur r ed t o hi m t hatAet i us woul d be i n the way of hi s under t aki ng. And upon consi deri ng thi smat t er , i t seemed t o hi m t hat i t was t he bet t er cour se to put Aet i us out

of t he way f i r st , payi ng no heed t o t he f act t hat t he whol e hope of t heRomans cent r ed i n hi m. And si nce t he eunuchs who were i n at t endance upont he emper or were wel l - di sposed t oward hi m, he per suaded the emper or byt hei r devi ces t hat Aet i us was set t i ng on f oot a revol ut i on. AndVal ent i ni an, j udgi ng by not hi ng el se t han t he power and val our of Aet i ust hat t he repor t was t r ue, put t he man t o deat h. [ Sept . 21, 454 A. D. ]Whereupon a cer t ai n Roman made hi msel f f amous by a sayi ng whi ch heut t ered. For when the emper or enqui r ed of hi m whet her he had done wel li n put t i ng Aet i us t o deat h, he r epl i ed sayi ng t hat , as t o t hi s mat t er ,he was not abl e t o know whet her he had done wel l or per haps ot her wi se,but one t hi ng he unders t ood exceedi ngl y wel l , t hat he had cut of f hi sown r i ght hand wi t h t he ot her .

So af t er t he deat h of Aet i us, [ 24] At t i l a, si nce no one was a mat ch f orhi m, pl under ed al l Eur ope wi t h no t r oubl e and made both emper orssubser vi ent and t r i but ar y t o hi msel f . For t r i but e money was sent t o hi mever y year by t he emper or s. At t hat t i me, whi l e At t i l a was besi egi ngAqui l ei a, a ci t y of gr eat si ze and exceedi ngl y popul ous si t uat ed neart he sea and above t he I oni an Gul f , t hey say t hat t he f ol l owi ng goodf or t une bef el l hi m. For t hey tel l t he st or y that , when he was abl e t ocapt ur e t he pl ace nei t her by f orce nor by any other means, he gave upt he si ege i n despai r , si nce i t had al r eady l ast ed a l ong t i me, andcommanded the whol e army wi t hout any del ay t o make t hei r preparat i onsf or t he depart ur e, i n order t hat on t he mor r ow al l mi ght move f r omt her eat sunr i se. And t he f ol l owi ng day about sunr i se, t he bar bar i ans hadr ai sed t he si ege and were al r eady begi nni ng t he depart ur e, when a si ngl e

mal e st ork whi ch had a nest on a cer t ai n t ower of t he ci t y wal l and wasr ear i ng hi s nest l i ngs t her e suddenl y rose and l ef t t he pl ace wi t h hi syoung. And t he f at her st or k was f l yi ng, but t he l i t t l e st or ks, si ncet hey wer e not yet qui t e ready t o f l y, wer e at t i mes shar i ng t hei rf at her ' s f l i ght and at t i mes r i di ng upon hi s back, and t hus t hey f l ewof f and went f ar away f r om t he ci t y. And when At t i l a saw t hi s ( f or hewas most cl ever at compr ehendi ng and i nt erpr et i ng al l t hi ngs) , hecommanded t he army, t hey say, t o remai n st i l l i n t he same pl ace, addi ngt hat t he bi r d woul d never have gone f l yi ng of f at r andom f r om t her e wi t hhi s nest l i ngs, unl ess he was pr ophesyi ng t hat some evi l woul d come t ot he pl ace at no di st ant t i me. Thus, t hey say, t he ar my of t he bar bari ansset t l ed down t o t he si ege once mor e, and not l ong af t er t hat a port i onof t he wal l - - t he ver y par t whi ch hel d t he nest of t hat bi r d- - f or no

appar ent r eason suddenl y f el l down, and i t became possi bl e f or t he enemyt o ent er t he ci t y at t hat poi nt , and t hus Aqui l ei a was capt ur ed byst or m. Such i s t he st or y touchi ng Aqui l ei a.




10

Lat er on Maxi mus sl ew t he emper or wi t h no t r oubl e and secured t het yranny, and he mar r i ed Eudoxi a by f or ce. [ 455 A. D. ] For t he wi f e t owhom he had been wedded had di ed not l ong bef ore. And on one occasi on i n

pr i vat e he made the st atement t o Eudoxi a that i t was al l f or t he sake of her l ove that he had car r i ed out al l t hat he had done. And si nce shef el t a r epul si on f or Maxi mus even bef ore t hat t i me, and had beendesi r ous of exact i ng vengeance f r omhi m f or t he wr ong done Val ent i ni an,hi s words made her swel l wi t h rage st i l l more agai nst hi m, and l ed heron t o car r y out her pl ot , si nce she had heard Maxi mus say t hat onaccount of her t he mi sf ort une had bef al l en her husband. And as soon asday came, she sent t o Car t hage ent r eat i ng Gi zer i c t o avenge Val ent i ni an,who had been dest r oyed by an unhol y man, i n a manner unwor t hy bot h of hi msel f and of hi s i mper i al st at i on, and t o del i ver her , si nce she wassuf f er i ng unhol y t r eatment at t he hand of t he t yrant . And she i mpr essedi t upon Gi zer i c t hat , si nce he was a f r i end and al l y and so gr eat acal ami t y had bef al l en t he i mper i al house, i t was not a hol y thi ng t o

f ai l t o become an avenger . For f r om Byzant i um she t hought no vengeancewoul d come, si nce Theodosi us had al r eady depart ed f r omt he wor l d andMarci an had t aken over t he empi r e. [ Mar . 17, 455 A. D. ]

V

And Gi zer i c, f or no ot her r eason than t hat he suspected t hat much moneywoul d come t o hi m, set sai l f or I t al y wi t h a gr eat f l eet . And goi ng upt o Rome, si nce no one st ood i n hi s way, he t ook possessi on of t hepal ace. Now whi l e Maxi mus was t r yi ng t o f l ee, t he Romans t hrew st ones athi m and ki l l ed hi m, and they cut of f hi s head and each of hi s othermember s and di vi ded them among themsel ves. But Gi zer i c t ook Eudoxi a

capt i ve, t oget her wi t h Eudoci a and Pl aci di a, t he chi l dr en of her sel f andVal ent i ni an, and pl aci ng an exceedi ngl y gr eat amount of gol d and otheri mper i al t r easur e[ 25] i n hi s shi ps sai l ed t o Car t hage, havi ng spar ednei t her br onze nor anythi ng el se whatsoever i n the pal ace. He pl under edal so t he t empl e of J upi t er Capi t ol i nus, and t or e of f hal f of t he r oof .Now t hi s r oof was of br onze of t he f i nest qual i t y, and si nce gol d wasl ai d over i t exceedi ngl y t hi ck, i t shone as a magni f i cent and wonder f ulspect acl e. [ 26] But of t he shi ps wi t h Gi zer i c, one, whi ch was bear i ng t hest at ues, was l ost , t hey say, but wi t h al l t he ot her s t he Vandal s r eachedpor t i n the har bour of Car t hage. Gi zer i c t hen mar r i ed Eudoci a t oHonor i c, t he el der of hi s sons; but t he ot her of t he two women, bei ngt he wi f e of Ol ybr i us, a most di st i ngui shed man i n t he Roman senate, hesent t o Byzant i um t oget her wi t h her mot her, Eudoxi a, at t he r equest of

t he emper or . Now t he power of t he East had by now f al l en t o Leon, whohad been set i n t hi s posi t i on by Aspar , si nce Mar ci an had al r eady passedf r om t he wor l d. [ 457 A. D. ]

Af t er war ds Gi zer i c devi sed t he f ol l owi ng scheme. He tore down the wal l sof al l t he ci t i es i n Li bya except Car t hage, so t hat nei t her t he Li byanst hemsel ves, espousi ng t he cause of t he Romans, mi ght have a st r ong basef r omwhi ch t o begi n a r ebel l i on, nor t hose sent by t he emper or have anygr ound f or hopi ng t o capt ur e a ci t y and by est abl i shi ng a gar r i son i n i tt o make t r oubl e f or t he Vandal s. Now at t hat t i me i t seemed t hat he hadcounsel l ed wel l and had ensured pr osper i t y f or t he Vandal s i n t he saf estpossi bl e manner ; but i n l at er t i mes when these ci t i es, bei ng wi t houtwal l s, wer e capt ur ed by Bel i sar i us al l t he mor e easi l y and wi t h l ess

exert i on, Gi zer i c was t hen condemned to suf f er much ri di cul e, and thatwhi ch f or t he t i me he consi der ed wi se counsel t ur ned out f or hi m t o bef ol l y. For as f ort unes change, men are al ways accust omed t o change wi t h




11

t hemt hei r j udgment s r egardi ng what has been pl anned i n t he past . Andamong the Li byans al l who happened t o be men of not e and conspi cuous f ort hei r weal t h he handed over as sl aves, t oget her wi t h t hei r est at es andal l t hei r money, t o hi s sons Honor i c and Genzon. For Theodor us, t he

youngest son, had di ed al r eady, bei ng al t oget her wi t hout of f spr i ng,ei t her mal e or f emal e. And he robbed t he rest of t he Li byans of t hei restat es, whi ch were bot h ver y numerous and excel l ent , and di st r i but edt hemamong t he nat i on of t he Vandal s, and as a r esul t of t hi s t hesel ands have been cal l ed "Vandal s' estat es" up t o t he pr esent t i me. And i tf el l t o the l ot of t hose who had f or mer l y possessed these l ands t o be i next r eme povert y and t o be at t he same t i me f r ee men; and they had thepr i vi l ege of goi ng away wher esoever t hey wi shed. And Gi zer i c commandedt hat al l t he l ands whi ch he had gi ven over t o hi s sons and to t he ot herVandal s shoul d not be subj ect t o any ki nd of t axat i on. But as much of t he l and as di d not seem t o hi m good he al l owed to remai n i n the handsof t he f or mer owner s, but assessed so l ar ge a sumt o be pai d on thi sl and f or t axes t o t he government t hat not hi ng whatever r emai ned to those

who retai ned thei r f arms. And many of t hem were const ant l y bei ng senti nt o exi l e or ki l l ed. For char ges wer e br ought agai nst t hem of manysor t s, and heavy ones t oo; but one charge seemed t o be t he great est of al l , t hat a man, havi ng money of hi s own, was hi di ng i t . Thus t heLi byans wer e vi si t ed wi t h ever y f or m of mi sf or t une.

The Vandal s and t he Al ani he ar r anged i n compani es, appoi nt i ng over t hemno l ess t han ei ght y capt ai ns, whom he cal l ed "chi l i ar chs, "[ 27] maki ng i tappear t hat hi s host of f i ght i ng men i n act i ve servi ce amount ed t oei ght y t housand. And yet t he number of t he Vandal s and Al ani was sai d i nf ormer t i mes, at l east , t o amount t o no more than f i f t y t housand men.However , af t er t hat t i me by thei r natur al i ncr ease among t hemsel ves andby associ at i ng ot her barbar i ans wi t h them t hey came to be an exceedi ngl y

numerous peopl e. But t he names of t he Al ani and al l t he otherbar bar i ans, except t he Moor s, were uni t ed i n t he name of Vandal s. Att hat t i me, af t er t he deat h of Val ent i ni an, Gi zer i c gai ned t he suppor t of t he Moor s, and ever y year at t he begi nni ng of spr i ng he made i nvasi onsi nt o Si ci l y and I t al y, ensl avi ng some of t he ci t i es, r azi ng ot her s t ot he ground, and pl under i ng ever yt hi ng; and when the l and had becomedest i t ute of men and of money, he i nvaded the domai n of t he emper or of t he East . And so he pl under ed I l l yr i cum and the most of t he Pel oponnesusand of t he rest of Gr eece and al l t he i sl ands whi ch l i e near i t . Andagai n he went of f t o Si ci l y and I t al y, and kept pl under i ng and pi l l agi ngal l pl aces i n tur n. And one day when he had embar ked on hi s shi p i n t hehar bour of Car t hage, and t he sai l s wer e al r eady bei ng spread, t he pi l otasked hi m, t hey say, agai nst what men i n the wor l d he bade them go. And

he i n r epl y sai d: "Pl ai nl y agai nst t hose wi t h whom God i s angr y. " Thuswi t hout any cause he kept maki ng i nvasi ons wher ever chance mi ght l eadhi m.

VI

And t he Emper or Leon, wi shi ng t o puni sh t he Vandal s because of t heset hi ngs, was gather i ng an ar my agai nst t hem; and they say t hat t hi s ar myamounted t o about one hundr ed thousand men. And he col l ect ed a f l eet of shi ps f r om t he whol e of t he easter n Medi t er r anean, shewi ng gr eatgener osi t y t o bot h sol di er s and sai l or s, f or he f ear ed l est f r om apar si moni ous pol i cy some obst acl e mi ght ar i se t o hi nder hi m i n hi s

desi r e t o car r y out hi s puni shment of t he bar bar i ans. Ther ef or e, t heysay, t hi r t een hundr ed cent enar i a[28] were expended by hi m t o no pur pose.But si nce i t was not f ated t hat t he Vandal s shoul d be dest r oyed by t hi s




12

expedi t i on, he made Basi l i scus commander - i n- chi ef , t he br ot her of hi swi f e Ber i ne, a man who was ext r aor di nar i l y desi r ous of t he royal power,whi ch he hoped woul d come t o hi m wi t hout a st r uggl e i f he won t hef r i endshi p of Aspar . For Aspar hi msel f , bei ng an adher ent of t he Ar i an

f ai t h, and havi ng no i nt ent i on of changi ng i t f or anot her , was unabl e t oent er upon t he i mperi al of f i ce, but he was easi l y st r ong enough t oest abl i sh anot her i n i t , and i t al r eady seemed l i kel y t hat he woul d pl otagai nst t he Emperor Leon, who had gi ven hi m of f ence. So t hey say t hatsi nce Aspar was t hen f ear f ul l est , i f t he Vandal s wer e def eat ed, Leonshoul d est abl i sh hi s power most secur el y, he repeatedl y ur ged uponBasi l i scus t hat he shoul d spar e the Vandal s and Gi zer i c.

[ 467 A. D. ] Now bef ore thi s t i me Leon had al r eady appoi nted and sentAnthemi us, as Emper or of t he West , a man of t he senat e of great weal t hand hi gh bi r t h, i n or der t hat he mi ght assi st hi m i n t he Vandal i c war .And yet Gi zer i c kept aski ng and ear nest l y ent r eat i ng t hat t he i mper i alpower be gi ven to Ol ybr i us, who was mar r i ed t o Pl aci di a, t he daught er of

Val ent i ni an, and on account of hi s r el at i onshi p[ 29] wel l - di sposed t owar dhi m, and when he f ai l ed i n t hi s he was st i l l more angr y and keptpl under i ng t he whol e l and of t he emper or . Now t here was i n Dal mat i a acer t ai n Marcel l i anus, one of t he acquai nt ances of Aet i us and a man of r eput e, who, af t er Aet i us had di ed i n t he manner t ol d above, [ 30] nol onger dei gned to yi el d obedi ence t o t he emperor , but begi nni ng ar evol ut i on and det achi ng al l t he ot her s f r om al l egi ance, hel d t he powerof Dal mat i a hi msel f , si nce no one dared encount er hi m. But t he EmperorLeon at t hat t i me won over t hi s Marcel l i anus by ver y car ef ul wheedl i ng,and bade hi m go t o t he i sl and of Sar di ni a, whi ch was t hen subj ect t o t heVandal s. And he drove out t he Vandal s and gai ned possess i on of i t wi t hno gr eat di f f i cul t y. And Her acl ei us was sent f r om Byzant i um t o Tr i pol i si n Li bya, and af t er conquer i ng t he Vandal s of t hat di st r i ct i n bat t l e,

he easi l y capt ur ed t he ci t i es, and l eavi ng hi s shi ps t her e, l ed hi s ar myon f oot t oward Cart hage. Such, t hen, was t he sequence of event s whi chf ormed t he pr el ude of t he war .

But Basi l i scus wi t h hi s whol e f l eet put i n at a t own di st ant f r omCar t hage no l ess t han two hundred and ei ght y st ades ( now i t so happenedt hat a t empl e of Hermes had been t here f r om of ol d, f r om whi ch f act t hepl ace was named Mercur i um; f or t he Romans cal l Hermes "Mercur i us") , andi f he had not pur posel y pl ayed t he coward and hesi t ated, but hadunder t aken t o go st r ai ght f or Cart hage, he woul d have capt ur ed i t at t hef i r st onset , and he woul d have reduced the Vandal s t o subj ect i on wi t houtt hei r even t hi nki ng of r esi st ance; so over come was Gi zer i c wi t h awe of Leon as an i nvi nci bl e emper or, when t he repor t was brought t o hi m t hat

Sar di ni a and Tri pol i s had been capt ur ed, and he saw t he f l eet of Basi l i scus t o be such as t he Romans were sai d never t o have had bef ore.But , as i t was, t he gener al ' s hesi t at i on, whet her caused by cowar di ce ort r eacher y, pr event ed t hi s success. And Gi zer i c, pr of i t i ng by thenegl i gence of Basi l i scus, di d as f ol l ows. Ar mi ng al l hi s subj ects i n t hebest way he coul d, he f i l l ed hi s shi ps, but not al l , f or some he kept i nr eadi ness empt y, and they were t he shi ps whi ch sai l ed most swi f t l y. Andsendi ng envoys t o Basi l i scus, he begged hi m t o def er t he war f or t hespace of f i ve days, i n order t hat i n t he meant i me he mi ght t ake counseland do t hose t hi ngs whi ch were especi al l y desi r ed by t he emperor . Theysay, t oo, t hat he sent al so a gr eat amount of gol d wi t hout t he knowl edgeof t he army of Basi l i scus and t hus pur chased t hi s ar mi st i ce. And he di dt hi s, t hi nki ng, as act ual l y di d happen, t hat a f avour i ng wi nd woul d r i se

f or hi m dur i ng t hi s t i me. And Basi l i scus, ei t her as doi ng a f avour t oAspar i n accor dance wi t h what he had pr omi sed, or sel l i ng t he moment of oppor t uni t y f or money, or per haps t hi nki ng i t t he bet t er cour se, di d as




13

he was r equest ed and remai ned qui et l y i n the camp, awai t i ng t he momentf avourabl e t o t he enemy.

But t he Vandal s, as soon as t he wi nd had ar i sen f or t hem whi ch they had

been expect i ng dur i ng t he t i me t hey l ay at r est , r ai sed t hei r sai l s and,t aki ng i n tow t he boat s whi ch, as has been st ated above, t hey had mader eady wi t h no men i n t hem, t hey sai l ed agai nst t he enemy. And when t heycame near , t hey set f i r e to the boat s whi ch t hey were towi ng, when t hei rsai l s wer e bel l i ed by t he wi nd, and l et t hem go agai nst t he Roman f l eet .And si nce ther e wer e a gr eat number of shi ps t her e, t hese boats easi l yspread f i r e wher ever t hey st r uck, and wer e themsel ves r eadi l y dest r oyedt oget her wi t h t hose wi t h whi ch t hey came i n cont act . And as t he f i r eadvanced i n t hi s way t he Roman f l eet was f i l l ed wi t h t umul t , as wasnat ur al , and wi t h a gr eat di n t hat r i val l ed t he noi se caused by t he wi ndand t he roar i ng of t he f l ames, as t he sol di er s t oget her wi t h t he sai l or sshout ed or ders t o one another and pushed of f wi t h thei r pol es t hef i r e- boats and t hei r own shi ps as wel l , whi ch wer e bei ng dest r oyed by

one anot her i n compl ete di sorder . And al r eady t he Vandal s t oo were athand r ammi ng and si nki ng t he shi ps, and maki ng booty of such of t hesol di er s as at t empt ed to escape, and of t hei r ar ms as wel l . But t her ewere al so some of t he Romans who pr oved t hemsel ves br ave men i n t hi sst r uggl e, and most of al l J ohn, who was a gener al under Basi l i scus andwho had no share what ever i n hi s t r eason. For a gr eat t hrong havi ngsur r ounded hi s shi p, he st ood on t he deck, and t ur ni ng f r om si de t o si dekept ki l l i ng ver y gr eat number s of t he enemy f r omt her e, and when heper cei ved that t he shi p was bei ng capt ur ed, he l eaped wi t h hi s whol eequi pment of arms f r om t he deck i nto t he sea. And though Genzon, t he sonof Gi zer i c, ent r eat ed hi m ear nest l y not t o do t hi s, of f er i ng pl edges andhol di ng out pr omi ses of saf et y, he never t hel ess t hr ew hi msel f i nt o thesea, ut t er i ng t hi s one word, t hat J ohn woul d never come under t he hands

of dogs.

So t hi s war came to an end, and Heracl ei us depar t ed f or home; f orMar cel l i anus had been dest r oyed t r eacherousl y by one of hi sf el l ow- of f i cer s. And Basi l i scus, comi ng to Byzant i um, seat ed hi msel f asa suppl i ant i n t he sanct uar y of Chr i st t he Gr eat God ( "Sophi a"[ 31] t het empl e i s cal l ed by t he men of Byzant i um who consi der t hat t hi sdesi gnat i on i s especi al l y appr opr i at e t o God) , and al t hough, by t hei nt er cessi on of Ber i ne, t he queen, he escaped thi s danger, he was notabl e at t hat t i me to reach t he thr one, t he thi ng f or t he sake of whi chever yt hi ng had been done by hi m. For t he Emper or Leon not l ongaf t erwards dest r oyed both Aspar and Ar dabur i us i n t he pal ace, because hesuspect ed t hat t hey wer e pl ot t i ng agai nst hi s l i f e. [ 471 A. D. ] Thus,

t hen, di d t hese event s t ake pl ace.

VI I

[ Aug. 11, 472 A. D. ] Now Ant hemi us, t he emperor of t he West , di ed at t hehand of hi s son- i n- l aw Rheci mer, and Ol ybr i us, succeedi ng t o t he t hr one,a shor t t i me af t erwar d suf f ered t he same f ate. [ Oct . 10, 472 A. D. ] Andwhen Leon al so had di ed i n Byzant i um, t he i mper i al of f i ce was t aken overby t he younger Leon, t he son of Zeno and Ar i adne, t he daughter of Leon,whi l e he was st i l l onl y a f ew days ol d. And hi s f at her havi ng beenchosen as par t ner i n t he r oyal power , t he chi l d f or t hwi t h passed f r omt he wor l d. [ 474 A. D. ] Maj or i nus al so deser ves ment i on, who had gai ned

t he power of t he West bef or e t hi s t i me. For t hi s Maj or i nus, whosur passed i n ever y vi r t ue al l who have ever been emper ors of t he Romans,di d not bear l i ght l y the l oss of Li bya, but col l ected a ver y




14

consi der abl e ar my agai nst t he Vandal s and came to Li gur i a, i nt endi nghi msel f t o l ead t he ar my agai nst t he enemy. For Maj or i nus never showedt he l east hesi t at i on bef or e any task and l east of al l bef or e t he danger sof war . But t hi nki ng i t not i nexpedi ent f or hi m t o i nvesti gat e f i r st t he

st r engt h of t he Vandal s and t he char act er of Gi zer i c and t o di scover howt he Moor s and Li byans st ood wi t h r egar d t o f r i endshi p or host i l i t yt oward t he Romans, he deci ded t o t r ust no eyes ot her t han hi s own i nsuch a mat t er. Accor di ngl y he set out as i f an envoy f r omt he emper or t oGi zer i c, assumi ng some f i ct i t i ous name. And f eari ng l est , by becomi ngknown, he shoul d hi msel f r ecei ve some harm and at t he same t i me pr eventt he success of t he ent erpr i se, he devi sed t he f ol l owi ng scheme. Hi shai r , whi ch was f amous among al l men as bei ng so f ai r as t o resembl epur e gol d, he anoi nt ed wi t h some ki nd of dye, whi ch was especi al l yi nvent ed f or t hi s pur pose, and so succeeded compl etel y i n changi ng i tf or t he t i me t o a dar k hue. And when he came bef ore Gi zer i c, t hebar bar i an at t empt ed i n many ways t o t er r i f y hi m, and i n part i cul ar,whi l e t r eat i ng hi m wi t h engagi ng at t ent i on, as i f a f r i end, he br ought

hi m i nto t he house wher e al l hi s weapons were st ored, a numerous andexceedi ngl y notewor t hy ar r ay. Thereupon t hey say t hat t he weapons shookof t hei r own accord and gave f ort h a sound of no ordi nar y or casualsor t , and t hen i t seemed t o Gi zer i c t hat t her e had been an ear t hquake,but when he got out si de and made enqui r i es concer ni ng t he ear t hquake,si nce no one el se agr eed wi t h hi m, a gr eat wonder , t hey say, came overhi m, but he was not abl e t o comprehend the meani ng of what had happened.So Maj or i nus, havi ng accompl i shed the ver y t hi ngs he wi shed, r etur ned toLi gur i a, and l eadi ng hi s ar my on f oot , came t o t he Pi l l ar s of Her acl es,pur posi ng t o cr oss over t he st r ai t at t hat poi nt , and t hen t o mar ch byl and f r om t her e agai nst Cart hage. And when Gi zer i c became aware of t hi s,and percei ved that he had been t r i cked by Maj or i nus i n t he matt er of t heembassy, he became al armed and made hi s pr eparat i ons f or war . And t he

Romans, basi ng t hei r conf i dence on t he val our of Maj or i nus, al r eadybegan t o have f ai r hopes of r ecoveri ng Li bya f or t he empi r e. [ 461 A. D. ]But meant i me Maj or i nus was at t acked by t he di sease of dysentery anddi ed, a man who had shewn hi msel f moderate t oward hi s subj ect s, and anobj ect of f ear t o hi s enemi es. [ J ul y 24, 474 A. D. ] And another emperor ,Nepos, upon t aki ng over t he empi r e, and l i vi ng t o enj oy i t onl y a f ewdays, di ed of di sease, and Gl ycer i us af t er hi m ent er ed i nt o t hi s of f i ceand suf f er ed a si mi l ar f at e. [ 474- 475 A. D. ] And af t er hi m August usassumed t he i mper i al power. There were, moreover , st i l l other emper orsi n t he West bef or e thi s t i me, but t hough I know t hei r names wel l , Ishal l make no ment i on of t hem what ever . For i t so f el l out t hat t heyl i ved onl y a shor t t i me af t er at t ai ni ng t he of f i ce, and as a resul t of t hi s accompl i shed nothi ng wort hy of ment i on. Such was t he cour se of

event s i n t he West .

But i n Byzant i um Basi l i scus, bei ng no l onger abl e t o mast er hi s passi onf or r oyal power , made an at t empt t o usur p t he t hrone, and succeededwi t hout di f f i cul t y, si nce Zeno, t oget her wi t h hi s wi f e, sought r ef uge i nI saur i a, whi ch was hi s nat i ve home. [ 471 A. D. ] And whi l e he wasmai nt ai ni ng hi s t yranny f or a year and ei ght mont hs he was detest ed bypr act i cal l y ever yone and i n par t i cul ar by the sol di er s of t he cour t onaccount of t he gr eat ness of hi s avar i ce. And Zeno, per cei vi ng t hi s,col l ect ed an army and came agai nst hi m. And Basi l i scus sent an armyunder t he general Harmatus i n order t o arr ay hi msel f agai nst Zeno. Butwhen t hey had made camp near one another , Har mat us sur r endered hi s ar myt o Zeno, on t he condi t i on t hat Zeno shoul d appoi nt as Caesar Harmatus'

son Basi l i scus, who was a ver y young chi l d, and l eave hi m as successort o t he t hr one upon hi s deat h. And Basi l i scus, deser t ed by al l , f l ed f orr ef uge t o t he same sanct uar y as f ormer l y. And Acaci us, t he pr i est of t he




15

ci t y, put hi m i nt o the hands of Zeno, char gi ng hi m wi t h i mpi et y and wi t hhavi ng br ought gr eat conf usi on and many i nnovat i ons i nt o the Chr i st i andoct r i ne, havi ng i ncl i ned t oward t he heresy of Eut yches. And t hi s wasso. And af t er Zeno had t hus t aken over t he empi r e a second t i me, he

car r i ed out hi s pl edge t o Harmat us f or mal l y by appoi nt i ng hi s sonBasi l i scus Caesar , but not l ong af t er war ds he bot h str i pped hi m of t heof f i ce and put Harmat us t o death. And he sent Basi l i scus t ogether wi t hhi s chi l dr en and hi s wi f e i nt o Cappadoci a i n the wi nt er season,commandi ng t hat t hey shoul d be dest i t ut e of f ood and cl othes and everyki nd of care. And t here, bei ng har d pr essed by both col d and hunger ,t hey t ook ref uge i n one another ' s arms, and embraci ng t hei r l oved ones,per i shed. And thi s puni shment over t ook Basi l i scus f or t he pol i cy he hadpur sued. These t hi ngs, however , happened i n l at er t i mes.

But at t hat t i me Gi zer i c was pl under i ng t he whol e Roman domai n j ust asmuch as bef ore, i f not more, ci r cumvent i ng hi s enemy by cr af t anddr i vi ng t hem out of t hei r possessi ons by f or ce, as has been pr evi ousl y

sai d, and he cont i nued t o do so unt i l t he emper or Zeno came to anagr eement wi t h hi m and an endl ess peace was est abl i shed bet ween t hem, bywhi ch i t was provi ded that t he Vandal s shoul d never i n al l t i me per f or many host i l e act agai nst t he Romans nor suf f er such a t hi ng at t hei rhands. And t hi s peace was pr eserved by Zeno hi msel f and al so by hi ssuccessor i n t he empi r e, Anast asi us And i t r emai ned i n f or ce unt i l t het i me of t he emperor J ust i nus. But J ust i ni an, who was t he nephew of J ust i nus, succeeded hi m i n t he i mper i al power , and i t was i n t he r ei gnof t hi s J ust i ni an t hat t he war wi t h whi ch we are concerned came t o pass,i n t he manner whi ch wi l l be t ol d i n t he f ol l owi ng nar r at i ve. [ 477 A. D. ]Gi zer i c, af t er l i vi ng on a shor t t i me, di ed at an advanced age, havi ngmade a wi l l i n whi ch he enj oi ned many t hi ngs upon t he Vandal s and i npar t i cul ar t hat t he royal power among t hem shoul d al ways f al l t o that

one who shoul d be the f i r st i n years among al l t he mal e of f spri ngdescended f r om Gi zer i c hi msel f . So Gi zer i c, havi ng rul ed over t heVandal s t hi r t y- ni ne years f r om t he t i me when he capt ur ed Car t hage, di ed,as I have sai d.

VI I I

And Honori c, t he el dest of hi s sons, succeeded t o the thr one, Genzonhavi ng al r eady depart ed f r om t he wor l d. Dur i ng t he t i me when t hi sHonori c r ul ed t he Vandal s t hey had no war agai nst anyone at al l , exceptt he Moor s. For t hrough f ear of Gi zer i c t he Moor s had r emai ned qui etbef or e t hat t i me, but as soon as he was out of t hei r way t hey bot h di d

much har m t o t he Vandal s and suf f ered t he same themsel ves. And Honor i cshewed hi msel f t he most cr uel and unj ust of al l men t oward theChr i st i ans i n Li bya. For he f or ced t hem t o change over t o t he Ar i anf ai t h, and as many as he f ound not r eadi l y yi el di ng t o hi m he bur ned, ordest r oyed by ot her f orms of deat h; and he al so cut of f t he t ongues of many f r om t he ver y t hroat , who even up to my t i me were goi ng about i nByzant i um havi ng t hei r speech uni nj ur ed, and per cei vi ng not t he l eastef f ect f r om t hi s puni shment ; but t wo of t hese, si nce t hey saw f i t t o goi n t o har l ot s, wer e thencef or t h no l onger abl e to speak. And af t err ul i ng over t he Vandal s ei ght year s he di ed of di sease; and by that t i met he Moor s dwel l i ng on Mt . Aurasi um[ 32] had r evol t ed f r omt he Vandal s andwer e i ndependent ( t hi s Aur asi um i s a mount ai n of Numi di a, about t hi r t eendays' j our ney di st ant f r om Car t hage and f r ont i ng t he sout h) ; and i ndeed

t hey never came under t he Vandal s agai n, si nce the l at t er were unabl e tocar r y on a war agai nst Moor s on a mount ai n di f f i cul t of access andexceedi ngl y st eep.




16

Af t er t he deat h of Honori c t he rul e of t he Vandal s f el l t o Gundamundus,t he son of Genzon, t he son of Gi zer i c. [ 485 A. D. ] For he, i n poi nt of year s, was t he f i r st of t he of f spr i ng of Gi zer i c. Thi s Gundamundus

f ought agai nst t he Moor s i n numerous encount ers , and af t er subj ect i ngt he Chr i st i ans t o st i l l gr eat er suf f er i ng, he di ed of di sease, bei ng nowat about t he mi ddl e of t he t wel f t h year of hi s r ei gn. [ 496 A. D. ] And hi sbrother Trasamundus t ook over t he ki ngdom, a man wel l - f avoured i nappear ance and especi al l y gi f t ed wi t h di scr et i on and hi ghmi ndedness.However he cont i nued t o f or ce the Chr i st i ans t o change thei r ancest r alf ai t h, not by tor t ur i ng t hei r bodi es as hi s pr edecessors had done, butby seeki ng t o wi n t hemwi t h honour s and of f i ces and pr esent i ng t hem wi t hgreat sums of money; and i n the case of t hose who woul d not beper suaded, he pret ended he had not t he l east knowl edge of what manner of men t hey were. [ 33] And i f he caught any gui l t y of gr eat cr i mes whi cht hey had commi t t ed ei t her by acci dent or del i berat e i nt ent , he woul dof f er such men, as a rewar d f or changi ng t hei r f ai t h, t hat t hey shoul d

not be puni shed f or t hei r of f ences. And when hi s wi f e di ed wi t houtbecomi ng t he mot her of ei t her mal e or f emal e of f spri ng, wi shi ng t oest abl i sh t he ki ngdom as secur el y as possi bl e, he sent t o Theoder i c, t heki ng of t he Got hs, aski ng hi m t o gi ve hi m hi s si st er Amal af r i da t o wi f e,f or her husband had j ust di ed. And Theoderi c sent hi m not onl y hi ssi st er but al so a t housand of t he notabl e Goths as a bodyguard, who weref ol l owed by a host of at t endants amount i ng t o about f i ve t housandf i ght i ng men. And Theoder i c al so pr esent ed hi s si st er wi t h one of t hepr omont or i es of Si ci l y, whi ch ar e t hr ee i n number , - - t he one whi ch t heycal l Li l ybaeum, - - and as a r esul t of t hi s Trasamundus was account ed t hest r ongest and most powerf ul of al l t hose who had r ul ed over t he Vandal s.He became al so a very speci al f r i end of t he emper or Anast asi us. I t wasdur i ng the rei gn of Trasamundus t hat i t came about t hat t he Vandal s

suf f er ed a di sast er at t he hands of t he Moors such as had never bef al l ent hem bef or e t hat t i me.

There was a cer t ai n Cabaon r ul i ng over t he Moors of Tr i pol i s, a manexper i enced i n many wars and exceedi ngl y shr ewd. Thi s Cabaon, uponl earni ng t hat t he Vandal s were mar chi ng agai nst hi m, di d as f ol l ows.Fi r st of al l he i ssued or der s t o hi s subj ects t o abstai n f r om al li nj ust i ce and f r om al l f oods t endi ng t owar ds l uxur y and most of al l f r omassoci at i on wi t h women; and set t i ng up two pal i saded encl osur es, heencamped hi msel f wi t h al l t he men i n one, and i n t he ot her he shut t hewomen, and he t hreat ened t hat death woul d be t he penal t y i f anyoneshoul d go t o t he women' s pal i sade. And af t er t hi s he sent spi es t oCar t hage wi t h the f ol l owi ng i nst r uct i ons: whenever t he Vandal s i n goi ng

f or t h on t he expedi t i on shoul d of f er i nsul t t o any t empl e whi ch t heChr i st i ans r ever ence, t hey wer e t o l ook on and see what t ook pl ace; andwhen the Vandal s had passed t he pl ace, t hey were t o do t he opposi t e of everyt hi ng whi ch t he Vandal s had done t o the sanct uary bef ore thei rdepar t ur e. And they say t hat he added t hi s al so, t hat he was i gnorant of t he God whom t he Chr i st i ans worshi pped, but i t was probabl e t hat i f Hewas power f ul , as He was sai d to be, He shoul d wr eak vengeance upon t hosewho i nsul t ed Hi m and def end t hose who honoured Hi m. So t he spi es came t oCar t hage and wai t ed qui et l y, observi ng t he pr epar at i on of t he Vandal s;but when the ar my set out on t he mar ch to Tr i pol i s, t hey f ol l owed,cl othi ng t hemsel ves i n humbl e garb. And t he Vandal s, upon maki ng campt he f i r st day, l ed t hei r hor ses and t hei r ot her ani mal s i nt o t he t empl esof t he Chr i st i ans, and spar i ng no i nsul t , t hey act ed wi t h al l t he

unr est r ai ned l awl essness nat ur al t o them, beat i ng as many pr i est s ast hey caught and l ashi ng t hem wi t h many bl ows over t he back andcommandi ng t hem t o render such servi ce t o t he Vandal s as t hey were




17

accust omed t o assi gn t o t he most di shonoured of t hei r domest i cs. And assoon as t hey had depart ed f r om t here, t he spi es of Cabaon di d as t heyhad been di r ect ed t o do; f or t hey st r ai ght way cl eansed t he sanct uar i esand took away wi t h gr eat car e the f i l t h and whatever other unhol y t hi ng

l ay i n t hem, and they l i ght ed al l t he l amps and bowed down bef ore t hepr i est s wi t h gr eat r ever ence and sal ut ed t hem wi t h al l f r i endl i ness; andaf t er gi vi ng pi eces of si l ver t o t he poor who sat about t hesesanct uar i es, t hey t hen f ol l owed af t er t he ar my of t he Vandal s. And f r omt hen on al ong the whol e r out e t he Vandal s cont i nued t o commi t t he sameof f ences and t he spi es t o render t he same servi ce. And when t hey werecomi ng near t he Moor s, t he spi es ant i ci pated t hem and r eport ed t o Cabaonwhat had been done by t he Vandal s and by t hemsel ves t o t he templ es of t he Chr i st i ans, and that t he enemy were somewher e near by. And Cabaon,upon l earni ng t hi s, arr anged f or t he encount er as f ol l ows. He mar ked of f a ci r cl e i n the pl ai n where he was about t o make hi s pal i sade, andpl aced hi s camel s t ur ned si deways i n a ci r cl e as a pr ot ect i on f or t hecamp, maki ng hi s l i ne f r ont i ng t he enemy about t wel ve camel s deep. Then

he pl aced the chi l dren and the women and al l t hose who were unf i t f orf i ght i ng t oget her wi t h t hei r possessi ons i n t he mi ddl e, whi l e hecommanded the host of f i ght i ng men t o st and between the f eet of t hoseani mal s, cover i ng t hemsel ves wi t h t hei r shi el ds. [ 34] And si nce t hephal anx of t he Moor s was of such a sor t , t he Vandal s were at a l oss howt o handl e t he si t uat i on; f or t hey wer e nei t her good wi t h t he j avel i n norwi t h t he bow, nor di d they know how t o go i nt o bat t l e on f oot , but t heywere al l hor semen, and used spear s and swords f or t he most part , so t hatt hey were unabl e t o do t he enemy any harm at a di st ance; and thei rhor ses, annoyed at t he si ght of t he camel s, r ef used absol ut el y to bedr i ven agai nst t he enemy. And si nce the Moor s, by hur l i ng j avel i ns i ngr eat number s among them f r om t hei r saf e posi t i on, kept ki l l i ng bot ht hei r horses and men wi t hout di f f i cul t y, because t hey were a vast

t hrong, t hey began t o f l ee, and, when t he Moor s came out agai nst t hem,t he most of t hem were dest r oyed, whi l e some f el l i nt o t he hands of t heenemy; and an exceedi ngl y smal l number f r om t hi s ar my r eturned home.Such was t he f ort une whi ch Tr asamundus suf f ered at t he hands of t heMoors . And he di ed at a l at er t i me, havi ng rul ed over t he Moorst went y- seven years.

I X

[ 523 A. D. ] And I l der i c, t he son of Honor i c, t he son of Gi zer i c, nextr ecei ved t he ki ngdom, a rul er who was easi l y appr oached by hi s subj ectsand al t ogether gent l e, and he shewed hi msel f harsh nei t her t o t he

Chr i st i ans nor t o anyone el se, but i n r egar d t o af f ai r s of war he was aweakl i ng and di d not wi sh t hi s t hi ng even to come to hi s ear s. Hoamer,accor di ngl y, hi s nephew and an abl e war r i or , l ed t he ar mi es agai nst anywi t h whom t he Vandal s were at war; he i t was whom t hey cal l ed t heAchi l l es of t he Vandal s. Dur i ng t he r ei gn of t hi s I l der i c the Vandal swere def eat ed i n Byzaci um by t he Moor s, who were rul ed by Ant al as, andi t so f el l out t hat t hey became enemi es i nst ead of al l i es and f r i ends t o Theoder i c and t he Got hs i n I t al y. For t hey put Amal af r i da i n pr i son anddest r oyed al l t he Got hs, char gi ng t hem wi t h r evol ut i onar y desi gnsagai nst t he Vandal s and I l der i c. However , no r evenge came f r om Theoder i c, f or he consi dered hi msel f unabl e t o gather a great f l eet andmake an expedi t i on i nt o Li bya, and I l der i c was a ver y par t i cul ar f r i endand guest - f r i end of J ust i ni an, who had not yet come to the thr one, but

was admi ni st er i ng t he gover nment accor di ng t o hi s pl easur e; f or hi suncl e J ust i nus, who was emperor , was ver y ol d and not al t ogetherexper i enced i n mat t er s of st at e. And I l der i c and J ust i ni an made l ar ge




18

present s of money to each other .

Now t her e was a cer t ai n man i n t he f ami l y of Gi zer i c, Gel i mer , t he sonof Gei l ari s, t he son of Genzon, t he son of Gi zer i c, who was of such age

as to be second onl y to I l deri c, and f or t hi s r eason he was expect ed t ocome i nto t he ki ngdom very soon. Thi s man was t hought t o be t he bestwar r i or of hi s t i me, but f or t he rest he was a cunni ng f el l ow and baseat hear t and wel l ver sed i n under t aki ng r evol ut i onar y ent er pr i ses and i nl ayi ng hol d upon the money of other s. Now t hi s Gel i mer , when he saw t hepower comi ng t o hi m, was not abl e to l i ve i n hi s accust omed way, butassumed t o hi msel f t he t asks of a ki ng and usurped the rul e, t hough i twas not yet due hi m; and si nce I l der i c i n a spi r i t of f r i endl i ness gavei n t o hi m, he was no l onger abl e to r est r ai n hi s t hought s, but al l yi ngwi t h hi msel f al l t he nobl est of t he Vandal s, he per suaded them t o wr estt he ki ngdom f r om I l der i c, as bei ng an unwar l i ke ki ng who had beendef eat ed by t he Moor s, and as bet r ayi ng t he power of t he Vandal s i ntot he hand of t he Emper or J ust i nus, i n or der t hat t he ki ngdommi ght not

come to hi m, because he was of t he ot her br anch of t he f ami l y; f or heasser t ed sl ander ousl y t hat t hi s was t he meani ng of I l der i c' s embassy t oByzant i um, and that he was gi vi ng over t he empi r e of t he Vandal s t o J ust i nus. And t hey, bei ng persuaded, car r i ed out t hi s pl an. [ 530 A. D. ] Thus Gel i mer sei zed t he supr eme power , and i mpr i soned I l der i c, af t er hehad r ul ed over t he Vandal s seven year s, and al so Hoamer and hi s brotherEuagees.

[ 527 A. D. ] But when J ust i ni an hear d t hese t hi ngs, havi ng al r eadyr ecei ved t he i mperi al power , he sent envoys t o Gel i mer i n Li bya wi t h t hef ol l owi ng l et t er : "You ar e not act i ng i n a hol y manner nor wor t hi l y of t he wi l l of Gi zer i c, keepi ng i n pr i son an ol d man and a ki nsman and theki ng of t he Vandal s ( i f t he counsel s of Gi zer i c ar e t o be of ef f ect ) ,

and r obbi ng hi m of hi s of f i ce by vi ol ence, t hough i t woul d be possi bl ef or you t o r ecei ve i t af t er a shor t t i me i n a l awf ul manner . Do yout her ef ore do no f urt her wr ong and do not exchange t he name of ki ng f ort he t i t l e of t yr ant , whi ch comes but a shor t t i me ear l i er . But as f ort hi s man, whose deat h may be expect ed at any moment , al l ow hi m t o beari n appear ance t he f or m of r oyal power , whi l e you do al l t he t hi ngs whi chi t i s pr oper t hat a ki ng shoul d do; and wai t unt i l you can r ecei ve f r omt i me and the l aw of Gi zer i c, and f r omt hemal one, t he name whi ch bel ongst o t he posi t i on. For i f you do t hi s, t he at t i t ude of t he Al mi ght y wi l lbe f avour abl e and at t he same t i me our r el at i ons wi t h you wi l l bef r i endl y. " Such was hi s message. But Gel i mer sent t he envoys away wi t hnot hi ng accompl i shed, and he bl i nded Hoamer and al so kept I l der i c andEuagees i n cl oser conf i nement , char gi ng t hem wi t h pl anni ng f l i ght t o

Byzant i um. And when t hi s t oo was hear d by t he Emper or J ust i ni an, he sentenvoys a second t i me and wr ote as f ol l ows: "We, i ndeed, supposed t hatyou woul d never go cont r ary t o our advi ce when we wr ot e you the f ormerl et t er . But si nce i t pl eases you t o have secur ed possessi on of t he royalpower i n the manner i n whi ch you have t aken and now hol d i t , get f r om i twhat ever Heaven grant s. But do you send t o us I l der i c, and Hoamer whomyou have bl i nded, and hi s brother , t o r ecei ve what comf ort t hey can whohave been r obbed of a ki ngdom or of si ght ; f or we shal l not l et t hemat t er r est i f you do not do t hi s. And I speak t hus because we ar e l edby t he hope whi ch I had based on our f r i endshi p. And the t r eaty wi t hGi zer i c wi l l not st and as an obst acl e f or us. For i t i s not t o make warupon hi m who has succeeded t o t he ki ngdom of Gi zer i c t hat we come, butt o avenge Gi zer i c wi t h al l our power . "

When Gel i mer had r ead t hi s, he r epl i ed as f ol l ows: "Ki ng Gel i mer t o t heEmper or J ust i ni an. Nei t her have I t aken t he of f i ce by vi ol ence nor has




19

anyt hi ng unhol y been done by me t o my ki nsmen. For I l der i c, whi l epl anni ng a r evol ut i on agai nst t he house of Gi zer i c, was dethr oned by thenat i on of t he Vandal s; and I was cal l ed t o t he ki ngdom by my year s,whi ch gave me the pr ef erence, accor di ng t o the l aw at l east . Now i t i s

wel l f or one to admi ni st er t he ki ngl y of f i ce whi ch bel ongs t o hi m andnot t o make t he concerns of other s hi s own. Hence f or you al so, who havea ki ngdom, meddl i ng i n ot her ' s af f ai r s i s not j ust ; and i f you br eak t het r eat y and come agai nst us, we shal l oppose you wi t h al l our power,cal l i ng t o wi t ness t he oaths whi ch wer e sworn by Zeno, f r omwhomyouhave r ecei ved the ki ngdom whi ch you hol d. " The Emper or J ust i ni an, uponr ecei vi ng thi s l et t er , havi ng been angr y wi t h Gel i mer even bef or e t hen,was st i l l more eager t o puni sh hi m. And i t seemed to hi m best t o put anend to t he Per si an war as soon as possi bl e and t hen to make anexpedi t i on t o Li bya; and si nce he was qui ck at f ormi ng a pl an and pr ompti n car r yi ng out hi s deci si ons, Bel i sar i us, t he Gener al of t he East , wassummoned and came t o hi m i mmedi at el y, no announcement havi ng been madet o hi m nor t o anyone el se t hat he was about t o l ead an ar my agai nst

Li bya, but i t was gi ven out t hat he had been r emoved f r omt he of f i cewhi ch he hel d. And st r ai ght way t he t r eat y wi t h Persi a was made, as hasbeen t ol d i n t he pr ecedi ng nar r at i ve. [ 35]

X

And when t he Emperor J ust i ni an consi dered t hat t he si t uat i on was asf avour abl e as possi bl e, bot h as t o domest i c af f ai r s and as t o hi sr el at i ons wi t h Per si a, he t ook under consi der at i on t he si t uat i on i nLi bya. But when he di scl osed t o t he magi st r ates that he was gather i ng anarmy agai nst t he Vandal s and Gel i mer , t he most of t hem began i mmedi atel yt o show host i l i t y t o the pl an, and t hey l ament ed i t as a mi sf or t une,

r ecal l i ng t he expedi t i on of t he Emperor Leon and t he di sast er of Basi l i scus, and reci t i ng how many sol di ers had per i shed and how muchmoney the st ate had l ost . But t he men who were t he most sor r owf ul of al l , and who, by reason of t hei r anxi et y, f el t t he keenest r egr et , wer et he pr et or i an pr ef ect , whom t he Romans cal l "pr aet or , " and theadmi ni st r ator of t he t r easur y, and al l t o whomhad been assi gned t hecol l ecti on of ei t her publ i c or i mper i al [ 36] t axes, f or t hey reasonedt hat whi l e i t woul d be necessary f or t hem t o pr oduce count l ess sums f ort he needs of t he war , t hey woul d be gr ant ed nei t her pardon i n case of f ai l ur e nor extensi on of t i me i n whi ch t o r ai se t hese sums. And everyone of t he gener al s, supposi ng t hat he hi msel f woul d command t he ar my,was i n t er r or and dr ead at t he gr eat ness of t he danger , i f i t shoul d benecessar y f or hi m, i f he wer e pr eser ved f r om t he per i l s of t he sea, t o

encamp i n t he enemy' s l and, and, usi ng hi s shi ps as a base, t o engage i na st r uggl e agai nst a ki ngdom bot h l ar ge and f or mi dabl e. The sol di er s,al so, havi ng r ecent l y ret ur ned f r om a l ong, har d war , and havi ng not yett ast ed t o the f ul l t he bl essi ngs of home, wer e i n despai r , bot h becauset hey wer e bei ng l ed i nt o sea- f i ght i ng, - - a thi ng whi ch t hey had notl earned even f r om t r adi t i on bef ore t hen, - - and because they were sentf r om t he eastern f r ont i er t o t he West, i n or der t o r i sk t hei r l i vesagai nst Vandal s and Moor s. But al l t he rest , as usual l y happens i n agr eat t hr ong, wi shed to be spect at or s of new advent ur es whi l e ot her sf aced t he dangers.

But as f or sayi ng anythi ng t o the emper or t o pr event t he expedi t i on, noone dared t o do t hi s except J ohn t he Cappadoci an, t he pr et or i an pr ef ect ,

a man of t he gr eatest dar i ng and t he cl ever est of al l men of hi s t i me.For t hi s J ohn, whi l e al l t he ot her s wer e bewai l i ng i n si l ence t hef or t une whi ch was upon t hem, came bef or e t he emperor and spoke as




20

f ol l ows: "O Emper or , t he good f ai t h whi ch t hou dost shew i n deal i ng wi t ht hy subj ect s enabl es us t o speak f r ankl y r egardi ng anythi ng whi ch wi l lbe of advant age t o t hy gover nment , even t hough what i s sai d and done maynot be agr eeabl e to t hee. For t hus does t hy wi sdom t emper t hy aut hori t y

wi t h j ust i ce, i n t hat t hou dost not consi der t hat man onl y as l oyal t ot hy cause who ser ves t hee under any and al l condi t i ons, nor art t houangry wi t h the man who speaks agai nst t hee, but by wei ghi ng al l t hi ngsby pur e r eason al one, t hou hast of t en shewn t hat i t i nvol ves us i n nodanger t o oppose thy purposes. Led by t hese consi der at i ons, O Emper or , Ihave come t o of f er t hi s advi ce, knowi ng t hat , t hough I shal l gi veper haps of f ence at t he moment , i f i t so chance, yet i n the f ut ur e t hel oyal t y whi ch I bear you wi l l be made cl ear , and t hat f or t hi s I shal lbe abl e t o shew t hee as a wi t ness. For i f , t hr ough not hearkeni ng t o mywor ds, t hou shal t car r y out t he war agai nst t he Vandal s, i t wi l l comeabout , i f t he st r uggl e i s pr ol onged f or t hee, t hat my advi ce wi l l wi nr enown. For i f t hou hast conf i dence t hat t hou wi l t conquer t he enemy, i ti s not at al l unr easonabl e t hat t hou shoul dst sacr i f i ce t he l i ves of men

and expend a vast amount of t r easur e, and under go the di f f i cul t i es of t he st r uggl e; f or vi ct or y, comi ng at t he end, cover s up al l t hecal ami t i es of war . But i f i n r eal i t y t hese t hi ngs l i e on t he knees of God, and i f i t behoves us, t aki ng exampl e f r om what has happened i n t hepast , t o f ear t he out come of war , on what gr ounds i s i t not bet t er t ol ove a st at e of qui et r at her t han t he danger s of mor t al st r i f e? Thou ar tpur posi ng t o make an expedi t i on agai nst Cart hage, t o whi ch, i f one goesby l and, t he j our ney i s one of a hundr ed and f ort y days, and i f one goesby wat er , he i s f or ced to cross t he whol e open sea and go to i t s ver yend. So t hat he who br i ngs t hee news of what wi l l happen i n the campmust needs r each thee a year af t er t he event . And one mi ght add t hat i f t hou art vi ct ori ous over t hy enemy, t hou coul dst not t ake possessi on of Li bya whi l e Si ci l y and I t al y l i e i n t he hands of ot her s; and at t he same

t i me, i f any rever se bef al l t hee, O Emper or , t he t r eat y havi ng al r eadybeen broken by t hee, t hou wi l t br i ng t he danger upon our own l and. I nf act, put t i ng al l i n a wor d, i t wi l l not be possi bl e f or t hee t o r eapt he f r ui t s of vi ct or y, and at t he same ti me any rever sal of f or t une wi l lbr i ng har m t o what i s wel l est abl i shed. I t i s bef or e an ent er pr i se t hatwi se pl anni ng i s usef ul . For when men have f ai l ed, r epent ance i s of noavai l , but bef or e di sast er comes t her e i s no danger i n al t er i ng pl ans. Theref or e i t wi l l be of advant age above al l el se t o make f i t t i ng use of t he deci si ve moment . "

Thus spoke J ohn; and t he Emperor J ust i ni an, hearkeni ng t o hi s wor ds,checked hi s eager desi r e f or t he war . But one of t he pr i est s whom t heycal l bi shops, who had come f r omt he East , sai d that he wi shed to have a

word wi t h the emper or . And when he met J ust i ni an, he sai d that God hadvi si t ed hi m i n a dr eam, and bi dden hi m go to the emper or and r ebuke hi m,because, af t er under t aki ng t he t ask of pr ot ect i ng t he Chr i st i ans i nLi bya f r om t yrant s, he had f or no good r eason become af r ai d. "And yet , "He had sai d, " I wi l l Mysel f j oi n wi t h hi m i n wagi ng war and make hi ml ord of Li bya. " When t he emper or hear d t hi s, he was no l onger abl e t or est r ai n hi s pur pose, and he began t o col l ect t he ar my and t he shi ps,and to make ready suppl i es of weapons and of f ood, and he announced t oBel i sar i us t hat he shoul d be i n readi ness, because he was ver y soon toact as gener al i n Li bya. Meanwhi l e Pudent i us, one of t he nat i ves of Tr i pol i s i n Li bya, caused t hi s di st r i ct t o r evol t f r om t he Vandal s, andsendi ng t o t he emper or he begged t hat he shoul d despat ch an army t o hi m;f or , he sai d, he woul d wi t h no t r oubl e wi n t he l and f or t he emper or . And

J ust i ni an sent hi m Tat t i muth and an army of no ver y great si ze. Thi sf or ce Pudent i us j oi ned wi t h hi s own t r oops and, t he Vandal s bei ngabsent , he gai ned possessi on of t he l and and made i t subj ect t o t he




21

emper or. And Gel i mer, t hough wi shi ng t o i nf l i ct puni shment uponPudent i us, f ound t he f ol l owi ng obst acl e i n hi s way.

There was a cer t ai n Godas among t he sl aves of Gel i mer , a Got h by bi r t h,

a passi onat e and ener get i c f el l ow possessed of gr eat bodi l y st r engt h,but appear i ng t o be wel l - di sposed t o t he cause of hi s master . To t hi sGodas Gel i mer ent r ust ed the i sl and of Sar di ni a, i n or der bot h to guar dt he i sl and and t o pay over t he annual t r i but e. But he nei t her coul ddi gest t he pr osper i t y br ought by f or t une nor had he the spi r i t t o endur ei t , and so he under t ook t o est abl i sh a t yranny, and he ref used tocont i nue t he payment of t he t r i but e, and act ual l y detached t he i sl andf r omt he Vandal s and hel d i t hi msel f . And when he percei ved t hat t heEmper or J ust i ni an was eager t o make war agai nst Li bya and Gel i mer , hewr ot e t o hi m as f ol l ows:

" I t was nei t her because I yi el ded t o f ol l y nor because I had suf f er edanyt hi ng unpl easant at my mast er ' s hands t hat I t urned my t hought s

t owar ds r ebel l i on, but seei ng the ext r eme cruel t y of t he man both t owar dhi s ki nsmen and t owar d hi s subj ect s, I coul d not , wi l l i ngl y at l east , ber eput ed t o have a shar e i n hi s i nhumani t y. For i t i s bet t er t o ser ve a j ust ki ng t han a t yr ant whose commands ar e unl awf ul . But do t hou j oi nwi t h me to assi st i n thi s my ef f or t and send sol di er s so t hat I may beabl e t o war d of f my assai l ant s. "

And t he emperor , on r ecei vi ng t hi s l et t er , was pl eased, and he sentEul ogi us as envoy and wr ote a l et t er pr ai si ng Godas f or hi s wi sdom andhi s zeal f or j ust i ce, and he pr omi sed an al l i ance and sol di er s and agener al , who woul d be abl e t o guar d t he i sl and wi t h hi m and t o assi sthi m i n ever y ot her way, so t hat no t r oubl e shoul d come t o hi m f r om t heVandal s. But Eul ogi us, upon comi ng t o Sar di ni a, f ound t hat Godas was

assumi ng t he name and weari ng t he dress of a ki ng and that he hadat t ached a bodyguard t o hi s per son. And when Godas r ead t he emper or ' sl et t er , he sai d t hat i t was hi s wi sh t o have sol di er s, i ndeed, come t of i ght al ong wi t h hi m, but as f or a commander , he had absol ut el y nodesi r e f or one. And havi ng wr i t t en to the emper or i n thi s sense, hedi smi ssed Eul ogi us.

XI

The emperor , meanwhi l e, not havi ng yet ascer t ai ned t hese t hi ngs, wasprepar i ng f our hundred sol di ers wi t h Cyr i l as commander , who were toassi st Godas i n guar di ng t he i sl and. And wi t h t hem he al so had i n

r eadi ness t he expedi t i on agai nst Car t hage, t en t housand f oot - sol di er s,and f i ve t housand hor semen, gather ed f r om t he regul ar t r oops and f r omt he "f oeder at i . " Now at an ear l i er t i me onl y bar bar i ans wer e enl i st edamong the f oederat i , t hose, namel y, who had come i nto t he Romanpol i t i cal syst em, not i n t he condi t i on of sl aves, si nce t hey had notbeen conquered by t he Romans, but on t he basi s of compl ete equal i t y. [ 37]For t he Romans cal l t r eat i es wi t h t hei r enemi es " f oeder a. " But at t hepresent t i me t here i s not hi ng t o prevent anyone f r omassumi ng t hi s name,si nce t i me wi l l by no means consent t o keep names at t ached t o the t hi ngst o whi ch t hey wer e f ormer l y appl i ed, but condi t i ons are ever changi ngabout accordi ng t o t he desi r e of men who cont r ol t hem, and men payl i t t l e heed t o t he meani ng whi ch t hey ori gi nal l y at t ached t o a name. Andt he commanders of t he f oederat i were Dorotheus, t he general of t he

t r oops i n Ar meni a, and Sol omon, who was act i ng as manager f or t hegener al Bel i sar i us; ( such a person t he Romans cal l "domest i cus. " Nowt hi s Sol omon was a eunuch, but i t was not by the devi si ng of man t hat he




22

had suf f er ed mut i l at i on, but some acci dent whi ch bef el l hi m whi l e i nswaddl i ng cl othes had i mposed t hi s l ot upon hi m) ; and t her e were al soCypr i an, Val er i an, Mar t i nus, Al t hi as, J ohn, Mar cel l us, and t he Cyr i lwhom I have ment i oned above; and t he commander s of t he r egul ar caval r y

were Ruf i nus and Aï gan, who were of t he house of Bel i sar i us, andBarbat us and Pappus, whi l e t he r egul ar i nf ant r y was commanded by Theodorus, who was sur named Ct eanus, and Terent i us, Zaï dus, Mar ci an, andSar api s. And a cer t ai n J ohn, a nat i ve of Epi damnus, whi ch i s now cal l edDyr r achi um, hel d supr eme command over al l t he l eader s of i nf ant r y. Amongal l t hese commander s Sol omon was f r oma pl ace i n t he East , at t he veryext r emi t y of t he Roman domai n, wher e the ci t y cal l ed Daras now st ands,and Aï gan was by bi r t h of t he Massaget ae whom t hey now cal l Huns; andt he r est wer e al most al l i nhabi t ant s of t he l and of Thr ace. And t her ef ol l owed wi t h them al so f our hundr ed Er ul i , whom Phar as l ed, and aboutsi x hundr ed bar bar i an al l i es f r om t he nat i on of t he Massaget ae, al lmount ed bowmen; t hese wer e l ed by Si nni on and Bal as, men endowed wi t hbravery and endur ance i n t he hi ghest degr ee. And f or t he whol e f orce

f i ve hundr ed shi ps were requi r ed, no one of whi ch was abl e to car r y moret han f i f t y t housand medi mni , [ 38] nor any one l ess t han t hr ee t housand.And i n al l t he vessel s t oget her t her e wer e thi r t y t housand sai l or s,Egypt i ans and I oni ans f or t he most par t , and Ci l i ci ans, and onecommander was appoi nted over al l t he shi ps, Cal onymus of Al exandr i a. Andt hey had al so shi ps of war pr epared as f or sea- f i ght i ng, t o t he numberof ni net y- t wo, and t hey wer e si ngl e- banked shi ps cover ed by decks, i norder t hat t he men r owi ng them mi ght i f possi bl e not be exposed t o t hebol t s of t he enemy. Such boat s are cal l ed "dr omones"[ 39] by t hose of t hepr esent t i me; f or t hey ar e abl e to at t ai n a gr eat speed. I n t hese sai l edt wo thousand men of Byzant i um, who were al l r owers as wel l as f i ght i ngmen; f or t her e was not a si ngl e super f l uous man among them. AndAr chel aus was al so sent , a man of pat r i ci an st andi ng who had al r eady

been pr et or i an pr ef ect bot h i n Byzant i um and i n I l l yri cum, but he t henhel d t he posi t i on of pr ef ect of t he ar my; f or t hus t he of f i cer char gedwi t h t he mai nt enance of t he army i s desi gnated. But as general wi t hsupr eme aut hor i t y over al l t he emper or sent Bel i sar i us, who was i ncommand of t he t r oops of t he East f or t he second t i me. And he wasf ol l owed by many spear men and many guar ds as wel l , men who wer e capabl ewar r i or s and thor oughl y exper i enced i n the danger s of f i ght i ng. And theemper or gave hi m wr i t t en i nst r uct i ons, bi ddi ng hi m do ever ythi ng asseemed best t o hi m, and st at i ng t hat hi s act s woul d be f i nal , as i f t heemper or hi msel f had done t hem. The wr i t i ng, i n f act , gave hi m t he powerof a ki ng. Now Bel i sar i us was a nat i ve of Ger mani a, whi ch l i es between Thrace and I l l yr i cum. These t hi ngs, t hen, t ook pl ace i n t hi s way.

Gel i mer, however , bei ng depr i ved of Tr i pol i s by Pudent i us and of Sar di ni a by Godas, scar cel y hoped t o r egai n Tr i pol i s, si nce i t wassi t uat ed at a gr eat di st ance and the rebel s wer e al r eady bei ng assi st edby t he Romans, agai nst whom j ust at t hat moment i t seemed t o hi m bestnot t o take t he f i el d; but he was eager t o get t o the i sl and bef or e anyarmy sent by t he emperor t o f i ght f or hi s enemi es shoul d ar r i ve t here.He accordi ngl y sel ected f i ve t housand of t he Vandal s and one hundred andt went y shi ps of t he f ast est ki nd, and appoi nt i ng as gener al hi s br ot her Tzazon, he sent t hem of f . And so t hey wer e sai l i ng wi t h great enthusi asmand eagerness agai nst Godas and Sardi ni a. I n t he meant i me t he Emper or J ust i ni an was sendi ng of f Val er i an and Mar t i nus i n advance of t he ot hersi n order t o awai t t he rest of t he army i n t he Pel oponnesus. And whent hese t wo had embar ked upon t hei r shi ps, i t came to the emper or ' s mi nd

t hat t here was somethi ng whi ch he wi shed to enj oi n upon t hem, - - a thi ngwhi ch he had wi shed t o say pr evi ousl y, but he had been so busi ed wi t ht he other mat t ers of whi ch he had t o speak that hi s mi nd had been




23

occupi ed wi t h them and thi s subj ect had been dr i ven out . He summonedt hem, accor di ngl y, i nt endi ng to say what he wi shed, but upon consi der i ngt he mat t er , he saw t hat i t woul d not be pr opi t i ous f or t hem t o i nt er r uptt hei r j our ney. He t her ef or e sent men t o f or bi d t hem ei t her t o r et ur n t o

hi m or t o di sembark f r omt hei r shi ps. And t hese men, upon comi ng neart he shi ps, commanded them wi t h much shout i ng and l oud cr i es by no meanst o t ur n back, and i t seemed t o t hose pr esent t hat t he t hi ng whi ch hadhappened was no good omen and t hat never woul d one of t he men i n t hoseshi ps r etur n f r om Li bya t o Byzant i um. For besi des t he omen t heysuspect ed t hat a cur se al so had come to t he men f r om t he emper or , not atal l by hi s own wi l l , so that t hey woul d not r et ur n. Now i f anyone shoul dso i nt er pr et t he i nci dent wi t h r egar d t o t hese two commander s, Val eri anand Mar t i nus, he wi l l f i nd t he or i gi nal opi ni on unt r ue. But t her e was acer t ai n man among the body- guards of Mar t i nus, Stot zas by name, who wasdest i ned t o be an enemy of t he emper or , t o make an at t empt t o set up at yr anny, and by no means t o r eturn t o Byzant i um, and one mi ght supposet hat curse t o have been tur ned upon hi m by Heaven. But whether t hi s

mat t er st ands t hus or other wi se, I l eave t o each one t o reason out as hewi shes. But I shal l pr oceed t o t el l how t he gener al Bel i sar i us and t hear my depar t ed.

XI I

[ 533 A. D. ] I n t he sevent h year of J ust i ni an' s r ei gn, at about t he spr i ngequi nox, t he emperor commanded t he general ' s shi p t o anchor of f t hepoi nt whi ch i s bef or e t he royal pal ace. Thi t her came al so Epi phani us,t he chi ef pr i est of t he ci t y, and af t er ut t er i ng an appr opr i at e pr ayer ,he put on t he shi ps one of t he sol di ers who had l atel y been bapt i zed andhad taken the Chr i st i an name. And af t er t hi s t he gener al Bel i sar i us and

Ant oni na, hi s wi f e, set sai l . And t her e was wi t h t hem al so Pr ocopi us,who wr ot e t hi s hi st or y; now pr evi ousl y he had been exceedi ngl y t er r i f i edat t he danger, but l ater he had seen a vi si on i n hi s sl eep whi ch causedhi m t o t ake cour age and made hi m eager t o go on the expedi t i on. For i tseemed i n t he dr eam t hat he was i n t he house of Bel i sar i us, and one of t he ser vant s ent er i ng announced that some men had come bear i ng gi f t s;and Bel i sar i us bade hi m i nvest i gat e what sor t of gi f t s t hey wer e, and hewent out i nt o the court and saw men who car r i ed on t hei r shoul der s ear t hwi t h t he f l owers and al l . And he bade hi m br i ng these men i nt o the houseand deposi t t he ear t h t hey wer e car r yi ng i n t he por t i co; and Bel i sar i ust ogether wi t h hi s guardsmen came there, and he hi msel f r ecl i ned on thatear t h and at e of t he f l ower s, and ur ged t he other s t o do l i kewi se; andas t hey r ecl i ned and ate, as i f upon a couch, t he f ood seemed t o them

exceedi ngl y sweet . Such, t hen, was the vi si on of t he dream.

And t he whol e f l eet f ol l owed t he gener al ' s shi p, and t hey put i n atPer i nt hus, whi ch i s now cal l ed Her acl ei a, [ 40] wher e f i ve days' t i me wasspent by t he ar my, si nce at t hat pl ace t he general r ecei ved as a pr esentf r omt he emper or an exceedi ngl y gr eat number of horses f r omt he r oyalpast ur es, whi ch ar e kept f or hi m i n t he t er r i t or y of Thr ace. And set t i ngsai l f r omt her e, t hey anchor ed of f Abydus, and i t came about as t heywer e del ayi ng t here f our days on account of t he l ack of wi nd t hat t hef ol l owi ng event t ook pl ace. Two Massagetae ki l l ed one of t hei r comr adeswho was r i di cul i ng t hem, i n t he mi dst of t hei r i nt emper at e dr i nki ng; f ort hey were i ntoxi cated. For of al l men t he Massagetae are t he mosti nt emper at e dr i nker s. Bel i sar i us, accor di ngl y, st r ai ght way i mpal ed these

t wo men on the hi l l whi ch i s near Abydus. And si nce al l , and especi al l yt he rel at i ves of t hese t wo men, were angr y and decl ared t hat i t was noti n or der t o be puni shed nor t o be subj ect t o the l aws of t he Romans t hat




24

t hey had ent er ed i nt o an al l i ance ( f or t hei r own l aws di d not make t hepuni shment f or mur der such _as_ t hi s, t hey sai d) ; and si nce they were j oi ned i n voi ci ng t he accusat i on agai nst t he gener al even by Romansol di ers , who wer e anxi ous t hat t her e shoul d be no puni shment f or t hei r

of f ences, Bel i sar i us cal l ed toget her bot h the Massaget ae and the r est of t he army and spoke as f ol l ows: " I f my words were addr essed t o men nowf or t he f i r st t i me ent er i ng i nt o war , i t woul d r equi r e a l ong t i me f orme t o convi nce you by speech how gr eat a hel p j ust i ce i s f or gai ni ng thevi ct or y. For t hose who do not unders t and t he f ort unes of such st r uggl est hi nk t hat t he out come of war l i es i n st r engt h of ar m al one. But you,who have of t en conquered an enemy not i nf er i or t o you i n st r ength of body and wel l endowed wi t h val our , you who have of t en t r i ed yourst r engt h agai nst your opponent s, you, I t hi nk, ar e not i gnor ant t hat ,whi l e i t i s men who al ways do t he f i ght i ng i n ei t her army, i t i s God who j udges t he cont est as seems best t o Hi m and best ows t he vi ct or y i nbat t l e. Now si nce t hi s i s so, i t i s f i t t i ng t o consi der good bodi l ycondi t i on and pr act i ce i n ar ms and al l t he ot her pr ovi si on f or war of

l ess account t han j ust i ce and t hose thi ngs whi ch per t ai n t o God. Fort hat whi ch may possi bl y be of great est advant age t o men i n need woul dnat ur al l y be honour ed by t hem above al l ot her t hi ngs. Now t he f i r stproof of j ust i ce woul d be t he puni shment of t hose who have commi t t edunj ust mur der . For i f i t i s i ncumbent upon us t o si t i n j udgment upont he act i ons whi ch f r om t i me t o t i me ar e commi t t ed by men t oward t hei rnei ghbours, and t o adj udge and to name the j ust and the unj ust act i on,we shoul d f i nd t hat not hi ng i s mor e pr eci ous t o a man t han hi s l i f e. Andi f any bar bar i an who has sl ai n hi s ki nsman expect s t o f i nd i ndul gence i nhi s t r i al on t he gr ound t hat he was dr unk, i n al l f ai r ness he makes t hechar ge so much t he worse by reason of t he very ci r cumst ance by whi ch, ashe al l eges, hi s gui l t i s r emoved. For i t i s not r i ght f or a man underany ci r cumst ances, and especi al l y when servi ng i n an army, t o be so

dr unk as r eadi l y to ki l l hi s dear est f r i ends; nay, t he dr unkennessi t sel f , even i f t he mur der i s not added at al l , i s wor t hy of puni shment ;and when a ki nsman i s wr onged, t he cr i me woul d cl ear l y be of great ermoment as r egards puni shment t han when commi t t ed agai nst t hose who ar enot ki nsmen, at l east i n the eyes of men of sense. Now t he exampl e i sbef ore you and you may see what sor t of an out come such act i ons have.But as f or you, i t i s your dut y to avoi d l ayi ng vi ol ent hands uponanyone wi t hout pr ovocat i on, or car r yi ng of f t he possessi ons of ot her s;f or I shal l not over l ook i t , be assur ed, and I shal l not consi der anyoneof you a f el l ow- sol di er of mi ne, no mat t er how t er r i bl e he i s r eput ed t obe t o the f oe, who i s not abl e t o use cl ean hands agai nst t he enemy. Forbr aver y cannot be vi ct or i ous unl ess i t be ar r ayed al ong wi t h j ust i ce. "So spoke Bel i sar i us. And t he whol e ar my, hear i ng what was sai d and

l ooki ng up at t he t wo men i mpal ed, f el t an over whel mi ng f ear come overt hem and t ook t hought t o conduct t hei r l i ves wi t h moder at i on, f or t heysaw t hat t hey woul d not be f r ee f r om gr eat danger i f t hey shoul d becaught doi ng anythi ng unl awf ul .

XI I I

Af t er t hi s Bel i sar i us bet hought hi m how hi s whol e f l eet shoul d al wayskeep t oget her as i t sai l ed and shoul d anchor i n the same pl ace. For heknew t hat i n a l ar ge f l eet , and especi al l y i f r ough wi nds shoul d assai lt hem, i t was i nevi t abl e t hat many of t he shi ps shoul d be l ef t behi nd andscat t ered on t he open sea, and t hat t hei r pi l ot s shoul d not know whi ch

of t he shi ps t hat put t o sea ahead of t hem i t was bet t er t o f ol l ow. Soaf t er consi der i ng t he mat t er , he di d as f ol l ows. The sai l s of t he t hr eeshi ps i n whi ch he and hi s f ol l owi ng wer e car r i ed he pai nt ed r ed f r om t he




25

upper cor ner f or about one t hi r d of t hei r l engt h, and he er ect ed upr i ghtpol es on t he pr ow of each, and hung l i ght s f r om t hem, so t hat bot h byday and by ni ght t he general ' s shi ps mi ght be di st i ngui shabl e; t hen hecommanded al l t he pi l ot s t o f ol l ow t hese shi ps. Thus wi t h t he t hr ee

shi ps l eadi ng t he whol e f l eet not a si ngl e shi p was l ef t behi nd. Andwhenever t hey were about t o put out f r om a harbour , t he t r umpet sannounced thi s t o t hem.

And upon set t i ng out f r omAbydus t hey met wi t h st r ong wi nds whi chcar r i ed t hem t o Si geum. And agai n i n cal m weat her t hey pr oceeded morel ei sur el y t o Mal ea, wher e the cal m pr oved of t he gr eat est advant age t ot hem. For si nce t hey had a gr eat f l eet and exceedi ngl y l ar ge shi ps, asni ght came on everyt hi ng was t hr own i nt o conf usi on by r eason of t hei rbei ng crowded i nt o smal l space, and they were br ought i nto ext r emeper i l . At t hat t i me bot h t he pi l ot s and t he r est of t he sai l or s shewedt hemsel ves ski l f ul and ef f i ci ent , f or whi l e shout i ng at t he t op of t hei rvoi ces and maki ng a great noi se t hey kept pushi ng t he shi ps apart wi t h

t hei r pol es, and cl ever l y kept t he di st ances bet ween t hei r di f f er entvessel s; but i f a wi nd had ari sen, whet her a f ol l owi ng or a head wi nd,i t seems t o me that t he sai l ors woul d har dl y have pr eser ved t hemsel vesand t hei r shi ps. But as i t was, t hey escaped, as I have sai d, and put i nat Taenarum, whi ch i s now cal l ed Caenopol i s. [ 41] Then, pr essi ng on f r omt here, t hey t ouched at Methone, and f ound Val er i an and Mart i nus wi t ht hei r men, who had reached t he same pl ace a shor t t i me bef ore. And si ncet here were no wi nds bl owi ng, Bel i sar i us anchored t he shi ps t her e, anddi sembar ked t he whol e army; and af t er t hey were on shor e he ass i gned t hecommanders t hei r posi t i ons and dr ew up the sol di ers. And whi l e he wast hus engaged and no wi nd at al l arose, i t came about t hat many of t hesol di ers wer e dest r oyed by di sease caused i n t he f ol l owi ng manner .

The pret or i an pref ect , J ohn, was a man of wor t hl ess char act er , and soski l f ul at devi si ng ways of br i ngi ng money i nt o the publ i c t r easur y t ot he det r i ment of men t hat I , f or my part , shoul d never be competent t odescri be t hi s t r ai t of hi s. But t hi s has been sai d i n t he pr ecedi ngpages, when I was brought t o t hi s poi nt by my nar r at i ve. [ 42] But I shal lt el l i n t he pr esent case i n what manner he dest r oyed t he sol di ers . Thebr ead whi ch sol di er s ar e dest i ned t o eat i n camp must of necessi t y beput t wi ce i nt o t he oven, and be cooked so car ef ul l y as t o l ast f or aver y l ong peri od and not spoi l i n a short t i me, and l oaves cooked i nt hi s way necessar i l y wei gh l ess; and f or t hi s r eason, when such br ead i sdi st r i but ed, t he sol di er s gener al l y recei ved as t hei r por t i on one- f our t hmor e than the usual wei ght . [ 43] J ohn, t her ef or e, cal cul at i ng how hemi ght r educe t he amount of f i r ewood used and have l ess t o pay t o the

baker s i n wages, and al so how he mi ght not l ose i n the wei ght of t hebr ead, br ought t he st i l l uncooked dough t o t he publ i c bat hs of Achi l l es,i n t he basement of whi ch the f i r e i s kept bur ni ng, and bade hi s men seti t down ther e. And when i t seemed t o be cooked i n some f ashi on or other ,he t hr ew i t i nt o bags, put i t on t he shi ps, and sent i t of f . And whent he f l eet ar r i ved at Met hone, t he l oaves di si nt egr at ed and r et ur nedagai n to f l our , not whol esome f l our , however, but r ot t en and becomi ngmoul dy and al r eady gi vi ng out a sor t of oppr essi ve odour . And t he l oaveswere di spensed by measure[44] t o the sol di ers by t hose t o whom t hi sof f i ce was assi gned, and t hey were al r eady maki ng t he di st r i but i on of t he br ead by quar t s and bushel s. And the sol di er s, f eedi ng upon thi s i nt he summer t i me i n a pl ace where t he cl i mate i s very hot , became si ck,and not l ess t han f i ve hundr ed of t hem di ed; and t he same thi ng was

about t o happen t o more, but Bel i sar i us prevent ed i t by or der i ng t hebr ead of t he count r y t o be f ur ni shed them. And repor t i ng the matt er t ot he emperor , he hi msel f gai ned i n f avour , but he di d not at t hat t i me




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br i ng any puni shment upon J ohn.

These events, t hen, t ook pl ace i n t he manner descr i bed. And set t i ng outf r omMethone they r eached the harbour of Zacynt hus, wher e they t ook i n

enough wat er t o l ast t hem i n cr ossi ng t he Adr i at i c Sea, and af t er maki ngal l t hei r ot her pr epar at i ons, sai l ed on. But si nce t he wi nd t hey had wasver y gent l e and l angui d, i t was onl y on the si xt eent h day t hat t hey camet o l and at a deser t ed pl ace i n Si ci l y near whi ch Mount Aet na ri ses. Andwhi l e t hey wer e bei ng del ayed i n t hi s passage, as has been sai d, i t sohappened that t he wat er of t he whol e f l eet was spoi l ed, except t hatwhi ch Bel i sar i us hi msel f and hi s t abl e- compani ons wer e dr i nki ng. Fort hi s al one was pr eser ved by t he wi f e of Bel i sar i us i n t he f ol l owi ngmanner . She f i l l ed wi t h water j ars made of gl ass and const r uct ed a smal lr oom wi t h pl anks i n t he hol d of t he shi p wher e i t was i mpossi bl e f or t hesun t o penet r ate, and t here she sank t he j ars i n sand, and by t hi s meanst he water r emai ned unaf f ect ed. So much, t hen, f or t hi s.

XI V

And as soon as Bel i sar i us had di sembar ked upon t he i sl and, he began t of eel r est l ess, knowi ng not how t o pr oceed, and hi s mi nd was t orment ed byt he t hought t hat he di d not know what sor t of men t he Vandal s wereagai nst whom he was goi ng, and how st r ong they were i n war , or i n whatmanner t he Romans woul d have t o wage the war , or what pl ace woul d bet hei r base of oper at i ons. But most of al l he was di st ur bed by t hesol di ers , who wer e i n mor t al dr ead of sea- f i ght i ng and had no shame i nsayi ng bef or ehand that , i f t hey shoul d be di sembar ked on the l and, t heywoul d t r y to show t hemsel ves br ave men i n t he bat t l e, but i f host i l eshi ps assai l ed t hem, t hey woul d t ur n t o f l i ght ; f or , t hey sai d, t hey

were not abl e t o cont end agai nst t wo enemi es at once, bot h men andwat er . Bei ng at a l oss, t her ef or e, because of al l t hese thi ngs, he sentProcopi us, hi s advi ser , t o Syracuse, t o f i nd out whether t he enemy hadany shi ps i n ambush keepi ng watch over t he passage across t he sea,ei t her on t he i sl and or on t he cont i nent , and wher e i t woul d be best f ort hem t o anchor i n Li bya, and f r om what poi nt as base i t woul d beadvant ageous f or t hem t o star t i n car r yi ng on t he war agai nst t heVandal s. And he bade hi m, when he shoul d have accompl i shed hi s commands,r etur n and meet hi m at t he pl ace cal l ed Caucana, [ 45] about t wo hundredst ades di st ant f r om Syracuse, wher e bot h he and t he whol e f l eet wer e toanchor . But he l et i t be under st ood t hat he was sendi ng hi m t o buypr ovi si ons, si nce t he Got hs wer e wi l l i ng t o gi ve t hem a mar ket , t hi shavi ng been deci ded upon by t he Emper or J ust i ni an and Amal asountha, t he

mother of Antal ar i c, [ 46] who was at t hat t i me a boy bei ng r ear ed undert he care of hi s mother , Amal asountha, and hel d sway over bot h t he Gothsand the I t al i ans. For when Theoder i c had di ed and the ki ngdomcame tohi s nephew, Ant al ar i c, who had al r eady bef or e t hi s l ost hi s f at her ,Amal asount ha was f ear f ul bot h f or her chi l d and f or t he ki ngdom andcul t i vat ed t he f r i endshi p of J ust i ni an ver y car ef ul l y, and she gave heedt o hi s commands i n al l mat t ers and at t hat t i me pr omi sed t o pr ovi de amarket f or hi s ar my and di d so.

Now when Procopi us r eached Syr acuse, he unexpect edl y met a man who hadbeen a f el l ow- ci t i zen and f r i end of hi s f r om chi l dhood, who had beenl i vi ng i n Syracuse f or a l ong ti me engaged i n the shi ppi ng busi ness, andhe l ear ned f r omhi m what he want ed; f or t hi s man showed hi m a domest i c

who had t hree days bef ore that very day come f r om Car t hage, and he sai dt hat t hey need not suspect t hat t her e woul d be any ambush set f or t hef l eet by the Vandal s. For f r om no one i n t he worl d had t hey l earned t hat




27

an army was comi ng agai nst t hem at t hat t i me, but al l t he act i ve menamong the Vandal s had act ual l y a l i t t l e bef or e gone on an expedi t i onagai nst Godas. And f or t hi s r eason Gel i mer , wi t h no t hought of an enemyi n hi s mi nd and r egar dl ess of Cart hage and al l t he other pl aces on t he

sea, was st ayi ng i n Her mi one, whi ch i s i n Byzaci um, f our days' j our neydi st ant f r om t he coast ; so t hat i t was possi bl e f or t hem t o sai l wi t houtf eari ng any di f f i cul t y and t o anchor wher ever t he wi nd shoul d cal l t hem.When Procopi us hear d thi s, he t ook t he hand of t he domest i c and wal kedt o the har bour of Ar ethousa wher e hi s boat l ay at anchor , maki ng manyenqui r i es of t he man and sear chi ng out every detai l . And goi ng on boardt he shi p wi t h hi m, he gave order s t o rai se t he sai l s and t o make al lspeed f or Caucana. And si nce t he mast er of t he domest i c st ood on t heshor e wonder i ng t hat he di d not gi ve hi m back t he man, Procopi us shout edout , when t he shi p was al r eady under way, beggi ng hi m not t o be angrywi t h hi m; f or i t was necessar y t hat t he domest i c shoul d meet t hegener al , and, af t er l eadi ng t he ar my to Li bya, woul d r et ur n af t er nol ong t i me t o Syracuse wi t h much money i n hi s pocket .

But upon comi ng t o Caucana they f ound al l i n deep gr i ef . For Dorotheus,t he gener al of t he tr oops of Ar meni a, had di ed t her e, l eavi ng t o thewhol e army a great sense of l oss. But Bel i sar i us, when t he domest i c hadcome bef ore hi m and r el ated hi s whol e st ory, became exceedi ngl y gl ad,and af t er best owi ng many pr ai ses upon Procopi us, he i ssued orders t ogi ve t he si gnal f or depar t ur e wi t h t he t r umpet s. And set t i ng sai lqui ckl y t hey t ouched at t he i sl ands of Gaul us and Mel i t a, [ 47] whi ch mar kt he boundar y between t he Adr i at i c and Tuscan Seas. There a st r ong eastwi nd ar ose f or t hem, and on t he f ol l owi ng day i t car r i ed t he shi ps t ot he poi nt of Li bya, at t he pl ace whi ch t he Romans cal l i n thei r ownt ongue "Shoal ' s Head. " For i t s name i s " Caput vada, " and i t i s f i ve days' j ourney f r om Car t hage f or an unencumbered t r avel l er .

XV

And when t hey came near t he shore, t he general bade them f ur l t he sai l s,t hr ow out anchor s f r omt he shi ps, and make a hal t ; and cal l i ng t ogetheral l t he commanders t o hi s own shi p, he opened a di scussi on wi t h regardt o the di sembar kat i on. Thereupon many speeches were made i ncl i ni ng t oei t her s i de, and Ar chel aus came f orward and spoke as f ol l ows:

"I admi r e, i ndeed, t he vi r t ue of our gener al , who, whi l e sur passi ng al lby f ar i n j udgment and possessi ng the gr eat est weal t h of experi ence, andat t he same t i me hol di ng t he power al one, has pr oposed an open

di scussi on and bi ds each one of us speak, so t hat we shal l be abl e tochoose whi chever cour se seems best , t hough i t i s possi bl e f or hi m t odeci de al one on what i s needf ul and at hi s l ei sur e t o put i t i nt oexecut i on as he wi shes. But as f or you, my f el l ow of f i cer s- - I do notknow how I am t o say i t easi l y- - one mi ght wonder t hat each one di d nothast en t o be the f i r st t o oppose t he di sembar kat i on. And yet Iunder st and that t he maki ng of suggest i ons t o t hose who ar e enter i ng upona per i l ous cour se br i ngs no personal advant age t o hi m who of f er s t headvi ce, but as a general t hi ng r esul t s i n br i ngi ng bl ame upon hi m. Forwhen t hi ngs go wel l f or men, t hey at t r i but e t hei r success t o thei r own j udgment or t o f or t une, but when t hey f ai l , t hey bl ame onl y t he one whohas advi sed t hem. Never t hel ess I shal l speak out . For i t i s not r i ghtf or t hose who del i ber at e about saf et y t o shr i nk f r om bl ame. You ar e

pur posi ng t o di sembar k on t he enemy' s l and, f el l ow- of f i cer s; but i n whathar bour ar e you pl anni ng t o pl ace t he shi ps i n saf et y? Or i n what ci t y' swal l wi l l you f i nd secur i t y f or your sel ves? Have you not t hen hear d t hat




28

t hi s pr omont or y- - I mean f r om Car t hage t o I ouce- - extends, t hey say, f or a j ourney of ni ne days, al t oget her wi t hout harbour s and l yi ng open t o t hewi nd f r omwhat ever quar t er i t may bl ow? And not a si ngl e wal l ed t own i sl ef t i n al l Li bya except Car t hage, t hanks t o t he deci si on of

Gi zer i c. [ 48] And one mi ght add t hat i n t hi s pl ace, t hey say, wat er i sent i r el y l acki ng. Come now, i f you wi sh, l et us suppose that someadver si t y bef al l us, and wi t h t hi s i n vi ew make t he deci si on. For t hatt hose who ent er i nt o cont est s of ar ms shoul d expect no di f f i cul t y i s noti n keepi ng wi t h human exper i ence nor wi t h t he nat ur e of t hi ngs. I f ,t hen, af t er we have di sembar ked upon the mai nl and, a st orm shoul d f al lupon us, wi l l i t not be necessar y t hat one of t wo t hi ngs bef al l t heshi ps, ei t her t hat t hey f l ee away as f ar as possi bl e, or per i sh upont hi s promont or y? Secondl y, what means wi l l t her e be of suppl yi ng us wi t hnecessi t i es? Let no one l ook t o me as the of f i cer char ged wi t h t hemai nt enance of t he army. For every of f i ci al , when depr i ved of t he meansof admi ni st er i ng hi s of f i ce, i s of necessi t y reduced t o t he name andcharact er of a pr i vat e person. And wher e shal l we deposi t our

superf l uous ar ms or any other part of our necessar i es when we ar ecompel l ed t o recei ve t he at t ack of t he bar bar i ans? Nay, as f or t hi s, i ti s not wel l even t o say how i t wi l l t ur n out . But I t hi nk that we oughtt o make st r ai ght f or Cart hage. For t hey say t hat t here i s a har bourcal l ed St agnum not mor e t han f or t y stades di st ant f r om t hat ci t y, whi chi s ent i r el y unguarded and l arge enough f or t he whol e f l eet . And i f wemake t hi s t he base of our oper at i ons, we shal l car r y on the war wi t houtdi f f i cul t y. And I , f or my part , t hi nk i t l i kel y t hat we shal l wi nCart hage by a sudden at t ack, especi al l y si nce t he enemy ar e f ar awayf r om i t , and t hat af t er we have won i t we shal l have no f ur t her t r oubl e.For i t i s a way wi t h al l men' s under t aki ngs t hat when the chi ef poi nthas been capt ur ed, t hey col l apse af t er no l ong t i me. I t behoves us,t heref or e, t o bear i n mi nd al l t hese t hi ngs and t o choose the best

cour se. " So spoke Ar chel aus.

And Bel i sar i us spoke as f ol l ows: "Let no one of you, f el l ow- of f i cer s,t hi nk t hat my wor ds ar e t hose of censur e, nor t hat t hey ar e spoken i nt he l ast pl ace t o t he end t hat i t may become necessary f or al l t o f ol l owt hem, of what ever sor t t hey may be. For I have hear d what seems best t oeach one of you, and i t i s becomi ng t hat I t oo shoul d l ay bef or e youwhat I t hi nk, and t hen wi t h you shoul d choose t he bet t er cour se. But i ti s r i ght t o r emi nd you of t hi s f act, t hat t he sol di er s sai d openl y al i t t l e ear l i er t hat t hey f ear ed t he danger s by sea and woul d t ur n t of l i ght i f a host i l e shi p shoul d at t ack them, and we pr ayed God t o shewus t he l and of Li bya and al l ow us a peacef ul di sembarkat i on upon i t . Andsi nce t hi s i s so, I t hi nk i t t he par t of f ool i sh men f i r st t o pr ay t o

r ecei ve f r om God t he more f avour abl e f ort une, t hen when t hi s i s gi vent hem, t o r ej ect i t and go i n t he cont r ar y di r ect i on. And i f we do sai lst r ai ght f or Car t hage and a host i l e f l eet encount er s us, t he sol di er swi l l r emai n wi t hout bl ame, i f t hey f l ee wi t h al l t hei r mi ght - - f or adel i nquency announced bef or ehand car r i es wi t h i t i t s own def ence- - butf or us, even i f we come thr ough saf el y, t her e wi l l be no f or gi veness.Now whi l e t her e ar e many di f f i cul t i es i f we r emai n i n t he shi ps, i t wi l lbe suf f i ci ent , I t hi nk, t o ment i on onl y one t hi ng, - - t hat by whi chespeci al l y t hey wi sh t o f r i ght en us when t hey hol d over our heads t hedanger of a st or m. For i f any st or m shoul d f al l upon us, one of t wot hi ngs, t hey say, must necessar i l y bef al l t he shi ps, ei t her t hat t heyf l ee f ar f r omLi bya or be dest r oyed upon t hi s headl and. What t hen undert he pr esent ci r cumst ances wi l l be more to our advant age to choose? t o

have t he shi ps al one dest r oyed, or t o have l ost ever ythi ng, men and al l ?But apar t f r om t hi s, at t he pr esent t i me we shal l f al l upon t he enemyunpr epar ed, and i n al l pr obabi l i t y shal l f ar e as we desi r e; f or i n




29

warf are i t i s t he unexpect ed whi ch i s accust omed t o govern t he cour se of event s. But a l i t t l e l ater, when the enemy have al r eady made thei rpr epar at i on, t he st r uggl e we shal l have wi l l be one of st r engt h evenl ymatched. And one mi ght add t hat i t wi l l be necessar y perhaps t o f i ght

even f or t he di sembar kat i on, and t o seek f or t hat whi ch now we havewi t hi n our gr asp but over whi ch we ar e del i berat i ng as a t hi ng notnecessary. And i f at t he ver y t i me, when we ar e engaged i n conf l i ct , ast orm al so comes upon us, as of t en happens on t he sea, t hen whi l est r uggl i ng bot h agai nst t he waves and agai nst t he Vandal s, we shal l comet o regr et our pr udence. As f or me, t hen, I say that we must di sembarkupon t he l and wi t h al l possi bl e speed, l andi ng hor ses and ar ms andwhatever el se we consi der necessar y f or our use, and that we must di g at r ench qui ckl y and t hrow a st ockade around us of a ki nd whi ch cancont r i bute to our saf ety no l ess t han any wal l ed t own one mi ght ment i on,and wi t h t hat as our base must car r y on t he war f r om t here i f anyoneshoul d at t ack us. And i f we shew our sel ves brave men, we shal l l acknot hi ng i n t he way of provi si ons. For t hose who hol d t he mast ery over

t hei r enemy ar e l or ds al so of t he enemy' s possessi ons; and i t i s t he wayof vi ctory, f i r st t o i nvest her sel f wi t h al l t he weal t h, and t hen t o seti t down agai n on t hat si de t o whi ch she i ncl i nes. Ther ef or e, f or youbot h t he chance of saf ety and of havi ng an abundance of good thi ngs l i esi n your own hands. "

When Bel i sar i us had sai d thi s, t he whol e assembl y agreed and adopted hi spr oposal , and separ at i ng f r omone anot her , t hey made t he di sembar kat i onas qui ckl y as possi bl e, about t hr ee mont hs l at er t han t hei r depar t ur ef r omByzant i um. And i ndi cat i ng a cer t ai n spot on t he shor e t he generalbade bot h sol di er s and sai l ors di g t he t r ench and pl ace t he st ockadeabout i t . And t hey di d as di r ect ed. And si nce a gr eat t hr ong was worki ngand f ear was st i mul at i ng t hei r ent husi asm and t he general was ur gi ng

t hemon, not onl y was t he t r ench dug on t he same day, but t he st ockadewas al so compl eted and t he poi nt ed st akes were f i xed i n pl ace al laround. Then, i ndeed, whi l e t hey wer e di ggi ng t he t r ench, somet hi nghappened whi ch was al t ogether amazi ng. A gr eat abundance of water spr angf or t h f r om t he eart h, a t hi ng whi ch had not happened bef or e i n Byzaci um,and besi des t hi s t he pl ace where they were was al t ogether water l ess. Nowt hi s wat er suf f i ced f or al l uses of bot h men and ani mal s. And i ncongr at ul at i ng t he gener al , Pr ocopi us sai d t hat he rej oi ced at t heabundance of water , not so much because of i t s usef ul ness, as because i tseemed t o hi m a symbol of an easy vi ct ory, and that Heaven wasf or et el l i ng a vi ct or y t o t hem. Thi s, at any rat e, act ual l y came t o pass.So f or t hat ni ght al l t he sol di er s bi vouacked i n t he camp, set t i ngguards and doi ng everyt hi ng el se as was cust omary, except , i ndeed, t hat

Bel i sar i us commanded f i ve bowmen t o remai n i n each shi p f or t he pur poseof a guar d, and t hat t he shi ps- of - war shoul d anchor i n a ci r cl e aboutt hem, t aki ng car e t hat no one shoul d come agai nst t hem t o do t hem har m.

XVI

But on the f ol l owi ng day, when some of t he sol di er s went out i nt o t hef i el ds and l ai d hands on t he f r ui t , t he gener al i nf l i cted cor por alpuni shment of no casual sor t upon t hem, and he cal l ed al l t he ar myt oget her and spoke as f ol l ows: "Thi s usi ng of vi ol ence and t he eat i ng of t hat whi ch bel ongs t o ot her s seems at other t i mes a wi cked t hi ng onl y ont hi s account , t hat i nj usti ce i s i n t he deed i t sel f , as t he sayi ng i s;

but i n the pr esent i nst ance so gr eat an el ement of det r i ment i s added tot he wr ongdoi ng t hat - - i f i t i s not t oo har sh t o say so- - we must consi dert he quest i on of j ust i ce of l ess account and cal cul at e the magni t ude of




30

t he danger t hat may ar i se f r omyour act . For I have di sembar ked you upont hi s l and basi ng my conf i dence on t hi s al one, t hat t he Li byans, bei ngRomans f r om of ol d, ar e unf ai t hf ul and host i l e t o t he Vandal s, and f ort hi s r eason I t hought t hat no necessar i es woul d f ai l us and, besi des,

t hat t he enemy woul d not do us any i nj ury by a sudden at t ack. But nowt hi s your l ack of sel f - cont r ol has changed i t al l and made t he opposi t et r ue. For you have doubt l ess r econci l ed t he Li byans t o t he Vandal s,br i ngi ng t hei r host i l i t y round upon your own sel ves. For by nat ur e t hosewho ar e wr onged f eel enmi t y t oward t hose who have done t hem vi ol ence,and i t has come round t o t hi s t hat you have exchanged your own saf et yand a bount i f ul suppl y of good thi ngs f or some f ew pi eces of si l ver ,when i t was possi bl e f or you, by pur chasi ng pr ovi si ons f r om wi l l i ngowner s, not t o appear unj ust and at t he same t i me to enj oy t hei rf r i endshi p t o t he ut most . Now, t heref or e, t he war wi l l be bet ween youand bot h Vandal s and Li byans, and I , at l east , say f ur t her t hat i t wi l lbe agai nst God hi msel f , whose ai d no one who does wr ong can i nvoke. Butdo you cease t r espassi ng want onl y upon t he possessi ons of other s, and

r ej ect a gai n whi ch i s f ul l of danger s. For t hi s i s t hat t i me i n whi chabove al l ot her s moder at i on i s abl e to save, but l awl essness l eads t odeat h. For i f you gi ve heed t o t hese t hi ngs, you wi l l f i nd Godpr opi t i ous, t he Li byan peopl e wel l - di sposed, and t he race of t he Vandal sopen t o your at t ack. "

Wi t h these wor ds Bel i sar i us di smi ssed t he assembl y. And at t hat t i me hehear d t hat t he ci t y of Syl l ect us was di st ant one day' s j our ney f r om t hecamp, l yi ng cl ose t o t he sea on the road l eadi ng to Cart hage, and thatt he wal l of t hi s ci t y had been t or n down f or a l ong t i me, but t hei nhabi t ant s of t he pl ace had made a bar r i er on al l si des by means of t hewal l s of t hei r houses, on account of t he at t acks of t he Moor s, andguar ded a ki nd of f or t i f i ed encl osur e; he, accor di ngl y, sent one of hi s

spear men, Bor i ades, t ogether wi t h some of t he guards, commandi ng t hem t omake an at t empt oh t he ci t y, and, i f t hey capt ur ed i t , t o do no har m i ni t , but t o pr omi se a t housand good thi ngs and t o say t hat t hey had comef or t he sake of t he peopl e' s f r eedom, t hat so t he ar my mi ght be abl e t oent er i nto i t . And t hey came near t he ci t y about dusk and passed t heni ght hi dden i n a ravi ne. But at ear l y dawn, meet i ng count r y f ol k goi ngi nt o the ci t y wi t h waggons, t hey ent er ed qui et l y wi t h them and wi t h not r oubl e t ook possessi on of t he ci t y. And when day came, no one havi ngbegun any di st ur bance, t hey cal l ed toget her t he pr i est and al l t he ot hernot abl es and announced the commands of t he gener al , and recei vi ng t hekeys of t he ent r ances f r om wi l l i ng hands, t hey sent t hem t o t he gener al .

On the same day the over seer of t he publ i c post deser t ed, handi ng over

al l t he government horses. And they captured al so one of t hose who areoccasi onal l y sent t o bear t he royal r esponses, whom t hey cal l"ver edar i i "[ 49] ; and t he gener al di d hi m no har m but pr esent ed hi m wi t hmuch gol d and, r ecei vi ng pl edges f r om hi m, put i nt o hi s hand the l et t erwhi ch t he Emperor J ust i ni an had wr i t t en to the Vandal s, t hat he mi ghtgi ve i t t o t he magi st r at es of t he Vandal s. And the wr i t i ng was asf ol l ows: "Nei t her have we deci ded t o make war upon t he Vandal s, nor arewe br eaki ng t he t r eat y of Gi zer i c, but we are at t empt i ng t o det hr oneyour t yrant , who, maki ng l i ght of t he t est ament of Gi zer i c, hasi mpr i soned your ki ng and i s keepi ng hi m i n cust ody, and t hose of hi sr el at i ves whom he hat ed exceedi ngl y he put t o deat h at t he f i r st , andt he rest, af t er r obbi ng t hem of t hei r si ght , he keeps under guar d, notal l owi ng t hemt o t ermi nat e t hei r mi sf or t unes by deat h. Do you,

t her ef or e, j oi n f or ces wi t h us and hel p us i n f r eei ng your sel ves f r om sowi cked a tyranny, i n or der t hat you may be abl e t o enj oy both peace andf r eedom. For we gi ve you pl edges i n the name of God t hat t hese t hi ngs




31

wi l l come t o you by our hand. " Such was t he message of t he emper or ' sl et t er . But t he man who r ecei ved t hi s f r om Bel i sar i us di d not dar e t opubl i sh i t openl y, and t hough he shewed i t secr et l y t o hi s f r i ends, heaccompl i shed not hi ng what ever of consequence.

XVI I

And Bel i sar i us, havi ng ar r ayed hi s ar my as f or bat t l e i n t he f ol l owi ngmanner , began the march t o Car t hage. He chose out t hree hundred of hi sguards, men who were abl e war r i ors, and handed them over t o J ohn, whowas i n charge of t he expendi t ur es of t he general ' s househol d; such aper son t he Romans cal l "opt i o. " [ 50] And he was an Ar meni an by bi r t h, aman gi f t ed wi t h di scr et i on and cour age i n t he hi ghest degr ee. Thi s J ohn,t hen, he commanded to go ahead of t he army, at a di st ance of not l esst han t went y st ades, and i f he shoul d see anyt hi ng of t he enemy, t or epor t i t wi t h al l speed, so t hat t hey mi ght not be compel l ed to ent er

i nto bat t l e unprepared. And t he al l i ed Massaget ae he commanded t o t r avelconst ant l y on t he l ef t of t he army, keepi ng as many st ades away or more;and he hi msel f marched i n the rear wi t h t he best t r oops. For hesuspect ed t hat i t woul d not be l ong bef or e Gel i mer , f ol l owi ng t hem f r omHermi one, woul d make an at t ack upon them. And t hese pr ecaut i ons weresuf f i ci ent , f or on t he r i ght si de t her e was no f ear , si nce t hey wer et r avel l i ng not f ar f r om t he coast . And he commanded t he sai l or s t of ol l ow al ong wi t h t hemal ways and not t o separat e t hemsel ves f ar f r omt he army, but when t he wi nd was f avour i ng t o l ower t he great sai l s, andf ol l ow wi t h t he smal l sai l s, whi ch t hey cal l "dol ones, "[ 51] and when t hewi nd dropped al t ogether t o keep t he shi ps under way as wel l as t heycoul d by r owi ng.

And when Bel i sar i us r eached Syl l ect us, t he sol di er s behaved wi t hmoderat i on, and t hey nei t her began any unj ust brawl s nor di d anyt hi ngout of t he way, and he hi msel f , by di spl ayi ng gr eat gent l eness andki ndness, won the Li byans t o hi s si de so compl et el y t hat t her eaf t er hemade t he j our ney as i f i n hi s own l and; f or nei t her di d t he i nhabi t ant sof t he l and wi t hdr aw nor di d t hey wi sh to conceal anythi ng, but t heybot h f ur ni shed a market and ser ved the sol di ers i n whatever el se t heywi shed. And accompl i shi ng ei ght y st ades each day, we compl eted t he whol e j ourney t o Car t hage, passi ng t he ni ght ei t her i n a ci t y, shoul d i t sohappen, or i n a camp made as t hor oughl y secur e as t he ci r cumst ancesper mi t t ed. Thus we passed t hrough t he ci t y of Lept i s and Hadr umetum andr eached the pl ace cal l ed Gr asse, t hr ee hundr ed and f i f t y st ades di st antf r om Car t hage. I n t hat pl ace was a pal ace of t he r ul er of t he Vandal s

and a par k t he most beaut i f ul of al l we know. For i t i s excel l ent l ywatered by spr i ngs and has a great weal t h of woods. And al l t he t r eesar e f ul l of f r ui t ; so t hat each one of t he sol di er s pi t ched hi s t entamong f r ui t - t r ees, and t hough al l of t hem at e t hei r f i l l of t he f r ui t ,whi ch was then r i pe, t her e was pr act i cal l y no di mi nut i on t o be seen i nt he f rui t .

But Gel i mer , as soon as he heard i n Hermi one that t he enemy were athand, wr ot e t o hi s br ot her Ammat as i n Car t hage t o ki l l I l der i c and al lt he ot her s, connect ed wi t h hi m ei t her by bi r t h or ot her wi se, whom he waskeepi ng under guard, and commanded hi m t o make ready t he Vandal s and al lot her s i n t he ci t y ser vi ceabl e f or war , i n or der t hat , when t he enemygot i nsi de the narr ow passage at t he subur b of t he ci t y whi ch t hey cal l

Deci mum, [ 52] t hey mi ght come together f r om bot h si des and sur r ound t hemand, cat chi ng themas i n a net , dest r oy t hem. And Ammatas car r i ed t hi sout , and ki l l ed I l der i c, who was a rel at i ve of hi s, and Euagees, and al l




32

t he Li byans who were i nt i mate wi t h t hem. For Hoamer had al r eady depar t edf r omt he wor l d. [ 53] And armi ng t he Vandal s, he made them r eady,i ntendi ng t o make hi s at t ack at t he oppor t une moment . But Gel i mer wasf ol l owi ng behi nd, wi t hout l et t i ng i t be known t o us, except , i ndeed,

t hat , on t hat ni ght when we bi vouacked i n Gr asse, scout s comi ng f r ombot h ar mi es met each ot her , and af t er an exchange of bl ows t hey eachr et i r ed t o t hei r own camp, and i n thi s way i t became evi dent t o us t hatt he enemy were not f ar away. As we pr oceeded f r om t her e i t wasi mpossi bl e to di scer n t he shi ps. For hi gh r ocks extendi ng wel l i nt o thesea cause mar i ner s t o make a gr eat ci r cui t , and ther e i s a pr oj ect i ngheadl and, [ 54] i nsi de of whi ch l i es t he t own of Her mes. Bel i sar i ust heref ore commanded Ar chel aus, t he pr ef ect , and Cal onymus, t he admi r al ,not t o put i n at Cart hage, but t o remai n about t wo hundr ed st ades awayunt i l he hi msel f shoul d summon t hem. And depar t i ng f r om Gr asse we cameon t he f our t h day t o Deci mum, sevent y st ades di st ant f r om Cart hage.

XVI I I

And on that day Gel i mer commanded hi s nephew Gi bamundus wi t h t wot housand of t he Vandal s t o go ahead of t he r est of t he ar my on t he l ef tsi de, i n order t hat Ammat as comi ng f r om Car t hage, Gel i mer hi msel f f r omt he r ear , and Gi bamundus f r omt he count r y to t he l ef t , mi ght uni t e andaccompl i sh t he t ask of enci r cl i ng t he enemy wi t h l ess di f f i cul t y andexert i on. But as f or me, dur i ng thi s st r uggl e I was moved t o wonder att he ways of Heaven and of men, not i ng how God, who sees f r om af ar whatwi l l come to pass, t r aces out t he manner i n whi ch i t seems best t o hi mt hat t hi ngs shoul d come t o pass, whi l e men, whether t hey are decei ved orcounsel ar i ght , know not t hat t hey have f ai l ed, shoul d t hat be thei ssue, or t hat t hey have succeeded, God' s pur pose bei ng t hat a path

shal l be made f or For t une, who pr esses on i nevi t abl y t owar d that whi chhas been f or eor dai ned. For i f Bel i sar i us had not t hus ar r anged hi sf orces, commandi ng t he men under J ohn to t ake t he l ead, and theMassaget ae t o march on t he l ef t of t he army, we shoul d never have beenabl e to escape the Vandal s. And even wi t h thi s pl anned so by Bel i sar i us,i f Ammatas had observed the opport une t i me, and had not ant i ci pat ed t hi sby about t he f our t h par t of a day, never woul d t he cause of t he Vandal shave f al l en as i t di d; but as i t was, Ammatas came t o Deci mum aboutmi dday, i n advance of t he t i me, whi l e both we and the Vandal army weref ar away, er r i ng not onl y i n t hat he di d not ar r i ve at t he f i t t i ng t i me,but al so i n l eavi ng at Cart hage t he host of t he Vandal s, commandi ng t hemt o come to Deci mum as qui ckl y as poss i bl e, whi l e he wi t h a f ew men andnot even t he pi ck of t he army came i nt o conf l i ct wi t h J ohn' s men. And he

ki l l ed twel ve of t he best men who wer e f i ght i ng i n the f r ont r ank, andhe hi msel f f el l , havi ng shewn hi msel f a br ave man i n thi s engagement .And the r out , af t er Ammatas f el l , became compl ete, and t he Vandal s,f l eei ng at t op speed, swept back al l t hose who were comi ng f r omCart haget o Deci mum. For t hey were advanci ng i n no or der and not drawn up as f orbat t l e, but i n compani es, and smal l ones at t hat ; f or t hey were comi ngi n bands of t went y or t hi r t y. And seei ng t he Vandal s under Ammatasf l eei ng, and t hi nki ng t hei r pur suer s wer e a gr eat mul t i t ude, t hey t ur nedand j oi ned i n t he f l i ght . And J ohn and hi s men, ki l l i ng al l whom t heycame upon, advanced as f ar as t he gat es of Car t hage. And t her e was sogr eat a sl aught er of Vandal s i n t he cour se of t he sevent y st ades thatt hose who behel d i t woul d have supposed t hat i t was t he work of an enemyt went y thousand st r ong.

At t he same t i me Gi bamundus and hi s t wo t housand came t o Pedi on Hal on,whi ch i s f or t y stades di st ant f r om Deci mum on t he l ef t as one goes t o




33

Car t hage, and i s dest i t ut e of human habi t at i on or t r ees or anythi ngel se, si nce t he sal t i n t he wat er per mi t s not hi ng except sal t t o beproduced t here; i n that pl ace t hey encountered t he Huns and were al ldest r oyed. Now t her e was a cert ai n man among the Massaget ae, wel l gi f t ed

wi t h courage and st r ength of body, t he l eader of a f ew men; t hi s man hadt he pr i vi l ege handed down f r om hi s f at her s and ancest or s t o be t he f i r sti n al l t he Hunni c ar mi es t o at t ack t he enemy. For i t was not l awf ul f ora man of t he Massaget ae t o st r i ke f i r st i n bat t l e and capt ur e one of t heenemy unt i l , i ndeed, someone f r omt hi s house began the st r uggl e wi t h theenemy. So when t he two armi es had come not f ar f r om each other , t hi s manr ode out and st opped al one cl ose to t he ar my of t he Vandal s. And t heVandal s, ei t her because t hey were dumbf ounded at t he courageous spi r i tof t he man or per haps because t hey suspect ed that t he enemy werecont r i vi ng somethi ng agai nst t hem, deci ded nei t her t o move nor t o shootat t he man. And I t hi nk t hat , si nce they had never had exper i ence of bat t l e wi t h t he Massagetae, but hear d t hat t he nat i on was ver y warl i ke,t hey wer e f or t hi s r eason t err i f i ed at t he danger . And t he man,

r et ur ni ng t o hi s compat r i ot s, sai d t hat God had sent t hem t hesest r anger s as a r eady f east . Then at l engt h t hey made t hei r onset and t heVandal s di d not wi t hst and t hem, but br eaki ng t hei r r anks and nevert hi nki ng of r esi st ance, t hey wer e al l di sgr acef ul l y dest r oyed.

XI X

But we, havi ng l ear ned nothi ng at al l of what had happened, were goi ngon t o Deci mum. And Bel i sar i us, seei ng a pl ace wel l adapt ed f or a camp,t hi r t y- f i ve st ades di st ant f r om Deci mum, sur r ounded i t wi t h a st ockadewhi ch was ver y wel l made, and pl aci ng al l t he i nf ant r y t her e and cal l i ngt oget her t he whol e ar my, he spoke as f ol l ows: "Fel l ow- sol di er s, t he

deci si ve moment of t he st r uggl e i s al r eady at hand; f or I per cei ve t hatt he enemy are advanci ng upon us; and the shi ps have been t aken f ar awayf r omus by t he natur e of t he pl ace; and i t has come r ound t o t hi s t hatour hope of saf et y l i es i n t he str engt h of our hands. For t her e i s not af r i endl y ci t y, no, nor any other st r onghol d, i n whi ch we may put ourt r ust and have conf i dence concer ni ng our sel ves. But i f we shoul d showour sel ves br ave men, i t i s pr obabl e t hat we shal l st i l l over come t heenemy i n t he war ; but i f we shoul d weaken at al l , i t wi l l r emai n f or ust o f al l under t he hand of t he Vandal s and t o be dest r oyed di sgracef ul l y.And yet t her e ar e many advantages on our si de t o hel p us on t owardvi ct or y; f or we have wi t h us bot h j ust i ce, wi t h whi ch we have comeagai nst our enemy ( f or we ar e here i n order t o recover what i s our own) ,and the hat r ed of t he Vandal s t owar d thei r own tyr ant . For t he al l i ance

of God f ol l ows nat ur al l y those who put j ust i ce f or war d, and a sol di erwho i s i l l - di sposed t owar d hi s r ul er knows not how t o pl ay t he par t of abrave man. And apar t f r om t hi s, we have been engaged wi t h Per si ans andScythi ans al l t he t i me, but t he Vandal s, si nce t he t i me t hey conqueredLi bya, have seen not a si ngl e enemy except naked Moors. And who does notknow t hat i n ever y wor k pr act i ce l eads t o ski l l , whi l e i dl eness l eads t oi nef f i ci ency? Now t he st ockade, f r om whi ch we shal l have t o car r y on thewar , has been made by us i n t he best poss i bl e manner . And we ar e abl e t odeposi t here our weapons and ever yt hi ng el se whi ch we ar e not abl e t ocar r y when we go f or t h; and when we return here agai n, no ki nd of pr ovi si ons can f ai l us. And I pr ay t hat each one of you, cal l i ng t o mi ndhi s own val our and t hose whom he has l ef t at home, may so march wi t hcontempt agai nst t he enemy. "

Af t er speaki ng these wor ds and ut t er i ng a pr ayer af t er t hem, Bel i sar i usl ef t hi s wi f e and t he bar r i caded camp t o t he i nf ant r y, and hi msel f set




34

f or t h wi t h al l t he hor semen. For i t di d not seem t o hi m advant ageous f ort he present t o r i sk an engagement wi t h t he whol e army, but i t seemedwi se t o ski r mi sh f i r st wi t h t he horsemen and make t r i al of t he enemy' sst r engt h, and f i nal l y t o f i ght a deci si ve bat t l e wi t h t he whol e ar my.

Sendi ng f orwar d, t her ef or e, t he commander s of t he f oeder at i , [ 55] hehi msel f f ol l owed wi t h t he r est of t he f orce and hi s own spearmen andguards. And when t he f oeder at i and t hei r l eader s r eached Deci mum, t heysaw t he cor pses of t he f al l en- - t wel ve comr ades f r om t he f or ces of J ohnand near t hem Ammatas and some of t he Vandal s. And hear i ng f r om t hei nhabi t ant s of t he pl ace t he whol e stor y of t he f i ght , t hey wer e vexed,bei ng at a l oss as t o where t hey ought t o go. But whi l e t hey were st i l lat a l oss and f r om t he hi l l s wer e l ooki ng ar ound over t he whol e count r yt her eabout s, a dust appear ed f r om t he sout h and a l i t t l e l at er a ver yl ar ge f or ce of Vandal hor semen. And they sent t o Bel i sar i us urgi ng hi mt o come as qui ckl y as poss i bl e, si nce t he enemy were bear i ng down upont hem. And t he opi ni ons of t he commander s were di vi ded. For some thoughtt hat t hey ought t o cl ose wi t h t hei r assai l ant s, but t he ot her s sai d t hat

t hei r f or ce was not suf f i ci ent f or t hi s. And whi l e t hey wer e debat i ngt hus among t hemsel ves, t he bar bar i ans drew near under t he l eader shi p of Gel i mer , who was f ol l owi ng a r oad between t he one whi ch Bel i sar i us wast r avel l i ng and the one by whi ch t he Massaget ae who had encount eredGi bamundus had come. But si nce t he l and was hi l l y on bot h si des, i t di dnot al l ow hi m t o see ei t her t he di sast er of Gi bamundus or Bel i sar i us'st ockade, nor even t he r oad al ong whi ch Bel i sar i us' men were advanci ng.But when they came near each ot her , a cont est arose bet ween t he t woar mi es as t o whi ch shoul d capt ur e the hi ghest of al l t he hi l l s t her e.For i t seemed a sui t abl e one t o encamp upon, and bot h si des pr ef err ed t oengage wi t h the enemy f r omt here. And t he Vandal s, comi ng f i r st , t ookpossessi on of t he hi l l by cr owdi ng of f t hei r assai l ant s and r out ed t heenemy, havi ng al r eady become an obj ect of t er r or t o them. And t he Romans

i n f l i ght came to a pl ace seven st ades di st ant f r omDeci mum, wher e, asi t happened, Ul i ar i s, t he per sonal guar d of Bel i sar i us, was, wi t h ei ghthundr ed guar dsmen. And al l supposed t hat Ul i ar i s woul d r ecei ve t hem andhol d hi s posi t i on, and toget her wi t h them woul d go agai nst t he Vandal s;but when they came together , t hese t r oops al l unexpect edl y f l ed at t opspeed and went on t he run t o Bel i sar i us.

Fr omt hen on I amunabl e t o say what happened t o Gel i mer t hat , havi ngt he vi ct or y i n hi s hands, he wi l l i ngl y gave i t up t o t he enemy, unl essone ought t o ref er f ool i sh act i ons al so t o God, who, whenever Hepur poses t hat some adver si t y shal l bef al l a man, t ouches f i r st hi sr eason and does not per mi t t hat whi ch wi l l be t o hi s advantage t o comet o hi s consi derat i on. For i f , on t he one hand, he had made t he pur sui t

i mmedi at el y, I do not t hi nk that even Bel i sar i us woul d have wi t hst oodhi m, but our cause woul d have been ut t erl y and compl et el y l ost , sonumerous appear ed t he f orce of t he Vandal s and so gr eat t he f ear t heyi nspi r ed i n t he Romans; or i f , on t he other hand, he had even r i ddenst r ai ght f or Car t hage, he woul d easi l y have ki l l ed al l J ohn' s men, who,heedl ess of everyt hi ng el se, were wander i ng about t he pl ai n one by oneor by t wos and st r i ppi ng t he dead. And he woul d have pr eser ved the ci t ywi t h i t s t r easures, and capt ur ed our shi ps, whi ch had come rat her near,and he woul d have wi t hdrawn f r omus al l hope both of sai l i ng away and of vi ct or y. But i n f act he di d nei t her of t hese t hi ngs. I nst ead hedescended f r om t he hi l l at a wal k, and when he reached the l evel gr oundand saw t he cor pse of hi s br ot her, he t ur ned t o l ament at i ons, and, i ncar i ng f or hi s bur i al , he bl unt ed t he edge of hi s oppor t uni t y- - an

oppor t uni t y whi ch he was not abl e t o gr asp agai n. Meant i me Bel i sar i us,meet i ng t he f ugi t i ves, bade t hem st op, and ar r ayed t hem al l i n or der andr ebuked them at l engt h; t hen, af t er heari ng of t he death of Ammat as and




35

t he pur sui t of J ohn, and l earni ng what he wi shed concer ni ng t he pl aceand t he enemy, he proceeded at f ul l speed agai nst Gel i mer and t heVandal s. But t he bar bar i ans, havi ng al r eady f al l en i nt o di sor der andbei ng now unprepared, di d not wi t hst and t he onset of t he Romans, but

f l ed wi t h al l t hei r mi ght , l osi ng many ther e, and t he bat t l e ended atni ght . Now t he Vandal s were i n f l i ght , not t o Car t hage nor t o Byzaci um,whence they had come, but t o t he pl ai n of Boul l a and the road l eadi ngi nto Numi di a. So t he men wi t h J ohn and t he Massaget ae r eturned to usabout dusk, and af t er l ear ni ng al l t hat had happened and r eport i ng whatt hey had done, t hey passed t he ni ght wi t h us i n Deci mum.

XX

But on t he f ol l owi ng day the i nf ant r y wi t h t he wi f e of Bel i sar i us cameup and we al l proceeded t ogether on t he r oad t oward Car t hage, whi ch wer eached i n the l ate eveni ng; and we passed t he ni ght i n the open,

al t hough no one hi ndered us f r om mar chi ng i nt o t he ci t y at once. For t heCart hagi ni ans opened t he gates and bur ned l i ght s everywher e and t he ci t ywas br i l l i ant wi t h t he i l l umi nat i on t hat whol e ni ght , and t hose of t heVandal s who had been l ef t behi nd wer e si t t i ng as suppl i ant s i n t hesanct uar i es. But Bel i sar i us pr event ed t he ent r ance i n or der t o guar dagai nst any ambuscade bei ng set f or hi s men by the enemy, and al so t opr event t he sol di er s f r om havi ng f r eedom t o t ur n t o pl under i ng, as t heymi ght under t he conceal ment of ni ght . On t hat day, si nce an east wi ndarose f or t hem, t he shi ps r eached t he headl and, and the Cart hagi ni ans,f or t hey al r eady si ght ed t hem, r emoved the i r on chai ns of t he har bourwhi ch t hey cal l Mandr aci um, and made i t possi bl e f or t he f l eet t o ent er .Now t her e i s i n t he ki ng' s pal ace a room f i l l ed wi t h dar kness, whi ch t heCar t hagi ni ans cal l Ancon, wher e al l wer e cast wi t h whomt he t yrant was

angry. I n t hat pl ace, as i t happened, many of t he east ern merchants hadbeen conf i ned up to t hat t i me. For Gel i mer was angry wi t h these men,char gi ng t hem wi t h havi ng urged t he emper or on t o the war , and t hey wereabout t o be dest r oyed, al l of t hem, t hi s havi ng been deci ded upon byGel i mer on t hat day on whi ch Ammat as was ki l l ed i n Deci mum; t o such anext r emi t y of danger di d they come. The guar d of t hi s pr i son, uponheari ng what had taken pl ace i n Deci mum and seei ng t he f l eet i nsi de t hepoi nt , ent ered t he r oom and enqui r ed of t he men, who had not yet l ear nedt he good news, but were si t t i ng i n t he darkness and expect i ng death,what among thei r possessi ons t hey woul d be wi l l i ng t o gi ve up and besaved. And when t hey sai d they desi r ed t o gi ve ever yt hi ng he mi ght wi sh,he demanded not hi ng of al l t hei r t r easur es, but r equi r ed them al l t oswear t hat , i f t hey escaped, t hey woul d assi st hi m al so wi t h al l t hei r

power when he came i nto danger . And t hey di d thi s. Then he t ol d themt hem t he whol e st or y, and t ear i ng of f a pl ank f r om t he si de t owar d t hesea, he poi nt ed out t he f l eet appr oachi ng, and r el easi ng al l f r om t hepr i son went out wi t h t hem.

But t he men on t he shi ps, havi ng as yet heard nothi ng of what t he armyhad done on the l and, wer e compl et el y at a l oss, and sl ackeni ng t hei rsai l s t hey sent t o t he t own of Mer cur i um; t here t hey l earned what hadt aken pl ace at Deci mum, and becomi ng exceedi ngl y j oyf ul sai l ed on. Andwhen, wi t h a f avour i ng wi nd bl owi ng, t hey came to wi t hi n one hundred andf i f t y st ades of Car t hage, Ar chel aus and the sol di er s bade them anchort her e, f ear i ng t he war ni ng of t he gener al , but t he sai l or s woul d notobey. For t hey sai d that t he pr omont or y at t hat poi nt was wi t hout a

har bour and al so t hat t he i ndi cat i ons wer e that a wel l - known stor m,whi ch t he nat i ves cal l Cypr i ana, woul d ar i se i mmedi atel y. And t heypr edi ct ed t hat , i f i t came upon t hem i n t hat pl ace, t hey woul d not be




36

abl e to save even one of t he shi ps. And i t was as t hey sai d. So t heysl ackened t hei r sai l s f or a shor t t i me and del i ber at ed; and t hey di d nott hi nk t hey ought t o t r y f or Mandr aci um ( f or t hey shr ank f r om vi ol at i ngt he commands of Bel i sar i us, and at t he same t i me t hey suspect ed t hat t he

ent r ance t o Mandr aci umwas cl osed by the chai ns, and besi des t hey f ear edt hat t hi s har bour was not suf f i ci ent f or t he whol e f l eet ) but St agnumseemed t o t hem wel l si t uat ed ( f or i t i s f or t y st ades di st ant f r omCar t hage) , and t her e was not hi ng i n i t t o hi nder t hem, and al so i t wasl ar ge enough f or t he whol e f l eet . Ther e they ar r i ved about dusk and al lanchor ed, except , i ndeed, t hat Cal onymus wi t h some of t he sai l ors ,di sr egar di ng t he gener al and al l t he ot her s, went of f secret l y toMandr aci um, no one dar i ng t o hi nder hi m, and pl under ed t he pr opert y of t he merchant s dwel l i ng on the sea, bot h f or ei gner s and Car t hagi ni ans.

On the f ol l owi ng day Bel i sar i us commanded those on t he shi ps t odi sembar k, and af t er marshal l i ng t he whol e army and dr awi ng i t up i nbat t l e f or mat i on, he mar ched i nt o Car t hage; f or he f ear ed l est he shoul d

encounter some snar e set by the enemy. There he remi nded t he sol di ers atl ength of how much good f or t une had come t o t hem because t hey haddi spl ayed moderat i on t oward t he Li byans, and he exhort ed t hem ear nest l yt o pr eser ve good or der wi t h t he gr eat est car e i n Car t hage. For al l t heLi byans had been Romans i n ear l i er t i mes and had come under t he Vandal sby no wi l l of t hei r own and had suf f ered many out r ages at t he hands of t hese barbar i ans. For t hi s ver y reason t he emperor had ent ered i nto warwi t h the Vandal s, and i t was not hol y t hat any har m shoul d come f r omt hemt o the peopl e whose f r eedom t hey had made the gr ound f or t aki ng t hef i el d agai nst t he Vandal s. [ Sept . 15, 533 A. D. ] Af t er such wor ds of exhor t at i on he ent ered Car t hage, and, si nce no enemy was seen by them,he went up to the pal ace and seated hi msel f on Gel i mer ' s t hr one. There acr owd of merchant s and other Cart hagi ni ans came bef ore Bel i sar i us wi t h

much shout i ng, persons whose homes were on t he sea, and t hey made t hecharge that t her e had been a robbery of t hei r pr oper t y on the pr ecedi ngni ght by t he sai l or s. And Bel i sar i us bound Cal onymus by oaths t o br i ngwi t hout f ai l al l hi s t hef t s t o t he l i ght . And Cal onymus, t aki ng t he oat hand di sr egardi ng what he had sworn, f or t he moment made t he money hi spl under , but not l ong af t er war ds he pai d hi s j ust penal t y i n Byzant i um.For bei ng t aken wi t h the di sease cal l ed apopl exy, he became i nsane andbi t of f hi s own t ongue and t hen di ed. But t hi s happened at a l ater t i me.

XXI

But t hen, si nce the hour was appropr i ate, Bel i sar i us commanded t hat

l unch be pr epared f or t hem, i n t he ver y pl ace where Gel i mer wasaccust omed t o ent er t ai n t he l eader s of t he Vandal s. Thi s pl ace t heRomans cal l "Del phi x, " not i n thei r own t ongue, but usi ng the Gr eek wor daccor di ng t o the anci ent cust om. For i n t he pal ace at Rome, where thedi ni ng couches of t he emper or were pl aced, a t r i pod had st ood f r omol dent i mes, on whi ch t he emper or' s cupbearers used t o pl ace t he cups. Now t heRomans cal l a t r i pod "Del phi x, " s i nce t hey were f i r st made at Del phi ,and f r om t hi s bot h i n Byzant i um and wher ever t her e i s a ki ng' s di ni ngcouch t hey cal l t he room "Del phi x"; f or t he Romans f ol l ow t he Gr eek al soi n cal l i ng t he emperor ' s r esi dence "Pal at i um. " For a Gr eek named Pal l asl i ved i n t hi s pl ace bef or e t he capt ur e of Tr oy and bui l t a not ewor t hyhouse ther e, and they cal l ed thi s dwel l i ng "Pal at i um"; and when August usr ecei ved t he i mper i al power , he deci ded t o t ake up hi s f i r st r esi dence

i n t hat house, and f r om t hi s t hey cal l t he pl ace wherever t he emper orr esi des "Pal at i um. " So Bel i sar i us di ned i n t he Del phi x and wi t h hi m al lt he notabl es of t he ar my. And i t happened t hat t he l unch made f or




37

Gel i mer on t he precedi ng day was i n r eadi ness. And we f east ed on t hatver y f ood and t he domest i cs of Gel i mer served i t and pour ed t he wi ne andwai t ed upon us i n every way. And i t was possi bl e t o see Fort une i n hergl or y and maki ng a di spl ay of t he f act t hat al l t hi ngs are her s and t hat

not hi ng i s t he pr i vat e possessi on of any man. And i t f el l t o the l ot of Bel i sar i us on t hat day t o wi n such f ame as no one of t he men of hi s t i meever won nor i ndeed any of t he men of ol den t i mes. For t hough the Romansol di ers wer e not accust omed t o ent er a subj ect ci t y wi t hout conf usi on,even i f t hey number ed onl y f i ve hundr ed, and especi al l y i f t hey made theent r y unexpect edl y, al l t he sol di ers under t he command of t hi s generalshowed t hemsel ves so order l y t hat t her e was not a si ngl e act of i nsol ence nor a t hr eat , and i ndeed not hi ng happened t o hi nder t hebusi ness of t he ci t y; but i n a capt ur ed ci t y, one whi ch had changed i t sgover nment and shi f t ed i t s al l egi ance, i t came about t hat no man' shousehol d was excl uded f r om t he pr i vi l eges of t he market pl ace; on t hecont r ary, t he cl erks drew up t hei r l i st s of t he men and conduct ed t hesol di er s t o t hei r l odgi ngs, j ust as usual , [ 56] and t he sol di er s

t hemsel ves, get t i ng thei r l unch by pur chase f r om t he mar ket , r est ed aseach one wi shed.

Af t er war ds Bel i sar i us gave pl edges t o t hose Vandal s who had f l ed i nt ot he sanct uar i es, and began t o t ake t hought f or t he f or t i f i cat i ons. Fort he ci r cui t - wal l of Car t hage had been so negl ect ed t hat i n many pl acesi t had become accessi bl e to anyone who wi shed and easy t o at t ack. For nosmal l par t of i t had f al l en down, and i t was f or t hi s r eason, t heCar t hagi ni ans sai d, t hat Gel i mer had not made hi s st and i n t he ci t y. Forhe t hought t hat i t woul d be i mpossi bl e i n a shor t t i me t o r est ore such aci r cui t - wal l t o a saf e condi t i on. And t hey sai d t hat an ol d or acl e hadbeen ut t er ed by t he chi l dr en i n ear l i er t i mes i n Car t hage, t o the ef f ectt hat " gamma shal l pur sue bet a, and agai n beta i t sel f shal l pur sue

gamma. " And at t hat t i me i t had been spoken by t he chi l dren i n pl ay andhad been l ef t as an unexpl ai ned ri ddl e, but now i t was per f ect l y cl eart o al l . For f or mer l y Gi zer i c had dr i ven out Boni f ace and now Bel i sar i uswas doi ng t he same to Gel i mer . Thi s, t hen, whet her i t was a rumour or anoracl e, came out as I have st ated.

At t hat t i me a dr eamal so came t o l i ght , whi ch had been seen of t enbef or e t hi s by many per sons, but wi t hout bei ng cl ear as t o how i t woul dt ur n out . And the dr eam was as f ol l ows. Cypr i an, [ 57] a hol y man, i sr everenced above al l others by t he Cart hagi ni ans. And t hey have f oundeda ver y not ewor t hy t empl e i n hi s honour bef ore t he ci t y on the sea- shor e,i n whi ch t hey conduct al l ot her cust omar y ser vi ces, and al so cel ebr at et her e a f est i val whi ch t hey cal l t he "Cypr i ana"; and t he sai l or s ar e

accust omed t o name af t er Cypr i an t he st orm, whi ch I ment i onedl at el y, [ 58] gi vi ng i t t he same name as t he f est i val , si nce i t i s wont t ocome on at t he t i me at whi ch t he Li byans have al ways been accust omed tocel ebr at e t he f est i val . Thi s t empl e t he Vandal s t ook f r om t he Chr i st i ansby vi ol ence i n t he r ei gn of Honori c. And t hey st r ai ght way dr ove outt hei r pr i est s f r om t he t empl e i n gr eat di shonour , and t hemsel vest her eaf t er at t ended to t he sacred f est i val whi ch, t hey sai d, nowbel onged to the Ar i ans. And the Li byans, i ndeed, wer e angr y on thi saccount and al t oget her at a l oss, but Cypr i an, t hey say, of t en sent t hema dr eam sayi ng t hat t her e was not t he l east need f or t he Chr i st i ans t obe concerned about hi m; f or he hi msel f as t i me went on woul d be hi s ownavenger . And when t he r eport of t hi s was passed around and came t o al lt he Li byans, t hey were expect i ng t hat some vengeance woul d come upon the

Vandal s at some t i me because of t hi s sacred f est i val , but wer e unabl e toconj ect ur e how i n t he wor l d the vi si on woul d be real i zed f or t hem. Now,t heref or e, when t he emper or ' s expedi t i on had come t o Li bya, si nce t he




38

t i me had al r eady come round and woul d br i ng t he cel ebr at i on of t hef est i val on t he succeedi ng day, t he pr i est s of t he Ar i ans, i n spi t e of t he f act t hat Ammatas had l ed the Vandal s t o Deci mum, cl eansed t he whol esanctuar y and were engaged i n hangi ng up t he most beaut i f ul of t he

vot i ve of f er i ngs t her e, and maki ng ready t he l amps and br i ngi ng out t het r easur es f r om t he st or e- houses and pr epar i ng al l t hi ngs wi t h exact ness,ar r angi ng ever ythi ng accor di ng t o i t s appr opr i at e use. But t he event s i nDeci mumt urned out i n t he manner al r eady descr i bed. And t he pr i est s of t he Ar i ans wer e of f i n f l i ght , whi l e t he Chr i st i ans who conf or m t o t heort hodox f ai t h came to the templ e of Cypr i an, and they bur ned al l t hel amps and at t ended to t he sacr ed f est i val j ust as i s cust omar y f or t hemt o per f or m t hi s ser vi ce, and t hus i t was known t o al l what t he vi si on of t he dr eam was f or et el l i ng. Thi s, t hen, came about i n t hi s way.

XXI I

And the Vandal s, r ecal l i ng an anci ent sayi ng, mar vel l ed, under st andi ngcl ear l y ther eaf t er t hat f or a man, at l east , no hope coul d be i mpossi bl enor any possessi on secur e. And what t hi s sayi ng was and i n what manneri t was spoken I shal l expl ai n. When t he Vandal s or i gi nal l y, pr essed byhunger , were about t o r emove f r omt hei r ancest r al abodes, a cer t ai n par tof t hemwas l ef t behi nd who were r el uct ant t o go and not desi r ous of f ol l owi ng Godi gi scl us. And as t i me went on i t seemed t o t hose who hadr emai ned that t hey were wel l of f as r egar ds abundance of pr ovi si ons, andGi zer i c wi t h hi s f ol l ower s gai ned possessi on of Li bya. And when thi s washeard by t hose who had not f ol l owed Godi gi scl us, t hey r ej oi ced, si ncet hencef or t h t he count r y was al t oget her suf f i ci ent f or t hem t o l i ve upon.But f ear i ng l est at some t i me much l ater ei t her t he ver y ones who hadconquered Li bya, or t hei r descendant s, shoul d i n some way or other be

dr i ven out of Li bya and ret ur n to thei r ancest r al homes ( f or t hey neversupposed that t he Romans woul d l et Li bya be hel d f or ever) , t hey sentambassadors t o t hem. And t hese men, upon comi ng bef ore Gi zer i c, sai dt hat t hey r ej oi ced wi t h t hei r compat r i ots who had met wi t h such success,but t hat t hey were no l onger abl e to guar d the l and of whi ch he and hi smen had t hought so l i t t l e t hat t hey had set t l ed i n Li bya. They pr ayedt her ef or e t hat , i f t hey l ai d no cl ai m t o t hei r f at her l and, t hey woul dbest ow i t as an unpr of i t abl e possessi on upon t hemsel ves, so t hat t hei rt i t l e to the l and mi ght be made as secur e as possi bl e, and i f anyoneshoul d come t o do i t harm, t hey mi ght by no means di sdai n t o di e i nbehal f of i t . Gi zer i c, accor di ngl y, and al l t he ot her Vandal s t houghtt hat t hey spoke f ai r l y and j ust l y, and t hey wer e i n t he act of gr ant i ngeveryt hi ng whi ch t he envoys desi r ed of t hem. But a cer t ai n ol d man who

was est eemed among them and had a gr eat r eput at i on f or di scr et i on sai dt hat he woul d by no means per mi t such a thi ng. "For i n human af f ai r s, "he sai d, "not one t hi ng st ands secur e; nay, not hi ng whi ch now exi st s i sst abl e f or al l t i me f or men, whi l e as r egar ds t hat whi ch does not yetexi st , t here i s not hi ng whi ch may not come to pass. " When Gi zer i c heardt hi s, he expr essed appr oval and deci ded t o send the envoys away wi t hnot hi ng accompl i shed. Now at t hat t i me both he hi msel f and t he man whohad gi ven t he advi ce were j udged wor t hy of r i di cul e by al l t he Vandal s,as f oreseei ng t he i mpossi bl e. But when t hese t hi ngs whi ch have been t ol dt ook pl ace, t he Vandal s l ear ned t o t ake a di f f er ent vi ew of t he nat ur eof human af f ai r s and r eal i zed t hat t he sayi ng was t hat of a wi se man.

Now as f or t hose Vandal s who remai ned i n thei r nat i ve l and, nei t her

r emembrance nor any name of t hem has been pr eser ved to my t i me. [ 59] Forsi nce, I suppose, t hey were a smal l number, t hey were ei t her overpoweredby t he nei ghbour i ng bar bari ans or t hey were mi ngl ed wi t h them not at al l




39

unwi l l i ngl y and t hei r name gave way t o t hat of t hei r conquer ors . I ndeed,when t he Vandal s were conquered at t hat t i me by Bel i sar i us, no t houghtoccur r ed t o t hem t o go f r om t her e t o t hei r ancest r al homes. For t heywere not abl e to convey t hemsel ves suddenl y f r omLi bya t o Eur ope,

especi al l y as t hey had no shi ps at hand, but pai d t he penal t y[ 60] t heref or al l t he wr ongs t hey had done t he Romans and especi al l y t heZacynt hi ans. For at one t i me Gi zer i c, f al l i ng suddenl y upon t he t owns i nt he Pel oponnesus, under t ook t o assaul t Taenarum. And bei ng r epul sed f r omt her e and l osi ng many of hi s f ol l ower s he ret i r ed i n compl et e di sor der .And whi l e he was st i l l f i l l ed wi t h anger on account of t hi s, he t ouchedat Zacynthus, and havi ng ki l l ed many of t hose he met and ensl aved f i vehundr ed of t he notabl es, he sai l ed away soon af t erwards. And when her eached t he mi ddl e of t he Adr i at i c Sea, as i t i s cal l ed, he cut i nt osmal l pi eces t he bodi es of t he f i ve hundr ed and t hr ew t hem al l about t hesea wi t hout t he l east concer n. But t hi s happened i n ear l i er t i mes.

XXI I I

But at t hat t i me Gel i mer , by di st r i but i ng much money t o t he f armersamong t he Li byans and shewi ng great f r i endl i ness t oward t hem, succeededi n wi nni ng many t o hi s s i de. These he commanded to ki l l t he Romans whowent out i nt o t he count r y, pr ocl ai mi ng a f i xed sum of gol d f or each manki l l ed, t o be pai d t o hi m who di d t he deed. And t hey ki l l ed many f r omt he Roman army, not sol di ers, however , but sl aves and servant s, whobecause of a desi r e f or money went up i nt o the vi l l ages st eal t hi l y andwere caught . And the f armers br ought t hei r heads bef ore Gel i mer anddepar t ed r ecei vi ng t hei r pay, whi l e he supposed t hat t hey had sl ai nsol di ers of t he enemy.

At t hat t i me Di ogenes, t he ai de of Bel i sar i us, made a di spl ay of val or ous deeds. For havi ng been sent , t oget her wi t h t went y- t wo of t hebody- guards, t o spy upon thei r opponents, he came to a pl ace t wo days' j ourney di st ant f r om Car t hage. And t he f ar mer s of t he pl ace, bei ngunabl e t o ki l l t hese men, r eport ed t o Gel i mer t hat t hey were t her e. Andhe chose out and sent agai nst t hem t hree hundr ed hor semen of t heVandal s, enj oi ni ng upon t hem t o br i ng al l t he men al i ve bef or e hi m. Fori t seemed t o hi m a most r emarkabl e achi evement t o make capt i ve aper sonal ai de of Bel i sar i us wi t h t went y- t wo body- guards. Now Di ogenesand hi s par t y had ent ered a cer t ai n house and were sl eepi ng i n the upperst orey, havi ng no t hought of t he enemy i n mi nd, si nce, i ndeed, t hey hadl ear ned t hat t hei r opponent s were f ar away. But t he Vandal s, comi ngt here at ear l y dawn, t hought i t woul d not be t o t hei r advant age t o

dest r oy the door s of t he house or t o ent er i t i n t he dar k, f ear i ng l est ,bei ng i nvol ved i n a ni ght encount er, t hey mi ght t hemsel ves dest r oy oneanother , and at t he same t i me, i f t hat shoul d happen, pr ovi de a way of escape f or a l arge number of t he enemy i n t he darkness. But t hey di dt hi s because cowardi ce had par al yzed t hei r mi nds, t hough i t woul d havebeen possi bl e f or t hem wi t h no t r oubl e, by car r yi ng t or ches or evenwi t hout t hese, t o cat ch t hei r enemi es i n t hei r beds not onl y wi t houtweapons, but absol utel y naked besi des. But as i t was, t hey made aphal anx i n a ci r cl e about t he whol e house and especi al l y at t he doors ,and al l t ook t hei r st and there. But i n the meant i me i t so happened t hatone of t he Roman sol di ers was roused f r om sl eep, and he, not i ci ng t henoi se whi ch t he Vandal s made as t hey t al ked st eal t hi l y among t hemsel vesand moved wi t h thei r weapons, was abl e t o comprehend what was bei ng

done, and rousi ng each one of hi s comr ades si l ent l y, he tol d them whatwas goi ng on. And they, f ol l owi ng the opi ni on of Di ogenes, al l put ont hei r cl ot hes qui et l y and t aki ng up t hei r weapons went bel ow. There t hey




40

put t he br i dl es on thei r hor ses and l eaped upon them unper cei ved byanyone. And af t er st andi ng f or a t i me by the cour t - yar d ent r ance, t heysuddenl y opened t he door t here, and st r ai ghtway al l came out . And thent he Vandal s i mmedi atel y cl osed wi t h them, but t hey accompl i shed nothi ng.

For t he Romans r ode har d, cover i ng t hemsel ves wi t h t hei r shi el ds andwar di ng of f t hei r assai l ant s wi t h t hei r spear s. And i n t hi s way Di ogenesescaped the enemy, l osi ng two of hi s f ol l ower s, but savi ng the r est . Hehi msel f , however , r ecei ved t hr ee bl ows i n thi s encount er on t he neck andt he f ace, f r om whi ch i ndeed he came wi t hi n a l i t t l e of dyi ng, and onebl ow al so on t he l ef t hand, as a resul t of whi ch he was ther eaf t erunabl e t o move hi s l i t t l e f i nger . Thi s, t hen, t ook pl ace i n t hi s way.

And Bel i sar i us of f ered gr eat sums of money t o t he ar t i sans engaged i nt he bui l di ng t r ade and to t he general t hr ong of workmen, and by t hi smeans he dug a t r ench deservi ng of great admi r at i on about t heci r cui t - wal l , and set t i ng st akes cl ose toget her al ong i t he made anexcel l ent st ockade about t he f or t i f i cat i ons. And not onl y t hi s, but he

bui l t up i n a shor t t i me t he por t i ons of t he wal l whi ch had suf f er ed, at hi ng whi ch seemed wort hy of wonder not onl y t o t he Cart hagi ni ans, butal so t o Gel i mer hi msel f at a l at er t i me. For when he came as a capt i vet o Car t hage, he marvel l ed when he saw t he wal l and sai d t hat hi s ownnegl i gence had pr oved t he cause of al l hi s pr esent t r oubl es. Thi s, t hen,was accompl i shed by Bel i sar i us whi l e i n Car t hage.

XXI V

But Tzazon, t he br ot her of Gel i mer , r eached Sar di ni a wi t h the expedi t i onwhi ch has been ment i oned above[ 61] and di sembar ked at t he harbour of Car anal i s[ 62] ; and at t he f i r st onset he capt ur ed t he ci t y and ki l l ed

t he t yr ant Godas and al l t he f i ght i ng men about hi m. And when he hear dt hat t he emper or ' s expedi t i on was i n t he l and of Li bya, havi ng as yetl ear ned not hi ng of what had been done t her e, he wr ote to Gel i mer asf ol l ows: "Know, O Ki ng of t he Vandal s and Al ani , t hat t he t yrant Godashas per i shed, havi ng f al l en i nt o our hands, and t hat t he i sl and i s agai nunder t hy ki ngdom, and cel ebr ate t he f est i val of t r i umph. And as f or t heenemy who have had t he dar i ng t o march agai nst our l and, expect t hatt hei r at t empt wi l l come t o t he same f ate as t hat exper i enced by t hosewho i n f ormer t i mes marched agai nst our ancest ors. " And t hose who t ookt hi s l et t er sai l ed i nt o the har bour of Car t hage wi t h no thought of t heenemy i n mi nd. And bei ng brought by t he guards bef ore the gener al , t heyput t he l et t er i nt o hi s hands and gave hi m i nf or mat i on on the mat t er sabout whi ch he enqui r ed, bei ng t hunder st r uck at what t hey behel d and

awed at t he suddenness of t he change; however , t hey suf f ered nothi ngunpl easant at t he hand of Bel i sar i us.

At t hi s same t i me another event al so occur r ed as f ol l ows. A shor t t i mebef ore the emper or ' s expedi t i on r eached Li bya, Gel i mer had sent envoysi nt o Spai n, among whom were Gothaeus and Fusci as, i n or der t o persuade Theudi s, t he r ul er of t he Vi si goths, [ 63] t o est abl i sh an al l i ance wi t ht he Vandal s. And t hese envoys, upon di sembar ki ng on t he mai nl and af t ercrossi ng t he st r ai t at Gadi r a, f ound Theudi s i n a pl ace si t uat ed f arf r om t he sea. And when t hey had come up t o t he pl ace wher e he was, Theudi s r ecei ved t hem wi t h f r i endl i ness and enter t ai ned t hem hear t i l y,and duri ng the f east he pr etended t o enqui r e how mat t ers st ood wi t hGel i mer and t he Vandal s. Now si nce t hese envoys had t r avel l ed t o hi m

r at her sl owl y, i t happened t hat he had hear d f r om ot her s ever ythi ngwhi ch had bef al l en t he Vandal s. For one mer chant shi p sai l i ng f or t r adehad put out f r om Car t hage on t he very same day as t he ar my marched i nto




41

t he ci t y, and f i ndi ng a f avour i ng wi nd, had come t o Spai n. From t hose ont hi s shi p Theudi s l earned al l t hat had happened i n Li bya, but he f orbadet he mer chant s t o reveal i t t o anyone, i n or der t hat t hi s mi ght notbecome general l y known. And when Gothaeus and hi s f ol l owers r epl i ed t hat

everyt hi ng was as wel l as possi bl e f or t hem, he asked them f or whatpur pose, t hen, t hey had come. And when t hey pr oposed t he al l i ance, Theudi s bade t hemgo t o t he sea- coast ; "For f r om t here, " he sai d, "youwi l l l ear n of t he af f ai r s at home wi t h cer t ai nt y. " And t he envoys,supposi ng t hat t he man was i n hi s cups and hi s words were not sane,r emai ned si l ent . But when on t he f ol l owi ng day they met hi m and madement i on of t he al l i ance, and Theudi s used t he same words a second t i me,t hen at l ength t hey under st ood t hat some change of f or t une had bef al l ent hem i n Li bya, but never once t hi nki ng of Car t hage t hey sai l ed f or t heci t y. And upon comi ng t o l and cl ose by i t and happeni ng upon Romansol di er s, t hey put t hemsel ves i n t hei r hands t o do wi t h t hem as t heywi shed. And f r om t her e they were l ed away t o the gener al , and r epor t i ngt he whol e st or y, t hey suf f er ed no har m at hi s hand. These t hi ngs, t hen,

happened thus. And Cyr i l , [ 64] upon comi ng near t o Sardi ni a and l ear ni ngwhat had happened t o Godas, sai l ed t o Cart hage, and t her e, f i ndi ng t heRoman ar my and Bel i sar i us vi ct or i ous, he remai ned at r est ; andSol omon[ 65] was sent t o t he emper or i n or der t o announce what had beenaccompl i shed.

XXV

But Gel i mer , upon r eachi ng t he pl ai n of Boul l a, whi ch i s di st ant f r omCar t hage a j our ney of f our days f or an unencumber ed t r avel l er , not f arf r omt he boundar i es of Numi di a, began t o gather t her e al l t he Vandal sand as many of t he Moors as happened t o be f r i endl y t o hi m. Few Moors,

however , j oi ned hi s al l i ance, and t hese wer e al t oget her i nsubor di nat e.For al l t hose who r ul ed over t he Moor s i n Maur etani a and Numi di a andByzaci um sent envoys t o Bel i sar i us sayi ng t hat t hey wer e sl aves of t heemper or and pr omi sed t o f i ght wi t h hi m. There were some al so who evenf ur ni shed t hei r chi l dr en as host ages and r equest ed t hat t he symbol s of of f i ce be sent t hem f r om hi m accor di ng t o t he anci ent cust om. For i t wasa l aw among the Moor s t hat no one shoul d be a rul er over t hem, even i f he was host i l e t o t he Romans, unt i l t he emper or of t he Romans shoul dgi ve hi m t he t okens of t he of f i ce. And though they had al r eady recei vedt hem f r om t he Vandal s, t hey di d not consi der t hat t he Vandal s hel d t heof f i ce secur el y. Now t hese symbol s ar e a st af f of si l ver cover ed wi t hgol d, and a si l ver cap, - - not cover i ng t he whol e head, but l i ke a cr ownand hel d i n pl ace on al l si des by bands of si l ver , - - a ki nd of whi t e

cl oak gather ed by a gol den br ooch on t he r i ght shoul der i n t he f orm of a Thessal i an cape, and a whi t e t uni c wi t h embroi dery, and a gi l ded boot .And Bel i sar i us sent t hese t hi ngs t o t hem, and presented each one of t hemwi t h much money. However , t hey di d not come t o f i ght al ong wi t h hi m,nor , on t he ot her hand, di d t hey dar e gi ve t hei r support t o t he Vandal s,but st andi ng out of t he way of bot h cont est ant s, t hey wai t ed t o see whatwoul d be t he out come of t he war . Thus, t hen, mat t ers st ood wi t h theRomans.

But Gel i mer sent one of t he Vandal s t o Sar di ni a wi t h a l et t er t o hi sbr other Tzazon. And he went qui ckl y t o t he coast , and f i ndi ng by chancea mer chant - shi p put t i ng out t o sea, he sai l ed i nt o t he har bour of Caranal i s and put t he l et t er i nt o the hands of Tzazon. Now t he message

of t he l et t er was as f ol l ows:

" I t was not , I vent ur e to t hi nk, Godas who caused t he i sl and t o revol t




42

f r omus, but some curse of madness sent f r om Heaven whi ch f el l upon t heVandal s. For by depr i vi ng us of you and t he not abl es of t he Vandal s, i thas sei zed and car r i ed of f f r om t he house of Gi zer i c absol ut el y al l t hebl essi ngs whi ch we enj oyed. For i t was not t o recover t he i sl and f or us

t hat you sai l ed f r om her e, but i n or der t hat J ust i ni an mi ght be mast erof Li bya. For t hat whi ch For t une had deci ded upon pr evi ousl y i t i s nowpossi bl e t o know f r om t he out come. Bel i sar i us, t hen, has come agai nst uswi t h a smal l ar my, but val our st r ai ght way depar t ed and f l ed f r om t heVandal s, t aki ng good f or t une wi t h her . For Ammatas and Gi bamundus havef al l en, because t he Vandal s l ost t hei r cour age, and the hor ses andshi pyar ds and al l Li bya and, not l east of al l , Car t hage i t sel f , ar e hel dal r eady by t he enemy. And the Vandal s are si t t i ng here, havi ng pai d wi t ht hei r chi l dr en and wi ves and al l t hei r possessi ons f or t hei r f ai l ur e t opl ay t he par t of br ave men i n bat t l e, and t o us i s l ef t onl y the pl ai nof Boul l a, where our hope i n you has set us down and st i l l keeps us. Butdo you have done wi t h such mat t ers as r ebel t yrant s and Sardi ni a and t hecares concerni ng these t hi ngs, and come to us wi t h your whol e f orce as

qui ckl y as possi bl e. For when men f i nd t he very hear t and cent r e of al li n danger , i t i s not advi sabl e f or t hem t o consi der mi nut el y ot hermat t ers. And st r uggl i ng hereaf t er i n common agai nst t he enemy, we shal lei t her r ecover our pr evi ous f or t une, or gai n the advant age of notbeari ng apar t f r omeach ot her t he hard f ate sent by Heaven. "

When t hi s l et t er had been br ought t o Tzazon, and he had di scl osed i t scont ent s t o t he Vandal s, t hey t ur ned t o wai l i ng and l ament at i on, notopenl y, however, but conceal i ng t hei r f eel i ngs as much as possi bl e andavoi di ng t he not i ce of t he i sl ander s, si l ent l y among t hemsel ves t heybewai l ed t he f ate whi ch was upon them. And st r ai ghtway set t i ng i n or dermat t ers i n hand j ust as chance di r ected, t hey manned t he shi ps. Andsai l i ng f r om t her e wi t h t he whol e f l eet , on t he t hi r d day t hey came t o

l and at t he poi nt of Li bya whi ch marks t he boundary between theNumi di ans and Maur etani ans. And t hey reached the pl ai n of Boul l at r avel l i ng on f oot , and t her e j oi ned wi t h t he rest of t he ar my. And i nt hat pl ace t her e were many most pi t i abl e scenes among the Vandal s, whi chI , at l east , coul d never r el at e as t hey deser ve. For I t hi nk that eveni f one of t he enemy t hemsel ves had happened t o be a spectator at t hatt i me, he woul d pr obabl y have f el t pi t y, i n spi t e of hi msel f , f or t heVandal s and f or human f or t une. For Gel i mer and Tzazon t hrew t hei r armsabout each ot her ' s necks, and coul d not l et go, but t hey spoke not aword to each other , but kept wr i ngi ng t hei r hands and weepi ng, and eachone of t he Vandal s wi t h Gel i mer embraced one of t hose who had come f r omSar di ni a, and di d t he same t hi ng. And t hey st ood f or a l ong t i me as i f grown t ogether and f ound such comf ort as t hey coul d i n t hi s, and nei t her

di d t he men of Gel i mer t hi nk f i t t o ask about Godas ( f or t hei r pr esentf ort une had pr ost r ated t hem and caused t hem t o r eckon such t hi ngs as hadprevi ousl y seemed t o them most i mpor t ant wi t h t hose whi ch were nowut t er l y negl i gi bl e) , nor coul d t hose who came f r om Sar di ni a br i ngt hemsel ves t o ask about what had happened i n Li bya. For t he pl ace wassuf f i ci ent t o per mi t t hem t o j udge of what had come to pass. And i ndeedt hey di d not make any ment i on even of t hei r own wi ves and chi l dren,knowi ng wel l t hat whoever of t hei r s was not t here had ei t her di ed orf al l en i nt o the hands of t he enemy. Thus, t hen, di d t hese t hi ngs happen.

FOOTNOTES:

[ 1]

Cadi z.




43

[ 2]

Sea of Azov.

[ 3]

Abi l a.

[ 4]

Or Sept em Frat r es.

[ 5]

Most anci ent geogr apher s di vi ded t he i nhabi t ed wor l d i nt o t hr eecont i nents, but some made t wo di vi si ons. I t was a debated quest i on wi t h

t hese l at t er whet her Af r i ca bel onged t o Asi a or t o Eur ope; of . Sal l ust , _J ugur t ha_, 17.

[ 6]

Kadi Keui .

[ 7]

Mor e cor r ect l y Hydr ous, Lat . Hydr unt um ( Ot r ant o) .

[ 8]

At Aul on ( Avl ona) .

[ 9]

Addi ng t hese f our days t o t he ot her i t ems ( 285, 22, 40) , t he t ot al i s351 days.

[ 10]

Cal pe ( Gi br al t ar ) .

[ 11]

_i . e. _, i nst ead of st oppi ng at Ot r anto, one mi ght al so r eckon i n t hecoast - l i ne ar ound t he Adr i at i c t o Dyrr achi um.

[ 12]

About t went y- f our Engl i sh mi l es.

[ 13]

I vi za.

[ 14]

"Bl ack- cl oaks. "

[ 15]




44

Bel gr ade.

[ 16]

Mi t rovi t z .

[ 17]

I n I l l yr i cum.

[ 18]

He ascended t he t hrone at t he age of seven.

[ 19]

That i s, t he act ual occupant coul d enter a demur r er t o t he f or merowner ' s act i on f or r ecover y, ci t i ng hi s own occupancy f or t hi r t y year sor more. The new l aw extended the per i od dur i ng whi ch t he oust edpr opr i et or coul d recover possessi on, by admi t t i ng no demur r er f r om t heoccupant so f ar as t he years were concerned dur i ng whi ch t he Vandal sshoul d be i n possessi on of t he count r y.

[ 20]

Thi s i s an er r or ; he r eal l y r ul ed onl y ei ghteen months.

[ 21]

Gei ser i c, Gai ser i c, l ess pr oper l y Genser i c.

[ 22]

Now cor r upt ed t o Bona.

[ 23]

Emper or i n Gaul , Br i t ai n and Spai n 383- 388. Aspi r i ng t o be Emperor of t he West , he i nvaded I t al y, was def eat ed by Theodosi us, and put t odeat h.

[ 24]

Thi s i s an er r or , f or At t i l a di ed bef or e Aet i us.

[ 25]

I ncl udi ng t he f amous t r easur e whi ch Ti t us had br ought f r om J erusal em,cf . I V. i x. 5.

[ 26]

Domi t i an had spent 12, 000 tal ent s ( £2, 400, 000) on the gi l di ng al one;Pl ut ar ch, _Publ . _ 15.

[ 27]

_i . e. _ " l eader s of a t housand. "




45

[ 28]

130, 000 Roman pounds; cf . Book I . xxi i . 4. The modern equi val ent i s

unknown.

[ 29]

Pl aci di a' s si st er , Eudoci a, was wi f e of Honor i c, Gi zer i c' s son.

[ 30]

See chap. i v. 27.

[ 31]

_i . e. _ "wi sdom. "

[ 32]

J ebel Auress .

[ 33]

_i . e. _ t o what sect or r el i gi on t hey bel onged.

[ 34]

Cf . Book I V. xi . 17 f f .

[ 35]

Book I . xxi i . 16.

[ 36]

The " i mper i al " t axes wer e f or t he emperor ' s pr i vy purse, t he f i scus.

[ 37]

These f oeder at i wer e pr i vat e bands of t r oops under t he l eader shi p of condot t i er e; t hese had t he t i t l e of "count " and r ecei ved f r om t he st at ean al l owance f or t he suppor t of t hei r bands.

[ 38]

The medi mnus equal l ed about one and a hal f bushel s.

[ 39]

_i . e. _ " r unner s. "

[ 40]

Eregl i , on t he Sea of Marmora.

[ 41]

Cape Mat apan.




46

[ 42]

Book I . xxi v. 12- 15; xxv. 8- 10.

[ 43]

The r at i on of t hi s t wi ce- baked bread r epresent ed f or t he same wei ghtone- f our t h more wheat t han when i ssued i n the once- baked bread. He wasevi dent l y pai d on t he basi s of so much per r at i on, i n wei ght , of t heonce- baked br ead, but on account of t he l engt h of t he voyage the otherki nd was r equi si t i oned.

[ 44]

I nst ead of by wei ght .

[ 45]

Now Por t o Lombar do.

[ 46]

Or At hal ar i c.

[ 47]

Now Gozzo and Mal t a.

[ 48]

Cf . I I I . v. 8 f f .

[ 49]

_i . e. _ cour i er s, f r om _ver edus_, "post - horse. "

[ 50]

An adj ut ant , t he gener al ' s own "choi ce. "

[ 51]

Topsai l s.

[ 52]

_i . e. _ _Deci mum mi l i ar i um_, t enth mi l est one f r om Car t hage.

[ 53]

Bef ore 533 A. D.

[ 54]

Hermaeum, Lat . Mercur i i promont or i um ( Cape Bon) .

[ 55]




47

"Auxi l i ar i es"; see chap. xi . 3, 4.

[ 56]

The t r oops wer e bi l l et ed as at a peacef ul occupat i on.

[ 57]

St . Cypr i an ( _ci r ca_ 200- 257 A. D. ) , Bi shop of Car t hage.

[ 58]

Chap. xx. 13.

[ 59]

Compar e the r emarks of Gi bbon, i v. p. 295.

[ 60]

I n _Ar cana_, 18, 5 f f . , Procopi us est i mat es t he number of t he Vandal s i nAf r i ca, at t he ti me of Bel i sar i us, at 80, 000 mal es, and i nt i mat es t hatpr acti cal l y al l per i shed.

[ 61]

Chap. xi . 23.

[ 62]

Cagl i ar i .

[ 63]

On t hi s Theudi s and hi s accessi on t o the t hr one of t he Vi si got hs i nSpai n see V. xi i . 50 f f .

[ 64]

The l eader of a band of _f oeder at i _. Cf . I I I . xi . 1, 6, xxi v. 19.

[ 65]

Al so a _dux f oeder at or um_, and _domest i cus_ of Bel i sar i us. Cf . I I I . xi .5 f f .

* * * * *

HI STORY OF THE WARS:

* * * * *




48

BOOK I V

THE VANDALI C WAR ( _Cont i nued_)

I

Gel i mer, seei ng al l t he Vandal s gather ed t ogether , l ed hi s ar my agai nstCart hage. And when t hey came cl ose to i t , t hey tore down a port i on of t he aqueduct , - - a st r uct ur e wel l wor t h seei ng- - whi ch conduct ed wat er i nt ot he ci t y, and af t er encampi ng f or a t i me they wi t hdr ew, si nce no one of t he enemy came out agai nst t hem. And goi ng about t he count r y t her e t heykept t he roads under guar d and thought t hat i n thi s way they werebesi egi ng Cart hage; however, t hey di d not gat her any booty, nor pl undert he l and, but t ook possessi on of i t as t hei r own. And at t he same t i met hey kept hopi ng that t here woul d be some t r eason on t he part of t he

Cart hagi ni ans t hemsel ves and such of t he Roman sol di ers as f ol l owed t hedoct r i ne of Ar i us. They al so sent t o t he l eader s of t he Huns, andpromi si ng t hat t hey woul d have many good t hi ngs f r omt he Vandal s,ent r eated t hem t o become thei r f r i ends and al l i es. Now t he Huns evenbef ore t hi s had not been wel l - di sposed toward t he cause of t he Romans,si nce t hey had not i ndeed come to t hem wi l l i ngl y as al l i es ( f or t heyasser t ed t hat t he Roman gener al Pet er had gi ven an oat h and t hen,di sr egardi ng what had been sworn, had t hus br ought t hem t o Byzant i um) ,and accor di ngl y t hey r ecei ved t he words of t he Vandal s, and promi sedt hat when t hey shoul d come to real f i ght i ng t hey woul d t ur n wi t h themagai nst t he Roman ar my. But Bel i sar i us had a suspi ci on of al l t hi s ( f orhe had hear d i t f r om t he deser t er s) , and al so t he ci r cui t - wal l had notas yet been compl et ed ent i r el y, and f or t hese r easons he di d not t hi nk

i t possi bl e f or hi s men t o go out agai nst t he enemy f or t he pr esent , buthe was maki ng hi s preparat i ons wi t hi n as wel l as possi bl e. And one of t he Car t hagi ni ans, Laurus by name, havi ng been condemned on a charge of t r eason and pr oved gui l t y by hi s own secr etary, was i mpal ed byBel i sar i us on a hi l l bef or e t he ci t y, and as a r esul t of t hi s t he ot her scame t o f eel a sor t of i r r esi st i bl e f ear and r ef r ai ned f r om at t empt s att r eason. And he court ed t he Massagetae wi t h gi f t s and banquets and everyother manner of f l at t er i ng at t ent i on ever y day, and t hus per suaded t hemt o di scl ose t o hi m what Gel i mer had pr omi sed them on condi t i on of t hei rt ur ni ng t r ai t or s i n t he bat t l e. And t hese bar bar i ans sai d t hat t hey hadno ent husi asm f or f i ght i ng, f or t hey f ear ed t hat , i f t he Vandal s wer evanqui shed, t he Romans woul d not send t hem back to t hei r nat i ve l and,but t hey woul d be compel l ed to gr ow ol d and di e r i ght t her e i n Li bya;

and besi des t hey were al so concer ned, t hey sai d, about t he boot y, l estt hey be r obbed of i t . Then i ndeed Bel i sar i us gave t hem pl edges t hat , i f t he Vandal s shoul d be conquered deci si vel y, t hey woul d be sent wi t houtt he l east del ay t o thei r homes wi t h al l t hei r boot y, and thus he boundt hem by oat hs i n ver y t r ut h t o assi st t he Romans wi t h al l zeal i ncar r yi ng t hr ough the war.

And when al l t hi ngs had been pr epared by hi m i n the best way possi bl e,and the ci r cui t - wal l had been al r eady compl et ed, he cal l ed toget her t hewhol e ar my and spoke as f ol l ows: "As f or exhort at i on, f el l ow Romans, Ido not know t hat i t i s necessary t o make any t o you, - - men who haver ecent l y conquered t he enemy so compl etel y t hat Car t hage her e and t hewhol e of Li bya i s a possessi on of your val our , and f or t hi s r eason you

wi l l have no need of admoni t i on t hat pr ompt s t o dar i ng. For t he spi r i t sof t hose who have conquered ar e by no means wont t o be over come. But It hi nk i t not unt i mel y to remi nd you of t hi s one t hi ng, t hat , i f you on




49

t he pr esent occasi on but pr ove equal t o your own sel ves i n val our ,st r ai ght way ther e wi l l be an end f or t he Vandal s of t hei r hopes, and f oryou of t he bat t l e. Hence there i s ever y r eason why you shoul d ent er i nt ot hi s engagement wi t h the gr eat est eagerness. For ever sweet t o men i s

t oi l comi ng t o an end and r eachi ng i t s cl ose. Now as f or t he host of t heVandal s, l et no one of you consi der t hem. For not by number s of men norby measure of body, but by val our of soul , i s war wont t o be deci ded.And l et t he st r ongest mot i ve whi ch actuat es men come t o your mi nds,namel y, pr i de i n past achi evement . For i t i s a shame, f or t hose at l eastwho have reason, t o f al l short of one' s own sel f and t o be f oundi nf er i or t o one' s own st andar d of val our . For I know wel l t hat t er r orand t he memor y of mi sf or t unes have l ai d hol d upon t he enemy and compelt hem t o become l ess br ave, f or t he one f i l l s t hem wi t h f ear because of what has al r eady happened, and t he ot her br ushes asi de t hei r hope of success. For For t une, once seen t o be bad, st r ai ght way ensl aves t hespi r i t of t hose who have f al l en i n her way. And I shal l expl ai n how t hest r uggl e i nvol ves f or you at t he pr esent t i me a gr eat er st ake t han

f or mer l y. For i n t he f or mer bat t l e t he danger was, i f t hi ngs di d not gowel l f or us, t hat we shoul d not t ake t he l and of ot her s; but now, i f wedo not wi n t he st r uggl e, we shal l l ose the l and whi ch i s our own. I npr opor t i on, t hen, as i t i s easi er t o possess not hi ng t han t o be depr i vedof what one has, j ust so now our f ear t ouches our most vi t al concernsmore t han bef ore. And yet f ormer l y we had t he f ort une t o wi n t he vi ct orywi t h t he i nf ant r y absent , but now, ent er i ng t he bat t l e wi t h Godpropi t i ous and wi t h our whol e ar my, I have hopes of capt ur i ng the campof t he enemy, men and al l . Thus, t hen, havi ng t he end of t he war r eadyat hand, do not by reason of any negl i gence put i t of f t o another t i me,l est you be compel l ed t o seek f or t he oppor t une moment af t er i t has r unpast us. For when t he f or t une of war i s post poned, i t s nat ur e i s not t oproceed i n t he same manner as bef ore, especi al l y i f t he war be pr ol onged

by the wi l l of t hose who ar e car r yi ng i t on. For Heaven i s accust omed t obri ng ret r i but i on al ways upon t hose who abandon the good f ort une whi chi s present . But i f anyone consi der s t hat t he enemy, seei ng thei rchi l dr en and wi ves and most pr eci ous possessi ons i n our hands, wi l l bedar i ng beyond reason and wi l l i ncur r i sks beyond t he st r engt h whi ch t heyhave, he does not t hi nk r i ght l y. For an over power i ng passi on spr i ngi ngup i n t he hear t i n behal f of what i s most pr eci ous i s wont t o di mi ni shmen' s actual st r engt h and does not al l ow t hem t o make f ul l use of t hei rpr esent oppor t uni t i es. Consi der i ng, t hen, al l t hese t hi ngs, i t behoovesyou t o go wi t h gr eat cont empt agai nst t he enemy. "

I I

Af t er such wor ds of exhor t at i on, Bel i sar i us sent out al l t he hor semen ont he same day, except f i ve hundred, and al so t he guardsmen and t hest andard, whi ch t he Romans cal l "bandum, " [ 1] ent r ust i ng t hem t o J ohn t heAr meni an, and di r ect i ng hi m t o ski r mi sh onl y, i f oppor t uni t y shoul dar i se. And he hi msel f on t he f ol l owi ng day f ol l owed wi t h t he i nf ant r yf orces and t he f i ve hundr ed horsemen. And t he Massagetae, del i ber at i ngamong themsel ves, deci ded, i n or der t o seem i n f r i endl y agr eement wi t hbot h Gel i mer and Bel i sar i us, nei t her t o begi n f i ght i ng f or t he Romansnor t o go over t o t he Vandal s bef ore the encounter , but whenever t hesi t uat i on of one or t he other ar my shoul d be bad, t hen t o j oi n t hevi ct or s i n t hei r pur sui t of t he vanqui shed. Thus, t hen, had t hi s mat t erbeen deci ded upon by t he bar bar i ans. And the Roman army came upon the

Vandal s encamped i n Tr i camarum, one hundr ed and f i f t y st ades di st antf r omCar t hage. So t hey both bi vouacked t her e at a consi der abl e di st ancef r omone another . And when i t was wel l on i n the ni ght , a pr odi gy came




50

t o pass i n t he Roman camp as f ol l ows. The t i ps of t hei r spears werel i ght ed wi t h a br i ght f i r e and t he poi nt s of t hem seemed t o be bur ni ngmost vi gor ousl y. Thi s was not seen by many, but i t f i l l ed wi t hconst ernat i on t he f ew who di d see i t , not knowi ng how i t woul d come out .

And thi s happened t o t he Romans i n I t al y agai n at a much l ater t i me. Andat t hat t i me, si nce t hey knew by exper i ence, t hey bel i eved i t t o be asi gn of vi ct or y. But now, as I have sai d, si nce t hi s was t he f i r st t i mei t had happened, t hey wer e f i l l ed wi t h const ernat i on and passed t heni ght i n gr eat f ear .

And on t he f ol l owi ng day Gel i mer commanded t he Vandal s t o pl ace t hewomen and chi l dr en and al l t hei r possessi ons i n t he mi ddl e of t hest ockade, al t hough i t had not t he char act er of a f or t , and cal l i ng al lt oget her , he spoke as f ol l ows: "I t i s not t o gai n gl or y, or t o r et r i evet he l oss of empi r e al one, O f el l ow Vandal s, t hat we ar e about t o f i ght ,so t hat even i f we wi l f ul l y pl ayed the cowar d and sacr i f i ced these ourbel ongi ngs we mi ght possi bl y l i ve, si t t i ng at home and keepi ng our own

possessi ons; but you see, surel y, t hat our f ort unes have come round tosuch a pass t hat , i f we do not gai n the mast ery over t he enemy, weshal l , i f we per i sh, l eave t hem as mast er s of t hese our chi l dr en and ourwi ves and our l and and al l our possessi ons, whi l e i f we sur vi ve, t her ewi l l be added our own ensl avement and to behol d al l t hese ensl aved; buti f , i ndeed, we over come our f oes i n t he war , we shal l , i f we l i ve, passour l i ves among al l good t hi ngs, or , af t er t he gl or i ous endi ng of ourl i ves, t her e wi l l be l ef t t o our wi ves and chi l dr en t he bl essi ngs of pr osper i t y, whi l e the name of t he Vandal s wi l l sur vi ve and t hei r empi r ebe preserved. For i f i t has ever happened t o any men t o be engaged i n ast r uggl e f or t hei r al l , we now mor e than al l ot her s r eal i ze t hat we ar eent er i ng t he bat t l e- l i ne wi t h our hopes f or al l we have r est i ng whol l yupon our sel ves. Not f or our bodi es, t hen, i s our f ear , nor i n deat h i s

our danger , but i n bei ng def eat ed by the enemy. For i f we l ose t hevi ct or y, deat h wi l l be t o our advant age. Si nce, t her ef or e, t he casest ands so, l et no one of t he Vandal s weaken, but l et hi m pr oudl y exposehi s body, and f r om shame at t he evi l s t hat f ol l ow def eat l et hi m cour tt he end of l i f e. For when a man i s ashamed of t hat whi ch i s shamef ul ,t her e i s al ways pr esent wi t h hi m a daunt l ess cour age i n the f ace of danger . And l et no r ecol l ect i on of t he ear l i er bat t l e come i nt o yourmi nds. For i t was not by cowardi ce on our par t t hat we were def eat ed,but we t r i pped upon obst acl es i nterposed by f ort une and were over t hrown.Now i t i s not t he way of t he t i de of f ort une t o f l ow al ways i n t he samedi r ect i on, but ever y day, as a r ul e, i t i s wont t o change about . I nmanl i ness i t i s our boast t hat we sur pass t he enemy, and that i n number swe are much super i or ; f or we bel i eve t hat we surpass t hem no l ess t han

t enf ol d. And why shal l I add that many and gr eat are t he i ncent i veswhi ch, now especi al l y, ur ge us on t o val our , nami ng t he gl or y of ourancest or s and t he empi r e whi ch has been handed down t o us by t hem? Fori n our case that gl or y i s obscur ed by our unl i keness t o our ki ndr ed,whi l e t he empi r e i s bent upon f l eei ng f r omus as unwor t hy. And I passover i n si l ence the wai l s of t hese poor women and t he t ear s of ourchi l dr en, by whi ch, as you see, I am now so deepl y moved that I amunabl e to pr ol ong my di scour se. But havi ng sai d t hi s one thi ng, I shal lst op, - - t hat t her e wi l l be f or us no returni ng t o t hese most pr eci ouspossessi ons i f we do not gai n the mast ery over t he enemy. Remember i ngt hese t hi ngs, shew your sel ves brave men and do not br i ng shame upon thef ame of Gi zer i c. "

Af t er speaki ng such words, Gel i mer commanded hi s brother Tzazon t odel i ver an exhor t at i on separatel y to t he Vandal s who had come wi t h hi mf r om Sar di ni a. And he gat her ed t hem t oget her a l i t t l e apar t f r om t he




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camp and spoke as f ol l ows: "For al l t he Vandal s, f el l ow sol di er s, t hest r uggl e i s i n behal f of t hose t hi ngs whi ch you have j ust hear d t he ki ngr ecount , but f or you, i n addi t i on t o al l t he ot her consi der at i ons, i t sohappens t hat you are vyi ng wi t h your sel ves. For you have recent l y been

vi ct or i ous i n a st r uggl e f or t he mai nt enance of our r ul e, and you haver ecover ed t he i sl and f or t he empi r e of t he Vandal s; t her e i s ever yr eason, t her ef or e, f or you t o make st i l l gr eat er di spl ay of your val our .For t hose whose hazar d i nvol ves t he gr eat est t hi ngs must needs di spl ayt he gr eatest zeal f or war f ar e al so. I ndeed, when men who st r uggl e f ort he mai nt enance of t hei r r ul e ar e def eated, shoul d i t so happen, t heyhave not f ai l ed i n t he most vi t al part ; but when men are engaged i nbat t l e f or t hei r al l , sur el y t hei r ver y l i ves ar e i nf l uenced by t heout come of t he st r uggl e. And f or t he r est , i f you shew your sel ves bravemen at t he pr esent t i me, you wi l l t her eby pr ove wi t h cer t ai nt y t hat t hedest r uct i on[ 2] of t he t yrant Godas was an achi evement of val our on yourpar t ; but i f you weaken now, you wi l l be depr i ved of even t he renown of t hose deeds, as of somethi ng whi ch does not bel ong t o you at al l . And

yet , even apar t f r om t hi s, i t i s r easonabl e t o t hi nk that you wi l l havean advant age over t he r est of t he Vandal s i n t hi s bat t l e. For t hose whohave f ai l ed ar e di smayed by t hei r pr evi ous f ort une, whi l e those who haveencount ered no reverse ent er t he st r uggl e wi t h thei r cour age uni mpai r ed.And t hi s t oo, I t hi nk, wi l l not be spoken out of season, t hat i f weconquer t he enemy, i t wi l l be you who wi l l wi n t he cr edi t f or t hegr eat est par t of t he vi ctory, and al l wi l l cal l you savi our s of t henat i on of t he Vandal s. For men who achi eve r enown i n company wi t h t hosewho have pr evi ousl y met wi t h mi sf or t une nat ur al l y cl ai m t he bet t erf or t une as t hei r own. Consi der i ng al l t hese t hi ngs, t her ef or e, I sayt hat you shoul d bi d the women and chi l dren who are l ament i ng thei r f atet o t ake cour age even now, shoul d summon God t o f i ght wi t h us, shoul d gowi t h ent husi asm agai nst t he enemy, and l ead t he way f or our compat r i ot s

i nt o t hi s bat t l e. "

I I I

Af t er both Gel i mer and Tzazon had spoken such exhort at i ons, t hey l ed outt he Vandal s, and at about t he t i me of l unch, when t he Romans were notexpect i ng t hem, but were pr epar i ng t hei r meal , t hey were at hand andarr ayed t hemsel ves f or bat t l e al ong t he bank of t he st r eam. Now t hest r eam at t hat pl ace i s an ever - f l owi ng one, t o be sur e, but i t s vol umei s so smal l t hat i t i s not even gi ven a speci al name by t he i nhabi t ant sof t he pl ace, but i t i s desi gnat ed si mpl y as a br ook. So the Romans camet o the ot her bank of t hi s r i ver , af t er pr epar i ng t hemsel ves as wel l as

t hey coul d under t he ci r cumst ances, and arr ayed t hemsel ves as f ol l ows. The l ef t wi ng was hel d by Mar t i nus and Val er i an, J ohn, Cypr i an, Al t hi as,and Marcel l us, and as many ot her s as were commander s of t hef oeder at i [ 3] ; and t he r i ght was hel d by Pappas, Barbat us, and Aï gan, andt he ot hers who commanded t he f orces of caval r y. And i n t he cent r e J ohnt ook hi s posi t i on, l eadi ng the guar ds and spear men of Bel i sar i us andcar r yi ng t he gener al ' s st andar d. And Bel i sar i us al so came t her e at t heoppor t une moment wi t h hi s f i ve hundr ed horsemen, l eavi ng the i nf ant r ybehi nd advanci ng at a wal k. For al l t he Huns had been arr ayed i n anot herpl ace, i t bei ng cust omar y f or t hem even bef or e t hi s not t o mi ngl e wi t ht he Roman army i f t hey coul d avoi d so doi ng, and at t hat t i meespeci al l y, si nce they had i n mi nd the pur pose whi ch has previ ousl y beenexpl ai ned, [ 4] i t was not t hei r wi sh t o be ar r ayed wi t h t he rest of t he

army. Such, t hen, was t he f ormat i on of t he Romans. And on t he si de of t he Vandal s, ei t her wi ng was hel d by the chi l i archs, and each one l edt he di vi si on under hi m, whi l e i n t he cent r e was Tzazon, t he br other of




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Gel i mer , and behi nd hi m were ar r ayed t he Moor s. But Gel i mer hi msel f wasgoi ng about everywher e exhort i ng t hemand urgi ng t hem on t o dar i ng. Andt he command had been pr evi ousl y gi ven t o al l t he Vandal s t o use nei t herspear nor any ot her weapon i n thi s engagement except t hei r swords.

Af t er a consi der abl e t i me had passed and no one began t he bat t l e, J ohnchose out a f ew of t hose under hi m by the advi ce of Bel i sar i us andcr ossi ng t he r i ver made an at t ack on t he cent r e, where Tzazon cr owdedt hemback and gave chase. And t he Romans i n f l i ght came i nto t hei r owncamp, whi l e the Vandal s i n pur sui t came as f ar as t he st r eam, but di dnot cr oss i t . And once more J ohn, l eadi ng out more of t he guardsmen of Bel i sar i us, made a dash agai nst t he f or ces of Tzazon, and agai n bei ngr epul sed f r om t here, wi t hdr ew t o t he Roman camp. And a t hi r d t i me wi t hal most al l t he guar ds and spearmen of Bel i sar i us he t ook t he general ' sst andar d and made hi s at t ack wi t h much shout i ng and a great noi se. Butsi nce t he barbar i ans manf ul l y wi t hst ood t hemand used onl y thei r swor ds,t he bat t l e became f i erce, and many of t he nobl est of t he Vandal s f el l ,

and among them Tzazon hi msel f , t he br ot her of Gel i mer. Then at l ast t hewhol e Roman army was set i n mot i on, and cr ossi ng t he r i ver t hey advancedupon t he enemy, and the r out , begi nni ng at t he cent r e, became compl ete;f or each of t he Roman di vi si ons t ur ned t o f l i ght t hose bef or e t hem wi t hno t r oubl e. And t he Massaget ae, seei ng thi s, accor di ng to thei ragreement among t hemsel ves[ 5] j oi ned t he Roman ar my i n maki ng t hepur sui t , but t hi s pur sui t was not cont i nued f or a gr eat di st ance. Fort he Vandal s ent ered t hei r own camp qui ckl y and r emai ned qui et , whi l e theRomans, t hi nki ng that t hey woul d not be abl e to f i ght i t out wi t h themi nsi de t he st ockade, st r i pped such of t he cor pses as had gol d upon t hemand r et i r ed t o t hei r own camp. And t her e per i shed i n t hi s bat t l e, of t heRomans l ess t han f i f t y, but of t he Vandal s about ei ght hundr ed.

But Bel i sar i us, when t he i nf ant r y came up i n t he l at e af t ernoon, movedas qui ckl y as he coul d wi t h t he whol e ar my and went agai nst t he camp of t he Vandal s. And Gel i mer , r eal i si ng t hat Bel i sar i us wi t h hi s i nf ant r yand the rest of hi s army was comi ng agai nst hi m st r ai ght way, wi t houtsayi ng a word or gi vi ng a command l eaped upon hi s horse and was of f i nf l i ght on t he r oad l eadi ng t o Numi di a. And hi s ki nsmen and some f ew of hi s domest i cs f ol l owed hi m i n ut t er const er nat i on and guar di ng wi t hsi l ence what was t aki ng pl ace. And f or some t i me i t escaped t he not i ceof t he Vandal s t hat Gel i mer had r un away, but when t hey al l per cei vedt hat he had f l ed, and t he enemy were al r eady pl ai nl y seen, t hen i ndeedt he men began to shout and t he chi l dren cr i ed out and t he women wai l ed.And t hey nei t her t ook wi t h t hem t he money t hey had nor di d t hey heed t hel ament s of t hose dear est t o t hem, but every man f l ed i n compl ete

di sor der j ust as he coul d. And t he Romans, comi ng up, capt ured t he camp,money and al l , wi t h not a man i n i t ; and t hey pur sued t he f ugi t i vest hr oughout t he whol e ni ght , ki l l i ng al l t he men upon whom t hey happened,and maki ng sl aves of t he women and chi l dren. And t hey f ound i n thi s campa quant i t y of weal t h such as has never bef ore been f ound, at l east i none pl ace. For t he Vandal s had pl under ed t he Roman domai n f or a l ongt i me and had t r ansf err ed gr eat amounts of money to Li bya, and si ncet hei r l and was an especi al l y good one, nour i shi ng abundant l y wi t h t hemost usef ul cr ops, i t came about t hat t he revenue col l ect ed f r om t hecommodi t i es pr oduced ther e was not pai d out t o any other countr y i n t hepur chase of a f ood suppl y, but t hose who possessed t he l and al ways keptf or t hemsel ves t he i ncome f r om i t f or t he ni net y- f i ve year s dur i ng whi cht he Vandal s rul ed Li bya. And f r om t hi s i t r esul t ed t hat t hei r weal t h,

amount i ng t o an ext r aor di nary sum, r eturned once more on t hat day i nt ot he hands of t he Romans. So t hi s bat t l e and t he pursui t and t he capt ureof t he Vandal s' camp happened three months af t er t he Roman ar my came to




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Cart hage, at about t he mi ddl e of t he l ast mont h, whi ch t he Romans cal l"December . " [ 533 A. D. ]

I V

Then Bel i sar i us, seei ng t he Roman ar my r ushi ng about i n conf usi on andgr eat di sor der , was di st ur bed, bei ng f ear f ul t hr oughout t he whol e ni ghtl est t he enemy, uni t i ng by mut ual agr eement agai nst hi m, shoul d do hi mi r r eparabl e harm. And i f t hi s t hi ng had happened at t hat t i me i n any wayat al l , I bel i eve t hat , not one of t he Romans woul d have escaped andenj oyed t hi s boot y. For t he sol di ers , bei ng ext r emel y poor men, uponbecomi ng al l of a sudden mast ers of ver y great weal t h and of women bot hyoung and ext r emel y comel y, were no l onger abl e to rest r ai n t hei r mi ndsor t o f i nd any sat i et y i n t he t hi ngs t hey had, but wer e so i nt oxi cat ed,drenched as t hey were by t hei r present good f ort unes, t hat each onewi shed t o t ake everyt hi ng wi t h hi m back t o Cart hage. And t hey were goi ng

about , not i n compani es but al one or by t wos, wher ever hope l ed t hem,sear chi ng out everyt hi ng r oundabout among t he val l eys and t he r oughcountr y and wher ever t her e chanced to be a cave or anyt hi ng such asmi ght br i ng them i nt o danger or ambush. For nei t her di d f ear of t heenemy nor t hei r r espect f or Bel i sar i us occur t o t hem, nor i ndeedanythi ng el se at al l except t he desi r e f or spoi l s, and bei ngover mast er ed by t hi s t hey came to thi nk l i ght l y of ever ythi ng el se. AndBel i sar i us, t aki ng not e of al l t hi s, was at a l oss as t o how he shoul dhandl e t he si t uat i on. But at daybr eak he t ook hi s st and upon a cer t ai nhi l l near t he r oad, appeal i ng t o t he di sci pl i ne whi ch no l onger exi st edand heapi ng r epr oaches upon al l , sol di er s and of f i cer s al i ke. Theni ndeed, t hose who chanced to be near , and especi al l y t hose who were of t he househol d of Bel i sar i us, sent t he money and sl aves whi ch t hey had t o

Car t hage wi t h thei r t ent mates and messmat es, and themsel ves came upbesi de t he gener al and gave heed t o t he order s gi ven t hem.

And he commanded J ohn, t he Ar meni an, wi t h t wo hundr ed men to f ol l owGel i mer , and wi t hout sl ackeni ng t hei r speed ei t her ni ght or day t opur sue hi m, unt i l t hey shoul d take hi m l i vi ng or dead. And he sent wor dt o hi s associ at es i n Car t hage t o l ead i nt o t he ci t y al l t he Vandal s whower e si t t i ng as suppl i ant s i n sanct uar i es i n t he pl aces about t he ci t y,gi vi ng t hem pl edges and t aki ng away t hei r weapons, t hat t hey mi ght notbegi n an upr i si ng, and t o keep t hemt here unt i l he hi msel f shoul d come.And wi t h those who were l ef t he went about ever ywher e and gat her ed t hesol di ers hast i l y, and t o al l t he Vandal s he came upon he gave pl edgesf or t hei r saf et y. For i t was no l onger possi bl e to cat ch anyone of t he

Vandal s except as a suppl i ant i n t he sanct uar i es. And f r om t hese he t ookaway t hei r weapons and sent t hem, wi t h sol di ers t o guard t hem, t oCart hage, not gi vi ng t hem t i me to uni t e agai nst t he Romans. And whenever ythi ng was as wel l set t l ed as possi bl e, he hi msel f wi t h t he gr eat erpar t of t he ar my moved agai nst Gel i mer wi t h al l speed. But J ohn, af t ercont i nui ng t he pur sui t f i ve days and ni ght s, had al r eady come not f arf r omGel i mer , and i n f act he was about t o engage wi t h hi m on t hef ol l owi ng day. But si nce i t was not f at ed t hat Gel i mer shoul d becapt ur ed by J ohn, t he f ol l owi ng obst acl e was cont r i ved by f or t une. Amongt hose pur sui ng wi t h J ohn i t happened that t her e was Ul i ar i s, t he ai de of Bel i sar i us. Now t hi s man was a passi onate f el l ow and wel l f avour ed i nst r ength of hear t and body, but not a very ser i ous man, but one whogener al l y took del i ght i n wi ne and buf f ooner y. Thi s Ul i ar i s on t he si xt h

day of t he pur sui t , bei ng dr unk, saw a bi r d si t t i ng i n a t r ee at aboutsunr i se, and he qui ckl y st r etched hi s bow and despat ched a mi ssi l e att he bi r d. And he mi ssed t he bi r d, but J ohn, who was behi nd i t , he hi t i n




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t he neck by no wi l l of hi s own. And si nce t he wound was mort al , J ohnpassed away a short t i me af t er wards, l eavi ng gr eat sor r ow at hi s l oss tot he Emper or J ust i ni an and Bel i sar i us, t he gener al , and to al l t he Romansand Cart hagi ni ans. For i n manl i ness and every sor t of vi r t ue he was wel l

endowed, and he shewed hi msel f , t o those who associ ated wi t h hi m, gent l eand equi t abl e to a degr ee qui t e unsur passed. Thus, t hen, J ohn f ul f i l l edhi s dest i ny. As f or Ul i ar i s, when he came to hi msel f , he f l ed t o acer t ai n vi l l age whi ch was near by and sat as a suppl i ant i n t hesanct uar y t her e. And the sol di er s no l onger pr essed the pur sui t of Gel i mer , but t hey cared f or J ohn as l ong as he survi ved, and when he haddi ed t hey car r i ed out al l t he cust omar y ri t es i n hi s bur i al , andr eport i ng t he whol e mat t er t o Bel i sar i us they remai ned where t hey were.And as soon as he heard of i t , he came to J ohn' s bur i al , and bewai l edhi s f at e. And af t er weepi ng over hi m and gr i evi ng bi t t er l y at t he whol eoccur r ence, he honour ed t he tomb of J ohn wi t h many gi f t s and especi al l yby pr ovi di ng f or i t a r egul ar i ncome. However , he di d nothi ng sever e t oUl i ar i s, si nce t he sol di er s sai d t hat J ohn had enj oi ned upon t hem by the

most dread oaths t hat no vengeance shoul d come t o hi m, si nce he had notper f or med t he unhol y deed wi t h del i ber ate i nt ent .

Thus, t hen, Gel i mer escaped f al l i ng i nt o t he hands of t he enemy on t hatday. And f r omt hat t i me on Bel i sar i us pur sued hi m, but upon r eachi ng ast r ong ci t y of Numi di a si t uat ed on t he sea, t en days di st ant f r omCar t hage, whi ch t hey cal l Hi ppo Regi us, [ 6] he l ear ned t hat Gel i mer hadascended the mountai n Papua and coul d no l onger be captured by theRomans. Now t hi s mountai n i s s i t uated at t he ext r emi t y of Numi di a and i sexceedi ngl y pr eci pi t ous and cl i mbed onl y wi t h t he gr eat est di f f i cul t y( f or l of t y cl i f f s r i se up t owar d i t f r om ever y si de) , and on i t dwel lbar bar i an Moor s, who were f r i ends and al l i es t o Gel i mer, and an anci entci t y named Medeus l i es on t he out ski r t s of t he mount ai n. There Gel i mer

r est ed wi t h hi s f ol l ower s. But as f or Bel i sar i us, he was not abl e t omake any at t empt at al l on t he mountai n, much l ess i n t he wi nter season,and si nce hi s af f ai r s wer e st i l l i n an uncer t ai n st at e, he di d not t hi nki t advi sabl e t o be away f r om Car t hage; and so he chose out sol di ers ,wi t h Phar as as t hei r l eader , and set t hem t o mai nt ai n t he si ege of t hemount ai n. Now t hi s Phar as was energet i c and thoroughl y ser i ous andupr i ght i n every way, al t hough he was an Er ul i an by bi r t h. And f or anEr ul i an not t o gi ve hi msel f over t o t r eacher y and dr unkenness, but t ost r i ve af t er upr i ght ness, i s no easy matt er and meri t s abundantpr ai se. [ 7] But not onl y was i t Pharas who mai nt ai ned order l y conduct ,but al so al l t he Er ul i ans who f ol l owed hi m. Thi s Phar as, t hen,Bel i sar i us commanded t o est abl i sh hi msel f at t he f oot of t he mount ai ndur i ng t he wi nt er season and t o keep cl ose guar d, so t hat i t woul d

nei t her be possi bl e f or Gel i mer t o l eave t he mount ai n nor f or anysuppl i es t o be br ought i n t o hi m. And Pharas acted accor di ngl y. ThenBel i sar i us t ur ned t o t he Vandal s who wer e si t t i ng as suppl i ant s i n t hesanct uar i es i n Hi ppo Regi us, - - and ther e wer e many of t hemand of t henobi l i t y- - and he caused t hem al l t o accept pl edges and ar i se, and t henhe sent t hem t o Cart hage wi t h a guar d. And t her e i t came about t hat t hef ol l owi ng event happened t o hi m.

I n t he house of Gel i mer t here was a cert ai n scr i be named Boni f ace, aLi byan, and a nat i ve of Byzaci um, a man exceedi ngl y f ai t hf ul t o Gel i mer .At t he begi nni ng of t hi s war Gel i mer had put t hi s Boni f ace on a ver yswi f t - sai l i ng shi p, and pl aci ng al l t he r oyal t r easur e i n i t commandedhi m t o anchor i n t he harbour of Hi ppo Regi us, and i f he shoul d see t hat

t he si t uat i on was not f avour abl e t o t hei r si de, he was t o sai l wi t h al lspeed t o Spai n wi t h the money, and go to Theudi s, t he l eader of t heVi si got hs, wher e he was expect i ng t o f i nd saf et y f or hi msel f al so,




55

shoul d t he f or t une of war pr ove adver se f or t he Vandal s. So Boni f ace, asl ong as he f el t hope f or t he cause of t he Vandal s, r emai ned t here; butas soon as t he bat t l e i n Tr i camar um t ook pl ace, wi t h al l t he ot herevent s whi ch have been rel ated, he spread hi s canvas and sai l ed away

j ust as Gel i mer had di r ect ed hi m. But an opposi ng wi nd brought hi m back,much agai nst hi s wi l l , i nt o the har bour of Hi ppo Regi us. And si nce hehad al r eady heard t hat t he enemy were somewher e near , he ent r eated t hesai l or s wi t h many pr omi ses t o row wi t h al l t hei r mi ght f or some ot hercont i nent or f or an i sl and. But t hey wer e unabl e t o do so, si nce a ver ysever e st orm had f al l en upon t hemand t he waves of t he sea were r i si ngt o a gr eat hei ght , seei ng t hat i t was t he Tuscan sea, [ 8] and t hen i toccur r ed t o t hem and t o Boni f ace t hat , af t er al l , God wi shed t o gi ve t hemoney t o t he Romans and so was not al l owi ng t he shi p t o put out .However , t hough t hey had got out si de t he har bour , t hey encount ered greatdanger i n br i ngi ng t hei r shi p back t o anchorage. And when Bel i sar i usar r i ved at Hi ppo Regi us, Boni f ace sent some men t o hi m. These hecommanded to si t i n a sanctuar y, and they were t o say that t hey had been

sent by Boni f ace, who had t he money of Gel i mer , but t o conceal t he pl acewher e he was, unt i l t hey shoul d recei ve t he pl edges of Bel i sar i us t hatupon gi vi ng Gel i mer ' s money he hi msel f shoul d escape f r ee f r om harm,havi ng al l t hat was hi s own. These men, t hen, act ed accor di ng t o t hesei nst r uct i ons, and Bel i sar i us was pl eased at t he good news and di d notdecl i ne t o t ake an oath. And sendi ng some of hi s associ ates he t ook t het r easure of Gel i mer and r el eased Boni f ace i n possessi on of hi s own moneyand al so wi t h an enor mous sum whi ch he pl undered f r om Gel i mer ' st r easur e.

V

And when he r etur ned t o Cart hage, he put al l t he Vandal s i n r eadi ness,so t hat at t he openi ng of spr i ng he mi ght send t hem t o Byzant i um; and hesent out an army t o recover f or t he Romans ever yt hi ng whi ch t he Vandal sr ul ed. And f i r st he sent Cyr i l t o Sar di ni a wi t h a gr eat f or ce, havi ngt he head of Tzazon, si nce t hese i sl ander s wer e not at al l wi l l i ng t oyi el d t o the Romans, f ear i ng t he Vandal s and t hi nki ng t hat what had beent ol d t hem as havi ng happened i n Tr i camarumcoul d not be t r ue. And heor der ed t hi s Cyri l t o send a por t i on of t he ar my to Cor si ca, and t or ecover f or t he Roman empi r e t he i sl and, whi ch had been pr evi ousl ysubj ect t o t he Vandal s; t hi s i sl and was cal l ed Cyrnus i n ear l y t i mes,and i s not f ar f r om Sar di ni a. So he came to Sar di ni a and di spl ayed t hehead of Tzazon t o t he i nhabi t ant s of t he pl ace, and he won back both the

i sl ands and made them t r i but ary t o t he Roman domai n. And t o Caesar ea[ 9]i n Maur etani a Bel i sar i us sent J ohn wi t h an i nf ant r y company whi ch heusual l y commanded hi msel f ; t hi s pl ace i s di st ant f r om Car t hage a j our neyof t hi r t y days f or an unencumber ed t r avel l er, as one goes t owar ds Gadi r aand the west ; and i t i s s i t uat ed upon t he sea, havi ng been a gr eat andpopul ous ci t y f r om anci ent t i mes. Anot her J ohn, one of hi s ownguardsmen, he sent t o Gadi r a on t he st r ai t and by one of t he Pi l l ar s of Her acl es, t o t ake possessi on of t he f or t t her e whi ch t hey cal l"Sept em. "[ 10] And t o the i sl ands whi ch ar e near t he st r ai t wher e theocean f l ows i n, cal l ed Ebusa and Maj or i ca and Mi nori ca[ 11] by t henat i ves, he sent Apol l i nar i us, who was a nat i ve of I t al y, but had comewhi l e st i l l a l ad t o Li bya. And he had been r ewarded wi t h gr eat sums of money by I l der i c, who was t hen l eader of t he Vandal s, and af t er I l der i c

had been r emoved f r om t he of f i ce and was i n conf i nement , as has beent ol d i n t he pr evi ous nar r at i ve, [ 12] he came t o t he Emper or J ust i ni anwi t h t he ot her Li byans who wer e wor ki ng i n t he i nt er est of I l der i c, i n




56

order t o ent r eat hi s f avour as a suppl i ant . And he j oi ned t he Romanexpedi t i on agai nst Gel i mer and t he Vandal s, and pr oved hi msel f a br aveman i n thi s war and most of al l at Tri camar um. And as a r esul t of hi sdeeds t her e Bel i sar i us ent r ust ed t o hi m t hese i sl ands. And l at er

Bel i sar i us sent an ar my al so i nt o Tr i pol i s t o Pudent i us and Tat t i mut h, [ 13] who wer e bei ng pressed by t he Moors t here, and t husst r engthened the Roman power i n that quar t er .

He al so sent some men t o Si ci l y i n or der t o take t he f or t r ess i nLi l ybaeum, as bel ongi ng t o t he Vandal s' ki ngdom, [ 14] but he was repul sedf r omt here, si nce t he Got hs by no means saw f i t t o yi el d any part of Si ci l y, on t he gr ound t hat t hi s f or t r ess di d not bel ong t o t he Vandal sat al l . And when Bel i sar i us heard thi s, he wr ote to the commander s whower e t her e as f ol l ows: "You ar e depr i vi ng us of Li l ybaeum, t he f or t r essof t he Vandal s who are the sl aves of t he emperor , and are not act i ng j ust l y nor i n a way t o benef i t yoursel ves, and you wi sh t o br i ng uponyour r ul er , t hough he does not so wi l l i t and i s f ar di st ant f r om t he

scene of t hese act i ons, t he host i l i t y of t he gr eat emper or , whosegood- wi l l he has, havi ng won i t wi t h gr eat l abour . And yet how coul d youbut seem t o be act i ng cont r ary t o t he ways of men, i t you r ecent l yal l owed Gel i mer t o hol d t he f or t r ess, but have deci ded t o wr est f r om t heemper or , Gel i mer ' s mast er , t he possessi ons of t he sl ave? You, at l east ,shoul d not act t hus, most excel l ent si r s. But r ef l ect t hat , whi l e i t i st he nat ur e of f r i endshi p t o cover over many f aul t s, host i l i t y does notbrook even t he smal l est mi sdeeds, but sear ches t he past f or ever yof f ence, and al l ows not i t s enemy to gr ow r i ch on what does not i n t hel east bel ong t o t hem. [ 15] Moreover , t he enemy f i ghts t o avenge t hewr ongs whi ch i t says have been done t o i t s ancest ors; and whereas, i f f r i endshi p t hus tur ned t o hosti l i t y f ai l s i n t he str uggl e, i t suf f er s nol oss of i t s own possessi ons, yet i f i t succeeds, i t t eaches t he

vanqui shed t o take a new vi ew of t he i ndul gence whi ch has been shewnt hem i n t he past . See t o i t , t hen, t hat you nei t her do us f ur t her har mnor suf f er har m your sel ves, and do not make t he great emper or an enemyt o t he Got hi c nat i on, when i t i s your pr ayer t hat he be pr opi t i oust owar d you. For be wel l assur ed t hat , i f you l ay cl ai m t o t hi s f or t r ess,war wi l l conf r ont you i mmedi at el y, and not f or Li l ybaeum al one, but f oral l t he possessi ons you cl ai m as your s, t hough not one of t hem bel ongst o you. "

Such was t he message of t he l et t er . And the Goths r eport ed t hese t hi ngst o t he mot her [ 16] of Ant al ar i c, and at her di r ect i on made t he f ol l owi ngr epl y: "The l et t er whi ch you have wr i t t en, most excel l ent Bel i sar i us,car r i es sound admoni t i on, but pert i nent t o some ot her men, not t o us t he

Got hs. For t here i s not hi ng of t he Emperor J ust i ni an' s whi ch we havet aken and hol d; may we never be so mad as t o do such a t hi ng! The whol eof Si ci l y we cl ai m because i t i s our own, and t he f or t r ess of Li l ybaeumi s one of i t s pr omont or i es. And i f Theoder i c gave hi s si st er , who wast he consor t of t he ki ng of t he Vandal s, one of t he t r adi ng- por t s of Si ci l y f or her use, t hi s i s not hi ng. For t hi s f act coul d not af f or d abasi s f or any cl ai m on your par t . But you, O Gener al , woul d be act i ng j ust l y t owar d us, i f you shoul d be wi l l i ng t o make t he set t l ement of t hemat t ers i n di sput e between us, not as an enemy, but as a f r i end. Andt her e i s t hi s di f f er ence, t hat f r i ends ar e accust omed t o set t l e thei rdi sagr eement s by ar bi t r at i on, but enemi es by bat t l e. We, t her ef or e,shal l commi t t hi s mat t er t o t he Emper or J ust i ni an, t o ar bi t r at e[ 17] i nwhatever manner seems t o hi m l awf ul and j ust . And we desi r e that t he

deci si ons you make shal l be as wi se as possi bl e, r at her t han as hast y aspossi bl e, and t hat you, t her ef or e, awai t t he deci si on of your emper or . "Such was t he message of t he l et t er of t he Got hs. And Bel i sar i us,




57

r epor t i ng al l t o the emper or , r emai ned qui et unt i l t he emper or shoul dsend hi m word what hi s wi sh was.

VI

But Pharas, havi ng by t hi s t i me become wear y of t he si ege f or manyr easons, and especi al l y because of t he wi nt er season, and at t he samet i me t hi nki ng t hat t he Moor s t here woul d not be abl e t o st and i n hi sway, under t ook t he ascent of Papua wi t h great zeal . Accordi ngl y he ar medal l hi s f ol l ower s ver y car ef ul l y and began t he ascent . But t he Moor sr ushed t o t he def ence, and si nce they were on gr ound whi ch was st eep andver y har d t o t r aver se, t hei r ef f or t s t o hi nder t hose maki ng t he ascentwer e easi l y accompl i shed. But Phar as f ought har d t o f orce t he ascent ,and one hundred and ten of hi s men per i shed i n thi s st r uggl e, and hehi msel f wi t h t he r emai nder was beat en back and r et i r ed; and as a r esul tof t hi s he di d not dar e t o at t empt t he ascent agai n, si nce t he si t uat i on

was agai nst hi m, but he est abl i shed as car ef ul a guar d as possi bl e, i norder t hat t hose on Papua, bei ng pr essed by hunger , mi ght sur r endert hemsel ves; and he nei t her per mi t t ed t hem t o run away nor anyt hi ng t o bebr ought i n t o t hem f r om out si de. Then, i ndeed, i t came about t hatGel i mer and those about hi m, who were nephews and cousi ns of hi s andother persons of hi gh bi r t h, exper i enced a mi sery whi ch no one coul ddescr i be, however el oquent he mi ght be, i n a way whi ch woul d equal t hef act s. For of al l t he nat i ons whi ch we know t hat of t he Vandal s i s t hemost l uxur i ous, and t hat of t he Moor s t he most hardy. For t he Vandal s,si nce the t i me when they gai ned possessi on of Li bya, used t o i ndul ge i nbat hs, al l of t hem, every day, and enj oyed a t abl e aboundi ng i n al lt hi ngs, t he sweet est and best t hat t he eart h and sea produce. And t heywore gol d very general l y, and cl othed t hemsel ves i n the Medi c gar ment s,

whi ch now t hey cal l " ser i c, " [ 18] and passed t hei r t i me, t hus dr essed, i nt heat r es and hi ppodromes and i n other pl easureabl e pur sui t s, and aboveal l el se i n hunt i ng. And they had dancer s and mi mes and al l other t hi ngst o hear and see whi ch ar e of a musi cal nature or other wi se mer i tat t ent i on among men. And t he most of t hem dwel t i n par ks, whi ch werewel l suppl i ed wi t h water and t r ees; and they had great numbers of banquet s, and al l manner of sexual pl easur es were i n gr eat vogue amongt hem. But t he Moors l i ve i n st uf f y hut s[ 19] bot h i n wi nt er and i n summerand at every ot her t i me, never r emovi ng f r omt hem ei t her because of snowor t he heat of t he sun or any ot her di scomf ort whatever due t o nature.And they sl eep on the gr ound, t he pr osperous among them, i f i t shoul d sohappen, spreadi ng a f l eece under t hemsel ves. Moreover , i t i s notcust omary among t hem t o change t hei r cl othi ng wi t h t he seasons, but t hey

wear a t hi ck cl oak and a r ough shi r t at al l t i mes. And t hey have nei t herbr ead nor wi ne nor any ot her good t hi ng, but t hey t ake gr ai n, ei t herwheat or bar l ey, and, wi t hout boi l i ng i t or gr i ndi ng i t t o f l our orbar l ey- meal , t hey eat i t i n a manner not a whi t di f f er ent f r om t hat of ani mal s. Si nce t he Moor s, t hen, wer e of a such a sor t , t he f ol l ower s of Gel i mer , af t er l i vi ng wi t h t hem f or a l ong t i me and changi ng t hei raccust omed manner of l i f e to such a mi ser abl e exi st ence, when at l asteven t he necessi t i es of l i f e had f ai l ed, hel d out no l onger , but deat hwas t hought by t hem most sweet and sl aver y by no means di sgr acef ul .

Now when thi s was l ear ned by Pharas, he wr ote t o Gel i mer as f ol l ows: " It oo ama bar bar i an and not accust omed t o wr i t i ng and speaki ng, nor amIski l f ul i n t hese matt er s. But t hat whi ch I am f or ced as a man t o know,

havi ng l ear ned f r om t he nat ur e of t hi ngs, t hi s I am wr i t i ng you. What i nt he wor l d has happened t o you, my dear Gel i mer , t hat you have cast , notyour sel f al one, but your whol e f ami l y besi des, i nt o t hi s pi t ? I s i t ,




58

f or soot h, t hat you may avoi d becomi ng a sl ave? But t hi s i s assur edl ynot hi ng but yout hf ul f ol l y, and maki ng of ' l i ber t y' a mer e shi bbol et h,as t hough l i ber t y wer e wor t h possessi ng at t he pr i ce of al l t hi s mi ser y!And, af t er al l , do you not consi der t hat you ar e, even now, a sl ave t o

t he most wr etched of t he Moor s, si nce your onl y hope of bei ng saved, i f t he best happens, i s i n t hem? And yet why woul d i t not be bet t er i nevery way t o be a sl ave among t he Romans and beggar ed, t han t o bemonarch on Mount Papua wi t h Moor s as your subj ect s? But of cour se i tseems t o you the very hei ght of di sgrace even to be a f el l ow sl ave wi t hBel i sar i us! Away wi t h t he t hought , most excel l ent Gel i mer. Ar e notwe, [ 20] who al so ar e born of nobl e f ami l i es, pr oud that we ar e now i nt he ser vi ce of an emper or ? And i ndeed t hey say t hat i t i s t he wi sh of t he Emper or J ust i ni an to have you enr ol l ed i n the senat e, t hus shar i ngi n t he hi ghest honour and bei ng a pat r i ci an, as we ter m t hat r ank, andt o pr esent you wi t h l ands both spaci ous and good and wi t h gr eat sums of money, and t hat Bel i sar i us i s wi l l i ng t o make hi msel f r esponsi bl e f oryour havi ng al l t hese t hi ngs, and t o gi ve you pl edges. Now as f or al l

t he mi ser i es whi ch f ort une has brought you, you ar e abl e t o bear wi t hf ort i t ude what ever comes f r om her, knowi ng t hat you ar e but a man andt hat t hese thi ngs are i nevi t abl e; but i f f or t une has pur posed t o tempert hese adver si t i es wi t h some admi xt ur e of good, woul d you of yoursel f r ef use to accept t hi s gl adl y? Or shoul d we consi der t hat t he good gi f t sof f or t une ar e not j ust as i nevi t abl e as ar e her undesi r abl e gi f t s? Yetsuch i s not t he opi ni on of even t he ut t er l y sensel ess; but you, i t woul dseem, have now l ost your good j udgment , st eeped as you ar e i nmi sf ort unes. I ndeed, di scour agement i s wont t o conf ound t he mi nd and tobe t r ansf ormed to f ol l y. I f , however , you can bear your own t hought s andr ef r ai n f r om r ebel l i ng agai nst f or t une when she changes, i t wi l l bepossi bl e at t hi s ver y moment f or you t o choose t hat whi ch wi l l be whol l yt o your advant age, and to escape f r omt he evi l s whi ch hang over you. "

When Gel i mer had r ead t hi s l et t er and wept bi t t er l y over i t , he wr ot e i nr epl y as f ol l ows: "I am bot h deepl y gr at ef ul t o you f or t he advi ce whi chyou have gi ven me and I al so t hi nk i t unbearabl e t o be a sl ave to anenemy who wr ongs me, f r omwhom I shoul d pr ay God t o exact j ust i ce, i f Heshoul d be pr opi t i ous t o me, - - an enemy who, t hough he had neverexper i enced any har m f r om me ei t her i n deeds whi ch he suf f er ed or i nwords whi ch he hear d, provi ded a pretext f or a war whi ch was unprovoked,and r educed me t o t hi s st at e of mi sf or t une, br i ngi ng Bel i sar i us agai nstme f r om I know not wher e. And yet i t i s not at al l unl i kel y that heal so, si nce he i s but a man, t hough he be emper or t oo, may havesomet hi ng bef al l hi m whi ch he woul d not choose. But as f or me, I am notabl e to wr i t e f ur t her . For my pr esent mi sf ort une has r obbed me of my

t houghts. Far ewel l , t hen, dear Pharas, and send me a l yre and one l oaf of br ead and a sponge, I pr ay you. " When t hi s r epl y was r ead by Pharas,he was at a l oss f or some t i me, bei ng unabl e to underst and t he f i nalwor ds of t he l et t er , unt i l he who had br ought t he l et t er expl ai ned t hatGel i mer desi r ed one l oaf because he was eager t o enj oy t he si ght of i tand to eat i t , si nce f r om t he t i me when he went up upon Papua he had notseen a si ngl e baked l oaf . A sponge al so was necessary f or hi m; f or oneof hi s eyes, becomi ng i r r i t at ed by l ack of washi ng, was gr eat l y swol l en.And bei ng a ski l f ul har pi st he had composed an ode rel at i ng t o hi spresent mi sf or t une, whi ch he was eager t o chant t o t he accompani ment of a l yre whi l e he wept out hi s soul . When Pharas hear d t hi s, he was deepl ymoved, and l ament i ng t he f or t une of men, he di d as was wr i t t en and sental l t he thi ngs whi ch Gel i mer desi r ed of hi m. However he rel axed the

si ege not a whi t , but kept wat ch mor e cl osel y t han bef or e.




59

VI I

And al r eady a space of t hree mont hs had been spent i n t hi s si ege and t hewi nter was comi ng t o an end. And Gel i mer was af r ai d, suspect i ng t hat hi s

besi egers woul d come up agai nst hi m af t er no gr eat t i me; and t he bodi esof most of t he chi l dr en who were r el at ed t o hi m[ 21] were di schargi ngworms i n thi s t i me of mi sery. And t hough i n ever yt hi ng he was deepl ydi st r essed, and l ooked upon ever yt hi ng, - - except , i ndeed, deat h, - - wi t hdi ssat i sf act i on, he never t hel ess endur ed t he suf f er i ng beyond al lexpect at i on, unt i l i t happened that he behel d a si ght such as t hef ol l owi ng. A cer t ai n Moor i sh woman had managed somehow t o crush a l i t t l ecor n, and maki ng of i t a ver y t i ny cake, t hr ew i t i nt o the hot ashes ont he hear t h. For t hus i t i s t he cust omamong t he Moor s t o bake t hei rl oaves. And besi de t hi s hear t h t wo chi l dr en wer e si t t i ng, i n exceedi ngl ygr eat di st r ess by r eason of t hei r hunger , t he one bei ng the son of t hever y woman who had thrown i n t he cake, and t he other a nephew of Gel i mer; and they were eager t o sei ze t he cake as soon as i t shoul d seem

t o them t o be cooked. And of t he two chi l dr en t he Vandal got ahead of t he ot her and snat ched t he cake f i r st , and, t hough i t was st i l lexceedi ngl y hot and covered wi t h ashes, hunger overpowered hi m, and het hr ew i t i nt o hi s mout h and was eat i ng i t , when t he ot her sei zed hi m byt he hai r of t he head and st r uck hi m over t he t empl e and beat hi m agai nand t hus compel l ed hi m wi t h gr eat vi ol ence to cast out t he cake whi chwas al r eady i n hi s t hr oat . Thi s sad exper i ence Gel i mer coul d not endur e( f or he had f ol l owed al l f r om t he begi nni ng) , and hi s spi r i t wasweakened and he wr ote as qui ckl y as possi bl e to Phar as as f ol l ows: " I f i t has ever happened t o any man, af t er manf ul l y endur i ng t er r i bl emi sf or t unes, t o t ake a cour se cont r ary t o t hat whi ch he had pr evi ousl ydet ermi ned upon, consi der me t o be such a one, O most excel l ent Pharas.For t her e has come to my mi nd your advi ce, whi ch I amf ar f r omwi shi ng

t o di sr egar d. For I cannot r esi st f or t une f ur t her nor r ebel agai nstf at e, but I shal l f ol l ow st r ai ght way wher ever i t seems t o her best t ol ead; but l et me r ecei ve t he pl edges, t hat Bel i sar i us guar ant ees t hatt he emperor wi l l do everyt hi ng whi ch you r ecent l y pr omi sed me. For I ,i ndeed, as soon as you gi ve t he pl edges, shal l put bot h mysel f i nt o yourhands and these ki nsmen of mi ne and t he Vandal s, as many as ar e her ewi t h us. "

Such wer e t he wor ds wr i t t en by Gel i mer i n t hi s l et t er. And Phar as,havi ng si gni f i ed t hi s t o Bel i sar i us, as wel l as what t hey had pr evi ousl ywr i t t en to each ot her , begged hi m t o decl ar e as qui ckl y as possi bl e whathi s wi sh was. And Bel i sar i us ( si nce he was gr eat l y desi r ous of l eadi ngGel i mer al i ve t o t he emperor) , as soon as he had r ead t he l et t er , became

over j oyed and commanded Cypr i an, a l eader of f oederat i , [ 22] t o go t oPapua wi t h cer t ai n ot hers , and di r ect ed t hemt o gi ve an oath concer ni ngt he saf ety of Gel i mer and of t hose wi t h hi m, and t o swear t hat he woul dbe honoured bef ore the emper or and woul d l ack not hi ng. And when thesemen had come t o Pharas, t hey went wi t h hi m t o a cert ai n pl ace by t hef oot of t he mountai n, wher e Gel i mer came at t hei r summons, and af t err ecei vi ng t he pl edges j ust as he wi shed he came wi t h t hem t o Cart hage.And i t happened t hat Bel i sar i us was st ayi ng f or a t i me i n t he subur b of t he ci t y whi ch t hey cal l Acl as. Accor di ngl y Gel i mer came bef or e hi m i nt hat pl ace, l aughi ng wi t h such l aught er as was nei t her moder ate nor t heki nd one coul d conceal , and some of t hose who were l ooki ng at hi msuspect ed t hat by reason of t he ext r emi t y of hi s af f l i ct i on he hadchanged ent i r el y f r om hi s nat ur al st at e and t hat , al r eady besi de

hi msel f , he was l aughi ng f or no reason. But hi s f r i ends woul d have i tt hat t he man was i n hi s sound mi nd, and t hat because he had been born i na royal f ami l y, and had ascended the throne, and had been cl othed wi t h




60

great power and i mmense weal t h f r om chi l dhood even to ol d age, and thenbei ng dr i ven t o f l i ght and pl unged i nt o gr eat f ear had under gone t hesuf f er i ngs on Papua, and now had come as a capt i ve, havi ng i n t hi s wayhad exper i ence of al l t he gi f t s of f or t une, bot h good and evi l , f or t hi s

r eason, t hey bel i eved, he thought t hat man' s l ot was wor t hy of nothi ngel se t han much l aught er . Now concer ni ng t hi s l aught er of Gel i mer ' s, l eteach one speak accordi ng t o hi s j udgment , bot h enemy and f r i end. ButBel i sar i us, r epor t i ng t o t he emper or t hat Gel i mer was a capt i ve i nCar t hage, asked per mi ssi on t o br i ng hi m t o Byzant i um wi t h hi m. At t hesame t i me he guarded both hi m and al l t he Vandal s i n no di shonour andpr oceeded t o put t he f l eet i n r eadi ness.

Now many other t hi ngs t oo great t o be hoped f or have bef ore now beenexper i enced i n the l ong cour se of t i me, and they wi l l cont i nue as l ongas t he f ort unes of men are t he same as t hey now are; f or t hose thi ngswhi ch seem t o reason i mpossi bl e ar e act ual l y accompl i shed, and manyt i mes t hose t hi ngs whi ch pr evi ousl y appeared i mpossi bl e, when t hey have

bef al l en, have seemed t o be wor t hy of wonder ; but whet her such event s ast hese ever t ook pl ace bef or e I am not abl e to say, wher ei n t he f our t hdescendant of Gi zer i c, and hi s ki ngdom at t he hei ght of i t s weal t h andmi l i t ar y st r engt h, wer e compl et el y undone i n so shor t a t i me by f i vet housand men comi ng i n as i nvaders and havi ng not a pl ace to castanchor . For such was t he number of t he hor semen who f ol l owed Bel i sar i us,and car r i ed t hr ough the whol e war agai nst t he Vandal s. For whet her t hi shappened by chance or because of some ki nd of val our , one woul d j ust l ymar vel at i t . But I shal l r et ur n t o t he poi nt f r om whi ch I have st r ayed.

VI I I

So t he Vandal i c war ended thus. But envy, as i s wont t o happen i n casesof gr eat good f or t une, was al r eady swel l i ng agai nst Bel i sar i us, al t houghhe pr ovi ded no pr et ext f or i t . For some of t he of f i cer s sl ander ed hi m t ot he emperor , char gi ng hi m, wi t hout any gr ounds whatever , wi t h seeki ng t oset up a ki ngdom f or hi msel f , [ 23] a statement f or whi ch t her e was nobasi s what ever . But t he emperor di d not di scl ose these t hi ngs t o t hewor l d, ei t her because he pai d no heed t o the sl ander , or because t hi scour se seemed bet t er t o hi m. But he sent Sol omon and gave Bel i sar i us t heoppor t uni t y t o choose whi chever of t wo thi ngs he desi r ed, ei t her t o comet o Byzant i um wi t h Gel i mer and t he Vandal s, or t o r emai n t her e and sendt hem. And Bel i sar i us, si nce i t di d not escape hi m t hat t he of f i cer s wer ebri ngi ng agai nst hi m t he charge of seeki ng supr eme power, was eager t oget t o Byzant i um, i n or der t hat he mi ght cl ear hi msel f of t he charge and

be abl e to pr oceed agai nst hi s sl ander ers. Now as t o the manner i n whi chhe l ear ned of t he at t empt of hi s accuser s, I shal l expl ai n. When t hosewho denounced hi m wi shed t o pr esent t hi s sl ander, f ear i ng l est t he manwho was t o car r y t hei r l et t er t o the emperor shoul d be l ost at sea andt hus put a st op t o t hei r pr oceedi ngs, t hey wr ot e t he af or esai daccusat i on on t wo tabl ets, pur posi ng t o send t wo messenger s t o theemper or i n two shi ps. And one of t hese two sai l ed away wi t hout bei ngdet ected, but t he second, on account of some suspi ci on or other , wascapt ur ed i n Mandr aci um, and put t i ng t he wr i t i ng i nt o t he hands of hi scapt ors, he made known what was bei ng done. So Bel i sar i us, havi ngl ear ned i n thi s way, was eager t o come bef ore t he emper or , as has beensai d. Such, t hen, was t he cour se of t hese event s at Cart hage.

But t he Moor s who dwel t i n Byzaci umand i n Numi di a t ur ned t o r evol t f orno good r eason, and t hey deci ded t o br eak t he t r eat y and t o r i sesuddenl y agai nst t he Romans. And t hi s was not out of keepi ng wi t h t hei r




61

pecul i ar charact er. For t her e i s among t he Moor s nei t her f ear of God norr espect f or men. For t hey car e not ei t her f or oat hs or f or host ages,even t hough the host ages chance t o be t he chi l dr en or br ot her s of t hei rl eaders. Nor i s peace mai ntai ned among the Moors by any ot her means t han

by f ear of t he enemi es opposi ng t hem. Now I shal l set f or t h i n whatmanner t he t r eat y was made by t hem wi t h Bel i sar i us and how i t wasbroken. When i t came to be expect ed t hat t he emper or ' s expedi t i on woul dar r i ve i n Li bya, t he Moor s, f ear i ng l est t hey shoul d r ecei ve some har mf r om i t , consul t ed t he or acl es of t hei r women. For i t i s not l awf ul i nt hi s nat i on f or a man t o ut t er oracl es, but t he women among t hem as ar esul t of some sacred r i t es become possessed and f or et el l t he f ut ur e, nol ess t han any of t he anci ent oracl es. So on t hat occasi on, when t heymade enqui r y, as has been sai d, t he women gave the r esponse: "Thereshal l be a host f r om t he wat er s, t he over t hr ow of t he Vandal s,dest r uct i on and def eat of t he Moor s, when t he general of t he Romansshal l come unbear ded. " When t he Moor s heard t hi s, si nce t hey saw t hatt he emper or ' s army had come f r om t he sea, t hey began t o be i n great f ear

and wer e qui t e unwi l l i ng t o f i ght i n al l i ance wi t h t he Vandal s, but t heysent t o Bel i sar i us and est abl i shed peace, as has been st at edpr evi ousl y, [ 24] and t hen r emai ned qui et and wai t ed f or t he f ut ur e, t osee how i t woul d f al l out . And when the power of t he Vandal s had nowcome t o an end, t hey sent t o the Roman army, i nvest i gat i ng whet her t her ewas anyone unbear ded among them hol di ng an of f i ce. And when they saw al lwear i ng f ul l bear ds, t hey t hought t hat t he or acl e di d not i ndi cat e thepr esent t i me t o t hem, but one many generat i ons l at er , i nt erpr et i ng t hesayi ng i n t hat way whi ch t hey t hemsel ves wi shed. I mmedi atel y, t heref ore,t hey wer e eager t o br eak t he t r eat y, but t hei r f ear of Bel i sar i usprevented t hem. For t hey had no hope t hat t hey woul d ever over come theRomans i n war, at l east wi t h hi m pr esent . But when they hear d t hat hewas maki ng hi s depar t ure together wi t h hi s guards and spear men, and that

t he shi ps wer e al r eady bei ng f i l l ed wi t h t hem and t he Vandal s, t heysuddenl y r ose i n ar ms and di spl ayed every manner of out r age upon theLi byans. For t he sol di er s wer e bot h f ew i n each pl ace on t he f r ont i erand st i l l unpr epared, so t hat t hey woul d not have been abl e to st andagai nst t he barbar i ans as t hey made i nr oads at ever y poi nt , nor t opr event t hei r i ncur si ons, whi ch t ook pl ace f r equent l y and not i n an openmanner . But men were bei ng ki l l ed i ndi scr i mi nat el y and women wi t h thei rchi l dr en were bei ng made sl aves, and the weal t h was bei ng pl under ed f r omever y par t of t he f r ont i er and t he whol e count r y was bei ng f i l l ed wi t hf ugi t i ves. These t hi ngs wer e repor t ed to Bel i sar i us when he was j ustabout set t i ng sai l . And si nce i t was now t oo l at e f or hi m t o r et ur nhi msel f , he ent r ust ed Sol omon wi t h t he admi ni st r at i on of Li bya and heal so chose out t he gr eat est part of hi s own guards and spearmen,

i nst r uct i ng t hem t o f ol l ow Sol omon and as qui ckl y as possi bl e t o puni shwi t h al l zeal t hose of t he Moors who had r i sen i n r evol t and t o exactvengeance f or t he i nj ury done the Romans. And t he emper or sent anotherarmy al so t o Sol omon wi t h Theodoras, t he Cappadoci an, and I l di ger , whowas t he son- i n- l aw of Ant oni na, t he wi f e of Bel i sar i us. And si nce i t wasno l onger possi bl e t o f i nd t he r evenues of t he di st r i ct s of Li bya setdown i n or der i n document s, as t he Romans had r ecor ded t hem i n f ormert i mes, [ 25] i nasmuch as Gi zer i c had upset and dest r oyed ever ythi ng i n thebegi nni ng, Tryphon and Eust r at i us were sent by t he emper or , i n or der t oassess t he t axes f or t he Li byans each accor di ng to hi s propor t i on. Butt hese men seemed t o the Li byans nei t her moderat e nor endur abl e.

I X

Bel i sar i us, upon r eachi ng Byzant i um wi t h Gel i mer and t he Vandal s, was




62

count ed wort hy t o recei ve such honours, as i n f ormer t i mes were assi gnedt o t hose gener al s of t he Romans who had won the gr eatest and mostnot ewort hy vi ct or i es. And a peri od of about si x hundr ed year s had nowpassed si nce anyone had at t ai ned t hese honour s, [ 26] except , i ndeed,

Ti t us and Tr aj an, and such ot her emperor s as had l ed ar mi es agai nst somebar bar i an nat i on and had been vi ct or i ous. For he di spl ayed the spoi l sand sl aves f r om t he war i n t he mi dst of t he ci t y and l ed a pr ocessi onwhi ch t he Romans cal l a "t r i umph, " not , however , i n t he anci ent manner ,but goi ng on f oot f r om hi s own house t o t he hi ppodr ome and then agai nf r om t he bar r i er s unt i l he r eached t he pl ace wher e t he i mper i al t hr onei s. [ 27] And t her e was boot y, - - f i r st of al l , what ever ar t i cl es ar e wontt o be set apar t f or t he r oyal ser vi ce, - - t hr ones of gol d and car r i ages i nwhi ch i t i s cust omar y f or a ki ng' s consor t t o r i de, and much j ewel r ymade of pr eci ous st ones, and gol den dr i nki ng cups, and al l t he ot hert hi ngs whi ch ar e usef ul f or t he royal t abl e. And t her e was al so si l verwei ghi ng many thousands of t al ent s and al l t he r oyal t r easure amount i ngt o an exceedi ngl y gr eat sum ( f or Gi zer i c had despoi l ed t he Pal at i um i n

Rome, as has been sai d i n the pr ecedi ng narr at i ve) , [ 28] and among thesewer e t he t r easures of t he J ews, whi ch Ti t us, t he son of Vespasi an,t oget her wi t h cer t ai n other s, had br ought t o Rome af t er t he capt ur e of J er usal em. And one of t he J ews, seei ng t hese t hi ngs, appr oached one of t hose known to the emperor and sai d: "These t r easures I t hi nk i ti nexpedi ent t o car r y i nt o the pal ace i n Byzant i um. I ndeed, i t i s notpossi bl e f or t hem t o be el sewher e than i n the pl ace wher e Sol omon, t heki ng of t he J ews, f or mer l y pl aced t hem. For i t i s because of t hese thatGi zer i c capt ured t he pal ace of t he Romans, and that now t he Roman armyhas capt ur ed t hat t he Vandal s. " When thi s had been br ought t o t he earsof t he Emper or , he became af r ai d and qui ckl y sent everyt hi ng t o t hesanct uar i es of t he Chr i st i ans i n J er usal em. And t her e wer e sl aves i n t het r i umph, among whom was Gel i mer hi msel f , wear i ng some sort of a purpl e

gar ment upon hi s shoul der s, and al l hi s f ami l y, and as many of t heVandal s as were very t al l and f ai r of body. And when Gel i mer r eached thehi ppodr ome and saw t he emperor si t t i ng upon a l of t y seat and the peopl est andi ng on ei t her si de and real i zed as he l ooked about i n what an evi lpl i ght he was, he nei t her wept nor cr i ed out , but ceased not sayi ng overi n t he wor ds of t he Hebr ew scri pt ur e: [ 29] "Vani t y of vani t i es, al l i svani t y. " And when he came bef ore the emperor ' s seat , t hey st r i pped of f t he purpl e garment , and compel l ed hi m t o f al l prone on t he gr ound and doobei sance t o t he Emper or J ust i ni an. Thi s al so Bel i sar i us di d, as bei ng asuppl i ant of t he emperor al ong wi t h hi m. And t he Emper or J ust i ni an andt he Empr ess Theodor a pr esent ed t he chi l dr en of I l der i c and hi s of f spr i ngand al l t hose of t he f ami l y of t he Emper or Val ent i ni an wi t h suf f i ci entsums of money, and to Gel i mer t hey gave l ands not t o be despi sed i n

Gal at i a and per mi t t ed hi m t o l i ve t her e t oget her wi t h hi s f ami l y.However , Gel i mer was by no means enr ol l ed among the pat r i ci ans, si nce hewas unwi l l i ng t o change f r om t he f ai t h of Ar i us.

[ J an. 1, 535 A. D. ] A l i t t l e l at er t he t r i umph[ 30] was cel ebr at ed by,Bel i sar i us i n the anci ent manner al so. For he had the f or t une t o beadvanced t o t he of f i ce of consul , and t heref ore was borne al of t by thecapt i ves, and as he was t hus car r i ed i n hi s cur ul e chai r , he t hr ew t ot he popul ace t hose very spoi l s of t he Vandal i c war . For t he peopl ecar r i ed of f t he si l ver pl at e and gol den gi r dl es and a vast amount of t heVandal s' weal t h of ot her sor t s as a r esul t of Bel i sar i us' consul shi p,and i t seemed that af t er a l ong i nt er val of di suse an ol d cust om wasbei ng revi ved. [ 31] These thi ngs, t hen, t ook pl ace i n Byzant i um i n the

manner descr i bed.




63

X

And Sol omon t ook over t he ar my i n Li bya; but i n vi ew of t he f act t hatt he Moor s had ri sen agai nst hi m, as has been t ol d pr evi ousl y, and that

everyt hi ng was i n suspense, he was at a l oss how t o t r eat t he si t uat i on.For i t was r epor t ed t hat t he bar bar i ans had dest r oyed t he sol di er s i nByzaci um and Numi di a and that t hey wer e pi l l agi ng and pl under i ngever ythi ng t her e. But what di st ur bed most of al l bot h hi m and al lCart hage was the f ate whi ch bef el l Aï gan, t he Massagete, and Ruf i nus,t he Thr aci an, i n Byzaci um. For bot h were men of gr eat r epute both i n t hehousehol d of Bel i sar i us and i n the Roman army, one of t hem, Aï gan, bei ngamong the spearmen of Bel i sar i us, whi l e t he ot her , as t he mostcour ageous of al l , was accust omed t o car r y t he st andar d of t he generali n bat t l e; such an of f i cer t he Romans cal l "bandi f er . " [ 32] Now at t het i me ref er r ed t o these t wo men were commandi ng det at chment s of caval r yi n Byzaci um, and when t hey saw t he Moor s pl under i ng ever yt hi ng bef oret hemand maki ng al l t he Li byans capt i ves, t hey watched i n a nar r ow pass

wi t h t hei r f ol l ower s f or t hose who wer e escor t i ng t he boot y, and ki l l edt hemand t ook away al l t he capt i ves. And when a r eport of t hi s came t ot he commanders of t he barbar i ans, Cout zi nas and Esdi l asas andI our phout hes and Medi si ni ssas, who wer e not f ar away f r omt hi s pass,t hey moved agai nst t hem wi t h thei r whol e ar my i n t he l at e af t er noon. Andt he Romans, bei ng a ver y f ew men and shut of f i n a nar r ow pl ace i n themi dst of many thousands, wer e not abl e t o war d of f t hei r assai l ant s. Forwherever t hey mi ght t ur n, t hey wer e al ways shot at f r omt he rear. Then,i ndeed, Ruf i nus and Aï gan wi t h some f ew men r an t o t he t op of a rockwhi ch was near by and f r omt here def ended t hemsel ves agai nst t hebar bar i ans. Now as l ong as t hey were usi ng t hei r bows, t he enemy di d notdar e come di r ect l y to a hand- t o- hand st r uggl e wi t h t hem, but t hey kepthur l i ng t hei r j avel i ns among t hem; but when al l t he arr ows of t he Romans

were now exhaust ed, t he Moor s cl osed wi t h them, and they def endedt hemsel ves wi t h thei r swords as wel l as t he ci r cumst ances per mi t t ed. Butsi nce t hey were overpowered by t he mul t i t ude of t he barbar i ans, Aï ganf el l t here wi t h hi s whol e body hacked t o pi eces, and Ruf i nus was sei zedby the enemy and l ed away. But st r ai ght way one of t he commander s,Medi si ni ssas, f eari ng l est he shoul d escape and agai n make t r oubl e f ort hem, cut of f hi s head and t aki ng i t t o hi s home shewed i t t o hi s wi ves,f or i t was a r emar kabl e si ght on account of t he ext r aor di nar y si ze of t he head and t he abundance of hai r . And now, si nce the narr at i on of t hehi st or y has br ought me t o t hi s poi nt , i t i s necessar y t o t el l f r om t hebegi nni ng whence the nat i ons of t he Moors came to Li bya and how t heyset t l ed ther e.

When t he Hebrews had wi t hdrawn f r om Egypt and had come near t heboundar i es of Pal est i ne, Moses, a wi se man, who was t hei r l eader on t he j ourney, di ed, and t he l eader shi p was passed on t o J oshua, t he son of Nun, who l ed t hi s peopl e i nt o Pal est i ne, and, by di spl ayi ng a val our i nwar gr eater t han that nat ur al t o a man, gai ned possessi on of t he l and.And af t er over t hr owi ng al l t he nat i ons he easi l y won t he ci t i es, and heseemed t o be al t ogether i nvi nci bl e. Now at t hat t i me t he whol e count r yal ong t he sea f r omSi don as f ar as t he boundari es of Egypt was cal l edPhoeni ci a. And one ki ng i n anci ent t i mes hel d sway over i t , as i s agr eedby al l who have wr i t t en t he ear l i est account s of t he Phoeni ci ans. I nt hat count r y t her e dwel t ver y popul ous t r i bes, t he Ger gesi t es and the J ebusi t es and some ot hers wi t h ot her names by whi ch t hey ar e cal l ed i nt he hi st ory of t he Hebr ews. [ 33] Now when t hese nat i ons saw t hat t he

i nvadi ng gener al was an i r r esi st i bl e pr odi gy, t hey emi gr at ed f r om t hei rancest r al homes and made t hei r way to Egypt , whi ch adj oi ned t hei rcount r y. And f i ndi ng t her e no pl ace suf f i ci ent f or t hem t o dwel l i n,




64

si nce t her e has been a gr eat popul at i on i n Aegypt f r om anci ent t i mes,t hey proceeded t o Li bya. And t hey est abl i shed numerous ci t i es and t ookpossessi on of t he whol e of Li bya as f ar as t he Pi l l ar s of Her acl es, andt here t hey have l i ved even up to my t i me, usi ng the Phoeni ci an t ongue.

They al so bui l t a f or t r ess i n Numi di a, where now i s t he ci t y cal l ed Ti gi si s. I n t hat pl ace ar e t wo col umns made of whi t e st one near by t hegr eat spr i ng, havi ng Phoeni ci an l et t er s cut i n t hem whi ch say i n t hePhoeni ci an tongue: "We ar e they who f l ed f r om bef ore t he f ace of J oshua,t he robber , t he son of Nun. " Ther e wer e al so ot her nat i ons set t l ed i nLi bya bef ore t he Moor s, who on account of havi ng been est abl i shed theref r om of ol d wer e sai d t o be chi l dr en of t he soi l . And because of t hi st hey sai d t hat Ant aeus, t hei r ki ng, who wr est l ed wi t h Her acl es i nCl i pea, [ 34] was a son of t he ear t h. And i n l ater t i mes t hose who r emovedf r omPhoeni ci a wi t h Di do came to the i nhabi t ant s of Li bya as t o ki nsmen.And t hey wi l l i ngl y al l owed t hemt o f ound and hol d Cart hage. But as t i mewent on Car t hage became a power f ul and popul ous ci t y. And a bat t l e tookpl ace bet ween t hem and t hei r nei ghbours, who, as has been sai d, had come

f r om Pal est i ne bef or e t hem and ar e cal l ed Moor s at t he pr esent t i me, andt he Cart hagi ni ans def eated t hemand compel l ed t hem t o l i ve a ver y gr eatdi st ance away f r om Car t hage. Lat er on t he Romans gai ned the supremacyover al l of t hem i n war , and set t l ed t he Moor s at t he ext r emi t y of t hei nhabi t ed l and of Li bya, and made t he Cart hagi ni ans and t he otherLi byans subj ect and t r i but ar y t o t hemsel ves. And af t er t hi s t he Moor swon many vi ct or i es over t he Vandal s and gai ned possessi on of t he l andnow cal l ed Maur et ani a, extendi ng f r omGadi r a as f ar as t he boundari es of Caesarea, [ 35] as wel l as t he most of Li bya whi ch r emai ned. Such, t hen,i s t he st or y of t he set t l ement of t he Moor s i n Li bya.

XI

Now when Sol omon heard what had bef al l en Ruf i nus and Aï gan, he mader eady f or war and wr ote as f ol l ows t o t he commander s of t he Moor s:"Ot her men than you have even bef ore t hi s had the i l l f ort une t o l oset hei r senses and t o be dest r oyed, men who had no means of j udgi ngbef or ehand how t hei r f ol l y woul d tur n out . But as f or you, who have theexampl e near at hand i n your nei ghbour s, t he Vandal s, what i n t he wor l dhas happened t o you that you have deci ded t o rai se your hands agai nstt he great emper or and t hrow away your own secur i t y, and that t oo whenyou have gi ven t he most dread oaths i n wr i t i ng and have handed over yourchi l dr en as pl edges t o the agr eement ? I s i t t hat you have det er mi ned t omake a ki nd of di spl ay of t he f act t hat you have no consi der at i on ei t herf or God or f or good f ai t h or f or ki nshi p i t sel f or f or saf et y or f or any

ot her t hi ng at al l ? And yet , i f such i s your pr act i ce i n mat t er s whi chconcer n the di vi ne, i n what al l y do you put your t r ust i n mar chi ngagai nst t he emper or of t he Romans? And i f you ar e taki ng the f i el d tot he dest r uct i on of your chi l dr en, what i n t he wor l d i s i t i n behal f of whi ch you have deci ded t o endanger your sel ves? But i f any repent ance hasby now ent er ed your heart s f or what has al r eady t aken pl ace, wr i t e t ous, t hat we may sat i sf act or i l y ar r ange wi t h you touchi ng what hasal r eady been done; but i f your madness has not yet abated, expect aRoman war , whi ch wi l l come upon you t ogether wi t h t he oaths whi ch youhave vi ol ated and the wr ong whi ch you are doi ng to your own chi l dren. "

Such was t he l et t er whi ch Sol omon wr ote. And t he Moor s r epl i ed asf ol l ows: "Bel i sar i us del uded us wi t h gr eat pr omi ses and by thi s means

per suaded us t o become subj ect s of t he Emperor J ust i ni an; but t heRomans, whi l e gi vi ng us no share i n any good t hi ng, expected t o have us,t hough pi nched wi t h hunger , as t hei r f r i ends and al l i es. Ther ef or e i t i s




65

mor e f i t t i ng t hat you shoul d be cal l ed f ai t hl ess t han t hat t he Moor sshoul d be. For t he men who break t r eat i es are not t hose who, whenmani f est l y wr onged, br i ng accusat i on agai nst t hei r nei ghbour s and t ur naway f r om t hem, but t hose who expect t o keep ot her s i n f ai t hf ul al l i ance

wi t h t hem and t hen do t hem vi ol ence. And men make God t hei r enemy, notwhen t hey march agai nst others i n order t o recover t hei r ownpossessi ons, but when t hey get t hemsel ves i nt o danger of war byencr oachi ng upon t he possessi ons of ot her s. And as f or chi l dr en, t hatwi l l be your concern, who ar e not permi t t ed t o marr y more t han one wi f e;but wi t h us, who have, i t may be, f i f t y wi ves l i vi ng wi t h each of us,of f spr i ng of chi l dr en can never f ai l . "

When Sol omon had read t hi s l et t er , he deci ded t o l ead hi s whol e ar myagai nst t he Moor s. So af t er ar r angi ng mat t ers i n Car t hage, he pr oceededwi t h al l hi s t r oops t o Byzaci um. And when he r eached t he pl ace whi ch i scal l ed Mammes, [ 36] wher e t he f our Moori sh commander s, whom I havement i oned a l i t t l e bef ore, [ 37] were encamped, he made a st ockade f or

hi msel f . Now t her e ar e l of t y mount ai ns t her e, and a l evel space near t hef oothi l l s of t he mount ai ns, wher e the bar bari ans had made pr eparat i onsf or t he bat t l e and ar r anged t hei r f i ght i ng or der as f ol l ows. They f or meda ci r cl e of t hei r camel s, j ust as, i n t he pr evi ous nar r at i ve, [ 38] I havesai d Cabaon di d, maki ng t he f r ont about t wel ve deep. And they pl aced thewomen wi t h t he chi l dr en wi t hi n t he ci r cl e; ( f or among t he Moor s i t i scust omar y to t ake al so a f ew women, wi t h t hei r chi l dr en, t o bat t l e, andt hese make t he st ockades and hut s f or t hem and t end t he hor sesski l f ul l y, and have charge of t he camel s and t he f ood; t hey al so shar pent he i r on weapons and t ake upon t hemsel ves many of t he t asks i nconnect i on wi t h t he pr eparat i on f or bat t l e) ; and t he men themsel ves t ookt hei r st and on f oot i n bet ween the l egs of t he camel s, havi ng shi el dsand swords and smal l spears whi ch t hey ar e accust omed t o hur l l i ke

j avel i ns. And some of t hemwi t h t hei r horses r emai ned qui et l y among t hemount ai ns. But Sol omon di sr egarded one hal f of t he ci r cl e of t he Moor s,whi ch was t owards t he mount ai n, pl aci ng no one there. For he f ear ed l estt he enemy on t he mountai n shoul d come down and t hose i n the ci r cl eshoul d t urn about and t hus make the men drawn up ther e exposed to at t ackon bot h si des i n t he bat t l e. But agai nst t he r emai nder of t he ci r cl e hedrew up hi s whol e ar my, and si nce he saw t he most of t hem f r i ght ened andwi t hout cour age, on account of what had bef al l en Aï gan and Ruf i nus, andwi shi ng t o admoni sh t hem t o be of good cheer , he spoke as f ol l ows: "Menwho have campai gned wi t h Bel i sar i us, l et no f ear of t hese men ent er yourmi nds, and, i f Moor s gat her ed t o t he number of f i f t y t housand haveal r eady def eat ed f i ve hundr ed Romans, l et not t hi s st and f or you as anexampl e. But cal l t o mi nd your own val our , and consi der t hat whi l e the

Vandal s def eat ed t he Moor s, you have become mast ers of t he Vandal s i nwar wi t hout any ef f or t , and t hat i t i s not r i ght t hat t hose who haveconquer ed t he gr eat er shoul d be ter r i f i ed bef or e t hose who ar e i nf er i or .And i ndeed of al l men t he Moor i sh nat i on seems t o be t he most poor l yequi pped f or war ' s st r uggl e. For t he most of t hem have no ar mour at al l ,and those who have shi el ds t o hol d bef ore t hemsel ves have onl y smal lones whi ch ar e not wel l made and ar e not abl e t o tur n asi de what st r i kesagai nst t hem. And af t er t hey have t hr own those t wo smal l spears , i f t heydo not accompl i sh anythi ng, t hey t ur n of t hei r own accor d t o f l i ght . Sot hat i t i s possi bl e f or you, af t er guar di ng agai nst t he f i r st att ack of t he bar bar i ans, t o wi n t he vi ct or y wi t h no t r oubl e at al l . But as t oyour equi pment of arms, you see, of cour se, how gr eat i s t he di f f er encebet ween i t and t hat of your opponent s. And apar t f r omt hi s, bot h val our

of hear t and st r ength of body and exper i ence i n war and conf i dencebecause you have al r eady conquer ed al l your enemi es, - - al l t heseadvant ages you have; but t he Moors , bei ng depr i ved of al l t hese t hi ngs,




67

t hey had di smount ed, he commanded t he other s t o st and st i l l , and,hol di ng t hei r shi el ds bef or e t hem and r ecei vi ng t he mi ssi l es sent by theenemy, t o remai n i n t hei r posi t i on; but he hi msel f , l eadi ng f or war d notl ess t han f i ve hundred men, made an at t ack upon the other port i on of t he

ci r cl e. [ 39] These men he commanded t o dr aw t hei r swords and ki l l t hecamel s whi ch st ood at t hat poi nt . Then t he Moor s who were st at i onedt here beat a hast y ret r eat , and the men under Sol omon ki l l ed about t wohundr ed camel s, and st r ai ght way, when t he camel s f el l , t he ci r cl e becameaccessi bl e t o t he Romans. And t hey advanced on t he r un i nt o t he mi ddl eof t he ci r cl e where t he women of t he Moor s were si t t i ng; meanwhi l e thebar bar i ans i n const ernat i on wi t hdr ew t o the mount ai n whi ch was cl ose by,and as t hey f l ed i n compl ete di sor der t he Romans f ol l owed behi nd andki l l ed t hem. And i t i s sai d t hat t en t housand of t he Moor s per i shed i nt hi s encount er , whi l e al l t he women t ogether wi t h t he chi l dr en were madesl aves. And t he sol di er s secur ed as booty al l t he camel s whi ch t hey hadnot ki l l ed. Thus t he Romans wi t h al l t hei r pl under went t o Car t hage t ocel ebr at e t he f est i val of t r i umph.

XI I

But t he barbar i ans, bei ng moved wi t h anger, once mor e t ook t he f i el d i na body agai nst t he Romans, l eavi ng behi nd not one of t hei r number , andt hey began t o over r un t he countr y i n Byzaci um, spar i ng none of any ageof t hose who f el l i n thei r way. And when Sol omon had j ust marched i nt oCart hage i t was report ed t hat t he barbar i ans wi t h a gr eat host had comei nt o Byzaci um and wer e pl under i ng ever ythi ng t her e. He t heref or edepar t ed qui ckl y wi t h hi s whol e ar my and marched agai nst t hem. And whenhe r eached Bour gaon, wher e t he enemy wer e encamped, he r emai ned somedays i n camp over agai nst t hem, i n or der t hat , as soon as t he Moor s

shoul d get on l evel gr ound, he mi ght begi n t he bat t l e. But si nce t heyr emai ned on t he mount ai n, he marshal l ed hi s ar my and ar r ayed i t f orbat t l e; t he Moor s, however, had no i nt ent i on of ever agai n engagi ng i nbat t l e wi t h t he Romans i n l evel count r y ( f or al r eady an i r r esi st i bl ef ear had come over t hem) , but on the mountai n t hey hoped to over comet hemmor e easi l y. Now Mt . Bour gaon i s f or t he most par t pr eci pi t ous andon t he si de towar d t he east ext r emel y di f f i cul t t o ascend, but on t hewest i t i s easi l y accessi bl e and r i ses i n an even sl ope. And t her e ar et wo l of t y peaks whi ch r i se up, f or mi ng bet ween them a sor t of val e, ver ynar r ow, but of i ncr edi bl e dept h. Now t he bar bar i ans l ef t t he peak of t hemount ai n unoccupi ed, t hi nki ng t hat on t hi s si de no host i l e movementwoul d be made agai nst t hem; and they l ef t equal l y unpr otected t he spaceabout t he f oot of t he mountai n wher e Bour gaon was easy of access. But at

t he mi ddl e of t he ascent t hey made thei r camp and r emai ned t her e, i norder t hat , i f t he enemy shoul d ascend and begi n bat t l e wi t h them, t heymi ght at t he out set , bei ng on hi gher gr ound, shoot down upon t hei rheads. They al so had on t he mountai n many horses, prepared ei t her f orf l i ght or f or t he pur sui t , i f t hey shoul d wi n t he bat t l e.

Now when Sol omon saw t hat t he Moor s were unwi l l i ng t o f i ght anotherbat t l e on the l evel ground, and al so t hat t he Roman army was opposed tomaki ng a si ege i n a deser t pl ace, he was eager t o come t o an encount erwi t h t he enemy on Bour gaon. But i nasmuch as he saw t hat t he sol di erswer e st r i cken wi t h ter r or because of t he mul t i t ude of t hei r opponent s,whi ch was many t i mes gr eat er t han i t had been i n t he pr evi ous bat t l e, hecal l ed t ogether t he ar my and spoke as f ol l ows: "The f ear whi ch t he enemy

f eel t owar d you needs no ot her arr ai gnment , but vol unt ar i l y pl eadsgui l t y, br i ngi ng f or war d, as i t does, t he t est i mony of i t s ownwi t nesses. For you see, surel y, our opponents gat her ed i n so many t ens




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and t ens of t housands, but not dar i ng t o come down t o t he pl ai n andengage wi t h us, unabl e to f eel conf i dence even i n t hei r own sel ves, butt aki ng r ef uge i n t he di f f i cul t y of t hi s pl ace. I t i s t her ef or e not evennecessary t o addr ess any exhor t at i on to you, at t he pr esent t i me at

l east . For t hose t o whom both t he ci r cumst ances and t he weakness of t heenemy gi ve cour age, need not , I t hi nk, t he addi t i onal assi st ance of wor ds. But of t hi s one t hi ng i t wi l l be needf ul t o r emi nd you, t hat i f we f i ght out t hi s engagement al so wi t h br ave hear t s, i t wi l l r emai n f orus, havi ng def eat ed t he Vandal s and r educed t he Moor s t o t he samef or t une, t o enj oy al l t he good t hi ngs of Li bya, havi ng no t houghtwhat ever of an enemy i n our mi nds. But as t o pr event i ng t he enemy f r omshoot i ng down upon our heads, and pr ovi di ng t hat no harm come t o us f r omt he nat ur e of t he pl ace, I mysel f shal l make pr ovi si on. "

Af t er maki ng t hi s exhor t at i on Sol omon commanded Theodor us, who l ed the"excubi t or es[ 40] " ( f or t hus t he Romans cal l t hei r guar ds) , t o take wi t hhi m a t housand i nf ant r ymen t oward t he end of t he af t ernoon and wi t h some

of t he st andar ds t o go up secr et l y on the east si de of Bour gaon, wher et he mount ai n i s most di f f i cul t of ascent and, one mi ght say,i mpr act i cabl e, commandi ng hi m t hat , when t hey ar r i ved near t he crest of t he mount ai n, t hey shoul d r emai n qui et l y t her e and pass t he r est of t heni ght , and t hat at sunr i se t hey shoul d appear above t he enemy anddi spl ayi ng t he st andar ds commence t o shoot . And Theodor as di d asdi r ect ed. And when i t was wel l on i n t he ni ght , t hey cl i mbed up t hepr eci pi t ous sl ope and reached a poi nt near t he peak wi t hout bei ngnot i ced ei t her by t he Moor s or even by any of t he Romans; f or t hey werebei ng sent out , i t was sai d, as an advance guar d, t o pr event anyone f r omcomi ng t o the camp f r omt he outsi de t o do mi schi ef . And at ear l y dawnSol omon wi t h t he whol e ar my went up agai nst t he enemy t o t he out ski r t sof Bourgaon. And when mor ni ng had come and the enemy wer e seen near at

hand, t he sol di er s were compl etel y at a l oss, seei ng t he summi t of t hemountai n no l onger unoccupi ed, as f ormer l y, but cover ed wi t h men whowere di spl ayi ng Roman st andards; f or al r eady some dayl i ght was begi nni ngt o shew. But when t hose on t he peak began t hei r at t ack, t he Romansper cei ved that t he army was t hei r own and the barbar i ans t hat t hey hadbeen pl aced between thei r enemy' s f orces, and bei ng shot at f r ombothsi des and havi ng no oppor t uni t y t o ward of f t he enemy, t hey t hought nomor e of r esi st ance but t ur ned, al l of t hem, t o a hast y f l i ght . And si ncet hey coul d nei t her r un up t o the top of Bour gaon, whi ch was hel d by t heenemy, nor go t o the pl ai n anywher e over t he l ower sl opes of t hemount ai n, si nce t hei r opponent s were pr essi ng upon t hemf r om t hat si de,t hey went wi t h a great r ush t o t he val e and t he unoccupi ed peak, someeven wi t h thei r hor ses, others on f oot . But si nce they wer e a numer ous

t hr ong f l eei ng i n gr eat f ear and conf usi on, t hey kept ki l l i ng eachother , and as t hey r ushed i nto the val e, whi ch was exceedi ngl y deep,t hose who wer e f i r st wer e bei ng ki l l ed const ant l y, but t hei r pl i ghtcoul d not be percei ved by t hose who were comi ng up behi nd. And when t heval e became f ul l of dead hor ses and men, and the bodi es made a passagef r om Bour gaon t o t he other mountai n, t hen t he r emai nder were saved bymaki ng t he cr ossi ng over t he bodi es. And t her e per i shed i n t hi sst r uggl e, among t he Moor s f i f t y t housand, as was decl ared by t hose of t hem who sur vi ved, but among t he Romans no one at al l , nor i ndeed di danyone r ecei ve even a wound, ei t her at t he hand of t he enemy or by anyacci dent happeni ng to hi m, but t hey al l enj oyed thi s vi ct or y unscat hed.Al l of t he l eader s of t he bar bar i ans al so made thei r escape, exceptEsdi l asas, who recei ved pl edges and sur r ender ed hi msel f t o t he Romans.

So great , however , was t he mul t i t ude of women and chi l dren whom t heRomans sei zed as boot y, t hat t hey woul d sel l a Moori sh boy f or t he pr i ceof a sheep t o any who wi shed t o buy. And t hen the r emai nder of t he Moors




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r ecal l ed t he sayi ng of t hei r women, t o t he ef f ect t hat t hei r nat i onwoul d be dest r oyed by a beardl ess man. [ 41]

So t he Roman army, t ogether wi t h i t s booty and wi t h Esdi l asas, marched

i nt o Cart hage; and t hose of t he barbar i ans who had not per i shed deci dedt hat i t was i mpossi bl e to set t l e i n Byzaci um, l est t hey, bei ng f ew,shoul d be t r eat ed wi t h vi ol ence by t he Li byans who were t hei rnei ghbours, and wi t h thei r l eaders t hey went i nto Numi di a and madet hemsel ves suppl i ant s of I audas, who rul ed t he Moors i n Aur asi um. [ 42]And t he onl y Moor s who r emai ned i n Byzaci umwere those l ed by Antal as,who duri ng thi s t i me had kept f ai t h wi t h the Romans and together wi t hhi s subj ect s had r emai ned unhar med.

XI I I

But dur i ng t he t i me when these t hi ngs were happeni ng i n Byzaci um,

I audas, who rul ed t he Moors i n Aur asi um, br i ngi ng more t han t hi r t yt housand f i ght i ng men, was pl under i ng t he count r y of Numi di a andensl avi ng many of t he Li byans. Now i t so happened that Al t hi as[ 43] i nCent ur i ae was keepi ng guard over t he f ort s t her e; and he, bei ng eager t ot ake f r om t he enemy some of t hei r capt i ves, went out si de t he f or t wi t ht he Huns who were under hi s command, t o t he number of about seventy. Andr easoni ng t hat he was not abl e to cope wi t h such a gr eat mul t i t ude of Moors wi t h onl y sevent y men, he wi shed t o occupy some nar r ow pass , sot hat , whi l e the enemy were marchi ng t hr ough i t , he mi ght be abl e tosnat ch up some of t he capt i ves. And si nce t here ar e no such roads t here,because f l at pl ai ns ext end i n ever y di r ect i on, he devi sed t he f ol l owi ngpl an.

There i s a ci t y not f ar di st ant , named Ti gi si s, t hen an unwal l ed pl ace,but havi ng a gr eat spri ng at a pl ace whi ch was ver y cl osel y shut i n.Al t hi as t her ef or e deci ded t o t ake possessi on of t hi s spr i ng, r easoni ngt hat t he enemy, compel l ed by t hi r st , woul d surel y come t here; f or t herei s no ot her wat er at al l cl ose by. Now i t seemed t o al l upon consi der i ngt he di spar i t y of t he ar mi es t hat hi s pl an was i nsane. But t he Moors cameup f eel i ng very much wear i ed and gr eat l y oppr essed by t he heat i n thesummer weat her , and natur al l y al most overcome by an i ntense t hi r st , andt hey made f or t he spr i ng wi t h a gr eat r ush, havi ng no t hought of meet i ngany obst acl e. But when t hey f ound t he water hel d by t he enemy, t hey al lhal t ed, at a l oss what t o do, t he gr eat est par t of t hei r st r engt h havi ngbeen al r eady expended because of t hei r desi r e f or water. I audast her ef or e had a par l ey wi t h Al t hi as and agr eed t o gi ve hi m t he t hi r d

par t of t he boot y, on condi t i on t hat t he Moor s shoul d al l dr i nk. ButAl t hi as was by no means wi l l i ng t o accept t he pr oposal , but demandedt hat he f i ght wi t h hi m i n si ngl e combat f or t he boot y. And t hi schal l enge bei ng accept ed by I audas, i t was agr eed t hat i f i t so f el l outt hat Al t hi as was over came, t he Moor s shoul d dr i nk. And t he whol e Moor i sharmy was rej oi ced, bei ng i n good hope, si nce Al t hi as was l ean and nott al l of body, whi l e I audas was t he f i nest and most war l i ke of al l t heMoor s. Now bot h of t hem were, as i t happened, mounted. And I audas hur l edhi s spear f i r st , but as i t was comi ng t owar d hi m Al t hi as succeeded wi t hamazi ng ski l l i n cat chi ng i t wi t h hi s ri ght hand, t hus f i l l i ng I audasand the enemy wi t h const ernat i on. And wi t h hi s l ef t hand he dr ew hi s bowi nst ant l y, f or he was ambi dext r ous, and hi t and ki l l ed t he hor se of I audas. And as he f el l , t he Moor s brought anot her hor se f or t hei r

commander , upon whi ch I audas l eaped and st r ai ght way f l ed; and theMoor i sh ar my f ol l owed hi m i n compl et e di sor der . And Al t hi as, by t hust aki ng f r omt hem t he capt i ves and t he whol e of t he booty, won a gr eat




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name i n consequence of t hi s deed t hr oughout al l Li bya. Such, t hen, wast he cour se of t hese event s.

And Sol omon, af t er del ayi ng a shor t t i me i n Car t hage, l ed hi s army

t owar d Mt . Aur asi um and I audas, al l egi ng agai nst hi m t hat , whi l e t heRoman ar my was occupi ed i n Byzaci um, he had pl under ed many of t he pl acesi n Numi di a. And t hi s was t r ue. Sol omon was al so ur ged on agai nst I audasby the ot her commander s of t he Moors, Massonas and Or t aï as, because of t hei r personal enmi t y; Massonas, because hi s f ather Mephani as, who wast he f at her - i n- l aw of I audas, had been t r eacher ousl y sl ai n by hi m, andOr t aï as, because I audas, t oget her wi t h Mast i nas, who r ul ed over t hebar bar i ans i n Maur etani a, had pur posed t o dr i ve hi m and al l t he Moorswhomhe r ul ed f r omt he l and wher e t hey had dwel t f r omof ol d. So t heRoman army, under t he l eadershi p of Sol omon, and t hose of t he Moors whocame i nt o al l i ance wi t h t hem, made t hei r camp on t he r i ver Abi gas, whi chf l ows al ong by Aur asi um and waters t he l and t here. But t o I audas i tseemed i nexpedi ent t o ar r ay hi msel f agai nst t he enemy i n t he pl ai n, but

he made hi s pr eparat i ons on Aurasi umi n such a way as seemed t o hi mwoul d of f er most di f f i cul t y to hi s assai l ant s. Thi s mount ai n i s aboutt hi r t een days' j our ney di st ant f r om Car t hage, and t he l ar gest of al lknown t o us. For i t s ci r cui t i s a t hr ee days' j our ney f or anunencumber ed t r avel l er . And f or one wi shi ng t o go upon i t t he mount ai ni s di f f i cul t of access and ext r emel y wi l d, but as one ascends andr eaches t he l evel gr ound, pl ai ns ar e seen and many spr i ngs whi ch f ormr i ver s and a gr eat number of al t oget her wonderf ul parks. And t he gr ai nwhi ch gr ows her e, and ever y ki nd of f r ui t , i s doubl e t he si ze of t hatpr oduced i n al l t he r est of Li bya. And t her e ar e f or t r esses al so on t hi smount ai n, whi ch ar e negl ect ed, by r eason of t he f act t hat t hey do notseem necessary t o t he i nhabi t ant s. For si nce t he t i me when the Moor swr ested Aur asi um f r om t he Vandal s, [ 44] not a si ngl e enemy had unt i l now

ever come ther e or so much as caused t he bar bar i ans t o be af r ai d t hatt hey woul d come, but even t he popul ous ci t y of Tamougadi s, si t uat edagai nst t he mount ai n on the east at t he begi nni ng of t he pl ai n, wasempt i ed of i t s popul at i on by t he Moors and razed to t he gr ound, i n or dert hat t he enemy shoul d not onl y not be abl e t o encamp t here, but shoul dnot even have t he ci t y as an excuse f or comi ng near t he mountai n. Andt he Moor s of t hat pl ace hel d al so t he l and t o the west of Aur asi um, at r act bot h extensi ve and f er t i l e. And beyond these dwel t ot her nat i onsof t he Moor s, who were rul ed by Or t aï as, who had come, as was st atedabove, as an al l y t o Sol omon and the Romans. And I have heard thi s mansay that beyond t he count r y whi ch he rul ed t her e was no habi t at i on of men, but deser t l and ext endi ng t o a gr eat di st ance, and t hat beyond t hatt here ar e men, not bl ack- ski nned l i ke t he Moors , but ver y whi t e i n body

and f ai r - hai r ed. So much, t hen, f or t hese t hi ngs.

And Sol omon, af t er br i bi ng the Moori sh al l i es wi t h gr eat sums of moneyand earnest l y exhor t i ng them, began t he ascent of Mt . Aur asi um wi t h thewhol e ar my ar r ayed as f or bat t l e, t hi nki ng that on that day he woul d dobat t l e wi t h t he enemy and j ust as he was have t he mat t er out wi t h t hemaccor di ng as f or t une shoul d wi sh. Accor di ngl y t he sol di er s di d not event ake wi t h t hem any f ood, except a l i t t l e, f or t hemsel ves and t hei rhor ses. And af t er pr oceedi ng over ver y r ough gr ound f or about f i f t yst ades, t hey made a bi vouac. And coveri ng a si mi l ar di st ance each dayt hey came on t he seventh day t o a pl ace wher e t her e was an anci entf or t r ess and an ever - f l owi ng st r eam. The pl ace i s cal l ed "Shi el dMountai n" by the Romans i n t hei r own t ongue. [ 45] Now i t was r epor t ed t o

t hem t hat t he enemy were encamped ther e, and when they r eached t hi spl ace and encount er ed no enemy, t hey made camp and, prepar i ng t hemsel vesf or bat t l e, r emai ned ther e; and three days' t i me was spent by t hem i n




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t hat pl ace. And si nce the enemy kept al t ogether out of t hei r way, andt hei r pr ovi si ons had f ai l ed, t he thought came to Sol omon and t o thewhol e ar my t hat t here had been some pl ot agai nst t hem on t he part of t heMoors who were t hei r al l i es; f or t hese Moor s were not unacquai nt ed wi t h

t he condi t i ons of t r avel on Aur asi um, and under st ood, pr obabl y, what hadbeen deci ded upon by t he enemy; t hey were st eal t hi l y goi ng out t o meett hem each day, i t was sai d, and had al so f r equent l y been sent t o thei rcountr y by t he Romans t o reconnoi t r e, and had deci ded to make not hi ngbut f al se r epor t s, i n or der , no doubt , t hat t he Romans, wi t h no pr i orknowl edge of condi t i ons, mi ght make t he ascent of Mt . Aurasi umwi t houtsuppl i es f or a l onger t i me or wi t hout pr epar i ng themsel ves other wi se i nt he way whi ch woul d be best . And, al l t hi ngs consi dered, t he Romans weresuspi ci ous t hat an ambush had been set f or t hem by men who were t hei ral l i es and began to be af r ai d, r easoni ng that t he Moor s are sai d to beby natur e untr ust wort hy at al l t i mes and especi al l y whenever t hey marchas al l i es wi t h the Romans or any ot her s agai nst Moor s. So, r emember i ngt hese thi ngs, and at t he same t i me bei ng pi nched by hunger , t hey

wi t hdr ew f r omt here wi t h al l speed wi t hout accompl i shi ng anythi ng, and,upon r eachi ng t he pl ai n, const r uct ed a st ockade.

Af t er t hi s Sol omon est abl i shed a par t of t he ar my i n Numi di a to ser ve asa guard and wi t h t he r emai nder went t o Cart hage, si nce i t was al r eadywi nt er . Ther e he ar r anged and set ever ythi ng i n or der , so t hat at t hebegi nni ng of spri ng he mi ght agai n mar ch agai nst Aur asi um wi t h a l argerequi pment and, i f possi bl e, wi t hout Moors as al l i es. At t he same t i me heprepared gener al s and another army and a f l eet of shi ps f or anexpedi t i on agai nst t he Moor s who dwel l i n t he i sl and of Sar di ni a; f ort hi s i sl and i s a l ar ge one and f l our i shi ng besi des, bei ng about t wot hi r ds as l ar ge as Si ci l y (f or t he per i met er of t he i sl and makes a j ourney of t wenty days f or an unencumbered t r avel l er ) ; and l yi ng, as i t

does, between Rome and Car t hage, i t was oppressed by t he Moors who dwel tt here. For t he Vandal s i n anci ent t i mes, bei ng enr aged agai nst t hesebar bar i ans, sent some f ew of t hem wi t h thei r wi ves t o Sar di ni a andconf i ned t hem t here. But as t i me went on t hey sei zed t he mountai ns whi char e near Car anal i s, at f i r st maki ng pl under i ng expedi t i ons secr et l y upont hose who dwel t r ound about , but when t hey became no l ess t han threet housand, t hey even made thei r r ai ds openl y, and wi t h no desi r e f orconceal ment pl under ed al l t he count r y t her e, bei ng cal l edBar bar i ci ni [ 46] by t he nat i ves. I t was agai nst t hese bar bar i ans,t her ef or e, t hat Sol omon was pr epar i ng t he f l eet dur i ng t hat wi nt er .Such, t hen, was t he cour se of event s i n Li bya.

XI V

And i n I t al y dur i ng t hese same t i mes t he f ol l owi ng event s t ook pl ace.Bel i sar i us was sent agai nst Theodatus and the Got hi c nat i on by t heEmper or J ust i ni an, and sai l i ng t o Si ci l y he secur ed t hi s i sl and wi t h not r oubl e. And t he manner i n whi ch t hi s was done wi l l be t ol d i n t hef ol l owi ng pages, when t he hi st or y l eads me t o t he narr at i on of t heevent s i n I t al y. For i t has not seemed t o me out of or der f i r st t or ecor d al l t he event s whi ch happened i n Li bya and af t er t hat t o t ur n t ot he por t i on of t he hi st or y t ouchi ng I t al y and t he Got hs.

Dur i ng t hi s wi nt er Bel i sar i us r emai ned i n Syracuse and Sol omon i nCart hage. And i t came about duri ng thi s year t hat a most dread port ent

t ook pl ace. For t he sun gave f or t h i t s l i ght wi t hout br i ght ness, l i ket he moon, dur i ng thi s whol e year , and i t seemed exceedi ngl y l i ke the suni n ecl i pse, f or t he beams i t shed wer e not cl ear nor such as i t i s




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accust omed t o shed. And f r om t he t i me when thi s t hi ng happened men weref r ee nei t her f r om war nor pest i l ence nor any ot her t hi ng l eadi ng t odeath. And i t was t he t i me when J ust i ni an was i n t he tent h year of hi sr ei gn. [ 536- 537 A. D. ]

[ 536 A. D. ] At t he openi ng of spr i ng, when t he Chr i st i ans wer ecel ebr at i ng t he f east whi ch t hey cal l East er, t her e ar ose a mut i ny amongt he sol di er s i n Li bya. I shal l now t el l how i t ar ose and t o what end i tcame.

Af t er t he Vandal s had been def eat ed i n the bat t l e, as I have t ol dpr evi ousl y, [ 47] t he Roman sol di ers t ook t hei r daught er s and wi ves andmade them t hei r own by l awf ul mar r i age. And each one of t hese women keptur gi ng her husband t o l ay cl ai m t o t he possessi on of t he l ands whi ch shehad owned pr evi ousl y, sayi ng t hat i t was not r i ght or f i t t i ng i f , whi l el i vi ng wi t h t he Vandal s, t hey had enj oyed t hese l ands, but af t erent er i ng i nt o mar r i age wi t h the conquer or s of t he Vandal s t hey were t hen

t o be depr i ved of t hei r possessi ons. And havi ng t hese thi ngs i n mi nd,t he sol di er s di d not t hi nk t hat t hey wer e bound t o yi el d t he l ands of t he Vandal s t o Sol omon, who wi shed t o regi st er t hemas bel ongi ng to t hecommonweal t h and t o t he emper or ' s house and sai d t hat whi l e i t was notunr easonabl e t hat t he sl aves and al l ot her t hi ngs of val ue shoul d go asboot y t o the sol di er s, t he l and i t sel f bel onged t o the emper or and t heempi r e of t he Romans, whi ch had nour i shed t hem and caused t hem t o becal l ed sol di er s and t o be such, not i n or der t o wi n f or t hemsel ves suchl and as t hey shoul d wr est f r om t he bar bar i ans who were t r espassi ng ont he Roman empi r e, but t hat t hi s l and mi ght come t o t he commonweal t h,f r omwhi ch bot h t hey and al l other s secur ed t hei r mai nt enance. Thi s wasone cause of t he mut i ny. And there was a second, concurr ent , cause al so,whi ch was no l ess, perhaps even more, ef f ect i ve i n t hr owi ng al l Li bya

i nt o conf usi on. I t was as f ol l ows: I n t he Roman ar my there were, as i thappened, not l ess t han one t housand sol di ers of t he Ar i an f ai t h; andt he most of t hese were barbar i ans, some of t hese bei ng of t heErul i an[ 48] nat i on. Now t hese men were ur ged on to t he mut i ny by t hepr i est s of t he Vandal s wi t h t he gr eat est zeal . For i t was not possi bl ef or t hem t o worshi p God i n t hei r accust omed way, but t hey were excl udedbot h f r om al l sacr ament s and f r om al l sacr ed r i t es. For t he Emper or J ust i ni an di d not al l ow any Chr i st i an who di d not espouse t he or t hodoxf ai t h t o r ecei ve bapt i sm or any ot her sacr ament . But most of al l t heywer e agi t ated by t he f east of Easter , dur i ng whi ch they f ound themsel vesunabl e t o bapt i ze[ 49] t hei r own chi l dr en wi t h the sacr ed wat er , or doanythi ng el se per t ai ni ng t o t hi s f east . And as i f t hese t hi ngs wer e notsuf f i ci ent f or Heaven, i n i t s eager ness t o r ui n t he f or t unes of t he

Romans, i t so f el l out t hat st i l l anot her t hi ng pr ovi ded an occasi on f ort hose who were pl anni ng t he mut i ny. For t he Vandal s whom Bel i sar i us t ookt o Byzant i um wer e pl aced by the emperor i n f i ve caval r y squadr ons, i nor der t hat t hey mi ght be set t l ed per manent l y i n t he ci t i es of t he East ;he al so cal l ed t hem t he "Vandal s of J ust i ni an, " and or der ed t hem t obet ake themsel ves i n shi ps t o the East . Now t he maj or i t y of t hese Vandalsol di er s r eached t he East , and, f i l l i ng up t he squadr ons t o whi ch t heyhad been assi gned, t hey have been f i ght i ng agai nst t he Per si ans up t ot he pr esent t i me; but t he remai nder, about f our hundr ed i n number , af t err eachi ng Lesbos, wai t i ng unt i l t he sai l s wer e bel l i ed wi t h t he wi nd,f or ced t he sai l or s t o submi ssi on and sai l ed on t i l l t hey reached t hePel oponnesus. And set t i ng sai l f r om t her e, t hey came to l and i n Li bya ata desert pl ace, where t hey abandoned the shi ps, and, af t er equi ppi ng

t hemsel ves, went up t o Mt . Aur asi um and Maur etani a. El at ed by t hei raccessi on, t he sol di ers who were pl anni ng t he mut i ny f or med a st i l lcl oser conspi r acy among t hemsel ves. And t her e was much t al k about t hi s




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i n t he camp and oat hs were al r eady bei ng t aken. And when t he r est wereabout t o cel ebr at e t he East er f est i val , t he Ar i ans, bei ng vexed by t hei rexcl usi on f r om t he sacred r i t es, pur posed t o at t ack t hem vi gor ousl y.

And i t seemed best t o t hei r l eadi ng men to ki l l Sol omon i n the sanct uar yon t he f i r st day of t he f east , whi ch t hey cal l t he gr eat day. [ Mar ch 23,536 A. D. ] And t hey were f ort unat e enough not t o be f ound out , si nce noone di scl osed thi s pl an. For t hough t here were many who shar ed i n thehor r i bl e pl ot , no wor d of i t was di vul ged t o any host i l e per son as t heorder s were passed around, and t hus t hey succeeded compl etel y i nescapi ng detect i on, f or even t he spear men and guards of Sol omon f or t hemost par t and the maj or i t y of hi s domest i cs had become associ ated wi t ht hi s mut i ny because of t hei r desi r e f or t he l ands. And when t heappoi nted day had now come, Sol omon was si t t i ng i n t he sanctuar y,ut t er l y i gnorant of hi s own mi sf or t une. And those who had deci ded t oki l l t he man went i n, and, ur gi ng one another wi t h nods, t hey put t hei rhands t o t hei r swor ds, but t hey di d not hi ng never t hel ess, ei t her because

t hey wer e f i l l ed wi t h awe of t he ri t es t hen bei ng per f or med i n t hesanctuar y, or because t he f ame of t he gener al caused them t o be ashamed,or per haps al so some di vi ne power prevented t hem.

And when t he r i t es on that day had been compl etel y per f ormed and al lwere bet aki ng themsel ves homeward, t he conspi r ators began t o bl ame oneanot her wi t h havi ng t ur ned sof t - hear t ed at no f i t t i ng t i me, and t heypost poned t he pl ot f or a second at t empt on t he f ol l owi ng day. And on t henext day t hey act ed i n the same manner and depar t ed f r om t he sanctuar ywi t hout doi ng anythi ng, and ent eri ng t he market pl ace, t hey r evi l ed eachother openl y, and ever y si ngl e man of t hemcal l ed the next onesof t - hear t ed and a demor al i zer of t he band, not hesi t at i ng to censur est r ongl y t he r espect f el t f or Sol omon. For t hi s r eason, i ndeed, t hey

t hought t hat t hey coul d no l onger wi t hout danger r emai n i n Cart hage,i nasmuch as t hey had di scl osed t hei r pl ot t o the whol e ci t y. The most of t hem, accor di ngl y, went out of t he ci t y qui ckl y and began t o pl under t hel ands and to t r eat as enemi es al l t he Li byans whom t hey met ; but t her est r emai ned i n t he ci t y, gi vi ng no i ndi cat i on of what t hei r owni nt ent i ons wer e but pr etendi ng i gnor ance of t he pl ot whi ch had beenf or med.

But Sol omon, upon hear i ng what was bei ng done by t he sol di ers i n t hecount r y, became gr eat l y di st ur bed, and ceased not exhort i ng t hose i n theci t y and ur gi ng t hem t o l oyal t y towar d t he emper or . And t hey at f i r stseemed to recei ve hi s wor ds wi t h f avour , but on the f i f t h day, when theyheard t hat t hose who had gone out were secur e i n t hei r power, t hey

gat her ed i n the hi ppodr ome and i nsul t ed Sol omon and the ot her commander swi t hout r est r ai nt . And Theodor us, t he Cappadoci an, bei ng sent t here bySol omon, at t empt ed t o di ssuade t hem and wi n t hemby ki nd words, but t heyl i st ened to nothi ng of what was sai d. Now t hi s Theodor us had a cer t ai nhost i l i t y agai nst Sol omon and was suspect ed of pl ot t i ng agai nst hi m. Fort hi s r eason t he mut i neer s st r ai ght way el ect ed hi m gener al over t hem byaccl amat i on, and wi t h hi m t hey went wi t h al l speed t o t he pal acecar r yi ng weapons and r ai si ng a gr eat t umul t . Ther e t hey ki l l ed anot her Theodorus, who was commander of t he guar ds, a man of t he greatestexcel l ence i n ever y respect and an especi al l y capabl e warr i or . And whent hey had t ast ed t hi s bl ood, t hey began i mmedi at el y t o ki l l ever yone t heymet , whether Li byan or Roman, i f he wer e known t o Sol omon or had moneyi n hi s hands; and t hen t hey tur ned t o pl under i ng, goi ng up i nt o t he

houses whi ch had no sol di er s t o def end them and sei zi ng al l t he mostval uabl e t hi ngs, unt i l t he comi ng of ni ght , and dr unkenness f ol l owi ngt hei r t oi l , made them cease.




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And Sol omon succeeded i n escapi ng unnot i ced i nt o t he gr eat sanct uar ywhi ch i s i n t he pal ace, and Mar t i nus j oi ned hi m t her e i n t he l at eaf t er noon. And when al l t he mut i neer s wer e sl eepi ng, t hey went out f r om

t he sanctuar y and ent ered t he house of Theodor us, t he Cappadoci an, whocompel l ed t hem t o di ne al t hough t hey had no desi r e t o do so, andconveyed them t o the har bour and put t hem on the ski f f of a cer t ai nshi p, whi ch happened to have been made ready t her e by Mar t i nus. AndProcopi us al so, who wr ot e t hi s hi st or y, was wi t h them, and about f i vemen of t he house of Sol omon. And af t er accompl i shi ng t hree hundr edst ades t hey r eached Mi suas, t he shi p- yar d of Cart hage, and, si nce t heyhad reached saf et y, Sol omon st r ai ght way commanded Mar t i nus t o go i ntoNumi di a t o Val er i an and t he ot her s who shar ed hi s command, and endeavourt o br i ng i t about t hat each one of t hem, i f i t wer e i n any way possi bl e,shoul d appeal t o some of t he sol di ers known t o hi m, ei t her wi t h money orby other means, and br i ng them back t o l oyal t y t oward the emper or . Andhe sent a l et t er t o Theodor us, chargi ng hi m t o t ake car e of Car t hage and

t o handl e the ot her mat t ers as shoul d seem possi bl e to hi m, and hehi msel f wi t h Procopi us went t o Bel i sar i us at Syracuse. And af t err epor t i ng ever ythi ng t o hi m whi ch had t aken pl ace i n Li bya, he beggedhi m t o come wi t h al l speed t o Car t hage and def end the emper or , who wassuf f er i ng unhol y t r eatment at t he hands of hi s own sol di er s, Sol omon,t hen, was t hus engaged.

XV

But t he mut i neer s, af t er pl under i ng ever ythi ng i n Car t hage, gat her ed i nt he pl ai n of Boul l a, and chose St ot zas, [ 50] one of t he guar ds of Mart i nus, and a passi onate and energet i c man, as t yrant over t hem, wi t h

t he purpose of dr i vi ng t he emper or ' s commanders out of al l Li bya andt hus gai ni ng cont r ol over i t . And he ar med t he whol e f or ce, amount i ng toabout ei ght t housand men, and l ed t hem on t o Cart hage, t hi nki ng t o wi nover t he ci t y i nst ant l y wi t h no tr oubl e. He sent al so to the Vandal s whohad r un away f r om Byzant i umwi t h t he shi ps and t hose who had not gonet her e wi t h Bel i sar i us i n the begi nni ng, ei t her because t hey had escapednot i ce, or because t hose who wer e taki ng of f t he Vandal s at t hat t i met ook no account of t hem. Now t hey were not f ewer t han a t housand, andaf t er no gr eat t i me they j oi ned St otzas and t he ar my wi t h ent husi asm.And a gr eat t hrong of sl aves al so came to hi m. And when they drew nearCar t hage, St ot zas sent or der s t hat t he peopl e shoul d sur r ender t he ci t yt o hi m as qui ckl y as possi bl e, on condi t i on of t hei r r emai ni ng f r ee f r omhar m. But t hose i n Cart hage and Theodor us, i n r epl y to t hi s, r ef used

f l at l y t o obey, and announced that t hey wer e guar di ng Cart hage f or t heemper or. And they sent t o St ot zas J oseph, t he secr et ar y of t he emperor ' sguards, a man of no humbl e bi r t h and one of t he househol d of Bel i sar i us,who had recent l y been sent t o Car t hage on some mi ss i on t o them, and theydemanded t hat St otzas shoul d go no f ur t her i n hi s vi ol ence. But St otzas,upon hear i ng t hi s, st r ai ght way ki l l ed J oseph and commenced a si ege. Andt hose i n t he ci t y, becomi ng t er r i f i ed at t he danger , wer e pur posi ng t osur r ender t hemsel ves and Car t hage t o St ot zas under an agr eement . Suchwas t he cour se of event s i n t he army i n Li bya.

But Bel i sar i us sel ect ed one hundred men f r om hi s own spear men andguards, and taki ng Sol omon wi t h hi m, sai l ed i nt o Car t hage wi t h one shi pat about dusk, at t he t i me when t he besi egers were expect i ng t hat t he

ci t y woul d be sur r ender ed t o t hemon t he f ol l owi ng day. And si nce t heywere expect i ng t hi s, t hey bi vouacked that ni ght . But when day had comeand they l ear ned that Bel i sar i us was pr esent , t hey broke up camp as




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qui ckl y as possi bl e and di sgr acef ul l y and i n compl et e di sor der beat ahast y ret r eat And Bel i sar i us gat hered about t wo t housand of t he armyand, af t er ur gi ng t hemwi t h words t o be l oyal t o t he emper or andencour agi ng t hem wi t h l ar ge gi f t s of money, he began t he pur sui t of t he

f ugi t i ves. And he overt ook t hemat t he ci t y of Membr esa, t hr ee hundr edand f i f t y st ades di st ant f r om Cart hage. There both armi es made camp andpr epar ed t hemsel ves f or bat t l e, t he f or ces of Bel i sar i us maki ng t hei rent r enchment at t he Ri ver Bagr adas, and the ot her s i n a hi gh anddi f f i cul t posi t i on. For nei t her of t hem saw f i t t o ent er t he ci t y, s i ncei t was wi t hout wal l s. And on t he day f ol l owi ng t hey j oi ned bat t l e, t hemut i neer s t r ust i ng i n t hei r number s, and t he t r oops of Bel i sar i usdespi si ng t hei r enemy as bot h wi t hout sense and wi t hout general s. AndBel i sar i us, wi shi ng t hat t hese t hought s shoul d be f i r ml y l odged i n t hemi nds of hi s sol di er s, cal l ed t hem al l t oget her and spoke as f ol l ows: - -

"The si t uat i on, f el l ow- sol di er s, bot h f or t he emper or and f or t heRomans, f al l s f ar shor t of our hopes and of our pr ayer s. For we have now

come t o a combat i n whi ch even t he wi nni ng of t he vi ct ory wi l l not bewi t hout t ear s f or us, si nce we ar e f i ght i ng agai nst ki nsmen and men whohave been r ear ed wi t h us. But we have thi s comf ort i n our mi sf ort une,t hat we are not our sel ves begi nni ng t he bat t l e, but have been broughti nt o the conf l i ct i n our own def ence. For he who has f r amed t he pl otagai nst hi s dear est f r i ends and by hi s own act has di ssol ved t he ti es of ki nshi p, di es not , i f he per i shes, by the hands of hi s f r i ends, buthavi ng become an enemy i s but maki ng at onement t o t hose who havesuf f ered wr ong. And that our opponents ar e publ i c enemi es and barbar i ansand what ever worse name one mi ght cal l t hem, i s shewn not al one byLi bya, whi ch has become pl under under t hei r hands, nor by t hei nhabi t ant s of t hi s l and, who have been wr ongf ul l y sl ai n, but al so byt he mul t i t ude of Roman sol di ers whom t hese enemi es have dared t o ki l l ,

t hough t hey have had but one f aul t t o char ge them wi t h- - l oyal t y t o thei rgover nment . And i t i s t o avenge t hese t hei r vi ct i ms t hat we have nowcome agai nst t hem, havi ng wi t h good r eason become enemi es t o t hose whowere once most dear . For nat ure has made no men i n t he wor l d ei t herf r i ends or opponent s t o one anot her , but i t i s t he act i ons of men i never y case whi ch, ei t her by t he si mi l ar i t y of t he mot i ves whi ch act uat et hem uni t e t hem i n al l i ance, or by t he di f f er ence set t hem i n hosti l i t yt o each other , maki ng t hemf r i ends or enemi es as t he case may be. That ,t heref ore, we ar e f i ght i ng agai nst men who are out l aws and enemi es of t he st ate, you must now be convi nced; and now I shal l make i t pl ai n thatt hey deserve t o be despi sed by us. For a throng of men uni t ed by no l aw,but br ought t oget her by mot i ves of i nj ust i ce, i s ut t er l y unabl e bynat ur e t o pl ay the part of br ave men, si nce val our i s unabl e t o dwel l

wi t h l awl essness, but al ways shuns t hose who are unhol y. Nor, i ndeed,wi l l t hey pr eserve di sci pl i ne or gi ve heed t o t he commands gi ven byStotzas. For when a t yranny i s newl y organi zed and has not yet won t hataut hor i t y whi ch sel f - conf i dence gi ves, i t i s, of necessi t y, l ooked uponby i t s subj ect s wi t h cont empt . Nor i s i t honour ed thr ough any sent i mentof l oyal t y, f or a t yr anny i s, i n t he nat ur e of t he case, hat ed; nor doesi t l ead i t s subj ects by f ear , f or t i mi di t y depr i ves i t of t he power t ospeak out openl y. And when t he enemy i s handi capped i n poi nt of val ourand of di sci pl i ne, t hei r def eat i s r eady at hand. Wi t h gr eat cont empt ,t her ef or e, as I sai d, we shoul d go agai nst t hi s enemy of our s. For i t i snot by t he numbers of t he combat ant s, but by t hei r order l y ar r ay andt hei r br aver y, t hat pr owess i n war i s wont t o be measur ed. "

So spoke Bel i sar i us. And St ot zas exhor t ed hi s t r oops as f ol l ows: "Menwho wi t h me have escaped our ser vi t ude to t he Romans, l et no one of youcount i t unwort hy t o di e on behal f of t he f r eedom whi ch you have won by




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your cour age and your ot her qual i t i es. For i t i s not so t er r i bl e a t hi ngt o gr ow ol d and di e i n t he mi dst of i l l s, as t o r et ur n agai n t o i t af t erhavi ng gai ned f r eedom f r om oppr essi ve condi t i ons. For t he i nt er val whi chhas gi ven one a t ast e of del i ver ance makes the mi sf ort une, natur al l y

enough, har der t o bear . And t hi s bei ng so, i t i s necessary f or you t ocal l t o mi nd that af t er conqueri ng t he Vandal s and the Moors youyoursel ves have enj oyed t he l abour s of war , whi l e ot hers have becomemast er s of al l t he spoi l s. And consi der t hat , as sol di er s, you wi l l becompel l ed al l your l i ves t o be acquai nt ed wi t h t he dangers of war ,ei t her i n behal f of t he emper or ' s cause, i f , i ndeed, you ar e agai n hi ssl aves, or i n behal f of your own sel ves, i f you pr eser ve thi s pr esentl i ber t y. And whi chever of t he t wo i s pr ef er abl e, t hi s i t i s i n yourpower t o choose, ei t her by becomi ng f ai nt - heart ed at t hi s t i me, or bypr ef er r i ng t o pl ay the par t of br ave men. Fur t her mor e, t hi s t hought al soshoul d come to your mi nds, - - t hat i f , havi ng t aken up arms agai nst t heRomans, you come under t hei r power , you wi l l have exper i ence of nomoder ate or i ndul gent mast er s, but you wi l l suf f er t he ext r eme of

puni shment , and, what i s more, your deat h wi l l not have been unmer i t ed. To whomsoever of you, t heref or e, death comes i n t hi s bat t l e, i t i s pl ai nt hat i t wi l l be a gl or i ous deat h; and l i f e, i f you conquer t he enemy,wi l l be i ndependent and i n al l ot her r espect s happy; but i f you ar edef eat ed, - - I need ment i on no ot her bi t t er ness t han t hi s, t hat al l yourhope wi l l depend upon t he mercy of t hose men yonder . And t he conf l i ctwi l l not be evenl y mat ched i n regar d to st r engt h. For not onl y ar e theenemy gr eat l y surpassed by us i n numbers, but t hey wi l l come agai nst uswi t hout t he l east ent husi asm, f or I t hi nk t hat t hey ar e pr ayi ng f or ashar e of t hi s our f r eedom. " Such was the speech of Stotzas.

As t he ar mi es ent ered t he combat , a wi nd both vi ol ent and exceedi ngl yt r oubl esome began t o bl ow i n t he f aces of t he mut i neer s of St ot zas. For

t hi s r eason t hey thought i t di sadvant ageous f or t hem t o f i ght t he bat t l ewhere t hey wer e, f ear i ng l est t he wi nd by i t s over poweri ng f orce shoul dcar r y t he mi ssi l es of t he enemy agai nst t hem, whi l e the i mpet us of t hei rown mi ssi l es woul d be ver y ser i ousl y checked. They t her ef or e l ef t t hei rposi t i on and moved toward t he f l ank, r easoni ng that i f t he enemy al soshoul d change f r ont , as t hey pr obabl y woul d, i n or der t hat t hey mi ghtnot be assai l ed f r om t he r ear , t he wi nd woul d t hen be i n t hei r f aces.But Bel i sar i us, upon seei ng t hat t hey had l ef t t hei r posi t i on and i ncompl ete di sorder wer e movi ng t o hi s f l ank, gave order s i mmedi atel y t oopen t he at t ack. And the t r oops of St ot zas were t hr own i nt o conf usi on byt he unexpect ed move, and i n gr eat di sorder, as each one coul d, t hey f l edpr eci pi t at el y, and onl y when t hey r eached Numi di a di d t hey col l ectt hemsel ves agai n. Few of t hem, however , per i shed i n t hi s act i on, and

most of t hem wer e Vandal s. For Bel i sar i us di d not pur sue t hem at al l ,f or t he r eason t hat i t seemed t o hi m suf f i ci ent , si nce hi s ar my was ver ysmal l , i f t he enemy, havi ng been def eat ed f or t he pr esent , shoul d getout of hi s way. And he gave the sol di ers t he enemy' s st ockade topl under , and t hey t ook i t wi t h not a man i nsi de. But much money wasf ound t here and many women, t he very women because of whom t hi s war t ookpl ace. [ 51] Af t er accompl i shi ng t hi s, Bel i sar i us mar ched back t oCar t hage. And someone comi ng f r omSi ci l y r eport ed to hi m t hat a mut i nyhad broken out i n t he army and was about t o throw ever yt hi ng i ntoconf usi on, unl ess he hi msel f shoul d r et ur n t o t hem wi t h al l speed andt ake measur es t o pr event i t . He ther e t heref ore ar r anged mat t er s i nLi bya as wel l as he coul d and, ent r ust i ng Car t hage t o I l di ger and Theodorus, went t o Si ci l y.

And t he Roman commander s i n Numi di a, hear i ng t hat t he t r oops of Stot zashad come and were gather i ng ther e, prepared f or bat t l e. Now t he




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commander s wer e as f ol l ows: of f oeder at i , [ 52] Mar cel l us and Cyri l , of t he caval r y f or ces, Bar bat us, and of i nf ant r y Ter ent i us and Sar api s.Al l , however , t ook t hei r commands f r om Mar cel l us, as hol di ng theaut hor i t y i n Numi di a. He, t her ef or e, upon heari ng t hat St otzas wi t h some

f ew men was i n a pl ace cal l ed Gazophyl a, [ 53] about t wo days' j our neydi st ant f r om Const ant i na, [ 54] wi shed t o ant i ci pat e t he gat her i ng of al lt he mut i neer s, and l ed hi s army swi f t l y agai nst t hem. And when t he t woarmi es were near t ogether and the bat t l e was about t o commence, Stot zascame al one i nt o the mi dst of hi s opponent s and spoke as f ol l ows:

"Fel l ow- sol di er s, you ar e not acti ng j ust l y i n t aki ng t he f i el d agai nstki nsmen and those who have been rear ed wi t h you, and i n rai si ng armsagai nst men who i n vexat i on at your mi sf or t unes and the wr ongs you havesuf f er ed have deci ded t o make war upon the emperor and t he Romans. Or doyou not r emember t hat you have been depr i ved of t he pay whi ch has beenowi ng you f or a l ong t i me back, and that you have been r obbed of t heenemy' s spoi l , whi ch t he l aw of war has set as pr i zes f or t he dangers of

bat t l e? And t hat t he ot hers have cl ai med t he r i ght t o l i ve sumpt uousl yal l t hei r l i ves upon t he good t hi ngs of vi ct or y, whi l e you have f ol l owedas i f t hei r ser vant s? I f , now, you ar e angr y wi t h me, i t i s wi t hi n yourpower t o vent your wr ath upon t hi s body, and t o escape the pol l ut i on of ki l l i ng t he ot her s; but i f you have no char ge t o br i ng agai nst me, i t i st i me f or you t o t ake up your weapons i n your own behal f . " So spokeSt ot zas; and the sol di er s l i st ened to hi s wor ds and gr eet ed hi m wi t hgreat f avour . And when t he commander s saw what was happeni ng, t heywi t hdr ew i n si l ence and took r ef uge i n a sanct uar y whi ch was i nGazophyl a. And Stot zas combi ned both ar mi es i nto one and t hen went t ot he commanders. And f i ndi ng t hem i n t he sanct uary, he gave pl edges andt hen ki l l ed t hem al l .

XVI

When t he emper or l earned t hi s, he sent hi s nephew Germanus, a man of pat r i ci an rank, wi t h some f ew men to Li bya. And Symmachus al so andDomni cus, men of t he senate, f ol l owed hi m, t he f ormer t o be pr ef ect andcharged wi t h t he mai ntenance of t he army, whi l e Domni cus was t o commandt he i nf ant r y f or ces. For J ohn, [ 55] who had hel d t he of f i ce of pr ef ect ,had al r eady di ed of di sease. And when t hey had sai l ed i nto Cart hage,Germanus counted t he sol di ers whom t hey had, and upon l ooki ng over t hebooks of t he scr i bes wher e t he names of al l t he sol di ers wer er egi st er ed, he f ound t hat t he thi r d par t of t he ar my was i n Car t hage andt he ot her ci t i es, whi l e al l t he r est wer e ar r ayed wi t h t he t yrant

agai nst t he Romans. He di d not , t her ef or e, begi n any f i ght i ng, butbest owed t he gr eat est care upon hi s army. And consi der i ng t hat t hosel ef t i n Car t hage were the ki nsmen or t ent mates of t he enemy, he keptaddr essi ng many wi nni ng wor ds t o al l , and i n part i cul ar sai d t hat he hadhi msel f been sent by t he emper or t o Li bya i n order t o def end t hesol di er s who had been wr onged and t o puni sh t hose who had unpr ovokeddone t hem any i nj ur y. And when thi s was f ound out by t he mut i neer s, t heybegan t o come over t o hi m a f ew at a t i me. And Germanus bot h recei vedt hem i nt o the ci t y i n a f r i endl y manner and, gi vi ng pl edges, hel d t hemi n honour , and he gave t hem t hei r pay f or t he t i me dur i ng whi ch they hadbeen i n ar ms agai nst t he Romans. And when t he r epor t of t hese act s wasci r cul ated and came t o al l , t hey began now t o det ach t hemsel ves i n l argenumber s f r om t he t yr ant and t o march to Car t hage. Then at l ast Germanus,

hopi ng t hat i n the bat t l e he woul d be evenl y matched i n st r engt h wi t hhi s opponent s, began t o make pr eparat i ons f or t he conf l i ct .




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But i n the meant i me St ot zas, al r eady per cei vi ng the t r oubl e, and f ear i ngl est by t he def ect i on of st i l l ot her s of hi s sol di er s t he ar my shoul d ber educed st i l l mor e, was pr essi ng f or a deci si ve encount er i mmedi atel yand t r yi ng t o take hol d of t he war wi t h more vi gour . And si nce he had

some hope regardi ng t he sol di ers i n Cart hage, t hat t hey woul d come overt o hi m, and thought t hat t hey woul d readi l y deser t i f he came near t hem,he hel d out t he hope t o al l hi s men; and af t er encour agi ng themexceedi ngl y i n thi s way, he advanced swi f t l y wi t h hi s whol e ar my agai nstCar t hage. And when he had come wi t hi n t hi r t y- f i ve st ades of t he ci t y, hemade camp not f ar f r om t he sea, and Germanus, af t er armi ng hi s whol earmy and arr ayi ng t hem f or bat t l e, marched f ort h. And when t hey were al lout si de the ci t y, si nce he had heard what St otzas was hopi ng f or, hecal l ed t ogether t he whol e ar my and spoke as f ol l ows:

"That t her e i s not hi ng, f el l ow- sol di er s, wi t h whi ch you can j ust l yr epr oach t he emperor , and no f aul t whi ch you can f i nd wi t h what he hasdone t o you, t hi s, I t hi nk, no one of you al l coul d deny; f or i t was he

who t ook you as you came f r om t he f i el ds wi t h your wal l et s and one smal lf r ock api ece and brought you t ogether i n Byzant i um, and has caused yout o be so power f ul t hat t he Roman st at e now depends upon you. And t hat hehas not onl y been t r eat ed wi t h want on i nsul t , but has al so suf f er ed themost dr eadf ul of al l t hi ngs at your hands, you your sel ves, doubt l ess,know f ul l wel l . And desi r i ng t hat you shoul d pr eser ve t he memory of t hese t hi ngs f or ever , he has di smi ssed t he accusat i ons brought agai nstyou f or your cr i mes, aski ng t hat t hi s debt al one be due t o hi m f r omyou- - shame f or what you have done. I t i s r easonabl e, t heref or e, t hatyou, bei ng thus regarded by hi m, shoul d l ear n anew t he l esson of goodf ai t h and cor r ect your f ormer f ol l y. For when r epent ance comes at t hef i t t i ng t i me upon t hose who have done wr ong, i t i s accust omed t o maket hose who have been i nj ur ed i ndul gent ; and servi ce whi ch comes i n season

i s wont t o br i ng anot her name to t hose who have been cal l ed ungratef ul .

"And i t wi l l be needf ul f or you t o know wel l t hi s al so, t hat i f at t hepresent t i me you shew yoursel ves compl etel y l oyal t o the emperor , nor emembrance wi l l r emai n of what has gone bef ore. For i n t he nat ur e of t hi ngs every cour se of act i on i s charact eri zed by men i n accor dance wi t hi t s f i nal out come; and whi l e a wr ong whi ch has once been commi t t ed cannever be undone i n al l t i me, st i l l , when i t has been cor r ect ed by bet t erdeeds on t he par t of t hose who commi t t ed i t , i t r ecei ves t he f i t t i ngr ewar d of si l ence and gener al l y comes to be f or got t en. Mor eover , i f youact wi t h any di sr egar d of dut y t owar d t hese accur sed r ascal s at t hepresent t i me, even t hough af t erwards you f i ght t hr ough many wars i nbehal f of t he Romans and of t en wi n t he vi ct ory over t he enemy, you wi l l

never agai n be regarded as havi ng r equi t ed t he emper or as you canr equi t e hi m t o- day. For t hose who wi n appl ause i n t he ver y matt er of t hei r f ormer wr ongdoi ng al ways gai n f or t hemsel ves a f ai r er apol ogy. Asr egards t he emper or , t hen, l et each one of you r eason i n some such way.But as f or me, I have not vol unt ar i l y done you any i nj ust i ce, and I havedi spl ayed my good- wi l l t o you by al l possi bl e means, and now, f aci ngt hi s danger, I have deci ded t o ask t hi s much of you al l : l et no manadvance wi t h us agai nst t he enemy cont r ary t o hi s j udgement . But i f anyone of you i s al r eady desi r ous of ar r ayi ng hi msel f wi t h t hem, wi t houtdel ay l et hi m go wi t h hi s weapons t o the enemy' s camp, gr ant i ng us t hi sone f avour , t hat i t be not st eal t hi l y, but openl y, t hat he has deci dedt o do us wr ong. I ndeed, i t i s f or t hi s r eason t hat I am maki ng myspeech, not i n Car t hage, but af t er comi ng on t he bat t l e- f i el d, i n or der

t hat I mi ght not be an obst acl e to anyone who desi r es t o deser t t o ouropponent s, si nce i t i s possi bl e f or al l wi t hout danger t o shew t hei rdi sposi t i on t oward t he st ate. " Thus spoke Germanus. And a gr eat upr oar




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ensued i n t he Roman army, f or each one demanded the r i ght t o be t hef i r st t o di spl ay to t he gener al hi s l oyal t y to t he emper or and t o sweart he most dr ead oaths i n conf i r mat i on.

XVI I

Now f or some t i me the t wo ar mi es r emai ned i n posi t i on opposi t e eachother . But when t he mut i neers saw t hat nothi ng of what Stotzas hadf oretol d was comi ng to pass, t hey began t o be af r ai d as havi ng beenunexpect edl y cheated of t hei r hope, and they br oke t hei r r anks andwi t hdr ew, and marched of f t o Numi di a, wher e were thei r women and themoney f r om t hei r boot y. And Germanus t oo came ther e wi t h the whol e ar mynot l ong af t er war ds, havi ng made al l pr epar at i ons i n t he best waypossi bl e and al so br i ngi ng al ong many wagons f or t he army. Andovert aki ng hi s opponent s i n a pl ace whi ch t he Romans cal l Scal aeVet er es, he made hi s pr epar at i ons f or bat t l e i n t he f ol l owi ng manner.

Pl aci ng t he wagons i n l i ne f aci ng t he f r ont , he ar r ayed al l t he i nf ant r yal ong them under t he l eader shi p of Domni cus, so t hat by r eason of havi ngt hei r r ear i n secur i t y t hey mi ght f i ght wi t h t he gr eat er cour age. Andt he best of t he hor semen and t hose who had come wi t h hi m f r om Byzant i umhe hi msel f had on t he l ef t of t he i nf ant r y, whi l e al l t he ot her s hepl aced on t he ri ght wi ng, not marshal l ed i n one body but i n t hr eedi vi si ons. And I l di ger l ed one of t hem, Theodor as t he Cappadoci ananother , whi l e t he r emai ni ng one, whi ch was l arger , was commanded by J ohn, t he brot her of Pappus, wi t h t hree ot hers. Thus di d t he Romansarr ay themsel ves.

And the mut i neer s t ook thei r st and opposi t e t hem, not i n or der, however ,but scat t ered, more i n t he manner of barbar i ans. And at no gr eat

di st ance many t housands of Moors f ol l owed t hem, who wer e commanded by anumber of l eader s, and especi al l y by I audas and Or t aï as. But not al l of t hem, as i t happened, were f ai t hf ul t o St otzas and hi s men, f or many hadsent previ ousl y t o Germanus and agr eed that , when they came i nto thef i ght , t hey woul d ar r ay t hemsel ves wi t h t he emper or' s ar my agai nst t heenemy. However , Ger manus coul d not t r ust t hem al t ogether , f or t heMoor i sh nat i on i s by nat ur e f ai t hl ess t o al l men. I t was f or t hi s r easonal so t hat t hey di d not ar r ay t hemsel ves wi t h the mut i neers , but r emai nedbehi nd, wai t i ng f or what woul d come to pass, i n or der t hat wi t h t hosewho shoul d be vi ct or i ous t hey mi ght j oi n i n t he pur sui t of t hevanqui shed. Such was the pur pose, t hen, of t he Moors , i n f ol l owi ngbehi nd and not mi ngl i ng wi t h the mut i neer s.

And when St ot zas came cl ose t o t he enemy and saw t he st andard of Germanus, he exhor t ed hi s men and began t o char ge agai nst hi m. But t hemut i nous Erul i who were arr ayed about hi m di d not f ol l ow and even t r i edwi t h al l t hei r mi ght t o pr event hi m, sayi ng t hat t hey di d not know t hecharact er of t he f orces of Ger manus, but t hat t hey di d know t hat t hosear r ayed on t he enemy' s r i ght woul d by no means wi t hst and them. I f ,t heref or e, t hey shoul d advance agai nst t hese, t hey woul d not onl y gi veway themsel ves and t ur n t o f l i ght , but woul d al so, i n al l pr obabi l i t y,t hr ow t he rest of t he Roman ar my i nt o conf usi on; but i f t hey shoul dat t ack Germanus and be dr i ven back and put t o r out , t hei r whol e causewoul d be r ui ned on t he spot . And Stot zas was per suaded by these words,and permi t t ed t he ot her s t o f i ght wi t h the men of Germanus, whi l e hehi msel f wi t h t he best men went agai nst J ohn and those ar r ayed wi t h hi m.

And t hey f ai l ed t o wi t hst and t he at t ack and hast ened t o f l ee i n compl et edi sor der . And the mut i neer s t ook al l t hei r st andar ds i mmedi at el y, andpur sued them as t hey f l ed at t op speed, whi l e some t oo char ged upon the




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i nf ant r y, who had al r eady begun t o abandon t hei r r anks. But at t hi s j unct ure Ger manus hi msel f , drawi ng hi s swor d and urgi ng t he whol e of t hat par t of t he ar my to do t he same, wi t h gr eat di f f i cul t y r out ed t hemut i neer s opposed t o hi m and advanced on the r un agai nst Stotzas. And

t hen, si nce he was j oi ned i n t hi s ef f or t by t he men of I l di ger and Theodorus, t he t wo ar mi es mi ngl ed wi t h each ot her i n such a way t hat ,whi l e the mut i neers were pursui ng some of t hei r enemy, t hey were bei ngovert aken and ki l l ed by ot hers. And as t he conf usi on became gr eat er andgr eat er, t he t r oops of Germanus, who were i n t he r ear, pr essed on st i l lmor e, and t he mut i neer s, f al l i ng i nt o gr eat f ear , t hought no l onger of r esi st ance. But nei t her si de coul d be di st i ngui shed ei t her by t hei r owncomr ades or by t hei r opponents. For al l used one l anguage and t he sameequi pment of ar ms, and they di f f er ed nei t her i n f i gur e nor i n dr ess nori n any ot her t hi ng what ever . For t hi s r eason t he sol di er s of t he emperorby t he advi ce of Germanus, whenever t hey captured anyone, asked who hewas; and t hen, i f he sai d t hat he was a sol di er of Germanus, t hey badehi m gi ve t he wat chwor d of Germanus, and i f he was not at al l abl e t o

gi ve t hi s, t hey ki l l ed hi m i nst ant l y. I n t hi s st r uggl e one of t he enemygot by unnot i ced and ki l l ed t he hor se of Germanus, and Germanus hi msel f f el l t o t he gr ound and came i nto danger , and woul d have been l ost hadnot hi s guar ds qui ckl y saved hi m by f or mi ng an encl osur e ar ound hi m andmount i ng hi m on another hor se.

As f or St otzas, he succeeded i n thi s t umul t i n escapi ng wi t h a f ew men.But Germanus, urgi ng on hi s men, went st r ai ght f or t he enemy' s camp. There he was encount er ed by t hose of t he mut i neer s who had beenst at i oned to guar d the st ockade. A st ubbor n f i ght t ook pl ace ar ound i t sent r ance, and t he mut i neer s came wi t hi n a l i t t l e of f or ci ng back thei ropponents, but Germanus sent some of hi s f ol l owers and bade t hem maket r i al of t he camp at another poi nt . These men, si nce no one was

def endi ng t he camp at t hi s pl ace, got i nsi de the st ockade wi t h l i t t l et r oubl e. And t he mut i neer s, upon seei ng t hem, r ushed of f i n f l i ght , andGermanus wi t h al l t he r est of t he army dashed i nto t he enemy' s camp. There t he sol di er s, f i ndi ng i t easy t o pl under t he goods of t he camp,nei t her t ook any account of t he enemy nor pai d any f ur t her heed to theexhor t at i ons of t hei r gener al , si nce boot y was at hand. For t hi s r easonGermanus, f ear i ng l est t he enemy shoul d get t ogether and come upon them,hi msel f wi t h some f ew men t ook hi s s t and at t he entr ance of t hest ockade, ut t er i ng many l ament s and ur gi ng hi s unheedi ng men t o r etur nt o good or der . And many of t he Moor s, when the r out had taken pl ace i nt hi s way, were now pursui ng t he mut i neer s, and, arr ayi ng t hemsel ves wi t ht he emperor ' s t r oops, were pl under i ng t he camp of t he vanqui shed. ButSt ot zas, at f i r st havi ng conf i dence i n t he Moor i sh ar my, r ode to t hem i n

order t o renew t he bat t l e. But per cei vi ng what was bei ng done, he f l edwi t h a hundr ed men, and succeeded wi t h di f f i cul t y i n maki ng hi s escape.And once more many gather ed about hi m and at t empted t o engage wi t h t heenemy, but bei ng repul sed no l ess deci si vel y t han bef or e, i f not evenmore so, t hey al l came over t o Germanus. And Stotzas al one wi t h some f ewVandal s wi t hdr ew t o Maur etani a, and t aki ng t o wi f e t he daught er of oneof t he rul er s, r emai ned t her e. And t hi s was t he concl usi on of t hatmut i ny.

XVI I I

Now t her e was among t he body- guards of Theodorus, t he Cappadoci an, a

cer t ai n Maxi mi nus, an exceedi ngl y base man. Thi s Maxi mi nus had f i r st gota ver y l ar ge number of t he sol di er s t o j oi n wi t h hi m i n a conspi r acyagai nst t he gover nment , and was now pur posi ng t o at t empt a t yr anny. And




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bei ng eager t o associ at e wi t h hi msel f st i l l mor e men, he expl ai ned t hepr oj ect t o ot her s and especi al l y to Ascl epi ades, a nat i ve of Pal est i ne,who was a man of good bi r t h and the f i r st of t he per sonal f r i ends of Theodorus. Now Ascl epi ades, af t er conversi ng wi t h Theodorus, st r ai ghtway

r eport ed t he whol e mat t er t o Germanus. And he, not wi shi ng as yet , whi l eaf f ai r s wer e st i l l unset t l ed, t o begi n any ot her di st ur bance, deci ded t oget t he best of t he man by caj ol i ng and f l at t er i ng hi m r at her t han bypuni shment , and t o bi nd hi m by oaths t o l oyal t y t oward t he government .Accordi ngl y, si nce i t was an ol d cust omamong al l Romans t hat no oneshoul d become a bodyguard of one of t he commander s, unl ess he hadpr evi ousl y t aken t he most dr ead oaths and gi ven pl edges of hi s l oyal t ybot h t owar d hi s own commander and t owar d t he Roman emper or , he summonedMaxi mi nus, and pr ai si ng hi m f or hi s dar i ng, di r ect ed hi m t o be one of hi s body- guar ds f r om t hat t i me f or t h. And he, bei ng over j oyed at t heext r aor di nar y honour , and conj ect ur i ng that hi s pr oj ect woul d i n thi sway get on mor e easi l y, t ook t he oat h, and t hough f r om t hat t i me f ort hhe was count ed among t he body- guards of Germanus, he di d not hesi t ate t o

di sr egard hi s oaths i mmedi atel y and to st r engthen much more t han everhi s pl ans t o achi eve t he t yranny.

Now t he whol e ci t y was cel ebr at i ng some general f est i val , and many of t he conspi r ators of Maxi mi nus at about t he t i me of l unch came accordi ngt o thei r agr eement t o t he pal ace, wher e Germanus was ent ert ai ni ng hi sf r i ends at a f east , and Maxi mi nus t ook hi s st and besi de the couches wi t ht he ot her body- guar ds. And as t he dr i nki ng pr oceeded, someone ent eredand announced t o Germanus t hat many sol di ers were st andi ng i n greatdi sor der bef or e t he door of t he cour t , put t i ng f or war d t he char ge thatt he government owed t hem t hei r pay f or a l ong per i od. And he commandedt he most t r ust y of t he guar ds secr et l y t o keep cl ose wat ch overMaxi mi nus, al l owi ng hi m i n no way to percei ve what was bei ng done. Then

t he conspi r ators wi t h thr eat s and tumul t pr oceeded on the run to thehi ppodr ome, and t hose who shar ed t hei r pl an wi t h t hem gather ed gr adual l yf r omt he houses and were assembl i ng t here. And i f i t had so chanced t hatal l of t hemhad come together, no one, I t hi nk, woul d have been abl eeasi l y to dest r oy thei r power ; but , as i t was, Ger manus ant i ci pat edt hi s, and, bef or e t he gr eat er par t had yet ar r i ved, he st r ai ght way sentagai nst t hem al l who were wel l - di sposed t o hi msel f and to the emper or .And they at t acked t he conspi r ators bef ore t hey expected t hem. And t hen,si nce Maxi mi nus, f or whom t hey wer e wai t i ng t o begi n t he bat t l e f ort hem, was not wi t h them, and they di d not see t he cr owd gather ed t o hel pt hem, as t hey had t hought i t woul d be, but i nst ead even behel d t hei rf el l ow- sol di er s unexpect edl y f i ght i ng agai nst t hem, t hey consequent l yl ost heart and were easi l y over come i n t he st r uggl e and r ushed of f i n

f l i ght and i n compl ete di sorder . And t hei r opponent s sl ew many of t hem,and they al so capt ured many al i ve and brought t hem t o Germanus. Those,however , who had not al r eady come t o t he hi ppodr ome gave no i ndi cat i onof t hei r sent i ment t oward Maxi mi nus. And Germanus di d not see f i t t o goon and seek them out , but he enqui r ed whet her Maxi mi nus, si nce he hadsworn t he oath, had t aken part i n t he pl ot . And si nce i t was provedt hat , t hough number ed among hi s own body- guards he had carr i ed on hi sdesi gns st i l l mor e t han bef ore, Germanus i mpal ed hi m cl ose by t hef or t i f i cat i ons of Car t hage, and i n t hi s way succeeded compl et el y i nput t i ng down t he sedi t i on. As f or Maxi mi nus, t hen, such was t he end of hi s pl ot .

XI

[ 539- 540 A. D. ] And the emperor summoned Ger manus t oget her wi t h Symmachus




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and Domni cus and agai n ent r ust ed al l Li bya t o Sol omon, i n the t hi r t eent hyear of hi s r ei gn; and he pr ovi ded hi m wi t h an ar my and of f i cer s, amongwhom were Ruf i nus and Leont i us, t he sons of Zaunas t he son of Pharesmanas, and J ohn, t he son of Si si ni ol us. For Mart i nus and

Val er i anus had al r eady bef ore t hi s gone under summons t o Byzant i um. AndSol omon sai l ed t o Car t hage, and havi ng r i d hi msel f of t he sedi t i on of St otzas, he r ul ed wi t h moder at i on and guarded Li bya secur el y, set t i ngt he ar my i n or der , and sendi ng to Byzant i um and to Bel i sar i us whateversuspi ci ous el ement s he f ound i n i t , and enr ol l i ng new sol di er s t o equalt hei r number , and r emovi ng t hose of t he Vandal s who were l ef t andespeci al l y al l t hei r women f r omt he whol e of Li bya. And he surr oundedeach ci t y wi t h a wal l , and guar di ng t he l aws wi t h gr eat st r i ct ness, her est ored t he government compl etel y. And Li bya became under hi s r ul epower f ul as to i t s r evenues and pr osper ous i n other r espect s.

And when ever yt hi ng had been ar r anged by hi m i n t he best way possi bl e,he agai n made an expedi t i on agai nst I audas and t he Moors on Aurasi um.

And f i r st he sent f orward Gont har i s, one of hi s own body- guards and anabl e warr i or , wi t h an ar my. Now Gont har i s came to t he Abi gas Ri ver andmade camp near Bagaï s, a deser t ed ci t y. And t her e he engaged wi t h t heenemy, but was def eat ed i n bat t l e, and r et i r i ng t o hi s st ockade wasal r eady bei ng hard pr essed by t he si ege of t he Moor s. But af t erwardsSol omon hi msel f ar r i ved wi t h hi s whol e ar my, and when he was si xt yst ades away f r om t he camp whi ch Gonthar i s was commandi ng, he made ast ockade and r emai ned t here; and heari ng al l t hat had bef al l en t he f orceof Gont har i s, he sent t hema par t of hi s army and bade t hemkeep up t hef i ght agai nst t he enemy wi t h cour age. But t he Moor s, havi ng gai ned t heupper hand i n t he engagement , as I have sai d, di d as f ol l ows. The Abi gasRi ver f l ows f r om Aur asi um, and descendi ng i nt o a pl ai n, wat er s t he l and j ust as t he men t here desi r e. For t he nat i ves conduct t hi s st r eam t o

what ever pl ace t hey thi nk i t wi l l best ser ve t hem at t he moment , f or i nt hi s pl ai n t her e ar e many channel s, i nt o whi ch t he Abi gas i s di vi ded,and ent eri ng al l of t hem, i t passes under gr ound, and reappear s agai nabove t he gr ound and gather s i t s st r eam t oget her. Thi s t akes pl ace overt he gr eat est par t of t he pl ai n and makes i t possi bl e f or t he i nhabi t ant sof t he regi on, by st oppi ng up t he water ways wi t h ear t h, or by agai nopeni ng them, t o make use of t he wat er s of t hi s r i ver as t hey wi sh. Soat t hat t i me t he Moor s shut of f al l t he channel s t here and t hus al l owedt he whol e st r eam t o f l ow about t he camp of t he Romans. As a r esul t of t hi s, a deep, muddy marsh f ormed t here t hrough whi ch i t was i mpossi bl et o go; t hi s t er r i f i ed t hem exceedi ngl y and r educed t hem t o a st at e of hel pl essness. When t hi s was hear d by Sol omon, he came qui ckl y. But t hebar bar i ans, becomi ng af r ai d, wi t hdr ew t o t he f oot of Aur asi um. And i n a

pl ace whi ch t hey cal l Babosi s t hey made camp and r emai ned ther e. SoSol omon moved wi t h hi s whol e army and came to t hat pl ace. And uponengagi ng wi t h t he enemy, he def eat ed them deci si vel y and t ur ned t hemt of l i ght . Now af t er t hi s t he Moor s di d not t hi nk i t advi sabl e f or t hem t of i ght a pi t ched bat t l e wi t h the Romans; f or t hey di d not hope t oovercome themi n thi s ki nd of cont est ; but t hey di d have hope, based ont he di f f i cul t charact er of t he count r y ar ound Aur asi um, t hat t he Romanswoul d i n a short t i me gi ve up by reason of t he suf f eri ngs t hey woul dhave t o endur e and woul d wi t hdr aw f r om t her e, j ust as t hey f ormer l y haddone. The most of t hem, t heref ore, went of f t o Maur etani a and t hebar bar i ans t o t he sout h of Aur asi um, but I audas wi t h t went y thousand of t he Moor s r emai ned t her e. And i t happened that he had bui l t a f or t r esson Aur asi um, Zerboul e by name. I nt o t hi s he ent ered wi t h al l t he Moor s

and remai ned qui et . But Sol omon was by no means wi l l i ng t hat t i me shoul dbe wast ed i n t he si ege, and l ear ni ng t hat t he pl ai ns about t he ci t y of Tamougade wer e f ul l of grai n j ust becomi ng r i pe, he l ed hi s ar my i nt o




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t hem, and set t l i ng hi msel f t her e, began t o pl under t he l and. Then, af t erf i r i ng ever ythi ng, he r et ur ned agai n t o t he f or t r ess of Zer boul e.

But dur i ng thi s t i me, whi l e the Romans were pl underi ng the l and, I audas,

l eavi ng behi nd some of t he Moors, about as many as he t hought woul d besuf f i ci ent f or t he def ence of t he f or t r ess, hi msel f ascended t o t hesummi t of Aur asi um wi t h t he r est of t he army, not wi shi ng t o st and si egei n t he f or t and have pr ovi si ons f ai l hi s f or ces. And f i ndi ng a hi ghpl ace wi t h cl i f f ' s on al l si des of i t and conceal ed by per pendi cul arr ocks, Toumar by name, he r emai ned qui et l y t her e. And t he Romansbesi eged t he f or t r ess of Zer boul e f or t hr ee days. And usi ng t hei r bows,si nce the wal l was not hi gh, t hey hi t many of t he barbar i ans upon thepar apets. And by some chance i t happened t hat al l t he l eader s of t heMoor s were hi t by t hese mi ssi l es and di ed. And when t he t hree days' t i mehad passed and ni ght came on, t he Romans, havi ng l ear ned nothi ng of t hedeath of t he l eader s among t he Moor s, were pl anni ng t o br eak up t hesi ege. For i t seemed bet t er t o Sol omon t o go agai nst I audas and t he

mul t i t ude of t he Moor s, t hi nki ng t hat , i f he shoul d be abl e t o capt ur et hat f or ce by si ege, t he bar bar i ans i n Zer boul e woul d wi t h l ess t r oubl eand di f f i cul t y yi el d t o the Romans. But t he bar bar i ans, t hi nki ng t hatt hey coul d no l onger hol d out agai nst t he si ege, si nce al l t hei r l eader shad now been dest r oyed, deci ded t o f l ee wi t h al l speed and abandon t hef or t r ess. Accor di ngl y t hey f l ed i mmedi at el y i n si l ence and wi t houtal l owi ng t he enemy i n any way t o percei ve i t , and t he Romans al so atdaybr eak began to pr epare f or depar t ure. And si nce no one appear ed ont he wal l , al t hough t he besi egi ng army was wi t hdrawi ng, t hey began t owonder and f el l i nt o the gr eat est perpl exi t y among themsel ves. And i nt hi s st at e of uncer t ai nt y t hey went ar ound the f or t r ess and f ound thegat e open f r om whi ch t he Moors had depart ed i n f l i ght . And ent eri ng t hef or t r ess t hey t r eat ed everyt hi ng as pl under , but t hey had no t hought of

pur sui ng the enemy, f or t hey had set out wi t h l i ght equi pment and weref ami l i ar wi t h the count r y round about . And when they had pl underedeveryt hi ng, t hey set guar ds over t he f ort r ess, and al l moved f orwar d onf oot .

XX

And comi ng t o t he pl ace Toumar , wher e t he enemy had shut t hemsel ves i nand were remai ni ng qui et , t hey encamped near by i n a bad posi t i on, wher et her e woul d be no suppl y of wat er , except a l i t t l e, nor any ot hernecessar y t hi ng. And af t er much t i me had been spent and t he bar bar i ansdi d not come out agai nst t hem at al l , t hey t hemsel ves, no l ess t han the

enemy, i f not even more, were hard pr essed by t he si ege and began t o bei mpat i ent . And more t han anythi ng el se, t hey were di st r essed by t he l ackof water ; t hi s Sol omon hi msel f guarded, gi vi ng each day no more t han asi ngl e cupf ul t o each man. And si nce he saw t hat t hey were openl ydi scont ent ed and no l onger abl e t o bear t hei r pr esent hardshi ps, hepl anned t o make t r i al of t he pl ace, al t hough i t was di f f i cul t of access,and cal l ed al l t oget her and exhor t ed them as f ol l ows: "Si nce God hasgrant ed t o t he Romans t o besi ege t he Moor s on Aurasi um, a t hi ng whi chhi t her t o has been beyond hope and now, t o such as do not see what i sactual l y bei ng done, i s al t oget her i ncredi bl e, i t i s necessar y that wet oo shoul d l end our ai d t o t he hel p t hat has come f r omabove, and notpr ove f al se t o thi s f avour , but undergoi ng t he danger wi t h ent husi asm,shoul d r each af t er t he good f ort une whi ch i s t o come f r omsuccess. For

i n ever y case t he t ur ni ng of t he scal es of human af f ai r s depends upont he moment of oppor t uni t y; but i f a man, by wi l f ul cowar di ce, i s t r ai t ort o hi s f or t une, he cannot j ust l y bl ame i t , havi ng by hi s own act i on




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br ought t he gui l t upon hi msel f . Now as f or t he Moors , you see t hei rweakness surel y and the pl ace i n whi ch t hey have shut t hemsel ves up andar e keepi ng guar d, depr i ved of al l t he necessi t i es of l i f e. And as f oryou, one of t wo t hi ngs i s necessar y, ei t her wi t hout f eel i ng any vexat i on

at t he si ege t o awai t t he sur r ender of t he enemy, or , i f you shr i nk f r omt hi s, t o accept t he vi ct or y whi ch goes wi t h t he danger . And f i ght i ngagai nst t hese bar bar i ans wi l l be the mor e f r ee f r om danger f or us,i nasmuch as they ar e al r eady f i ght i ng wi t h hunger and I t hi nk t hey wi l lnever even come to an engagement wi t h us. Havi ng t hese t hi ngs i n mi nd att he pr esent t i me, i t behooves you t o execut e al l your or ders wi t heager ness. "

Af t er Sol omon had made thi s exhort at i on, he l ooked about t o see f r omwhat poi nt i t woul d be best f or hi s men t o make an at t empt on t he pl ace,and f or a l ong t i me he seemed t o be i n per pl exi t y. For t he di f f i cul tnat ur e of t he gr ound seemed t o hi m qui t e t oo much t o contend wi t h. Butwhi l e Sol omon was consi der i ng t hi s, chance pr ovi ded a way f or t he

ent er pr i se as f ol l ows. Ther e was a cer t ai n Gezon i n t he ar my, af oot - sol di er , "opt i o" [ 56] of t he det achment t o whi ch Sol omon bel onged;f or t hus t he Romans cal l t he paymast er . Thi s Gezon, ei t her i n pl ay or i nanger , or per haps even moved by some di vi ne i mpul se, began t o make theascent al one, appar ent l y goi ng agai nst t he enemy, and not f ar f r omhi mwent some of hi s f el l ow- sol di er s, mar vel l i ng gr eat l y at what he wasdoi ng. And thr ee of t he Moor s, who had been st at i oned t o guard theapproach, suspect i ng t hat t he man was comi ng agai nst t hem, went on t her un t o conf r ont hi m. But si nce t hey were i n a narr ow way, t hey di d notproceed i n order l y ar r ay, but each one went separatel y. And Gezon st r uckt he f i r st one who came upon hi m and ki l l ed hi m, and i n t hi s way hedespat ched each of t he others. And when t hose i n t he rear percei vedt hi s, t hey advanced wi t h much shout i ng and tumul t agai nst t he enemy. And

when t he whol e Roman ar my bot h hear d and saw what was bei ng done,wi t hout wai t i ng ei t her f or t he gener al t o l ead t he way f or t hem or f ort he t r umpet s t o gi ve t he si gnal f or bat t l e, as was cust omar y, nor i ndeedeven keepi ng t hei r order , but maki ng a gr eat uproar and ur gi ng oneanother on, t hey ran agai nst t he enemy' s camp. There Ruf i nus andLeont i us, t he sons of Zaunas t he son of Pharesmanes, made a spl endi ddi spl ay of val orous deeds agai nst t he enemy. And by t hi s t he Moor s weret er r or - st r i cken, and when they l ear ned that t hei r guar ds al so had beendest r oyed, t hey st r ai ght way tur ned t o f l i ght wher e each one coul d, andt he most of t hem wer e over t aken i n t he di f f i cul t gr ound and ki l l ed. AndI audas hi msel f , t hough st r uck by a j avel i n i n t he t hi gh, st i l l made hi sescape and wi t hdr ew t o Maur etani a. But t he Romans, af t er pl under i ng theenemy' s camp, deci ded not t o abandon Aurasi um agai n, but t o guard

f or t r esses whi ch Sol omon was t o bui l d there, so t hat t hi s mount ai n mi ghtnot be agai n accessi bl e t o t he Moors .

Now t her e i s on Aur asi um a per pendi cul ar r ock whi ch r i ses i n t he mi dstof pr eci pi ces; t he nat i ves cal l i t t he Rock of Gemi ni anus; t her e t he menof anci ent t i mes had bui l t a t ower , maki ng i t ver y smal l as a pl ace of r ef uge, st r ong and unassai l abl e, si nce t he nat ur e of t he posi t i onassi st ed t hem. Here, as i t happened, I audas had a f ew days pr evi ousl ydeposi t ed hi s money and hi s women, set t i ng one ol d Moor i n charge asguardi an of t he money. For he coul d never have suspect ed t hat t he enemywoul d ei t her r each t hi s pl ace, or t hat t hey coul d i n al l t i me capt ur et he t ower by f orce. But t he Romans at t hat t i me, sear chi ng t hrough t her ough count r y of Aurasi um, came ther e, and one of t hem, wi t h a l augh,

at t empted to cl i mb up t o t he t ower ; but t he women began t o t aunt hi m,r i di cul i ng hi m as at t empt i ng t he i mpossi bl e; and t he ol d man, peer i ngout f r omt he tower , di d t he same thi ng. But when t he Roman sol di er ,




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cl i mbi ng wi t h both hands and f eet , had come near t hem, he drew hi s swordqui et l y and l eaped f or war d as qui ckl y as he coul d, and st r uck t he ol dman a f ai r bl ow on t he neck, and succeeded i n cut t i ng i t t hr ough. Andt he head f el l down t o t he gr ound, and the sol di ers, now embol dened and

hol di ng t o one anot her, ascended t o t he t ower , and t ook out f r omt her ebot h t he women and the money, of whi ch t her e was an exceedi ngl y greatquant i t y. And by means of i t Sol omon sur r ounded many of t he ci t i es i nLi bya wi t h wal l s.

And af t er t he Moor s had r et i r ed f r omNumi di a, def eat ed i n t he mannerdescr i bed, t he l and of Zabe, whi ch i s beyond Mt . Aur asi um and i s cal l ed"Fi r st Maur et ani a, " whose met r opol i s i s Si t i phi s, [ 57] was added t o t heRoman empi r e by Sol omon as a t r i butary pr ovi nce; f or of t he otherMaur et ani a Caesar ea i s t he f i r st ci t y, wher e was set t l ed Mast i gas[ 58]wi t h hi s Moor s, havi ng the whol e count r y t her e subj ect and tr i but ar y t ohi m, except , i ndeed, t he ci t y of Caesar ea. For t hi s ci t y Bel i sar i us hadpr evi ousl y recover ed f or t he Romans, as has been set f or t h i n t he

pr evi ous nar r at i ve[ 59] ; and t he Romans al ways j our ney t o thi s ci t y i nshi ps, but t hey ar e not abl e to go by l and, si nce Moor s dwel l i n t hatcount r y. And as a resul t of t hi s al l t he Li byans who wer e subj ect s of t he Romans, comi ng t o enj oy secure peace and f i ndi ng t he r ul e of Sol omonwi se and ver y moder at e, and havi ng no l onger any t hought of host i l i t y i nt hei r mi nds, seemed t he most f or t unate of al l men.

XXI

But i n t he f our t h year af t er t hi s i t came about t hat al l t hei r bl essi ngswer e t ur ned t o t he opposi t e. [ 543- 544 A. D. ] For i n t he sevent eent h yearof t he rei gn of t he Emper or J ust i ni an, Cyrus and Ser gi us, t he sons of

Bacchus, Sol omon' s br other , were assi gned by t he emper or t o rul e overt he ci t i es i n Li bya, Cyrus, t he el der , t o have Pent apol i s, [ 60] andSer gi us Tr i pol i s. And t he Moor s who are cal l ed Leuat hae came t o Ser gi uswi t h a gr eat army at t he ci t y of Lept i magna, [ 61] spreadi ng t he reportt hat t he reason they had come was t hi s, t hat Sergi us mi ght gi ve t hemt hegi f t s and i nsi gni a of of f i ce whi ch wer e cust omary[ 62] and so make thepeace secur e. But Ser gi us, per suaded by Pudent i us, a man of Tri pol i s, of whomI made ment i on i n t he precedi ng narr at i ve[ 63] as havi ng served t heEmper or J ust i ni an agai nst t he Vandal s at t he begi nni ng of t he Vandal i cWar , r ecei ved ei ght y of t he bar bar i ans, t hei r most not abl e men, i nt o theci t y, pr omi si ng t o f ul f i l al l t hei r demands; but he commanded the restt o r emai n i n t he suburb. Then af t er gi vi ng t hese ei ght y men pl edgesconcer ni ng the peace, he i nvi t ed themt o a banquet . But t hey say t hat

t hese bar bar i ans had come i nt o t he ci t y wi t h t r eacher ous i nt ent , t hatt hey mi ght l ay a t r ap f or Sergi us and ki l l hi m. And when they came i nt oconf erence wi t h hi m, t hey cal l ed up many char ges agai nst t he Romans, andi n par t i cul ar sai d t hat t hei r cr ops had been pl under ed wr ongf ul l y. AndSer gi us, payi ng no heed t o t hese t hi ngs, r ose f r om t he seat on whi ch hewas si t t i ng, wi t h i nt ent t o go away. And one of t he bar bar i ans, l ayi nghol d upon hi s shoul der , at t empt ed to pr event hi m f r om goi ng. Then theother s began t o shout i n conf usi on, and wer e al r eady r ushi ng togetherabout hi m. But one of t he body- guards of Sergi us, dr awi ng hi s sword,despat ched that Moor. And as a r esul t of t hi s a gr eat t umul t , as wasnat ur al , ar ose i n t he r oom, and t he guar ds of Ser gi us ki l l ed al l t hebar bar i ans. But one of t hem, upon seei ng t he ot her s bei ng sl ai n, r ushedout of t he house wher e t hese t hi ngs were t aki ng pl ace, unnot i ced by

anyone, and comi ng to hi s t r i bemat es, r eveal ed what had bef al l en t hei rf el l ows. And when t hey hear d t hi s, t hey bet ook t hemsel ves on t he r un t ot hei r own camp and t ogether wi t h al l t he others arr ayed t hemsel ves i n




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arms agai nst t he Romans. Now when t hey came near t he ci t y of Lept i magna,Ser gi us and Pudent i us conf r ont ed themwi t h thei r whol e ar my. And thebat t l e becomi ng a hand- t o- hand f i ght , at f i r st t he Romans wer evi ct or i ous and sl ew many of t he enemy, and, pl under i ng t hei r camp,

secur ed t hei r goods and ensl aved an exceedi ngl y gr eat number of womenand chi l dr en. But af t er war ds Pudent i us, bei ng possessed by a spi r i t of r eckl ess dar i ng, was ki l l ed; and Ser gi us wi t h t he Roman ar my, si nce i twas al r eady gr owi ng dar k, marched i nto Lept i magna.

At a l at er t i me t he bar bari ans t ook t he f i el d agai nst t he Romans wi t h agr eat er ar r ay. And Ser gi us went t o j oi n hi s uncl e Sol omon, i n or der t hathe t oo mi ght go t o meet t he enemy wi t h a l arger army; and he f ound t her ehi s br other Cyrus al so. And t he barbar i ans, comi ng i nt o Byzaci um, mader ai ds and pl under ed a gr eat part of t he count r y t her e; and Ant al as ( whomI ment i oned i n t he pr ecedi ng nar r at i ve[ 64] as havi ng r emai ned f ai t hf ult o the Romans and as bei ng f or t hi s r eason sol e rul er of t he Moor s i nByzaci um) had by now, as i t happened, become host i l e t o Sol omon, because

Sol omon had depr i ved hi m of t he mai ntenance wi t h whi ch t he emper or hadhonour ed hi m and had ki l l ed hi s br ot her , char gi ng hi m wi t hr esponsi bi l i t y f or an upr i si ng agai nst t he peopl e of Byzaci um. So att hat t i me Antal as was pl eased t o see t hese barbar i ans, and maki ng anof f ensi ve and def ensi ve al l i ance wi t h t hem, l ed t hem agai nst Sol omon andCar t hage.

And Sol omon, as soon as he hear d about t hi s, put hi s whol e ar my i nmot i on and marched agai nst t hem, and comi ng upon t hem at t he ci t y of Tebest a, di st ant si x days' j ourney f r om Car t hage, he est abl i shed hi scamp i n company wi t h the sons of hi s br other Bacchus, Cyr us and Sergi usand Sol omon t he younger . And f ear i ng t he mul t i t ude of t he barbar i ans, hesent t o t he l eaders of t he Leuat hae, r epr oachi ng t hembecause, whi l e at

peace wi t h t he Romans, t hey had taken up arms and come agai nst t hem, anddemandi ng t hat t hey shoul d conf i r m t he peace exi st i ng between t he twopeopl es, and he pr omi sed to swear t he most dread oat hs, t hat he woul dhol d no r emembrance of what t hey had done. But t he bar bar i ans, mocki nghi s words, sai d t hat he woul d of cour se swear by t he sacr ed wr i t i ngs of t he Chr i st i ans, whi ch t hey are accust omed t o cal l Gospel s. Now si nceSer gi us had once t aken t hese oat hs and t hen had sl ai n t hose who t r ust edi n t hem, [ 65] i t was t hei r desi r e to go i nt o bat t l e and make a test of t hese same sacr ed wr i t i ngs, t o see what sor t of power t hey had agai nstt he per j ur er s, i n or der t hat t hey mi ght f i r st have absol ut e conf i dencei n thembef ore t hey f i nal l y ent ered i nt o t he agr eement . When Sol omonheard t hi s, he made hi s preparat i ons f or t he combat .

And on t he f ol l owi ng day he engaged wi t h a por t i on of t he enemy as t heywer e br i ngi ng i n a ver y l ar ge boot y, conquer ed t hem i n bat t l e, sei zedal l t hei r boot y and kept i t under guar d. And when t he sol di er s weredi ssat i sf i ed and count ed i t an out r age t hat he di d not gi ve t hem t hepl under , he sai d t hat he was awai t i ng t he out come of t he war, i n ordert hat t hey mi ght di st r i but e ever ythi ng t hen, accor di ng t o t he shar e t hatshoul d seemt o sui t t he mer i t of each. But when the barbar i ans advanceda second t i me, wi t h t hei r whol e ar my, t o gi ve bat t l e, t hi s t i me some of t he Romans s t ayed behi nd and the other s entered t he encounter wi t h noent husi asm. At f i r st , t hen, t he bat t l e was evenl y cont est ed, but l at er ,si nce the Moor s wer e vast l y superi or by r eason of t hei r gr eat numbers ,t he most of t he Romans f l ed, and t hough Sol omon and a f ew men about hi mhel d out f or a t i me agai nst t he mi ssi l es of t he bar bar i ans, af t er war ds

t hey were overpowered by t he enemy, and f l eei ng i n hast e, r eached ar avi ne made by a br ook whi ch f l owed i n that r egi on. And t her e Sol omon' shor se stumbl ed and t hr ew hi m t o t he gr ound, and hi s body- guar ds l i f t ed




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hi m qui ckl y i n t hei r ar ms and set hi m upon hi s hor se. But over come bygreat pai n and unabl e t o hol d t he r ei ns l onger , he was over t aken andki l l ed by t he bar bari ans, and many of hi s guards besi des. Such was t heend of Sol omon' s l i f e.

XXI I

Af t er t he deat h of Sol omon, Sergi us, who, as has been sai d, was hi snephew, t ook over t he government of Li bya by gi f t of t he emperor . Andt hi s man became the chi ef cause of gr eat r ui n t o t he peopl e of Li bya,and al l wer e di ssat i sf i ed wi t h hi s r ul e- - t he of f i cer s because, bei ngexceedi ngl y st upi d and young bot h i n char acter and i n years, he provedt o be t he gr eat est br aggar t of al l men, and he i nsul t ed t hem f or no j ustcause and di sr egarded t hem, al ways usi ng t he power of hi s weal t h and t heaut hor i t y of hi s of f i ce t o t hi s end; and t he sol di er s di sl i ked hi mbecause he was al t ogether unmanl y and weak; and the Li byans, not onl y

f or t hese reasons, but al so because he had shown hi msel f st r angel y f ondof t he wi ves and t he possessi ons of ot her s. But most of al l J ohn, t heson of Si si ni ol us, was host i l e t o t he power of Ser gi us; f or , t hough hewas an abl e warr i or and was a man of unusual l y f ai r r epute, he f oundSer gi us absol ut el y ungr at ef ul . For t hi s r eason nei t her he nor anyoneel se at al l was wi l l i ng to take up ar ms agai nst t he enemy. But al mostal l t he Moor s were f ol l owi ng Ant al as, and St otzas came at hi s summonsf r om Maur etani a. And si nce not one of t he enemy came out agai nst t hem,t hey began t o sack t he count r y, maki ng pl under of everyt hi ng wi t houtf ear . At t hat t i me Ant al as sent t o t he Emper or J ust i ni an a l et t er , whi chset f or t h t he f ol l owi ng:

"That I am a sl ave of t hy empi r e not even I mysel f woul d deny, but t he

Moor s, havi ng suf f ered unhol y t r eat ment at t he hands of Sol omon i n t i meof peace, have t aken up ar ms under t he most sever e const r ai nt , notl i f t i ng t hem agai nst t hee, but war di ng of f our per sonal enemy; and t hi si s especi al l y t r ue of me. For he not onl y deci ded t o depr i ve me of t hemai nt enance, whi ch Bel i sar i us l ong bef ore speci f i ed and t hou di dstgrant , but he al so ki l l ed my own br other , al t hough he had no wr ongdoi ngt o charge agai nst hi m. We have t her ef ore t aken vengeance upon hi m whowr onged us. And i f i t i s t hy wi l l t hat t he Moor s be i n subj ect i on t o t hyempi r e and serve i t i n al l t hi ngs as t hey are accust omed t o do, commandSer gi us, t he nephew of Sol omon, t o depart f r omher e and retur n to t hee,and send another general t o Li bya. For t hou wi l t not be l acki ng i n menof di scr et i on and mor e wort hy t han Ser gi us i n ever y way; f or as l ong ast hi s man commands t hy ar my, i t i s i mpossi bl e f or peace t o be est abl i shed

bet ween the Romans and the Moor s. "

Such was t he l et t er wr i t t en by Ant al as. But t he emperor , even af t err eadi ng t hese t hi ngs and l ear ni ng t he common enmi t y of al l t owardSer gi us, was sti l l unwi l l i ng t o r emove hi m f r om hi s of f i ce, out of r espect f or t he vi r t ues of Sol omon and especi al l y the manner of hi sdeath. Such, t hen, was t he cour se of t hese events.

But Sol omon, t he brother of Ser gi us, who was supposed to havedi sappeared f r om t he worl d t oget her wi t h hi s uncl e Sol omon, wasf or got t en by hi s br ot her and by the r est as wel l ; f or no one had l ear nedt hat he was al i ve. But t he Moors , as i t happened, had t aken hi m al i ve,si nce he was very young; and t hey enqui r ed of hi m who he was. And he

sai d t hat he was a Vandal by bi r t h, and a sl ave of Sol omon. He sai d,mor eover , t hat he had a f r i end, a physi ci an, Pegasi us by name, i n t heci t y of Lar i bus near by, who woul d pur chase hi m by gi vi ng ransom. So the




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Moor s came up cl ose t o the f or t i f i cat i ons of t he ci t y and cal l edPegasi us and di spl ayed Sol omon t o hi m, and asked whet her i t was hi spl easur e t o purchase t he man. And si nce he agr eed to purchase hi m, t heysol d Sol omon t o hi m f or f i f t y pi eces of gol d. But upon get t i ng i nsi de

t he f ort i f i cat i ons, Sol omon taunt ed t he Moors as havi ng been decei ved byhi m, a mere l ad; f or he sai d t hat he was no ot her t han Sol omon, t he sonof Bacchus and nephew of Sol omon. And t he Moors, bei ng deepl y st ung bywhat had happened, and count i ng i t a ter r i bl e t hi ng that , whi l e havi ng ast r ong secur i t y f or t he conduct of Ser gi us and the Romans, t hey hadr el i nqui shed i t so car el essl y, came t o Lar i bus and l ai d si ege t o t hepl ace, i n or der t o capt ur e Sol omon wi t h t he ci t y. And t he besi eged, i nt er r or at bei ng shut i n by the bar bar i ans, f or t hey had not even car r i edi n pr ovi si ons, as i t happened, opened negot i at i ons wi t h t he Moors ,proposi ng t hat upon r ecei vi ng a gr eat sum of money t hey shoul dst r ai ght way abandon t he si ege. Whereupon t he barbar i ans, t hi nki ng t hatt hey coul d never t ake t he ci t y by f or ce- - f or t he Moor s are not at al lpr act i sed i n the st or mi ng of wal l s- - and at t he same t i me not knowi ng

t hat pr ovi si ons wer e scar ce f or t he besi eged, wel comed t hei r words, andwhen t hey had r ecei ved t hree t housand pi eces of gol d, t hey abandoned t hesi ege, and al l t he Leuathae r et i r ed homeward.

XXI I I

But Antal as and the ar my of t he Moor s were gather i ng agai n i n Byzaci umand St ot zas was wi t h them, havi ng some f ew sol di ers and Vandal s. And J ohn, t he son of Si si ni ol us, bei ng earnest l y ent r eat ed by t he Li byans,gat her ed an army and marched agai nst t hem. Now Hi mer i us, t he Thr aci an,was commander of t he t r oops i n Byzaci um, and at t hat t i me he was or der edby J ohn t o br i ng wi t h hi m al l t he t r oops t her e, t oget her wi t h t he

commander s of each det achment , and come t o a pl ace cal l ed Menephesse,whi ch i s i n Byzaci um, and j oi n hi s f or ce t her e. But l at er , upon hear i ngt hat t he enemy were encamped t her e, J ohn wr ote to Hi mer i us t el l i ng whathad happened and di r ect i ng hi m t o uni t e wi t h hi s f or ces at anot herpl ace, t hat t hey mi ght not go separ at el y, but al l t oget her , t o encount ert he enemy. But by some chance those who had t hi s l et t er , maki ng use of another r oad, wer e qui t e unabl e t o f i nd Hi mer i us, and he t ogether wi t hhi s ar my, comi ng upon the camp of t he enemy, f el l i nto t hei r hands. Nowt here was i n thi s Roman army a cer t ai n yout h, Sever i anus, son of Asi at i cus, a Phoeni ci an and a nat i ve of Emesa, commandi ng a detachmentof hor se. Thi s man al one, t oget her wi t h t he sol di er s under hi m, f i f t y i nnumber , engaged wi t h the enemy. And f or some t i me they hel d out , butl at er , bei ng over powered by the gr eat mul t i t ude, t hey r an t o t he t op of

a hi l l i n t he nei ghbour hood on whi ch t her e was al so a f ort , but onewhi ch of f ered no secur i t y. For t hi s r eason t hey sur r endered t hemsel vest o t hei r opponent s when t hey ascended t he hi l l t o at t ack t hem. And t heMoor s ki l l ed nei t her hi m nor any of t he sol di er s, but t hey madepr i soner s of t he whol e f orce; and Hi mer i us t hey kept under guar d, andhanded over hi s sol di er s t o St ot zas, si nce t hey agr eed wi t h gr eatr eadi ness t o march wi t h t he rebel s agai nst t he Romans; Hi meri us,however , t hey t hr eatened wi t h deat h, i f he shoul d not car r y out t hei rcommands. And they commanded hi m t o put i nt o t hei r hands by some devi cet he ci t y of Hadr umetumon t he sea. And si nce he decl ared t hat he waswi l l i ng, t hey went wi t h hi m agai nst Hadr umetum. And upon comi ng near t heci t y, t hey sent Hi mer i us a l i t t l e i n advance wi t h some of t he sol di er sof St otzas, dr aggi ng al ong, as i t seemed, some Moors i n chai ns, and they

t hemsel ves f ol l owed behi nd. And they di r ect ed Hi meri us t o say t o t hosei n command of t he gat es of t he ci t y t hat t he emper or ' s ar my had won adeci si ve vi ct ory, and t hat J ohn woul d come ver y soon, br i ngi ng an




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i nnumerabl e mul t i t ude of Moor i sh capt i ves; and when i n t hi s manner t hegat es had been opened t o them, he was t o get i nsi de the f ort i f i cat i onst ogether wi t h those who went wi t h hi m. And he car r i ed out t hesei nst r uct i ons. And t he ci t i zens of Hadr umetum, bei ng decei ved i n t hi s way

( f or t hey coul d not di st r ust t he commander of al l t he t r oops i nByzaci um) , opened wi de t he gat es and recei ved t he enemy. Then, i ndeed,t hose who had entered wi t h Hi mer i us drew t hei r swords and woul d notal l ow t he guar ds t her e t o shut t he gat es agai n, but st r ai ght way r ecei vedt he whol e ar my of t he Moors i nt o t he ci t y. And t he bar bari ans, af t erpl underi ng i t and est abl i shi ng there some f ew guar ds, depart ed. And of t he Romans who had been capt ur ed some f ew escaped and came t o Car t hage,among whom wer e Sever i anus and Hi mer i us. For i t was not di f f i cul t f ort hose who wi shed i t t o make t hei r escape f r om Moor s. And many al so, notat al l unwi l l i ngl y, r emai ned wi t h St ot zas.

Not l ong af t er t hi s one of t he pr i est s, Paul us by name, who had beenappoi nt ed t o take char ge of t he si ck, i n conf er r i ng wi t h some of t he

nobl es, sai d: "I mysel f shal l j our ney t o Car t hage and I am hopef ul t hatI shal l r et ur n qui ckl y wi t h an ar my, and i t wi l l be your car e t o r ecei vet he emperor ' s f or ces i nt o t he ci t y. " So t hey at t ached some r opes to hi mand l et hi m down by ni ght f r om t he f or t i f i cat i ons, and he, comi ng t o t hesea- shor e and happeni ng upon a f i shi ng- vessel whi ch was t her eabouts, wonover t he mast ers of t hi s boat by gr eat sums of money and sai l ed of f t oCar t hage. And when he had l anded t her e and come i nto t he presence of Ser gi us, he t ol d t he whol e st or y and asked hi m t o gi ve hi m aconsi der abl e ar my i n or der t o recover Hadr umetum. And si nce t hi s by nomeans pl eased Sergi us, i nasmuch as t he army i n Car t hage was not great ,t he pr i est begged hi m t o gi ve hi m some f ew sol di er s, and r ecei vi ng notmor e t han ei ght y men, he f or med t he f ol l owi ng pl an. He col l ect ed a l argenumber of boat s and ski f f s and embar ked on t hem many sai l ors and Li byans

al so, cl ad i n the garment s whi ch t he Roman sol di ers ar e accust omed t owear . And set t i ng of f wi t h t he whol e f l eet , he sai l ed at f ul l speedst r ai ght f or Hadr umetum. And when he had come cl ose t o i t , he sent somemen st eal t hi l y and decl ar ed t o the not abl es of t he ci t y t hat Germanus,t he emper or ' s nephew, had recent l y come t o Car t hage, and had sent a ver yconsi der abl e ar my t o t he ci t i zens of Hadr umetum. And he bade t hem t akecour age at t hi s and open f or t hemone smal l gat e t hat ni ght . And t heycar r i ed out hi s or der s. Thus Paul us wi t h hi s f ol l ower s got i nsi de t hef or t i f i cat i ons, and he sl ew al l t he enemy and r ecover ed Hadr umetum f ort he emper or ; and t he rumour about Germanus, begi nni ng ther e, went event o Car t hage. And t he Moor s, as wel l as St ot zas and hi s f ol l ower s, uponhear i ng t hi s, at f i r st became t er r i f i ed and went of f i n f l i ght t o t heext r emi t i es of Li bya, but l at er , upon l ear ni ng t he t r ut h, t hey count ed

i t a t er r i bl e t hi ng t hat t hey, af t er spar i ng al l t he ci t i zens of Hadr umet um, had suf f ered such thi ngs at t hei r hands. For t hi s r easont hey made rai ds everywher e and wr ought unhol y deeds upon t he Li byans,spar i ng no one what ever hi s age, and t he l and became at t hat t i me f ort he most par t depopul ated. For of t he Li byans who had been l ef t somef l ed i nt o t he ci t i es and some t o Si ci l y and t he ot her i sl ands. Butal most al l t he not abl es came t o Byzant i um, among whom was Paul us al so,who had r ecovered Hadr umetumf or t he emper or . And t he Moor s wi t h st i l ll ess f ear , si nce no one came out agai nst t hem, were pl under i ngever yt hi ng, and wi t h t hem Stot zas, who was now power f ul . For many Romansol di ers were f ol l owi ng hi m, some who had come as deser t ers, and ot herswho had been i n t he begi nni ng capt i ves but now r emai ned wi t h hi m of t hei r own f r ee wi l l . And J ohn, who was i ndeed a man of some reput at i on

among the Moor s, was r emai ni ng qui et because of t he ext r eme host i l i t y hehad concei ved agai nst Ser gi us.




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XXI V

At t hi s t i me the emperor sent t o Li bya, wi t h some f ew sol di er s, another

gener al , Ar eobi ndus, a man of t he senat e and of good bi r t h, but not atal l ski l l ed i n mat t er s of war f ar e. And he sent wi t h hi m At hanasi us, apref ect , who had come recent l y f r om I t al y, and some f ew Ar meni ans l ed byAr t abanes and J ohn, sons of J ohn, of t he l i ne of t he Ar saci dae, [ 66] whohad recent l y l ef t t he Persi an army and as deser t ers had come back to theRomans, t ogether wi t h t he other Ar meni ans. And wi t h Ar eobi ndus was hi ssi st er and Pr ej ect a, hi s wi f e, who was t he daught er of Vi gi l ant i a, t hesi st er of t he Emper or J ust i ni an. The emper or , however , di d not r ecal lSer gi us, but commanded both hi m and Ar eobi ndus t o be general s of Li bya,di vi di ng the countr y and t he detachment s of sol di ers bet ween them. Andhe enj oi ned upon Sergi us t o carr y on t he war agai nst t he bar bar i ans i nNumi di a, and upon Ar eobi ndus t o di r ect hi s oper at i ons const ant l y agai nstt he Moor s i n Byzaci um. And when t hi s expedi t i on l auded at Cart hage,

Ser gi us depart ed f ort hwi t h f or Numi di a wi t h hi s own ar my, andAr eobi ndus, upon l ear ni ng t hat Antal as and St ot zas were encamped neart he ci t y of Si ccavener i a, whi ch i s t hr ee days' j our ney di st ant f r omCart hage, commanded J ohn, t he son of Si si ni ol us, t o go agai nst t hem,choosi ng out whatever was best of t he army; and he wr ote t o Sergi us t ouni t e wi t h t he f or ces of J ohn, i n or der t hat t hey mi ght al l wi t h onecommon f or ce engage wi t h t he enemy. Now Sergi us deci ded t o pay no heedt o the message and have not hi ng to do wi t h thi s af f ai r , and J ohn wi t h asmal l army was compel l ed t o engage wi t h an i nnumerabl e host of t heenemy. And t her e had al ways been great enmi t y between hi m and Stot zas,and each one used t o pr ay that he mi ght become t he sl ayer of t he otherbef or e depar t i ng f r om t he wor l d. At t hat t i me, accor di ngl y, as soon ast he f i ght i ng was about t o come t o cl ose quart er s, both r ode out f r om

t hei r armi es and came agai nst each ot her . And J ohn dr ew hi s bow, and, asSt ot zas was st i l l advanci ng, made a successf ul shot and hi t hi m i n t her i ght gr oi n, and St ot zas, mor t al l y wounded, f el l t her e, not yet dead,but dest i ned t o sur vi ve t hi s wound onl y a l i t t l e t i me. And al l came upi mmedi atel y, bot h t he Moor i sh army and those who f ol l owed St otzas, andpl aci ng St ot zas wi t h l i t t l e l i f e i n hi m agai nst a tr ee, t hey advancedupon t hei r enemy wi t h gr eat f ur y; and si nce t hey wer e f ar super i or i nnumber s, t hey r out ed J ohn and al l t he Romans wi t h no di f f i cul t y. Then,i ndeed, t hey say, J ohn r emarked t hat death had now a cer t ai n sweet nessf or hi m, si nce hi s pr ayer r egar di ng St ot zas had r eached f ul f i l ment . Andt her e was a st eep pl ace near by, wher e hi s hor se st umbl ed and t hrew hi mof f . And as he was t r yi ng t o l eap upon t he hor se agai n, t he enemy caughtand ki l l ed hi m, a man who had shown hi msel f great both i n reput at i on and

i n val our . And St ot zas l ear ned thi s and then di ed, r emar ki ng onl y t hatnow i t was most sweet t o di e. I n t hi s bat t l e J ohn, t he Ar meni an, br ot herof Ar t abanes, al so di ed, af t er maki ng a di spl ay of val or ous deedsagai nst t he enemy. And t he emper or , upon hear i ng t hi s, was ver y deepl ygr i eved because of t he val our of J ohn; and t hi nki ng i t i nexpedi ent f ort he t wo general s t o admi ni st er t he pr ovi nce, he i mmedi at el y r ecal l edSer gi us and sent hi m t o I t al y wi t h an army, and gave over t he whol epower of Li bya to Ar eobi ndus.

XXV

And t wo mont hs af t er Sergi us had depar t ed f r om t here, Gont har i s essayed

t o set up a t yranny i n the f ol l owi ng manner . He hi msel f , as i t happened,was commandi ng t he t r oops i n Numi di a and spendi ng hi s t i me t her e f ort hat r eason, but he was secret l y t r eat i ng wi t h t he Moors t hat t hey mi ght




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march agai nst Cart hage. For t hwi t h, t heref ore, an army of t he enemy,havi ng been gathered i nto one pl ace f r om Numi di a and Byzaci um, went wi t hgreat zeal agai nst Car t hage. And t he Numi di ans were commanded byCout zi nas and I audas, and t he men of Byzaci um by Ant al as. And wi t h hi m

was al so J ohn, t he t yrant , and hi s f ol l ower s; f or t he mut i neer s, af t ert he deat h of St ot zas, had set hi m up as r ul er over t hemsel ves. And whenAr eobi ndus l ear ned of t hei r at t ack, he summoned t o Car t hage a number of t he of f i cer s wi t h t hei r men, and among them Gont hari s. And he was j oi nedal so by Ar t abanes and t he Ar meni ans. Ar eobi ndus, accor di ngl y, badeGont har i s l ead t he whol e army agai nst t he enemy. And Gont har i s, t houghhe had pr omi sed t o ser ve hi m zeal ousl y i n t he war , pr oceeded to act asf ol l ows. One of hi s servant s, a Moor by bi r t h and a cook by t r ade, hecommanded to go t o t he enemy' s camp, and to make i t appear t o al l ot her st hat he had r un away f r om hi s mast er , but t o t el l Ant al as secr et l y thatGont har i s wi shed t o shar e wi t h hi m t he rul e of Li bya. So the cookcar r i ed out t hese di r ect i ons, and Ant al as hear d t he wor d gl adl y, butmade no f ur t her r epl y t han t o say t hat wort hy ent erpr i ses ar e not

proper l y brought t o pass among men by cooks. When t hi s was hear d byGont hari s, he i mmedi atel y sent t o Ant al as one of hi s body- guards,Ul i t heus by name, whomhe had f ound especi al l y t r ust wort hy i n hi sser vi ce, i nvi t i ng hi m t o come as cl ose as possi bl e t o Car t hage. For , i f t hi s were done, he pr omi sed hi m t o put Ar eobi ndus out of t he way. SoUl i t heus wi t hout t he knowl edge of t he r est of t he barbar i ans made anagr eement wi t h Ant al as t hat he, Ant al as, shoul d r ul e Byzaci um, havi nghal f t he possessi ons of Ar eobi ndus and t aki ng wi t h hi m f i f t een hundr edRoman sol di ers , whi l e Gont hari s shoul d assume the di gni t y of ki ng,hol di ng the power over Cart hage and the rest of Li bya. And af t erset t l i ng t hese mat t ers he r eturned t o t he Roman camp, whi ch they hadmade ent i r el y i n f r ont of t he ci r cui t - wal l , di st r i but i ng amongt hemsel ves t he guar di ng of each gate. And t he barbar i ans not l ong

af t er war ds pr oceeded st r ai ght f or Cart hage i n gr eat haste, and they madecamp and remai ned i n the pl ace cal l ed Deci mum. [ 67] And depar t i ng f r omt here on the f ol l owi ng day, t hey were movi ng f orward. But some of t heRoman army encount ered t hem, and engagi ng wi t h them unexpect edl y, sl ew asmal l number of t he Moor s. But t hese were st r ai ght way cal l ed back byGont har i s, who rebuked them f or act i ng wi t h reckl ess dar i ng and f orbei ng wi l l i ng t o gi ve t he Romans f oreknowl edge of t he danger i nto whi cht hey were t hrown.

But i n t he meant i me Ar eobi ndus sent t o Cout zi nas secret l y and began t ot r eat wi t h hi m wi t h r egar d t o t ur ni ng t r ai t or . And Cout zi nas pr omi sedhi m t hat , as soon as they shoul d begi n t he act i on, he woul d t ur n agai nstAnt al as and the Moors of Byzaci um. For t he Moor s keep f ai t h nei t her wi t h

any ot her men nor wi t h each other . Thi s Ar eobi ndus r eport ed t oGont har i s. And he, wi shi ng t o f r ust r at e t he ent er pr i se by havi ng i tpost poned, advi sed Ar eobi ndus by no means t o have f ai t h i n Cout zi nas,unl ess he shoul d r ecei ve f r om hi m hi s chi l dr en as host ages. SoAr eobi ndus and Cout zi nas, const ant l y sendi ng secret messages t o eachother , wer e busyi ng t hemsel ves wi t h t he pl ot agai nst Ant al as. AndGont har i s sent Ul i t heus once more and made known t o Antal as what wasbei ng done. And he deci ded not t o make any char ges agai nst Cout zi nas nordi d he al l ow hi m t o know t hat he had di scover ed t he pl ot , nor i ndeed di dhe di scl ose anyt hi ng of what had been agreed upon by hi msel f andGont hari s. But t hough enemi es and host i l e at hear t t o one another , t heywer e ar r ayed t ogether wi t h t r eacherous i nt ent , and each of t hem wasmar chi ng wi t h t he ot her agai nst hi s own par t i cul ar f r i end. Wi t h such

pur poses Cout zi nas and Antal as were l eadi ng t he Moor i sh army agai nstCar t hage. And Gont har i s was i nt endi ng t o ki l l Ar eobi ndus, but , i n or dert o avoi d t he appear ance of ai mi ng at sol e power, he wi shed t o do thi s




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secret l y i n bat t l e, i n or der t hat i t mi ght seem t hat t he pl ot had beenmade by other s agai nst t he gener al , and t hat he had been compel l ed byt he Roman ar my t o assume command over Li bya. Accor di ngl y he ci r cumventedAr eobi ndus by decei t , and persuaded hi m t o go out agai nst t he enemy and

engage wi t h t hem, now t hat t hey had al r eady come cl ose t o Car t hage. Hedeci ded, t heref or e, t hat on t he f ol l owi ng day he woul d l ead t he whol earmy agai nst t he enemy at sunr i se. But Ar eobi ndus, bei ng ver yi nexper i enced i n t hi s mat t er and r el uct ant besi des, kept hol di ng backf or no good r eason. For whi l e consi der i ng how he shoul d put on hi sequi pment of arms and armour , and maki ng t he other preparat i ons f or t hesal l y, he wast ed t he gr eat est par t of t he day. He accor di ngl y put of f t he engagement t o t he f ol l owi ng day and remai ned qui et . But Gont har i s,suspect i ng that he had hesi t ated pur posel y, as bei ng aware of what wasbei ng done, deci ded openl y t o accompl i sh t he murder of t he general andmake hi s at t empt at t he t yranny.

XXVI

And on t he succeedi ng day he pr oceeded to act as f ol l ows. Openi ng wi det he gat es wher e he hi msel f kept guard, he pl aced huge r ocks under t hem,t hat no one mi ght be abl e easi l y t o shut t hem, and he pl aced ar mour edmen wi t h bows i n thei r hands about t he par apet i n gr eat number s, and hehi msel f , havi ng put on hi s breast pl at e, t ook hi s st and bet ween thegat es. And hi s pur pose i n doi ng t hi s was not t hat he mi ght r ecei ve t heMoor s i nt o t he ci t y; f or t he Moor s, bei ng al t oget her f i ckl e, ar esuspi ci ous of al l men. And i t i s not unnat ur al t hat t hey ar e so; f orwhoever i s by nat ur e t r eacherous t owar d hi s nei ghbour s i s hi msel f unabl et o t r ust anyone at al l , but he i s compel l ed t o be suspi ci ous of al l men,si nce he est i mates t he char acter of hi s nei ghbour by hi s own mi nd. For

t hi s r eason, t hen, Gont hari s di d not hope t hat even the Moor s woul dt r ust hi m and come i nsi de t he ci r cui t - wal l , but he made t hi s move i nor der t hat Ar eobi ndus, f al l i ng i nt o gr eat f ear , mi ght st r ai ght way r ushof f i n f l i ght , and, abandoni ng Car t hage as qui ckl y as he coul d, mi ghtbet ake hi msel f t o Byzant i um. And he woul d have been r i ght i n hi sexpect at i on had not wi nt er come on j ust t hen and f r ust r ated hi s pl an.[ 544- 545 A. D. ] And Ar eobi ndus, l ear ni ng what was bei ng done, summonedAt hanasi us and some of t he not abl es. And Ar t abanes al so came to hi m f r omt he camp wi t h two ot her s and he ur ged Ar eobi ndus nei t her t o l ose hear tnor t o gi ve way t o the dar i ng of Gont har i s, but t o go agai nst hi mi nst ant l y wi t h al l hi s men and engage hi m i n bat t l e, bef or e any f ur t hert r oubl e ar ose. At f i r st , t hen, Ar eobi ndus sent t o Gont har i s one of hi sf r i ends, Phr edas by name, and commanded hi m t o t est t he other ' s pur pose.

And when Phredas r et urned and r epor t ed t hat Gont har i s by no means deni edhi s i nt ent i on of sei zi ng the supr eme power, he pur posed i mmedi atel y t ogo agai nst hi m ar r ayed f or bat t l e.

But i n t he meant i me Gont har i s s l andered Ar eobi ndus t o t he sol di er s,sayi ng t hat he was a coward and not onl y possessed wi t h f ear of t heenemy, but at t he same t i me qui t e unwi l l i ng t o gi ve t hem, hi s sol di er s,t hei r pay, and that he was pl anni ng t o run away wi t h Anast asi us and thatt hey wer e about t o sai l ver y soon f r om Mandr aci um[ 68] , i n or der t hat t hesol di er s, f i ght i ng bot h wi t h hunger and wi t h the Moor s, mi ght bedest r oyed; and he enqui r ed whether i t was t hei r wi sh t o ar r est both andkeep t hem under guard. For t hus he hoped ei t her t hat Ar eobi ndus,per cei vi ng t he tumul t , woul d t ur n t o f l i ght , or t hat he woul d be

capt ur ed by the sol di er s and r ut hl essl y put t o death. Moreover hepromi sed that he hi msel f woul d advance t o t he sol di ers money of hi s own,as much as t he government owed them. And they were appr ovi ng hi s wor ds




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and were possessed wi t h gr eat wr at h agai nst Ar eobi ndus, but whi l e t hi swas goi ng on Ar eobi ndus t ogether wi t h Ar t abanes and hi s f ol l owers camet here. And a bat t l e t ook pl ace on t he par apet and bel ow about t he gatewhere Gont har i s had taken hi s st and, and nei t her si de was worst ed. And

al l were about t o gather f r om t he camps, as many as were wel l di sposedt o t he emper or , and capt ure t he mut i neer s by f orce. For Gont har i s hadnot as yet decei ved al l , but t he maj or i t y remai ned st i l l uncor r upt ed i nmi nd. But Ar eobi ndus, seei ng t hen f or t he f i r st t i me the ki l l i ng of men( f or he had not yet , as i t happened, become acquai nt ed wi t h t hi s si ght ) ,was t er r or - st r i cken and, t ur ni ng cowar d, f l ed, unabl e to endur e what hesaw.

Now t her e i s a templ e i nsi de t he f or t i f i cat i ons of Car t hage har d by t hesea- shor e, t he abode of men who are ver y exact i n t hei r pr act i ce of r el i gi on, whom we have al ways been accust omed t o cal l "monks" ; t hi st empl e had been bui l t by Sol omon not l ong bef ore, and he had sur r oundedi t wi t h a wal l and r ender ed i t a ver y st r ong f or t r ess. And Ar eobi ndus,

f l eei ng f or r ef uge, r ushed i nt o the monast ery, where he had al r eady senthi s wi f e and si st er . Then Ar t abanes too r an away, and al l t he r estwi t hdr ew f r om Cart hage as each one coul d. And Gont har i s, havi ng t akent he ci t y by assaul t , wi t h t he mut i neer s t ook possessi on of t he pal ace,and was al r eady guardi ng both the gates and the harbour most caref ul l y.Fi r st , t hen, he summoned At hanasi us, who came to hi m wi t hout del ay, andby usi ng much f l at t ery At hanasi us made i t appear t hat what had been donepl eased hi m exceedi ngl y. And af t er t hi s Gont har i s sent t he pr i est of t heci t y and commanded Ar eobi ndus, af t er r ecei vi ng pl edges, t o come to thepal ace, t hr eat eni ng t hat he woul d besi ege hi m i f he di sobeyed and woul dnot agai n gi ve hi m pl edges of saf ety, but woul d use ever y means t ocapt ur e and put hi m t o deat h. So t he pr i est , Repar at us, st out l y decl ar edt o Ar eobi ndus t hat i n accor dance wi t h t he deci si on of Gont har i s he woul d

swear t hat no har m woul d come to hi m f r om Gont har i s, t el l i ng al so whathe had t hreat ened i n case he di d not obey. But Ar eobi ndus became af r ai dand agr eed t hat he woul d f ol l ow t he pr i est i mmedi at el y, i f t he pr i est ,af t er perf or mi ng t he r i t e of t he sacred bat h[ 69] i n t he usual manner,shoul d swear t o hi m by that r i t e and t hen gi ve hi m pl edges f or hi ssaf et y. So t he pr i est di d accor di ng t o t hi s. And Ar eobi ndus wi t houtdel ay f ol l owed hi m, cl ad i n a garment whi ch was sui t abl e nei t her f or agener al nor f or any one el se i n mi l i t ar y ser vi ce, but al t oget herappr opr i at e t o a sl ave or one of pr i vat e st at i on; t hi s gar ment t heRomans cal l "casul a"[ 70] i n the Lat i n t ongue. And when they came neart he pal ace, he t ook i n hi s hands t he hol y scr i pt ur es f r om t he pr i est ,and so went bef or e Gont hari s. And f al l i ng pr one he l ay t here a l ongt i me, hol di ng out t o hi m t he suppl i ant ol i ve- br anch and t he hol y

scr i pt ur es, and wi t h hi m was t he chi l d whi ch had been count ed wor t hy of t he sacr ed bat h by whi ch the pr i est had gi ven hi m t he pl edge, as hasbeen t ol d. And when, wi t h di f f i cul t y, Gont har i s had r ai sed hi m t o hi sf eet , he enqui r ed of Gont har i s i n t he name of al l t hi ngs hol y whetherhi s saf ety was secur e. And Gont har i s now bade hi m most posi t i vel y t o beof good cheer, f or he woul d suf f er no har m at hi s hands, but on t hef ol l owi ng day woul d be gone f r om Car t hage wi t h hi s wi f e and hi spossessi ons. Then he di smi ssed t he pr i est Reparatus, and bade Ar eobi ndusand At hanasi us di ne wi t h hi m i n t he pal ace. And dur i ng t he di nner hehonour ed Ar eobi ndus, i nvi t i ng hi m t o take hi s pl ace f i r st on t he couch;but af t er t he di nner he di d not l et hi m go, but compel l ed hi m t o sl eepi n a chamber al one; and he sent t her e Ul i t heus wi t h cer t ai n other s t oassai l hi m. And whi l e he was wai l i ng and cryi ng al oud agai n and agai n

and speaki ng many ent r eat i ng words t o t hem t o move them t o pi t y, t heysl ew hi m. At hanasi us, however , t hey spared, passi ng hi m by, I suppose,on account of hi s advanced age.




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XXVI I

And on t he f ol l owi ng day Gont har i s sent t he head of Ar eobi ndus t oAnt al as, but deci ded t o depr i ve hi m of t he money and of t he sol di er s.Ant al as, t heref or e, was out r aged, because he was not car r yi ng outanyt hi ng of what had been agr eed wi t h hi m, and at t he same t i me, uponconsi der i ng what Gont har i s had sworn and what he had done t o Ar eobi ndus,he was i ncensed. For i t di d not seem t o hi m t hat one who had di sr egar dedsuch oat hs woul d ever be f ai t hf ul ei t her t o hi m or t o anyone el se atal l . So af t er consi der i ng t he mat t er l ong wi t h hi msel f , he was desi r ousof submi t t i ng t o t he Emper or J ust i ni an; f or t hi s r eason, t hen, hemarched back. And l ear ni ng t hat Marcent i us, who commanded the t r oops i nByzaci um, had f l ed t o one of t he i sl ands whi ch l i e of f t he coast , hesent t o hi m, and t el l i ng hi m t he whol e st or y and gi vi ng pl edges,per suaded hi m by ki nd words t o come to hi m. And Marcent i us r emai ned wi t h

Ant al as i n the camp, whi l e the sol di ers who were on duty i n Byzaci um,bei ng wel l di sposed t o t he emper or , wer e guar di ng the ci t y of Hadr umetum. But t he sol di ers of St otzas, bei ng not l ess t han a t housand,per cei vi ng what was bei ng done, went i n gr eat hast e, wi t h J ohn l eadi ngt hem, t o Gont har i s; and he gl adl y recei ved t hem i nt o the ci t y. Now t her ewere f i ve hundred Romans and about ei ghty Huns, whi l e al l t he rest wereVandal s. And Ar t abanes, upon r ecei vi ng pl edges, went up t o t he pal acewi t h hi s Ar meni ans, and pr omi sed t o ser ve t he tyrant accor di ng t o hi sor der s. But secret l y he was pur posi ng to dest r oy Gont har i s, havi ngprevi ousl y communi cated t hi s pur pose t o Gr egor i us, hi s nephew, and t oAr t asi r es, hi s body- guar d. And Gr egor i us, ur gi ng hi m on t o theunder t aki ng, spoke as f ol l ows:

"Ar t abanes, t he oppor t uni t y i s now at hand f or you, and you al one, t owi n t he gl or y of Bel i sar i us- - nay mor e, even t o sur pass t hat gl or y byf ar . For he came here, havi ng r ecei ved f r omt he emperor a mostf ormi dabl e ar my and gr eat sums of money, havi ng of f i cer s accompanyi nghi m and advi sers i n gr eat number s, and a f l eet of shi ps whose l i ke wehave never bef ore hear d t el l of , and numerous caval r y, and arms, andever ythi ng el se, t o put i t i n a wor d, pr epar ed f or hi m i n a mannerwor t hy of t he Roman empi r e. And t hus equi pped he won back Li bya f or t heRomans wi t h much t oi l . But al l t hese achi evement s have so compl etel ycome to naught , t hat t hey ar e, at t hi s moment , as i f t hey had neverbeen- - except i ndeed, t hat t her e i s at pr esent l ef t t o the Romans f r omt he vi ct or y of Bel i sar i us t he l osses t hey have suf f er ed i n l i ves and i nmoney, and, i n addi t i on, t hat t hey ar e no l onger abl e even t o guard t he

good t hi ngs t hey won. But t he wi nni ng back of al l t hese thi ngs f or t heemperor now depends upon the courage and j udgment and r i ght hand of youal one. Theref ore consi der t hat you are of t he house of t he Ar saci dae byanci ent descent , and remember t hat i t i s seeml y f or men of nobl e bi r t ht o pl ay the part of brave men al ways and i n al l pl aces. Now manyr emarkabl e deeds have been per f ormed by you i n behal f of f r eedom. Forwhen you wer e st i l l young, you sl ew Acaci us, [ 71] t he rul er of t heAr meni ans, and Si t t as, [ 72] t he gener al of t he Romans, and as a r esul t of t hi s becomi ng known t o t he ki ng Chosr oes, you campai gned wi t h hi magai nst t he Romans. And si nce you have r eached so gr eat a st at i on t hati t devol ves upon you not t o al l ow t he Roman power t o l i e subj ect t o adr unken dog, show at t hi s t i me that i t was by r eason of nobl e bi r t h anda val orous heart t hat at t he f or mer t i me, good si r , you perf ormed t hose

deeds; and I as wel l as Ar t asi r es her e wi l l assi st you i n ever ythi ng, sof ar as we have t he power , i n accor dance wi t h your commands. "




95

So spoke Gr egori us; and he exci t ed t he mi nd of Ar t abanes s t i l l moreagai nst t he tyr ant . But Gont har i s, br i ngi ng out t he wi f e and t he si st erof Ar eobi ndus f r om t he f or t r ess, compel l ed them t o remai n at a cer t ai nhouse, showi ng them no i nsul t by any word or deed what soever , nor di d

t hey have pr ovi si ons i n any l ess measure t han t hey needed, nor were t heycompel l ed t o say or t o do anythi ng except , i ndeed, t hat Prej ect a wasf or ced t o wr i t e t o her uncl e[73] t hat Gont har i s was honour i ng t hemexceedi ngl y and t hat he was al t ogether gui l t l ess of t he mur der of herhusband, and that t he base deed had been done by Ul i t heus, Gont har i s byno means approvi ng. And Gont har i s was per suaded t o do t hi s byPasi phi l us, a man who had been f oremost among t he mut i neers i n Byzaci um,and had assi st ed Gont har i s ver y gr eat l y i n hi s ef f or t t o est abl i sh t het yr anny. For Pasi phi l us mai nt ai ned t hat , i f he shoul d do t hi s, t heemper or woul d marr y t he young woman to hi m, and i n vi ew of hi s ki nshi pwi t h her woul d gi ve al so a, dowr y of a l arge sum of money. And Gont har i scommanded Ar t abanes t o l ead t he army agai nst Antal as and the Moors i nByzaci um. For Cout zi nas, havi ng quar r el l ed wi t h Ant al as, had separat ed

f r om hi m openl y and al l i ed hi msel f wi t h Gont har i s; and he gave Gont har i shi s son and hi s mother as host ages. So the army, under t he l eader shi p of Ar t abanes, proceeded i mmedi atel y agai nst Antal as. And wi t h Ar t abanes was J ohn al so, t he commander of t he mut i neer s of St ot zas, and Ul i t heus, t hebody- guard of Gont har i s; and there wer e Moors al so f ol l owi ng hi m, l ed byCout zi nas. And af t er pass i ng by t he ci t y of Hadr umetum, t hey came upont hei r opponents somewher e near t her e, and maki ng a camp a l i t t l e apar tf r omt he enemy, t hey passed the ni ght . And on the day af t er t hat J ohnand Ul i t heus, wi t h a detachment of t he army, r emai ned t her e, whi l eAr t abanes and Cout zi nas l ed thei r ar my agai nst t hei r opponent s. And theMoors under Ant al as di d not wi t hst and t hei r at t ack and r ushed of f i nf l i ght . But Ar t abanes of a sudden wi l f ul l y pl ayed t he cowar d, andt ur ni ng hi s st andar d about mar ched of f t owards t he r ear. For t hi s r eason

Ul i t heus was pur posi ng t o ki l l hi m when he came i nto the camp. ButAr t abanes, by way of excusi ng hi msel f , sai d he f eared l est Marcent i us,comi ng t o ass i st t he enemy f r om t he ci t y of Hadr umetum, wher e he thenhappened to be, woul d do hi s f or ces i r r epar abl e harm; but Gont har i s, hesai d, ought t o march agai nst t he enemy wi t h the whol e ar my. And at f i r sthe consi dered goi ng t o Hadr umetum wi t h hi s f ol l owers and uni t i ng wi t ht he emper or ' s f or ces. But af t er l ong del i ber at i on i t seemed t o hi mbet t er t o put Gont har i s out of t he worl d and t hus f r ee bot h t he emper orand Li bya f r om a di f f i cul t s i t uat i on. Ret ur ni ng, accor di ngl y, t oCart hage, he r eport ed t o t he t yrant t hat he woul d need a l arger army tomeet t he enemy. And Gont har i s, af t er conf er r i ng wi t h Pasi phi l us,consent ed, i ndeed, t o equi p hi s whol e army, but purposed t o pl ace aguard i n Car t hage, and i n per son t o l ead t he army agai nst t he enemy.

Each day, t her ef ore, he was dest r oyi ng many men t oward whom he f el t anysuspi ci on, even t hough gr oundl ess. And he gave or der s t o Pasi phi l us,whomhe was i nt endi ng t o appoi nt i n charge of t he garr i son of Car t hage,t o ki l l al l t he Gr eeks[74] wi t hout any consi der at i on.

XXVI I I

And af t er ar r angi ng everyt hi ng el se i n t he very best way, as i t seemedt o hi m, Gont har i s deci ded t o ent er t ai n hi s f r i ends at a banquet , wi t ht he i nt ent i on of maki ng hi s depar t ur e on the f ol l owi ng day. And i n ar oom where t here were i n readi ness t hr ee couches whi ch had been t heref r omanci ent t i mes, he made the banquet . So he hi msel f r ecl i ned, as was

nat ur al , upon t he f i r st couch, where were al so At hanasi us and Ar t abanes,and some of t hose known to Gont har i s, and Peter , a Thr aci an by bi r t h,who had pr evi ousl y been a bodyguard of Sol omon. And on bot h the ot her




96

couches were t he f i r st and nobl est of t he Vandal s. J ohn, however, whocommanded t he mut i neers of Stotzas; was ent ert ai ned by Pasi phi l us i n hi sown house, and each of t he other l eaders wher ever i t sui t ed t he sever alf r i ends of Gont har i s t o ent er t ai n them. Ar t abanes, accor di ngl y, when he

was bi dden to t hi s banquet , t hi nki ng that t hi s occasi on f ur ni shed hi m asui t abl e oppor t uni t y f or t he mur der of t he t yrant , was pl anni ng t o car r yout hi s pur pose. He t heref or e di scl osed t he mat t er t o Gr egor i us and t oAr t asi r es and thr ee ot her body- guards, bi ddi ng the body- guar ds geti nsi de t he hal l wi t h thei r swords ( f or when commanders are ent ert ai nedat a banquet i t i s cust omar y f or t hei r body- guards t o st and behi ndt hem) , and af t er get t i ng i nsi de t o make an at t ack suddenl y, at what evermoment shoul d seem t o t hemmost sui t abl e; and Ar t asi r es was to st r i ket he f i r st bl ow. At t he same ti me he di r ect ed Gr egor i us t o pi ck out al arge number of t he most dar i ng of t he Ar meni ans and br i ng them t o thepal ace, car r yi ng onl y thei r swor ds i n t hei r hands ( f or i t i s not l awf ulf or t he escor t of of f i cer s i n a ci t y to be ar med wi t h anyt hi ng el se) ,and l eavi ng t hese men i n t he vest i bul e, t o come i nsi de wi t h t he

body- guards; and he was t o t el l t he pl an t o no one of t hem, but t o makeonl y t hi s expl anat i on, t hat he was suspi ci ous of Gont har i s, f ear i ng t hathe had cal l ed Ar t abanes t o thi s banquet t o do hi m harm, and t heref orewi shed that t hey shoul d st and besi de t he sol di ers of Gont har i s who hadbeen st at i oned t her e on guar d, and gi vi ng t he appear ance of i ndul gi ng i nsome pl ay, t hey were to take hol d of t he shi el ds whi ch t hese guar dscar r i ed, and wavi ng t hem about and otherwi se movi ng t hem keep const ant l yt ur ni ng them up and down; and i f any t umul t or shout i ng took pl acewi t hi n, t hey were to take up t hese ver y shi el ds and come to t he rescueon t he r un. Such were the order s whi ch Ar t abanes gave, and Gr egor i uspr oceeded to put t hem i nt o execut i on. And Ar t asi r es devi sed thef ol l owi ng pl an: he cut some ar r ows i nt o two par t s and pl aced them on t hewr i st of hi s l ef t ar m, t he sect i ons r eachi ng t o hi s el bow. And af t er

bi ndi ng t hem ver y car ef ul l y wi t h st r aps, he l ai d over t hem t he sl eeve of hi s t uni c. And he di d t hi s i n or der t hat , i f anyone shoul d r ai se hi ssword over hi m and at t empt t o st r i ke hi m, he mi ght avoi d t he chance of suf f er i ng ser i ous i nj ur y; f or he had onl y t o t hr ust hi s l ef t ar m i nf r ont of hi m, and the st eel woul d br eak of f as i t cr ashed upon t he wood,and thus hi s body coul d not be reached at any poi nt .

Wi t h such pur pose, t hen, Ar t asi r es di d as I have sai d. And t o Ar t abaneshe spoke as f ol l ows: "As f or me, I have hopes t hat I shal l pr ove equalt o t he under t aki ng and shal l not hesi t at e, and al so t hat I shal l t oucht he body of Gont har i s wi t h t hi s swor d; but as f or what wi l l f ol l ow, I amunabl e t o say whether God i n Hi s anger agai nst t he t yrant wi l lco- operate wi t h me i n t hi s dar i ng deed, or whet her , avengi ng some si n of

mi ne, He wi l l st and agai nst me there and be an obst acl e i n my way. I f ,t her ef or e, you see t hat t he t yrant i s not wounded i n a vi t al spot , doyou ki l l me wi t h my sword wi t hout t he l east hesi t at i on, so t hat I maynot be t or t ur ed by hi m i nt o sayi ng t hat i t was by your wi l l t hat Ir ushed i nt o t he under t aki ng, and thus not onl y per i sh mysel f mostshamef ul l y, but al so be compel l ed agai nst my wi l l t o dest r oy you aswel l . " And af t er Ar t asi r es had spoken such words he t oo, t ogether wi t hGr egor i us and one of t he body- guar ds, ent ered t he room where t he coucheswere and t ook hi s st and behi nd Ar t abanes. And t he rest , r emai ni ng by t heguar ds, di d as t hey had been commanded.

So Ar t asi r es, when t he banquet had onl y j ust begun, was purposi ng to sett o wor k, and he was al r eady t ouchi ng t he hi l t of hi s sword. But

Gr egor i us pr event ed hi m by sayi ng i n t he Ar meni an t ongue t hat Gont har i swas st i l l whol l y hi msel f , not havi ng as yet dr unk any gr eat quant i t y of wi ne. Then Ar t asi r es gr oaned and sai d: "My good f el l ow, how f i ne a hear t




97

I have f or t he deed, and now you have f or t he moment wr ongf ul l y hi nderedme!" And as t he dr i nki ng went on, Gont har i s, who by now was t hor oughl ysat ur at ed wi t h wi ne, began t o gi ve por t i ons of t he f ood to t hebody- guards, yi el di ng t o a gener ous mood. And t hey, upon r ecei vi ng t hese

por t i ons, went out si de t he bui l di ng i mmedi atel y and were about t o eatt hem, l eavi ng besi de Gont har i s onl y thr ee body- guards, one of whomhappened t o be Ul i t heus. And Ar t asi r es al so st art ed t o go out i n or dert o tast e the mor sel s wi t h t he rest . But j ust t hen a ki nd of f ear cameover hi m l est , when he shoul d wi sh t o dr aw hi s sword, somethi ng mi ghtpr event hi m. Accor di ngl y, as soon as he got out si de, he secret l y t hr ewaway t he sheat h of t he sword, and taki ng i t naked under hi s arm, hi ddenby hi s cl oak, he rushed i n t o Gont har i s, as i f t o say somet hi ng wi t houtt he knowl edge of t he ot hers . And Ar t abanes, seei ng t hi s, was i n a f everof exci t ement , and became exceedi ngl y anxi ous by r eason of t hesur passi ng magni t ude of t he i ssue at st ake; he began t o move hi s head,t he col our of hi s countenance changed r epeat edl y, and he seemed t o havebecome al t oget her l i ke one i nspi r ed, on account of t he gr eat ness of t he

under t aki ng. And Pet er , upon seei ng t hi s, under st ood what was bei ngdone, but he di d not di scl ose i t t o any of t he ot her s, because, bei ngwel l di sposed t o t he emper or , he was exceedi ngl y pl eased by what wasgoi ng on. And Ar t asi r es, havi ng come cl ose t o t he t yrant , was pushed byone of t he ser vant s, and as he r et r eat ed a l i t t l e t o t he r ear , t heser vant observed t hat hi s sword was bared and cr i ed out sayi ng: "What i st hi s, my excel l ent f el l ow?" And Gont har i s, put t i ng hi s hand t o hi s r i ghtear , and t ur ni ng hi s f ace, l ooked at hi m. And Ar t asi r es st r uck hi m wi t hhi s swor d as he di d so, and cut of f a pi ece of hi s scal p t oget her wi t hhi s f i nger s. And Pet er cr i ed out and exhor t ed Ar t asi r es t o ki l l t he mostunhol y of al l men. And Ar t abanes, seei ng Gont hari s l eapi ng t o hi s f eet( f or he r ecl i ned cl ose t o hi m) , dr ew a two- edged dagger whi ch hung byhi s t hi gh- - a r at her l ar ge one- - and t hr usti ng i t i nt o t he t yr ant ' s l ef t

si de cl ean up t o t he hi l t , l ef t i t t her e. And t he t yr ant none t he l esst r i ed t o l eap up, but havi ng r ecei ved a mor t al wound, he f el l where hewas. Ul i t heus t hen br ought hi s swor d down upon Ar t asi r es as i f t o st r i kehi m over t he head; but he hel d hi s l ef t ar m above hi s head, and t huspr of i t ed by hi s own i dea i n the moment of gr eat est need. For si nceUl i t heus' swor d had i t s edge t ur ned when i t st r uck t he sect i ons of arr ows on hi s arm, he hi msel f was unscathed, and he ki l l ed Ul i t heus wi t hno di f f i cul t y. And Pet er and Ar t abanes, t he one sei zi ng the swor d of Gont har i s and t he ot her t hat of Ul i t heus who had f al l en, ki l l ed on t hespot t hose of t he body- guards who r emai ned. Thus t her e ar ose, as wasnat ur al , an exceedi ngl y gr eat t umul t and conf usi on. And when t hi s wasper cei ved by t hose of t he Ar meni ans who were st andi ng by t he t yrant ' sguards, t hey i mmedi at el y pi cked up t he shi el ds accor di ng t o t he pl an

whi ch had been ar r anged wi t h t hem, and went on t he r un t o t hebanquet - r oom. And t hey sl ew al l t he Vandal s and t he f r i ends of Gont har i s, no one resi st i ng.

Then Ar t abanes enj oi ned upon At hanasi us t o t ake char ge of t he money i nt he pal ace: f or al l t hat had been l ef t by Ar eobi ndus was t her e. And whent he guar ds l earned of t he deat h of Gont hari s, st r ai ght way many ar r ayedt hemsel ves wi t h t he Ar meni ans; f or t he most of t hem were of t hehousehol d of Ar eobi ndus. Wi t h one accor d, t heref or e, t hey pr ocl ai med t heEmper or J ust i ni an t r i umphant . And t he cr y, comi ng f or t h f r om a mul t i t udeof men, and bei ng, t her ef ore, an exceedi ngl y mi ght y sound, was st r ongenough t o reach t he gr eat er part of t he ci t y. Wheref ore those who werewel l - di sposed t o t he emperor l eaped i nt o t he houses of t he mut i neer s and

st r ai ght way ki l l ed t hem, some whi l e enj oyi ng sl eep, ot her s whi l e t aki ngf ood, and st i l l ot her s whi l e t hey wer e awe- st r uck wi t h f ear and i nt er r i bl e per pl exi t y. And among t hese was Pasi phi l us, but not J ohn, f or




98

he wi t h some of t he Vandal s f l ed t o the sanctuary. To t hese Ar t abanesgave pl edges, and maki ng t hemr i se f r om t here, sent t hem t o Byzant i um,and havi ng t hus r ecover ed the ci t y f or t he emperor , he cont i nued t oguar d i t . And t he mur der of t he t yrant t ook pl ace on t he t hi r t y- si xth

day of t he tyranny, i n t he ni net eent h year of t he rei gn of t he Emperor J ust i ni an. [ 545- 546 A. D. ]

And Ar t abanes won great f ame f or hi msel f f r om t hi s deed among al l men.And st r ai ght way Pr ej ect a, t he wi f e of Ar eobi ndus, r ewar ded hi m wi t hgreat sums of money, and t he emper or appoi nted hi m gener al of al l Li bya.But not l ong af t er t hi s Ar t abanes entr eat ed t he emperor t o summon hi m t oByzant i um, and the emperor f ul f i l l ed hi s r equest . And havi ng summonedAr t abanes, he appoi nt ed J ohn, t he br ot her of Pappus, sol e gener al of Li bya. And t hi s J ohn, i mmedi at el y upon ar r i vi ng i n Li bya, had anengagement wi t h Antal as and t he Moor s i n Byzaci um, and conquer i ng t hemi n bat t l e, sl ew many; and he wr est ed f r om t hese bar bar i ans al l t hest andards of Sol omon, and sent t hem t o the emperor- - st andards whi ch t hey

had previ ousl y secur ed as pl under , when Sol omon had been t aken f r om t hewor l d. [ 75] And the r est of t he Moor s he dr ove as f ar as possi bl e f r omt he Roman t err i t ory. But at a l ater t i me t he Leuathae came agai n wi t h agr eat ar my f r om t he count r y about Tr i pol i s t o Byzaci um, and uni t ed wi t ht he f orces of Antal as. And when J ohn went t o meet t hi s ar my, he wasdef eat ed i n the engagement , and l osi ng many of hi s men, f l ed t o Lar i bus.And t hen i ndeed t he enemy, overr unni ng t he whol e count r y t here as f ar asCar t hage, t r eat ed i n a t er r i bl e manner t hose Li byans who f el l i n t hei rway. But not l ong af t er ward J ohn col l ect ed t hose of t he sol di er s who hadsurvi ved, and dr awi ng i nt o al l i ance wi t h hi m many Moor s and especi al l yt hose under Cout zi nas, came to bat t l e wi t h t he enemy and unexpect edl yr out ed t hem. And t he Romans, f ol l owi ng t hem up as t hey f l ed i n compl etedi sor der , sl ew a gr eat par t of t hem, whi l e the r est escaped t o the

conf i nes of Li bya. Thus i t came to pass t hat t hose of t he Li byans whosurvi ved, f ew as t hey were i n number and exceedi ngl y poor , at l ast andaf t er gr eat t oi l f ound some peace.

FOOTNOTES:

[ 1]

The _vexi l l um praet or i um_ car r i ed by t he caval r y of t he i mper i al guar d,I V. x. 4 bel ow; cf . Lat . _pannum_.

[ 2]

See I I I . xxi v. 1.

[ 3]

"Auxi l i ar i es"; see Book I I I . xi . 3 and not e.

[ 4]

Chap. i . 3.

[ 5]

Chap. i . 3.

[ 6]




100

[ 19]

Cf . Thucydi des' descr i pt i on of t he hut s i n whi ch t he At heni ans l i veddur i ng t he gr eat pl ague.

[ 20]

Phar as and the ot her Er ul i .

[ 21]

Cf . ch. vi . 4.

[ 22]

"Auxi l i ar i es" ; see Book I I I . xi . 3.

[ 23]

_i . e. _ t here i n Af r i ca, as successor t o t he t hrone of t he Vandal ki ngs.

[ 24]

Book I I I . xxv. 2- 4.

[ 25]

Exampl es of t he Roman syst emhave come to l i ght i n Egypt i an papyr i : cf .t he decl ar at i ons of per sonal pr oper t y, [ Gr eek: apogr aphai ] , _Pap.Lond. _, I . , p. 79; _Fl i nder s Pet r i e Pap. _, I I I . , p. 200, ed. Mahaf f y and

Smyl y.

[ 26]

Si nce a t r i umph was grant ed onl y t o an _i mper at or _, af t er t heestabl i shment of t he pr i nci pat e by August us al l t r i umphs wer e cel ebr atedi n the name of t he emper or hi msel f , t he vi ct or i ous gener al r ecei vi ngonl y t he _i nsi gni a t r i umphal i a_. The f i r st gener al t o r ef use a t r i umphwas Agr i ppa, af t er hi s campai gn i n Spai n, about 550 year s bef or eBel i sar i us' t r i umph i n Const ant i nopl e.

[ 27]

The barr i er s ( _car cer es_ ) , or st ar t i ng- poi nt f or t he r acer s, wer e at t heopen end of t he hi ppodr ome, t he i mper i al box at t he mi ddl e of t he courseat t he r i ght as one ent er ed.

[ 28]

Cf . Book I I I . v. 3; t hat was i n A. D. 455. The spol i at i on of J er usal em by Ti t us had t aken pl ace i n A. D. 70.

[ 29]

Eccl es i astes, i . 2.

[ 30]

Not an act ual "t r i umph, " but a t r i umphal cel ebr at i on of hi s i naugur at i on




101

as consul .

[ 31]

The r ef er ence i s t o t he ol d cust om of di st r i but i ng t o t he popul acel ar gesses ( _congi ar i a_) of money or val uabl es on t he occasi on of event sof i nt er est t o the i mperi al house, such as t he emper or ' s assumpt i on of t he consul ar of f i ce, bi r t hdays, et c. The f i r st l ar gess of t hi s ki nd wasmade by J ul i us Caesar .

[ 32]

Cf . Book I V. i i . 1.

[ 33]

The Canaani t es of t he Ol d Test ament .

[ 34]

_i . e. _, Cl ypea, or Aspi s, now Kal i bi a, on t he Car t hagi ni an coast .

[ 35]

_i . e. _, f r om Tangi er , opposi t e Cadi z, t o Al gi er s. On Caesar ea see I V. v.5 and not e.

[ 36]

"On t he bor der s of Maur et ani a" accor di ng t o Procopi us, _De aedi f i ci i s_,

vi . 6. 18.

[ 37]

Chap. x. 6.

[ 38]

Book I I I . vi i i . 25, 26.

[ 39]

The si de t owar d t he mount ai ns; cf . § 20.

[ 40]

I n the l at e Empi r e the _excubi t or es_, 300 i n number , const i t ut ed thesel ect guard of t he pal ace. Thei r commander , _comes excubi t orum_, hel dhi gh r ank at cour t ; cf . VI I I . xxi . 1, wher e we ar e t ol d t hat Bel i sar i ushel d t hi s posi t i on, and _Ar cana_ 6. 10, wher e J ust i n, af t er war dsemper or , i s ment i oned.

[ 41]

Cf . chap. vi i i . 14. Pr ocopi us has expl ai ned i n I I I . xi . 6 t hat Sol omonwas a eunuch.

[ 42]




102

See I I I . vi i i . 5.

[ 43]

A _comes f oedt r at or um_, ment i oned i n I I I . xi . 6.

[ 44]

Book I I I . vi i i . 5.

[ 45]

_i . e. _ Cl ypea. Not t he pl ace ment i oned i n I V. x. 24.

[ 46]

The r egi on i n t he i nt er i or of Sardi ni a cal l ed Barbargi a or Bar bagi a

st i l l pr eser ves t hi s name. But Pr ocopi us' expl anat i on of t he or i gi n of t he barbar i an set t l er s t her e has not been gener al l y accept ed.

[ 47]

Book I I I . xvi i i . 7 f f .

[ 48]

I V. i v. 30 and not e.

[ 49]

Bapt i sm was admi ni st ered onl y dur i ng t he f i f t y days between East er andPent ecost . J ust i ni an had f or bi dden t he bapt i sm of Ar i ans.

[ 50]

Cf . I I I . xi . 30.

[ 51]

Cf . chap. xi v. 8.

[ 52]

"Auxi l i ar i es" ; see Book I I I . xi . 3.

[ 53]

Mor e cor r ect l y Gadi auf al a, now Ksar- Sbehi .

[ 54]

Ci r t a, l at er named Const ant i na, now Const ant i ne ( Ksant i na) .

[ 55]

J ohn t he Cappadoci an, cf . I . xxi v. 11 f f .

[ 56]




103

See Book I I I . xvi i . 1 and not e.

[ 57]

Now Set i f .

[ 58]

Cal l ed Masti nas i n I V. xi i i . 19.

[ 59]

Book I V. v. 5.

[ 60]

Cyrenai ca.

[ 61]

Now Lebi da.

[ 62]

Cf . I I I . xxv. 4 f f .

[ 63]

Book I I I . x. 22 f f .

[ 64]

Book I V. xi i . 30.

[ 65]

A r ef er ence t o hi s sl aught er of t he ei ght y not abl es, I V. xxi . 7, wher e,however , not hi ng i s sai d of an oat h sworn on the Gospel s.

[ 66]

Cf . Book I I . i i i . 32.

[ 67]

Cf . Book I I I . xvi i . 11, xxi . 23.

[ 68]

The port of Car t hage; see I I I . xx. 3.

[ 69]

_i . e. _ bapt i sm.

[ 70]

A gar ment wi t h a cowl , l i ke t he _cucul l us_.




[ 71]


[ 72]


[ 73]

J ust i ni an.

[ 74]

A cont empt uous t erm f or "subj ect s of t he emperor . "

[ 75]

See Book I V. xxi . 27.

Src Procopius Vandal War

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