BOOK IV

THE VANDALIC WAR (_Continued_)

I

Gelimer, seeing all the Vandals gathered together, led his army against

Carthage. And when they came close to it, they tore down a portion of

the aqueduct,--a structure well worth seeing--which conducted water into

the city, and after encamping for a time they withdrew, since no one of

the enemy came out against them. And going about the country there they

kept the roads under guard and thought that in this way they were

besieging Carthage; however, they did not gather any booty, nor plunder

the land, but took possession of it as their own. And at the same time

they kept hoping that there would be some treason on the part of the

Carthaginians themselves and such of the Roman soldiers as followed the

doctrine of Arius. They also sent to the leaders of the Huns, and

promising that they would have many good things from the Vandals,

entreated them to become their friends and allies. Now the Huns even

before this had not been well-disposed toward the cause of the Romans,

since they had not indeed come to them willingly as allies (for they

asserted that the Roman general Peter had given an oath and then,

disregarding what had been sworn, had thus brought them to Byzantium),

and accordingly they received the words of the Vandals, and promised

that when they should come to real fighting they would turn with them

against the Roman army. But Belisarius had a suspicion of all this (for

he had heard it from the deserters), and also the circuit-wall had not

as yet been completed entirely, and for these reasons he did not think

it possible for his men to go out against the enemy for the present, but

he was making his preparations within as well as possible. And one of

the Carthaginians, Laurus by name, having been condemned on a charge of

treason and proved guilty by his own secretary, was impaled by

Belisarius on a hill before the city, and as a result of this the others

came to feel a sort of irresistible fear and refrained from attempts at

treason. And he courted the Massagetae with gifts and banquets and every

other manner of flattering attention every day, and thus persuaded them

to disclose to him what Gelimer had promised them on condition of their

turning traitors in the battle. And these barbarians said that they had

no enthusiasm for fighting, for they feared that, if the Vandals were

vanquished, the Romans would not send them back to their native land,

but they would be compelled to grow old and die right there in Libya;

and besides they were also concerned, they said, about the booty, lest

they be robbed of it. Then indeed Belisarius gave them pledges that, if

the Vandals should be conquered decisively, they would be sent without

the least delay to their homes with all their booty, and thus he bound

them by oaths in very truth to assist the Romans with all zeal in

carrying through the war.

And when all things had been prepared by him in the best way possible,

and the circuit-wall had been already completed, he called together the

whole army and spoke as follows: "As for exhortation, fellow Romans, I

do not know that it is necessary to make any to you,--men who have

recently conquered the enemy so completely that Carthage here and the

whole of Libya is a possession of your valour, and for this reason you

will have no need of admonition that prompts to daring. For the spirits

of those who have conquered are by no means wont to be overcome. But I

think it not untimely to remind you of this one thing, that, if you on

the present occasion but prove equal to your own selves in valour,

straightway there will be an end for the Vandals of their hopes, and for

you of the battle. Hence there is every reason why you should enter into

this engagement with the greatest eagerness. For ever sweet to men is

toil coming to an end and reaching its close. Now as for the host of the

Vandals, let no one of you consider them. For not by numbers of men nor

by measure of body, but by valour of soul, is war wont to be decided.

And let the strongest motive which actuates men come to your minds,

namely, pride in past achievement. For it is a shame, for those at least

who have reason, to fall short of one's own self and to be found

inferior to one's own standard of valour. For I know well that terror

and the memory of misfortunes have laid hold upon the enemy and compel

them to become less brave, for the one fills them with fear because of

what has already happened, and the other brushes aside their hope of

success. For Fortune, once seen to be bad, straightway enslaves the

spirit of those who have fallen in her way. And I shall explain how the

struggle involves for you at the present time a greater stake than

formerly. For in the former battle the danger was, if things did not go

well for us, that we should not take the land of others; but now, if we

do not win the struggle, we shall lose the land which is our own. In

proportion, then, as it is easier to possess nothing than to be deprived

of what one has, just so now our fear touches our most vital concerns

more than before. And yet formerly we had the fortune to win the victory

with the infantry absent, but now, entering the battle with God

propitious and with our whole army, I have hopes of capturing the camp

of the enemy, men and all. Thus, then, having the end of the war ready

at hand, do not by reason of any negligence put it off to another time,

lest you be compelled to seek for the opportune moment after it has run

past us. For when the fortune of war is postponed, its nature is not to

proceed in the same manner as before, especially if the war be prolonged

by the will of those who are carrying it on. For Heaven is accustomed to

bring retribution always upon those who abandon the good fortune which

is present. But if anyone considers that the enemy, seeing their

children and wives and most precious possessions in our hands, will be

daring beyond reason and will incur risks beyond the strength which they

have, he does not think rightly. For an overpowering passion springing

up in the heart in behalf of what is most precious is wont to diminish

men's actual strength and does not allow them to make full use of their

present opportunities. Considering, then, all these things, it behooves

you to go with great contempt against the enemy."

II

After such words of exhortation, Belisarius sent out all the horsemen on

the same day, except five hundred, and also the guardsmen and the

standard, which the Romans call "bandum,"[1] entrusting them to John the

Armenian, and directing him to skirmish only, if opportunity should

arise. And he himself on the following day followed with the infantry

forces and the five hundred horsemen. And the Massagetae, deliberating

among themselves, decided, in order to seem in friendly agreement with

both Gelimer and Belisarius, neither to begin fighting for the Romans

nor to go over to the Vandals before the encounter, but whenever the

situation of one or the other army should be bad, then to join the

victors in their pursuit of the vanquished. Thus, then, had this matter

been decided upon by the barbarians. And the Roman army came upon the

Vandals encamped in Tricamarum, one hundred and fifty stades distant

from Carthage. So they both bivouacked there at a considerable distance

from one another. And when it was well on in the night, a prodigy came

to pass in the Roman camp as follows. The tips of their spears were

lighted with a bright fire and the points of them seemed to be burning

most vigorously. This was not seen by many, but it filled with

consternation the few who did see it, not knowing how it would come out.

And this happened to the Romans in Italy again at a much later time. And

at that time, since they knew by experience, they believed it to be a

sign of victory. But now, as I have said, since this was the first time

it had happened, they were filled with consternation and passed the

night in great fear.

And on the following day Gelimer commanded the Vandals to place the

women and children and all their possessions in the middle of the

stockade, although it had not the character of a fort, and calling all

together, he spoke as follows: "It is not to gain glory, or to retrieve

the loss of empire alone, O fellow Vandals, that we are about to fight,

so that even if we wilfully played the coward and sacrificed these our

belongings we might possibly live, sitting at home and keeping our own

possessions; but you see, surely, that our fortunes have come round to

such a pass that, if we do not gain the mastery over the enemy, we

shall, if we perish, leave them as masters of these our children and our

wives and our land and all our possessions, while if we survive, there

will be added our own enslavement and to behold all these enslaved; but

if, indeed, we overcome our foes in the war, we shall, if we live, pass

our lives among all good things, or, after the glorious ending of our

lives, there will be left to our wives and children the blessings of

prosperity, while the name of the Vandals will survive and their empire

be preserved. For if it has ever happened to any men to be engaged in a

struggle for their all, we now more than all others realize that we are

entering the battle-line with our hopes for all we have resting wholly

upon ourselves. Not for our bodies, then, is our fear, nor in death is

our danger, but in being defeated by the enemy. For if we lose the

victory, death will be to our advantage. Since, therefore, the case

stands so, let no one of the Vandals weaken, but let him proudly expose

his body, and from shame at the evils that follow defeat let him court

the end of life. For when a man is ashamed of that which is shameful,

there is always present with him a dauntless courage in the face of

danger. And let no recollection of the earlier battle come into your

minds. For it was not by cowardice on our part that we were defeated,

but we tripped upon obstacles interposed by fortune and were overthrown.

Now it is not the way of the tide of fortune to flow always in the same

direction, but every day, as a rule, it is wont to change about. In

manliness it is our boast that we surpass the enemy, and that in numbers

we are much superior; for we believe that we surpass them no less than

tenfold. And why shall I add that many and great are the incentives

which, now especially, urge us on to valour, naming the glory of our

ancestors and the empire which has been handed down to us by them? For

in our case that glory is obscured by our unlikeness to our kindred,

while the empire is bent upon fleeing from us as unworthy. And I pass

over in silence the wails of these poor women and the tears of our

children, by which, as you see, I am now so deeply moved that I am

unable to prolong my discourse. But having said this one thing, I shall

stop,--that there will be for us no returning to these most precious

possessions if we do not gain the mastery over the enemy. Remembering

these things, shew yourselves brave men and do not bring shame upon the

fame of Gizeric."

After speaking such words, Gelimer commanded his brother Tzazon to

deliver an exhortation separately to the Vandals who had come with him

from Sardinia. And he gathered them together a little apart from the

camp and spoke as follows: "For all the Vandals, fellow soldiers, the

struggle is in behalf of those things which you have just heard the king

recount, but for you, in addition to all the other considerations, it so

happens that you are vying with yourselves. For you have recently been

victorious in a struggle for the maintenance of our rule, and you have

recovered the island for the empire of the Vandals; there is every

reason, therefore, for you to make still greater display of your valour.

For those whose hazard involves the greatest things must needs display

the greatest zeal for warfare also. Indeed, when men who struggle for

the maintenance of their rule are defeated, should it so happen, they

have not failed in the most vital part; but when men are engaged in

battle for their all, surely their very lives are influenced by the

outcome of the struggle. And for the rest, if you shew yourselves brave

men at the present time, you will thereby prove with certainty that the

destruction[2] of the tyrant Godas was an achievement of valour on your

part; but if you weaken now, you will be deprived of even the renown of

those deeds, as of something which does not belong to you at all. And

yet, even apart from this, it is reasonable to think that you will have

an advantage over the rest of the Vandals in this battle. For those who

have failed are dismayed by their previous fortune, while those who have

encountered no reverse enter the struggle with their courage unimpaired.

And this too, I think, will not be spoken out of season, that if we

conquer the enemy, it will be you who will win the credit for the

greatest part of the victory, and all will call you saviours of the

nation of the Vandals. For men who achieve renown in company with those

who have previously met with misfortune naturally claim the better

fortune as their own. Considering all these things, therefore, I say

that you should bid the women and children who are lamenting their fate

to take courage even now, should summon God to fight with us, should go

with enthusiasm against the enemy, and lead the way for our compatriots

into this battle."

III

After both Gelimer and Tzazon had spoken such exhortations, they led out

the Vandals, and at about the time of lunch, when the Romans were not

expecting them, but were preparing their meal, they were at hand and

arrayed themselves for battle along the bank of the stream. Now the

stream at that place is an ever-flowing one, to be sure, but its volume

is so small that it is not even given a special name by the inhabitants

of the place, but it is designated simply as a brook. So the Romans came

to the other bank of this river, after preparing themselves as well as

they could under the circumstances, and arrayed themselves as follows.

The left wing was held by Martinus and Valerian, John, Cyprian, Althias,

and Marcellus, and as many others as were commanders of the

foederati[3]; and the right was held by Pappas, Barbatus, and Aïgan, and

the others who commanded the forces of cavalry. And in the centre John

took his position, leading the guards and spearmen of Belisarius and

carrying the general's standard. And Belisarius also came there at the

opportune moment with his five hundred horsemen, leaving the infantry

behind advancing at a walk. For all the Huns had been arrayed in another

place, it being customary for them even before this not to mingle with

the Roman army if they could avoid so doing, and at that time

especially, since they had in mind the purpose which has previously been

explained,[4] it was not their wish to be arrayed with the rest of the

army. Such, then, was the formation of the Romans. And on the side of

the Vandals, either wing was held by the chiliarchs, and each one led

the division under him, while in the centre was Tzazon, the brother of

Gelimer, and behind him were arrayed the Moors. But Gelimer himself was

going about everywhere exhorting them and urging them on to daring. And

the command had been previously given to all the Vandals to use neither

spear nor any other weapon in this engagement except their swords.

After a considerable time had passed and no one began the battle, John

chose out a few of those under him by the advice of Belisarius and

crossing the river made an attack on the centre, where Tzazon crowded

them back and gave chase. And the Romans in flight came into their own

camp, while the Vandals in pursuit came as far as the stream, but did

not cross it. And once more John, leading out more of the guardsmen of

Belisarius, made a dash against the forces of Tzazon, and again being

repulsed from there, withdrew to the Roman camp. And a third time with

almost all the guards and spearmen of Belisarius he took the general's

standard and made his attack with much shouting and a great noise. But

since the barbarians manfully withstood them and used only their swords,

the battle became fierce, and many of the noblest of the Vandals fell,

and among them Tzazon himself, the brother of Gelimer. Then at last the

whole Roman army was set in motion, and crossing the river they advanced

upon the enemy, and the rout, beginning at the centre, became complete;

for each of the Roman divisions turned to flight those before them with

no trouble. And the Massagetae, seeing this, according to their

agreement among themselves[5] joined the Roman army in making the

pursuit, but this pursuit was not continued for a great distance. For

the Vandals entered their own camp quickly and remained quiet, while the

Romans, thinking that they would not be able to fight it out with them

inside the stockade, stripped such of the corpses as had gold upon them

and retired to their own camp. And there perished in this battle, of the

Romans less than fifty, but of the Vandals about eight hundred.

But Belisarius, when the infantry came up in the late afternoon, moved

as quickly as he could with the whole army and went against the camp of

the Vandals. And Gelimer, realising that Belisarius with his infantry

and the rest of his army was coming against him straightway, without

saying a word or giving a command leaped upon his horse and was off in

flight on the road leading to Numidia. And his kinsmen and some few of

his domestics followed him in utter consternation and guarding with

silence what was taking place. And for some time it escaped the notice

of the Vandals that Gelimer had run away, but when they all perceived

that he had fled, and the enemy were already plainly seen, then indeed

the men began to shout and the children cried out and the women wailed.

And they neither took with them the money they had nor did they heed the

laments of those dearest to them, but every man fled in complete

disorder just as he could. And the Romans, coming up, captured the camp,

money and all, with not a man in it; and they pursued the fugitives

throughout the whole night, killing all the men upon whom they happened,

and making slaves of the women and children. And they found in this camp

a quantity of wealth such as has never before been found, at least in

one place. For the Vandals had plundered the Roman domain for a long

time and had transferred great amounts of money to Libya, and since

their land was an especially good one, nourishing abundantly with the

most useful crops, it came about that the revenue collected from the

commodities produced there was not paid out to any other country in the

purchase of a food supply, but those who possessed the land always kept

for themselves the income from it for the ninety-five years during which

the Vandals ruled Libya. And from this it resulted that their wealth,

amounting to an extraordinary sum, returned once more on that day into

the hands of the Romans. So this battle and the pursuit and the capture

of the Vandals' camp happened three months after the Roman army came to

Carthage, at about the middle of the last month, which the Romans call

"December." [533 A.D.]

IV

Then Belisarius, seeing the Roman army rushing about in confusion and

great disorder, was disturbed, being fearful throughout the whole night

lest the enemy, uniting by mutual agreement against him, should do him

irreparable harm. And if this thing had happened at that time in any way

at all, I believe that, not one of the Romans would have escaped and

enjoyed this booty. For the soldiers, being extremely poor men, upon

becoming all of a sudden masters of very great wealth and of women both

young and extremely comely, were no longer able to restrain their minds

or to find any satiety in the things they had, but were so intoxicated,

drenched as they were by their present good fortunes, that each one

wished to take everything with him back to Carthage. And they were going

about, not in companies but alone or by twos, wherever hope led them,

searching out everything roundabout among the valleys and the rough

country and wherever there chanced to be a cave or anything such as

might bring them into danger or ambush. For neither did fear of the

enemy nor their respect for Belisarius occur to them, nor indeed

anything else at all except the desire for spoils, and being

overmastered by this they came to think lightly of everything else. And

Belisarius, taking note of all this, was at a loss as to how he should

handle the situation. But at daybreak he took his stand upon a certain

hill near the road, appealing to the discipline which no longer existed

and heaping reproaches upon all, soldiers and officers alike. Then

indeed, those who chanced to be near, and especially those who were of

the household of Belisarius, sent the money and slaves which they had to

Carthage with their tentmates and messmates, and themselves came up

beside the general and gave heed to the orders given them.

And he commanded John, the Armenian, with two hundred men to follow

Gelimer, and without slackening their speed either night or day to

pursue him, until they should take him living or dead. And he sent word

to his associates in Carthage to lead into the city all the Vandals who

were sitting as suppliants in sanctuaries in the places about the city,

giving them pledges and taking away their weapons, that they might not

begin an uprising, and to keep them there until he himself should come.

And with those who were left he went about everywhere and gathered the

soldiers hastily, and to all the Vandals he came upon he gave pledges

for their safety. For it was no longer possible to catch anyone of the

Vandals except as a suppliant in the sanctuaries. And from these he took

away their weapons and sent them, with soldiers to guard them, to

Carthage, not giving them time to unite against the Romans. And when

everything was as well settled as possible, he himself with the greater

part of the army moved against Gelimer with all speed. But John, after

continuing the pursuit five days and nights, had already come not far

from Gelimer, and in fact he was about to engage with him on the

following day. But since it was not fated that Gelimer should be

captured by John, the following obstacle was contrived by fortune. Among

those pursuing with John it happened that there was Uliaris, the aide of

Belisarius. Now this man was a passionate fellow and well favoured in

strength of heart and body, but not a very serious man, but one who

generally took delight in wine and buffoonery. This Uliaris on the sixth

day of the pursuit, being drunk, saw a bird sitting in a tree at about

sunrise, and he quickly stretched his bow and despatched a missile at

the bird. And he missed the bird, but John, who was behind it, he hit in

the neck by no will of his own. And since the wound was mortal, John

passed away a short time afterwards, leaving great sorrow at his loss to

the Emperor Justinian and Belisarius, the general, and to all the Romans

and Carthaginians. For in manliness and every sort of virtue he was well

endowed, and he shewed himself, to those who associated with him, gentle

and equitable to a degree quite unsurpassed. Thus, then, John fulfilled

his destiny. As for Uliaris, when he came to himself, he fled to a

certain village which was near by and sat as a suppliant in the

sanctuary there. And the soldiers no longer pressed the pursuit of

Gelimer, but they cared for John as long as he survived, and when he had

died they carried out all the customary rites in his burial, and

reporting the whole matter to Belisarius they remained where they were.

And as soon as he heard of it, he came to John's burial, and bewailed

his fate. And after weeping over him and grieving bitterly at the whole

occurrence, he honoured the tomb of John with many gifts and especially

by providing for it a regular income. However, he did nothing severe to

Uliaris, since the soldiers said that John had enjoined upon them by the

most dread oaths that no vengeance should come to him, since he had not

performed the unholy deed with deliberate intent.

Thus, then, Gelimer escaped falling into the hands of the enemy on that

day. And from that time on Belisarius pursued him, but upon reaching a

strong city of Numidia situated on the sea, ten days distant from

Carthage, which they call Hippo Regius,[6] he learned that Gelimer had

ascended the mountain Papua and could no longer be captured by the

Romans. Now this mountain is situated at the extremity of Numidia and is

exceedingly precipitous and climbed only with the greatest difficulty

(for lofty cliffs rise up toward it from every side), and on it dwell

barbarian Moors, who were friends and allies to Gelimer, and an ancient

city named Medeus lies on the outskirts of the mountain. There Gelimer

rested with his followers. But as for Belisarius, he was not able to

make any attempt at all on the mountain, much less in the winter season,

and since his affairs were still in an uncertain state, he did not think

it advisable to be away from Carthage; and so he chose out soldiers,

with Pharas as their leader, and set them to maintain the siege of the

mountain. Now this Pharas was energetic and thoroughly serious and

upright in every way, although he was an Erulian by birth. And for an

Erulian not to give himself over to treachery and drunkenness, but to

strive after uprightness, is no easy matter and merits abundant

praise.[7] But not only was it Pharas who maintained orderly conduct,

but also all the Erulians who followed him. This Pharas, then,

Belisarius commanded to establish himself at the foot of the mountain

during the winter season and to keep close guard, so that it would

neither be possible for Gelimer to leave the mountain nor for any

supplies to be brought in to him. And Pharas acted accordingly. Then

Belisarius turned to the Vandals who were sitting as suppliants in the

sanctuaries in Hippo Regius,--and there were many of them and of the

nobility--and he caused them all to accept pledges and arise, and then

he sent them to Carthage with a guard. And there it came about that the

following event happened to him.

In the house of Gelimer there was a certain scribe named Boniface, a

Libyan, and a native of Byzacium, a man exceedingly faithful to Gelimer.

At the beginning of this war Gelimer had put this Boniface on a very

swift-sailing ship, and placing all the royal treasure in it commanded

him to anchor in the harbour of Hippo Regius, and if he should see that

the situation was not favourable to their side, he was to sail with all

speed to Spain with the money, and go to Theudis, the leader of the

Visigoths, where he was expecting to find safety for himself also,

should the fortune of war prove adverse for the Vandals. So Boniface, as

long as he felt hope for the cause of the Vandals, remained there; but

as soon as the battle in Tricamarum took place, with all the other

events which have been related, he spread his canvas and sailed away

just as Gelimer had directed him. But an opposing wind brought him back,

much against his will, into the harbour of Hippo Regius. And since he

had already heard that the enemy were somewhere near, he entreated the

sailors with many promises to row with all their might for some other

continent or for an island. But they were unable to do so, since a very

severe storm had fallen upon them and the waves of the sea were rising

to a great height, seeing that it was the Tuscan sea,[8] and then it

occurred to them and to Boniface that, after all, God wished to give the

money to the Romans and so was not allowing the ship to put out.

However, though they had got outside the harbour, they encountered great

danger in bringing their ship back to anchorage. And when Belisarius

arrived at Hippo Regius, Boniface sent some men to him. These he

commanded to sit in a sanctuary, and they were to say that they had been

sent by Boniface, who had the money of Gelimer, but to conceal the place

where he was, until they should receive the pledges of Belisarius that

upon giving Gelimer's money he himself should escape free from harm,

having all that was his own. These men, then, acted according to these

instructions, and Belisarius was pleased at the good news and did not

decline to take an oath. And sending some of his associates he took the

treasure of Gelimer and released Boniface in possession of his own money

and also with an enormous sum which he plundered from Gelimer's

treasure.

V

And when he returned to Carthage, he put all the Vandals in readiness,

so that at the opening of spring he might send them to Byzantium; and he

sent out an army to recover for the Romans everything which the Vandals

ruled. And first he sent Cyril to Sardinia with a great force, having

the head of Tzazon, since these islanders were not at all willing to

yield to the Romans, fearing the Vandals and thinking that what had been

told them as having happened in Tricamarum could not be true. And he

ordered this Cyril to send a portion of the army to Corsica, and to

recover for the Roman empire the island, which had been previously

subject to the Vandals; this island was called Cyrnus in early times,

and is not far from Sardinia. So he came to Sardinia and displayed the

head of Tzazon to the inhabitants of the place, and he won back both the

islands and made them tributary to the Roman domain. And to Caesarea[9]

in Mauretania Belisarius sent John with an infantry company which he

usually commanded himself; this place is distant from Carthage a journey

of thirty days for an unencumbered traveller, as one goes towards Gadira

and the west; and it is situated upon the sea, having been a great and

populous city from ancient times. Another John, one of his own

guardsmen, he sent to Gadira on the strait and by one of the Pillars of

Heracles, to take possession of the fort there which they call

"Septem."[10] And to the islands which are near the strait where the

ocean flows in, called Ebusa and Majorica and Minorica[11] by the

natives, he sent Apollinarius, who was a native of Italy, but had come

while still a lad to Libya. And he had been rewarded with great sums of

money by Ilderic, who was then leader of the Vandals, and after Ilderic

had been removed from the office and was in confinement, as has been

told in the previous narrative,[12] he came to the Emperor Justinian

with the other Libyans who were working in the interest of Ilderic, in

order to entreat his favour as a suppliant. And he joined the Roman

expedition against Gelimer and the Vandals, and proved himself a brave

man in this war and most of all at Tricamarum. And as a result of his

deeds there Belisarius entrusted to him these islands. And later

Belisarius sent an army also into Tripolis to Pudentius and

Tattimuth,[13] who were being pressed by the Moors there, and thus

strengthened the Roman power in that quarter.

He also sent some men to Sicily in order to take the fortress in

Lilybaeum, as belonging to the Vandals' kingdom,[14] but he was repulsed

from there, since the Goths by no means saw fit to yield any part of

Sicily, on the ground that this fortress did not belong to the Vandals

at all. And when Belisarius heard this, he wrote to the commanders who

were there as follows: "You are depriving us of Lilybaeum, the fortress

of the Vandals who are the slaves of the emperor, and are not acting

justly nor in a way to benefit yourselves, and you wish to bring upon

your ruler, though he does not so will it and is far distant from the

scene of these actions, the hostility of the great emperor, whose

good-will he has, having won it with great labour. And yet how could you

but seem to be acting contrary to the ways of men, it you recently

allowed Gelimer to hold the fortress, but have decided to wrest from the

emperor, Gelimer's master, the possessions of the slave? You, at least,

should not act thus, most excellent sirs. But reflect that, while it is

the nature of friendship to cover over many faults, hostility does not

brook even the smallest misdeeds, but searches the past for every

offence, and allows not its enemy to grow rich on what does not in the

least belong to them.[15] Moreover, the enemy fights to avenge the

wrongs which it says have been done to its ancestors; and whereas, if

friendship thus turned to hostility fails in the struggle, it suffers no

loss of its own possessions, yet if it succeeds, it teaches the

vanquished to take a new view of the indulgence which has been shewn

them in the past. See to it, then, that you neither do us further harm

nor suffer harm yourselves, and do not make the great emperor an enemy

to the Gothic nation, when it is your prayer that he be propitious

toward you. For be well assured that, if you lay claim to this fortress,

war will confront you immediately, and not for Lilybaeum alone, but for

all the possessions you claim as yours, though not one of them belongs

to you."

Such was the message of the letter. And the Goths reported these things

to the mother[16] of Antalaric, and at her direction made the following

reply: "The letter which you have written, most excellent Belisarius,

carries sound admonition, but pertinent to some other men, not to us the

Goths. For there is nothing of the Emperor Justinian's which we have

taken and hold; may we never be so mad as to do such a thing! The whole

of Sicily we claim because it is our own, and the fortress of Lilybaeum

is one of its promontories. And if Theoderic gave his sister, who was

the consort of the king of the Vandals, one of the trading-ports of

Sicily for her use, this is nothing. For this fact could not afford a

basis for any claim on your part. But you, O General, would be acting

justly toward us, if you should be willing to make the settlement of the

matters in dispute between us, not as an enemy, but as a friend. And

there is this difference, that friends are accustomed to settle their

disagreements by arbitration, but enemies by battle. We, therefore,

shall commit this matter to the Emperor Justinian, to arbitrate[17] in

whatever manner seems to him lawful and just. And we desire that the

decisions you make shall be as wise as possible, rather than as hasty as

possible, and that you, therefore, await the decision of your emperor."

Such was the message of the letter of the Goths. And Belisarius,

reporting all to the emperor, remained quiet until the emperor should

send him word what his wish was.

VI

But Pharas, having by this time become weary of the siege for many

reasons, and especially because of the winter season, and at the same

time thinking that the Moors there would not be able to stand in his

way, undertook the ascent of Papua with great zeal. Accordingly he armed

all his followers very carefully and began the ascent. But the Moors

rushed to the defence, and since they were on ground which was steep and

very hard to traverse, their efforts to hinder those making the ascent

were easily accomplished. But Pharas fought hard to force the ascent,

and one hundred and ten of his men perished in this struggle, and he

himself with the remainder was beaten back and retired; and as a result

of this he did not dare to attempt the ascent again, since the situation

was against him, but he established as careful a guard as possible, in

order that those on Papua, being pressed by hunger, might surrender

themselves; and he neither permitted them to run away nor anything to be

brought in to them from outside. Then, indeed, it came about that

Gelimer and those about him, who were nephews and cousins of his and

other persons of high birth, experienced a misery which no one could

describe, however eloquent he might be, in a way which would equal the

facts. For of all the nations which we know that of the Vandals is the

most luxurious, and that of the Moors the most hardy. For the Vandals,

since the time when they gained possession of Libya, used to indulge in

baths, all of them, every day, and enjoyed a table abounding in all

things, the sweetest and best that the earth and sea produce. And they

wore gold very generally, and clothed themselves in the Medic garments,

which now they call "seric,"[18] and passed their time, thus dressed, in

theatres and hippodromes and in other pleasureable pursuits, and above

all else in hunting. And they had dancers and mimes and all other things

to hear and see which are of a musical nature or otherwise merit

attention among men. And the most of them dwelt in parks, which were

well supplied with water and trees; and they had great numbers of

banquets, and all manner of sexual pleasures were in great vogue among

them. But the Moors live in stuffy huts[19] both in winter and in summer

and at every other time, never removing from them either because of snow

or the heat of the sun or any other discomfort whatever due to nature.

And they sleep on the ground, the prosperous among them, if it should so

happen, spreading a fleece under themselves. Moreover, it is not

customary among them to change their clothing with the seasons, but they

wear a thick cloak and a rough shirt at all times. And they have neither

bread nor wine nor any other good thing, but they take grain, either

wheat or barley, and, without boiling it or grinding it to flour or

barley-meal, they eat it in a manner not a whit different from that of

animals. Since the Moors, then, were of a such a sort, the followers of

Gelimer, after living with them for a long time and changing their

accustomed manner of life to such a miserable existence, when at last

even the necessities of life had failed, held out no longer, but death

was thought by them most sweet and slavery by no means disgraceful.

Now when this was learned by Pharas, he wrote to Gelimer as follows: "I

too am a barbarian and not accustomed to writing and speaking, nor am I

skilful in these matters. But that which I am forced as a man to know,

having learned from the nature of things, this I am writing you. What in

the world has happened to you, my dear Gelimer, that you have cast, not

yourself alone, but your whole family besides, into this pit? Is it,

forsooth, that you may avoid becoming a slave? But this is assuredly

nothing but youthful folly, and making of 'liberty' a mere shibboleth,

as though liberty were worth possessing at the price of all this misery!

And, after all, do you not consider that you are, even now, a slave to

the most wretched of the Moors, since your only hope of being saved, if

the best happens, is in them? And yet why would it not be better in

every way to be a slave among the Romans and beggared, than to be

monarch on Mount Papua with Moors as your subjects? But of course it

seems to you the very height of disgrace even to be a fellow slave with

Belisarius! Away with the thought, most excellent Gelimer. Are not

we,[20] who also are born of noble families, proud that we are now in

the service of an emperor? And indeed they say that it is the wish of

the Emperor Justinian to have you enrolled in the senate, thus sharing

in the highest honour and being a patrician, as we term that rank, and

to present you with lands both spacious and good and with great sums of

money, and that Belisarius is willing to make himself responsible for

your having all these things, and to give you pledges. Now as for all

the miseries which fortune has brought you, you are able to bear with

fortitude whatever comes from her, knowing that you are but a man and

that these things are inevitable; but if fortune has purposed to temper

these adversities with some admixture of good, would you of yourself

refuse to accept this gladly? Or should we consider that the good gifts

of fortune are not just as inevitable as are her undesirable gifts? Yet

such is not the opinion of even the utterly senseless; but you, it would

seem, have now lost your good judgment, steeped as you are in

misfortunes. Indeed, discouragement is wont to confound the mind and to

be transformed to folly. If, however, you can bear your own thoughts and

refrain from rebelling against fortune when she changes, it will be

possible at this very moment for you to choose that which will be wholly

to your advantage, and to escape from the evils which hang over you."

When Gelimer had read this letter and wept bitterly over it, he wrote in

reply as follows: "I am both deeply grateful to you for the advice which

you have given me and I also think it unbearable to be a slave to an

enemy who wrongs me, from whom I should pray God to exact justice, if He

should be propitious to me,--an enemy who, though he had never

experienced any harm from me either in deeds which he suffered or in

words which he heard, provided a pretext for a war which was unprovoked,

and reduced me to this state of misfortune, bringing Belisarius against

me from I know not where. And yet it is not at all unlikely that he

also, since he is but a man, though he be emperor too, may have

something befall him which he would not choose. But as for me, I am not

able to write further. For my present misfortune has robbed me of my

thoughts. Farewell, then, dear Pharas, and send me a lyre and one loaf

of bread and a sponge, I pray you." When this reply was read by Pharas,

he was at a loss for some time, being unable to understand the final

words of the letter, until he who had brought the letter explained that

Gelimer desired one loaf because he was eager to enjoy the sight of it

and to eat it, since from the time when he went up upon Papua he had not

seen a single baked loaf. A sponge also was necessary for him; for one

of his eyes, becoming irritated by lack of washing, was greatly swollen.

And being a skilful harpist he had composed an ode relating to his

present misfortune, which he was eager to chant to the accompaniment of

a lyre while he wept out his soul. When Pharas heard this, he was deeply

moved, and lamenting the fortune of men, he did as was written and sent

all the things which Gelimer desired of him. However he relaxed the

siege not a whit, but kept watch more closely than before.

VII

And already a space of three months had been spent in this siege and the

winter was coming to an end. And Gelimer was afraid, suspecting that his

besiegers would come up against him after no great time; and the bodies

of most of the children who were related to him[21] were discharging

worms in this time of misery. And though in everything he was deeply

distressed, and looked upon everything,--except, indeed, death,--with

dissatisfaction, he nevertheless endured the suffering beyond all

expectation, until it happened that he beheld a sight such as the

following. A certain Moorish woman had managed somehow to crush a little

corn, and making of it a very tiny cake, threw it into the hot ashes on

the hearth. For thus it is the custom among the Moors to bake their

loaves. And beside this hearth two children were sitting, in exceedingly

great distress by reason of their hunger, the one being the son of the

very woman who had thrown in the cake, and the other a nephew of

Gelimer; and they were eager to seize the cake as soon as it should seem

to them to be cooked. And of the two children the Vandal got ahead of

the other and snatched the cake first, and, though it was still

exceedingly hot and covered with ashes, hunger overpowered him, and he

threw it into his mouth and was eating it, when the other seized him by

the hair of the head and struck him over the temple and beat him again

and thus compelled him with great violence to cast out the cake which

was already in his throat. This sad experience Gelimer could not endure

(for he had followed all from the beginning), and his spirit was

weakened and he wrote as quickly as possible to Pharas as follows: "If

it has ever happened to any man, after manfully enduring terrible

misfortunes, to take a course contrary to that which he had previously

determined upon, consider me to be such a one, O most excellent Pharas.

For there has come to my mind your advice, which I am far from wishing

to disregard. For I cannot resist fortune further nor rebel against

fate, but I shall follow straightway wherever it seems to her best to

lead; but let me receive the pledges, that Belisarius guarantees that

the emperor will do everything which you recently promised me. For I,

indeed, as soon as you give the pledges, shall put both myself into your

hands and these kinsmen of mine and the Vandals, as many as are here

with us."

Such were the words written by Gelimer in this letter. And Pharas,

having signified this to Belisarius, as well as what they had previously

written to each other, begged him to declare as quickly as possible what

his wish was. And Belisarius (since he was greatly desirous of leading

Gelimer alive to the emperor), as soon as he had read the letter, became

overjoyed and commanded Cyprian, a leader of foederati,[22] to go to

Papua with certain others, and directed them to give an oath concerning

the safety of Gelimer and of those with him, and to swear that he would

be honoured before the emperor and would lack nothing. And when these

men had come to Pharas, they went with him to a certain place by the

foot of the mountain, where Gelimer came at their summons, and after

receiving the pledges just as he wished he came with them to Carthage.

And it happened that Belisarius was staying for a time in the suburb of

the city which they call Aclas. Accordingly Gelimer came before him in

that place, laughing with such laughter as was neither moderate nor the

kind one could conceal, and some of those who were looking at him

suspected that by reason of the extremity of his affliction he had

changed entirely from his natural state and that, already beside

himself, he was laughing for no reason. But his friends would have it

that the man was in his sound mind, and that because he had been born in

a royal family, and had ascended the throne, and had been clothed with

great power and immense wealth from childhood even to old age, and then

being driven to flight and plunged into great fear had undergone the

sufferings on Papua, and now had come as a captive, having in this way

had experience of all the gifts of fortune, both good and evil, for this

reason, they believed, he thought that man's lot was worthy of nothing

else than much laughter. Now concerning this laughter of Gelimer's, let

each one speak according to his judgment, both enemy and friend. But

Belisarius, reporting to the emperor that Gelimer was a captive in

Carthage, asked permission to bring him to Byzantium with him. At the

same time he guarded both him and all the Vandals in no dishonour and

proceeded to put the fleet in readiness.

Now many other things too great to be hoped for have before now been

experienced in the long course of time, and they will continue as long

as the fortunes of men are the same as they now are; for those things

which seem to reason impossible are actually accomplished, and many

times those things which previously appeared impossible, when they have

befallen, have seemed to be worthy of wonder; but whether such events as

these ever took place before I am not able to say, wherein the fourth

descendant of Gizeric, and his kingdom at the height of its wealth and

military strength, were completely undone in so short a time by five

thousand men coming in as invaders and having not a place to cast

anchor. For such was the number of the horsemen who followed Belisarius,

and carried through the whole war against the Vandals. For whether this

happened by chance or because of some kind of valour, one would justly

marvel at it. But I shall return to the point from which I have strayed.

VIII

So the Vandalic war ended thus. But envy, as is wont to happen in cases

of great good fortune, was already swelling against Belisarius, although

he provided no pretext for it. For some of the officers slandered him to

the emperor, charging him, without any grounds whatever, with seeking to

set up a kingdom for himself,[23] a statement for which there was no

basis whatever. But the emperor did not disclose these things to the

world, either because he paid no heed to the slander, or because this

course seemed better to him. But he sent Solomon and gave Belisarius the

opportunity to choose whichever of two things he desired, either to come

to Byzantium with Gelimer and the Vandals, or to remain there and send

them. And Belisarius, since it did not escape him that the officers were

bringing against him the charge of seeking supreme power, was eager to

get to Byzantium, in order that he might clear himself of the charge and

be able to proceed against his slanderers. Now as to the manner in which

he learned of the attempt of his accusers, I shall explain. When those

who denounced him wished to present this slander, fearing lest the man

who was to carry their letter to the emperor should be lost at sea and

thus put a stop to their proceedings, they wrote the aforesaid

accusation on two tablets, purposing to send two messengers to the

emperor in two ships. And one of these two sailed away without being

detected, but the second, on account of some suspicion or other, was

captured in Mandracium, and putting the writing into the hands of his

captors, he made known what was being done. So Belisarius, having

learned in this way, was eager to come before the emperor, as has been

said. Such, then, was the course of these events at Carthage.

But the Moors who dwelt in Byzacium and in Numidia turned to revolt for

no good reason, and they decided to break the treaty and to rise

suddenly against the Romans. And this was not out of keeping with their

peculiar character. For there is among the Moors neither fear of God nor

respect for men. For they care not either for oaths or for hostages,

even though the hostages chance to be the children or brothers of their

leaders. Nor is peace maintained among the Moors by any other means than

by fear of the enemies opposing them. Now I shall set forth in what

manner the treaty was made by them with Belisarius and how it was

broken. When it came to be expected that the emperor's expedition would

arrive in Libya, the Moors, fearing lest they should receive some harm

from it, consulted the oracles of their women. For it is not lawful in

this nation for a man to utter oracles, but the women among them as a

result of some sacred rites become possessed and foretell the future, no

less than any of the ancient oracles. So on that occasion, when they

made enquiry, as has been said, the women gave the response: "There

shall be a host from the waters, the overthrow of the Vandals,

destruction and defeat of the Moors, when the general of the Romans

shall come unbearded." When the Moors heard this, since they saw that

the emperor's army had come from the sea, they began to be in great fear

and were quite unwilling to fight in alliance with the Vandals, but they

sent to Belisarius and established peace, as has been stated

previously,[24] and then remained quiet and waited for the future, to

see how it would fall out. And when the power of the Vandals had now

come to an end, they sent to the Roman army, investigating whether there

was anyone unbearded among them holding an office. And when they saw all

wearing full beards, they thought that the oracle did not indicate the

present time to them, but one many generations later, interpreting the

saying in that way which they themselves wished. Immediately, therefore,

they were eager to break the treaty, but their fear of Belisarius

prevented them. For they had no hope that they would ever overcome the

Romans in war, at least with him present. But when they heard that he

was making his departure together with his guards and spearmen, and that

the ships were already being filled with them and the Vandals, they

suddenly rose in arms and displayed every manner of outrage upon the

Libyans. For the soldiers were both few in each place on the frontier

and still unprepared, so that they would not have been able to stand

against the barbarians as they made inroads at every point, nor to

prevent their incursions, which took place frequently and not in an open

manner. But men were being killed indiscriminately and women with their

children were being made slaves, and the wealth was being plundered from

every part of the frontier and the whole country was being filled with

fugitives. These things were reported to Belisarius when he was just

about setting sail. And since it was now too late for him to return

himself, he entrusted Solomon with the administration of Libya and he

also chose out the greatest part of his own guards and spearmen,

instructing them to follow Solomon and as quickly as possible to punish

with all zeal those of the Moors who had risen in revolt and to exact

vengeance for the injury done the Romans. And the emperor sent another

army also to Solomon with Theodoras, the Cappadocian, and Ildiger, who

was the son-in-law of Antonina, the wife of Belisarius. And since it was

no longer possible to find the revenues of the districts of Libya set

down in order in documents, as the Romans had recorded them in former

times,[25] inasmuch as Gizeric had upset and destroyed everything in the

beginning, Tryphon and Eustratius were sent by the emperor, in order to

assess the taxes for the Libyans each according to his proportion. But

these men seemed to the Libyans neither moderate nor endurable.

IX

Belisarius, upon reaching Byzantium with Gelimer and the Vandals, was

counted worthy to receive such honours, as in former times were assigned

to those generals of the Romans who had won the greatest and most

noteworthy victories. And a period of about six hundred years had now

passed since anyone had attained these honours,[26] except, indeed,

Titus and Trajan, and such other emperors as had led armies against some

barbarian nation and had been victorious. For he displayed the spoils

and slaves from the war in the midst of the city and led a procession

which the Romans call a "triumph," not, however, in the ancient manner,

but going on foot from his own house to the hippodrome and then again

from the barriers until he reached the place where the imperial throne

is.[27] And there was booty,--first of all, whatever articles are wont

to be set apart for the royal service,--thrones of gold and carriages in

which it is customary for a king's consort to ride, and much jewelry

made of precious stones, and golden drinking cups, and all the other

things which are useful for the royal table. And there was also silver

weighing many thousands of talents and all the royal treasure amounting

to an exceedingly great sum (for Gizeric had despoiled the Palatium in

Rome, as has been said in the preceding narrative),[28] and among these

were the treasures of the Jews, which Titus, the son of Vespasian,

together with certain others, had brought to Rome after the capture of

Jerusalem. And one of the Jews, seeing these things, approached one of

those known to the emperor and said: "These treasures I think it

inexpedient to carry into the palace in Byzantium. Indeed, it is not

possible for them to be elsewhere than in the place where Solomon, the

king of the Jews, formerly placed them. For it is because of these that

Gizeric captured the palace of the Romans, and that now the Roman army

has captured that the Vandals." When this had been brought to the ears

of the Emperor, he became afraid and quickly sent everything to the

sanctuaries of the Christians in Jerusalem. And there were slaves in the

triumph, among whom was Gelimer himself, wearing some sort of a purple

garment upon his shoulders, and all his family, and as many of the

Vandals as were very tall and fair of body. And when Gelimer reached the

hippodrome and saw the emperor sitting upon a lofty seat and the people

standing on either side and realized as he looked about in what an evil

plight he was, he neither wept nor cried out, but ceased not saying over

in the words of the Hebrew scripture:[29] "Vanity of vanities, all is

vanity." And when he came before the emperor's seat, they stripped off

the purple garment, and compelled him to fall prone on the ground and do

obeisance to the Emperor Justinian. This also Belisarius did, as being a

suppliant of the emperor along with him. And the Emperor Justinian and

the Empress Theodora presented the children of Ilderic and his offspring

and all those of the family of the Emperor Valentinian with sufficient

sums of money, and to Gelimer they gave lands not to be despised in

Galatia and permitted him to live there together with his family.

However, Gelimer was by no means enrolled among the patricians, since he

was unwilling to change from the faith of Arius.

[Jan. 1, 535 A.D.] A little later the triumph[30] was celebrated by,

Belisarius in the ancient manner also. For he had the fortune to be

advanced to the office of consul, and therefore was borne aloft by the

captives, and as he was thus carried in his curule chair, he threw to

the populace those very spoils of the Vandalic war. For the people

carried off the silver plate and golden girdles and a vast amount of the

Vandals' wealth of other sorts as a result of Belisarius' consulship,

and it seemed that after a long interval of disuse an old custom was

being revived.[31] These things, then, took place in Byzantium in the

manner described.

X

And Solomon took over the army in Libya; but in view of the fact that

the Moors had risen against him, as has been told previously, and that

everything was in suspense, he was at a loss how to treat the situation.

For it was reported that the barbarians had destroyed the soldiers in

Byzacium and Numidia and that they were pillaging and plundering

everything there. But what disturbed most of all both him and all

Carthage was the fate which befell Aïgan, the Massagete, and Rufinus,

the Thracian, in Byzacium. For both were men of great repute both in the

household of Belisarius and in the Roman army, one of them, Aïgan, being

among the spearmen of Belisarius, while the other, as the most

courageous of all, was accustomed to carry the standard of the general

in battle; such an officer the Romans call "bandifer."[32] Now at the

time referred to these two men were commanding detatchments of cavalry

in Byzacium, and when they saw the Moors plundering everything before

them and making all the Libyans captives, they watched in a narrow pass

with their followers for those who were escorting the booty, and killed

them and took away all the captives. And when a report of this came to

the commanders of the barbarians, Coutzinas and Esdilasas and

Iourphouthes and Medisinissas, who were not far away from this pass,

they moved against them with their whole army in the late afternoon. And

the Romans, being a very few men and shut off in a narrow place in the

midst of many thousands, were not able to ward off their assailants. For

wherever they might turn, they were always shot at from the rear. Then,

indeed, Rufinus and Aïgan with some few men ran to the top of a rock

which was near by and from there defended themselves against the

barbarians. Now as long as they were using their bows, the enemy did not

dare come directly to a hand-to-hand struggle with them, but they kept

hurling their javelins among them; but when all the arrows of the Romans

were now exhausted, the Moors closed with them, and they defended

themselves with their swords as well as the circumstances permitted. But

since they were overpowered by the multitude of the barbarians, Aïgan

fell there with his whole body hacked to pieces, and Rufinus was seized

by the enemy and led away. But straightway one of the commanders,

Medisinissas, fearing lest he should escape and again make trouble for

them, cut off his head and taking it to his home shewed it to his wives,

for it was a remarkable sight on account of the extraordinary size of

the head and the abundance of hair. And now, since the narration of the

history has brought me to this point, it is necessary to tell from the

beginning whence the nations of the Moors came to Libya and how they

settled there.

When the Hebrews had withdrawn from Egypt and had come near the

boundaries of Palestine, Moses, a wise man, who was their leader on the

journey, died, and the leadership was passed on to Joshua, the son of

Nun, who led this people into Palestine, and, by displaying a valour in

war greater than that natural to a man, gained possession of the land.

And after overthrowing all the nations he easily won the cities, and he

seemed to be altogether invincible. Now at that time the whole country

along the sea from Sidon as far as the boundaries of Egypt was called

Phoenicia. And one king in ancient times held sway over it, as is agreed

by all who have written the earliest accounts of the Phoenicians. In

that country there dwelt very populous tribes, the Gergesites and the

Jebusites and some others with other names by which they are called in

the history of the Hebrews.[33] Now when these nations saw that the

invading general was an irresistible prodigy, they emigrated from their

ancestral homes and made their way to Egypt, which adjoined their

country. And finding there no place sufficient for them to dwell in,

since there has been a great population in Aegypt from ancient times,

they proceeded to Libya. And they established numerous cities and took

possession of the whole of Libya as far as the Pillars of Heracles, and

there they have lived even up to my time, using the Phoenician tongue.

They also built a fortress in Numidia, where now is the city called

Tigisis. In that place are two columns made of white stone near by the

great spring, having Phoenician letters cut in them which say in the

Phoenician tongue: "We are they who fled from before the face of Joshua,

the robber, the son of Nun." There were also other nations settled in

Libya before the Moors, who on account of having been established there

from of old were said to be children of the soil. And because of this

they said that Antaeus, their king, who wrestled with Heracles in

Clipea,[34] was a son of the earth. And in later times those who removed

from Phoenicia with Dido came to the inhabitants of Libya as to kinsmen.

And they willingly allowed them to found and hold Carthage. But as time

went on Carthage became a powerful and populous city. And a battle took

place between them and their neighbours, who, as has been said, had come

from Palestine before them and are called Moors at the present time, and

the Carthaginians defeated them and compelled them to live a very great

distance away from Carthage. Later on the Romans gained the supremacy

over all of them in war, and settled the Moors at the extremity of the

inhabited land of Libya, and made the Carthaginians and the other

Libyans subject and tributary to themselves. And after this the Moors

won many victories over the Vandals and gained possession of the land

now called Mauretania, extending from Gadira as far as the boundaries of

Caesarea,[35] as well as the most of Libya which remained. Such, then,

is the story of the settlement of the Moors in Libya.

XI

Now when Solomon heard what had befallen Rufinus and Aïgan, he made

ready for war and wrote as follows to the commanders of the Moors:

"Other men than you have even before this had the ill fortune to lose

their senses and to be destroyed, men who had no means of judging

beforehand how their folly would turn out. But as for you, who have the

example near at hand in your neighbours, the Vandals, what in the world

has happened to you that you have decided to raise your hands against

the great emperor and throw away your own security, and that too when

you have given the most dread oaths in writing and have handed over your

children as pledges to the agreement? Is it that you have determined to

make a kind of display of the fact that you have no consideration either

for God or for good faith or for kinship itself or for safety or for any

other thing at all? And yet, if such is your practice in matters which

concern the divine, in what ally do you put your trust in marching

against the emperor of the Romans? And if you are taking the field to

the destruction of your children, what in the world is it in behalf of

which you have decided to endanger yourselves? But if any repentance has

by now entered your hearts for what has already taken place, write to

us, that we may satisfactorily arrange with you touching what has

already been done; but if your madness has not yet abated, expect a

Roman war, which will come upon you together with the oaths which you

have violated and the wrong which you are doing to your own children."

Such was the letter which Solomon wrote. And the Moors replied as

follows: "Belisarius deluded us with great promises and by this means

persuaded us to become subjects of the Emperor Justinian; but the

Romans, while giving us no share in any good thing, expected to have us,

though pinched with hunger, as their friends and allies. Therefore it is

more fitting that you should be called faithless than that the Moors

should be. For the men who break treaties are not those who, when

manifestly wronged, bring accusation against their neighbours and turn

away from them, but those who expect to keep others in faithful alliance

with them and then do them violence. And men make God their enemy, not

when they march against others in order to recover their own

possessions, but when they get themselves into danger of war by

encroaching upon the possessions of others. And as for children, that

will be your concern, who are not permitted to marry more than one wife;

but with us, who have, it may be, fifty wives living with each of us,

offspring of children can never fail."

When Solomon had read this letter, he decided to lead his whole army

against the Moors. So after arranging matters in Carthage, he proceeded

with all his troops to Byzacium. And when he reached the place which is

called Mammes,[36] where the four Moorish commanders, whom I have

mentioned a little before,[37] were encamped, he made a stockade for

himself. Now there are lofty mountains there, and a level space near the

foothills of the mountains, where the barbarians had made preparations

for the battle and arranged their fighting order as follows. They formed

a circle of their camels, just as, in the previous narrative,[38] I have

said Cabaon did, making the front about twelve deep. And they placed the

women with the children within the circle; (for among the Moors it is

customary to take also a few women, with their children, to battle, and

these make the stockades and huts for them and tend the horses

skilfully, and have charge of the camels and the food; they also sharpen

the iron weapons and take upon themselves many of the tasks in

connection with the preparation for battle); and the men themselves took

their stand on foot in between the legs of the camels, having shields

and swords and small spears which they are accustomed to hurl like

javelins. And some of them with their horses remained quietly among the

mountains. But Solomon disregarded one half of the circle of the Moors,

which was towards the mountain, placing no one there. For he feared lest

the enemy on the mountain should come down and those in the circle

should turn about and thus make the men drawn up there exposed to attack

on both sides in the battle. But against the remainder of the circle he

drew up his whole army, and since he saw the most of them frightened and

without courage, on account of what had befallen Aïgan and Rufinus, and

wishing to admonish them to be of good cheer, he spoke as follows: "Men

who have campaigned with Belisarius, let no fear of these men enter your

minds, and, if Moors gathered to the number of fifty thousand have

already defeated five hundred Romans, let not this stand for you as an

example. But call to mind your own valour, and consider that while the

Vandals defeated the Moors, you have become masters of the Vandals in

war without any effort, and that it is not right that those who have

conquered the greater should be terrified before those who are inferior.

And indeed of all men the Moorish nation seems to be the most poorly

equipped for war's struggle. For the most of them have no armour at all,

and those who have shields to hold before themselves have only small

ones which are not well made and are not able to turn aside what strikes

against them. And after they have thrown those two small spears, if they

do not accomplish anything, they turn of their own accord to flight. So

that it is possible for you, after guarding against the first attack of

the barbarians, to win the victory with no trouble at all. But as to

your equipment of arms, you see, of course, how great is the difference

between it and that of your opponents. And apart from this, both valour

of heart and strength of body and experience in war and confidence

because you have already conquered all your enemies,--all these

advantages you have; but the Moors, being deprived of all these things,

put their trust only in their own great throng. And it is easier for a

few who are most excellently prepared to conquer a multitude of men not

good at warfare than it is for the multitude to defeat them. For while

the good soldier has his confidence in himself, the cowardly man

generally finds that the very number of those arrayed with him produces

a want of room that is full of peril. Furthermore, you are warranted in

despising these camels, which cannot fight for the enemy, and when

struck by our missiles will, in all probability, become the cause of

considerable confusion and disorder among them. And the eagerness for

battle which the enemy have acquired on account of their former success

will be your ally in the fight. For daring, when it is kept commensurate

with one's power, will perhaps be of some benefit even to those who make

use of it, but when it exceeds one's power it lends into danger. Bearing

these things in mind and despising the enemy, observe silence and order;

for by taking thought for these things we shall win the victory over the

disorder of the barbarians more easily and with less labour." Thus spoke

Solomon.

And the commanders of the Moors also, seeing the barbarians terrified at

the orderly array of the Romans, and wishing to recall their host to

confidence again, exhorted them in this wise: "That the Romans have

human bodies, the kind that yield when struck with iron, we have been

taught, O fellow-soldiers, by those of them whom we have recently met,

the best of them all, some of whom we have overwhelmed with our spears

and killed, and the others we have seized and made our prisoners of war.

And not only is this so, but it is now possible to see also that we

boast great superiority over them in numbers. And, furthermore, the

struggle for us involves the very greatest things, either to be masters

of all Libya or to be slaves to these braggarts. It is therefore

necessary for us to be in the highest degree brave men at the present

time. For it is not expedient that those whose all is at stake should be

other than exceedingly courageous. And it behoves us to despise the

equipment of arms which the enemy have. For if they come on foot against

us, they will not be able to move rapidly, but will be worsted by the

agility of the Moors, and their cavalry will be terrified both by the

sight of the camels, and by the noise they make, which, rising above the

general tumult of battle, will, in all likelihood, throw them into

disorder. And if anyone by taking into consideration the victory of the

Romans over the Vandals thinks them not to be withstood, he is mistaken

in his judgment. For the scales of war are, in the nature of the case,

turned by the valour of the commander or by fortune; and Belisarius, who

was responsible for their gaining the mastery over the Vandals, has now,

thanks to Heaven, been removed out of our way. And, besides, we too have

many times conquered the Vandals and stripped them of their power, and

have thus made the victory over them a more feasible and an easier task

for the Romans. And now we have reason to hope to conquer this enemy

also if you shew yourselves brave men in the struggle."

After the officers of the Moors had delivered this exhortation, they

began the engagement. And at first there arose great disorder in the

Roman army. For their horses were offended by the noise made by the

camels and by the sight of them, and reared up and threw off their

riders and the most of them fled in complete disorder. And in the

meantime the Moors were making sallies and hurling all the small spears

which they had in their hands, thus causing the Roman army to be filled

with tumult, and they were hitting them with their missiles while they

were unable either to defend themselves or to remain in position. But

after this, Solomon, observing what was happening, leaped down from his

horse himself first and caused all the others to do the same. And when

they had dismounted, he commanded the others to stand still, and,

holding their shields before them and receiving the missiles sent by the

enemy, to remain in their position; but he himself, leading forward not

less than five hundred men, made an attack upon the other portion of the

circle.[39] These men he commanded to draw their swords and kill the

camels which stood at that point. Then the Moors who were stationed

there beat a hasty retreat, and the men under Solomon killed about two

hundred camels, and straightway, when the camels fell, the circle became

accessible to the Romans. And they advanced on the run into the middle

of the circle where the women of the Moors were sitting; meanwhile the

barbarians in consternation withdrew to the mountain which was close by,

and as they fled in complete disorder the Romans followed behind and

killed them. And it is said that ten thousand of the Moors perished in

this encounter, while all the women together with the children were made

slaves. And the soldiers secured as booty all the camels which they had

not killed. Thus the Romans with all their plunder went to Carthage to

celebrate the festival of triumph.

XII

But the barbarians, being moved with anger, once more took the field in

a body against the Romans, leaving behind not one of their number, and

they began to overrun the country in Byzacium, sparing none of any age

of those who fell in their way. And when Solomon had just marched into

Carthage it was reported that the barbarians with a great host had come

into Byzacium and were plundering everything there. He therefore

departed quickly with his whole army and marched against them. And when

he reached Bourgaon, where the enemy were encamped, he remained some

days in camp over against them, in order that, as soon as the Moors

should get on level ground, he might begin the battle. But since they

remained on the mountain, he marshalled his army and arrayed it for

battle; the Moors, however, had no intention of ever again engaging in

battle with the Romans in level country (for already an irresistible

fear had come over them), but on the mountain they hoped to overcome

them more easily. Now Mt. Bourgaon is for the most part precipitous and

on the side toward the east extremely difficult to ascend, but on the

west it is easily accessible and rises in an even slope. And there are

two lofty peaks which rise up, forming between them a sort of vale, very

narrow, but of incredible depth. Now the barbarians left the peak of the

mountain unoccupied, thinking that on this side no hostile movement

would be made against them; and they left equally unprotected the space

about the foot of the mountain where Bourgaon was easy of access. But at

the middle of the ascent they made their camp and remained there, in

order that, if the enemy should ascend and begin battle with them, they

might at the outset, being on higher ground, shoot down upon their

heads. They also had on the mountain many horses, prepared either for

flight or for the pursuit, if they should win the battle.

Now when Solomon saw that the Moors were unwilling to fight another

battle on the level ground, and also that the Roman army was opposed to

making a siege in a desert place, he was eager to come to an encounter

with the enemy on Bourgaon. But inasmuch as he saw that the soldiers

were stricken with terror because of the multitude of their opponents,

which was many times greater than it had been in the previous battle, he

called together the army and spoke as follows: "The fear which the enemy

feel toward you needs no other arraignment, but voluntarily pleads

guilty, bringing forward, as it does, the testimony of its own

witnesses. For you see, surely, our opponents gathered in so many tens

and tens of thousands, but not daring to come down to the plain and

engage with us, unable to feel confidence even in their own selves, but

taking refuge in the difficulty of this place. It is therefore not even

necessary to address any exhortation to you, at the present time at

least. For those to whom both the circumstances and the weakness of the

enemy give courage, need not, I think, the additional assistance of

words. But of this one thing it will be needful to remind you, that if

we fight out this engagement also with brave hearts, it will remain for

us, having defeated the Vandals and reduced the Moors to the same

fortune, to enjoy all the good things of Libya, having no thought

whatever of an enemy in our minds. But as to preventing the enemy from

shooting down upon our heads, and providing that no harm come to us from

the nature of the place, I myself shall make provision."

After making this exhortation Solomon commanded Theodorus, who led the

"excubitores[40]" (for thus the Romans call their guards), to take with

him a thousand infantrymen toward the end of the afternoon and with some

of the standards to go up secretly on the east side of Bourgaon, where

the mountain is most difficult of ascent and, one might say,

impracticable, commanding him that, when they arrived near the crest of

the mountain, they should remain quietly there and pass the rest of the

night, and that at sunrise they should appear above the enemy and

displaying the standards commence to shoot. And Theodoras did as

directed. And when it was well on in the night, they climbed up the

precipitous slope and reached a point near the peak without being

noticed either by the Moors or even by any of the Romans; for they were

being sent out, it was said, as an advance guard, to prevent anyone from

coming to the camp from the outside to do mischief. And at early dawn

Solomon with the whole army went up against the enemy to the outskirts

of Bourgaon. And when morning had come and the enemy were seen near at

hand, the soldiers were completely at a loss, seeing the summit of the

mountain no longer unoccupied, as formerly, but covered with men who

were displaying Roman standards; for already some daylight was beginning

to shew. But when those on the peak began their attack, the Romans

perceived that the army was their own and the barbarians that they had

been placed between their enemy's forces, and being shot at from both

sides and having no opportunity to ward off the enemy, they thought no

more of resistance but turned, all of them, to a hasty flight. And since

they could neither run up to the top of Bourgaon, which was held by the

enemy, nor go to the plain anywhere over the lower slopes of the

mountain, since their opponents were pressing upon them from that side,

they went with a great rush to the vale and the unoccupied peak, some

even with their horses, others on foot. But since they were a numerous

throng fleeing in great fear and confusion, they kept killing each

other, and as they rushed into the vale, which was exceedingly deep,

those who were first were being killed constantly, but their plight

could not be perceived by those who were coming up behind. And when the

vale became full of dead horses and men, and the bodies made a passage

from Bourgaon to the other mountain, then the remainder were saved by

making the crossing over the bodies. And there perished in this

struggle, among the Moors fifty thousand, as was declared by those of

them who survived, but among the Romans no one at all, nor indeed did

anyone receive even a wound, either at the hand of the enemy or by any

accident happening to him, but they all enjoyed this victory unscathed.

All of the leaders of the barbarians also made their escape, except

Esdilasas, who received pledges and surrendered himself to the Romans.

So great, however, was the multitude of women and children whom the

Romans seized as booty, that they would sell a Moorish boy for the price

of a sheep to any who wished to buy. And then the remainder of the Moors

recalled the saying of their women, to the effect that their nation

would be destroyed by a beardless man.[41]

So the Roman army, together with its booty and with Esdilasas, marched

into Carthage; and those of the barbarians who had not perished decided

that it was impossible to settle in Byzacium, lest they, being few,

should be treated with violence by the Libyans who were their

neighbours, and with their leaders they went into Numidia and made

themselves suppliants of Iaudas, who ruled the Moors in Aurasium.[42]

And the only Moors who remained in Byzacium were those led by Antalas,

who during this time had kept faith with the Romans and together with

his subjects had remained unharmed.

XIII

But during the time when these things were happening in Byzacium,

Iaudas, who ruled the Moors in Aurasium, bringing more than thirty

thousand fighting men, was plundering the country of Numidia and

enslaving many of the Libyans. Now it so happened that Althias[43] in

Centuriae was keeping guard over the forts there; and he, being eager to

take from the enemy some of their captives, went outside the fort with

the Huns who were under his command, to the number of about seventy. And

reasoning that he was not able to cope with such a great multitude of

Moors with only seventy men, he wished to occupy some narrow pass, so

that, while the enemy were marching through it, he might be able to

snatch up some of the captives. And since there are no such roads there,

because flat plains extend in every direction, he devised the following

plan.

There is a city not far distant, named Tigisis, then an unwalled place,

but having a great spring at a place which was very closely shut in.

Althias therefore decided to take possession of this spring, reasoning

that the enemy, compelled by thirst, would surely come there; for there

is no other water at all close by. Now it seemed to all upon considering

the disparity of the armies that his plan was insane. But the Moors came

up feeling very much wearied and greatly oppressed by the heat in the

summer weather, and naturally almost overcome by an intense thirst, and

they made for the spring with a great rush, having no thought of meeting

any obstacle. But when they found the water held by the enemy, they all

halted, at a loss what to do, the greatest part of their strength having

been already expended because of their desire for water. Iaudas

therefore had a parley with Althias and agreed to give him the third

part of the booty, on condition that the Moors should all drink. But

Althias was by no means willing to accept the proposal, but demanded

that he fight with him in single combat for the booty. And this

challenge being accepted by Iaudas, it was agreed that if it so fell out

that Althias was overcame, the Moors should drink. And the whole Moorish

army was rejoiced, being in good hope, since Althias was lean and not

tall of body, while Iaudas was the finest and most warlike of all the

Moors. Now both of them were, as it happened, mounted. And Iaudas hurled

his spear first, but as it was coming toward him Althias succeeded with

amazing skill in catching it with his right hand, thus filling Iaudas

and the enemy with consternation. And with his left hand he drew his bow

instantly, for he was ambidextrous, and hit and killed the horse of

Iaudas. And as he fell, the Moors brought another horse for their

commander, upon which Iaudas leaped and straightway fled; and the

Moorish army followed him in complete disorder. And Althias, by thus

taking from them the captives and the whole of the booty, won a great

name in consequence of this deed throughout all Libya. Such, then, was

the course of these events.

And Solomon, after delaying a short time in Carthage, led his army

toward Mt. Aurasium and Iaudas, alleging against him that, while the

Roman army was occupied in Byzacium, he had plundered many of the places

in Numidia. And this was true. Solomon was also urged on against Iaudas

by the other commanders of the Moors, Massonas and Ortaïas, because of

their personal enmity; Massonas, because his father Mephanias, who was

the father-in-law of Iaudas, had been treacherously slain by him, and

Ortaïas, because Iaudas, together with Mastinas, who ruled over the

barbarians in Mauretania, had purposed to drive him and all the Moors

whom he ruled from the land where they had dwelt from of old. So the

Roman army, under the leadership of Solomon, and those of the Moors who

came into alliance with them, made their camp on the river Abigas, which

flows along by Aurasium and waters the land there. But to Iaudas it

seemed inexpedient to array himself against the enemy in the plain, but

he made his preparations on Aurasium in such a way as seemed to him

would offer most difficulty to his assailants. This mountain is about

thirteen days' journey distant from Carthage, and the largest of all

known to us. For its circuit is a three days' journey for an

unencumbered traveller. And for one wishing to go upon it the mountain

is difficult of access and extremely wild, but as one ascends and

reaches the level ground, plains are seen and many springs which form

rivers and a great number of altogether wonderful parks. And the grain

which grows here, and every kind of fruit, is double the size of that

produced in all the rest of Libya. And there are fortresses also on this

mountain, which are neglected, by reason of the fact that they do not

seem necessary to the inhabitants. For since the time when the Moors

wrested Aurasium from the Vandals,[44] not a single enemy had until now

ever come there or so much as caused the barbarians to be afraid that

they would come, but even the populous city of Tamougadis, situated

against the mountain on the east at the beginning of the plain, was

emptied of its population by the Moors and razed to the ground, in order

that the enemy should not only not be able to encamp there, but should

not even have the city as an excuse for coming near the mountain. And

the Moors of that place held also the land to the west of Aurasium, a

tract both extensive and fertile. And beyond these dwelt other nations

of the Moors, who were ruled by Ortaïas, who had come, as was stated

above, as an ally to Solomon and the Romans. And I have heard this man

say that beyond the country which he ruled there was no habitation of

men, but desert land extending to a great distance, and that beyond that

there are men, not black-skinned like the Moors, but very white in body

and fair-haired. So much, then, for these things.

And Solomon, after bribing the Moorish allies with great sums of money

and earnestly exhorting them, began the ascent of Mt. Aurasium with the

whole army arrayed as for battle, thinking that on that day he would do

battle with the enemy and just as he was have the matter out with them

according as fortune should wish. Accordingly the soldiers did not even

take with them any food, except a little, for themselves and their

horses. And after proceeding over very rough ground for about fifty

stades, they made a bivouac. And covering a similar distance each day

they came on the seventh day to a place where there was an ancient

fortress and an ever-flowing stream. The place is called "Shield

Mountain" by the Romans in their own tongue.[45] Now it was reported to

them that the enemy were encamped there, and when they reached this

place and encountered no enemy, they made camp and, preparing themselves

for battle, remained there; and three days' time was spent by them in

that place. And since the enemy kept altogether out of their way, and

their provisions had failed, the thought came to Solomon and to the

whole army that there had been some plot against them on the part of the

Moors who were their allies; for these Moors were not unacquainted with

the conditions of travel on Aurasium, and understood, probably, what had

been decided upon by the enemy; they were stealthily going out to meet

them each day, it was said, and had also frequently been sent to their

country by the Romans to reconnoitre, and had decided to make nothing

but false reports, in order, no doubt, that the Romans, with no prior

knowledge of conditions, might make the ascent of Mt. Aurasium without

supplies for a longer time or without preparing themselves otherwise in

the way which would be best. And, all things considered, the Romans were

suspicious that an ambush had been set for them by men who were their

allies and began to be afraid, reasoning that the Moors are said to be

by nature untrustworthy at all times and especially whenever they march

as allies with the Romans or any others against Moors. So, remembering

these things, and at the same time being pinched by hunger, they

withdrew from there with all speed without accomplishing anything, and,

upon reaching the plain, constructed a stockade.

After this Solomon established a part of the army in Numidia to serve as

a guard and with the remainder went to Carthage, since it was already

winter. There he arranged and set everything in order, so that at the

beginning of spring he might again march against Aurasium with a larger

equipment and, if possible, without Moors as allies. At the same time he

prepared generals and another army and a fleet of ships for an

expedition against the Moors who dwell in the island of Sardinia; for

this island is a large one and flourishing besides, being about two

thirds as large as Sicily (for the perimeter of the island makes a

journey of twenty days for an unencumbered traveller); and lying, as it

does, between Rome and Carthage, it was oppressed by the Moors who dwelt

there. For the Vandals in ancient times, being enraged against these

barbarians, sent some few of them with their wives to Sardinia and

confined them there. But as time went on they seized the mountains which

are near Caranalis, at first making plundering expeditions secretly upon

those who dwelt round about, but when they became no less than three

thousand, they even made their raids openly, and with no desire for

concealment plundered all the country there, being called

Barbaricini[46] by the natives. It was against these barbarians,

therefore, that Solomon was preparing the fleet during that winter.

Such, then, was the course of events in Libya.

XIV

And in Italy during these same times the following events took place.

Belisarius was sent against Theodatus and the Gothic nation by the

Emperor Justinian, and sailing to Sicily he secured this island with no

trouble. And the manner in which this was done will be told in the

following pages, when the history leads me to the narration of the

events in Italy. For it has not seemed to me out of order first to

record all the events which happened in Libya and after that to turn to

the portion of the history touching Italy and the Goths.

During this winter Belisarius remained in Syracuse and Solomon in

Carthage. And it came about during this year that a most dread portent

took place. For the sun gave forth its light without brightness, like

the moon, during this whole year, and it seemed exceedingly like the sun

in eclipse, for the beams it shed were not clear nor such as it is

accustomed to shed. And from the time when this thing happened men were

free neither from war nor pestilence nor any other thing leading to

death. And it was the time when Justinian was in the tenth year of his

reign. [536-537 A.D.]

[536 A.D.] At the opening of spring, when the Christians were

celebrating the feast which they call Easter, there arose a mutiny among

the soldiers in Libya. I shall now tell how it arose and to what end it

came.

After the Vandals had been defeated in the battle, as I have told

previously,[47] the Roman soldiers took their daughters and wives and

made them their own by lawful marriage. And each one of these women kept

urging her husband to lay claim to the possession of the lands which she

had owned previously, saying that it was not right or fitting if, while

living with the Vandals, they had enjoyed these lands, but after

entering into marriage with the conquerors of the Vandals they were then

to be deprived of their possessions. And having these things in mind,

the soldiers did not think that they were bound to yield the lands of

the Vandals to Solomon, who wished to register them as belonging to the

commonwealth and to the emperor's house and said that while it was not

unreasonable that the slaves and all other things of value should go as

booty to the soldiers, the land itself belonged to the emperor and the

empire of the Romans, which had nourished them and caused them to be

called soldiers and to be such, not in order to win for themselves such

land as they should wrest from the barbarians who were trespassing on

the Roman empire, but that this land might come to the commonwealth,

from which both they and all others secured their maintenance. This was

one cause of the mutiny. And there was a second, concurrent, cause also,

which was no less, perhaps even more, effective in throwing all Libya

into confusion. It was as follows: In the Roman army there were, as it

happened, not less than one thousand soldiers of the Arian faith; and

the most of these were barbarians, some of these being of the

Erulian[48] nation. Now these men were urged on to the mutiny by the

priests of the Vandals with the greatest zeal. For it was not possible

for them to worship God in their accustomed way, but they were excluded

both from all sacraments and from all sacred rites. For the Emperor

Justinian did not allow any Christian who did not espouse the orthodox

faith to receive baptism or any other sacrament. But most of all they

were agitated by the feast of Easter, during which they found themselves

unable to baptize[49] their own children with the sacred water, or do

anything else pertaining to this feast. And as if these things were not

sufficient for Heaven, in its eagerness to ruin the fortunes of the

Romans, it so fell out that still another thing provided an occasion for

those who were planning the mutiny. For the Vandals whom Belisarius took

to Byzantium were placed by the emperor in five cavalry squadrons, in

order that they might be settled permanently in the cities of the East;

he also called them the "Vandals of Justinian," and ordered them to

betake themselves in ships to the East. Now the majority of these Vandal

soldiers reached the East, and, filling up the squadrons to which they

had been assigned, they have been fighting against the Persians up to

the present time; but the remainder, about four hundred in number, after

reaching Lesbos, waiting until the sails were bellied with the wind,

forced the sailors to submission and sailed on till they reached the

Peloponnesus. And setting sail from there, they came to land in Libya at

a desert place, where they abandoned the ships, and, after equipping

themselves, went up to Mt. Aurasium and Mauretania. Elated by their

accession, the soldiers who were planning the mutiny formed a still

closer conspiracy among themselves. And there was much talk about this

in the camp and oaths were already being taken. And when the rest were

about to celebrate the Easter festival, the Arians, being vexed by their

exclusion from the sacred rites, purposed to attack them vigorously.

And it seemed best to their leading men to kill Solomon in the sanctuary

on the first day of the feast, which they call the great day. [March 23,

536 A.D.] And they were fortunate enough not to be found out, since no

one disclosed this plan. For though there were many who shared in the

horrible plot, no word of it was divulged to any hostile person as the

orders were passed around, and thus they succeeded completely in

escaping detection, for even the spearmen and guards of Solomon for the

most part and the majority of his domestics had become associated with

this mutiny because of their desire for the lands. And when the

appointed day had now come, Solomon was sitting in the sanctuary,

utterly ignorant of his own misfortune. And those who had decided to

kill the man went in, and, urging one another with nods, they put their

hands to their swords, but they did nothing nevertheless, either because

they were filled with awe of the rites then being performed in the

sanctuary, or because the fame of the general caused them to be ashamed,

or perhaps also some divine power prevented them.

And when the rites on that day had been completely performed and all

were betaking themselves homeward, the conspirators began to blame one

another with having turned soft-hearted at no fitting time, and they

postponed the plot for a second attempt on the following day. And on the

next day they acted in the same manner and departed from the sanctuary

without doing anything, and entering the market place, they reviled each

other openly, and every single man of them called the next one

soft-hearted and a demoralizer of the band, not hesitating to censure

strongly the respect felt for Solomon. For this reason, indeed, they

thought that they could no longer without danger remain in Carthage,

inasmuch as they had disclosed their plot to the whole city. The most of

them, accordingly, went out of the city quickly and began to plunder the

lands and to treat as enemies all the Libyans whom they met; but the

rest remained in the city, giving no indication of what their own

intentions were but pretending ignorance of the plot which had been

formed.