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the remaining part 6.4.4 he fortified most securely in its construction. And he dedicated a noteworthy shrine here to the Mother of God, and 6.4.5 built four other churches. And in addition he rebuilt the palace here, which had been built in earlier times and had fallen into ruin, the work of the ancient Emperor Severus; who, hailing from this place, left this palace as a monument of his good fortune. 6.4.6 But since I have come to this point in my narrative, I shall by no means be silent about what happened at Leptimagna in our own time. Indeed, after Justinian had received the imperial power, but before he had undertaken the Vandalic war, some Moorish barbarians, who are called Leuathae, having overpowered the Vandals who were then masters of Libya, made Leptimagna 6.4.7 entirely destitute of inhabitants. And while they were spending some time with their leaders in some hilly regions not far from Leptimagna, they suddenly 6.4.8 saw a flame of fire in the middle of the city. And suspecting that native enemies had appeared there, they rushed with great speed 6.4.9 to help against them. But finding no men there, they brought the matter to their soothsayers, who, taking the event as an omen, foretold that Leptimagna would be inhabited 6.4.10 before long. And not much later the emperor's army arrived and took both the rest of Libya and Tripolis, having become superior to the Vandals and the Moors in the war. But I shall return to the point from which I made the digression in my narrative. 6.4.11 In this city the Emperor Justinian has also built public baths, and he built the circuit-wall of the city from its very lowest foundations, and by means of the baths and all the other buildings he established it in the form of a city. 6.4.12 And the barbarians dwelling near it, who are called Gadabitani, who up to this time had been excessively devoted to the so-called Hellenic atheism, he has now with all 6.4.13 zeal caused to become Christians. But he also fortified the city of Sabratha, where he also built a church worthy of much account. 6.4.14 And there are two cities at the extremity of this country, Tacapa and Girgis, between which it happens that the Lesser 6.4.15 Syrtes are. Here something of an amazing nature happens every day. The sea, being compressed in a narrow space, forms a crescent-shaped gulf, as was said to happen also 6.4.16 in the case of the other Syrtes. And it goes up onto the mainland for more than a day's journey for a well-girt man, and about the west it returns again, leaving this shore dry 6.4.17 in the same manner as the other coasts. And the sailors, putting out to what has temporarily become sea upon the mainland, sail their usual course as far as possible during the day, but at late evening they by all means make preparations to spend the night as if on land, having some long poles in readiness. 6.4.18 And as soon as they perceive the surge suspiciously tending toward retreat, these men, having and managing the poles, leap out from the ship with no 6.4.19 hesitation. And swimming at first, they then stand, whenever the water does not rise above their 6.4.20 faces. And from their ends they plant the poles upon the ground, which has already become dry or will be so very soon, and set them upright, to be placed under the vessel and to raise it up from both sides, so that by leaning to one side it may not be 6.4.21 wrecked. And on the following day at early dawn the mainland, having disguised itself as the sea, swells with 6.4.22 waves, and the vessels, being lifted up, sail. And the sailors, having taken away the poles at the most opportune moment, sail 6.4.23 again. And it happens that no variation of the process occurs, but every day the succession of the elements takes place. 6.5.1 But after Tripolis and the Syrtes, let us go on to the rest of Libya. 6.5.2 And we must begin from Carthage, which happens to be the greatest and most noteworthy of the cities here, first making this remark, that when Gizeric and the Vandals took Libya, a thought occurred 6.5.3 to them that was both destructive and befitting barbarians. For they reasoned that it was better for their affairs

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τὴν δὲ λοιπὴν 6.4.4 ἐτειχίσατο ἐν τῷ τῆς οἰκοδομίας ἐχυρῷ μάλιστα. καὶ ἱερὸν μὲν ἀξιοθέατον τῇ θεοτόκῳ τῇδε ἀνέθηκεν, ἐκκλη6.4.5 σίας δὲ τέτταρας ἐδείματο ἄλλας. πρὸς δὲ καὶ ἀνῳκοδομήσατο τὰ τῇδε γεγονότα ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις καὶ καταπεπτωκότα βασίλεια, Σεβήρου βασιλέως τοῦ παλαιοῦ ἔργον· ὃς δὴ ἐνθένδε ὁρμώμενος μνημεῖα τῆς εὐδαιμονίας τὰ βασίλεια τάδε ἀπέλιπεν. 6.4.6 Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα γενόμενος τοῦ λόγου τὸ ξυνενεχθὲν ἐπὶ Λεπτιμάγνης ἐν χρόνῳ τῷ καθ' ἡμᾶς ὡς ἥκιστα στωπήσομαι. ἤδη μὲν Ἰουστινιανοῦ τὴν βασιλείαν παραλαβόντος, οὔπω δὲ πόλεμον τὸν Βανδιλικὸν ἀνῃρημένου, Μαυρούσιοι βάρβαροι, οἱ Λευάθαι καλούμενοι, βιασάμενοι τοὺς Λιβύης τότε κυρίους Βανδίλους, ἔρημον ἀν6.4.7 θρώπων τὴν Λεπτιμάγναν παντάπασι κατεστήσαντο. ἐν χώροις δὲ λοφώδεσι ξὺν τοῖς ἡγεμόσι διατριβήν τινα ἔχοντες Λεπτιμάγνης οὐ πολλῷ ἄποθεν, φλόγα πυρὸς 6.4.8 ἐξαπιναίως ἐν μέσῃ τῇ πόλει τεθέανται. πολεμίους τε ὑποτοπήσαντες ἐνδήμους ἐνταῦθα γενέσθαι, δρόμῳ ἐπ' 6.4.9 αὐτοὺς ἐβοήθουν πολλῷ. ἀνθρώπων τε οὐδένα εὑρόντες ἐπὶ τοὺς μάντεις τὸ πρᾶγμα ἦγον, οἳ δὴ τῷ ξυμβεβηκότι τεκμηριούμενοι τὴν Λεπτιμάγναν οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν οἰκι6.4.10 σθήσεσθαι προὔλεγον. οὐ πολλῷ τε ὕστερον ἀφικόμενος ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως στρατὸς Λιβύην τε τὴν ἄλλην καὶ Τρίπολιν ἔσχε, Βανδίλων τε καὶ Μαυρουσίων καθυπέρτερος τῷ πολέμῳ γεγενημένος. ἐγὼ δὲ ὅθεν τὴν ἐκβολὴν τοῦ λόγου ἐποιησάμην ἐπάνειμι. 6.4.11 Ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ πόλει βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς καὶ λουτρῶνας ἐν δημοσίῳ πεποίηται, τόν τε περίβολον τῆς πόλεως ἐκ θεμελίων τῶν ἐσχάτων ᾠκοδομήσατο, καὶ τοῖς τε βαλανείοις τοῖς τε ἄλλοις πᾶσιν ἐς πόλεως αὐτὴν κατε6.4.12 στήσατο σχῆμα. τούς τε πλησιοχώρους αὐτῇ βαρβάρους, οἳ Γαδαβιτανοὶ ἐπικαλοῦνται, κατακόρως ἐς τόδε τοῦ χρόνου τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν καλουμένην ἀθεΐαν δοξάζοντας, Χριστιανοὺς διεπράξατο γενέσθαι τανῦν προθυμίᾳ τῇ 6.4.13 πάσῃ. ἀλλὰ καὶ Σαβραθὰν ἐτειχίσατο πόλιν, οὗ δὴ καὶ λόγου ἀξίαν πολλοῦ ἐκκλησίαν ἐδείματο. 6.4.14 Πόλεις δὲ δύο εἰσὶ ταύτης ἐν ἐσχάτῳ τῆς χώρας, Τάκαπά τε καὶ Γίργις, ὧν δὴ κατὰ μέσον Σύρτεις τὰς μι6.4.15 κρὰς ξυμβαίνει εἶναι. ἐνταῦθα γίνεταί τι ἐς ἡμέραν ἑκάστην θαυμάσιον ἡλίκον. ἡ θάλασσα ἐν στενῷ θλιβομένη ἀπεργάζεται μηνοειδῆ κόλπον, ᾗπερ γίνεσθαι καὶ 6.4.16 κατὰ τὰς ἄλλας Σύρτεις ἐρρήθη. ἀναβαίνει δὲ εἰς τὴν ἤπειρον πλέον ἢ ὁδῷ ἡμέρας εὐζώνῳ ἀνδρί, ἀμφί τε τὰ πρὸς ἑσπέραν ἐπάνεισιν αὖθις, ἐπιλιποῦσα ἐπὶ ξηροῦ 6.4.17 τὴν ἠϊόνα ταύτην κατὰ ταὐτὰ ταῖς ἄλλαις ἀκταῖς. οἵ τε ναῦται εἰς τὴν ἤπειρον ἀναγόμενοι θάλασσαν ἐπὶ καιροῦ γεγενημένην, τῆς μὲν ἡμέρας ὡς πορρωτάτω τὰ εἰωθότα ναυτίλλονται, ἀμφὶ δείλην δὲ πάντως ὀψίαν ὡς ἐν γῇ αὐλισόμενοι συσκευάζονται, κοντούς τινας ἐν παρασκευῇ 6.4.18 μακροὺς ἔχοντες. ἐπειδάν τε τάχιστα τοῦ ῥοθίου αἴσθωνται ὑπόπτως ἐς τὴν ἀναχώρησιν ἔχοντος, οἵδε τοὺς κοντοὺς ἔχοντες καὶ διαχειρίζοντες ἐκπηδῶσιν ἐν ὀκνήσει 6.4.19 οὐδεμιᾷ ἐκ τῆς νεώς. νηχόμενοι δὲ πρῶτον, εἶτα ἑστήκασιν, ἡνίκα ἂν σφίσι τὸ ὕδωρ οὐχ ὑπεραίροι τὰ πρόσ6.4.20 ωπα. ἔκ τε τῶν ἄκρων τοὺς κοντοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς προσουδίσαντες ἐν ξηρῷ ἤδη γεγενημένης ἢ ἐσομένης αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα, ὀρθοὺς ἱστᾶσιν, ὑποκεισομένους τῷ πλοίῳ καὶ μετεωρίσοντας ἑκατέρωθεν, ὡς μὴ ἐπικλῖναν ἐπὶ θάτερα 6.4.21 συντριβὲς γένηται. τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ ὄρθρου βαθέος ἡ μὲν ἤπειρος μεταμφιασαμένη τὴν θάλασσαν ἐπικυρτοῦται 6.4.22 κυμαίνουσα, τὰ δὲ πλοῖα ἐπαιρόμενα πλεῖ. οἵ τε ναῦται περιελόντες ἐπικαιριώτατα τοὺς κοντοὺς ναυτίλλονται 6.4.23 αὖθις. παράλλαξίν τε οὐδεμίαν τοῦ ἔργου γενέσθαι ξυμβαίνει, ἀλλ' ἐς ἡμέραν ἑκάστην ἡ τῶν στοιχείων διαδοχὴ ἐπιγίνεται. 6.5.1 Μετὰ δὲ Τρίπολίν τε καὶ Σύρτεις ἡμεῖς ἐπὶ Λιβύην 6.5.2 τὴν ἄλλην ἴωμεν. ἀρκτέον δὲ ἡμῖν ἐκ Καρχηδόνος, ἣ μεγίστη τε καὶ ἀξιολογωτάτη τῶν τῇδε πόλεων τυγχάνει οὖσα, τοσοῦτον πρότερον ὑπειποῦσιν, ὡς ἡνίκα Γιζέριχός τε καὶ Βανδίλοι Λιβύην ἔσχον, ἐνθύμημα ἐπιγέγονεν 6.5.3 αὐτοῖς ἀξιώλεθρόν τε καὶ πρέπον βαρβάροις. ἄμεινον γὰρ ἐλογίσαντο σφίσι τὰ πράγματα