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But the woman, being astounded, did nothing unpleasant to Aetius nor did she reproach him for what he had done against the emperor's house, since he both wielded great power and the affairs of the empire were already in a bad state; but to the friends of Boniface she both explained the plot of Aetius and, giving pledges and solemn oaths, she begged them to persuade the man, if they could, to return to his ancestral ways, not overlooking the Roman empire lying 3.3.30 under the barbarians. But when Boniface heard these things, he repented of his action and his agreement with the barbarians, and he implored them with countless 3.3.31 promises to depart from Libya. But since they did not accept his words, but thought they were being outrageously insulted, he was forced to come to blows with them and, being defeated in the battle, he withdrew to Hippo Regius, a fortified 3.3.32 city in Numidia situated on the sea. There indeed the Vandals encamped and besieged it, with Gizeric leading them; for Gontharis was already dead. 3.3.33 And they say that he was killed by his brother. But the Vandals, not agreeing with these accounts, say that Gontharis was captured in battle in Spain by Germans and impaled, and that Gizeric, being already supreme commander of the Van-3.3.34 -dals, led them into Libya. This, indeed, is what I have heard from the Vandals. And after a long time had passed, since they were able neither by force nor by agreement to take Hippo Regius and were pressed by famine, 3.3.35 they abandoned the siege. And a short time later, Boniface and the Romans in Libya, since a large army had come to them from both Rome and Byzantium with Aspar as general, saw fit to fight again, and when a fierce battle took place, being defeated by far by their ene-3.3.36 -mies, they rushed into flight wherever each was able. And Aspar returned home, and Boniface, coming to Placidia, cleared away the suspicion, showing that it had not arisen against him from a true cause. 3.4.1 In this way, indeed, the Vandals took Libya from the Romans and held it. And those of the enemy whom they took alive they treated as slaves and held 3.4.2 in custody. And among these it happened that Marcian was also present, who later, after Theodosius died, took over the 3.4.3 empire. At that time, however, Gizeric ordered the prisoners to be present in the king's court, so that he, in considering the matter, might be able to know to what sort of master each of them might serve not 3.4.4 in keeping with his own worth. And when they were gathered in the open, around midday in the summertime, distressed by the sun, they were sitting down. And among them Marcian also somewhere 3.4.5 was sleeping carelessly. And a certain eagle was flying over him, having spread its wings, as they say, and always remaining in the same spot of the air, it was shading only Mar-3.4.6 -cian. And seeing what was happening from the upper rooms, Gizeric, being a man of very great shrewdness, both suspected that the event was divine and, summoning the man, 3.4.7 enquired of him who he might be. He said he was a sharer of secrets with Aspar; the Romans call such a person a domesticus in their language. 3.4.8 When Gizeric heard these things and considered the deed of the bird, and had in mind how much power Aspar wielded in Byzantium, it became clear 3.4.9 that the man was being led to the imperial office. He therefore by no means thought it right to kill him, reasoning that, if he should remove him from among men, it would be very clear that what was done by the bird would be nothing (for it would not be attending a king with its shadow, who was indeed about to perish immediately), and he would be killing him for no reason; but if it were destined for the man to be emperor in the future, he would never be able to be overtaken by death; for the things which have come to the counsel of God could not be hindered by the opinion of a man. 3.4.10 But he bound him with oaths that, if it should be in his power, he would never take up arms against the Vandals. So indeed Marcian, having been released, came to Byzantium and, when Theodosius died some time later, he received 3.4.11 the empire. And in all other matters he had been a good emperor, but he took no account of affairs concerning Libya. But these things happened at a later time. 3.4.12 But Gizeric at that time Aspar and Boniface in battle

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καταπλαγεῖσα δὲ ἡ γυνὴ Ἀέτιον μὲν εἰργάσατο οὐδὲν ἄχαρι οὐδέ τι ὠνείδισεν ὧν αὐτῷ ἐς τὸν βασιλέως οἶκον ἐπέπρακτο, ἐπεὶ αὐτός τε δυνάμει μεγάλῃ ἐχρῆτο καὶ τὰ τῆς βασιλείας πράγματα πονηρὰ ἤδη ἦν· τοῖς δὲ Βονιφατίου φίλοις τήν τε Ἀετίου ὑποθήκην ἔφραζε καὶ πίστεις παρεχομένη καὶ ὅρκια ἔχρῃζεν αὐτῶν ὅπως τὸν ἄνδρα, ἢν δύνωνται, πείσουσιν ἐπανήκειν ἐς τὰ πάτρια ἤθη, οὐ περιιδόντα ὑπὸ βαρβάροις κειμένην 3.3.30 τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχήν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ Βονιφάτιος ἤκουσε ταῦτα, τῆς τε πράξεως αὐτῷ καὶ τῆς ἐς τοὺς βαρβάρους ὁμολογίας μετέμελε, καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐλιπάρει μύρια 3.3.31 πάντα ὑποδεχόμενος ἀπὸ Λιβύης ἀνίστασθαι. τῶν δὲ οὐκ ἐνδεχομένων τοὺς λόγους, ἀλλὰ περιυβρίζεσθαι οἰομένων, ἐς χεῖρας αὐτοῖς ἐλθεῖν ἠναγκάσθη καὶ ἡσσηθεὶς τῇ μάχῃ ἐς Ἱππονερέγιον ἀνεχώρησε, πόλιν 3.3.32 ὀχυρὰν ἐν Νουμιδίᾳ τῇ ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ κειμένην. ἔνθα δὴ οἱ Βανδίλοι στρατοπεδευσάμενοι Γιζερίχου σφίσιν ἡγουμένου ἐπολιόρκουν· Γόνθαρις γὰρ ἤδη ἐτεθνήκει. 3.3.33 φασὶ δὲ αὐτὸν πρὸς τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἀπολέσθαι. Βανδίλοι δὲ τούτοις οὐχ ὁμολογοῦντες Γόνθαρίν φασιν ἐν Ἱσπανίᾳ πρὸς Γερμανῶν ξυλληφθέντα ἐν μάχῃ ἀνασκολοπισθῆναι, καὶ Γιζέριχον ἤδη αὐτοκράτορα ὄντα Βαν3.3.34 δίλοις ἐς Λιβύην ἡγήσασθαι. ταῦτα μὲν δὴ οὕτω πρὸς Βανδίλων ἀκήκοα. χρόνου δὲ πολλοῦ διελθόντος, ἐπεὶ οὔτε βίᾳ οὔτε ὁμολογίᾳ τὸ Ἱππονερέγιον παραστήσασθαι οἷοί τε ἦσαν καὶ τῷ λιμῷ ἐπιέζοντο, 3.3.35 τὴν προσεδρείαν διέλυσαν. ὀλίγῳ δὲ ὕστερον χρόνῳ Βονιφάτιός τε καὶ οἱ ἐν Λιβύῃ Ῥωμαῖοι, ἐπεὶ αὐτοῖς ἔκ τε Ῥώμης καὶ Βυζαντίου πολὺς στρατὸς ἦλθε καὶ στρατηγὸς Ἄσπαρ, ἀναμαχέσασθαί τε ἠξίουν καὶ μάχης καρτερᾶς γενομένης παρὰ πολὺ ἡσσημένοι τῶν πολε3.3.36 μίων ὅπη ἕκαστος ἐδύναντο ἐς φυγὴν ὥρμηντο. καὶ ὅ τε Ἄσπαρ ἐπ' οἴκου ἀπεκομίσθη καὶ Βονιφάτιος ὡς Πλακιδίαν ἀφικόμενος τὴν ὑποψίαν διέλυεν, ὡς οὐκ ἐξ ἀληθοῦς αἰτίας ἐς αὐτὸν γένοιτο. 3.4.1 Τὴν μὲν δὴ Λιβύην οὕτω Βανδίλοι Ῥωμαίους ἀφελόμενοι ἔσχον. τῶν δὲ πολεμίων οὓς λάβοιεν ζῶντας ἐν ἀνδραπόδων ποιούμενοι μοίρᾳ ἐν φυλακῇ 3.4.2 εἶχον. ἐν τούτοις δὲ καὶ Μαρκιανὸν ξυνέπεσεν εἶναι, ὃς ὕστερον τελευτήσαντος Θεοδοσίου τὴν βασιλείαν 3.4.3 παρέλαβε. τότε μέντοι Γιζέριχος ἐν τῇ βασιλέως αὐλῇ παρεῖναι τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους ἐκέλευεν, ὅπως οἱ εἰδέναι σκοπουμένῳ ἐξῇ ὅτῳ ἂν δεσπότῃ αὐτῶν ἕκαστος οὐκ 3.4.4 ἀπὸ τῆς αὑτοῦ ἀξίας δουλεύοι. καὶ ἐπειδὴ ξυνελέγησαν αἴθριοι, ἀμφὶ ἡμέραν μέσην ὥρᾳ θέρους ἀχθόμενοι τῷ ἡλίῳ ἐκάθηντο. ἐν αὐτοῖς δὲ καὶ Μαρκιανὸς ὅπου 3.4.5 δὴ ἀπημελημένως ἐκάθευδε. καί τις αὐτοῦ ἀετὸς ὑπερίπτατο, τὰ πτερὰ, ὡς λέγουσι, διαπετάσας, ἀεί τε μένων ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ τοῦ ἀέρος χώρᾳ μόνον τὸν Μαρ3.4.6 κιανὸν ἐπεσκίαζεν. ἐκ δὲ τῶν ὑπερῴων τὸ ποιούμενον ἰδὼν Γιζέριχος, ἀγχίνους τις ὢν μάλιστα, θεῖόν τε εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα ὑπώπτευσε καὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον μετα3.4.7 πεμψάμενος ἐπυνθάνετο αὐτοῦ ὅστις ποτὲ εἴη. ὁ δὲ τῶν ἀπορρήτων Ἄσπαρι ἔφη κοινωνὸς εἶναι· δομέστικον δὲ τοῦτον τῇ σφετέρᾳ γλώσσῃ καλοῦσι Ῥωμαῖοι. 3.4.8 ταῦτα Γιζερίχῳ ἀκούσαντι καὶ ξυμβαλλομένῳ μὲν τὸ τοῦ ὄρνιθος ἔργον, τὴν δὲ Ἄσπαρος δύναμιν ἐν νῷ ἔχοντι ὅσῃ ἐν Βυζαντίῳ ἐχρῆτο, καταφανὲς ἐγίνετο 3.4.9 ὡς εἰς βασιλείαν ὁ ἀνὴρ ἄγοιτο. κτεῖναι μὲν οὖν αὐτὸν ἥκιστα ἐδικαίου, ἐκλογιζόμενος ὡς, ἢν μὲν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων αὐτὸν ἀφανίζῃ, εὔδηλον ἔσται ὡς οὐδὲν ἂν τὸ τῷ ὄρνιθι ποιηθὲν εἴη (οὐ γὰρ βασιλέα τῇ σκιᾷ θεραπεύοι, ὅς γε αὐτίκα δὴ ἀπολεῖσθαι ἔμελλε), λόγῳ τε αὐτὸν οὐδενὶ κτείνοι· ἢν δέ γε χρῆν ἐν τῷ ὑστέρῳ χρόνῳ βασιλεῦσαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον, οὐ μήποτέ οἱ θανάτῳ καταληπτὸς ἔσται· τὰ γὰρ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐς βουλὴν ἥκοντα οὐκ ἂν δύναιτο ἀνθρώπου γνώμῃ κωλυτὰ 3.4.10 εἶναι. ὅρκοις δὲ αὐτὸν καταλαμβάνει ὡς, ἢν ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἔσται, οὔποτε πρός γε Βανδίλους ἐν ὅπλοις γένηται. οὕτω δὴ Μαρκιανὸς ἀφειμένος ἐς Βυζάντιον ἀφίκετο καὶ Θεοδοσίου χρόνῳ ὕστερον τελευτήσαντος ἐδέξατο 3.4.11 τὴν βασιλείαν. καὶ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ξύμπαντα βασιλεὺς ἐγεγόνει ἀγαθὸς, τὰ δὲ ἀμφὶ Λιβύην ἐν οὐδενὶ ἐποιήσατο λόγῳ. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τῷ ὑστέρῳ χρόνῳ ἐγένετο. 3.4.12 Γιζέριχος δὲ τότε Ἄσπαρά τε καὶ Βονιφάτιον μάχῃ