110

punishment. 3.6.2 They say, at any rate, that one thousand three hundred centenaria were expended by him for no purpose. But since it was not destined for the Vandals to be destroyed by this fleet, he makes Basiliscus commander-in-chief of the war, who was the brother of his wife Verina and was extravagantly desirous of the imperial power, which he hoped would be his without a fight if he courted 3.6.3 the friendship of Aspar. For Aspar himself, being a follower of the Arian doctrine, and having no intention of changing it, was not able to accede to the throne, but he was easily powerful enough to establish another upon it, and he was already suspected by the Emperor Leo of plotting against him. 3.6.4 They say, therefore, that Aspar at that time, fearing that if the Vandals were defeated, Leo would secure his throne most firmly, gave many instructions to Basiliscus and entreated him to spare the Vandals and Gizeric. 3.6.5 And Leo had already previously appointed Anthemius, a man from the senate, great in wealth and lineage, as emperor of the West and sent him, so that he might assist him in the Vandalic 3.6.6 war. And yet Gizeric wanted and earnestly begged for the empire to be handed over to Olybrius, who was married to Placidia, the daughter of Valentinian, and was well-disposed toward him on account of the marriage connection; and when he failed in this, he grew even more angry and plundered all the emperor's land. 3.6.7 There was a certain Marcellianus in Dalmatia, one of the associates of Aetius, a respected man, who, after Aetius died in the manner described, no longer deigned to yield to the emperor, but staged a revolt and, having caused all the others to defect, held power over Dalmatia himself, with no one 3.6.8 daring to come to grips with him. This Marcellianus, indeed, Emperor Leo then, having thoroughly tamed him, won over, and he ordered him to go to the island of Sardinia, which was subject to the Vandals. And he drove the Vandals 3.6.9 out of it and held it without difficulty. And Heraclius, having been sent from Byzantium to Tripolis in Libya, defeated the Vandals there in battle, easily took the cities, and leaving the ships there, led his army on foot to Carthage. So the preliminaries of the war proceeded in this way. 3.6.10 But Basiliscus with the entire fleet sailed into a town, distant from Carthage no less than two hundred and eighty stades (there happened to be an ancient temple of Hermes there, from which the place was called Mercurium; for so the Romans call Hermes), and if he had not shirked his duty and delayed, but had attempted to go straight for Carthage, he would have taken it at the first shout and would have enslaved the Vandals who turned to no resistance. 3.6.11 So greatly did Gizeric dread Leo as an invincible emperor, since the capture of Sardinia and Tripolis was reported to him and he saw Basiliscus' fleet, the likes of which it was said the Romans had never had before. But as it was, the general's delay, whether arising from cowardice or treachery, prevented this. 3.6.12 But Gizeric, taking advantage of Basiliscus's negligence, did the following. Having armed all his subjects as best he could, he manned the ships, and he also had other ships ready, empty of men 3.6.13 and able to sail very fast. And sending envoys to Basiliscus, he begged him to postpone the war for a period of five days, so that in the meantime he might consider and do those things which would be most pleasing to the emperor. 3.6.14 And they say that he also sent a great amount of gold secretly to Basiliscus' army and 3.6.15 purchased this very truce. He did 3.6.15 these things thinking, as indeed happened, that a favorable wind would arise for him in 3.6.16 this time. But Basiliscus, either to gratify Aspar as he had promised, or selling the opportunity for money, or because it seemed better to him, did what was requested and remained quiet in the camp, 3.6.17 awaiting the enemy's opportunity. But the Vandals, as soon as the wind had risen for them, for which indeed they had been sitting and waiting expectantly, raised their sails and, towing the vessels which were empty of men, as I have said before, had been prepared, 3.6.18 they sailed against the enemy. And when they came near, they set fire to the boats which they were towing, while their sails were filled by the

110

κόλασιν. 3.6.2 φασὶ γοῦν αὐτῷ τριακόσια καὶ χίλια κεντηνάρια ἐπ' οὐδενὶ ἔργῳ δεδαπανῆσθαι. ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἔδει Βανδίλους τῷ στόλῳ τούτῳ ἀπολωλέναι, αὐτοκράτορα τοῦ πολέμου ποιεῖται Βασιλίσκον, Βηρίνης τῆς γυναικὸς ἀδελφὸν ὄντα καὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἐκτόπως ἐρῶντα, ἥν οἱ ἤλπισεν ἀμαχητὶ ἔσεσθαι τὴν Ἄσπαρος προσποιη3.6.3 σαμένῳ φιλίαν. αὐτὸς γὰρ Ἄσπαρ τῆς Ἀρείου δόξης μεταποιούμενος, ταύτην τε οὐκ ἐννοῶν μετατίθεσθαι, παρελθεῖν μὲν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν οὐχ οἷός τε ἦν, καταστήσασθαι δὲ ἐς αὐτὴν ἕτερον εὐπετῶς ἴσχυσεν, ἤδη τε Λέοντι τῷ βασιλεῖ ὡς ἐπιβουλεύσει προσκεκρουκότι 3.6.4 ἐπίδοξος ἦν. λέγουσιν οὖν Ἄσπαρα τότε δείσαντα μὴ Βανδίλων ἡσσημένων ὁ Λέων ὡς ἀσφαλέστατα τὴν βασιλείαν κρατύνηται, πολλὰ Βασιλίσκῳ ἐπισκήψαντα παρακαταθέσθαι οἱ Βανδίλους τε καὶ Γιζέριχον. 3.6.5 Λέων δὲ ἤδη πρότερον Ἀνθέμιον, ἄνδρα ἐκ γερουσίας, πλούτῳ τε καὶ γένει μέγαν, βασιλέα τῆς ἑσπερίας καταστησάμενος ἔπεμψεν, ὅπως οἱ τὰ ἐς τὸν Βανδιλι3.6.6 κὸν συλλήψεται πόλεμον. καίτοι Γιζέριχος ἔχρῃζε καὶ πολλὰ ἐλιπάρει Ὀλυβρίῳ παραδοθῆναι τὴν βασιλείαν Πλακιδίᾳ τῇ Βαλεντινιανοῦ παιδὶ ξυνοικοῦντι καὶ διὰ τὸ κῆδος εὐνοϊκῶς αὐτῷ ἔχοντι, ἐπειδή τε τούτου ἠτύχησεν, ἔτι μᾶλλον ὠργίζετο καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν βασιλέως γῆν 3.6.7 ἐληίζετο. ἦν δέ τις ἐν ∆αλματίᾳ Μαρκελλιανὸς τῶν Ἀετίῳ γνωρίμων, ἀνὴρ δόκιμος, ὃς ἐπειδὴ Ἀέτιος ἐτελεύτησε τρόπῳ τῷ εἰρημένῳ, βασιλεῖ εἴκειν οὐκέτι ἠξίου, ἀλλὰ νεωτερίσας τε καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας ἀποστήσας αὐτὸς εἶχε τὸ ∆αλματίας κράτος, οὐδενός 3.6.8 οἱ ἐς χεῖρας ἰέναι τολμήσαντος. τοῦτον δὴ τὸν Μαρκελλιανὸν τότε Λέων βασιλεὺς εὖ μάλα τιθασσεύων προσεποιήσατο, καὶ ἐς Σαρδὼ τὴν νῆσον ἐκέλευεν ἰέναι, Βανδίλων κατήκοον οὖσαν. ὁ δὲ αὐτὴν Βαν3.6.9 δίλους ἐξελάσας οὐ χαλεπῶς ἔσχεν. Ἡράκλειος δὲ σταλεὶς ἐκ Βυζαντίου εἰς Τρίπολιν τὴν ἐν Λιβύῃ νικήσας τε μάχῃ τοὺς ταύτῃ Βανδίλους τάς τε πόλεις ῥᾳδίως εἷλε καὶ τὰς ναῦς ἐνταῦθα ἀπολιπὼν πεζῇ τὸ στράτευμα ἐς Καρχηδόνα ἦγε. τὰ μὲν οὖν τοῦ πολέμου προοίμια τῇδε ἐφέρετο. 3.6.10 Βασιλίσκος δὲ τῷ παντὶ στόλῳ ἐς πόλισμα κατέπλευσε, Καρχηδόνος διέχον οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ ὀγδοήκοντά τε καὶ διακοσίοις σταδίοις (Ἑρμοῦ δὲ νεὼς ἐνταῦθα ἐκ παλαιοῦ ἐτύγχανεν ὢν, ἀφ' οὗ δὴ καὶ Μερκούριον ὁ τόπος ἐκλήθη· οὕτω γὰρ τὸν Ἑρμῆν καλοῦσι Ῥωμαῖοι), καὶ εἰ μὴ ἐθελοκακήσας ἐμέλλησεν, ἀλλ' εὐθὺ ἐπεχείρησε Καρχηδόνος ἰέναι, αὐτήν τε ἂν αὐτοβοεὶ εἷλε καὶ Βανδίλους ἐς οὐδεμίαν ἀλκὴν τραπομένους 3.6.11 κατεδουλώσατο. οὕτω Γιζέριχος Λέοντα ὡς ἄμαχον βασιλέα κατωρρώδησεν, ἐπεί οἱ Σαρδώ τε καὶ Τρίπολις ἁλοῦσαι ἠγγέλλοντο καὶ τὸν Βασιλίσκου στόλον ἑώρα οἷος οὐδείς πω ἐλέγετο Ῥωμαίοις πρότερον γεγενῆσθαι. νῦν δὲ τοῦτο ἐκώλυσεν ἡ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ μέλλησις, εἴτε κακότητι εἴτε προδοσίᾳ προσγενομένη. 3.6.12 Γιζέριχος δὲ τῆς Βασιλίσκου ὀλιγωρίας ἀπολαύων ἐποίει τάδε. ὁπλίσας ἅπαντας ὡς ἄριστα εἶχε τοὺς ὑπηκόους ἐπλήρου τὰς ναῦς, ἄλλας τε κενὰς ἀνδρῶν 3.6.13 καὶ ὡς τάχιστα πλεούσας ἐν παρασκευῇ εἶχε. πέμψας δὲ πρέσβεις ὡς Βασιλίσκον ἐδεῖτο τὸν πόλεμον ἐς πέντε ἡμερῶν ὑπερβαλέσθαι χρόνον, ὅπως μεταξὺ βουλευσάμενος ἐκεῖνα ποιοίη ἃ δὴ μάλιστα βασιλεῖ βου3.6.14 λομένῳ εἴη. λέγουσι δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ χρυσίου πολύ τι χρῆμα κρύφα τῆς Βασιλίσκου στρατιᾶς πέμψαντα 3.6.15 ταύτην δὴ τὴν ἐκεχειρίαν ὠνήσασθαι. ἔπρασσε δὲ 3.6.15 ταῦτα οἰόμενος, ὅπερ ἐγένετο, πνεῦμα ἐπίφορον ἐν 3.6.16 τούτῳ οἱ τῷ χρόνῳ γενήσεσθαι. Βασιλίσκος δὲ ἢ Ἄσπαρι καθάπερ ὑπέστη χαριζόμενος ἢ τὸν καιρὸν χρημάτων ἀποδιδόμενος, ἢ καὶ βέλτιον αὐτῷ ἐνομίσθη, ἐποίει τε τὰ αἰτούμενα καὶ ἡσύχαζεν ἐν τῷ στρατοπέ3.6.17 δῳ, τὴν εὐκαιρίαν προσδεχόμενος τῶν πολεμίων. οἱ δὲ Βανδίλοι, ἐπειδὴ σφίσι τάχιστα τὸ πνεῦμα ἐγεγόνει, ὃ δὴ τέως καραδοκοῦντες ἐκάθηντο, ἀράμενοί τε τὰ ἱστία καὶ τὰ πλοῖα ἀφέλκοντες ὅσα αὐτοῖς ἀνδρῶν κενὰ, ὥσπερ μοι πρότερον εἴρηται, παρεσκεύαστο, 3.6.18 ἔπλεον ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους. ὡς δὲ ἀγχοῦ ἐγένοντο, πῦρ ἐν τοῖς πλοίοις ἐνθέμενοι, ἃ δὴ αὐτοὶ ἐφέλκοντες ἦγον, κεκολπωμένων αὐτοῖς τῶν