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in Italy, from being allies and friends, 3.9.4 to become enemies. For they both held Amalafrida in prison and destroyed all the Goths, bringing against them the charge of plotting revolution against both the Vandals and 3.9.5 Hilderic. However, no vengeance came from Theuderic, since he considered it impossible to campaign against Libya with a great fleet, but Hilderic became a very great friend and guest-friend to Justinian, who had not yet come to the throne, but was administering it with full power, since his uncle Justin was very old when he reigned and not at all experienced in matters of state. And they gifted each other with great sums of money. 3.9.6 Now there was a certain Gelimer in the family of Gizeric, the son of Geilaris, the son of Genzon, the son of Gizeric, of an age somewhat advanced after Hilderic, and for this reason he was expected 3.9.7 to come to the throne very soon; he was thought to be the best of his contemporaries in matters of war, but in other respects he was clever and malicious and skilled at plotting revolutions and laying hands on the money of others. 3.9.8 This Gelimer, since he saw the kingship was awaiting him, was not able to live in the established manner, but assuming the actions of a king, he encroached upon the office, though it was not yet his time, and though Hilderic yielded out of kindness, he was no longer able to restrain his ambition, but forming a faction of whatever was best among the Vandals, he persuaded them to take the kingdom from Hilderic, as he was both unwarlike and had been defeated by the Maurusii, and was utterly betraying the power of the Vandals to the Emperor Justin, so that the kingdom might not come to him, as he was from the other house (for he slanderously alleged that the embassy to Byzantium wished this), and to hand over the Vandal power to himself. And they, being persuaded, acted accordingly. 3.9.9 So then Gelimer, having seized the leadership, held both Hilderic, who had ruled the Vandals for seven years, and Hoamer and his brother Euagees in prison. 3.9.10 And when Justinian heard these things, having already taken over the empire, he sent ambassadors to Gelimer in Libya and wrote the following: "You are doing things that are not holy nor worthy of the testaments of Gizeric, holding in prison an old man who is both your kinsman and king of the Vandals, if there is any force in what was decreed by Gizeric, and taking the throne from him by force, when it was possible for you to receive it legally a little later. 3.9.11 Therefore, do no further evil, nor exchange the name of king for the title of tyrant, which you will have held for a short time beforehand. 3.9.12 But as for this man, who is on the point of death, let him bear in name the image of kingship, while you do all those things that it is fitting for a king to do; and expect to receive the name of the office only from time and the law of Gizeric. 3.9.13 For if you do these things, you will have favor from heaven and friendship from us." So much 3.9.14 the letter revealed. But Gelimer sent the ambassadors away without result, and he blinded Hoamer and put both Hilderic and Euagees in stricter confinement, 3.9.15 charging that they were planning an escape to Byzantium. And when the emperor Justinian heard these things too, he sent other ambassadors and wrote the following: "We, thinking that you would never act contrary to our counsel, 3.9.16 wrote you the former letter. But since it pleases you to possess the kingdom in the way you now have it, receive whatever fortune may grant you from it. 3.9.17 But you, send to us Hilderic and the maimed Hoamer and his brother, who will have what consolation is possible for those who have been deprived of their kingdom or their 3.9.18 sight. For we shall not allow it, if you do not do these things. For we are moved by the hope which they had in our 3.9.19 friendship. And the treaty between us and Gizeric will be set aside. For we are coming not to make war on the one who has succeeded to his kingdom, but to avenge him as we are able." 3.9.20 After reading this, Gelimer replied with the following: "King Gelimer to the Emperor Justinian. I have neither taken the throne by force nor has anything unholy been done by me against my kinsmen. 3.9.21 For Hilderic, plotting revolution

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Ἰταλίᾳ ἔκ τε συμμάχων καὶ φίλων 3.9.4 πολεμίοις γενέσθαι. τήν τε γὰρ Ἀμαλαφρίδαν ἐν φυλακῇ ἔσχον καὶ τοὺς Γότθους διέφθειραν ἅπαντας, ἐπενεγκόντες αὐτοῖς νεωτερίζειν ἔς τε Βανδίλους καὶ 3.9.5 Ἰλδέριχον. τίσις μέντοι οὐδεμία πρὸς Θευδερίχου ἐγένετο, ἐπεὶ ἀδύνατος ἐνόμισεν εἶναι στόλῳ μεγάλῳ ἐς Λιβύην στρατεῦσαι, Ἰλδέριχος δὲ φίλος ἐς τὰ μάλιστα Ἰουστινιανῷ καὶ ξένος ἐγένετο, οὔπω μὲν ἥκοντι ἐς βασιλείαν, διοικουμένῳ δὲ αὐτὴν κατ' ἐξουσίαν, ἐπεί οἱ ὁ θεῖος Ἰουστῖνος ὑπέργηρώς τε ὢν ἐβασίλευε καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν πολιτείαν πραγμάτων οὐ παντελῶς ἔμπειρος. χρήμασί τε μεγάλοις ἀλλήλους ἐδωροῦντο. 3.9.6 Ἦν δέ τις ἐν τῷ Γιζερίχου γένει Γελίμερ ὁ Γειλάριδος τοῦ Γένζωνος τοῦ Γιζερίχου πόρρω που ἡλικίας ἥκων μετά γε Ἰλδέριχον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐπίδοξος 3.9.7 ὢν αὐτίκα μάλα ἐς τὴν βασιλείαν ἀφίξεσθαι· ὃς τὰ μὲν πολέμια ἐδόκει τῶν καθ' αὑτὸν ἄριστος εἶναι, ἄλλως δὲ δεινός τε ἦν καὶ κακοήθης καὶ πράγμασί τε νεωτέροις καὶ χρήμασιν ἐπιτίθεσθαι ἀλλοτρίοις ἐξε3.9.8 πιστάμενος. οὗτος ὁ Γελίμερ ἐπεί οἱ μέλλουσαν ἑώρα τὴν ἀρχὴν, οὐκ ἐδύνατο ἐν τῷ καθεστῶτι τρόπῳ βιοτεύειν, ἀλλὰ τὰ βασιλέως ἔργα προσποιησάμενος ἐπεβάτευε τῆς τιμῆς, ἀώρου γε αὐτῷ οὔσης, καὶ Ἰλδερίχου δι' ἐπιείκειαν ἐνδιδόντος κατέχειν οὐκέτι οἷός τε ἦν τὴν διάνοιαν, ἀλλὰ Βανδίλων ἑταιρισάμενος εἴ τι ἄριστον ἦν, ἀναπείθει ἀφελέσθαι μὲν Ἰλδέριχον τὴν βασιλείαν, ὡς ἀπόλεμόν τε καὶ ἡσσημένον πρὸς Μαυρουσίων, καὶ Ἰουστίνῳ βασιλεῖ καταπροδιδόντα τὸ τῶν Βανδίλων κράτος, ὡς μὴ ἐς αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς ἄλλης οἰκίας ὄντα ἡ βασιλεία ἥκοι (τοῦτο γάρ οἱ βούλεσθαι τὴν ἐς Βυζάντιον πρεσβείαν διέβαλλεν), αὐτῷ δὲ παραδιδόναι τὸ Βανδίλων κράτος. οἱ δὲ ἀναπεισθέντες κατὰ ταῦτα 3.9.9 ἐποίουν. οὕτω δὴ Γελίμερ τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἐπιλαβόμενος Ἰλδέριχόν τε, ἕβδομον ἔτος Βανδίλων ἄρξαντα, καὶ Ὁάμερα καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν Εὐαγέην ἐν φυλακῇ ἔσχεν. 3.9.10 Ἐπεὶ δὲ ταῦτα Ἰουστινιανὸς ἤκουσεν, ἤδη τὴν βασιλείαν παραλαβὼν, πρέσβεις ἐς Λιβύην ὡς Γελίμερα πέμψας ἔγραψε τάδε «Οὐχ ὅσια ποιεῖς οὐδὲ τῶν «Γιζερίχου διαθηκῶν ἄξια, γέροντά τε καὶ ξυγγενῆ «καὶ βασιλέα Βανδίλων, εἴ τι τῶν Γιζερίχῳ βεβουλευ»μένων ὄφελός ἐστιν, ἐν φυλακῇ ἔχων, καὶ βίᾳ τὴν «ἀρχὴν ἀφαιρούμενος, ἐξὸν αὐτὴν ὀλίγῳ ὕστερον χρόνῳ 3.9.11 «κατὰ νόμον λαβεῖν. μήτε οὖν ἐργάσῃ περαιτέρω «κακὸν μήτε τοῦ βασιλέως ὀνόματος ἀνταλλάξῃ τὴν «τοῦ τυράννου προσηγορίαν, βραχεῖ προτερεύουσαν 3.9.12 «χρόνῳ. ἀλλὰ τοῦτον μὲν, ἄνδρα ὅσον οὔπω τεθνη»ξόμενον, ἔα φέρεσθαι τῷ λόγῳ τὴν τῆς βασιλείας «εἰκόνα, σὺ δὲ ἅπαντα πρᾶττε ὅσα βασιλέα πράττειν «εἰκός· προσδέχου τε ἀπὸ τοῦ χρόνου καὶ τοῦ Γιζε»ρίχου νόμου μόνον λαβεῖν τὸ τοῦ πράγματος ὄνομα. 3.9.13 «ταῦτα γάρ σοι ποιοῦντι τά τε ἀπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος «εὐμενῆ ἔσται καὶ τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν φίλια.» τοσαῦτα 3.9.14 μὲν ἡ γραφὴ ἐδήλου. Γελίμερ δὲ τοὺς πρέσβεις ἀπράκτους ἀπέπεμψε, καὶ τόν τε Ὁάμερα ἐξετύφλωσε τόν τε Ἰλδέριχον καὶ Εὐαγέην ἐν μείζονι φυλακῇ ἐποιή3.9.15 σατο, ἐπικαλέσας φυγὴν ἐς Βυζάντιον μελετᾶν. ὡς δὲ καὶ ταῦτα βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς ἤκουσε, πρέσβεις ἑτέρους πέμψας ἔργαψε τάδε «Ἡμεῖς μὲν οἰόμενοί σε «οὔποτε τῆς ἡμετέρας συμβουλῆς ἀπ' ἐναντίας ἥξειν 3.9.16 «ἐγράψαμέν σοι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τὴν προτέραν. ἐπεὶ δὲ «ἀρέσκει σοι τὴν βασιλείαν οὕτω κεκτῆσθαι ὡς νῦν «ἔχεις λαβὼν, ἀπόλαβε ὅ τι ἂν ἐξ αὐτῆς ὁ δαίμων διδῷ. 3.9.17 «σὺ δὲ Ἰλδέριχόν τε καὶ Ὁάμερα τὸν πηρὸν καὶ τού»του τὸν ἀδελφὸν ὡς ἡμᾶς πέμπε, παραψυχὴν ἕξοντας «ἣν ἔχειν εἰσὶ δυνατοὶ ὅσοι τὴν βασιλείαν ἢ τὴν 3.9.18 «ὄψιν ἀφῄρηνται. ὡς οὐκ ἐπιτρέψομέν γε, ἢν μὴ «ταῦτα ποιῇς. ἐνάγει γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἡ ἐλπὶς, ἣν εἰς τὴν 3.9.19 «ἡμετέραν φιλίαν ἔσχον. αἵ τε σπονδαὶ ἡμῖν αἱ πρὸς «Γιζέριχον ἐκποδὼν στήσονται. τῷ γὰρ ἐκδεξαμένῳ «τὴν ἐκείνου βασιλείαν ἐρχόμεθα οὐ πολεμήσοντες, «ἀλλὰ τὰ δυνατὰ τιμωρήσοντες.» 3.9.20 Ταῦτα Γελίμερ ἀναλεξάμενος ἠμείβετο τοῖσδε «Βα»σιλεὺς Γελίμερ Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ. οὔτε βίᾳ τὴν «ἀρχὴν ἔλαβον οὔτε τί μοι ἀνόσιον ἐς ξυγγενεῖς τοὺς 3.9.21 «ἐμοὺς εἴργασται. Ἰλδέριχον γὰρ νεώτερα