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to spend and "squander a multitude of money, and to undergo the toils for the sake of the contests." For a victory, when it comes, covers all 3.10.13 "the sufferings of war. But if these things lie on the knees of "God, but it is necessary for us, using the examples of what has happened before, to fear the "end of the war, how is it not better than the dangers in the contests 3.10.14 "to love peace? You intend to campaign against Carthage, to which, for one going by land, the "journey is one hundred and forty days, but for one sailing it is "necessary, after having crossed the whole sea, to come to the "farthest reaches of the sea. So that for news of what will happen in the "camp, it will take your messenger a year 3.10.15 to arrive. And one might add that, if you should conquer "the enemy, you would not be able to claim Libya, since both Sicily and Italy lie under others; 3.10.16 "but if you should also stumble in any way, O King, with the treaties "already broken by you, you will bring the danger to our land. And, to speak concisely, you will neither be able to profit "from the victory, and the reversal of fortune will ruin 3.10.17 "our well-established state. Before the events is the "benefit of good counsel. For to those who have stumbled, "regret is useless, but before the terrible things, to change one's mind "is without danger. Therefore it will be most advantageous of all "to use opportunities at the right moment." 3.10.18 John, then, said these things. And the emperor, accepting this, ceased his eagerness for the war. But one of the priests, whom they call bishops, coming from the East, said he wished to have words with the emperor. 3.10.19 And when he met with him, he told him that God had commanded him in a dream to go to the emperor and to reproach him because, having undertaken to rescue the Christians in Libya from tyrants, 3.10.20 he then for no reason shrank from it; "and yet," "he said, "'I Myself will assist you in the war and I will make you "master of Libya.'" 3.10.21 When the emperor heard these things, he was no longer able to restrain his purpose, but he began to raise the army and the ships, and he prepared arms and provisions, and announced to Belisarius to be in a state of readiness, as he would very soon be commanding in Libya. 3.10.22 But Pudentius, one of the natives, caused Tripolis in Libya to revolt from the Vandals. And sending to the emperor he begged him to send an army; 3.10.23 for he would add the country to his empire with no trouble. And he sent him Tattimuth as a commander and 3.10.24 a small army. And Pudentius, having allied himself with this force, when the Vandals were not present, took possession of the country and attached it to the emperor's domain. But for Gelimer, who wanted to punish Pudentius, the following obstacle occurred. 3.10.25 There was a certain Godas among Gelimer's retainers, a Goth by race, high-spirited and energetic and well-endowed with strength, and seeming to be loyal to the affairs of his master. 3.10.26 To this Godas Gelimer entrusted the island of Sardinia, both for its protection and 3.10.27 to bring in the annual tribute. But he, being unable either to digest or to bear in his soul the prosperity from his good fortune, attempted to set up a tyranny, and he no longer saw fit to pay the tribute, but he himself caused the island to revolt from the Vandals and held it. 3.10.28 And when he perceived that the Emperor Justinian was about to make war on both 3.10.29 Libya and Gelimer, he wrote the following to him: "Neither "yielding to ingratitude nor having suffered anything unpleasing from "my master did I turn to revolt, but seeing the man's "powerful cruelty such as it is toward both his kindred "and his subjects, I would not choose 3.10.30 "to share in his inhumanity, at least not willingly. For it is better to serve a just king "than a tyrant who proclaims unlawful things. 3.10.31 "But see to it that you support me in these endeavors, "and send soldiers so that I may be able to defend myself against my "attackers." 3.10.32 The emperor gladly received this letter and sent Eulogius as an ambassador and wrote a letter, praising Godas for both his wisdom and his zeal for justice, and promising an alliance and soldiers and a general, who would be able to help him guard the island and to assist in other matters, so that nothing would be difficult for him 3.10.33 towards

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προΐεσθαι καὶ χρημάτων «δαπανᾶν πλῆθος, καὶ τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀγώνων ὑφίστα»σθαι πόνους. νίκη γὰρ ἐπιγενομένη πάντα καλύπτει 3.10.13 «τὰ τοῦ πολέμου πάθη. εἰ δὲ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τοῖς τοῦ «θεοῦ γούνασι κεῖται, παραδείγμασι δὲ τῶν προγεγε»νημένων χρωμένους ἡμᾶς ἀνάγκη δεδιέναι τὸ τοῦ «πολέμου πέρας, πῶς οὐχὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι κινδύνων 3.10.14 «τὸ τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἀγαπᾶν ἄμεινον; ἐπὶ Καρχηδόνα «διανοῇ στρατεύειν, εἰς ἣν κατὰ μὲν τὴν ἤπειρον ἰόντι «ὁδὸς τεσσαράκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν ἡμερῶν ἐστι, πλέοντι «δὲ ἀνάγκη τὸ πέλαγος ὅλον ἀμειψαμένῳ πρὸς τὰς «ἐσχατιὰς τῆς θαλάσσης ἐλθεῖν. ὥστε τῶν ἐν τῷ «στρατοπέδῳ ξυμβησομένων ἐνιαύσιόν σοι δεήσει τὸν 3.10.15 «ἄγγελον ἥκειν. προσθείη δὲ ἄν τις ὡς, ἢν μὲν κρα»τήσῃς τῶν πολεμίων, Λιβύης μεταποιεῖσθαι οὐκ ἂν «δύναιο, τῆς τε Σικελίας καὶ Ἰταλίας ὑφ' ἑτέροις κει3.10.16 «μένης· ἢν δέ τι καὶ πταίσῃς, ὦ βασιλεῦ, λελυμένων «ἤδη σοι τῶν σπονδῶν, εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν τὸν κίνδυνον «ἄξεις· ξυνελόντι τε εἰπεῖν οὔτε ἀπόνασθαι παρέσται «σοι τῆς νίκης καὶ τὸ τῆς τύχης ἐναντίωμα λυμανεῖται 3.10.17 «τοῖς εὖ καθεστῶσι. πρὸ τῶν πραγμάτων τὸ τῆς «εὐβουλίας ὄφελός ἐστι. τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἐπταικόσι τὸ «μεταμελεῖσθαι ἀνόνητον, πρὸ δὲ τῶν δεινῶν τὸ με»ταμανθάνειν ἀκίνδυνον. οὐκοῦν ξυνοίσει πάντων «μάλιστα τὸ τοῖς καιροῖς ἐν δέοντι χρῆσθαι.» 3.10.18 Ἰωάννης μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπεν. ἀποδεξάμενος δὲ βασιλεὺς τὴν ἐς τὸν πόλεμον προθυμίαν κατέπαυσε. τῶν δέ τις ἱερέων, οὓς δὴ ἐπισκόπους καλοῦσιν, ἐκ τῆς ἑῴας ἥκων ἔφη ἐς λόγους τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐλθεῖν βούλεσθαι. 3.10.19 καὶ ἐπειδὴ αὐτῷ ξυνέμιξεν, ἔλεγέν οἱ τὸν θεὸν ἐπισκῆψαι ὄναρ γενέσθαι τε ὡς βασιλέα καὶ αὐτὸν αἰτιάσασθαι ὅτι δὴ Χριστιανοὺς τοὺς ἐν Λιβύῃ ῥύεσθαι ἐκ τυράννων 3.10.20 ὑποδεξάμενος εἶτα λόγῳ οὐδενὶ κατωρρώδησε· «καίτοι «αὐτὸς» ἔφη «οἱ πολεμοῦντι ξυλλήψομαι Λιβύης τε 3.10.21 «κύριον θήσομαι.» ταῦτα βασιλεὺς ἐπεὶ ἤκουσε, κατέχειν τὴν διάνοιαν οὐκέτι ἐδύνατο, ἀλλὰ τήν τε στρατιὰν καὶ τὰς ναῦς ἤγειρεν, ὅπλα τε καὶ σιτία ἡτοίμαζε καὶ Βελισαρίῳ ἐν παρασκευῇ ἐπήγγελλεν εἶναι ὡς ἐν 3.10.22 Λιβύῃ στρατηγήσοντι αὐτίκα μάλα. Τρίπολιν δὲ τὴν ἐν Λιβύῃ τῶν τις ἐπιχωρίων Πουδέντιος ἀπὸ Βανδίλων ἀπέστησε. πέμψας τε ὡς βασιλέα ἐδεῖτό οἱ στρα3.10.23 τιὰν στεῖλαι· πόνῳ γὰρ αὐτῷ τὴν χώραν οὐδενὶ προσποιήσειν· ὁ δέ οἱ ἄρχοντά τε Ταττιμοὺθ καὶ 3.10.24 στράτευμα οὐ πολὺ ἔστειλεν. ὃ δὴ ἑταιρισάμενος Πουδέντιος Βανδίλων οὐ παρόντων τήν τε χώραν ἔσχε καὶ βασιλεῖ προσεποίησε. τῷ δὲ Γελίμερι τιμωρεῖν βουλομένῳ Πουδέντιον ἐναντίωμα ξυνέπεσε τόδε. 3.10.25 Γώδας τις ἦν ἐν τοῖς Γελίμερος δούλοις, Γότθος τὸ γένος, θυμοειδὴς μὲν καὶ δραστήριος καὶ πρὸς ἰσχὺν ἱκανῶς πεφυκὼς, εὐνοϊκῶς δὲ δοκῶν ἐς τὰ τοῦ 3.10.26 δεσπότου πράγματα ἔχειν. τούτῳ τῷ Γώδᾳ ὁ Γελίμερ Σαρδὼ τὴν νῆσον ἐπέτρεψε, φυλακῆς τε ἕνεκα καὶ 3.10.27 φόρον τὸν ἐπέτειον ἀποφέρειν. ὁ δὲ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς τύχης εὐημερίαν οὔτε καταπέψαι οὔτε τῇ ψυχῇ φέρειν οἷός τε ὢν τυραννίδι ἐπεχείρησε, καὶ οὐδὲ τὴν τοῦ φόρου ἀπαγωγὴν ἀποφέρειν ἔτι ἠξίου, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν 3.10.28 νῆσον αὐτὸς Βανδίλων ἀποστήσας εἶχε. καὶ ἐπεὶ ᾔσθετο βασιλέα Ἰουστινιανὸν πολεμησείοντα ἐπί τε 3.10.29 Λιβύην καὶ Γελίμερα, ἔγραψε πρὸς αὐτὸν τάδε «Οὔτε «ἀγνωμοσύνῃ εἴκων οὔτε τι ἄχαρι πρὸς δεσπότου «παθὼν τοῦ ἐμοῦ εἰς ἀπόστασιν εἶδον, ἀλλὰ τἀνδρὸς «ἰδὼν τὴν ὠμότητα ἰσχυρὰν οἵαν εἴς τε τὸ ξυγγενὲς «καὶ ὑπήκοον μετέχειν τῆς ἀπανθρωπίας οὐκ ἂν δό3.10.30 «ξαιμι ἑκών γε εἶναι. ἄμεινον γὰρ βασιλεῖ δικαίῳ «ὑπηρετεῖν ἢ τυράννῳ τὰ οὐκ ἔννομα ἐπαγγέλλοντι. 3.10.31 «ἀλλ' ὅπως μὲν συλλήψῃ μοι ταῦτα σπουδάζοντι, «ὅπως δὲ στρατιώτας πέμποις ὥστε με ἀμύνεσθαι τοὺς 3.10.32 «ἐπιόντας ἱκανῶς ἔχειν.» ταύτην βασιλεὺς ἄσμενος λαβὼν τὴν ἐπιστολὴν Εὐλόγιον πρεσβευτὴν ἔπεμψε καὶ γράμματα ἔγραψεν, ἐπαινῶν τὸν Γώδαν τῆς τε ξυνέσεως καὶ τῆς ἐς τὴν δικαιοσύνην προθυμίας, ξυμμαχίαν τε ἐπαγγελλόμενος καὶ στρατιώτας καὶ στρατηγὸν, ὃς αὐτῷ ξυμφυλάξαι τε τὴν νῆσον οἷός τε εἴη καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ξυλλήψεσθαι, ὥστε αὐτῷ δύσκολον μηδὲν 3.10.33 πρὸς