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Belisarius's wife in the following way. Having filled amphorae made of glass with water and having made a small room out of planks in the hold of a ship, where it was indeed impossible for the sun to enter, there she buried the amphorae in sand, and in this way the water remained unaffected. This, then, is how this matter stood. 3.14.1 But Belisarius, as soon as he disembarked on the island, was both at a loss and distressed, and his mind was perplexed by not knowing against what sort of men he was going to face the Vandals, or what they were like in warfare, nor in what manner or from what base they should make war upon them. 3.14.2 And the soldiers especially troubled him, dreading a sea-battle and being not at all ashamed to say openly that, if someone should disembark them on the land, they would try to prove themselves brave men in the battle, but if enemy ships should come against them, they would turn to flight. For they are not able to fight at the same time against enemy 3.14.3 men and the waters. Being at a loss, therefore, in all these matters, he sent Procopius his own assessor to Syracuse, to find out if there were any ambuscades of the enemy lying in wait along the sea-passage, either on an island or on the mainland, and where it would be better for them to put in to the shore of Libya, and from what base it would be advantageous to carry on the war against the Vandals. 3.14.4 And when he should have accomplished his instructions, he ordered him upon his return to meet him at the place Caucana, about two hundred stades distant from Syracuse, where he himself 3.14.5 and the whole fleet intended to anchor. Ostensibly, he sent him to buy provisions, since the Goths were willing to provide them a market, this having been approved by both the Emperor Justinian and by Amalasuntha, the mother of Atalaric, who, being then a boy and being brought up under his mother Amalasuntha, held the rule of the Goths and Italians, as will be written by me in my work on the Goths. 3.14.6 For when Theoderic had died and the kingdom had come to his grandson Atalaric, who had already before been left an orphan by his father, Amalasuntha, fearing for both her child and the kingdom, made a very firm friend of Justinian and both in other matters she obeyed his commands and at that time she promised to provide a market for the army and did so. 3.14.7 And when Procopius arrived in Syracuse, and unexpectedly met a man who was a fellow-citizen and a friend of his from childhood, but who had long been dwelling in Syracuse for the purpose of maritime business, 3.14.8 he learned all that he needed; for this man pointed out to him a servant, who had arrived for him from Carthage on the third day before that day, who indeed said that it was not worthwhile to suspect any ambush for the fleet from the Vandals. 3.14.9 For they had heard from no one at all that an army was coming against them at this time, but also, a little before, whatever active force there was among the Vandals had marched against 3.14.10 Godas. And for these reasons Gelimer, expecting no enemy, and having neglected Carthage and all the other places on the sea, was staying at Hermione, which is in Byzacium, a four days' journey distant from the coast; so that it is possible for them to sail fearing no difficulty and to put to shore wherever the 3.14.11 wind might call them. When Procopius heard these things, he took the servant by the hand and went to the harbour of Arethusa, where his ship was moored, frequently questioning the man and investigating every detail. And embarking on the ship with him, he ordered them to raise the sails and to sail with all speed to Caucana. 3.14.12 And since the servant's master stood on the shore wondering that he was not giving the man back to him, Procopius shouted out, as the ship was already sailing, begging him not to be angry with him; 3.14.13 for it was necessary for the servant both to meet the general and, after guiding the army to Libya, to return before long to Syracuse, getting great sums of money. 3.14.14 And arriving at Caucana, they found everyone in great grief. For Dorotheus, the general of the Armenian contingents, had died there, leaving behind a great sense of loss for him in the whole army. 3.14.15

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Βελισαρίου γυνὴ τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. ἀμφορέας ἐξ ὑάλου πεποιημένους ὕδατος ἐμπλησαμένη οἰκίσκον τε ἐκ σανίδων ποιήσασα ἐν κοίλῃ νηὶ, ἔνθα δὴ τῷ ἡλίῳ ἐσιέναι ἀδύνατα ἦν, ἐνταῦθα ἐς ψάμμον τοὺς ἀμφορέας κατέχωσε, ταύτῃ τε ἀπαθὲς τὸ ὕδωρ διέμεινε. τοῦτο μὲν οὖν οὕτως ἔσχε. 3.14.1 Βελισάριος δὲ, ἐπειδὴ τάχιστα ἐς τὴν νῆσον ἀπέβη, ἀπορούμενός τε ἤσχαλλε καὶ ἔστρεφεν αὐτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι ἐπὶ τίνας ποτὲ ἀνθρώπων τοὺς Βανδίλους ἴοι, ἢ ὁποίους ποτὲ τὰ πολέμια, μηδὲ ὅτῳ τρόπῳ ἢ ὁπόθεν ποτὲ σφίσιν ὁρμωμένοις πολε3.14.2 μητέα εἴη. μάλιστα δὲ αὐτὸν οἱ στρατιῶται ξυνετάρασσον, κατωρρωδηκότες τε τὴν ναυμαχίαν καὶ προλέγειν ἥκιστα αἰσχυνόμενοι ὡς, ἢν μέν τις σφᾶς εἰς τὴν γῆν ἀποβήσειε, πειράσονται ἄνδρες ἀγαθοὶ ἐν τῇ μάχῃ γίγνεσθαι, ἢν δὲ πολέμια πλοῖα ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἴοι, ἐς φυγὴν τραπήσονται. οὐ γὰρ οἷοί τέ εἰσι πολεμίοις 3.14.3 τε ἀνδράσι καὶ ὕδασι διαμάχεσθαι. τούτοις οὖν ἅπασιν ἀπορούμενος Προκόπιον τὸν αὑτοῦ πάρεδρον ἔστελλεν ἐς Συρακούσας, πευσόμενόν τε ἤν τινες τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐνέδραι εἰσὶ προλοχίζουσαι τὸν διάπλουν ἢ ἐν νήσῳ ἢ ἐν ἠπείρῳ, καὶ ὅπη μὲν τῆς Λιβύης προσορμίσασθαι σφίσιν ἄμεινον ἂν εἴη, ὁπόθεν δὲ ὁρμωμένοις τὸν πόλεμον πρὸς Βανδίλους διενεγκεῖν ξυνοί3.14.4 σει. ἐπὰν δὲ τὰ ἐντεταλμένα ποιοίη, ἐπανήκοντά οἱ ἐκέλευεν ἐς Καύκανα τὸ χωρίον ξυμμῖξαι, διακοσίοις μάλιστα σταδίοις Συρακουσῶν διέχον, οὗ δὴ αὐτός τε 3.14.5 καὶ ὁ ξύμπας στόλος ὁρμίσασθαι ἔμελλε. τῷ δὲ λόγῳ τροφὰς αὐτὸν ἔπεμπεν ὠνησόμενον, ἅτε τῶν Γότθων ἀγορὰν σφίσιν ἐθελόντων διδόναι, δόξαν τοῦτο βασιλεῖ τε Ἰουστινιανῷ καὶ Ἀμαλασούνθῃ τῇ Ἀταλαρίχουμητρὶ, ὃς τότε παῖς τε ὢν καὶ ὑπὸ τῇ μητρὶ Ἀμαλασούνθῃ τρεφόμενος εἶχε τὸ Γότθων τε καὶ Ἰταλιωτῶν κράτος ὥσπερ ἐν τῷ περὶ τῶν Γότθων μοι γε3.14.6 γράψεται. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ Θευδέριχος τετελευτήκει καὶ ἐς τὸν θυγατριδοῦν Ἀταλάριχον, ὀρφανὸν τοῦ πατρὸς ἤδη πρότερον γεγονότα, ἡ βασιλεία ἧκε, δειμαίνουσα ἡ Ἀμαλασοῦνθα περί τε τῷ παιδὶ καὶ τῇ βασιλείᾳ φίλον Ἰουστινιανὸν ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ἑταιρισαμένη τά τε ἄλλα ἐπήκουεν αὐτῷ ἐπιτάττοντι καὶ τότε ἀγορὰν διδόναι τῷ στρατοπέδῳ ἐπηγγέλλετο καὶ ἐποίει ταῦτα. 3.14.7 Γενόμενος δὲ ἐν ταῖς Συρακούσαις Προκόπιος καὶ ἀνδρὸς παρὰ δόξαν ἐπιτυχὼν πολίτου μέν οἱ καὶ φίλου ὑπάρχοντος ἐκ παιδὸς, ἐπ' ἐργασίᾳ δὲ τῇ κατὰ θάλασσαν ἀπὸ παλαιοῦ ἐν Συρακούσαις ᾠκημένου 3.14.8 ἐπύθετο ὅσων ἔχρῃζεν· οὗτος γὰρ ὁ ἀνὴρ οἰκέτην αὐτῷ ἐπέδειξε, τριταῖόν οἱ ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκ Καρχηδόνος ἥκοντα, ὃς δὴ ἔφασκεν ὡς οὐδέ τινα πρὸς Βανδίλων ἐνέδραν τῷ στόλῳ ἔσεσθαι ἄξιον εἶναι 3.14.9 ὑφορᾶσθαι. πρὸς οὐδενὸς γὰρ ἐκείνους ἀνθρώπων πεπύσθαι στράτευμα ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἐν τούτῳ τῷ χρόνῳ ἰέναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ στρατεύσασθαι ὀλίγῳ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπὶ 3.14.10 Γώδαν εἴ τι ἐν Βανδίλοις δραστήριον ἦν. καὶ διὰ ταῦτα Γελίμερα πολέμιον οὐδὲν ἐννοοῦντα, Καρχηδόνος τε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ὠλιγορηκότα τῶν ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ χωρίων, ἐν Ἑρμιόνῃ διατριβὴν ἔχειν, ἥ ἐστιν ἐν Βυζακίῳ ἡμερῶν τεττάρων ὁδῷ τῆς ἠιόνος διέχουσα· ὥστε πάρεστιν αὐτοῖς πλεῖν τε οὐδὲν δειμαίνουσι δύσκολον καὶ προσορμίζεσθαι ἔνθα ἂν αὐτοὺς τὸ 3.14.11 πνεῦμα καλοίη. ταῦτα Προκόπιος ἀκούσας τῆς τε χειρὸς τοῦ οἰκέτου λαβόμενος ἐπὶ τὸν λιμένα ἐβάδιζε τὴν Ἀρέθουσαν, ἔνθα δή οἱ τὸ πλοῖον ὡρμίζετο, πυνθανόμενός τε τοῦ ἀνθρώπου συχνὰ καὶ διερευνώμενος ἕκαστα. ἐσβὰς δὲ ξὺν αὐτῷ ἐς τὴν ναῦν αἴρεσθαί τε τὰ ἱστία ἐκέλευσε καὶ πλεῖν κατὰ τάχος ἐς Καύκανα. 3.14.12 καὶ ἐπεὶ ὁ τοῦ οἰκέτου δεσπότης ἐπὶ τῆς ἠιόνος θαυμάζων εἱστήκει ὅτι οἱ οὐκ ἀπεδίδου τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀναβοήσας Προκόπιος, πλεούσης ἤδη τῆς νεὼς, παρῃ3.14.13 τεῖτο μή οἱ χαλεπῶς ἔχειν· χρῆναι γὰρ τὸν οἰκέτην τῷ τε στρατηγῷ συμμῖξαι καὶ ἐς τὴν Λιβύην τῷ στρατῷ καθηγησάμενον οὐκ ἐς μακρὰν εἰς τὰς Συρακούσας ἐπανήκειν, χρήματα μεγάλα περιβαλλόμενον. 3.14.14 Ἀφικόμενοι δὲ ἐς τὰ Καύκανα εὑρίσκουσιν ἅπαντας ἐν πένθει μεγάλῳ. ∆ωρόθεος γὰρ ὁ τῶν ἐν Ἀρμενίοις καταλόγων στρατηγὸς ἐνταῦθα ἐτετελευτήκει, πολὺν αὑτοῦ πόθον τῷ παντὶ στρατοπέδῳ ἀπο3.14.15 λιπών.