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and the remaining Vandals were sitting as suppliants in the 3.20.2 sanctuaries. But Belisarius prevented both an ambush being made against them by the enemy and the soldiers, since they were concealed by the night, having license to turn to 3.20.3 plunder. And on this day the ships, a favorable wind having fallen upon them, arrived at the promontory. And the Carthaginians, for they were already watching them, having removed the iron chains of the harbor, which they call Mandracium, 3.20.4 made it accessible to the fleet. And there is in the king's court a chamber full of darkness, which the Carthaginians call Ancon, where all those were thrown 3.20.5 with whom the tyrant was angry. Here many of the eastern merchants happened to be imprisoned at that 3.20.6 time. For Gelimer was angry with them, accusing them of having induced the emperor to war, and they were all about to be destroyed, this having been decided by Gelimer on that day on which Ammatas died at Decimum; 3.20.7 so close they came to peril. The guard of this prison, when he heard what had happened at Decimum and saw the fleet inside the promontory, entering the chamber, asked the men, who had not yet heard the good news but were sitting in the darkness and awaiting death, what they would be willing to give of their possessions to be 3.20.8 saved. And when they chose to give everything he might wish, he asked for none of all their property, but demanded that they all swear that, if they should escape, they would assist him also, who would be in danger, with all their 3.20.9 might. So they did accordingly. And he told them the whole story and, having removed a board from the part facing the sea, he showed them the approaching fleet, and releasing all from the prison, he went with them. 3.20.10 Those on the ships, having not yet heard anything of what the army had done on land, were at a loss, and having let down the sails and having sent to Mercurium, they learned what had been done at Decimum, and becoming overjoyed, they sailed on. 3.20.11 But when, the wind being favorable for them, they were one hundred and fifty stades from Carthage, Archelaus and his soldiers ordered to anchor, fearing the general's 3.20.12 warning, but the sailors were not persuaded. For they said that the coast there was harborless and it was expected that a violent storm would arise very soon, which the 3.20.13 locals call Cypriana. And they predicted that, if it should come upon them there, they would not be able to save even one of the 3.20.14 ships. And so it was. Therefore, in a short time, having lowered the sails and taken counsel, they did not think it right to try for Mandracium 3.20.15 (for they were shrinking from Belisarius' orders and at the same time suspected the entrance to Mandracium to be closed by the chains, and besides that the harbor was not sufficient for the whole fleet), but Stagnum seemed to them to be well situated (for it is forty stades distant from Carthage), and that there was no obstacle in it and that it was naturally sufficient for the entire 3.20.16 fleet. Arriving there around lamp-lighting time, they all anchored, except that Calonymus, along with some of the sailors, disregarding the general and all the others, secretly disembarked at Mandracium, with no one daring to prevent him, and plundered the property of the merchants, both foreign and Carthaginian, who lived by the sea. 3.20.17 On the following day Belisarius ordered those on the ships to disembark and, having arrayed the whole army and having drawn it up as for battle, marched on Carthage; for he feared lest some ambush from the enemy should meet 3.20.18 him. There indeed he reminded the soldiers of many things, how great the successes had been for them, since they had shown moderation towards the Libyans, and he exhorted them much to preserve good order in Carthage as much as 3.20.19 possible. For all Libyans were Romans from ancient times and had come under the Vandals not at all willingly and had suffered many unholy things at the hands of barbarian 3.20.20 men. For this very reason the emperor also had entered into the war

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καὶ τῶν Βανδίλων οἱ ἀπολελειμμένοι ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς ἱκέται ἐκά3.20.2 θηντο. ἀλλὰ Βελισάριος διεκώλυσε τοῦ μήτε ἐνέδραν σφίσι πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων γενέσθαι μήτε τοῖς στρατιώταις ἄδειαν εἶναι ἅτε ἐν νυκτὶ λανθάνουσιν, ἐς ἁρπα3.20.3 γὴν τραπέσθαι. ταύτῃ τε τῇ ἡμέρᾳ αἱ νῆες, εὔρου σφίσιν ἀνέμου ἐπιπεσόντος, ἐς τὴν ἄκραν ἀφίκοντο. καὶ οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι, ἤδη γὰρ αὐτὰς καθεώρων, τὰς σιδηρᾶς ἁλύσεις τοῦ λιμένος, ὃν δὴ Μανδράκιον κα3.20.4 λοῦσιν, ἀφελόμενοι, εἰσιτητὰ τῷ στόλῳ ἐποίουν. ἔστι δὲ ἐν τῇ βασιλέως αὐλῇ οἴκημα σκότους ἀνάπλεων, ὃ δὴ Ἀγκῶνα καλοῦσιν οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι, ἔνθα ἐνεβάλλοντο 3.20.5 ἅπαντες οἷς ἂν χαλεπαίνοι ὁ τύραννος. ἐνταῦθα καθειργμένοι ἐτύγχανον πολλοὶ τῶν ἑῴων ἐμπόρων ἐς 3.20.6 ἐκεῖνο τοῦ χρόνου. τούτοις γὰρ δὴ ὁ Γελίμερ χαλεπῶς εἶχεν, ἐπικαλῶν ὡς δὴ αὐτοὶ βασιλέα ἐς τὸν πόλεμον ἐναγάγοιεν, ἔμελλόν τε διαφθαρῆναι πάντες, δόξαν τοῦτο Γελίμερι ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ᾗ Ἀμμάτας ἐν ∆εκίμῳ 3.20.7 ἀπέθανε· παρὰ τοσοῦτον κινδύνου ἦλθον. τούτου ὁ φύλαξ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου, ἐπεὶ τά τε ἐν ∆εκίμῳ πραχθέντα ἤκουσε καὶ τὸν στόλον εἶδε τῆς ἄκρας ἐντὸς, ἐσελθὼν ἐς τὸ οἴκημα πυνθάνεται τῶν ἀνδρῶν, οὔπω τἀγαθὰ πεπυσμένων, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ σκότῳ καθημένων καὶ καραδοκούντων τὸν θάνατον, τί ποτε ἄρα βουλομένοις ἂν αὐτοῖς εἴη τῶν ὑπαρχόντων προε3.20.8 μένοις σεσῶσθαι. τῶν δὲ ἅπαντα αἱρουμένων διδόναι ἃ βούλοιτο, ἄλλο μὲν οὐδὲν ᾔτει τῶν πάντων χρημάτων, ἠξίου δὲ ἅπαντας ὀμνύναι ὡς, ἢν διαφύγοιεν, καὶ αὐτῷ ἐν κινδύνοις γενησομένῳ ξυλλήψονται ὅση 3.20.9 δύναμις. οἱ μὲν οὖν κατὰ ταῦτα ἐποίουν. ὁ δὲ τόν τε λόγον ἅπαντα ἔφραζε καὶ σανίδα ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς θάλασσαν ἀφελὼν μέρους προσιόντα τὸν στόλον ἐπέδειξε, τῆς τε εἱρκτῆς ἀφεὶς ἅπαντας ξὺν αὐτοῖς ᾔει. 3.20.10 Οἱ δὲ ἐν ταῖς ναυσὶν ὄντες, οὔπω τι ἀκηκοότες ὧν ἐν τῇ γῇ ὁ στρατὸς ἔδρασε, διηποροῦντο, καὶ τὰ ἱστία χαλάσαντες ἔς τε τὸ Μερκούριον πέμψαντες τὰ ἐν ∆εκίμῳ πραχθέντα ἔμαθον, καὶ περιχαρεῖς γενόμενοι 3.20.11 ἔπλεον. ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος σφίσιν ἐπιφόρου ὄντος ἀπὸ σταδίων πεντήκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν Καρχηδόνος ἐγένοντο, Ἀρχέλαος μὲν καὶ οἱ στρατιῶται αὐτοῦ ὁρμίσασθαι ἐκέλευον, τὴν τοῦ στρατηγοῦ δεδιότες πρόρρη3.20.12 σιν, οἱ δὲ ναῦται οὐκ ἐπείθοντο. τήν τε γὰρ ἐκείνῃ ἀκτὴν ἀλίμενον εἶναι ἔφασκον καὶ χειμῶνα ἐπίσημον αὐτίκα μάλα γενήσεσθαι ἐπίδοξον εἶναι, ὃν δὴ οἱ 3.20.13 ἐπιχώριοι Κυπριανὰ καλοῦσι. προὔλεγόν τε ὡς, εἰ ἐνταῦθα σφίσιν ἐπιγένηται, οὐδ' ἂν τῶν νεῶν μίαν 3.20.14 διασώσασθαι δυνατοὶ εἶεν. καὶ ἦν δὲ οὕτως. ἐν βραχεῖ οὖν τά τε ἱστία χαλάσαντες καὶ βουλευσάμενοι τοῦ μὲν Μανδρακίου πειράσασθαι οὐκ ᾤοντο χρῆναι 3.20.15 (τάς τε γὰρ Βελισαρίου ἐντολὰς ὑπεστέλλοντο καὶ ἅμα τὴν ἐς τὸ Μανδράκιον εἴσοδον ταῖς ἁλύσεσιν ἀποκεκλεῖσθαι ὑπώπτευον, ἄλλως τε καὶ τῷ παντὶ στόλῳ τὸν λιμένα ἐκεῖνον οὐχ ἱκανὸν εἶναι), τὸ δὲ Στάγνον σφίσιν ἐφαίνετο ἐν καλῷ κεῖσθαι (μέτρῳ γὰρ σταδίων τεσσαράκοντα Καρχηδόνος διέχει) ἐμπόδιόν τε οὐδὲν ἐν αὐτῷ εἶναι καὶ πρὸς τὸν στόλον ἅπαντα ἱκανῶς 3.20.16 πεφυκέναι. ἔνθα δὴ ἀφικόμενοι περὶ λύχνων ἁφὰς ὡρμίσαντο πάντες, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι Καλώνυμος ἅμα τῶν ναυτῶν τισι, τοῦ τε στρατηγοῦ ἀφροντιστήσας καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πάντων ἔς τε τὸ Μανδράκιον λάθρα ἀπέβη, οὐδενὸς κωλῦσαι τολμήσαντος, καὶ χρήματα τῶν ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ ᾠκημένων ἐμπόρων ξένων τε καὶ Καρχηδονίων διήρπασε. 3.20.17 Τῇ δὲ ἐπιγενομένῃ ἡμέρᾳ Βελισάριος τούς τε ἐν ταῖς ναυσὶ τὴν ἀπόβασιν ἐκέλευε ποιεῖσθαι καὶ ὅλον διακοσμήσας τὸ στράτευμα διατάξας τε ὡς ἐς μάχην ἐπὶ Καρχηδόνα ἐσήλαυνεν· ἐδεδίει γὰρ μή τίς οἱ ἐνέδρα 3.20.18 πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων ὑπαντιάσῃ. ἔνθα δὴ πολλὰ μὲν τοὺς στρατιώτας ὑπέμνησεν, ἡλίκα σφίσιν εὐτυχήματα γένοιτο, ἐπειδὴ σωφροσύνην ἐς Λίβυας ἐπεδείξαντο, πολλὰ δὲ παρῄνεσε τὴν εὐκοσμίαν ἐν Καρχηδόνι ὡς 3.20.19 μάλιστα διασώσασθαι. Λίβυας γὰρ ἅπαντας Ῥωμαίους τὸ ἀνέκαθεν ὄντας γενέσθαι τε ὑπὸ Βανδίλοις οὔτι ἐθελουσίους καὶ πολλὰ πεπονθέναι πρὸς ἀνδρῶν βαρ3.20.20 βάρων ἀνόσια. διὸ δὴ καὶ βασιλέα ἐς πόλεμον καταστῆναι