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with every mark of respect, both with many other things and 4.4.25 with an offering of money, he honored the tomb of John. However, he did nothing terrible to Uliaris, since the soldiers said that John had enjoined upon them with the most dreadful oaths that no vengeance should be taken upon him, seeing that he had not committed the foul deed with premeditation. 4.4.26 In this way, then, Gelimer escaped falling into the hands of the enemy on that day. And Belisarius from then on pursued him, and arriving at a fortified city of the Numidians, situated on the sea, distant from Carthage a ten days’ journey, which they call Hippo Regius, he learned that Gelimer, having gone up to mount Pappua, 4.4.27 was no longer able to be captured by the Romans. This mountain is on the borders of Numidia, precipitous for the most part and exceedingly difficult to access (for high rocks rise up to it on all sides), and on it dwell barbarian Moors, who were friends and allies to Gelimer, and an ancient city named Medeus lies at the 4.4.28 extremities of the mountain. There Gelimer remained quiet with his followers. But Belisarius (for he was not able to attempt the mountain, especially in the winter season, and furthermore, with the state of affairs still in suspense, he considered it inexpedient to be absent from Carthage) selected soldiers and a commander, Pharas, and established them for the 4.4.29 siege of the mountain. This Pharas was active and very zealous and well-endowed with 4.4.30 virtue, although a Herul by race. For a Herul man not to be given over to treachery and drunkenness, but to pursue virtue, is both difficult and worthy of much praise. 4.4.31 And Pharas was not alone in adhering to good discipline, but also as many of the Heruls as followed him. Belisarius ordered this Pharas to sit down for the winter season at the foot of the mountain and to keep a close watch, so that it would be neither possible for Gelimer to leave the mountain nor for any of the necessities to be brought in 4.4.32 to it. And Pharas acted accordingly. And as for the Vandals, as many as were sitting as suppliants at the sanctuaries in Hippo Regius, many and of the noblest class, Belisarius both raised them up after they had received pledges and sent them to Carthage under guard. And here something of the following sort happened to befall him. 4.4.33 In Gelimer's household there was a certain secretary, Boniface, a Libyan, hailing from Byzacium, most faithful to 4.4.34 Gelimer. This Boniface Gelimer, at the beginning of this war, had put on a very fast sailing ship, and placing on it all the royal treasure, ordered him to anchor in the harbour of Hippo Regius, and if he should see that matters were not going well for them, he was to sail with the money with all speed to Spain, and to go to Theudis, the ruler of the Visigoths, where he himself also expected to find safety, if the fortune of the war 4.4.35 should prove adverse for the Vandals. Boniface, as long as the Vandal cause had hope, remained there; but as soon as the battle at Tricamarum and the other things which have been mentioned had taken place, he raised the sails and sailed as 4.4.36 Gelimer had instructed him. But a contrary wind brought him again, quite unwillingly, into the harbour of Hippo Regius. And when he heard that the enemy were already somewhere near, promising the sailors much, he begged them to force their way and go to some 4.4.37 other continent or island. But they (for they were not able, since a very severe winter had come upon them and the surge of the sea, being in the Tyrrhenian sea, was rising to a great height), then both they and Boniface came to the thought that God, wishing to give the treasure to the Romans, 4.4.38 was not allowing the ship to set sail. However, having with difficulty got outside the harbour, with great danger they were holding the ship 4.4.39 at anchor. And when Belisarius arrived at Hippo Regius, Boniface sent some men to him. These men he ordered to sit in a sanctuary, to say that they had been sent by Boniface, the one who had Gelimer's treasure, but to conceal where he was, until they should receive pledges that, by giving up Gelimer's treasure, he himself would be released, suffering no harm, and keeping whatever was his own property. 4.4.40 And they did these things, and Belisarius was pleased with 4.4.41 the good news and did not refuse to swear an oath.

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πάσῃ συμφορᾷ πολλοῖς τε ἄλλοις καὶ 4.4.25 χρημάτων προσόδῳ τὸν Ἰωάννου τάφον ἐτίμησε. δεινὸν μέντοι Οὐλίαριν οὐδὲν ἔδρασεν, ἐπεὶ οἱ στρατιῶται Ἰωάννην σφίσιν ἐπισκῆψαι ὅρκοις ἔφασκον δεινοτάτοις μηδεμίαν ἐς αὐτὸν γενέσθαι τίσιν ἅτε οὐκ ἐκ προνοίας τὸ μίασμα ἐργασάμενον. 4.4.26 Ταύτῃ μὲν οὖν Γελίμερ διαφεύγει τὸ μὴ ὑπὸ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ γενέσθαι. Βελισάριος δὲ αὐτὸν τὸ ἐντεῦθεν ἐδίωκεν, ἐς πόλιν τε Νουμιδῶν ἐχυρὰν, ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ κειμένην, ἀφικόμενος, δέκα ἡμερῶν ὁδῷ Καρχηδόνος διέχουσαν, ἣν δὴ Ἱππονερέγιον καλοῦσιν, ἔμαθε Γελίμερα ἐς Παπούαν τὸ ὄρος ἀναβάντα 4.4.27 οὐκέτι ἁλώσιμον Ῥωμαίοις εἶναι. τοῦτο δὲ τὸ ὄρος ἐστὶ μὲν ἐν τοῖς Νουμιδίας ἐσχάτοις ἀπότομόν τε ἐπὶ πλεῖστον καὶ δεινῶς ἄβατον (πέτραι γὰρ ὑψηλαὶ ἐς αὐτὸ πανταχόθεν ἀνέχουσι), κατῴκηνται δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ Μαυρούσιοι βάρβαροι, οἳ τῷ Γελίμερι φίλοι τε καὶ ἐπίκουροι ἦσαν, καὶ πόλις ἀρχαία Μηδεὸς ὄνομα παρὰ 4.4.28 τοῦ ὄρους τὰ ἔσχατα κεῖται. ἐνταῦθα Γελίμερ ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις ἡσύχαζε. Βελισάριος δὲ (οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦ ὄρους ἀποπειρᾶσθαι ἄλλως τε καὶ χειμῶνος ὥρᾳ οἷός τε ἦν, ἔτι τέ οἱ τῶν πραγμάτων ᾐωρημένων Καρχηδόνος ἀπολελεῖφθαι ἀξύμφορον ἐνόμιζεν εἶναι) στρατιώτας τε ἀπολεξάμενος καὶ ἄρχοντα Φάραν τῇ τοῦ 4.4.29 ὄρους προσεδρείᾳ κατέστησεν. ἦν δὲ ὁ Φάρας οὗτος δραστήριός τε καὶ λίαν κατεσπουδασμένος καὶ ἀρετῆς 4.4.30 εὖ ἥκων, καίπερ Ἔρουλος ὢν γένος. ἄνδρα δὲ Ἔρουλον μὴ ἐς ἀπιστίαν τε καὶ μέθην ἀνεῖσθαι, ἀλλ' ἀρετῆς μεταποιεῖσθαι, χαλεπόν τε καὶ ἐπαίνου πολλοῦ ἄξιον. 4.4.31 Φάρας δὲ οὐ μόνος τῆς εὐκοσμίας ἀντείχετο, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἐρούλων ὅσοι αὐτῷ εἵποντο. τοῦτον δὴ τὸν Φάραν ἐς τὸν τοῦ ὄρους πρόποδα Βελισάριος καθῆσθαι τὴν τοῦ χειμῶνος ὥραν ἐκέλευε καὶ φυλακὴν ἀκριβῆ ἔχειν, ὡς μήτε τὸ ὄρος ἀπολιπεῖν Γελίμερι δυνατὰ εἴη μήτε τι τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐς αὐτὸ ἐσκομίζε4.4.32 σθαι. καὶ Φάρας μὲν κατὰ ταῦτα ἐποίει. Βελισάριος δὲ Βανδίλους, ὅσοι ἐς Ἱππονερέγιον πρὸς τοῖς ἱεροῖς ἱκέται ἐκάθηντο, πολλοί τε καὶ ἄριστοι, ἀνέστησέ τε πιστὰ λαβόντας καὶ ἐς Καρχηδόνα ξὺν φυλακῇ ἔπεμψεν. ἐνταῦθα δὲ αὐτῷ καί τι τοιόνδε ξυμπεσεῖν ἔτυχεν. 4.4.33 Ἐν τῇ Γελίμερος οἰκίᾳ γραμματεὺς ἦν τις Βονιφάτιος Λίβυς, ἐκ Βυζακίου ὁρμώμενος, πιστὸς τῷ 4.4.34 Γελίμερι ἐς τὰ μάλιστα. τοῦτον δὴ τὸν Βονιφάτιον Γελίμερ κατ' ἀρχὰς τοῦδε τοῦ πολέμου ἐς ναῦν ἐμβιβάσας ἄριστα πλέουσαν, ἐν ταύτῃ τε ἅπαντα τὸν βασιλικὸν πλοῦτον ἐνθέμενος ἐκέλευεν ἐς τὸν τοῦ Ἱππονερεγίου λιμένα ὁρμίζεσθαι, καὶ ἢν τὰ πράγματα σφίσιν οὐκ εὖ καθιστάμενα ἴδοι, τὰ χρήματα ἔχοντα πλεῖν κατὰ τάχος ἐς Ἱσπανίαν, παρὰ Θεῦδιν τε ἀφικέσθαι τὸν τῶν Οὐισιγότθων ἡγούμενον, ἔνθα δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς διασώζεσθαι ἐκαραδόκει, πονηρᾶς γινομένης 4.4.35 Βανδίλοις τῆς τοῦ πολέμου τύχης. Βονιφάτιος δὲ, ἕως μὲν τὰ Βανδίλων ἐλπίδα εἶχεν, αὐτοῦ ἔμενεν· ἐπεὶ δὲ τάχιστα ἡ ἐν Τρικαμάρῳ μάχη καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἅπερ ἐρρήθη ἐγεγόνει, ἄρας τὰ ἱστία ἔπλει καθάπερ 4.4.36 οἱ ἐπέστελλε Γελίμερ. ἀλλὰ πνεύματος αὐτὸν ἐναντίωμα εἰς τὸν τοῦ Ἱππονερεγίου λιμένα οὔτι ἑκούσιον αὖθις ἤνεγκεν. ὡς δὲ τοὺς πολεμίους ἀγχοῦ ἤδη που ἠκηκόει εἶναι, τοὺς ναύτας πολλὰ ὑποσχόμενος ἐλιπάρει ἐς ἄλλην τινὰ ἤπειρον ἢ νῆσον βιασαμένους 4.4.37 ἰέναι. οἱ δὲ (οὐ γὰρ ἐδύναντο χειμῶνος σφίσι χαλεποῦ λίαν ἐπιπεσόντος καὶ τὸ τῆς θαλάσσης ῥόθιον ἅτε ἐν Τυρρηνικῷ πελάγει ἐς ὕψος μέγα ἐγείροντος) τότε δὴ αὐτοί τε καὶ Βονιφάτιος ἐς ἔννοιαν ἦλθον ὡς ἄρα ὁ θεὸς τὰ χρήματα Ῥωμαίοις διδόναι ἐθέλων 4.4.38 τὴν ναῦν οὐκ ἐῴη ἀνάγεσθαι. μόλις μέντοι τοῦ λιμένος ἔξω γενόμενοι ξὺν κινδύνῳ μεγάλῳ τὴν ναῦν 4.4.39 ἀνεκώχευον. ὡς δὲ ἀφίκετο Βελισάριος εἰς τὸ Ἱππονερέγιον, πέμπει τινὰς παρ' αὐτὸν Βονιφάτιος. οὓς δὴ ἐν ἱερῷ καθῆσθαι ἐκέλευεν, ἐροῦντας μὲν ὡς πρὸς Βονιφατίου σταλεῖεν τοῦ τὰ Γελίμερος χρήματα ἔχοντος, ἀποκρυψομένους δὲ ὅπη ποτὲ εἴη, πρίν γε δὴ τὰ πιστὰ λάβοιεν ὡς τὰ Γελίμερος χρήματα διδοὺς αὐτὸς ἀπαλλάξει κακῶν ἀπαθὴς, ἔχων ὅσα αὐτοῦ οἰκεῖα εἴη. 4.4.40 καὶ οἱ μὲν ταῦτα ἔπρασσον, Βελισάριος δὲ ἥσθη τε 4.4.41 τῇ εὐαγγελίᾳ καὶ ὀμεῖσθαι οὐκ ἀπηξίου.