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for you who are laying claim to the fortress, 'the war will be at your feet not for Lilybaeum 'alone, but for all the things, of which nothing belongs to you 'yet you cling to them.' So much the letter revealed. 4.5.18 And the Goths reported these things to the mother of Atalaric and, as commanded by the woman, 4.5.19 they answered as follows: 'The letter you have written, most excellent 'Belisarius, carries true advice, but for some other men, 'it has not come to us Goths. 4.5.20 'For we hold nothing of the Emperor Justinian's 'that we have taken, may we never be so mad; but we lay claim to all of Sicily 'as being our own, of which indeed 4.5.21 'the fortress at Lilybaeum is one promontory. And if 'Theoderic ordered his sister who was married to the king of the Vandals to make use of one of the trading-posts of Sicily, 4.5.22 'this is of no account. For this would not bring you a claim 'to any right whatsoever. You, however, O general, 'would be acting justly toward us, if you should wish to make the settlement of the disputed points between us 'not as an enemy, 4.5.23 'but as a friend. The difference is that 'friends are accustomed to settle their differences by arbitration, while enemies 4.5.24 'are accustomed to decide them in battle. We, therefore, 'will entrust the arbitration concerning these matters to Emperor Justinian, 'in whatever way may seem to him to be both lawful and just. We wish 'you to take the best counsel or as quickly 'as possible and to await the decision 'from your emperor.' So much, then, the letter of the Goths also revealed. 4.5.25 But Belisarius, having reported everything to the emperor, remained quiet, until the emperor should write back to him whatever his will might be. 4.6.1 But Pharas, being vexed by the siege, both for other reasons and because it was the winter season, and at the same time not thinking that the Moors in that region would be able to stand in their way, attempted the ascent to Pappua with great eagerness. So having armed all his followers very well, 4.6.2 he was ascending. But since the Moors had come to the rescue, as they were in a place both steep and very difficult to climb, the hindrance was easily effected against those ascending. 4.6.3 And as Pharas was forcefully attempting the ascent, one hundred and ten of his men died in this effort, and he himself, being repulsed with the rest, withdrew, and from then on he no longer dared to attempt the ascent, as the situation was against him, but he established a diligent guard, as much as was possible, so that those in Pappua, pressed by hunger, might surrender themselves, and he neither allowed them to escape nor anything from the outside to be brought 4.6.4 to them. There indeed it befell both Gelimer and those with him, being his nephews and cousins and other well-born men, to experience hardship, which, however 4.6.5 one might tell of it, one could not describe in a manner equal to the reality. For of all the nations that we know, that of the Vandals is the most luxurious, and that of the Moors has happened to be 4.6.6 the most miserable. For the former, from the time they took Libya, all of them made use of baths every day and a table abounding for all, with whatever most pleasant and best things the earth and the 4.6.7 sea bear. They wore gold for the most part, and clothed themselves in Median garments, which they now call Seric, and in theatres and hippodromes and other pleasures, and most of all 4.6.8 in hunts they spent their time. And they had dancers and mimes and many sounds and sights, whatever things happen to be musical and otherwise worth seeing 4.6.9 among men. And most of them lived in parks, well-supplied with waters and trees; and they held as many banquets as possible, and all the works of Aphrodite 4.6.10 were practiced by them with great diligence. But the Moors live in stifling huts, in winter and in summer season and at all other times, not moving from them for snow or the heat of the sun or any other 4.6.11 necessary evil. And they sleep on the ground, the prosperous among them spreading a sheepskin for themselves, if it so happens, 4.6.12 under them. It is their custom not to change their cloaks with the seasons, but they put on a thick cloak and a rough tunic 4.6.13 for all seasons.

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μεταποιουμένοις ὑμῖν τοῦ φρουρίου «ὁ πόλεμος ἐν ποσὶν ἔσται οὐχ ὑπὲρ τοῦ Λιλυβαίου «μόνον, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων, ὧν οὐδὲν προσῆκον ὑμῖν «εἶτα ἀντέχεσθε.» τοσαῦτα μὲν ἡ ἐπιστολὴ ἐδήλου. 4.5.18 Γότθοι δὲ ἀνήνεγκάν τε ταῦτα ἐς τοῦ Ἀταλαρίχου τὴν μητέρα καὶ πρὸς τῆς γυναικὸς ἐπιτεταγμένον σφίσιν 4.5.19 ἀπεκρίναντο ὧδε «Τὰ γράμματα, ἃ γέγραφας, ἄριστε «Βελισάριε, παραίνεσιν μὲν ἀληθῆ φέρει, ἐς ἄλλους «δὲ ἀνθρώπων τινὰς, οὐκ εἰς τοὺς Γότθους ἡμᾶς 4.5.20 «ἥκουσαν. ἡμεῖς γὰρ οὐδὲν τῶν βασιλέως Ἰουστινιανοῦ «λαβόντες ἔχομεν, μή ποτε οὕτω μανείημεν· Σικελίαν «δὲ ξύμπασαν προσποιούμεθα ἡμετέραν οὖσαν, ἧς δὴ 4.5.21 «ἄκρα μία τὸ ἐν Λιλυβαίῳ φρούριόν ἐστιν. εἰ δὲ «Θευδέριχος τὴν ἀδελφὴν τῷ Βανδίλων βασιλεῖ ξυνοι»κοῦσαν τῶν τινι Σικελίας ἐμπορίων ἐκέλευσε χρῆσθαι, 4.5.22 «οὐδὲν τοῦτο πρᾶγμα. οὐ γὰρ ἂν τοῦτο δικαιώματος «ὑμῖν ὁτουοῦν ἀξίωσιν φέροι. σὺ μέντοι, ὦ στρατηγὲ, «πράττοις ἂν τὰ δίκαια πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἤν γε τῶν ἐν «ἡμῖν ἀντιλεγομένων τὴν διάλυσιν οὐχ ὡς πολέμιος, 4.5.23 «ἀλλ' ἅτε φίλος ποιεῖσθαι θέλοις. διαφέρει δὲ, ὅτι «οἱ μὲν φίλοι τὰ διάφορα ἐν τῇ διαίτῃ, οἱ δὲ πολέμιοι 4.5.24 «ἐν τῇ μάχῃ διακρίνειν πεφύκασιν. ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν «Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ περὶ τούτων διαιτᾶν ἐπιτρέψομεν, «ὅπη ἂν αὐτῷ δοκῇ νόμιμά τε εἶναι καὶ δίκαια. βου»λόμεθα δέ σε ὡς βέλτιστα βουλεύσασθαι ἢ ὡς ταχύ»τατα καὶ τὴν παρὰ τοῦ σοῦ βασιλέως προσδέχεσθαι γνῶ»σιν.» τοσαῦτα μὲν καὶ ἡ τῶν Γότθων γραφὴ ἐδήλου. 4.5.25 Βελισάριος δὲ ἀνενεγκὼν ἅπαντα ἐς βασιλέα ἡσύχαζεν, ἕως αὐτῷ βασιλεὺς ἐπιστέλλοι ὅσα ἂν αὐτῷ βουλομένῳ εἴη. 4.6.1 Φάρας δὲ τῇ προσεδρείᾳ ἤδη ἄλλως τε καὶ χειμῶνος ὥρᾳ ἀχθόμενος, ἅμα δὲ καὶ οὐκ ἂν οἰόμενος οἵους τε εἶναι τοὺς ἐκείνῃ Μαυρουσίους ἐμποδὼν σφίσι στήσεσθαι, τῇ ἐς Παπούαν ἀναβάσει ξὺν προθυμίᾳ πολλῇ ἐπεχείρησεν. ἅπαντας μὲν οὖν εὖ μάλα ἐξοπλί4.6.2 σας τοὺς ἑπομένους ἀνέβαινε. βεβοηθηκότων δὲ τῶν Μαυρουσίων ἅτε ἐν χωρίῳ ἀνάντει τε καὶ λίαν δυσβάτῳ, ἡ κωλύμη εὐπετῶς ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀνιόντας ἐγίνετο. 4.6.3 καρτερῶς δὲ τοῦ Φάρα βιαζομένου τὴν ἄνοδον, δέκα μὲν καὶ ἑκατὸν τῶν ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ τούτῳ ἀπέθανον, αὐτὸς δὲ ξὺν τοῖς ἐπιλοίποις ἀποκρουσθεὶς ἀνεχώρησε, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἀποπειράσασθαι μὲν τῆς ἀνόδου, ἀντιστατοῦντος τοῦ πράγματος, οὐκέτι ἐτόλμα, φυλακὴν δὲ κατεσπουδασμένην, ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα, κατεστήσατο, ὅπως οἱ πιεζόμενοι τῷ λιμῷ οἱ ἐν Παπούᾳ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐγχειρίσειαν, καὶ οὔτε ἀποδιδράσκειν αὐτοῖς ἐνεδίδου οὔτε τι τῶν ἔξωθεν ἐς αὐτοὺς φέρε4.6.4 σθαι. ἔνθα δὴ τῷ τε Γελίμερι καὶ τοῖς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ἀδελφιδοῖς τε καὶ ἀνεψιαδοῖς οὖσι καὶ ἄλλοις εὖ γεγονόσι ξυνέπεσε κακοπαθείᾳ χρῆσθαι, ἣν ὅπως ποτὲ 4.6.5 εἴποι τις, οὐκ ἂν ὁμοίως τοῖς πράγμασι φράζοι. ἐθνῶν γὰρ ἁπάντων ὧν ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν ἁβρότατον μὲν τὸ τῶν Βανδίλων, ταλαιπωρότατον δὲ τὸ Μαυρουσίων τετύ4.6.6 χηκεν εἶναι. οἱ μὲν γὰρ, ἐξ ὅτου Λιβύην ἔσχον, βαλανείοις τε οἱ ξύμπαντες ἐπεχρῶντο ἐς ἡμέραν ἑκάστην καὶ τραπέζῃ ἅπασιν εὐθηνούσῃ, ὅσα δὴ γῆ τε καὶ θά4.6.7 λασσα ἥδιστά τε καὶ ἄριστα φέρει. ἐχρυσοφόρουν δὲ ὡς ἐπὶ πλεῖστον, καὶ Μηδικὴν ἐσθῆτα, ἣν νῦν Σηρικὴν καλοῦσιν, ἀμπεχόμενοι, ἔν τε θεάτροις καὶ ἱπποδρομίοις καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ εὐπαθείᾳ, καὶ πάντων μάλιστα 4.6.8 κυνηγεσίοις τὰς διατριβὰς ἐποιοῦντο. καὶ σφίσιν ὀρχησταὶ καὶ μῖμοι ἀκούσματά τε συχνὰ καὶ θεάματα ἦν, ὅσα μουσικά τε καὶ ἄλλως ἀξιοθέατα ξυμβαίνει 4.6.9 ἐν ἀνθρώποις εἶναι. καὶ ᾤκηντο μὲν αὐτῶν οἱ πολλοὶ ἐν παραδείσοις, ὑδάτων καὶ δένδρων εὖ ἔχουσι· ξυμπόσια δὲ ὅτι πλεῖστα ἐποίουν, καὶ ἔργα τὰ ἀφροδίσια 4.6.10 πάντα αὐτοῖς ἐν μελέτῃ πολλῇ ἤσκητο. Μαυρούσιοι δὲ οἰκοῦσι μὲν ἐν πνιγηραῖς καλύβαις, χειμῶνί τε καὶ θέρους ὥρᾳ καὶ ἄλλῳ τῷ ξύμπαντι χρόνῳ, οὔτε χιόσιν οὔτε ἡλίου θέρμῃ ἐνθένδε οὔτε ἄλλῳ ὁτῳοῦν ἀναγ4.6.11 καίῳ κακῷ ἐξιστάμενοι. καθεύδουσι δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς κώδιον οἱ εὐδαίμονες αὑτοῖς, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι, ὑπο4.6.12 στρωννύντες. ἱμάτια δὲ σφίσιν οὐ ξυμμεταβάλλειν ταῖς ὥραις νόμος, ἀλλὰ τριβώνιόν τε ἁδρὸν καὶ χιτῶνα 4.6.13 τραχὺν ἐς καιρὸν ἅπαντα ἐνδιδύσκονται.