151

giving “and your children as pledges for what was agreed, 4.11.5 “having you provided them? Or have you decided to make “some demonstration, that for you there is no regard for God or for faith “or for kinship itself or for salvation or for any other thing 4.11.6 “whatsoever? And yet, if matters concerning the divine “have been so practiced by you, in what ally do you trust as you advance 4.11.7 “against the emperor of the Romans? And if you are marching to war “to destroy your children, what in the world is it for which 4.11.8 “you have wished to be in peril? But if some repentance for your past actions “has already entered you, write so that we may arrange your affairs “well for you; but if your madness “has not yet abated, receive a Roman war, “which, along with the oaths which you have violated and the injustice toward “your children, is coming upon you.” 4.11.9 So much Solomon wrote. And the Maurousians answered thus: “Belisarius, having won us over with great promises, “persuaded us to be subjects of the emperor Justinian; but the Romans, having shared with us none of the good things, “thought it right, while we were being pressed by famine, to have us as friends 4.11.10 “and allies. So that it would be more fitting for you rather than “for the Maurousians to be called unfaithful. 4.11.11 “For they break treaties not who, being wronged, “openly accuse their neighbors and revolt, “but those who, claiming to have some as subject to treaty, then 4.11.12 “do them violence. And they make God their enemy “not who might advance against others to recover what is their own, “but those who, encroaching upon what belongs to others, enter into 4.11.13 “the peril of war. For the sake of children, however, “it is for you to be concerned, for whom it is necessary to marry one wife; “for us, with whom as many as fifty, if it so happens, “women cohabit, a supply of children would never “fail.” 4.11.14 When Solomon read this, it seemed best to him to lead the whole army against the Maurousians. And having set in order the affairs in Carthage, he went with the whole army to Byzacium. 4.11.15 And having come to the place of Mammes, where the four rulers of the Maurousians, whom I mentioned a little before, had encamped, he made a palisade. 4.11.16 There are high mountains there and a level area at the foot of the mountains, where the barbarians, having prepared for the battle, made their battle line as follows. 4.11.17 Arranging a circle of their camels, which Cabaon was also said to have done in the preceding narrative, they made the front about twelve deep. 4.11.18 And they placed the women with the children inside the circle; (for it is a custom for the Maurousians to bring even a few women with their children into the battle line, who make for them both palisades and huts, and groom the horses expertly, and take care of both the camels and their fodder; 4.11.19 and by sharpening the iron of their weapons they relieve them of many of the toils in the battle lines;) but they themselves on foot stood between the camels' legs, having shields and swords and little spears, which they are accustomed to hurl. And some of them, keeping their horses in 4.11.20 the mountains, remained quiet. But Solomon let alone the half of the Maurousian circle, which happened to be toward the mountain, stationing no one there. 4.11.21 For he feared lest the enemies on the mountain descending and those in the circle turning around might make those arrayed on that side subject to attack from both sides in the battle line. 4.11.22 But having drawn up the army opposite the whole remaining part of the circle, when he saw that many of them were frightened and without courage, on account of what had happened to Aigan and Rufinus, wishing to make a reminder 4.11.23 to them of courage he spoke as follows: “Men “who campaigned with Belisarius, let no fear of these men “enter you, nor, if the Maurousians, “gathered in fifty thousand, have already prevailed over five hundred Romans, “let this be for you in the portion of an 4.11.24 “example. But remember “your own valor, and consider how Vandals “used to conquer Maurousians, but you have become masters of the Vandals “in the war without a struggle, and how for those who have conquered the mightier, “concerning the

151

δόντες «καὶ τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς ὑμετέρους τῶν ὡμολογημένων 4.11.5 «ἐνέχυρα παρασχόμενοι; ἢ ἐπίδειξίν τινα ἐγνώκατε «ποιεῖσθαι, ὡς ὑμῖν οὔτε θεοῦ οὔτε πίστεως οὔτε τῆς «ξυγγενείας αὐτῆς οὔτε τῆς σωτηρίας οὔτε ἄλλου 4.11.6 «ὁτουοῦν ἐστί τις λόγος; καίτοι, εἰ τὰ ἐς τὸ θεῖον «ὑμῖν οὕτως ἤσκηται, τίνι ξυμμάχῳ πιστεύοντες ἐπὶ 4.11.7 «τὸν Ῥωμαίων βασιλέα χωρεῖτε; εἰ δὲ τοὺς παῖδας «ἀπολοῦντες στρατεύεσθε, τί ποτέ ἐστιν ὑπὲρ ὅτου 4.11.8 «κινδυνεύειν βεβούλησθε; ἀλλ' εἰ μὲν ἤδη τις εἰσῆλθεν «ὑμᾶς τῶν φθασάντων μετάμελος, γράψατε ὅπως ὑμῖν «εὖ τὰ πεπραγμένα θησόμεθα· εἰ δὲ τὰ τῆς ἀπονοίας «ὑμῖν οὔπω λελώφηκε, δέξασθε Ῥωμαϊκὸν πόλεμον «μετὰ τῶν ὅρκων, οἷς ἐλωβήσασθε, καὶ τῆς ἐς τοὺς «παῖδας τοὺς ὑμετέρους ἀδικίας ὑμῖν προσιόντα.» 4.11.9 τοσαῦτα μὲν Σολόμων ἔγραψεν. οἱ δὲ Μαυρούσιοι ἀπεκρίναντο ὧδε «Βελισάριος μὲν ἐπαγγελίαις μεγάλαις «ἡμᾶς περιελθὼν ἔπεισε βασιλέως Ἰουστινιανοῦ κατη»κόους εἶναι· Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡμῖν οὐδενὸς «μεταδόντες λιμῷ πιεζομένους ἠξίουν φίλους τε ἡμᾶς 4.11.10 «καὶ ξυμμάχους ἔχειν. ὥστε εἰκότως ἂν μᾶλλον ὑμῖν «ἢ Μαυρουσίοις τὸ μὴ πιστοῖς καλεῖσθαι προσήκει. 4.11.11 «λύουσι γὰρ τὰς σπονδὰς οὐχ ὅσοι ἀδικούμενοι ἐκ «τοῦ ἐμφανοῦς τῶν πέλας κατηγοροῦντες ἀφίστανται, «ἀλλ' ὅσοι ὑποσπόνδους ἔχειν ἀξιοῦντές τινας εἶτα 4.11.12 «βιάζονται. καὶ τὸν θεὸν πολέμιον σφίσι ποιοῦνται «οὐχ οἳ ἂν τὰ σφέτερα αὐτῶν κομιούμενοι ἐφ' ἑτέρους «χωροῖεν, ἀλλ' ὅσοι τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐπιβατεύοντες ἐς 4.11.13 «κίνδυνον πολέμου καθίστανται. παίδων μέντοι ἕνε»κεν ὑμῖν μελήσει, οἷς μίαν ἄγεσθαι γυναῖκα ἀνάγκη· «ἡμᾶς γὰρ, οἷς καὶ κατὰ πεντήκοντα, ἂν οὕτω τύχῃ, «συνοικοῦσι γυναῖκες, παίδων οὐκ ἄν ποτε ἐπιλίποι «γονή.» 4.11.14 Ταῦτα ἀναλεξαμένῳ Σολόμωνι τὸ στράτευμα ὅλον ἐπὶ Μαυρουσίους ἐπάγειν ἔδοξε. διαθέμενός τε τὰ ἐν Καρχηδόνι πράγματα, παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἐς Βυζάκιον 4.11.15 ᾔει. γενόμενος δὲ ἐς Μάμμης τὸ χωρίον, ἔνθα δὴ οἱ τέτταρες τῶν Μαυρουσίων ἄρχοντες ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο, ὧν ὀλίγῳ πρότερον ἐπεμνήσθην, χαράκωμα ἐποιήσατο. 4.11.16 ὄρη δέ εἰσιν ἐνταῦθα ὑψηλὰ καὶ χωρίον ὁμαλὲς περὶ τὸν πρόποδα τῶν ὀρῶν, ἔνθα οἱ βάρβαροι παρασκευασάμενοι ἐς τὴν μάχην ἐποιοῦντο τὴν παράταξιν ὧδε. 4.11.17 κύκλον ἐκ τῶν καμήλων ταξάμενοι, ὅπερ καὶ τὸν Καβάωνα ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις εἰργάσθαι ἐρρήθη, κατὰ δυοκαίδεκα μάλιστα τοῦ μετώπου βάθος ἐποίουν. 4.11.18 καὶ γυναῖκας μὲν ξὺν τοῖς παισὶ κατέθεντο τοῦ κύκλου ἐντός· (τοῖς γὰρ Μαυρουσίοις καὶ γυναῖκας ὀλίγας ξὺν τοῖς παισὶν ἐς παράταξιν ἐπάγεσθαι νόμος, αἵπερ αὐτοῖς χαρακώματά τε καὶ καλύβας ποιοῦσι, καὶ ἱπποκομοῦσιν ἐμπείρως, καὶ τῶν τε καμήλων τῆς τε τρο4.11.19 φῆς ἐπιμελοῦνται· καὶ θήγουσαι τὰ τῶν ὅπλων σιδήρια πολλοὺς σφίσι παραιροῦνται τῶν ἐν ταῖς παρατάξεσι πόνων·) αὐτοὶ δὲ πεζοὶ ἐς μέσους τῶν καμήλων τοὺς πόδας ἵσταντο, ἀσπίδας τε καὶ ξίφη ἔχοντες καὶ δοράτια, οἷς ἀκοντίζειν εἰώθασι. τινὲς δὲ αὐτῶν ἐν 4.11.20 τοῖς ὄρεσιν ἔχοντες τοὺς ἵππους ἡσύχαζον. Σολόμων δὲ τὸ μὲν ἥμισυ τοῦ Μαυρουσίων κύκλου, ὃ πρὸς τῷ ὄρει ἐτύγχανεν ὂν, ἀφῆκεν, οὐδένα ἐνταῦθα καταστη4.11.21 σάμενος. ἔδεισε γὰρ μὴ κατιόντες τε οἱ ἐν τῷ ὄρει πολέμιοι καὶ οἱ ἐν τῷ κύκλῳ ἐπιστρεφόμενοι ἀμφιβόλους ἐν τῇ παρατάξει τοὺς ἐκείνῃ ταττομένους ποιή4.11.22 σωνται. ἐς δὲ τοῦ κύκλου τὸ λειπόμενον ὅλον ἀντιτάξας τὸ στράτευμα, ἐπειδὴ αὐτῶν τοὺς πολλοὺς εἶδε πεφοβημένους τε καὶ ἀθαρσοῦντας, διὰ τὰ ἐς Ἀιγάν τε καὶ Ῥουφῖνον ξυνενεχθέντα, βουλόμενος ὑπόμνη4.11.23 σιν ποιήσασθαι αὐτοῖς τοῦ θαρσεῖν ἔλεξε τάδε «Ἄν»δρες οἱ Βελισαρίῳ ξυστρατευσάμενοι, μηδεὶς ὑμᾶς «τῶν ἀνδρῶν τῶνδε φόβος εἰσίτω, μηδὲ, εἰ Μαυ»ρούσιοι κατὰ μυριάδας πέντε συνειλεγμένοι Ῥωμαίων «ἤδη πεντακοσίων ἐκράτησαν, τοῦτο ὑμῖν ἐν παρα4.11.24 «δείγματος μοίρᾳ γινέσθω. ἀλλ' ἀναμνήσθητε μὲν τῆς «ἀρετῆς τῆς ὑμετέρας, ἐκλογίζεσθε δὲ ὡς Βανδίλοι μὲν «Μαυρουσίων ἐκράτουν, ὑμεῖς δὲ Βανδίλων ἀκονιτὶ «κύριοι τῷ πολέμῳ γεγένησθε, καὶ ὡς τοὺς τῶν μει»ζόνων κεκρατηκότας περὶ τῶν