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it is not right to have been frightened by inferiors. 4.11.25 «And yet of all men, the nation of the Moors seems 4.11.26 «to be the poorest for the contest of war. For most of them are naked, and «even those of them who have shields, hold before them small ones that are «poorly made and unable to ward off things that come at them. 4.11.27 And after hurling these two little spears, if they accomplish nothing, they automatically turn to flight. 4.11.28 «So it is possible for you, after guarding against the first assault of the barbarians, to win the victory in the war with no trouble. 4.11.29 «And you see, I suppose, how great is the difference of your equipment 4.11.30 «compared to the enemy's. And besides these things, courage of soul «and strength of body and experience in wars and confidence, «from having already conquered all your enemies, «are yours; but the Moors, deprived of all these things, 4.11.31 «trust only in their own numbers. And a few, prepared in the best possible way, more easily conquer a multitude «of men who are not good at war than are defeated 4.11.32 «by them. For the good soldier has confidence «in himself, but for the cowardly the multitude of their comrades «for the most part results in a dangerous confinement. 4.11.33 «And surely it is right for you to despise these camels, «which are not able to defend against the enemy «and, when struck, as is likely, will become the cause of greater «confusion and disorder for them. 4.11.34 And the rashness, which the enemy have acquired because of their former «success, will happen to fight on your side. 4.11.35 «For daring, when measured against one's power, «might perhaps even benefit those who use it, 4.11.36 «but when it exceeds that power, it leads to danger; reflecting on these «things and despising the enemy, practice silence «and good order; for by taking care of these things «we shall conquer the disorder of the barbarians more easily and with less trouble.» So spoke Solomon. 4.11.37 But the rulers of the Moors, since they themselves saw that the barbarians were dismayed by the good order of the Romans, wishing to restore their multitude to confidence again, exhorted them as follows: 4.11.38 «That the Romans have human bodies and such as «we have learned yield when struck by iron, O fellow-soldiers, «since recently we killed the best of them, who were in some places «buried under our spears, «and in others we seized and made them our own captives. 4.11.39 «And since these things are so, as we also now boast that we «far surpass them in number, it is possible to see. 4.11.40 «And indeed the contest for us is for the greatest stakes, either to be masters of all Libya, or to be slaves to these 4.11.41 «impostors. Therefore it is necessary for us to be as «courageous as possible in the present moment. For to whom «the danger is for their all, it is unprofitable not to be 4.11.42 «most courageous. And it is fitting for us to despise «the equipment of the enemy. For if they come against «us on foot, they will not be agile, but will be defeated «by the speed of the Moors, and as for their cavalry, «both the sight of the camels will dismay them and their braying, «overpowering the rest of the din of battle, will throw them 4.11.43 «into disorder, as is likely. And if anyone, reflecting on their victory over the Vandals, «thinks them to be irresistible, he is mistaken in his judgment. 4.11.44 «For the tide of war is naturally decided by the ability «or fortune of the general; and Belisarius, who «was the cause of the victory over the Vandals, providence has now caused to stand 4.11.45 «out of our way. Besides, «we too have often conquered the Vandals, and by destroying «their power, we have made the victory over them readier and 4.11.46 «easier for the Romans. And now too we have hope of conquering these enemies, if «you prove courageous in the deed.» 4.11.47 With such words of exhortation the rulers of the Moors began the engagement. And at first great disorder occurred in the Roman army. 4.11.48 For their horses, at both the braying and the sight of the camels

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καταδεεστέρων πεφο4.11.25 «βῆσθαι οὐ δίκαιον. καίτοι πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἐς «ἀγῶνα πολέμου φαυλότατον εἶναι δοκεῖ τὸ Μαυρου4.11.26 «σίων ἔθνος. γυμνοί τε γὰρ οἱ πλεῖστοί εἰσι καὶ «αὐτῶν ὅσοι ἀσπίδας ἔχουσι, βραχείας τε ταύτας καὶ «οὐκ εὖ πεποιημένας οὐδὲ ἀπωθεῖσθαι τὰ προσιόντα 4.11.27 «δυναμένας προβέβληνται. καὶ τὰ δύο ταῦτα δοράτια «ἀπορρίψαντες, ἢν μή τι δράσωσιν, αὐτόματοι ἐς φυγὴν 4.11.28 «τρέπονται. ὥστε πάρεστιν ὑμῖν τὴν πρώτην φυλα»ξαμένοις τῶν βαρβάρων ὁρμὴν ἀνελέσθαι οὐδενὶ πόνῳ 4.11.29 «τὸ τοῦ πολέμου κράτος. τῆς δὲ ὑμετέρας ὁπλίσεως «ἡλίκον πρὸς τοὺς ἐναντίους τὸ διαλλάσσον ἐστὶν, 4.11.30 «ὁρᾶτε δήπου. καὶ τούτων ἔξω, ψυχῶν μὲν ἀρετὴ «καὶ σωμάτων ἀλκὴ καὶ πολέμων ἐμπειρία καὶ τὸ θαρ»σεῖν, διὰ τὸ πάντας ἤδη νενικηκέναι τοὺς πολεμίους, «ὑμῖν πρόσεστιν· οἱ δὲ Μαυρούσιοι τούτων ἁπάντων «ἐστερημένοι μόνῳ τῷ σφῶν αὐτῶν ὁμίλῳ πιστεύουσι. 4.11.31 «ῥᾷον δὲ ὀλίγοι ὡς ἄριστα παρεσκευασμένοι πλῆθος «οὐκ ἀγαθῶν τὰ πολέμια νικῶσιν ἀνθρώπων ἢ πρὸς 4.11.32 «αὐτῶν ἡσσῶνται. τῷ μὲν γὰρ ἀγαθῷ στρατιώτῃ τὸ «θαρσεῖν ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ πάρεστι, τῷ δὲ ἀνάνδρῳ τὸ τῶν «συντεταγμένων πλῆθος ἐς ἐπισφαλῆ στενοχωρίαν ὡς 4.11.33 «τὰ πολλὰ περιίσταται. καὶ μὴν καὶ καμήλων τῶνδε «ὑμᾶς ὑπερφρονεῖν ἄξιον, αἳ οὔτε ἀμύνειν τοῖς πολε»μίοις οἷαί τέ εἰσι καὶ πληγεῖσαι, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, μεί»ζονος ταραχῆς τε καὶ ἀταξίας αἴτιαι τούτοις γενή4.11.34 «σονται. καὶ τὸ προπετὲς, ὃ διὰ τὸ πρότερον «εὐημερῆσαι οἱ πολέμιοι κέκτηνται, ὑμῖν συναγωνιεῖ4.11.35 «σθαι ξυμβήσεται. τόλμα γὰρ τῇ μὲν δυνάμει ξυμμε»τρουμένη τάχα τι καὶ τοὺς αὐτῇ χρωμένους ὀνήσει, 4.11.36 «ὑπεραίρουσα δὲ ταύτην ἐς κίνδυνον ἄγει· ὧν ἐνθυ»μούμενοι καὶ τῶν πολεμίων καταφρονοῦντες σιγήν «τε καὶ κόσμον ἀσκεῖτε· τούτων γὰρ ἐπιμελούμενοι «ῥᾷόν τε καὶ ἀπονώτερον τῆς τῶν βαρβάρων ἀκοσμίας «κρατήσομεν.» ταῦτα μὲν Σολόμων εἶπεν. 4.11.37 Οἱ δὲ τῶν Μαυρουσίων ἄρχοντες ἐπειδὴ καὶ αὐτοὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους καταπεπληγμένους τὴν τῶν Ῥωμαίων εὐκοσμίαν εἶδον, βουλόμενοι αὐτῶν τὸ πλῆθος ἐπὶ τὸ θαρσεῖν αὖθις ἀντικαθιστάναι, τοιάδε παρεκελεύσαντο 4.11.38 «Ὡς μὲν ἀνθρώπεια Ῥωμαῖοι σώματα ἔχουσι καὶ οἷα «σιδήρῳ πλησσόμενα εἴκειν μεμαθήκαμεν, ὦ ξυστρα»τιῶται, οἷς αὐτῶν ἔναγχος τοὺς πάντων ἀρίστους πὴ μὲν «καταχωσθέντας τοῖς δόρασι τοῖς ἡμετέροις ἐκτείναμεν, «πὴ δὲ ἁρπάσαντες δορυαλώτους ἡμῶν αὐτῶν πεποιή4.11.39 «μεθα. τούτων δὲ τοιούτων ὄντων, ὡς καὶ νῦν αὐτῶν «τῷ πλήθει παρὰ πολὺ προέχειν αὐχοῦμεν, ὁρᾶν 4.11.40 «πάρεστι. καὶ μὴν καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν μεγίστων ἡμῖν ὁ «ἀγών ἐστιν, ἢ Λιβύης πάσης κυρίοις εἶναι, ἢ τοῖς 4.11.41 «ἀλαζόσι τοῖσδε δουλεύειν. ὥστε ἡμῖν ἀνάγκη ὡς «μάλιστα ἐν τῷ παρόντι ἀνδραγαθίζεσθαι. οἷς γὰρ «ὑπὲρ τῶν ὅλων ὁ κίνδυνος, μὴ οὐχὶ εὐψυχοτάτοις 4.11.42 «εἶναι ἀξύμφορον. τῆς δὲ τῶν πολεμίων ὁπλίσεως «ὑπερφρονεῖν ἡμᾶς προσήκει. ἤν τε γὰρ πεζῇ ἐφ' «ἡμᾶς ἴωσιν, οὐκ εὐσταλεῖς ἔσονται, ἀλλ' ἡσσηθήσον»ται τοῦ Μαυρουσίων τάχους, καὶ τὴν ἵππον αὐτοῖς «ἥ τε τῶν καμήλων ὄψις ἐκπλήξασα καὶ τὸν ἄλλον «τοῦ πολέμου θόρυβον ἡ τούτων κραυγὴ ὑπερηχοῦσα 4.11.43 «εἰς ἀταξίαν, ὥς γε τὸ εἰκὸς, καταστήσεται. καὶ τὴν «ἐς Βανδίλους νίκην εἴ τις ἐκλογιζόμενος μὴ ἀνταγω4.11.44 «νίστους αὐτοὺς οἴεται εἶναι, γνώμης ἁμαρτάνει. ἡ «μὲν γὰρ τοῦ πολέμου ῥοπὴ τῇ τοῦ στρατηγοῦντος «ἀρετῇ ἢ τύχῃ κρίνεσθαι πέφυκε· Βελισάριον δὲ, ὃς «τῆς Βανδίλων ἐπικρατήσεως αἴτιος γέγονεν, ἐκποδὼν 4.11.45 «νῦν ἡμῖν ἑστηκέναι πεποίηκε τὸ δαιμόνιον. ἄλλως «τε καὶ ἡμεῖς Βανδίλους πολλάκις νενικηκότες, περιε»λόντες τε τὴν αὐτῶν δύναμιν, ἑτοιμότερόν τε καὶ «ἀπονώτερον Ῥωμαίοις τὸ κατ' αὐτῶν πεποιήμεθα 4.11.46 «κράτος. καὶ νῦν δὲ πολεμίων τῶνδε κρατήσειν, ἢν «ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ ἀνδραγαθίζησθε, ἐλπίδα ἔχομεν.» 4.11.47 Τοσαῦτα καὶ οἱ Μαυρουσίων ἄρχοντες παρακελευσάμενοι τῆς ξυμβολῆς ἦρχον. καὶ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα πολλὴ ἀκοσμία ἐς τὸ Ῥωμαίων στράτευμα ἐγεγόνει. 4.11.48 οἱ γὰρ ἵπποι αὐτοῖς τῇ τε κραυγῇ καὶ τῇ ὄψει τῶν καμήλων