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they were hard pressed by their neighbours, and arriving in Numidia with their own leaders, they became suppliants of Iaudas, who ruled the Moors in Aurasium. 4.12.30 But the only Moors who remained in Byzacium were those led by Antalas, who indeed at this time, having kept his faith to the Romans, remained unharmed by evils together with his own subjects. 4.13.1 While these things were happening in Byzacium, at this time Iaudas, who ruled the Moors in Aurasium, leading more than thirty thousand fighting men, was plundering the lands of Numidia, and enslaving many of the Libyans. 4.13.2 And it happened that Althias was keeping guard in the centuries of the forts there, who, being eager to take back some of the captives from the enemy, with the Huns following him, being about seventy in number, 4.13.3 went outside the fort. and having reasoned that he was not able to come to grips with such a multitude of Moors with seventy men, he wished to seize some narrow pass, so that as the enemy were marching through it he might be able to snatch away some of the captives. 4.13.4 and (for there is no such road here, since the lands there are everywhere open plains) 4.13.5 he devised the following. There is a city nearby, Tigisis by name, at that time being unwalled, but having a certain large spring in 4.13.6 a very narrow place. Althias decided to seize this spring, reasoning that, compelled by thirst, the enemy would somehow arrive there; for there is very little other water 4.13.7 anywhere near. Therefore, to all who considered their numbers, his thought seemed to be that of a madman. 4.13.8 But the Moors, having experienced much toil and great stifling heat in the summer season, and, as was likely, being gripped by a very great thirst as a result, came to the spring at a great run, having no opposition 4.13.9 in mind. But when they found the water held by the enemy, they all stood at a loss, since most of their strength had already been expended by their desire for water. 4.13.10 Therefore Iaudas, coming to speak with Althias, agreed to give him the third part of the 4.13.11 booty, on the condition that all the Moors might drink. But he was in no way willing to accept the proposal, but demanded to fight him in single combat 4.13.12 over these matters. And when Iaudas accepted this challenge, it was agreed that if Althias should happen to be defeated, the Moors could drink. 4.13.13 And the whole army of the Moors rejoiced, being hopeful, since Althias was slender and not large of body, while Iaudas was the most handsome and most warlike 4.13.14 of all the Moors. Now both happened to be horsemen. And Iaudas hurled his spear first, which Althias, as it came toward him, was strong enough to catch with his right hand, contrary to expectation, and he astounded both Iaudas and the 4.13.15 enemy. and immediately drawing his bow with his left hand, since he was ambidextrous, he shot Iaudas' horse and killed it. 4.13.16 And when it fell, the Moors brought another horse to their leader, upon which Iaudas leaped up and immediately fled; and the army of the Moors followed him in no order. 4.13.17 And Althias, taking back both the captives and all the booty, gained a great name from this deed throughout all Libya. So these things proceeded in this way. 4.13.18 But Solomon, after spending a short time in Carthage, led his army against Mount Aurasium and Iaudas, bringing the charge against him that, when the Roman army was occupied in Byzacium, he had plundered many of the 4.13.19 lands in Numidia. And so it was. And other Moorish rulers, Massonas and Ortaias, were urging Solomon against Iaudas, on account of their own enmity; Massonas, because Iaudas, though his kinsman by marriage, had killed his father Mephanias by treachery, and the other, because with Mastinas, who led the barbarians in Mauretania, he had plotted to drive him and the Moors whom he ruled from the land where they had dwelt from of old. 4.13.20 The Roman army, therefore, with Solomon leading them, and as many of the Moors as came to them in alliance, encamped by the river Abigas, which, flowing by 4.13.21 Aurasium, waters it

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σφίσιν ὁμόρων βιάζωνται, ξὺν δὲ ἄρχουσι τοῖς σφετέροις εἰς Νουμιδίαν ἀφικόμενοι ἱκέται γίνονται Ἰαύδα, ὃς τῶν ἐν Αὐρασίῳ 4.12.30 Μαυρουσίων ἦρχε. μόνοι δὲ Μαυρουσίων ἐν Βυζακίῳ διέμειναν ὧν ἡγεῖτο Ἀντάλας, ὃς δὴ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ χρόνῳ τὴν ἐς Ῥωμαίους πίστιν φυλάξας κακῶν ἀπαθὴς ξὺν τοῖς ὑπηκόοις τοῖς αὑτοῦ ἔμεινεν. 4.13.1 Ἐν ᾧ δὲ ταῦτα ἐν Βυζακίῳ ἐγένετο, ἐν τούτῳ Ἰαύδας, ὃς τῶν ἐν Αὐρασίῳ Μαυρουσίων ἦρχε, πλέον ἢ τρισμυρίους ἄνδρας μαχίμους ἐπαγόμενος ἐληίζετο τὰ ἐπὶ Νουμιδίας χωρία, ἠνδραπόδιζέ τε τῶν Λιβύων 4.13.2 πολλούς. ἐτύγχανε δὲ Ἀλθίας ἐν κεντουρίαις τῶν ἐκείνῃ φρουρίων φυλακὴν ἔχων, ὃς τῶν αἰχμαλώτων τινὰς ἀφελέσθαι τοὺς πολεμίους ἐν σπουδῇ ἔχων ξὺν Οὔννοις τοῖς αὐτῷ ἑπομένοις, ἑβδομήκοντα μάλιστα 4.13.3 οὖσιν, ἔξω τοῦ φρουρίου ἐγένετο. λογισάμενός τε ὡς οὐχ οἷός τέ ἐστι πλήθει Μαυρουσίων τοσούτῳ ξὺν ἀνδράσιν ἑβδομήκοντα ἐς χεῖρας ἰέναι, στενοχωρίαν καταλαβεῖν τινα ἤθελεν, ὅπως ἂν δι' αὐτῆς ὁδῷ ἰόντων τῶν πολεμίων τῶν τινας αἰχμαλώτων ἀναρπάσαι δυ4.13.4 νατὸς εἴη. καὶ (οὐ γάρ ἐστι τοιαύτη τις ἐνταῦθα ὁδὸς, ἐπεὶ πεδία ὕπτια πανταχῆ τῶν ἐκείνῃ χωρίων ἐστὶν) 4.13.5 ἐπενόει τάδε. πόλις ἔστι που πλησίον Τίγισις ὄνομα, τότε μὲν ἀτείχιστος οὖσα, κρήνην δὲ μεγάλην τινὰ ἐν 4.13.6 στενοχωρίᾳ πολλῇ ἔχουσα. ταύτην Ἀλθίας τὴν κρήνην καταλαβεῖν ἔγνω, λογισάμενος ὡς δίψῃ ἀναγκαζόμενοι ἐνταῦθά πως ἀφίξονται οἱ πολέμιοι· ἄλλο γὰρ ὕδωρ 4.13.7 ἄγχιστά πη ὡς ἥκιστά ἐστι. πᾶσι μὲν οὖν τὸ τοῦ πλήθους ἐκλογιζομένοις παράλογον ἔδοξε μανιώδης 4.13.8 αὐτοῦ ἡ ἔννοια εἶναι. οἱ δὲ Μαυρούσιοι κόπῳ τε 4.13.8 πολλῷ καὶ πνίγει μεγάλῳ θέρους ὥρᾳ ὡμιληκότες, δίψῃ τε, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, ἀπ' αὐτοῦ μεγίστῃ ἐχόμενοι, παρὰ τὴν κρήνην δρόμῳ πολλῷ ἦλθον, οὐδὲν ἐναντίωμα 4.13.9 ἐν νῷ ἔχοντες. ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ ὕδωρ πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων ἐχόμενον εὗρον, ἀπορούμενοι ξύμπαντες ἔστησαν, τοῦ πλείστου τῆς ἰσχύος ἤδη δαπανηθέντος σφίσι τῇ 4.13.10 τοῦ ὕδατος ἐπιθυμίᾳ. διὸ δὴ Ἰαύδας τῷ Ἀλθίᾳ εἰς λόγους ἥκων τὸ τριτημόριόν οἱ δώσειν ὡμολόγει τῆς 4.13.11 λείας, ἐφ' ᾧ δὴ Μαυρούσιοι πίωσιν ἅπαντες. ὁ δὲ τὸν μὲν λόγον ἐνδέχεσθαι οὐδαμῇ ἤθελε, μονομαχεῖν 4.13.12 δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ τούτων ἠξίου. τοῦ δὲ Ἰαύδα ταύτην δὴ δεξαμένου τὴν πρόκλησιν, ξυνέκειτο ἡσσηθέντος, ἂν οὕτω τύχῃ, τοῦ Ἀλθία Μαυρουσίους πιεῖν. 4.13.13 ἔχαιρέ τε ἅπας ὁ τῶν Μαυρουσίων στρατὸς, εὐέλπιδες ὄντες, ἐπεὶ Ἀλθίας μὲν ἰσχνός τε ἦν καὶ οὐ μέγας τὸ σῶμα, Ἰαύδας δὲ κάλλιστός τε ἦν καὶ μαχιμώτατος 4.13.14 Μαυρουσίων ἁπάντων. ἄμφω μὲν οὖν ἱππεῖς ἐτύγχανον ὄντες. ὁ δὲ Ἰαύδας τὸ δοράτιον ἠκόντισε πρῶτος, οὗπερ Ἀλθίας ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἰόντος χειρὶ λαβέσθαι τῇ δεξιᾷ παρὰ δόξαν ἰσχύσας Ἰαύδαν τε καὶ τοὺς πο4.13.15 λεμίους κατέπληξε. τῇ δὲ λαιᾷ χειρὶ τὸ τόξον ἐντείνας αὐτίκα, ἐπεὶ ἀμφιδέξιος ἦν, τὸν Ἰαύδα ἵππον βαλὼν 4.13.16 ἔκτεινε. πεσόντος τε αὐτοῦ ἵππον ἕτερον τῷ ἄρχοντι Μαυρούσιοι ἦγον, ἐφ' ὃν ἀναθορὼν Ἰαύδας εὐθὺς ἔφυγε· καί οἱ κόσμῳ οὐδενὶ ὁ τῶν Μαυρουσίων στρατὸς 4.13.17 εἵπετο. ὅ τε Ἀλθίας τούς τε αἰχμαλώτους καὶ τὴν λείαν ἀφελόμενος ξύμπασαν ὄνομα μέγα ἐκ τοῦ ἔργου τούτου ἀνὰ πᾶσαν Λιβύην ἔσχε. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τῇδε ἐχώρησε. 4.13.18 Σολόμων δὲ ἐν Καρχηδόνι ὀλίγον τινὰ διατρίψας χρόνον, ἐπί τε ὄρος τὸ Αὐράσιον καὶ Ἰαύδαν ἐπῆγε τὸ στράτευμα, ἐπενεγκὼν αὐτῷ ὅτι, ἡνίκα ὁ Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς τὴν ἐν Βυζακίῳ ἀσχολίαν εἶχε, πολλὰ ἐληίσατο 4.13.19 τῶν ἐν Νουμιδίᾳ χωρίων. καὶ ἦν δὲ οὕτως. ὥρμων δὲ Σολόμωνα ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰαύδαν Μαυρουσίων ἄρχοντες ἕτεροι, Μασσωνᾶς τε καὶ Ὀρταΐας, τῆς σφετέρας ἔχθρας ἕνεκα· Μασσωνᾶς μὲν, ὅτι οἱ τὸν πατέρα Μεφανίαν κηδεστὴς ὢν Ἰαύδας δόλῳ ἔκτεινεν, ὁ δὲ ἕτερος, ὅτι ξὺν τῷ Μαστίνᾳ, ὃς τῶν ἐν Μαυριτανίᾳ βαρβάρων ἡγεῖτο, ἐξελάσαι αὐτόν τε καὶ Μαυρουσίους, ὧν ἦρχεν, ἐκ τῆς χώρας ἐβούλευσεν, ἔνθα δὴ ἐκ παλαιοῦ ᾤκηντο. 4.13.20 ὁ μὲν οὖν Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς, ἡγουμένου αὐτοῖς Σολόμωνος, καὶ Μαυρουσίων ὅσοι σφίσιν ἐς ξυμμαχίαν ἦλθον, ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο ἐς ποταμὸν Ἀβίγαν, ὃς τὸ 4.13.21 Αὐράσιον παραρρέων ἀρδεύει