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the places there. But to Iaudas it seemed disadvantageous to draw up against the enemy on the plain, and he prepared the positions in Aurasium in whatever way seemed to him would be most difficult for the attackers. 4.13.22 This mountain is about a thirteen days’ journey from Carthage, and it is the largest of all 4.13.23 we know. For it is a three days’ journey around it for an unencumbered man. And for one wanting to go into it, it is both difficult of access and exceedingly wild, but upon reaching the top and coming to the level ground, plains appear and many springs making rivers and a great abundance of parks of a wonderful sort. 4.13.24 And both the grain that grows there and every kind of fruit are twice the size of those that naturally grow in all the rest of Libya. 4.13.25 There are also some neglected fortresses there, because they did not seem to be necessary to those who lived in this region. 4.13.26 For since the Moors took Aurasium from the Vandals, no enemy had yet come into it nor thrown the barbarians into fear, but also the city of Tamougadis, which, being populous, was situated near the mountain at the beginning of the plain towards the rising sun, the Moors made desolate of people and razed to the ground, so that it might not be possible for the enemy to encamp there, nor even to approach the mountain on the pretext 4.13.27 of the city. And the Moors of this region also held the land to the west of Aurasium, 4.13.28 which was both extensive and good. And beyond these, other tribes of Moors dwelt, whom Ortaias ruled, who came as an ally to Solomon and the Romans, as was said before. 4.13.29 I heard this man say that beyond the land which he himself rules, no men dwell, but a desert land extends for a great distance, and beyond this there are men not dark-skinned like the Moors, but very white in their bodies and with blond hair. So these things are something like this. 4.13.30 But Solomon, having presented his Moorish allies with great sums of money and having exhorted them at length, with the whole army drawn up as for battle, was ascending the Aurasium mountain, thinking on that day to engage the enemy in battle and to have the issue decided by them, in whatever way Fortune might wish. 4.13.31 For indeed the soldiers brought not even provisions, except for a few, for themselves and their horses. 4.13.32 And having marched through much difficult country for about fifty stades, 4.13.33 they encamped. And covering such a distance each day, they arrived on the seventh day at a place where there was an ancient fort and a certain ever-flowing river. The Latins call the place Shield Mountain in their own language. 4.13.34 Here it was reported to them that the enemy were encamped, and when they came to this place and met no enemy, they encamped and, having prepared as for battle, remained there, 4.13.35 and a period of three days was spent by them there. But as the enemy kept entirely out of their way and their provisions had failed, it occurred to Solomon and to the whole army that some plot was being made against them by their Moorish allies; 4.13.36 who, although they were not unpracticed in the march in Aurasium, and knowing, as was likely, all that the enemy had planned, though urging them on secretly each day, as was said, and though often sent by the Romans to them for the purpose of scouting, they decided to report nothing reliable, so that indeed the Romans might not learn beforehand and, having provisions for a longer time, ascend the Aurasium mountain and prepare everything else in the way that would be best. 4.13.37 In short, suspecting that an ambush had been laid for them by their allies, they became fearful, reasoning that the Moors are said to be untrustworthy by nature, especially when they are allied with the Romans or any others and march against Moors. 4.13.38 Having considered these things, and at the same time being pressed by hunger, they quickly retreated from there without result and, arriving at the plain, they made a palisaded camp. 4.13.39 And after this Solomon a part of the army

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τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία. τῷ δὲ Ἰαύδᾳ ἐς μὲν τὸ πεδίον τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀντιτάξασθαι ἀξύμφορον εἶναι ἐφαίνετο, τὰ δὲ ἐν Αὐρασίῳ ἐξηρτύετο ὅπη οἱ ἐδόκει τοῖς ἐπιοῦσιν ὡς δυσκολώτατα 4.13.22 ἔσεσθαι. τοῦτο δὲ τὸ ὄρος ἡμερῶν μὲν ὁδῷ δέκα καὶ τριῶν μάλιστα Καρχηδόνος διέχει, μέγιστον δὲ ἁπάν4.13.23 των ἐστὶν ὧν ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν. ἡμερῶν γὰρ τριῶν ἐνταῦθα εὐζώνῳ ἀνδρὶ περίοδός ἐστι. καὶ τῷ μὲν ἐς αὐτὸ ἰέναι βουλομένῳ δύσοδόν τέ ἐστι καὶ δεινῶς ἄγριον, ἄνω δὲ ἥκοντι καὶ ἐν τῷ ὁμαλεῖ γενομένῳ πεδία τε φαίνεται καὶ κρῆναι πολλαὶ ποταμούς τε ποιοῦσαι καὶ 4.13.24 παραδείσων πολύ τι χρῆμα θαυμάσιον οἷον. καὶ ὅ τε σῖτος, ὃς ἐνταῦθα φύεται, ἥ τε ὀπώρα ἑκάστη διπλασία τὸ μέγεθός ἐστιν ἢ ἐν τῇ ἄλλῃ ἁπάσῃ Λιβύῃ γίνεσθαι 4.13.25 πέφυκεν. ἔστι δὲ καὶ φρούρια ἐνταῦθά πη ἀπημελημένα, τῷ μὴ δοκεῖν ἀναγκαῖα τοῖς ταύτῃ ᾠκημένοις 4.13.26 εἶναι. ἐξ ὅτου γὰρ τὸ Αὐράσιον Μαυρούσιοι Βανδίλους ἀφείλοντο, οὐδείς πω ἐς αὐτὸ πολέμιος ἦλθεν οὐδὲ ἐς δέος τοὺς βαρβάρους κατέστησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πόλιν Ταμούγαδιν, ἣ πρὸς τῷ ὄρει ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ πεδίου πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα ἥλιον πολυάνθρωπος οὖσα ᾤκητο, ἔρημον ἀνθρώπων οἱ Μαυρούσιοι ποιησάμενοι ἐς ἔδαφος καθεῖλον, ὅπως μὴ ἐνταῦθα ᾖ δυνατὰ ἐνστρατοπεδεύσασθαι τοῖς πολεμίοις, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ κατὰ πρόφασιν 4.13.27 τῆς πόλεως ἄγχι ἐς τὸ ὄρος ἰέναι. εἶχον δὲ οἱ ταύτῃ Μαυρούσιοι καὶ τὴν πρὸς ἑσπέραν τοῦ Αὐρασίου 4.13.28 χώραν, πολλήν τε καὶ ἀγαθὴν οὖσαν. καὶ τούτων ἐπέκεινα Μαυρουσίων ἔθνη ἕτερα ᾤκηντο, ὧν ἦρχεν Ὀρταΐας, ὃς Σολόμωνί τε καὶ Ῥωμαίοις, ὡς ἕμπροσθεν 4.13.29 ἐρρήθη, ξύμμαχος ἦλθε. τούτου τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐγὼ λέγοντος ἤκουσα ὡς ὑπὲρ τὴν χώραν, ἧς αὐτὸς ἄρχοι, οὐδένες ἀνθρώπων οἰκοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ γῆ ἔρημος ἐπὶ πλεῖστον διήκει, ταύτης τε ἐπέκεινα ἄνθρωποί εἰσιν οὐχ ὥσπερ οἱ Μαυρούσιοι μελανόχροοι, ἀλλὰ λευκοί τε λίαν τὰ σώματα καὶ τὰς κόμας ξανθοί. ταῦτα μὲν δὴ ὧδέ πη ἔχει. 4.13.30 Σολόμων δὲ Μαυρουσίων τε τοὺς ξυμμάχους δωρησάμενος χρήμασι μεγάλοις καὶ πολλὰ παρακελευσάμενος παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἐς ὄρος τὸ Αὐράσιον ὡς ἐς μάχην διατεταγμένος ἀνέβαινεν, οἰόμενος ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῖς τε πολεμίοις διὰ μάχης ἰέναι καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῶν δια4.13.31 κρίνεσθαι, ὅπη ἂν ᾖ βουλομένῃ τῇ τύχῃ. οὐ γὰρ οὖν οὐδὲ τροφὰς, ὅτι μὴ ὀλίγας, σφίσι τε καὶ τοῖς ἵπποις 4.13.32 τοῖς σφετέροις οἱ στρατιῶται ἐπήγοντο. πορευθέντες δὲ ἐν δυσχωρίᾳ πολλῇ πεντήκοντα μάλιστα σταδίους 4.13.33 ηὐλίσαντο. τοσαύτην τε ὁδὸν ἐς ἡμέραν ἑκάστην ἀνύοντες ἑβδομαῖοι ἀφικνοῦνται ἐς χῶρον, ἔνθα φρούριόν τε παλαιὸν ἦν καὶ ποταμός τις ἀένναος. Ὄρος Ἀσπίδος τῇ σφετέρᾳ γλώσσῃ καλοῦσι Λατῖνοι τὸν 4.13.34 χῶρον. ἐνταῦθα σφίσι στρατοπεδεύεσθαι ἠγγέλλοντο οἱ πολέμιοι, καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐν τῷ χωρίῳ τούτῳ ἐγένοντο πολέμιόν τε οὐδὲν ἀπήντα, στρατοπεδευσάμενοι καὶ ὡς ἐς μάχην παρασκευασάμενοι αὐτοῦ ἔμενον, ἡμερῶν 4.13.35 τε αὐτοῖς ἐνταῦθα τριῶν χρόνος ἐτρίβη. ὡς δὲ οἵ τε πολέμιοι τὸ παράπαν σφίσιν ἐκποδὼν ἵσταντο καὶ τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ἐπελελοίπει, ἐνθύμιον Σολόμωνί τε καὶ τῇ στρατιᾷ πάσῃ ἐγένετο, ὡς ἄρα τις πρὸς Μαυρουσίων 4.13.36 τῶν ξυμμάχων ἐπιβουλὴ ἐς αὐτοὺς γίνοιτο· οἵ γε, καίπερ οὐκ ἀμελετήτως τῆς ἐν Αὐρασίῳ πορείας ἔχοντες, ἐπιστάμενοί τε, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, ὅσα τοῖς πολεμίοις βεβουλευμένα ἐτύγχανεν, ἐς ἑκάστην μὲν αὐτοῖς ἡμέραν λάθρα ἐπειγόμενοι, ὥσπερ ἐλέγετο, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ κατασκοπῆς ἕνεκα ἐς αὐτοὺς πρὸς Ῥωμαίων σταλέντες, οὐδὲν ἀγγεῖλαι ὑγιὲς ἔγνωσαν, ὅπως δὴ μὴ προμαθόντες τροφάς τε σφίσιν ἐς χρόνον πλείω ἔχοντες ἐς ὄρος τὸ Αὐράσιον ἀναβαίνοιεν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα παρασκευά4.13.37 σαιντο ὅπη ἄριστα ἔσεσθαι ἔμελλεν. ὅλως δὲ ἐνέδραν σφίσι πρὸς ἀνδρῶν ξυμμάχων γεγενῆσθαι ὑποτοπήσαντες ἐς δέος ἦλθον, λογιζόμενοι ὡς ἄπιστοι λέγονται εἶναι Μαυρούσιοι φύσει, ἄλλως τε ἡνίκα Ῥωμαίοις ἢ ἄλλοις τισὶ ξυμμαχοῦντες ἐπὶ Μαυρουσίους στρατεύον4.13.38 ται. ὧν δὴ ἐνθυμηθέντες, ἅμα δὲ καὶ λιμῷ πιεζόμενοι, ἐνθένδε τε κατὰ τάχος ἀναχωροῦσιν ἄπρακτοι καὶ ἐς τὸ πεδίον ἀφικόμενοι χαράκωμα ἐποιήσαντο. 4.13.39 Μετὰ δὲ Σολόμων τοῦ στρατοῦ μοῖράν