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were committing outrages. Then Theodore the Cappadocian, having been sent by Solomon, tried to console and tame them, but they paid no heed 4.14.33 to what was said. Now this Theodore 4.14.34 was suspected of enmity and plotting against Solomon. For this reason the mutineers immediately acclaimed him their general, and with him, bearing arms and making a great uproar, they came with all speed 4.14.35 to the Palace. There they killed another Theodore, who commanded the guards, a man who had reached the pinnacle of every other virtue and was exceptionally skilled in 4.14.36 warfare. And when they had had this taste of murder, they then killed everyone in their path, whether Libyan or Roman, an acquaintance of Solomon or one with money in his hands, and from there they turned to plundering, and going up into the houses, where no soldiers were defending them, they seized all the most valuable things, until night came on and drunkenness, succeeding their toil, put a stop to it. 4.14.37 But Solomon escaped notice by taking refuge in the sanctuary, which is a large one in the Palace, where Martinus also came to him about 4.14.38 late afternoon. And when all the mutineers were asleep, they came out of the sanctuary and went to the house of Theodore of Cappadocia, who forced them to dine, though they were not at all eager, and conveying them to the harbour, he put them into a ship’s boat, which, as it happened, had been prepared there for Martinus. 4.14.39 Procopius, who wrote this history, followed, 4.14.40 and about five men from Solomon’s household. And having completed three hundred stades, they arrived at Misoua, the port of the Carthaginians, and when they were in safety, Solomon immediately ordered Martinus to go to Numidia to Valerian and the other commanders, and to try, if he could in any way, by winning over some of their own soldiers either with money or by some other means, to bring them over to loyalty to the emperor. 4.14.41 And he sent a letter to Theodore, instructing him to take care of Carthage and to manage all other matters as he might think possible, and he himself with Procopius went to Belisarius in Syracuse. 4.14.42 And having reported to him everything that had happened in Libya, he begged him to go with all speed to Carthage and to assist the emperor, who was suffering these unholy deeds at the hands of his own soldiers. And Solomon did these things. 4.15.1 But the mutineers, after plundering everything in Carthage and assembling on the Plain of Boulla, chose Stotzas, one of the bodyguards of Martinus, as tyrant for themselves, a man of spirit and energy, on the condition that they would drive out the emperor’s commanders and gain control of all Libya. 4.15.2 And he, after arming the entire force, which came to about eight thousand men, led it against Carthage, expecting to subdue the city very soon and without any 4.15.3 trouble. He also sent to the Vandals, both those who had escaped from Byzantium with the ships and all who had not followed Belisarius from the beginning, either having escaped notice, or because those who were escorting the Vandals at that time had held them in no account. 4.15.4 They were no fewer than a thousand, and they came with eagerness to the camp of Stotzas before long. A large crowd of slaves also came to him. 4.15.5 And when they came near Carthage, Stotzas sent men, ordering them to surrender the city to him as quickly as possible, 4.15.6 on the condition that they should remain unharmed. But the people in Carthage and Theodore, flatly refusing these terms, agreed to guard Carthage for the emperor. 4.15.7 And sending to him Joseph, who was a not undistinguished secretary of the imperial guards and a member of Belisarius’ household, and who had recently been sent to them at Carthage on some business, they demanded that he not press them 4.15.8 further. But Stotzas, when he heard this, immediately killed Joseph and began a siege. And the people in the city, terrified by the danger, were planning by agreement to hand over both themselves and Carthage to Stotzas. So, then, this was the state of the army of Libya. 4.15.9 But Belisarius, having selected one hundred men from his own bodyguards and shield-bearers and taking Solomon with him, sailed into Carthage with a single ship

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ὕβριζον. ἔνθα δὴ πρὸς Σολόμωνος σταλεὶς Θεόδωρος ὁ Καππαδόκης παρηγορεῖν τε καὶ τιθασσεύειν αὐτοὺς ἐνεχείρει, οὐδέν τι 4.14.33 ἐπαΐοντας τῶν λεγομένων. ἦν δέ τις Θεοδώρῳ τούτῳ 4.14.34 δυσμένειά τε καὶ ἐπιβουλῆς ὑποψία ἐς Σολόμωνα. διὸ δὴ οἱ στασιῶται στρατηγόν τε αὐτὸν σφίσιν αὐτίκα τῇ βοῇ ἐψηφίσαντο, καὶ ξὺν αὐτῷ σιδηροφοροῦντες καὶ θορύβῳ πολλῷ χρώμενοι ἐς τὸ Παλάτιον κατὰ 4.14.35 τάχος ἧκον. ἔνθα δὴ Θεόδωρον μὲν ἕτερον, ὃς τῶν φυλάκων ἡγεῖτο, κτείνουσιν, ἄνδρα τῆς τε ἄλλης ἀρετῆς ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἥκοντα καὶ διαφερόντως ἀγαθὸν τὰ 4.14.36 πολέμια. ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦ φόνου τούτου ἐγεύσαντο, ἅπαντα ἤδη τὸν ἐν ποσὶν ἔκτεινον, εἴτε Λίβυν εἴτε Ῥωμαῖον, Σολόμωνι γνώριμον εἴτε χρήματα ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντα, ἐνθένδε τε ἐς τὸ ληίζεσθαι ἀπεχώρησαν, ἀναβαίνοντες δὲ ἐς τὰς οἰκίας, ἔνθα δὴ μὴ στρατιῶται ἠμύνοντο, ἅπαντα τὰ τιμιώτατα ἥρπαζον, ἄχρι νύξ τε ἐπιγενομένη καὶ μέθη τὸν πόνον διαδεξαμένη κατέπαυσε. 4.14.37 Σολόμων δὲ ἐς τὸ ἱερὸν, ὅ ἐστι μέγα ἐν Παλατίῳ, καταφυγὼν ἔλαθεν, ἔνθα δὴ καὶ Μαρτῖνος αὐτῷ ἀμφὶ 4.14.38 δείλην ὀψίαν ἦλθεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ οἱ στασιῶται πάντες ἐκάθευδον, ἐξελθόντες ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ ἐς τὴν Θεοδώρου τοῦ ἐκ Καππαδοκίας οἰκίαν ἦλθον, ὃς αὐτοὺς δειπνῆσαί τε οὔ τι προθυμουμένους ἠνάγκασε, καὶ ἐς τὸν λιμένα διακομίσας ἐς λέμβον νεὼς δή τινος ἐσεκόμισεν, ὃς δὴ ἐνταῦθα Μαρτίνῳ παρεσκευασμένος ἐτύγχα4.14.39 νεν. εἵποντο δὲ Προκόπιός τε, ὃς τάδε ξυνέγραψε, 4.14.40 καὶ τῆς Σολόμωνος οἰκίας ἄνδρες πέντε μάλιστα. σταδίους τε τριακοσίους ἀνύσαντες ἀφίκοντο ἐς Μισούαν τὸ Καρχηδονίων ἐπίνειον, καὶ ἐπεὶ ἐγένοντο ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ, αὐτίκα Σολόμων ἐκέλευε Μαρτῖνον ἐς Νουμιδίαν παρὰ Βαλεριανόν τε καὶ τῶν ξυναρχόντων τοὺς ἄλλους ἰέναι, πειρᾶσθαί τε, εἴ πως δύναιτο αὐτῶν ἕκαστος τῶν τινας γνωρίμων στρατιωτῶν ἢ χρήμασιν ἢ τρόπῳ ἑτέρῳ τῳ ὑπελθὼν ἐς εὔνοιαν τὴν 4.14.41 βασιλέως μεταγαγεῖν. καὶ πρὸς Θεόδωρον γράμματα ἔπεμπε, Καρχηδόνος τε ἐπιστέλλων ἐπιμελεῖσθαι καὶ τὰ ἄλλα διέπειν ὅπη ἂν αὐτῷ δοκῇ δυνατὰ εἶναι, αὐτὸς δὲ ξὺν Προκοπίῳ παρὰ Βελισάριον ἐς Συρα4.14.42 κούσας ἀφίκετο. ἅπαντά τε αὐτῷ ἀγγείλας, ὅσα ἐν Λιβύῃ γενέσθαι ξυνέπεσεν, ἐδεῖτο κατὰ τάχος ἰέναι τε ἐς Καρχηδόνα καὶ βασιλεῖ ἀμῦναι πάσχοντι πρὸς στρατιωτῶν τῶν αὐτοῦ τὰ ἀνόσια. καὶ Σολόμων μὲν ταῦτα ἐποίει. 4.15.1 Οἱ δὲ στασιῶται τὰ ἐν Καρχηδόνι ἅπαντα ληισάμενοι ἔς τε τὸ Βούλλης ξυλλεγέντες πεδίον Στότζαν, τῶν Μαρτίνου δορυφόρων ἕνα, τύραννον σφίσιν εἵλοντο, ἄνδρα θυμοειδῆ καὶ δραστήριον, ἐφ' ᾧ τοὺς βασιλέως ἄρχοντας ἐξελάσαντες Λιβύης πάσης 4.15.2 κρατήσουσιν. ὁ δὲ ἅπαν ἐξοπλίσας τὸ στράτευμα, ἐς ὀκτακισχιλίους μάλιστα ξυνιὸν, ἐπὶ Καρχηδόνα ἐπῆγεν, ὡς τὴν πόλιν αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα παραστησόμενος οὐδενὶ 4.15.3 πόνῳ. ἔπεμπε δὲ καὶ ἐς Βανδίλους τούς τε ἐκ Βυζαντίου σὺν ταῖς ναυσὶν ἀποδράντας καὶ ὅσοι οὐχ εἵποντο Βελισαρίῳ τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ἢ διαλαθόντες, ἢ ὅτι οἱ Βανδίλους τηνικαῦτα παραπέμποντες ἐν λόγῳ αὐ4.15.4 τοὺς οὐδενὶ ἐποιήσαντο. ἦσαν δὲ οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ χίλιοι, οἳ οὐκ ἐς μακρὰν τῷ Στότζᾳ ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον ξὺν προθυμίᾳ ἦλθον. ἀφίκετο δέ οἱ καὶ δούλων πολύς 4.15.5 τις ὅμιλος. καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐγένοντο Καρχηδόνος ἐγγὺς, ἔπεμψεν ὁ Στότζας, κελεύων οἱ ὡς τάχιστα παραδοῦ4.15.6 ναι τὴν πόλιν, ἐφ' ᾧ κακῶν ἀπαθεῖς μείνωσιν. οἱ δὲ ἐν Καρχηδόνι καὶ Θεόδωρος, πρὸς ταῦτα ἄντικρυς ἀπειπόντες, βασιλεῖ ὡμολόγουν Καρχηδόνα φυλάσσειν. 4.15.7 πέμψαντές τε παρ' αὐτὸν Ἰωσήφιον, τῶν τε βασιλέως φυλάκων γραμματέα οὐκ ἀφανῆ γεγονότα καὶ τῆς Βελισαρίου οἰκίας ὄντα, κατὰ χρείαν δέ τινα πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐς Καρχηδόνα ἔναγχος ἐσταλμένον, ἠξίουν μὴ σφᾶς 4.15.8 περαιτέρω βιάζεσθαι. Στότζας δὲ, ἐπεὶ ταῦτα ἤκουσεν, Ἰωσήφιόν τε αὐτίκα ἔκτεινε καὶ ἐς πολιορκίαν καθίστατο. κατορρωδήσαντές τε οἱ ἐν τῇ πόλει τὸν κίνδυνον, σφᾶς τε αὐτοὺς καὶ Καρχηδόνα Στότζᾳ ἐγχειρίσαι ὁμολογίᾳ διενοοῦντο. τὸ μὲν οὖν Λιβύης στρατόπεδον ἐφέρετο τῇδε. 4.15.9 Βελισάριος δὲ, ἄνδρας ἀπολέξας τῶν αὑτοῦ δορυφόρων τε καὶ ὑπασπιστῶν ἑκατὸν καὶ Σολόμωνα ἐπαγόμενος, μιᾷ νηὶ ἐς Καρχηδόνα κατέπλευσε