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about the time of the lighting of the lamps, when the besiegers were expecting that the city would be handed over to them on the next day. And with this hope 4.15.10 they bivouacked that night. But when day had come and they learned that Belisarius was present, breaking camp as quickly as possible, they rushed into flight both shamefully and in no 4.15.11 order. But Belisarius, having gathered about two thousand of the army and having urged them to loyalty to the emperor with words and having strengthened them with much money, made the pursuit against the fugitives. 4.15.12 And he overtakes them at the city of Membresa, distant from Carthage by three hundred and fifty stades. 4.15.13 There indeed both sides, having encamped, prepared for battle, those with Belisarius at the river Bagradas, and the others having made their stockade in a place both high and difficult. 4.15.14 For neither side 4.15.15 decided to enter the city, since it happened to be unwalled. On the next day they proceeded to the encounter, the mutineers trusting in their own numbers, and those with Belisarius despising the enemy as being senseless and without a general. 4.15.16 And Belisarius, wishing to deposit these things firmly in the minds of the soldiers, calling them all together, spoke as follows: "The situation for the emperor and 4.15.17 the Romans, fellow-soldiers, is below hope and prayer. For we have now come to an encounter from which we shall not have even victory without tears, marching against 4.15.18 kinsmen and comrades. We have 4.15.19 this comfort for the evil, that we are not ourselves beginning the battle, but are entering the danger in self-defence. For he who has made the plot against his dearest friends and has dissolved the kinship by what he has done, does not die at the hands of friends, if he should perish, but having come to be in the lot of an enemy, he pays the penalty to those he has wronged. 4.15.20 And that the enemy are foes and barbarians and whatever more dreadful one might say is shewn not only by Libya, having come as plunder under their hands, nor by those inhabiting it having been destroyed by them unjustly, but also by the multitude of Roman soldiers whom these enemies dared to kill, alleging against them one charge: loyalty to the state; 4.15.21 for whom we now as avengers have come against them, having with good reason become enemies to those who were once most dear. 4.15.22 For by nature none of all men would be friendly or hostile to each other, but the deeds of each, either joining them in alliance through similarity of character or separating them into hostility through difference of opinion, make them friends, as it may be, or enemies to one another. 4.15.23 That we are marching, then, against unholy men and enemies, you understand sufficiently; but that they are worthy to be despised by us, I shall make clear. 4.15.24 For a crowd of men not coming together by law, but gathered together out of injustice, is least of all suited to be brave, since excellence is in no way able to dwell with lawlessness, but always stands aloof from what is not holy. 4.15.25 Moreover, they will not even maintain good order, nor 4.15.26 will they listen to the commands of Stotzas. For a tyranny just being established and not yet having received the authority to be confident 4.15.27 must needs be despised by its subjects. For it is not honoured with loyalty, since tyranny is by nature hated, nor does it lead its subjects by fear; for fear has taken away its boldness. 4.15.28 And since the enemy are destitute of excellence and good order, it is easy for them to be defeated. Therefore, with much contempt, as I said, it is fitting for us to go against these 4.15.29 enemies. For the victory of war is wont to be measured not by the multitude of the combatants, but by order and by courage." 4.15.30 Belisarius said so much. And Stotzas exhorted them thus: "Men, who with me have become free from slavery to the Romans, let none of you think it unworthy to die for the liberty 4.15.31 which you have obtained by courage and other excellence. For it is not so terrible to end one's life growing old with evils the

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περὶ λύχνων ἁφὰς, ἡνίκα τὴν πόλιν οἱ πολιορκοῦντες σφίσιν ἐγχειριεῖσθαι τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ἐκαραδόκουν. ἐν ἐλπίδι τε ταῦτα 4.15.10 ἔχοντες τὴν νύκτα ἐκείνην ηὐλίσαντο. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡμέρα τε ἐγεγόνει καὶ Βελισάριον παρεῖναι ἔμαθον, λύσαντες ὡς τάχιστα τὸ στρατόπεδον αἰσχρῶς τε καὶ κόσμῳ 4.15.11 οὐδενὶ ἐς φυγὴν ὥρμηντο. Βελισάριος δὲ τοῦ στρατοῦ ἀμφὶ δισχιλίους ἀγείρας καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐς εὔνοιαν τὴν βασιλέως λόγοις τε ὁρμήσας καὶ χρήμασι πολλοῖς ἐπιρρώσας τὴν δίωξιν ἐπὶ τοὺς φεύγοντας ἐποιήσατο. 4.15.12 καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐς Μέμβρησαν πόλιν καταλαμβάνει, πεντήκοντα καὶ τριακοσίοις σταδίοις Καρχηδόνος διέχουσαν. 4.15.13 ἔνθα δὴ ἑκάτεροι στρατοπεδευσάμενοι ἐς μάχην παρεσκευάζοντο, οἱ μὲν ἀμφὶ Βελισάριον ἐς ποταμὸν Βαγράδαν, οἱ δὲ ἕτεροι ἐν χωρίῳ ὑψηλῷ τε καὶ δυσκόλῳ τὸ 4.15.14 χαράκωμα ποιησάμενοι. ἐς γὰρ τὴν πόλιν οὐδέτεροι 4.15.15 εἰσελθεῖν ἔγνωσαν, ἐπεὶ ἀτείχιστος οὖσα ἐτύγχανε. τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ καθίσταντο ἐς τὴν ξυμβολὴν, οἱ μὲν στασιῶται πλήθει τῷ σφετέρῳ πιστεύοντες, οἱ δὲ ἀμφὶ Βελισάριον ἅτε ἀφρόνων τε καὶ ἀστρατηγήτων ὑπερ4.15.16 φρονοῦντες τῶν πολεμίων. ἃ δὴ Βελισάριος ταῖς τῶν στρατιωτῶν διανοίαις ἐναποθέσθαι βουλόμενος βεβαίως ἅπαντας ξυγκαλέσας ἔλεξε τάδε «Ἐλπίδος μὲν καὶ «εὐχῆς ἧσσον, ἄνδρες συστρατιῶται, βασιλεῖ τε καὶ 4.15.17 «Ῥωμαίοις τὰ πράγματα ἔχει. ἐς ξυμβολὴν γὰρ τανῦν «ἥκομεν, ἐξ ἧς οὐδὲ τὸ νικᾶν ἄκλαυστον ἕξομεν, ἐπὶ 4.15.18 «ξυγγενεῖς τε καὶ ξυντρόφους στρατεύοντες. ἔχομεν «δὲ τοῦ κακοῦ παραψυχὴν τήνδε, οἷς γε οὐ τῆς μάχης «ἄρχοντες αὐτοὶ, ἀλλ' ἀμυνόμενοι ἐς τὸν κίνδυνον 4.15.19 «καθιστάμεθα. ὁ γὰρ ἐς τοὺς φιλτάτους τὴν ἐπιβου»λὴν ποιησάμενος καὶ τὸ ξυγγενὲς διαλύσας οἷς ἔδρα»σεν, οὐ πρὸς τῶν φίλων, ἢν ἀπόληται, θνήσκει, ἀλλ' «ἐν πολεμίου γεγονὼς μοίρᾳ τοῖς ἠδικημένοις ἐκτίνει 4.15.20 «τὴν δίκην. πολεμίους δὲ καὶ βαρβάρους καὶ ὅ τι «ἄν τις εἴποι δεινότερον εἶναι δείκνυσι τοὺς ἐναντίους «οὐ Λιβύη μόνον ὑπὸ ταῖς τούτων χερσὶν ἐς λείαν «ἐλθοῦσα, οὐδὲ οἱ ταύτην οἰκοῦντες οὐ δέον παρ' «ἐκείνων ἀνῃρημένοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν «πλῆθος, οὓς οἱ δυσμενεῖς οὗτοι κτείνειν ἐτόλμησαν, «μίαν αὐτοῖς αἰτίαν τὴν ἐς τὴν πολιτείαν ἐπικαλέσαν4.15.21 «τες εὔνοιαν· οἷς νῦν τιμωροῦντες ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἥκομεν, «δυσμενεῖς εἰκότως τοῖς πάλαι φιλτάτοις γενόμενοι. 4.15.22 «φύσει μὲν γὰρ οὐδένες τῶν πάντων ἀνθρώπων «οἰκείως ἂν ἢ ἐναντίως ἀλλήλοις ἔχοιεν, αἱ δὲ πράξεις «ἑκάστων ἢ τῷ ὁμοτρόπῳ ἐς ξυμμαχίαν ξυνάπτουσαι «ἢ τῷ διαλλάσσοντι τῆς γνώμης ἐς τὸ δυσμενὲς διακρί»νουσαι φίλους, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι, ἢ πολεμίους ἀλλήλοις 4.15.23 «ποιοῦσιν. ὡς μὲν οὖν ἐπ' ἀνθρώπους ἀνοσίους τε «καὶ πολεμίους στρατεύομεν, ἱκανῶς ἔχετε, ὡς δὲ κα»ταφρονεῖσθαί εἰσι παρ' ἡμῶν ἄξιοι, ἐγὼ δηλώσω. 4.15.24 «ὅμιλος γὰρ ἀνθρώπων οὐ νόμῳ συνιόντων, ἀλλ' ἐκ «τοῦ ἀδίκου ξυνειλεγμένων ἀνδραγαθίζεσθαι ἥκιστα «πέφυκεν, οὐδαμῶς τῆς ἀρετῆς τῷ παρανόμῳ ξυνοικίζε»σθαι δυναμένης, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ τῶν οὐχ ὁσίων ἀφιστα4.15.25 «μένης. οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τὴν εὐκοσμίαν φυλάξουσιν οὐδὲ 4.15.26 «τῶν ὑπὸ Στότζα παραγγελλομένων ἀκούσουσι. τυραν»νίδα γὰρ ἄρτι καθισταμένην καὶ οὔπω τὴν τοῦ θαρ»σεῖν ἐξουσίαν λαβοῦσαν ὑπερορᾶσθαι πρὸς τῶν ἀρ4.15.27 «χομένων ἀνάγκη. οὔτε γὰρ εὐνοίᾳ τετίμηται, ἐπεὶ «μισεῖσθαι ἡ τυραννὶς πέφυκεν, οὔτε φόβῳ ἄγει τοὺς «ὑπηκόους· ἀφείλετο γὰρ αὐτῆς τὴν παρρησίαν τὸ δε4.15.28 «διέναι. ἀρετῆς δὲ καὶ εὐκοσμίας ἀπολελειμμένων «τῶν πολεμίων ἡσσᾶσθαι πρόχειρον. πολλῷ τοίνυν, «ὅπερ εἶπον, τῷ καταφρονήματι ἐπὶ τούσδε ἡμᾶς τοὺς 4.15.29 «πολεμίους ἰέναι προσήκει. οὐ γὰρ τῷ πλήθει τῶν «μαχομένων, ἀλλὰ τάξει τε καὶ ἀνδρίᾳ φιλεῖ διαμε»τρεῖσθαι τὸ τοῦ πολέμου κράτος.» 4.15.30 Βελισάριος μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπε. Στότζας δὲ παρεκελεύσατο ὧδε «Ἄνδρες, οἳ ξὺν ἐμοὶ τῆς ἐς Ῥωμαίους «δουλείας ἔξω γεγένησθε, μηδεὶς ὑμῶν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐλευ»θερίας ἀπαξιούτω θνήσκειν, ἧς ἀνδρίᾳ τε καὶ τῇ 4.15.31 «ἄλλῃ ἀρετῇ τετυχήκατε. οὐ γὰρ οὕτω δεινὸν τὸ τοῖς «κακοῖς ξυγγηράσκοντα τελευτῆσαι τὸν