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killed, and many they captured and brought to Ger4.18.16 manus. However, as many as had not managed to arrive at the hippodrome, gave no indication of their 4.18.17 sentiment for Maximinus. And Germanus no longer thought it right to investigate them, but he inquired if for Maximinus, since he had sworn an oath, the preparations for the plot 4.18.18 had been made. And having been convicted of planning to make the attack all the more effective by being stationed among his own bodyguards, he impaled him somewhere very near the circuit-wall of Carthage, and thus was able to put down the sedition completely. Thus ended the plot of Maximinus. 4.19.1 And the emperor, having recalled Germanus along with both Symmachus and Domnicus, again entrusted all the affairs of Libya to Solomon, in the thirteenth year of his imperial rule; providing him with an army and commanders, both others and Rufinus and Leontius, the sons of Zauas son of Pharesmanas, and 4.19.2 John the son of Sisinniolus. For Martinus and Valerianus had already been recalled to Byzantium previously. 4.19.3 And Solomon, having sailed down to Carthage and having gotten rid of the sedition of Stotzas, both governed with moderation and guarded Libya securely, both organizing the army and, if he found anything suspicious in it, sending them both to Byzantium and to Belisarius, and enrolling new soldiers to their number, and expelling the remaining Vandals and not least all of their women from all of Libya; and he surrounded each city with a wall and, having guarded the laws with much exactness, he preserved the state as much as possible. 4.19.4 And Libya under him became powerful in revenue of money and prosperous in other respects. 4.19.5 And when all things had been arranged for him as best as possible, he marched again against both Iaudas and the Moors in Aurasium. 4.19.6 And first he sent Gontharis, one of his own bodyguards, a man brave in matters of war, with an army. 4.19.7 Who indeed, having arrived at the Abigas river, encamped near Bagais, a deserted city. 4.19.8 And there, having engaged the enemy and having been defeated in battle, he withdrew into the camp and was now being hard pressed by the siege of the Moors. 4.19.9 Then he himself also arrived with the whole army, and when he was sixty stades distant from the camp which Gontharis was commanding, he made a camp and remained there; and having heard all that had happened to Gontharis' men, he sent a portion of the army to them and ordered them to be of good courage and fight it out 4.19.10 with the enemy. But the Moors, having become superior in the engagement, as was said, did the following. 4.19.11 The Abigas river flows from Aurasium, and going down into a plain it waters the land in whatever way the people there may wish. 4.19.12 For the inhabitants lead this stream around wherever they think it will be advantageous for them at the moment, since in this plain there happen to be many channels, into which indeed the Abigas, being both split and going into all of them, is carried under the ground and 4.19.13 again appears above the ground, gathering its stream. And as this happens over most of the plain, it is put in the power of those dwelling there, by stopping up the channels with earth or again by uncovering them, to use the waters of 4.19.14 this river however they wish. Then, therefore, the Moors, having blocked up all the channels there, let the whole stream flow around the camp of the Romans. 4.19.15 From which indeed a deep and impassable swamp having formed, it both astounded them as much as possible 4.19.16 and brought them to a state of perplexity. Having heard these things, Solomon went with speed. And the barbarians, having become afraid, withdrew to the foothill of Aurasium. And in a place, which they call Babosis, they encamped and remained. And having set out, 4.19.17 Solomon came there with the whole army. And having engaged the enemy, and having prevailed by far, he turned them to flight. 4.19.18 And from this the Moors thought it was disadvantageous for them to fight a pitched battle against the Romans; for they did not hope to be superior to them in the battle; but in the difficult terrain of Aurasium they had hope that the Romans, giving up through hardship

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ἔκτεινον, πολλοὺς δὲ παρὰ Γερ4.18.16 μανὸν ζωγρήσαντες ἦγον. ὅσοι μέντοι οὐκ ἔφθησαν εἰς τὸν ἱππόδρομον ἥκοντες, οὐδεμίαν αἴσθησιν τῆς 4.18.17 ἐπὶ Μαξιμίνῳ παρέσχοντο γνώμης. Γερμανὸς δὲ αὐτοὺς μὲν διερευνᾶσθαι οὐκέτι ἠξίου, ἀνεπυνθάνετο δὲ εἰ Μαξιμίνῳ, ἐπειδὴ ὠμωμόκει, τὰ ἐς τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν 4.18.18 ἤσκητο. ἐληλεγμένον τε ὡς ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῦ δορυφόροις ταττόμενος τὴν ἐπίθεσιν ἔτι μᾶλλον ποιοίη, ἄγχιστά πη αὐτὸν τοῦ Καρχηδόνος περιβόλου ἀνεσκολόπισεν οὕτω τε τὴν στάσιν παντάπασιν καταλύειν ἔσχε. Μαξιμίνου μὲν ἡ ἐπιβουλὴ ἐτελεύτησεν ὧδε. 4.19.1 Γερμανὸν δὲ ξύν τε Συμμάχῳ καὶ ∆ομνίκῳ μεταπεμψάμενος βασιλεὺς Σολόμωνι αὖθις ἅπαντα Λιβύης τὰ πράγματα ἐνεχείρισε, τρισκαιδέκατον ἔτος τὴν αὐτοκράτορα ἔχων ἀρχήν· στράτευμά τε αὐτῷ παρασχόμενος καὶ ἄρχοντας ἄλλους τε καὶ Ῥουφῖνον καὶ Λεόντιον, τοὺς Ζαύνα τοῦ Φαρεσμάνου, καὶ 4.19.2 Ἰωάννην τὸν Σισινιόλου υἱόν. Μαρτῖνος γὰρ καὶ Βαλεριανὸς ἤδη πρότερον ἐς Βυζάντιον μετάπεμπτοι 4.19.3 ἦλθον. Σολόμων δὲ καταπλεύσας ἐς Καρχηδόνα καὶ τῆς Στότζα στάσεως ἀπαλλαγεὶς μετρίως τε ἐξηγεῖτο καὶ Λιβύην ἀσφαλῶς διεφύλασσε, διακοσμῶν τε τὸν στρατὸν καὶ εἴ τι μὲν ὕποπτον ἐν αὐτῷ εὕρισκεν, ἔς τε Βυζάντιον καὶ παρὰ Βελισάριον πέμπων, νέους δὲ στρατιώτας εἰς τὸν ἐκείνων ἀριθμὸν καταλέγων καὶ Βανδίλων τοὺς ἀπολελειμμένους καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστά γε αὐτῶν γυναῖκας ἁπάσας ὅλης ἐξοικίζων Λιβύης· πόλιν τε ἑκάστην περιέβαλε τείχει καὶ τοὺς νόμους ξὺν ἀκριβείᾳ φυλάξας πολλῇ τὴν πολιτείαν ὡς μάλιστα 4.19.4 διεσώσατο. καὶ ἐγένετο Λιβύη ἐπ' ἐκείνου χρημάτων τε προσόδῳ δυνατὴ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα εὐδαίμων. 4.19.5 Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἅπαντά οἱ ὡς ἄριστα διετέτακτο, ἐπί τε Ἰαύδαν καὶ τοὺς ἐν Αὐρασίῳ Μαυρουσίους αὖθις 4.19.6 ἐστράτευε. καὶ πρῶτα μὲν Γόνθαριν, τῶν δορυφόρων τῶν αὐτοῦ ἕνα, ἄνδρα ἀγαθὸν τὰ πολέμια, ξὺν στρα4.19.7 τεύματι ἔπεμψεν. ὃς δὴ ἐς Ἀβίγαν ποταμὸν ἀφικόμενος ἐστρατοπεδεύσατο ἀμφὶ Βάγαϊν, πόλιν ἔρημον. 4.19.8 ἐνταῦθά τε τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐς χεῖρας ἐλθὼν καὶ μάχῃ ἡσσηθεὶς ἔς τε τὸ χαράκωμα ἀποχωρήσας τῇ Μαυρου4.19.9 σίων προσεδρείᾳ ἐπιέζετο ἤδη. ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς τῷ παντὶ στρατῷ ἀφικόμενος, ἐπειδὴ σταδίοις ἑξήκοντα τοῦ στρατοπέδου ἀπεῖχεν, οὗ Γόνθαρις ἡγεῖτο, χαράκωμά τε ποιησάμενος αὐτοῦ ἔμενε καὶ τὰ ξυμπεσόντα τοῖς ἀμφὶ Γόνθαριν ἅπαντα ἀκούσας μοῖράν τε αὐτοῖς τοῦ στρατοῦ ἔπεμψε καὶ θαρσοῦντας ἐκέλευε διαμάχε4.19.10 σθαι τοῖς πολεμίοις. οἱ δὲ Μαυρούσιοι καθυπέρτεροι ἐν τῇ ξυμβολῇ, ὥσπερ ἐρρήθη, γενόμενοι ἐποίουν τάδε. 4.19.11 Ἀβίγας ὁ ποταμὸς ῥεῖ μὲν ἐκ τοῦ Αὐρασίου, κατιὼν δὲ ἐς πεδίον ἀρδεύει τὴν γῆν οὕτως ὅπως ἂν βου4.19.12 λομένοις ᾖ τοῖς ταύτῃ ἀνθρώποις. περιάγουσι γὰρ τὸ ῥεῦμα τοῦτο οἱ ἐπιχώριοι ὅποι ποτὲ σφίσιν ἐς τὸ παραυτίκα ξυνοίσειν οἴονται, ἐπεὶ ἐν τῷδε τῷ πεδίῳ ἀπώρυγες συχναὶ τυγχάνουσιν οὖσαι, ἐς ἃς δὴ ὁ Ἀβίγας σχιζόμενός τε καὶ ἐς πάσας ἰὼν ὑπὸ γῆν φέρεται καὶ 4.19.13 αὖθις ὑπὲρ γῆν διαφαίνεται, ξυνάγων τὸ ῥεῦμα. τοῦτό τε ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τοῦ πεδίου ξυμβαῖνον ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ τοῖς ταύτῃ ᾠκημένοις τίθεται εἶναι, ἐπιβύσασι χώματι τοὺς ῥωχμοὺς ἢ αὖθις αὐτοὺς ἀποκαλύψασι τοῖς ὕδασι τοῦ 4.19.14 ποταμοῦ τοῦδε ὅ τι βούλοιντο χρῆσθαι. τότε οὖν ἁπάσας οἱ Μαυρούσιοι τὰς ἐκείνῃ ἀπώρυγας ἀποφράξαντες ἀφιᾶσι τὸ ῥεῦμα ὅλον φέρεσθαι ἀμφὶ τὸ τῶν 4.19.15 Ῥωμαίων στρατόπεδον. ἀφ' οὗ δὴ τέλμα βαθὺ γεγονὸς καὶ ἀπόρευτον ἐξέπληξέ τε αὐτοὺς ὅτι μάλιστα 4.19.16 καὶ ἐς ἀπορίαν κατέστησε. ταῦτα ἀκούσας Σολόμων κατὰ τάχος ᾔει. οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι δείσαντες ἀναχωροῦσιν ἐς τοῦ Αὐρασίου τὸν πρόποδα. καὶ ἐν χώρῳ, ὃν Βάβωσιν καλοῦσι, στρατοπεδευσάμενοι ἔμενον. ἄρας τε 4.19.17 Σολόμων τῷ παντὶ στρατῷ ἐνταῦθα ἧκε. καὶ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐς χεῖρας ἐλθὼν κρατήσας τε παρὰ πολὺ 4.19.18 αὐτῶν ἐς φυγὴν ἔτρεψε. καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ οἱ Μαυρούσιοι μάχην μὲν ἐκ τοῦ ἀντιπάλου πρὸς Ῥωμαίους διενεγκεῖν ἀξύμφορον σφίσιν ᾤοντο εἶναι· οὐ γὰρ αὐτῶν περιέσεσθαι τῇ μάχῃ ἤλπιζον· ἐς δὲ τοῦ Αὐρασίου τὴν δυσχωρίαν ἐλπίδα εἶχον ἀπολέγοντας τῇ ταλαιπωρίᾳ Ῥωμαίους