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in a short time to depart from there just as before.4.19.19 The majority, therefore, went both to the Mauritanians and to the barbarians to the south of the Aurasium, but Iaudas with twenty thousand Moors remained there. And he had happened to build a fortress in Aurasium, Zerboule by name. 4.19.20 Into this, indeed, he entered with all the Moors and kept quiet. But Solomon was by no means willing to waste time in a siege, but learning that the plains around the city of Tamougade were full of ripening grain he led his army against them, and settling down, began to ravage the land. And after burning everything, he returned again to the fortress of Zerboule. 4.19.21 And during this time, in which the Romans were ravaging the land, Iaudas, leaving behind some of the Moors whom he especially thought would be sufficient for the defense of the fortress, himself ascended to the heights of the Aurasium with the rest of his army, so that their provisions might not fail them while being besieged there. 4.19.22 And finding a place held up on all sides by cliffs and covered by precipitous rocks, 4.19.23 Toumar by name, there he kept quiet. And the Romans besieged the fortress of Zerboule for three days. And using their bows, since the wall was not high, they shot many of the barbarians on the battlements. 4.19.24 And by some chance it happened that all the leaders of the Moors, encountering these very missiles, 4.19.25 were killed. But when the period of three days had passed and night came on, the Romans, having learned nothing concerning the death of the leaders among the Moors, 4.19.26 were planning to abandon the siege. For it seemed better to Solomon to go against Iaudas and the multitude of the Moors, thinking that if he could capture them by siege, the barbarians in Zerboule would surrender to them more easily and with less trouble. 4.19.27 But the barbarians, thinking they could no longer withstand the siege, since all their leaders had already been killed, decided to flee with all speed and to abandon the fortress. 4.19.28 At once, therefore, they all fled in silence and giving no indication to the enemy, and the Romans at daybreak were preparing for the withdrawal. 4.19.29 And when no one appeared on the wall, although the enemy were withdrawing, they were astonished and for a long time were at a loss among themselves. 4.19.30 And with this perplexity, going around the fortress, they found the small gate thrown open, from which indeed the Moors had gone in flight. 4.19.31 And entering the fortress they made everything plunder, but they by no means intended to pursue the enemy, men who were lightly equipped and experienced in the places there. 4.19.32 And when they had plundered everything, after establishing guards for the fortress, they all proceeded forward on foot. 4.20.1 And having come to the place Toumar, where indeed the enemy, having shut themselves in, were keeping quiet, they pitched camp somewhere nearby in a difficult place, where they were not likely to be well supplied with water, except for a little, or any other necessity. 4.20.2 And as much time was spent and the barbarians were in no way coming out against them, they themselves, no less, if not even more, were distressed, being hard pressed by the siege. 4.20.3 But most of all they were troubled by the lack of water, which Solomon himself guarded, and he gave nothing else per day, except for one cup to each man. 4.20.4 But when he saw them openly discontented and no longer able to bear the present difficulties, he planned to make an attempt on the place, although it was difficult to approach, and calling all together, he exhorted them as follows: 4.20.5 "Since God has granted to the Romans to besiege the Moors in Aurasium, a thing formerly beyond hope and now completely unbelievable to those who do not see what is being done, it is necessary that we also, serving the assistance from above, do not betray this grace, but by undergoing the danger with zeal, strive for the successes that will come from achieving it. 4.20.6 For the whole turn of human affairs depends on the critical moment; and if anyone, playing the coward, should betray his fortune, he could not rightly blame it, being himself

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χρόνῳ ὀλίγῳ ἐνθένδε ἐξανίστα4.19.19 σθαι ὥσπερ τὸ πρότερον. οἱ μὲν οὖν πολλοὶ ἔς τε Μαυριτανοὺς καὶ ἐς τοὺς πρὸς μεσημβρίαν τοῦ Αὐρασίου βαρβάρους ᾤχοντο, Ἰαύδας δὲ ξὺν Μαυρουσίων δισμυρίοις ἐνταῦθα ἔμενεν. ἐτύγχανε δὲ φρούριον οἰκοδομησάμενος ἐν Αὐρασίῳ, Ζερβούλην ὄνομα. 4.19.20 οὗ δὴ ἐσελθὼν σὺν πᾶσι Μαυρουσίοις ἡσύχαζε. Σολόμων δὲ χρόνον μὲν τρίβεσθαι τῇ πολιορκίᾳ ἥκιστα ἤθελε, μαθὼν δὲ τὰ ἀμφὶ πόλιν Ταμουγάδην πεδία σίτου ἀκμάζοντος ἔμπλεα εἶναι ἐς αὐτὰ ἐπῆγε τὸ στράτευμα καὶ ἐγκαθεζόμενος ἐδῄου τὴν γῆν. πυρπολήσας τε ἅπαντα ἐς Ζερβούλην τὸ φρούριον αὖθις ἀνέστρεψεν. 4.19.21 Ἐν δὲ τῷ χρόνῳ τούτῳ, ᾧ Ῥωμαῖοι ἐδῄουν τὴν γῆν, Ἰαύδας καταλιπὼν Μαυρουσίων τινὰς, οὓς μάλιστα ᾤετο ἐς τοῦ φρουρίου τὴν φυλακὴν ἱκανοὺς ἔσεσθαι, αὐτὸς ἐς τὴν τοῦ Αὐρασίου ὑπερβολὴν ξὺν τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ ἀνέβη, ὅπως μὴ πολιορκουμένους ἐνταῦθα τὰ 4.19.22 ἐπιτήδεια σφᾶς ἐπιλίποι. χῶρόν τε εὑρὼν κρημνοῖς τε πάντοθεν ἀνεχόμενον καὶ πρὸς ἀποτόμων πετρῶν 4.19.23 καλυπτόμενον, Τοῦμαρ ὄνομα, ἐνταῦθα ἡσύχαζε. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ Ζερβούλην τὸ φρούριον ἐς τρεῖς ἐπολιόρκουν ἡμέρας. καὶ τόξοις χρώμενοι, ἅτε οὐχ ὑψηλοῦ ὄντος τοῦ τείχους, πολλοὺς τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἐπάλξεσι βαρβάρων 4.19.24 ἔβαλλον. τύχῃ δέ τινι ξυνέπεσεν ἅπαντας Μαυρουσίων τοὺς ἡγεμόνας τούτοις δὴ ἐντυχόντας τοῖς βέλεσι 4.19.25 θνήσκειν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὅ τε τῶν τριῶν ἡμερῶν χρόνος ἐτρίβη καὶ νὺξ ἐπέλαβε, Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν οὐδὲν τοῦ θανάτου πέρι τῶν ἐν Μαυρουσίοις ἡγεμόνων πυθόμενοι 4.19.26 διαλύειν ἐβουλεύοντο τὴν προσεδρείαν. ἄμεινον γὰρ Σολόμωνι ἐφαίνετο ἐπί τε Ἰαύδαν καὶ Μαυρουσίων τὸ πλῆθος ἰέναι, οἰομένῳ, ἢν ἐκείνους πολιορκίᾳ ἑλεῖν δύνηται, ῥᾷόν τε καὶ ἀπονώτερον τοὺς ἐν Ζερβούλῃ 4.19.27 βαρβάρους προσχωρήσειν σφίσιν. οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι οὐκέτι ἀντέχειν τῇ προσεδρείᾳ οἰόμενοι, ἐπεὶ αὐτοῖς ἅπαντες ἤδη οἱ ἡγεμόνες ἀνῄρηντο, φεύγειν τε κατὰ 4.19.28 τάχος καὶ τὸ φρούριον ἀπολιπεῖν ἔγνωσαν. αὐτίκα γοῦν ἅπαντες σιγῇ τε καὶ οὐδεμίαν τοῖς πολεμίοις αἴσθησιν παρεχόμενοι ἔφευγον, οἵ τε Ῥωμαῖοι ἐς τὴν 4.19.29 ἀναχώρησιν ἅμα ἡμέρᾳ παρεσκευάζοντο. καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐν τῷ τείχει οὐδεὶς, καίπερ πολεμίων ἀναχωρούντων, ἐφαίνετο, ἐθαύμαζόν τε καὶ ἐς ἀλλήλους ἐπὶ πλεῖστον 4.19.30 διηποροῦντο. ξὺν ταύτῃ τε τῇ ἀμηχανίᾳ τὸ φρούριον περιιόντες ἀνακεκλιμένην τὴν πυλίδα εὑρίσκουσιν, ὅθεν 4.19.31 δὴ οἱ Μαυρούσιοι ᾤχοντο φεύγοντες. ἔς τε τὸ φρούριον ἐσελθόντες ἐν ἁρπαγῇ ἅπαντα ἐποιήσαντο, διώκειν μέντοι ἥκιστα τοὺς πολεμίους διενοοῦντο, ἄνδρας κούφως τε ἐσταλμένους καὶ τῶν ἐκείνῃ χωρίων ἐμπείρους. 4.19.32 καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἅπαντα ἐληίσαντο, φύλακας τοῦ φρουρίου καταστησάμενοι πεζῇ ἅπαντες ἐχώρουν πρόσω. 4.20.1 Ἐλθόντες δὲ ἐς Τοῦμαρ τὸν χῶρον, οὗ δὴ καθείρξαντες σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἡσύχαζον οἱ πολέμιοι, ἄγχι που ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο ἐν δυσχωρίᾳ, ἔνθα οὔτε ὕδατος ὅτι μὴ ὀλίγου οὔτε ἄλλου του ἀναγκαίου ἐν εὐπορίᾳ 4.20.2 ἔσεσθαι ἔμελλον. χρόνου δὲ τριβομένου συχνοῦ τῶν τε βαρβάρων οὐδαμῶς σφίσιν ἐπεξιόντων, αὐτοὶ οὐδέν τι ἧσσον, εἰ μὴ καὶ μᾶλλον, τῇ προσεδρείᾳ πιεζόμενοι 4.20.3 ἤσχαλλον. μάλιστα δὲ πάντων τῇ τοῦ ὕδατος ἀπορίᾳ ἤχθοντο, ὃ δὴ αὐτὸς Σολόμων ἐφύλασσε, καὶ ἄλλο οὐδὲν ἐς ἡμέραν ἐδίδου, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι κύλικα μίαν 4.20.4 ἀνδρὶ ἑκάστῳ. ὡς δὲ αὐτοὺς εἶδε δυσανασχετοῦντάς τε ἐκ τοῦ ἐμφανοῦς καὶ τὰ παρόντα δυσχερῆ φέρειν οὐκέτι οἵους τε ὄντας, ἀποπειρᾶσθαί τε τοῦ χωρίου, καίπερ δυσπροσόδου ὄντος, διενοεῖτο καὶ ξυγκαλέσας 4.20.5 ἅπαντας παρεκελεύσατο ὧδε «Ἐπειδὴ δέδωκεν ὁ θεὸς «Ῥωμαίοις ἐν Αὐρασίῳ Μαυρουσίους πολιορκεῖν, πρᾶγμα «πρότερόν τε κρεῖσσον ἐλπίδος καὶ νῦν τοῖς γε οὐχ «ὁρῶσι τὰ δρώμενα παντελῶς ἄπιστον, ἀναγκαῖον καὶ «ἡμᾶς τῇ ἄνωθεν ὑπουργοῦντας ἐπικουρίᾳ ταύτην δὴ «μὴ καταπροδιδόναι τὴν χάριν, ἀλλ' ὑφισταμένους σὺν «προθυμίᾳ τὸν κίνδυνον τῶν ἐκ τοῦ κατορθώσειν 4.20.6 «εὐτυχημάτων ἐφίεσθαι. ὡς πᾶσα μὲν τῶν ἀνθρω»πείων πραγμάτων ῥοπὴ ἐς τοῦ καιροῦ τὴν ἀκμὴν «περιίσταται· ἢν δέ τις ἐθελοκακήσας προδιδοίη τὴν «τύχην, οὐκ ἂν αὐτὴν αἰτιῷτο δικαίως, αὐτὸς