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the fifth came. And since none of the enemy came out against them, they plundered and carried off everything without fear. Then Antalas wrote a letter to the emperor Justinian. 4.22.7 The letter declared the following: “That I am a slave of your empire I myself would not deny, but the Moors, having suffered unholy deeds from Solomon under a truce, have been forced, as much as possible, to be in arms, not rising up against you in these things, but defending ourselves against our enemy, 4.22.8 and I especially. For not only did he decide to deprive me of the provisions, which long ago both Belisarius had appointed for me and you have given, but he also killed my brother, though he had no wrongdoing to charge him with. 4.22.9 So we have taken our vengeance from the one who wronged us. But if it is your wish for the Moors to be slaves to your empire and to serve in all things as they are accustomed, command Sergius, the nephew of Solomon, to depart from here and return to you, and send another 4.22.10 general to Libya. For you will not lack men both intelligent and in every way more worthy than Sergius; for as long as this man commands your army, it is impossible for peace to be established between 4.22.11 the Romans and the Moors.” Antalas wrote so much. But the emperor, after reading these things and learning of the common hatred of all toward Sergius, was still not willing to remove him from his command, out of respect for Solomon's other virtue and the end of his life. So these things were proceeding in this way. 4.22.12 But Solomon, the brother of Sergius, being thought to have perished from the world with his uncle Solomon, was neglected both by the others and by his brother; for no one 4.22.13 knew he was alive. But the Moors had happened to take him alive, since he was very young, and they inquired of him 4.22.14 who he was. And he said that he was a Vandal by race, and a slave of Solomon. He said, however, that he had a friend, one of the physicians, Pegasius by name, in the city of Laribus, which was somewhere nearby, who would buy him 4.22.15 by paying the ransom. The Moors, therefore, coming very near the circuit-wall of the city, both called Pegasius and showed him Solomon, and asked 4.22.16 if it was his pleasure to buy him. And when he agreed to buy him, they sold Solomon to him for fifty gold pieces. 4.22.17 But once inside the circuit-wall, Solomon mocked the Moors, as having been deceived by him, a mere boy. For he said he was Solomon himself, the son of Bacchus and nephew of Solomon. 4.22.18 But the Moors, greatly distressed by what had happened and considering it a terrible thing that, having a powerful hostage of Sergius and the Romans, they then let him go so carelessly, came to Laribus and set about besieging it, so that they might capture Solomon along with the city. 4.22.19 But the besieged, dreading the siege of the barbarians, and since they had not brought in provisions, entered into negotiations with the Moors, on the condition that by paying a great sum of money they should immediately lift 4.22.20 the siege. And they, thinking they could not take the city by force, since the Moors are in no way practiced in storming walls, and not at all realizing that the besieged were short of provisions, accepted the negotiations and, having received three thousand gold pieces, they broke off the siege, and the Leuathae all withdrew to their homes. 4.23.1 But Antalas and the army of the Moors were gathering again in Byzacium, and Stotzas was with them, having some few soldiers and Vandals. 4.23.2 But John, the son of Sisinniolus, at the earnest entreaty of the Libyans, 4.23.3 raised an army and came against them. Now Himerius the Thracian happened to be the commander of the troops in Byzacium, whom John then commanded to bring all the troops in that region, along with the leaders of each, and come to the place Menephesse, which is in Byzacium, to join forces with them. 4.23.4 But later, hearing that the enemy was encamped there, he wrote to Himerius, explaining what had happened and instructing him to join them elsewhere, so that not alone, but

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πεμπτος ἦλθεν. ἐπεί τε οὐδεὶς σφίσιν ἐπεξῄει τῶν πολεμίων, ἦγόν τε καὶ ἔφερον ληιζόμενοι ἀδεῶς ἅπαντα. τότε Ἀντάλας Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ γράμματα 4.22.7 ἔγραψεν. ἐδήλου δὲ ἡ γραφὴ τάδε «∆οῦλος μὲν εἶναι «τῆς σῆς βασιλείας οὐκ ἂν οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ἀρνηθείην, «Μαυρούσιοι δὲ πρὸς Σολόμωνος ἐν σπονδαῖς πεπον»θότες ἀνόσις ἔργα, ἐν ὅπλοις ὡς μάλιστα ἠναγκασμένοι «γεγόνασιν, οὔ σοι ταῦτα ἀνταίροντες, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐχθρὸν 4.22.8 «ἀμυνόμενοι, καὶ διαφερόντως ἐγώ. οὐ γὰρ μόνον με «τῶν σιτήσεων ἀποστερεῖν ἔγνω, ἅσπερ μοι πολλῷ «πρότερον χρόνῳ Βελισάριός τε διώρισε καὶ σὺ δέδω»κας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν τὸν ἐμὸν ἔκτεινεν, οὐδὲν 4.22.9 «ἀδίκημα αὐτῷ ἐπενεγκεῖν ἔχων. τὴν μὲν οὖν δίκην «παρὰ τοῦ ἠδικηκότος ἡμᾶς λαβόντες ἔχομεν. εἰ δέ «σοι βουλομένῳ ἐστὶ δουλεύειν τε Μαυρουσίους τῇ «σῇ βασιλείᾳ καὶ πάντα ὑπηρετεῖν ᾗπερ εἰώθασι, Σέρ»γιον μὲν τὸν τοῦ Σολόμωνος ἀδελφιδοῦν ἐνθένδε «ἀπαλλαγέντα ἐπανήκειν παρὰ σὲ κέλευε, ἄλλον δὲ 4.22.10 «στρατηγὸν εἰς Λιβύην πέμπε. οὐ γάρ σε ἐπιλείψουσιν «ἄνδρες ξυνετοί τε καὶ Σεργίου τῷ παντὶ ἀξιώτεροι· «ἕως γὰρ οὗτος τῷ σῷ ἐξηγεῖται στρατῷ, εἰρήνην ἔς «τε Ῥωμαίους καὶ Μαυρουσίους ξυνίστασθαι ἀμήχανά 4.22.11 «ἐστιν.» Ἀντάλας μὲν τοσαῦτα ἔγραψε. βασιλεὺς δὲ ταῦτα ἀναλεξάμενος καὶ μαθὼν τὸ κοινὸν ἁπάντων ἐς Σέργιον ἔχθος, οὐδ' ὣς παραλύειν αὐτὸν τῆς ἀρχῆς ἤθελε, Σολόμωνος τήν τε ἄλλην ἀρετὴν καὶ τὴν τοῦ βίου καταστροφὴν αἰσχυνόμενος. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐφέρετο τῇδε. 4.22.12 Σολόμων δὲ, ὁ Σεργίου ἀδελφὸς, δόξας ξὺν τῷ θείῳ Σολόμωνι ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀφανισθῆναι, πρός τε τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἠμελήθη· οὐ γάρ τις 4.22.13 αὐτὸν περιόντα ἔγνω. ἐτύγχανον δὲ ζωγρήσαντες αὐτὸν ἅτε νέον κομιδῆ ὄντα, Μαυρούσιοι, καὶ αὐτοῦ 4.22.14 ἀνεπυνθάνοντο ὅστις ποτὲ εἴη. ὁ δὲ Βανδίλος μὲν γένος, Σολόμωνος δὲ δοῦλος ἔφασκεν εἶναι. φίλον μέντοι τῶν τινα ἰατρῶν, Πηγάσιον ὄνομα, εἶναί οἱ ἐν πόλει Λαρίβῳ, πλησίον που οὔσῃ, ὃς αὐτὸν ὠνήσαιτο 4.22.15 τὰ λύτρα διδούς. οἱ μὲν οὖν Μαυρούσιοι ἄγχιστα τοῦ τῆς πόλεως περιβόλου γενόμενοι ἐκάλουν τε τὸν Πηγάσιον καί οἱ Σολόμωνα ἐπεδείκνυον, ἠρώτων τε 4.22.16 εἴ οἱ τοῦτον ὠνεῖσθαι πρὸς ἡδονῆς ἐστι. καὶ ἐπεὶ ὡμολόγει ὠνήσεσθαι, πεντήκοντά οἱ χρυσῶν ἀπέδοντο 4.22.17 τὸν Σολόμωνα. ἐντὸς δὲ τοῦ περιβόλου γενόμενος Σολόμων τοὺς Μαυρουσίους ἅτε πρὸς αὐτοῦ μειρακίου ὄντος ἐξηπατημένους, ἐτώθαζεν. αὐτὸς γὰρ Σολόμων ἔφασκεν, ὁ Βάκχου μὲν παῖς, Σολόμωνος δὲ ἀδελφιδοῦς 4.22.18 εἶναι. Μαυρούσιοι δὲ τοῖς τε ξυμπεσοῦσι περιαλγοῦντες καὶ δεινὰ ποιούμενοι, ὅτι δὴ Σεργίου τε καὶ Ῥωμαίων ἐνέχυρον κρατερὸν ἔχοντες εἶτα οὕτω παρέργως ἀφῆκαν, ἐς Λάριβόν τε ἀφίκοντο καὶ αὐτῆς ἐς πολιορκίαν κατέστησαν, ὅπως τὸν Σολόμωνα ξὺν τῇ πόλει αἱρή4.22.19 σουσιν. οἱ δὲ πολιορκούμενοι τῶν βαρβάρων τὴν προσεδρείαν κατορρωδήσαντες, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ἐσκομισάμενοι ἔτυχον, τοῖς Μαυρουσίοις ἐς λόγους ἦλθον, ἐφ' ᾧ χρήματα μεγάλα περιβαλλόμενοι τὴν 4.22.20 προσεδρείαν εὐθὺς διαλύσωσιν. οἱ δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἑλεῖν βίᾳ τὴν πόλιν οἰόμενοι, ἐπεὶ Μαυρουσίοις τειχομαχεῖν οὐδαμῆ ἤσκηται, σπανίζειν τε τὰ ἐπιτήδεια τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις ἥκιστα ἔγνωσαν, τούς τε λόγους ἐνεδέχοντο καὶ τρισχιλίους κεκομισμένοι χρυσοῦς τὴν πολιορκίαν διέλυσαν, καὶ οἱ Λευάθαι ἐπ' οἴκου ξύμπαντες ἀνεχώρησαν. 4.23.1 Ἀντάλας δὲ καὶ ὁ τῶν Μαυρουσίων στρατὸς ξυνελέγοντο αὖθις ἐν Βυζακίῳ, καὶ αὐτοῖς Στότζας ξυνῆν, στρατιώτας τε ὀλίγους τινὰς καὶ Βανδίλους 4.23.2 ἔχων. Ἰωάννης δὲ ὁ Σισινιόλου, πολλὰ λιπαρούντων 4.23.3 Λιβύων, στράτευμα ἀγείρας ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἦλθεν. ἐτύγχανε δὲ Ἱμέριος Θρᾷξ τῶν ἐν Βυζακίῳ καταλόγων ἄρχων, ὃν δὴ τότε Ἰωάννης ἐκέλευε πάντας ἐπαγόμενον τοὺς ταύτῃ καταλόγους ξὺν τοῖς ἑκάστῳ ἡγουμένοις ἐλθόντα ἐς χωρίον Μενεφέσση, ὅ ἐστιν ἐν Βυζακίῳ, σφίσι 4.23.4 ξυμμῖξαι. ὕστερον δὲ ἀκούσας ἐνταῦθα ἐνστρατοπεδεύεσθαι τοὺς πολεμίους, Ἱμερίῳ ἔγραφε τά τε ξυμπεσόντα δηλῶν καὶ σφίσιν ἐπαγγέλλων ἑτέρωθι ἀναμίγνυσθαι, ὅπως μὴ κατὰ μόνας, ἀλλὰ