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Gontarith, again sending Ulitheus, informed Antalas of what was being done. 4.25.20 And he neither decided to make any accusation against Coutzinas nor did he make it plain to him that he had learned of the plot, nor indeed did he reveal any of the things agreed upon between himself and Gontarith. 4.25.21 But both, being enemies and hostile to one another in their opinions, were arrayed together with evil intent, and they went campaigning together, each against his own friend. 4.25.22 With such a mind, then, Coutzinas and Antalas led the army of the Maurusii against Carthage. Gontarith, for his part, intended to kill Areobindus, but in order not to seem to be aiming at tyranny, he wished to do this secretly in battle array, so that the plot against the general might seem to have been made by others, and he himself might be compelled by the Roman army 4.25.23 to take up the rule of Libya. By deceit, therefore, he outwitted Areobindus and persuaded him to go out and meet the enemy, who had already come very near Carthage. 4.25.24 It seemed good to him, at any rate, on the next day to lead the whole army out against the enemy at sunrise. 4.25.25 But Areobindus, being very inexperienced in this matter and sluggish, resorted to delay for no 4.25.26 reason. For in considering how he should put on his armor and preparing the other things for the exit, 4.25.27 he spent the greatest part of the day. For this reason he put off the battle until the following day and remained quiet. 4.25.28 Gontarith, however, suspecting that he had delayed on purpose because he was aware of what was being done, decided to carry out openly both the murder of the general and the seizure of the tyranny. 4.26.1 And on the following day he did the following. Having opened wide the gates where he himself kept guard, he placed huge stones underneath them, so that no one might be able to close them easily, and he stationed many men in armor with bows in their hands about the battlements, and he himself, having put on his breastplate, stood in the middle of the gates. 4.26.2 He devised these things not for the sake of the Maurusii, so that he might receive them into the city (for the Maurusii, being altogether untrustworthy, are suspicious of all men. 4.26.3 And this happens to them not without reason. For whoever is by nature distrustful of his neighbors, he himself cannot trust anyone, but is compelled to be suspicious of all men, judging his neighbor's character from his own mind. 4.26.4 For this reason Gontarith did not expect the Maurusii to trust him and come inside the circuit-wall), but rather so that Areobindus, falling into some great fear, might immediately be impelled to flight and quickly leaving Carthage, might be conveyed to Byzantium. 4.26.5 And he had indeed guessed correctly, if a storm had not arisen in the meantime 4.26.6 and prevented it. But Areobindus, learning what was being done, sent for both Athanasius and some of the notable men. 4.26.7 And Artabanes was also with him from the camp with two others, and he advised Areobindus neither to be disheartened nor to give in to the audacity of Gontarith, but immediately to go against him with all his followers and set to work, before any further 4.26.8 evil occurred. At first, then, Areobindus sent one of his intimates, Fredas 4.26.9 by name, to Gontarith and ordered him to test his purpose. But when Fredas returned and reported that Gontarith in no way denied the tyranny, he was already intending to go against him as to a battle. 4.26.10 Meanwhile, Gontarith slandered Areobindus to the soldiers, saying that he was unmanly and at the same time was held by fear of the enemy, and at the same time was most unwilling to give them their pay, and that he was planning flight with Athanasius and they were about to sail away from Mandracium immediately, so that the soldiers might be destroyed fighting with hunger and the Maurusii, and he inquired if it was their wish to seize both of them and hold them in custody. 4.26.11 For thus he hoped that Areobindus, either perceiving the uproar would take to flight, or being caught by the soldiers would be killed for no 4.26.12 reason. He himself, however, money

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Γόνθαρις δὲ αὖθις τὸν Οὐλίθεον στείλας ἔκπυστα τῷ Ἀντάλᾳ ἐποίησε τὰ πρασσόμενα. 4.25.20 καὶ ὃς οὔτε τι τῷ Κουτζίνᾳ ἐπικαλεῖν ἔγνω οὔτε ὅτι ἐπέπυστο τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ἔνδηλος αὐτῷ ἐγεγόνει, οὐ μὴν οὐδέ τι ἐξήνεγκε τῶν αὐτῷ τε καὶ Γονθάριδι 4.25.21 ξυγκειμένων. ἀλλήλοις δὲ ἄμφω πολέμιοί τε καὶ δυσμενεῖς ταῖς γνώμαις ὄντες νῷ τε πονηρῷ ξυνετάσσοντο, ἐπί τε τὸν οἰκεῖον ἑκάτερος φίλον ἀλλήλοις 4.25.22 ξυστρατεύοντες ᾔεσαν. τοιαύτῃ μὲν γνώμῃ Κουτζίνας τε καὶ Ἀντάλας ἐπὶ Καρχηδόνα τὸν Μαυρουσίων στρατὸν ἐπῆγον. Γόνθαρις δὲ κτεῖναι μὲν τὸν Ἀρεόβινδον διενοεῖτο, τοῦ δὲ μὴ δοκεῖν τυραννίδος ἐπιβατεύειν, ἐν παρατάξει λάθρα τοῦτο δρᾶν ἤθελεν, ὅπως πρὸς ἑτέρων μὲν ἡ ἐπιβουλὴ ἐς τὸν στρατηγὸν γεγενῆσθαι δόξειεν, αὐτὸς δὲ ἀναγκασθείη τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ 4.25.23 ἀνελέσθαι τὴν Λιβύης ἀρχήν. ἀπάτῃ τοίνυν τὸν Ἀρεόβινδον περιελθὼν πείθει τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐπεξελθόντα ὁμόσε ἰέναι, ἤδη που Καρχηδόνος ἄγχιστα 4.25.24 ἥκουσιν. ἐδόκει γοῦν αὐτῷ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἐξηγήσεσθαι ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἅμα ἡλίῳ 4.25.25 ἀνίσχοντι. ἀλλ' Ἀρεόβινδος ἀπείρως τε λίαν ἐς τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο καὶ ὀκνηρῶς ἔχων μελλήσει ἐχρῆτο οὐ4.25.26 δενὶ λόγῳ. μελετῶν τε γὰρ ὅπως ἐνδύσαιτο τὴν τῶν ὅπλων σκευὴν καὶ τἄλλα ἐξαρτυόμενος ἐς τὴν ἔξοδον 4.25.27 τὸν πλεῖστον τῆς ἡμέρας ἀνάλωσε χρόνον. διὸ δὴ τὴν παράταξιν ἐς τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν ἀποθέμενος ἡσυχῆ ἔμενε. 4.25.28 Γόνθαρις δὲ αὐτὸν ἐξεπίτηδες τὴν μέλλησιν πεποιῆσθαι ὑποτοπήσας ἅτε τῶν πρασσομένων αἰσθανόμενον, ἐκ τοῦ ἐμφανοῦς τόν τε φόνον τοῦ στρατηγοῦ καὶ τῆς τυραννίδος τὴν ἐπίθεσιν ἐπιτελεῖν ἔγνω. 4.26.1 Ἡμέρᾳ τε τῇ ἐπιγενομένῃ ἐποίει τάδε. τὰς πύλας ἀναπετάσας, οὗ δὴ αὐτὸς φυλακὴν εἶχε, λίθους μὲν ὑπερφυεῖς ἔνερθεν ἔθηκεν, ὡς μή τις αὐτὰς ἐπιτιθέναι εὐπετῶς δύναιτο, ἄνδρας τε τεθωρακισμένους καὶ τὰ τόξα ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντας ἀμφὶ τὰς ἐπάλξεις πολλοὺς ἔστησεν, αὐτός τε τὸν θώρακα ἐνδὺς εἱστήκει ἐν 4.26.2 μέσαις ταῖς πύλαις. ἐπενόει δὲ ταῦτα οὐ Μαυρουσίων ἕνεκα, ὅπως τῇ πόλει αὐτοὺς δέξηται (ἀβέβαιοι γὰρ Μαυρούσιοι παντάπασιν ὄντες ὑπόπτως ἔχουσιν ἐς 4.26.3 πάντας ἀνθρώπους. τοῦτό τε αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἄπο τοῦ εἰκότος γενέσθαι ξυμβαίνει. ἐπεὶ ὅστις ἄπιστος ἐς τοὺς πέλας καθέστηκε φύσει, οὐδὲ αὐτὸς πιστεύειν ὁτῳοῦν δύναται, ἀλλ' ὑπόπτως ἔχειν ἀναγκάζεται ἐς πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἐκ τῆς αὑτοῦ γνώμης τὸν τοῦ πέλας 4.26.4 σταθμώμενος τρόπον. διὸ δὴ οὐδὲ Μαυρουσίους ἤλπιζε Γόνθαρις πιστεύσαντάς οἱ ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου γενήσεσθαι), ἀλλ' ὅπως Ἀρεόβινδος ἐμπεσὼν ἐς μέγα τι δέος ἐς φυγήν τε εὐθὺς ὁρμηθείη καὶ κατὰ τάχος 4.26.5 Καρχηδόνα ἀπολιπὼν ἐπὶ Βυζαντίου κομίζοιτο. καὶ ἔτυχέ γε τῆς ἀληθοῦς ἐννοίας, εἰ μὴ χειμὼν μεταξὺ 4.26.6 ἐπιγενόμενος διεκώλυσε. μαθὼν δὲ Ἀρεόβινδος τὰ ποιούμενα, τόν τε Ἀθανάσιον καὶ τῶν δοκίμων τινὰς 4.26.7 μετεπέμπετο. παρῆν δέ οἱ καὶ Ἀρταβάνης ἐκ τοῦ στρατοπέδου τρίτος αὐτὸς, τῷ τε Ἀρεοβίνδῳ παρῄνει μήτε ἀναπεπτωκέναι μήτε τόλμῃ τῇ Γονθάριδος ἐνδιδόναι, ἀλλ' αὐτίκα μάλα ἐπ' αὐτὸν ὁμοῦ ξὺν πᾶσι τοῖς οἱ ἑπομένοις ἰόντα ἔργου ἔχεσθαι, πρίν τι περαιτέρω 4.26.8 γεγονέναι κακόν. τὰ μὲν οὖν πρῶτα πέμψας Ἀρεόβινδος παρὰ Γόνθαριν τῶν ἐπιτηδείων τινὰ, Φρέδαν 4.26.9 ὄνομα, ἐκέλευεν ἀποπειρᾶσθαι τῆς αὐτοῦ γνώμης. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ Φρέδας ἐπανήκων οὐδαμῆ ἀπαρνεῖσθαι Γόνθαριν τὴν τυραννίδα ἐσήγγελλεν, ἤδη ἐπ' αὐτὸν ὡς ἐς μάχην ἰέναι διενοεῖτο. 4.26.10 Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Γόνθαρις Ἀρεόβινδον εἰς τοὺς στρατιώτας διέβαλεν, ὡς ἄνανδρός τε εἴη καὶ ἅμα μὲν δέει ἐς τοὺς πολεμίους ἐχόμενος, ἅμα δὲ τὰς συντάξεις σφίσιν ὡς ἥκιστα ἐθέλων διδόναι, δρασμόν τε ξὺν Ἀθανασίῳ βουλεύεται καὶ αὐτίκα ἐκ Μανδρακίου ἀποπλεῖν μέλλουσιν, ὅπως οἱ στρατιῶται λιμῷ τε καὶ Μαυρουσίοις μαχόμενοι διαφθείρωνται, ἐπυνθάνετό τε εἴπερ αὐτοῖς βουλομένοις εἴη ἄμφω ξυλλαβοῦσιν 4.26.11 ἐν φυλακῇ ἔχειν. οὕτω γὰρ ἤλπιζεν Ἀρεόβινδον ἢ τοῦ θορύβου ᾐσθημένον φυγῇ χρήσεσθαι, ἢ καταληφθέντα πρὸς τῶν στρατιωτῶν διαφθαρήσεσθαι οὐ4.26.12 δενὶ λόγῳ. χρήματα μέντοι αὐτὸς