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he commanded. For Cutzinas, since he had quarrelled with Antalas, openly revolted from him and went over to Guntharis; to whom indeed he handed over both his son 4.27.25 and his mother as hostages. So the army, with Artabanes leading, immediately advanced against Antalas. With him also were John, the leader of the mutineers of Stotzas, and Ulitheus the guardsman. 4.27.26 And Moors followed also, whom Cutzinas commanded. And passing by the city of Hadrumetum they come upon the enemy being somewhere there, and having encamped a little 4.27.27 way from the enemy, they bivouacked. On the next day, John and Ulitheus, having a certain portion of the army, remained there, but Artabanes and Cutzinas 4.27.28 led the army against the enemy. Whom indeed the Moors with Antalas did not withstand, but rushed into flight. 4.27.29 But Artabanes, playing the coward, suddenly 4.27.30 turned the standard back and rode away. For this reason indeed Ulitheus intended to kill him when he came to the camp. 4.27.31 But Artabanes, making excuses, said that he feared that Marcentius, coming to the enemy's aid from the city of Hadrumetum, where he happened to be, might do them irreparable harm; 4.27.32 but that Guntharis must go against the enemy with the whole 4.27.33 army. And at first he was planning to go to Hadrumetum and join the emperor's army with his followers. 4.27.34 But after much deliberation it seemed better to him to make Guntharis disappear from among men and thus relieve both the emperor and Libya from difficult affairs. 4.27.35 Returning therefore to Carthage, he announced to the tyrant that he would need a larger army against the enemy. 4.27.36 And he, after conferring with Pasiphilus, wished to arm the whole army, and having himself set a guard in Carthage, to lead the army against the enemy. 4.27.37 So he was killing many each day, against whom he entertained some suspicion, even one that had no basis. 4.27.38 And he instructed Pasiphilus, whom he was about to set in command of the guard of Carthage, to kill all the Greeks without any consideration. 4.28.1 And having arranged the other matters as seemed best to him, he decided to feast his friends, on the grounds that he would make his departure on the following day. 4.28.2 And in a room, where indeed three couches had been prepared from of old, 4.28.3 he held the banquet. He himself therefore reclined on a couch, the first one, as was fitting, where indeed were both Athanasius and Artabanes, and some of Guntharis's acquaintances, and Peter, a Thracian by birth, but formerly a guardsman of Solomon. 4.28.4 And on both the other couches were the first and noblest of the Vandals. 4.28.5 John, however, who commanded the mutineers of Stotzas, Pasiphilus was feasting privately, and each of the others, wherever it seemed pleasing to each of Guntharis's friends to be. 4.28.6 Artabanes, therefore, when he was invited to this very banquet, thinking that this was a suitable opportunity for him for the murder of the tyrant, intended to carry out his plan. 4.28.7 So, having revealed the matter to Gregory and Artasires and three other guardsmen, he ordered the guardsmen to come inside with their swords; (for it is the custom for the guardsmen to stand behind commanders while they are feasting) and once inside to attack suddenly, whenever the moment seemed to them most opportune, and for Artasires to be the first to begin the work. 4.28.8 And he instructed Gregory, after selecting many of the most daring of the Armenians, to bring them to the Palace, carrying only swords in their hands; (for it is not permitted for those who attend commanders in the city to be armed with any other weapon) and leaving these men in the portico, to come inside with the guardsmen, and to tell their plan to no one, but to say only this much, that he was suspicious of Guntharis, that he had summoned Artabanes to the banquet for some evil purpose; 4.28.9 therefore he wanted them to stand near Guntharis's guards, who had been stationed there on guard duty, and while giving some appearance of playing, of the shields, which they

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ἐκέλευε. Κουτζίνας γὰρ ἅτε τῷ Ἀντάλᾳ προσκεκρουκὼς, ἀπέστη τε αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ ἐμφανοῦς καὶ Γονθάριδι προσεχώρησεν· ᾧ δὴ τόν τε παῖδα 4.27.25 καὶ τὴν μητέρα ἐν ὁμήρων λόγῳ παρέσχετο. τὸ μὲν οὖν στράτευμα ἡγουμένου Ἀρταβάνου εὐθὺς ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀντάλαν ἐχώρει. ξυνῆν δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ Ἰωάννης, ὁ τῶν Στότζα στασιωτῶν ἄρχων, καὶ Οὐλίθεος ὁ δορυφόρος. 4.27.26 εἵποντο δὲ καὶ Μαυρούσιοι, ὧν Κουτζίνας ἦρχε. πόλιν τε Ἀδραμητὸν διαμείψαντες καταλαμβάνουσι τοὺς ἐναντίους ἐνταῦθά πη ὄντας, καὶ στρατοπεδευσάμενοι ὀλίγῳ 4.27.27 ἄποθεν τῶν πολεμίων ηὐλίσαντο. τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ Ἰωάννης μὲν καὶ Οὐλίθεος, μοῖράν τινα τοῦ στρατοῦ ἔχοντες, αὐτοῦ ἔμειναν, Ἀρταβάνης δὲ καὶ Κουτζίνας 4.27.28 ἐπῆγον ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐναντίους τὸ στράτευμα. οὓς δὴ οὐ ξυνενεγκόντες οἱ ξὺν τῷ Ἀντάλᾳ Μαυρούσιοι ἐς φυγὴν 4.27.29 ὥρμηντο. ἀλλ' ἐθελοκακήσας Ἀρταβάνης ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνι4.27.30 δίου στρέψας τε τὸ σημεῖον ὀπίσω ἀπήλαυνε. διὸ δὴ Οὐλίθεος αὐτὸν ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον ἥκοντα κτείνειν 4.27.31 διενοεῖτο. παραιτούμενος δὲ Ἀρταβάνης ἔφασκε δεῖσαι μὴ Μαρκέντιος ἐξ Ἀδραμητοῦ πόλεως ἐπιβοηθήσας τοῖς ἐναντίοις, ὅπη ἐνταῦθα ἐτύγχανεν ὢν, ἀνήκεστα σφᾶς 4.27.32 ἔργα ἐργάσηται· ἀλλὰ Γόνθαριν χρῆναι παντὶ τῷ 4.27.33 στρατῷ ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἰέναι. καὶ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἐβουλεύετο ἐς Ἀδραμητὸν ἰὼν ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις τῷ 4.27.34 βασιλέως στρατῷ ἀναμίγνυσθαι. ἄμεινον δέ οἱ πολλὰ διαλογισαμένῳ ἔδοξεν εἶναι Γόνθαριν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀφανίσαντι βασιλέα τε καὶ Λιβύην πραγμάτων ἀπαλ4.27.35 λάξαι δυσκόλων. ἀναστρέψας οὖν ἐς Καρχηδόνα τῷ τυράννῳ ἀπήγγελλεν ὅτι δὴ στρατεύματος αὐτῷ πλείονος 4.27.36 ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους δεήσει. ὁ δὲ Πασιφίλῳ κοινολογησάμενος ἅπαντα μὲν ἐξοπλίσαι τὸν στρατὸν ἤθελεν, αὐτὸς δὲ φυλακὴν ἐν Καρχηδόνι καταστησάμενος ἐπὶ 4.27.37 τοὺς πολεμίους τῷ στρατῷ ἐξηγήσασθαι. πολλοὺς μὲν οὖν ἐς ἡμέραν ἑκάστην ἀνῄρει, ἐς οὓς ὑποψίᾳ τινὶ καὶ 4.27.38 λόγον οὐκ ἐχούσῃ ἐχρῆτο. τῷ δὲ Πασιφίλῳ ἐπέστελλεν, ὃν δὴ καταστήσεσθαι ἐπὶ Καρχηδόνος φυλακῇ ἔμελλε, τοὺς Γραικοὺς ἅπαντας οὐδὲν ὑπολογισαμένῳ κτεῖναι. 4.28.1 Τά τε ἄλλα διοικησάμενος, ὅπη οἱ ἐδόκει ὡς ἄριστα ἔχειν, τοὺς ἐπιτηδείους ἑστιᾶν ἔγνω, ὡς ἡμέρᾳ 4.28.2 τῇ ἐπιούσῃ τὴν ἔξοδον ποιησόμενος. ἔν τε οἰκήματι, οὗ δὴ στιβάδες ἐν παρασκευῇ ἦσαν ἐκ παλαιοῦ τρεῖς, 4.28.3 τὴν θοίνην ἐποίει. αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ στιβάδος κατεκλίνετο, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, τῆς πρώτης, ἔνθα δὴ καὶ Ἀθανάσιός τε καὶ Ἀρταβάνης ἦσαν, τῶν τε Γονθάριδι γνωρίμων τινὲς, καὶ Πέτρος Θρᾷξ μὲν γένος, δορυφόρος 4.28.4 δὲ Σολόμωνος γενόμενος πρότερον. ἐν ἀμφοτέραις δὲ ταῖς ἄλλαις στιβάσι Βανδίλων οἱ πρῶτοί τε καὶ ἄριστοι 4.28.5 ἦσαν. Ἰωάννην μέντοι, ὃς τῶν Στότζα στασιωτῶν ἦρχε, Πασίφιλος ἰδίᾳ εἱστία, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἕκαστον, ὅπη ἑκάστῳ τῶν Γονθάριδι ἐπιτηδείων φίλον ἔδοξεν 4.28.6 εἶναι. Ἀρταβάνης τοίνυν ἡνίκα ἐπὶ ταύτην δὴ τὴν θοίνην ἐκαλεῖτο, τοῦτόν οἱ τὸν καιρὸν ἐπιτηδείως ἔχειν ἐς τὸν τοῦ τυράννου φόνον οἰόμενος, τὸ βού4.28.7 λευμα ἐπιτελεῖν διενοεῖτο. ἐς Γρηγόριον οὖν καὶ Ἀρτασίρην καὶ δορυφόρους ἑτέρους τρεῖς τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐξενεγκὼν τοὺς μὲν δορυφόρους ξὺν τοῖς ξίφεσιν ἐκέλευσεν εἴσω γενέσθαι· (ἀρχόντων γὰρ ἑστιωμένων ὄπισθεν ἑστάναι τοὺς δορυφόρους νόμος) εἴσω δὲ γενομένους ἐγχειρεῖν ἄφνω, ἡνίκα ἂν σφίσι δοκῇ ὁ καιρὸς ὡς μάλιστα ἐπιτηδείως ἔχειν, πρῶτόν τε τὸν Ἀρτασίρην 4.28.8 ἔργου ἔχεσθαι. τῷ δὲ Γρηγορίῳ ἐπέστελλε τῶν Ἀρμενίων πολλοὺς τοὺς μάλιστα εὐτολμοτάτους ἀπολεξαμένῳ ἐς τὸ Παλάτιον ἐπαγαγέσθαι, τὰ ξίφη μόνα ἐν χερσὶ φέροντας· (ἄλλῳ γὰρ οὐδενὶ τοὺς τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἐν πόλει ἑπομένους ὁπλίζεσθαι θέμις) τούτους τε ἐν τῷ προστώῳ ἀπολιπόντι εἴσω ξὺν τοῖς δορυφόροις γενέσθαι, καὶ αὐτῶν τὸ μὲν βούλευμα μηδενὶ ἐξειπεῖν, τοσοῦτον δὲ εἰπεῖν μόνον, ὡς ἐς τὸν Γόνθαριν ὑπόπτως ἔχοι, ἐπὶ πονηρῷ τῷ Ἀρταβάνους ἐς τὴν θοίνην αὐτὸν 4.28.9 κεκληκέναι· βούλεσθαι τοίνυν ἑστάναι μὲν αὐτοὺς παρὰ τοὺς Γονθάριδος φύλακας, οἵπερ ἐνταῦθα ἐπὶ φυλακῇ ἐτετάχατο, τοῦ δὲ παίζειν δόκησίν τινα παρεχομένους τῶν μὲν ἀσπίδων, ἅσπερ ἐκεῖνοι