Huns, Massagetae, and Tricamarum

This Good Works Translation continues the Procopius Wars steppe and Black Sea dossier from the Greek.

The unit gives full chapters rather than clipped excerpts. It matters for the Scythian shelf because Procopius shows Huns and Massagetae as a separate cavalry power inside Belisarius' army, courted by both Vandals and Romans, anxious about return to their homeland, and decisive enough that Gelimer's diplomacy and Belisarius' counter-diplomacy turn upon them.

The translation is newly made from the Greek source text printed below. Dewing's public-domain English translation was used only as a control.

Translation

Wars 4.1.1-25

When Gelimer saw all the Vandals gathered into one place, he led the army against Carthage.

When they had come very near the city, they cut through the aqueduct, a thing worth seeing, which brought water into the city. After camping for a time, they withdrew, since none of the enemy came out against them.

They went around the places there, kept watch over the roads, and thought that in this way they were besieging Carthage. Yet they plundered nothing and did not ravage the land, but claimed it as their own.

At the same time they kept hoping that some treachery would come to them from the Carthaginians themselves and from the Roman soldiers who practiced the doctrine of Arius.

They also sent to the leaders of the Huns. They promised that many good things would come to them from the Vandals, and begged them to become friends and allies.

The Huns had not been favorably disposed to Roman affairs even before this, since they had not come to the Romans willingly as allies. They said that Peter, the Roman general, had sworn an oath, had then disregarded what he had sworn, and had so carried them away to Byzantium. Therefore they received the Vandals' words, and promised that, when they came to actual battle, they would turn with them against the Roman army.

Belisarius held all this under suspicion, for he had heard it from deserters; and since the circuit-wall was not yet entirely completed, he did not think that a sortie against the enemy was possible for them at the present time. He was making ready what was inside as well as he could.

He impaled one Carthaginian named Laurus, who had been caught in treachery and convicted by his own secretary, on a hill before the city. From this the rest fell into an irresistible fear and kept away from any attempt at treason.

But he went after the Massagetae every day with gifts, a table, and all other flattery, and persuaded them to disclose to him what Gelimer had promised them.

These barbarians said that they had no eagerness for battle. They feared that, if the Vandals were defeated, the Romans would not send them back to their ancestral ways, but that they would be forced to grow old and die there in Libya. Besides this, they were also concerned about the booty, lest they be deprived of it.

Then Belisarius gave them pledges that, if the Vandals should be defeated decisively, they would be sent immediately to their own homes with all their spoil. In this way he bound them by oaths truly to carry the war through with the Romans in all eagerness.

When all things had been prepared by him as well as possible and the circuit-wall was now finished, he called the whole army together and spoke as follows.

"Men of Rome, I do not know that there is need to make an exhortation to you. You have lately conquered the enemy so completely that this Carthage, and all Libya with it, is now the possession of your courage. For that reason you need no counsel urging you toward boldness; the spirits of men who have conquered are not accustomed to be overcome.

"But I think it not out of season to remind you of this one thing: if at the present moment you prove as brave as your own selves, immediately the hopes of the Vandals will have an end, and so will your battle.

"Therefore it is reasonable that you should enter this encounter with the greatest eagerness. Labor is always sweet to men when it is ending and walking toward its close. Let no one among you reckon up the crowd of the Vandals.

"War is not usually decided by the multitude of men or by the measure of bodies, but by the excellence of souls. Let there enter your minds the strongest thing among all things in human beings: shame before one's own deeds.

"For to men who have understanding, it is shameful to be defeated by their own selves and to be seen as less than their own courage. I know well that dread and the memory of disasters have taken hold of the enemy and compel them to become worse men. The one frightens them by what has already happened, and the other drives away their hope.

"Fortune, as soon as she is seen to be wretched, enslaves the judgment of those who have fallen into her hands. I will show you how the present struggle is for greater things now than before.

"In the earlier battle, if affairs had not gone well for us, the danger lay in not taking another's land. Now, if we do not master the contest, we shall lose our own.

"As much as possessing nothing is lighter than being stripped of what one has, by so much now, more than before, fear touches the things most necessary to us.

"And yet, when our infantry had been left behind before, it happened that we won the victory. Now, entering the encounter with God gracious and with the whole army, I have hope of taking the enemy's camp, men and all.

"Therefore, since you have the end of the war ready at hand, do not by any neglect put it off to another time, lest you be forced to seek the moment after it has run past.

"For the fortune of war, when it is postponed, is not by nature disposed to advance in the same way as before, especially if the war is prolonged by the judgment of those who are carrying it on.

"The divine power is always accustomed to be indignant with those who throw away the prosperity already present. If anyone supposes that the enemy, seeing their children and wives and most precious things in our hands, will be bold beyond judgment and hazard themselves beyond their actual strength, he does not think rightly.

"For anger that grows excessively in the soul on behalf of what is most precious usually takes away the strength that is there and does not allow men to use the situation before them. Considering all these things, you ought to go against the enemy with great contempt."

Wars 4.3.1-28

After Gelimer and Tzazon had given such exhortations, they led the Vandals out. About the time for the midday meal, when the Romans were not expecting them but were preparing lunch for themselves, they arrived and drew themselves up for battle along the banks of the river.

The river flowing there is perennial, but its stream is so small that it does not receive a proper name from the local people; it is named only as a brook.

The Romans came to the other bank of this river, made their preparations as the circumstances allowed, and drew themselves up in this manner.

Martinus, Valerian, John, Cyprian, Althias, Marcellus, and the other commanders of the foederati held the left wing. Pappus, Barbatus, Aigan, and the other commanders of the cavalry rolls held the right.

In the center John took his position, leading the shield-bearers and spear-bearers of Belisarius and carrying the general's standard.

Belisarius himself arrived there at the proper moment with his five hundred horsemen, leaving the infantry to come up behind at a walk.

For all the Huns had been arrayed in another place. It had been customary for them even before this to avoid mingling with the Roman army, if they could; and then especially, since they had in mind what has already been explained, they did not wish to be drawn up with the rest of the army. Such was the Roman order.

Among the Vandals, the chiliarchs held each wing, and each led the company around him. In the center was Tzazon, the brother of Gelimer, while the Moors were arrayed behind.

Gelimer himself went everywhere, giving commands and urging them toward boldness. It had been ordered beforehand to all the Vandals that in this encounter they should use neither spear nor any other implement, but only their swords.

After a considerable time had passed and no one was beginning the battle, John, by the judgment of Belisarius, picked out a few of the men around him, crossed the river, and attacked the center. There Tzazon drove them back by pressure and pursued them.

The Romans, fleeing, came into their own camp; the Vandals, pursuing, came as far as the river, but did not cross it.

Again John led out more of Belisarius' shield-bearers and leapt upon the men around Tzazon. Again, beaten back from there, he withdrew to the Roman camp.

The third time, taking with him nearly all the spear-bearers and shield-bearers of Belisarius, and taking the general's standard, he made the attack with a shout and great noise.

The barbarians stood against them bravely and used only their swords. The battle became hard, and many of the Vandals fell, the best men among them, and Tzazon himself, Gelimer's brother.

Then the whole Roman army moved. Crossing the river, they advanced against the enemy, and the rout, beginning from the center, became clear; for each division turned those opposite them without difficulty.

When the Massagetae saw this, according to the agreement made among them, they joined the Roman army in the pursuit. But this pursuit did not go on for a great distance.

The Vandals entered their own camp quickly and kept quiet. The Romans, thinking that they would not be able to fight with them inside the stockade, stripped the dead who were carrying gold and returned to their own camp.

In this battle fewer than fifty Romans died, and about eight hundred Vandals.

When the infantry came to Belisarius late in the afternoon, he broke camp as quickly as he could with the whole army and went against the Vandal camp.

Gelimer, perceiving that Belisarius with the infantry and the rest of the army was immediately coming against him, neither said anything nor gave any command. He leapt onto his horse and fled along the road leading to Numidia.

His kinsmen and a few of his household servants followed him, struck with panic and keeping what was happening in silence.

For a time Gelimer's escape was hidden from the Vandals. But when they all perceived that he had fled, and the enemy could already be plainly seen, then the men began to make an uproar, the children cried out, and the women wailed.

They paid no heed to the money that lay before them, nor did they care for the lamentations of those dearest to them. Each fled, in no order, wherever he could.

The Romans came upon the camp and took it, empty of men and full of wealth. Pursuing through the whole night, they killed whatever men they met, and made slaves of the children and women.

They found in this camp such a quantity of wealth as had never before happened to be in one place.

For the Vandals had long plundered the Roman empire and carried much money into Libya. Since their land was especially good and greatly abundant in the most necessary crops, it happened that the revenues from those goods were not spent in another land for the purchase of food; those who possessed the country kept the income for themselves through the ninety-five years during which the Vandals ruled Libya.

From this, when the wealth had advanced into a very great sum, it came back again on that day into the hands of the Romans.

This battle, pursuit, and capture of the Vandal camp happened three months after the Roman army came to Carthage, about the middle of the last month, which the Romans call December.

Colophon

This Good Works Translation was prepared for the Scythian shelf by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Greek source text printed below. The Greek text was downloaded from the PerseusDL canonical Greek repository as tlg4029.tlg001.perseus-grc2.xml and inspected locally. Dewing's public-domain English, preserved in the local ToposText capture and Ready archival dossier, was used only as a control.

This is the eighth unit in the Procopius Wars steppe and Black Sea translation dossier, and the first Book 4 unit.

Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: Procopius, Wars 4.1.1-25 and 4.3.1-28

Greek source text from Procopius, Wars 4.1 and 4.3. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

Wars 4.1

§ 4.1.1 Γελίμερ δέ, ἐπεὶ Βανδίλους ἅπαντας ἐς ταὐτὸ εἶδεν ἀγηγερμένους, ἐπῆγεν ἐς Καρχηδόνα τὸ στράτευμα.

§ 4.1.2 γενόμενοί τε αὐτῆς ἄγχιστα τόν τε ὀχετὸν ἀξιοθέατον ὄντα διεῖλον, ὃς ἐς τὴν πόλιν ἐσῆγε τὸ ὕδωρ, καὶ χρόνον τινὰ ἐνστρατοπεδευσάμενοι ὑπεχώρησαν, ὡς οὐδεὶς σφίσιν ἐπεξῄει τῶν πολεμίων.

§ 4.1.3 περιιόντες δὲ τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία τάς τε ὁδοὺς ἐν φυλακῇ ἐποιοῦντο καὶ Καρχηδόνα πολιορκεῖν ταύτῃ ᾤοντο, οὐ μὴν οὔτε ἐληίζοντο οὐδὲν οὔτε τὴν γῆν ἐδῄουν, ἀλλ’ ὡς οἰκείας μετεποιοῦντο.

§ 4.1.4 ἅμα δὲ καὶ προδοσίαν τινὰ ἔσεσθαι σφίσιν ἐν ἐλπίδι εἶχον Καρχηδονίων τε αὐτῶν καὶ Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν ὅσοις ἡ τοῦ Ἀρείου δόξα ἤσκητο.

§ 4.1.5 πέμψαντες δὲ καὶ ἐς τῶν Οὔννων τοὺς ἄρχοντας, καὶ πολλὰ ἔσεσθαι αὐτοῖς ἀγαθὰ πρὸς Βανδίλων ὑποσχόμενοι, ἐδέοντο φίλους τε καὶ ξυμμάχους γενέσθαι σφίσιν.

§ 4.1.6 οἱ δὲ οὐδὲ πρότερον εὐνοϊκῶς ἐς τὰ Ῥωμαίων πράγματα ἔχοντες ἅτε οὐδὲ ξύμμαχοι αὐτοῖς ἑκούσιοι ἥκοντες ʽἔφασκον γὰρ τὸν Ῥωμαίων στρατηγὸν Πέτρον ὀμωμοκότα τε καὶ τὰ ὀμωμοσμένα ἠλογηκότα οὕτω δὴ σφᾶς ἀπαγαγεῖν ἐς τὸ Βυζάντιον̓, λόγους τε τοὺς Βανδίλων ἐνεδέχοντο καὶ ὡμολόγουν, ἐπειδὰν ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ ἔργῳ γένωνται, ξὺν αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ τὸ Ῥωμαίων στράτευμα τρέψεσθαι.

§ 4.1.7 ταῦτα δὲ ἅπαντα Βελισάριος ἐν ὑποψίᾳ ἔχων (ἠκηκόει γὰρ πρὸς τῶν αὐτομόλων, ἅμα δὲ καὶ ὁ περίβολος οὔπω ἐτετέλεστο ἅπας) ἐξιτητὰ μὲν σφίσιν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐν τῷ παρόντι οὐκ ᾤετο εἶναι, τὰ δὲ ἔνδον ὡς ἄριστα ἐξηρτύετο.

§ 4.1.8 καὶ Καρχηδόνιον μέν τινα, ὄνομα Λαῦρον, ἐπὶ προδοσίᾳ τε ἡλωκότα καὶ πρὸς τοῦ οἰκείου γραμματέως ἐληλεγμένον ἀνεσκολόπισεν ἐν λόφῳ τινὶ πρὸ τῆς πόλεως, καὶ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἐς δέος τι ἄμαχον οἱ ἄλλοι καταστάντες τῆς ἐς τὴν προδοσίαν πείρας ἀπέσχοντο.

§ 4.1.9 τοὺς δὲ Μασσαγέτας δώροις τε καὶ τραπέζῃ καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ θωπείᾳ μετιὼν ἡμέρᾳ ἑκάστῃ ἐξενεγκεῖν εἰς αὐτὸν ἔπεισεν ὅσα αὐτοῖς ὁ Γελίμερ ὑποσχόμενος εἴη,

§ 4.1.10 ἐφ’ ᾧ ἐν τῇ ξυμβολῇ κακοὶ γένωνται. ἔφασκον δὲ οἱ βάρβαροι οὗτοι οὐδεμίαν σφίσι προθυμίαν ἐς τὸ μάχεσθαι εἶναι· δεδιέναι γὰρ μὴ Βανδίλων ἡσσημένων οὐκ ἀποπέμψονται Ῥωμαῖοι σφᾶς ἐς τὰ πάτρια ἤθη, ἀλλ’ αὐτοῦ ἀναγκάζοιντο ἐν Λιβύῃ γηράσκοντες θνήσκειν· καὶ μὴν καὶ περὶ τῇ λείᾳ, μὴ ἀφαιρεθῶσιν αὐτήν, ἐν φροντίδι εἶναι.

§ 4.1.11 τότε δὴ οὖν αὐτοῖς Βελισάριος πιστὰ ἔδωκεν ὡς, ἢν κατὰ κράτος Βανδίλοι ἡσσηθεῖεν, αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα ἐς τὰ οἰκεῖα ξὺν πᾶσι λαφύροις σταλήσονται, οὕτω τε αὐτοὺς ὅρκοις καταλαμβάνει ἦ μὴν πάσῃ προθυμίᾳ ξυνδιενεγκεῖν σφίσι τὸν πόλεμον.

§ 4.1.12 Ἐπειδή τε ἅπαντά οἱ ὡς ἄριστα παρεσκεύαστο καὶ ὁ περίβολος ἤδη ἀπείργαστο, ξυγκαλέσας ἅπαν τὸ στράτευμα ἔλεξε τοιάδε·

§ 4.1.13 “Παραίνεσιν μέν, ἄνδρες Ῥωμαῖοι, οὐκ οἶδα ὅτι δεῖ ποιεῖσθαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, οἵ γε οὕτω τοὺς πολεμίους ἔναγχος νενικήκατε ὥστε Καρχηδών τε ἥδε καὶ Λιβύη ξύμπασα κτῆμα τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀρετῆς ἐστι, καὶ δι’ αὐτὸ ξυμβουλῆς οὐδεμιᾶς ὑμῖν ἐς εὐτολμίαν ὁρμώσης δεήσει. τῶν γὰρ νενικηκότων ἥκιστα ἐλασσοῦσθαι φιλοῦσιν αἱ γνῶμαι.

§ 4.1.14 ἐκεῖνο δὲ μόνον ὑπομνῆσαι ὑμᾶς οὐκ ἀπὸ καιροῦ οἴομαι εἶναι, ὡς, ἢν ὁμοίως ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ παρόντι ἀνδραγαθίζοισθε, αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα τὸ πέρας ἕξει τοῖς μὲν Βανδίλοις τὰ τῆς ἐλπίδος, ὑμῖν δὲ ἡ μάχη.

§ 4.1.15 ὥστε ὑμᾶς ὡς προθυμότατα εἰκὸς ἐς ξυμβολὴν τήνδε καθίστασθαι. ἡδὺς γὰρ ἀεὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀπολήγων τε καὶ εἰς καταστροφὴν βαδίζων ὁ πόνος. τὸν μὲν οὖν τῶν Βανδίλων ὅμιλον ὑμῶν διαλογιζέσθω μηδείς.

§ 4.1.16 οὐ γὰρ ἀνθρώπων πλήθει οὐδὲ σωμάτων μέτρῳ, ἀλλὰ ψυχῶν ἀρετῇ φιλεῖ ὁ πόλεμος διακρίνεσθαι. εἰσίτω δὲ ὑμᾶς τὸ πάντων ἰσχυρότατον τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις, ἡ ἐπὶ τοῖς πρασσομένοις αἰδώς.

§ 4.1.17 αἰσχύνη γὰρ τοῖς γε νοῦν ἔχουσι τὸ σφῶν αὐτῶν ἡσσᾶσθαι καὶ τῆς οἰκείας ἀρετῆς ἐλάσσους ὀφθῆναι. τοὺς γὰρ πολεμίους εὖ οἶδα ὅτι ὀρρωδία τε καὶ κακῶν μνήμη περιλαβοῦσαι ἀναγκάζουσι κακίους γενέσθαι, ἡ μὲν τοῖς φθάσασι δεδιττομένη, ἡ δὲ ἀνασοβοῦσα τὴν τοῦ κατορθώσειν ἐλπίδα.

§ 4.1.18 τύχη γὰρ εὐθὺς μοχθηρὰ ὀφθεῖσα δουλοῖ τῶν αὐτῇ περιπεπτωκότων τὸ φρόνημα. ὡς δὲ νῦν ἡμῖν ἢ πρότερον ὑπὲρ μειζόνων ὁ ἀγών ἐστιν ἐγὼ δηλώσω.

§ 4.1.19 ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῇ προτέρᾳ μάχῃ τῶν πραγμάτων ἡμῖν οὐκ εὖ προϊόντων ἐν τῷ μὴ τὴν ἀλλοτρίαν λαβεῖν ὁ κίνδυνος ἦν, νῦν δέ, ἢν μὴ τῶν ἀγώνων κρατήσωμεν, τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀποβαλοῦμεν.

§ 4.1.20 ὅσῳ τοίνυν τὸ κεκτῆσθαι μηδὲν τοῦ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ἐστερῆσθαι κουφότερον, τοσούτῳ νῦν μᾶλλον ἢ πρότερον ἐν τοῖς ἀναγκαιοτάτοις ὁ φόβος.

§ 4.1.21 καίτοι πρότερον τῶν πεζῶν ἡμῖν ἀπολελειμμένων τὴν νίκην ἀνελέσθαι τετύχηκε, νῦν δὲ ἵλεῴ τε τῷ θεῷ καὶ τῷ παντὶ στρατῷ ἐς τὴν ξυμβολὴν καθιστάμενος κρατήσειν τοῦ στρατοπέδου τῶν πολεμίων αὐτοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐλπίδα ἔχω.

§ 4.1.22 πρόχειρον οὖν ἔχοντες τὸ τοῦ πολέμου πέρας μή τινι ὀλιγωρίᾳ ἐς ἄλλον αὐτὸ ἀπόθησθε χρόνον, μὴ παραδραμόντα τὸν καιρὸν ἐπιζητεῖν ἀναγκάζησθε.

§ 4.1.23 ἀναβαλλομένη γὰρ ἡ τοῦ πολέμου τύχη οὐχ ὁμοίως τοῖς καθεστῶσι χωρεῖν πέφυκεν, ἄλλως τε ἢν καὶ γνώμῃ τῶν αὐτὸν διαφερόντων μηκύνηται.

§ 4.1.24 τοῖς γὰρ τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν εὐημερίαν προϊεμένοις τὸ δαιμόνιον ἀεὶ νεμεσᾶν εἴωθεν. εἰ δέ τις ἐννοεῖ τοὺς πολεμίους, παῖδάς τε καὶ γυναῖκας καὶ τὰ τιμιώτατα ὑπὸ ταῖς ἡμετέραις ὁρῶντας χερσί, τολμήσειν μὲν παρὰ γνώμην, κινδυνεύσειν δὲ παρὰ τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν αὐτοῖς δύναμιν, οὐκ ὀρθῶς οἴεται.

§ 4.1.25 θυμὸς γὰρ ὑπεράγαν ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑπὲρ τῶν τιμιωτάτων φυόμενος τήν τε οὖσαν ἰσχὺν καθαιρεῖν εἴωθε καὶ τοῖς καθεστῶσιν οὐκ ἐᾷ χρῆσθαι· ἃ δὴ πάντα λογιζομένους ὑμᾶς πολλῷ τῷ καταφρονήματι ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἰέναι προσήκει.”

Wars 4.3

§ 4.3.1 Τοσαῦτα Γελίμερ τε καὶ Τζάζων παραινέσαντες ἐξῆγον τοὺς Βανδίλους, καὶ ἀμφὶ τὸν τοῦ ἀρίστου καιρόν, οὐ προσδεχομένων Ῥωμαίων, ἀλλ’ ἄριστον σφίσι παρασκευαζόντων, παρῆσαν καὶ παρὰ τὰς τοῦ ποταμοῦ ὄχθας ὡς ἐς μάχην ἐτάξαντο.

§ 4.3.2 ἔστι δὲ ποταμὸς ὁ ταύτῃ ῥέων ἀένναος μέν, οὕτω δὲ τὸ ῥεῦμα βραχὺς ὥστε οὐδὲ ὀνόματος ἰδίου πρὸς τῶν ἐπιχωρίων μεταλαγχάνει, ἀλλ ἐν ῥύακος μοίρᾳ ὠνόμασται.

§ 4.3.3 τούτου δὴ τοῦ ποταμοῦ Ῥωμαῖοι ἐς τὴν ἑτέραν ὄχθην ὡς ἐκ τῶν παρόντων παρασκευασάμενοι ἧκον καὶ ἐτάξαντο ὧδε.

§ 4.3.4 κέρας μὲν τὸ ἀριστερὸν Μαρτῖνός τε καὶ Βαλεριανὸς καὶ Ἰωάννης καὶ Κυπριανός τε καὶ Αλθίας καὶ Μάρκελλος εἶχον καὶ ὅσοι ἄλλοι φοιδεράτων ἄρχοντες ἦσαν, τὸ δὲ δὴ δεξιὸν Πάππος τε καὶ Βαρβᾶτος καὶ Ἀϊγὰν καὶ ὅσοι τῶν ἱππικῶν καταλόγων ἦρχον.

§ 4.3.5 κατὰ δὲ τὸ μέσον Ἰωάννης ἐτάσσετο, τούς τε ὑπασπιστὰς καὶ δορυφόρους Βελισαρίου καὶ σημεῖον τὸ στρατηγικὸν ἐπαγόμενος.

§ 4.3.6 οὗ δὴ καὶ Βελισάριος εἰς καιρὸν ξὺν τοῖς πεντακοσίοις ἱππεῦσιν ἀφίκετο, τοὺς πεζοὺς ὄπισθεν βάδην προσιόντας ἀπολιπών.

§ 4.3.7 οἱ γὰρ Οὖννοι ἅπαντες ἐν ἄλλῃ ἐτάξαντο χώρᾳ, εἰθισμένον μὲν σφίσι καὶ πρότερον ἥκιστα ἐπιμίγνυσθαι τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ, τότε δὲ καὶ ἐν νῷ ἃ προδεδήλωται ἔχουσιν οὐκ ἦν βουλομένοις ξὺν τῇ ἄλλῃ στρατιᾷ τάσσεσθαι. Ῥωμαίοις μὲν οὖν τὰ τῆς τάξεως ὧδέ πη εἶχε.

§ 4.3.8 Βανδίλων δὲ κέρας μὲν ἑκάτερον οἱ χιλίαρχοι εἶχον, ἕκαστός τε ἡγεῖτο τοῦ ἀμφ’ αὐτὸν λόχου, κατὰ δὲ δὴ τὸ μέσον Τζάζων ἦν ὁ τοῦ Γελίμερος ἀδελφός, ὄπισθεν δὲ οἱ Μαυρούσιοι ἐτετάχατο.

§ 4.3.9 αὐτὸς μέντοι ὁ Γελίμερ πανταχόσε περιιὼν ἐνεκελεύετό τε καὶ ἐς εὐτολμίαν ἐνῆγε. προείρητο δὲ Βανδίλοις ἅπασι μήτε δορατίῳ μήτε ἄλλῳ ὁτῳοῦν ὀργάνῳ ἐς ξυμβολὴν τήνδε, ὅτι μὴ τοῖς ξίφεσι, χρῆσθαι.

§ 4.3.10 Χρόνου δὲ τριβέντος συχνοῦ καὶ μάχης οὐδενὸς ἄρχοντος Ἰωάννης τῶν ἀμφ’ αὐτὸν ὀλίγους ἀπολέξας Βελισαρίου γνώμῃ τόν τε ποταμὸν διέβη καὶ ἐς τοὺς μέσους ἐσέβαλεν, ἔνθα δὴ ὁ Τζάζων ὠθισμῷ χρησάμενος ἐδίωξεν αὐτούς.

§ 4.3.11 καὶ οἱ μὲν φεύγοντες ἐς τὸ σφῶν αὐτῶν στρατόπεδον ἧκον, οἱ δὲ Βανδίλοι διώκοντες ἄχρι ἐς τόν ποταμὸν ἦλθον, οὐ μέντοι διέβησαν.

§ 4.3.12 αὖθις δὲ Ἰωάννης πλείους τῶν Βελισαρίου ὑπασπιστῶν ἐπαγόμενος ἐς τοὺς ἀμφὶ τὸν Τζάζωνα ἐσεπήδησε, καὶ αὖθις ἐνθένδε ἀποκρουσθεὶς ἐς τὸ Ῥωμαίων στρατόπεδον ἀνεχώρησε.

§ 4.3.13 τὸ δὲ δὴ τρίτον ξὺν πᾶσι σχεδὸν τοῖς Βελισαρίου τε δορυφόροις καὶ ὑπασπισταῖς τὸ στρατηγικὸν σημεῖον λαβὼν τὴν ἐσβολὴν ἐποιήσατο ξὺν βοῇ τε καὶ πατάγῳ πολλῷ.

§ 4.3.14 τῶν δὲ βαρβάρων ἀνδρείως τε αὐτοὺς ὑφισταμένων καὶ μόνοις χρωμένων τοῖς ξίφεσι γίνεται μὲν καρτερὰ ἡ μάχη, πίπτουσι δὲ Βανδίλων πολλοί τε καὶ ἄριστοι, καὶ Τζάζων αὐτὸς ὁ τοῦ Γελίμερος ἀδελφός.

§ 4.3.15 τότε δὴ ἅπαν τὸ Ῥωμαίων στράτευμα ἐκινήθη καὶ τὸν ποταμὸν διαβάντες ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐχώρησαν, ἥ τε τροπὴ ἀρξαμένη ἀπὸ τοῦ μέσου λαμπρὰ ἐγεγόνει· τοὺς γὰρ κατ’ αὐτοὺς οὐδενὶ πόνῳ ἐτρέψαντο ἕκαστοι.

§ 4.3.16 ἃ δὴ ὁρῶντες οἱ Μασσαγέται κατὰ τὰ σφίσι ξυγκείμενα ξὺν τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ τὴν δίωξιν ἐποιήσαντο, οὐκ ἐπὶ πολὺ μέντοι ἡ δίωξις ἥδε ἐγεγόνει.

§ 4.3.17 οἵ τε γὰρ Βανδίλοι ἐς τὸ σφέτερον στρατόπεδον κατὰ τάχος εἰσελθόντες ἡσύχαζον καὶ οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, οὐκ ἂν οἰόμενοι ἐν τῷ χαρακώματι πρὸς αὐτοὺς διαμάχεσθαι οἷοί τε εἶναι, τούς τε νεκροὺς ὅσοι ἐχρυσοφόρουν ἀπέδυσαν καὶ ἐς τὸ σφῶν αὐτῶν στρατόπεδον ἀπεχώρησαν.

§ 4.3.18 ἀπέθανον δὲ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ μάχῃ Ῥωμαίων μὲν ἥσσους ἢ πεντήκοντα, Βανδίλων δὲ ὀκτακόσιοι μάλιστα.

§ 4.3.19 Βελισάριος δέ, τῶν πεζῶν οἱ ἀφικομένων ἀμφὶ δείλην ὀψίαν, ἄρας ὡς εἶχε τάχους παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ᾔει ἐπὶ τὸ τῶν Βανδίλων στρατόπεδον.

§ 4.3.20 Γελίμερ δὲ γνοὺς Βελισάριον ξύν τε τοῖς πεζοῖς καὶ τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ ἐπ’ αὐτὸν αὐτίκα ἰέναι, οὐδὲν οὔτε εἰπὼν οὔτε ἐντειλάμενος ἐπί τε τὸν ἵππον ἀναθρώσκει καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ Νουμίδας φέρουσαν ἔφευγε.

§ 4.3.21 καὶ αὐτῷ οἵ τε ξυγγενεῖς καὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν ὀλίγοι τινὲς εἵποντο καταπεπληγμένοι τε καὶ τὰ παρόντα ἐν σιγῇ ἔχοντες.

§ 4.3.22 καὶ χρόνον μέν τινα ἔλαθε Βανδίλους ἀποδρὰς Γελίμερ, ἐπεὶ δὲ αὐτόν τε πεφευγέναι ᾔσθοντο ἅπαντες καὶ οἱ πολέμιοι ἤδη καθεωρῶντο, τότε δὴ οἵ τε ἄνδρες ἐθορύβουν καὶ τὰ παιδία ἀνέκραγε καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες ἐκώκυον.

§ 4.3.23 καὶ οὔτε χρημάτων παρόντων μετεποιοῦντο οὔτε τῶν φιλτάτων ὀδυρομένων σφίσιν ἔμελεν, ἀλλ’ ἕκαστος ἔφευγεν οὐδενὶ κόσμῳ ὅπη ἐδύνατο.

§ 4.3.24 ἐπελθόντες δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι τό τε στρατόπεδον ἀνδρῶν ἔρημον αὐτοῖς χρήμασιν αἱροῦσι καὶ ἐπιδιώξαντες τὴν νύκτα ὅλην ἄνδρας μὲν ὅσοις ἐντύχοιεν ἔκτεινον, παῖδας δὲ καὶ γυναῖκας ἐποιοῦντο ἐν ἀνδραπόδων λόγῳ.

§ 4.3.25 χρήματα δὲ τοσαῦτα τὸ πλῆθος ἐν τούτῳ τῷ στρατοπέδῳ εὗρον ὅσα οὐδεπώποτε ἔν γε χωρίῳ ἑνὶ τετύχηκεν εἶναι.

§ 4.3.26 οἵ τε γὰρ Βανδίλοι ἐκ παλαιοῦ τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν ληισάμενοι συχνὰ χρήματα ἐς Λιβύην μετήνεγκαν καὶ τῆς χώρας αὐτοῖς ἀγαθῆς ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα οὔσης καρποῖς τε τοῖς ἀναγκαιοτάτοις ἐς ἄγαν εὐθηνούσης, τὰς τῶν χρημάτων προσόδους ξυνέβη, αἵ γε ἐκ τῶν ἐκείνῃ γινομένων ἀγαθῶν ἠγείροντο, οὐκ ἐς ἑτέραν τινὰ δαπανᾶσθαι χώραν ἐμπορίᾳ τῇ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων, ἀλλ’ αὐτὰς ἀεὶ οἱ τὰ χωρία κεκτημένοι προσεποιοῦντο ἐς πέντε καὶ ἐνενήκοντα ἔτη, ἐς οἷς δὴ Λιβύης οἱ Βανδίλοι ἦρξαν.

§ 4.3.27 καὶ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἐς πάμπολυ χρῆμα ὁ πλοῦτος χωρήσας ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐς τῶν Ῥωμαίων τὰς χεῖρας ἐπανῆκεν αὖθις.

§ 4.3.28 ἡ μὲν οὖν μάχη καὶ δίωξις ἥδε καὶ τοῦ Βανδίλων στρατοπέδου ἡ ἅλωσις τρισὶ μησὶν ὕστερον γέγονεν ἢ ὁ Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς ἐς Καρχηδόνα ἦλθε, μεσοῦντος μάλιστα τοῦ τελευταίου μηνός, ὃν Δεκέμβριον Ῥωμαῖοι καλοῦσι.

Source Colophon

Greek source text from the PerseusDL canonical Greek repository file tlg4029.tlg001.perseus-grc2.xml, inspected locally for this translation unit.

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