willingly as allies (for they asserted that the Roman
general Peter had given an oath and then, disregarding
what had been sworn, had thus brought them to Byzantium),
and accordingly they received the words of the Vandals,
and promised that when they should come to real fighting
they would turn with them against the Roman army.
But Belisarius had a suspicion of all this (for he
had heard it from the deserters), and also the circuit-wall
had not as yet been completed entirely, and for these
reasons he did not think it possible for his men to
go out against the enemy for the present, but he was
making his preparations within as well as possible.
And one of the Carthaginians, Laurus by name, having
been condemned on a charge of treason and proved guilty
by his own secretary, was impaled by Belisarius on
a hill before the city, and as a result of this the
others came to feel a sort of irresistible fear and
refrained from attempts at treason. And he courted
the Massagetae with gifts and banquets and every other
manner of flattering attention every day, and thus
persuaded them to disclose to him what Gelimer had
promised them on condition of their turning traitors
in the battle. And these barbarians said that
they had no enthusiasm for fighting, for they feared
that, if the Vandals were vanquished, the Romans would
not send them back to their native land, but they
would be compelled to grow old and die right there
in Libya; and besides they were also concerned, they
said, about the booty, lest they be robbed of it.
Then indeed Belisarius gave them pledges that, if
the Vandals should be conquered decisively, they would
be sent without the least delay to their homes with
all their booty, and thus he bound them by oaths in
very truth to assist the Romans with all zeal in carrying
through the war.
And when all things had been prepared by him in the
best way possible, and the circuit-wall had been already
completed, he called together the whole army and spoke
as follows: “As for exhortation, fellow
Romans, I do not know that it is necessary to make
any to you,—men who have recently conquered
the enemy so completely that Carthage here and the
whole of Libya is a possession of your valour, and
for this reason you will have no need of admonition
that prompts to daring. For the spirits of those
who have conquered are by no means wont to be overcome.
But I think it not untimely to remind you of this
one thing, that, if you on the present occasion but
prove equal to your own selves in valour, straightway
there will be an end for the Vandals of their hopes,
and for you of the battle. Hence there is every
reason why you should enter into this engagement with
the greatest eagerness. For ever sweet to men
is toil coming to an end and reaching its close.
Now as for the host of the Vandals, let no one of
you consider them. For not by numbers of men nor
by measure of body, but by valour of soul, is war wont
to be decided. And let the strongest motive which