The history of the warres of the Emperour Justinian in eight books : of the Persian, II, Vandall, II, Gothicke, IV / written in Greek by Procopivs of Caesarea ; and Englished by Henry Holcroft, Knight.

CHAP. XIV.

BUt the Emperour called home Germanus, with Domnicus, and Symmachus, and again made Solomon Governor of Africk, being now in the thirteenth year of his reigne;* 1.1 giving him another Army, and Commanders in it, Rufinus, and Leontius the son of Zannas, the son of Pharesmanes and John the son of Sisinio∣lus; Martinus and Valerianus being formerly sent for to Constantinople. Solomon being come to Carthage, and free from the mutiny, governed Africk moderately, and kept it safe, disciplining the Army, and sending the suspicious men to Constan∣tinople, and to Belisarius, supplying their rooms with new, and banishing the re∣mains of the Vandals, and all their women. He compassed the Cities with walls, and observing the Laws exactly, preserved the State; that Africk in his Govern∣ment was rich and happie.

Things being setled, he made war upon Jabdas, and the Moors of Aurasium: and sent out before with forces, Gontharis, one of his life-guard, a good soldier; who encamped by Bagais, a desert Town upon the River of Abigas; and there he was overthrown in a fight by the enemy, and retiring to his camp, was straitly besieged. Solomon afterward encamped with the whole Army, seven miles and a half from Gontharis entrenchment; and hearing how he had sped, he sent him part of his Army, and bad him be of good courage and fight again. The River Abigas comes from Aurasium, and being in the plain below, waters the land as the Inhabitants will, by drawing the stream to their uses. For it enters through

several breaches under ground into the plain, where it rises again, gathering a stream: And the Inhabitants, by damming up the breaches, or opening them, make what use they please of the waters. The Moors then opened the breaches, and let in all the River about the Romans camp, which made a marish not to be past for deepness. The Romans were distracted at it; but Solomon bearing there∣of, marcht thither; whom the Barbarians fearing, retired, and in Babos••s, at the foot of the mountain encamped. Solomon came thither too, and in fight beat them, and made them run away. The Moors thought it disadvantageous to have fights upon equal terms, thus being not able to stand them; but trusting to the fastnesses of Aurasium, and hoping that the Romans would be weary of the toil, as formerly, and be gone, many of them went away into Mauritani•• and to the Barbarians to the southward of mount Aurasium. But Jabdas with 20000 Moors, went to Zerbule, a Castle built by him in Aurasium, and there lay still. Solomon, not to spend time in besieging; and hearing how the Country of Ta∣mugadas had store of ripe wheat, he conducted his Army thither, took the spoil, and burnt the rest, and then returned to Zerbule. In the mean time Jabdas lea∣ving a sufficient guard for the Castle was gone up to the top of Aurasium, fea∣ring to be blockt up in the Castle, and reduced to wants. And at Tumaz, a place rising with cliffs round about, and fenced with broken rocks, he rested. The Ro∣mans three days assaulted Zerbule, and the walls being low, shot many Moors, and chanced to kill all their Commanders. The third day at night, the Romans, hearing nothing of those Commanders death, consulted to rise; Solomon thinking it best to go against Jabdas and the main body of the Moors, who being subdued, Zorbule would quickly yield. But the Barbarians (their Leaders being slain) would hold no longer, but silently ran away, and abandoned the Castle, undi∣scovered by the enemy. The Romans at day break were trusting baggage; but wondred to see no enemy upon the wall. And doubting what it should mean, and compassing the Castle, they find the gate open, where the Moors ran way. They entred and took the booty, but would not pursue the enemy, being men ap∣parelled lightly and skilfull in all the passages. Having sackt the Castle, and left a Garison in it, they went on, all afoot. And at Tumaz, where the enemy was, they encamped in a fastness, having water and other necessaries very scarcely. A long time was spent, and the Moors sallied not, so that being more besieged then the enemy, they fretted, chiefly for the want of water,* 1.2 which Solomon put a guard upon, giving out but a cup full to a man every day. But seeing them im∣patient, and unable to endure longer this hard diet, he resolved to stay no longer, but to draw the men to fight near this Castle, and thus exhorted his men.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An D••m. 539 Just. 13.
• * 1.2

  Here the La∣tine Transla∣tion.