t three months later than their departure
from Byzantium. And indicating a certain spot on the shore the general
bade both soldiers and sailors dig the trench and place the stockade
about it. And they did as directed. And since a great throng was working
and fear was stimulating their enthusiasm and the general was urging
them on, not only was the trench dug on the same day, but the stockade
was also completed and the pointed stakes were fixed in place all
around. Then, indeed, while they were digging the trench, something
happened which was altogether amazing. A great abundance of water sprang
forth from the earth, a thing which had not happened before in Byzacium,
and besides this the place where they were was altogether waterless. Now
this water sufficed for all uses of both men and animals. And in
congratulating the general, Procopius said that he rejoiced at the
abundance of water, not so much because of its usefulness, as because it
seemed to him a symbol of an easy victory, and that Heaven was
foretelling a victory to them. This, at any rate, actually came to pass.
So for that night all the soldiers bivouacked in the camp, setting
guards and doing everything else as was customary, except, indeed, that
Belisarius commanded five bowmen to remain in each ship for the purpose
of a guard, and that the ships-of-war should anchor in a circle about
them, taking care that no one should come against them to do them harm.

XVI

But on the following day, when some of the soldiers went out into the
fields and laid hands on the fruit, the general inflicted corporal
punishment of no casual sort upon them, and he called all the army
together and spoke as follows: "This using of violence and the eating of
that which belongs to others seems at other times a wicked thing only on
this account, that injustice is in the deed itself, as the saying is;
but in the present instance so great an element of detriment is added to
the wrongdoing that--if it is not too harsh to say so--we must consider
the question of justice of less account and calculate the magnitude of
the danger that may arise from your act. For I have disembarked you upon
this land basing my confidence on this alone, that the Libyans, being
Romans from of old, are unfaithful and hostile to the Vandals, and for
this reason I thought that no necessaries would fail us and, besides,
that the enemy would not do us any injury by a sudden attack. But now
this your lack of self