in behalf of what is most precious is wont to diminish
men's actual strength and does not allow them to make full use of their
present opportunities. Considering, then, all these things, it behooves
you to go with great contempt against the enemy."

II

After such words of exhortation, Belisarius sent out all the horsemen on
the same day, except five hundred, and also the guardsmen and the
standard, which the Romans call "bandum,"[1] entrusting them to John the
Armenian, and directing him to skirmish only, if opportunity should
arise. And he himself on the following day followed with the infantry
forces and the five hundred horsemen. And the Massagetae, deliberating
among themselves, decided, in order to seem in friendly agreement with
both Gelimer and Belisarius, neither to begin fighting for the Romans
nor to go over to the Vandals before the encounter, but whenever the
situation of one or the other army should be bad, then to join the
victors in their pursuit of the vanquished. Thus, then, had this matter
been decided upon by the barbarians. And the Roman army came upon the
Vandals encamped in Tricamarum, one hundred and fifty stades distant
from Carthage. So they both bivouacked there at a considerable distance
from one another. And when it was well on in the night, a prodigy came
to pass in the Roman camp as follows. The tips of their spears were
lighted with a bright fire and the points of them seemed to be burning
most vigorously. This was not seen by many, but it filled with
consternation the few who did see it, not knowing how it would come out.
And this happened to the Romans in Italy again at a much later time. And
at that time, since they knew by experience, they believed it to be a
sign of victory. But now, as I have said, since this was the first time
it had happened, they were filled with consternation and passed the
night in great fear.

And on the following day Gelimer commanded the Vandals to place the
women and children and all their possessions in the middle of the
stockade, although it had not the character of a fort, and calling all
together, he spoke as follows: "It is not to gain glory, or to retrieve
the loss of empire alone, O fellow Vandals, that we are about to fight,
so that even if we wilfully played the coward and sacrificed these our
belongings we might possibly live, sitting at home and keeping our own
possessions; but you see, surely, that our fortunes have come round to
such a pa