sehold of Belisarius, sent the money and slaves which they had to
Carthage with their tentmates and messmates, and themselves came up
beside the general and gave heed to the orders given them.

And he commanded John, the Armenian, with two hundred men to follow
Gelimer, and without slackening their speed either night or day to
pursue him, until they should take him living or dead. And he sent word
to his associates in Carthage to lead into the city all the Vandals who
were sitting as suppliants in sanctuaries in the places about the city,
giving them pledges and taking away their weapons, that they might not
begin an uprising, and to keep them there until he himself should come.
And with those who were left he went about everywhere and gathered the
soldiers hastily, and to all the Vandals he came upon he gave pledges
for their safety. For it was no longer possible to catch anyone of the
Vandals except as a suppliant in the sanctuaries. And from these he took
away their weapons and sent them, with soldiers to guard them, to
Carthage, not giving them time to unite against the Romans. And when
everything was as well settled as possible, he himself with the greater
part of the army moved against Gelimer with all speed. But John, after
continuing the pursuit five days and nights, had already come not far
from Gelimer, and in fact he was about to engage with him on the
following day. But since it was not fated that Gelimer should be
captured by John, the following obstacle was contrived by fortune. Among
those pursuing with John it happened that there was Uliaris, the aide of
Belisarius. Now this man was a passionate fellow and well favoured in
strength of heart and body, but not a very serious man, but one who
generally took delight in wine and buffoonery. This Uliaris on the sixth
day of the pursuit, being drunk, saw a bird sitting in a tree at about
sunrise, and he quickly stretched his bow and despatched a missile at
the bird. And he missed the bird, but John, who was behind it, he hit in
the neck by no will of his own. And since the wound was mortal, John
passed away a short time afterwards, leaving great sorrow at his loss to
the Emperor Justinian and Belisarius, the general, and to all the Romans
and Carthaginians. For in manliness and every sort of virtue he was well
endowed, and he shewed himself, to those who associated with him, gentle
and equitable to a degree quite unsurpassed. Thus, then, John fulfilled
his desti