e, from whom I should pray God to exact justice, if He
should be propitious to me,--an enemy who, though he had never
experienced any harm from me either in deeds which he suffered or in
words which he heard, provided a pretext for a war which was unprovoked,
and reduced me to this state of misfortune, bringing Belisarius against
me from I know not where. And yet it is not at all unlikely that he
also, since he is but a man, though he be emperor too, may have
something befall him which he would not choose. But as for me, I am not
able to write further. For my present misfortune has robbed me of my
thoughts. Farewell, then, dear Pharas, and send me a lyre and one loaf
of bread and a sponge, I pray you." When this reply was read by Pharas,
he was at a loss for some time, being unable to understand the final
words of the letter, until he who had brought the letter explained that
Gelimer desired one loaf because he was eager to enjoy the sight of it
and to eat it, since from the time when he went up upon Papua he had not
seen a single baked loaf. A sponge also was necessary for him; for one
of his eyes, becoming irritated by lack of washing, was greatly swollen.
And being a skilful harpist he had composed an ode relating to his
present misfortune, which he was eager to chant to the accompaniment of
a lyre while he wept out his soul. When Pharas heard this, he was deeply
moved, and lamenting the fortune of men, he did as was written and sent
all the things which Gelimer desired of him. However he relaxed the
siege not a whit, but kept watch more closely than before.

VII

And already a space of three months had been spent in this siege and the
winter was coming to an end. And Gelimer was afraid, suspecting that his
besiegers would come up against him after no great time; and the bodies
of most of the children who were related to him[21] were discharging
worms in this time of misery. And though in everything he was deeply
distressed, and looked upon everything,--except, indeed, death,--with
dissatisfaction, he nevertheless endured the suffering beyond all
expectation, until it happened that he beheld a sight such as the
following. A certain Moorish woman had managed somehow to crush a little
corn, and making of it a very tiny cake, threw it into the hot ashes on
the hearth. For thus it is the custom among the Moors to bake their
loaves. And beside this hearth two children were sitting, in exceedingly
great distress by reas