han that the Moors
should be. For the men who break treaties are not those who, when
manifestly wronged, bring accusation against their neighbours and turn
away from them, but those who expect to keep others in faithful alliance
with them and then do them violence. And men make God their enemy, not
when they march against others in order to recover their own
possessions, but when they get themselves into danger of war by
encroaching upon the possessions of others. And as for children, that
will be your concern, who are not permitted to marry more than one wife;
but with us, who have, it may be, fifty wives living with each of us,
offspring of children can never fail."

When Solomon had read this letter, he decided to lead his whole army
against the Moors. So after arranging matters in Carthage, he proceeded
with all his troops to Byzacium. And when he reached the place which is
called Mammes,[36] where the four Moorish commanders, whom I have
mentioned a little before,[37] were encamped, he made a stockade for
himself. Now there are lofty mountains there, and a level space near the
foothills of the mountains, where the barbarians had made preparations
for the battle and arranged their fighting order as follows. They formed
a circle of their camels, just as, in the previous narrative,[38] I have
said Cabaon did, making the front about twelve deep. And they placed the
women with the children within the circle; (for among the Moors it is
customary to take also a few women, with their children, to battle, and
these make the stockades and huts for them and tend the horses
skilfully, and have charge of the camels and the food; they also sharpen
the iron weapons and take upon themselves many of the tasks in
connection with the preparation for battle); and the men themselves took
their stand on foot in between the legs of the camels, having shields
and swords and small spears which they are accustomed to hurl like
javelins. And some of them with their horses remained quietly among the
mountains. But Solomon disregarded one half of the circle of the Moors,
which was towards the mountain, placing no one there. For he feared lest
the enemy on the mountain should come down and those in the circle
should turn about and thus make the men drawn up there exposed to attack
on both sides in the battle. But against the remainder of the circle he
drew up his whole army, and since he saw the most of them frightened and
without courage, on a