els and by the sight of them, and reared up and threw off their
riders and the most of them fled in complete disorder. And in the
meantime the Moors were making sallies and hurling all the small spears
which they had in their hands, thus causing the Roman army to be filled
with tumult, and they were hitting them with their missiles while they
were unable either to defend themselves or to remain in position. But
after this, Solomon, observing what was happening, leaped down from his
horse himself first and caused all the others to do the same. And when
they had dismounted, he commanded the others to stand still, and,
holding their shields before them and receiving the missiles sent by the
enemy, to remain in their position; but he himself, leading forward not
less than five hundred men, made an attack upon the other portion of the
circle.[39] These men he commanded to draw their swords and kill the
camels which stood at that point. Then the Moors who were stationed
there beat a hasty retreat, and the men under Solomon killed about two
hundred camels, and straightway, when the camels fell, the circle became
accessible to the Romans. And they advanced on the run into the middle
of the circle where the women of the Moors were sitting; meanwhile the
barbarians in consternation withdrew to the mountain which was close by,
and as they fled in complete disorder the Romans followed behind and
killed them. And it is said that ten thousand of the Moors perished in
this encounter, while all the women together with the children were made
slaves. And the soldiers secured as booty all the camels which they had
not killed. Thus the Romans with all their plunder went to Carthage to
celebrate the festival of triumph.

XII

But the barbarians, being moved with anger, once more took the field in
a body against the Romans, leaving behind not one of their number, and
they began to overrun the country in Byzacium, sparing none of any age
of those who fell in their way. And when Solomon had just marched into
Carthage it was reported that the barbarians with a great host had come
into Byzacium and were plundering everything there. He therefore
departed quickly with his whole army and marched against them. And when
he reached Bourgaon, where the enemy were encamped, he remained some
days in camp over against them, in order that, as soon as the Moors
should get on level ground, he might begin the battle. But since they
remained on the mountain