dership of Gizeric and began a siege; for Gontharis had
already died. And they say that he perished at the hand of his brother.
The Vandals, however, do not agree with those who make this statement,
but say that Gontharis' was captured in battle by Germans in Spain and
impaled, and that Gizeric was already sole ruler when he led the Vandals
into Libya. This, indeed, I have heard from the Vandals, stated in this
way. But after much time had passed by, since they were unable to secure
Hippo Regius either by force or by surrender, and since at the same time
they were being pressed by hunger, they raised the siege. And a little
later Boniface and the Romans in Libya, since a numerous army had come
from both Rome and Byzantium and Aspar with them as general, decided to
renew the struggle, and a fierce battle was fought in which they were
badly beaten by the enemy, and they made haste to flee as each one
could. And Aspar betook himself homeward, and Boniface, coming before
Placidia, acquitted himself of the suspicion, showing that it had arisen
against him for no true cause.

IV

So the Vandals, having wrested Libya from the Romans in this way, made
it their own. And those of the enemy whom they took alive they reduced
to slavery and held under guard. Among these happened to be Marcian, who
later upon the death of Theodosius assumed the imperial power. At that
time, however, Gizeric commanded that the captives be brought into the
king's courtyard, in order that it might be possible for him, by looking
at them, to know what master each of them might serve without
degradation. And when they were gathered under the open sky, about
midday, the season being summer, they were distressed by the sun and sat
down. And somewhere or other among them Marcian, quite neglected, was
sleeping. Then an eagle flew over him spreading out his wings, as they
say, and always remaining in the same place in the air he cast a shadow
over Marcian alone. And Gizeric, upon seeing from the upper storey what
was happening, since he was an exceedingly discerning person, suspected
that the thing was a divine manifestation, and summoning the man
enquired of him who he might be. And he replied that he was a
confidential adviser of Aspar; such a person the Romans call a
"domesticus" in their own tongue. And when Gizeric heard this and
considered first the meaning of the bird's action, and then remembered
how great power Aspar exercised in Byzantium, it beca