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 became evident to him
that the man was being led to royal power. He therefore by no means
deemed it right to kill him, reasoning that, if he should remove him
from the world, it would be very clear that the thing which the bird had
done was nothing (for he would not honour with his shadow a king who was
about to die straightway), and he felt, too, that he would be killing