And the Emperor Leon, wishing to punish the Vandals because of these
things, was gathering an army against them; and they say that this army
amounted to about one hundred thousand men. And he collected a fleet of
ships from the whole of the eastern Mediterranean, shewing great
generosity to both soldiers and sailors, for he feared lest from a
parsimonious policy some obstacle might arise to hinder him in his
desire to carry out his punishment of the barbarians. Therefore, they
say, thirteen hundred centenaria[28] were expended by him to no purpose.
But since it was not fated that the Vandals should be destroyed by this
expedition, he made Basiliscus commander-in-chief, the brother of his
wife Berine, a man who was extraordinarily desirous of the royal power,
which he hoped would come to him without a struggle if he won the
friendship of Aspar. For Aspar himself, being an adherent of the Arian
faith, and having no intention of changing it for another, was unable to
enter upon the imperial office, but he was easily strong enough to
establish another in it, and it already seemed likely that he would plot
against the Emperor Leon, who had given him offence. So they say that
since Aspar was then fearful lest, if the Vandals were defeated, Leon
should establish his power most securely, he repeatedly urged upon
Basiliscus that he should spare the Vandals and Gizeric.

[467 A.D.] Now before this time Leon had already appointed and sent
Anthemius, as Emperor of the West, a man of the senate of great wealth
and high birth, in order that he might assist him in the Vandalic war.
And yet Gizeric kept asking and earnestly entreating that the imperial
power be given to Olybrius, who was married to Placidia, the daughter of
Valentinian, and on account of his relationship[29] well-disposed toward
him, and when he failed in this he was still more angry and kept
plundering the whole land of the emperor. Now there was in Dalmatia a
certain Marcellianus, one of the acquaintances of Aetius and a man of