guards, men who were able warriors, and handed them over to John, who
was in charge of the expenditures of the general's household; such a
person the Romans call "optio."[50] And he was an Armenian by birth, a
man gifted with discretion and courage in the highest degree. This John,
then, he commanded to go ahead of the army, at a distance of not less
than twenty stades, and if he should see anything of the enemy, to
report it with all speed, so that they might not be compelled to enter
into battle unprepared. And the allied Massagetae he commanded to travel
constantly on the left of the army, keeping as many stades away or more;
and he himself marched in the rear with the best troops. For he
suspected that it would not be long before Gelimer, following them from
Hermione, would make an attack upon them. And these precautions were
sufficient, for on the right side there was no fear, since they were
travelling not far from the coast. And he commanded the sailors to
follow along with them always and not to separate themselves far from
the army, but when the wind was favouring to lower the great sails, and
follow with the small sails, which they call "dolones,"[51] and when the
wind dropped altogether to keep the ships under way as well as they
could by rowing.

And when Belisarius reached Syllectus, the soldiers behaved with
moderation, and they neither began any unjust brawls nor did anything
out of the way, and he himself, by displaying great gentleness and
kindness, won the Libyans to his side so completely that thereafter he
made the journey as if in his own land; for neither did the inhabitants
of the land withdraw nor did they wish to conceal anything, but they
both furnished a market and served the soldiers in whatever else they
wished. And accomplishing eighty stades each day, we completed the whole
journey to Carthage, passing the night either in a city, should it so
happen, or in a camp made as thoroughly secure as the circumstances