of the man or perhaps because they suspected that the enemy were
contriving something against them, decided neither to move nor to shoot
at the man. And I think that, since they had never had experience of
battle with the Massagetae, but heard that the nation was very warlike,
they were for this reason terrified at the danger. And the man,
returning to his compatriots, said that God had sent them these
strangers as a ready feast. Then at length they made their onset and the
Vandals did not withstand them, but breaking their ranks and never
thinking of resistance, they were all disgracefully destroyed.


XIX

But we, having learned nothing at all of what had happened, were going
on to Decimum. And Belisarius, seeing a place well adapted for a camp,
thirty-five stades distant from Decimum, surrounded it with a stockade
which was very well made, and placing all the infantry there and calling
together the whole army, he spoke as follows: "Fellow-soldiers, the
decisive moment of the struggle is already at hand; for I perceive that
the enemy are advancing upon us; and the ships have been taken far away
from us by the nature of the place; and it has come round to this that
our hope of safety lies in the strength of our hands. For there is not a
friendly city, no, nor any other stronghold, in which we may put our
trust and have confidence concerning ourselves. But if we should show
ourselves brave men, it is probable that we shall still overcome the
enemy in the war; but if we should weaken at all, it will remain for us
to fall under the hand of the Vandals and to be destroyed disgracefully.
And yet there are many advantages on our side to help us on toward
victory; for we have with us both justice, with which we have come
against our enemy (for we are here in order to recover what is our own),