them the whole story, and tearing off a plank from the side toward the
sea, he pointed out the fleet approaching, and releasing all from the
prison went out with them.

But the men on the ships, having as yet heard nothing of what the army
had done on the land, were completely at a loss, and slackening their
sails they sent to the town of Mercurium; there they learned what had
taken place at Decimum, and becoming exceedingly joyful sailed on. And
when, with a favouring wind blowing, they came to within one hundred and
fifty stades of Carthage, Archelaus and the soldiers bade them anchor
there, fearing the warning of the general, but the sailors would not
obey. For they said that the promontory at that point was without a
harbour and also that the indications were that a well-known storm,
which the natives call Cypriana, would arise immediately. And they
predicted that, if it came upon them in that place, they would not be
able to save even one of the ships. And it was as they said. So they
slackened their sails for a short time and deliberated; and they did not
think they ought to try for Mandracium (for they shrank from violating
the commands of Belisarius, and at the same time they suspected that the
entrance to Mandracium was closed by the chains, and besides they feared
that this harbour was not sufficient for the whole fleet) but Stagnum
seemed to them well situated (for it is forty stades distant from
Carthage), and there was nothing in it to hinder them, and also it was
large enough for the whole fleet. There they arrived about dusk and all
anchored, except, indeed, that Calonymus with some of the sailors,
disregarding the general and all the others, went off secretly to
Mandracium, no one daring to hinder him, and plundered the property of
the merchants dwelling on the sea, both foreigners and Carthaginians.

On the following day Belisarius commanded those on the ships to