Delphi Complete Works of Procopius

by Procopius of Caesarea

  Τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ τῶν πεζῶν ἅμα τῇ Βελισαρίου γυναικὶ παραγενομένων ξύμπαντες τὴν ἐπὶ Καρχηδόνα ἐπορευόμεθα, ἔνθα δὴ περὶ δείλην ὀψίαν ἥκοντες ηὐλισάμεθα, καίτοι ἐκώλυεν οὐδεὶς ἐς τὴν πόλιν αὐτίκα ἐσελάσαι. οἵ τε γὰρ Καρχηδόνιὁ̣̣̓ τὰς πύλας ἀνακλίναντες λύχνα ἔκαιον πανδημἑ̣̣̓ καὶ ἡ πόλις κατελάμπετο τῷ πυρὶ τὴν νύκτα ὅλην ἐκείνην, καὶ τῶν Βανδίλων οἱ ἀπολελειμμένοι ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς ἱκέται ἐκάθηντο. [2] ἀλλὰ Βελισάριος διεκώλυσε τοῦ μήτε ἐνέδραν σφίσι πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων γενέσθαι μήτε τοῖς στρατιώταις ἄδειαν εἶναι, ἅτε ἐν νυκτὶ λανθάνουσιν, ἐς ἁρπαγὴν τραπέσθαι. [3] ταύτῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ αἱ νῆες῾̣̣̓ εὔρου σφίσιν ἀνέμου ἐπιπεσόντος, ἐς τὴν ἄκραν ἀφίκοντο. καὶ οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι, ἤδη γὰρ αὐτὰς καθεώρων, τὰς σιδηρᾶς ἁλύσεις τοῦ λιμένος, ὃν δὴ Μανδράκιον καλοῦσιν, ἀφελόμενοι, εἰσιτητὰ τῷ στόλῳ ἐποίουν. [4] ἔστι δὲ ἐν τῇ βασιλέως αὐλῇ οἴκημα σκότους ἀνάπλεων, ὃ δὴ Ἀγκῶνα καλοῦσιν οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι, ἔνθα ἐνεβάλλοντο ἅπαντες οἷς ἂν χαλεπαίνοι ὁ τύραννος. [5] ἐνταῦθα καθειργμένοι ἐτύγχανον πολλοὶ τῶν ἑῴων ἐμπόρων ἐς ἐκεῖνο τοῦ χρόνου. [6] τούτοις γὰρ δὴ ὁ Γελίμερ χαλεπῶς εἶχεν, ἐπικαλῶν ὡς δὴ αὐτοὶ βασιλέα ἐς τὸν πόλεμον ἐναγάγοιεν, ἔμελλόν τε διαφθαρῆναι πάντες, δόξαν τοῦτο Γελίμερι ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ᾗ Ἀμμάτας ἐν Δεκίμῳ ἀπέθανε: παρὰ τοσοῦτον κινδύνου ἦλθον. [7] τούτου ὁ φύλαξ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου, ἐπεὶ τά τε ἐν Δεκίμῳ πραχθέντα ἤκουσε καὶ τὸν στόλον εἶδε τῆς ἄκρας ἐντός, ἐσελθὼν ἐς τὸ οἴκημα πυνθάνεται τῶν ἀνδρῶν, οὔπω τἀγαθὰ πεπυσμένων, ἀλλ̓ ἐν τῷ σκότῳ καθημένων καὶ καραδοκούντων τὸν θάνατον, τί ποτε ἄρα βουλομένοις ἂν αὐτοῖς εἴη τῶν ὑπαρχόντων προεμένοις σεσῶσθαι. [8] τῶν δὲ ἅπαντα αἱρουμένων διδόναι ἃ βούλοιτο, ἄλλο μὲν οὐδὲν ᾔτει τῶν πάντων χρημάτων, ἠξίου δὲ ἅπαντας ὀμνύναι ὡς, ἢν διαφύγοιεν, καὶ αὐτῷ ἐν κινδύνοις γενησομένῳ ξυλλήψονται ὅση δύναμις. οἱ μὲν οὖν κατὰ ταῦτα ἐποίουν. [9] ὁ δὲ τόν τε λόγον ἅπαντα ἔφραζε καὶ σανίδα ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς θάλασσαν ἀφελὼν μέρους προσιόντα τὸν στόλον ἐπέδειξε, τῆς τε εἱρκτῆς ἀφεὶς ἅπαντας ξὺν αὐτοῖς ᾔει. [10] Οἱ δὲ ἐν ταῖς ναυσὶν ὄντες, οὔπω τι ἀκηκοότες ὧν ἐν τῇ γῇ ὁ στρατὸς ἔδρασε, διηποροῦντο, καὶ τὰ ἱστία χαλάσαντες ἔς τε τὸ Μερκούριον πέμψαντες τὰ ἐν Δεκίμῳ πραχθέντα ἔμαθον, καὶ περιχαρεῖς γενόμενοι ἔπλεον. [11] ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος σφίσιν ἐπιφόρου ὄντος ἀπὸ σταδίων πεντήκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν Καρχηδόνος ἐγένοντο, Ἀρχέλαος μὲν καὶ οἱ στρατιῶται αὐτοῦ ὁρμίσασθαι ἐκέλευον, τὴν τοῦ στρατηγοῦ δεδιότες πρόρρησιν, οἱ δὲ ναῦται οὐκ ἐπείθοντο. [12] τήν τε γὰρ ἐκείνῃ ἀκτὴν ἀλίμενον εἶναι ἔφασκον καὶ χειμῶνα ἐπίσημον αὐτίκα μάλα γενήσεσθαι ἐπίδοξον εἶναι, ὃν δὴ οἱ ἐπιχώριοι Κυπριανὰ καλοῦσι. [13] προὔλεγόν τε ὡς, εἰ ἐνταῦθα σφίσιν ἐπιγένηται, οὐδ̓ ἂν τῶν νεῶν μίαν διασώσασθαι δυνατοὶ εἶεν. καὶ ἦν δὲ οὕτως. [14] ἐν βραχεῖ οὖν τά τε ἱστία χαλάσαντες καὶ βουλευσάμενοι τοῦ μὲν Μανδρακίου πειράσασθαι οὐκ [15] ᾤοντο χρῆναι ῾τάς τε γὰρ Βελισαρίου ἐντολὰς ὑπεστέλλοντο καὶ ἅμα τὴν ἐς τὸ Μανδράκιον εἴσοδον ταῖς ἁλύσεσιν ἀποκεκλεῖσθαι ὑπώπτευον, ἄλλως τε καὶ τῷ παντὶ στόλῳ τὸν λιμένα ἐκεῖνον οὐχ ἱκανὸν εἶναἰ, τὸ δὲ Στάγνον σφίσιν ἐφαίνετο ἐν καλῷ κεῖσθαι ῾μέτρῳ γὰρ σταδίων τεσσαράκοντα Καρχηδόνος διέχεἰ ἐμπόδιόν τε οὐδὲν ἐν αὐτῷ εἶναι καὶ πρὸς τὸν στόλον ἅπαντα ἱκανῶς πεφυκέναι. [16] ἔνθα δὴ ἀφικόμενοι περὶ λύχνων ἁφὰς ὡρμίσαντο πάντες, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι Καλώνυμος ἅμα τῶν ναυτῶν τισι, τοῦ τε στρατηγοῦ ἀφροντιστήσας καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πάντων, ἔς τε τὸ Μανδράκιον λάθρα ἀπέβη, οὐδενὸς κωλῦσαι τολμήσαντος, καὶ χρήματα τῶν ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ ᾠκημένων ἐμπόρων ξένων τε καὶ Καρχηδονίων διήρπασε. [17] Τῇ δὲ ἐπιγενομένῃ ἡμέρᾳ Βελισάριος τούς τε ἐν ταῖς ναυσὶ τὴν ἀπόβασιν ἐκέλευε ποιεῖσθαι καὶ ὅλον διακοσμήσας τὸ στράτευμα διατάξας τε ὡς ἐς μάχην ἐπὶ Καρχηδόνα ἐσήλαυνεν: ἐδεδίει γὰρ μή τίς οἱ ἐνέδρα πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων ὑπαντιάσῃ. [18] ἔνθα δὴ πολλὰ μὲν τοὺς στρατιώτας ὑπέμνησεν, ἡλίκα σφίσιν εὐτυχήματα γένοιτο, ἐπειδὴ σωφροσύνην ἐς Λίβυας ἐπεδείξαντο, πολλὰ δὲ παρῄνεσε τὴν εὐκοσμίαν ἐν Καρχηδόνι ὡς μάλιστα διασώσασθαι. [19] Λίβυας γὰρ ἅπαντας Ῥωμαίους τὸ ἀνέκαθεν ὄντας γενέσθαι τε ὑπὸ Βανδίλοις οὔτι ἐθελουσίους καὶ πολλὰ πεπονθέναι πρὸς ἀνδρῶν βαρβάρων ἀνόσια. [20] διὸ δὴ καὶ βασιλέα ἐς πόλεμον καταστῆναι Βανδίλοις, εἶναί τε οὐχ ὅσιον ξυμβῆναί τι πρὸς αὐτῶν ἄχαρι ἐς ἀνθρώπους ὧν τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ὑπόθεσιν ποιησάμενοι ἐπὶ Βανδίλους ἐστράτευσαν. [21] τοσαῦτα παραινέσας ἔς τε Καρχηδόνα εἰσῆλθε καί, ἐπεὶ πολέμιον σφίσιν οὐδὲν ἐφαίνετο, ἐς τὸ Παλάτιον ἀναβὰς ἐν τῷ Γελίμερος θρόνῳ ἐκάθισεν. [22] ἐνταῦθα ἐντυχόντες πολλῇ κραυγῇ Βελισαρίῳ ἐμπόρων τ̣̣̔̓ πλῆθος καὶ ἄλλοι Καρχηδόνιοι ὅσοις ἐπιθαλάσσια τὰ οἰκία τετύχηκεν εἶναι, ᾐτιῶντο ἁρπαγὴν σφίσι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων τῇ προλαβούσῃ νυκτ̣̣̔̓ πρὸς τῶν ναυτῶν ξυμβῆναι. [23] ὁ δὲ Καλώνυμον ὅρκοις καταλαμβάνει ἦ μὴν ἅπαντα ἐς τὸ ἐμφανἓ̣̣̓ ἐνεγκεῖν τὰ φώρια. [24] Καλώνυμος δ�
� ὀμόσας τ̣̣̔̓ καὶ τὰ ὀμωμοσμένα ἐν ἀλογίᾳ ποιησάμενος τ̣̣̔̓ μὲν παραυτίκα τὰ χρήματα ἐληίσατο, χρόνῳ δ̣̣̔̓ οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον τὴν δίκην ἔτισεν ἐς Βυζάντιον [25] νόσῳ γὰρ ἁλοὺς τῇ καλουμένῃ ἀποπληξίᾳ κα τῶν φρενῶν ἔξω γενόμενος τῆς τε γλώσσης ἀπὁ̣̣̓ τραγὼν τῆς αὑτοῦ, εἶτα ἀπέθανεν. ἀλλὰ ταῦτ̣̣̔̓ μὲν χρόνῳ τῷ ὑστέρῳ ἐγένετο.

  XX

  But on the following day the infantry with the wife of Belisarius came up and we all proceeded together on the road toward Carthage, which we reached in the late evening; and we passed the night in the open, although no one hindered us from marching into the city at once. For the Carthaginians opened the gates and burned lights everywhere and the city was brilliant with the illumination that whole night, and those of the Vandals who had been left behind were sitting as suppliants in the sanctuaries. But Belisarius prevented the entrance in order to guard against any ambuscade being set for his men by the enemy, and also to prevent the soldiers from having freedom to turn to plundering, as they might under the concealment of night. On that day, since an east wind arose for them, the ships reached the headland, and the Carthaginians, for they already sighted them, removed the iron chains of the harbour which they call Mandracium, and made it possible for the fleet to enter. Now there is in the king’s palace a room filled with darkness, which the Carthaginians call Ancon, where all were cast with whom the tyrant was angry. In that place, as it happened, many of the eastern merchants had been confined up to that time. For Gelimer was angry with these men, charging them with having urged the emperor on to the war, and they were about to be destroyed, all of them, this having been decided upon by Gelimer on that day on which Ammatas was killed in Decimum; to such an extremity of danger did they come. The guard of this prison, upon hearing what had taken place in Decimum and seeing the fleet inside the point, entered the room and enquired of the men, who had not yet learned the good news, but were sitting in the darkness and expecting death, what among their possessions they would be willing to give up and be saved. And when they said they desired to give everything he might wish, he demanded nothing of all their treasures, but required them all to swear that, if they escaped, they would assist him also with all their power when he came into danger. And they did this. Then he told them 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 disembark, and after marshalling the whole army and drawing it up in battle formation, he marched into Carthage; for he feared lest he should encounter some snare set by the enemy. There he reminded the soldiers at length of how much good fortune had come to them because they had displayed moderation toward the Libyans, and he exhorted them earnestly to preserve good order with the greatest care in Carthage. For all the Libyans had been Romans in earlier times and had come under the Vandals by no will of their own and had suffered many outrages at the hands of these barbarians. For this very reason the emperor had entered into war with the Vandals, and it was not holy that any harm should come from them to the people whose freedom they had made the ground for taking the field against the Vandals. [Sept. 15, 533 A.D.] After such words of exhortation he entered Carthage, and, since no enemy was seen by them, he went up to the palace and seated himself on Gelimer’s throne. There a crowd of merchants and other Carthaginians came before Belisarius with much shouting, persons whose homes were on the sea, and they made the charge that there had been a robbery of their property on the preceding night by the sailors. And Belisarius bound Calonymus by oaths to bring without fail all his thefts to the light. And Calonymus, taking the oath and disregarding what he had sworn, for the moment made the money his plunder, but not long afterwards he paid his just penalty in Byzantium. For being taken with the disease called apoplexy, he became insane and bit off his own tongue and then died. But this happened at a later time.

  Τότε δὲ Βελισάριος, ἐπεὶ ὁ καιρὸς ἐς τοῦτ̣̣̔̓ ἦγεν, ἄριστον σφίσιν ἐκέλευε γενέσθαι οὗ δ̣̣̔̓ Γελίμερ τοὺς τῶν Βανδίλων ἡγουμένους ἑστιᾶν εἰώθει. [2] Δέλφικα τὸν τόπον καλοῦσι Ῥωμαῖοι, ὁ̣̣̓ τῇ σφετέρᾳ γλώσσῃ, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ παλαιὸν ἑλληνίζοντες. ἐν Παλατίῳ γὰρ τῷ ἐπὶ Ῥώμης ἔνθα ξυνέβαινε στιβάδας τὰς βασιλέως εἶναι τρίπους ἐκ παλαιοῦ εἱστήκει, ἐφ̓ οὗ δὴ τὰς κύλικας οἱ βασιλέως οἰνοχόοι ἐτίθεντο. [3] Δέλφικ̣̣̔̓ δὲ τὸν τρίποδα καλοῦσι Ῥωμαῖοι, ἐπεὶ πρῶτον ἐν Δελφοῖς γέγονε, καὶ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ ἔν τε Βυζαντίῳ καὶ ὅπη βασιλέως εἶναι στιβάδα ξυμβαίνει Δέλφικα τοῦτο καλοῦσι τὸ οἴκημα, ἐπεὶ καὶ τ̣̣̔̓ βασιλέως οἰκία Παλάτιον ἑλληνίζοντες καλοῦσι Ῥωμαῖοι. [4] Πάλλαντος γὰρ ἀνδρὸς Ἕλληνος ἐν τούτῳ τῷ χωρίῳ οἰκήσαντος πρὸ Ἰλίου ἁλώσεως οἰκίαν τε λόγου ἀξίαν ἐνταῦθα δειμαμένου, Παλάτιον μὲν τὸ οἴκημα τοῦτο ἐκάλουν, ἐπεὶ δὲ τὴν αὐτοκράτορα παραλαβὼν ἀρχὴν Αὔγουστος ἐνταῦθα καταλύειν τὸ πρῶτον ἔγνω, Παλάτιον ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ καλοῦσι τὸ χωρίον οὗ ἂν βασιλεὺς καταλύῃ. [5] ἐν Δέλφικι τοίνυν Βελισάριός τε ἤσθιε καὶ εἴ τι ἐν τῷ στρατεύματι δόκιμον ἦν. [6] τετύχηκε δὲ τὸ τῇ προτεραίᾳ τῷ Γελίμερι γεγονὸς ἄριστον ἐν παρασκευῇ εἶναι. καὶ ταῖς τε βρώσεσιν αὐταῖς εἱστιάθημεν ἥ τε τοῦ Γελίμερος θεραπεία παρετίθει τε καὶ ᾠνοχόει καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὑπούργει. [7] παρῆν τε ἰδεῖν ὡραϊζομένην τὴν τύχην καὶ ποιουμένην ἐπίδειξιν ὡς ἅπαντά τε αὐτῆς εἴη καὶ οὐδὲν ἀνθρώπῳ ἴδιο
ν γένοιτο. [8] Βελισαρίῳ δὲ ξυνηνέχθη ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ εὐδοκιμῆσαι ὡς οὔτε τῶν κατ̓ αὐτὸν οὐδενὶ πώποτε οὔτε τῳ ἄλλῳ τῶν ἐκ παλαιοῦ γεγονότων τετύχηκε. [9] τῶν γὰρ δὴ Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν οὐκ εἰωθότων θορύβου χωρὶς ἐς πόλιν κατήκοον σφίσιν οὐδ̓ ἂν κατὰ πεντακοσίους εἶεν ἄλλως τε καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἀπροσδοκήτου ἰέναι, οὕτω δὴ κοσμίους ἅπαντας ὁ στρατηγὸς οὗτος τοὺς ἀρχομένους παρέσχετο ὥστε οὐδὲ ὕβριν τινὰ ἢ ἀπειλὴν γενέσθαι, [10] οὐ μὴν οὐδέ τι ἐμπόδισμα τῇ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἐργασίᾳ ξυνέβη, ἀλλ̓ ἐν ἁλούσῃ πόλει καὶ πολιτείαν μεταβαλούσῃ καὶ βασιλείαν ἀλλαξαμένῃ οὐδὲ τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ξυνέβη τινὸς τὴν οἰκίαν ἀποκεκλεῖσθαι, ἀλλ̓ οἱ γραμματεῖς τὰ βιβλίδια γράψαντες τοὺς στρατιώτας, ὥσπερ εἰώθει, ἐς τὰς οἰκίας εἰσήγαγον, αὐτοί τε ὤνιον ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγορᾶς τὸ ἄριστον λαβόντες ὡς ἑκάστῳ ἦν βουλομένῳ ἡσύχαζον. [11] Μετὰ δὲ Βελισάριος Βανδίλοις τε τοῖς ἐς τὰ ἱερὰ καταφυγοῦσι πιστὰ ἐδίδου καὶ τῶν τειχῶν ἐπεμελεῖτο. ἦν γὰρ ὁ Καρχηδόνος περίβολος οὕτω δὴ ἀπημελημένος ὥστε ἐσβατὸς ἐν χώροις πολλοῖς τῷ βουλομένῳ καὶ εὐέφοδος ἐγεγόνει. [12] μοῖρα γὰρ οὐκ ὀλίγη αὐτοῦ κατεπεπτώκει καὶ διὰ τοῦτο Γελίμερα οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι ἔφασκον ἐν τῇ πόλει οὐχ ὑποστῆναι. [13] οὐ γὰρ ἄν ποτε οἴεσθαι χρόνῳ ὀλίγῳ οἷόν τε εἶναι τῷ περιβόλῳ τούτῳ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν ἀνασώσασθαι. [14] ἔλεγον δέ τι καὶ λόγιον παλαιὸν ἐν Καρχηδόνι πρὸς τῶν παιδίων ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις εἰρῆσθαι ὡς τὸ γάμμα διώξει τὸ βῆτα, καὶ πάλιν αὐτὸ τὸ βῆτα διώξει τὸ γάμμα. [15] καὶ τότε μὲν παίζουσιν αὐτὸ τοῖς παιδίοις εἰρῆσθαι καὶ ἀπολελεῖφθαι ἐν αἰνίγματος ἀπορουμένου μοίρᾳ, νῦν δὲ ἅπασιν ἄντικρυς φανερὸν εἶναι. [16] πρότερόν τε γὰρ Γιζέριχος Βονιφάτιον ἐξεδίωξε καὶ τανῦν Γελίμερα Βελισάριος. τοῦτο μὲν οὖν, εἴτε φήμη τις ἦν εἴτε λόγιον, ταύτῃ ἐχώρησε. [17] Τότε δὲ καὶ ὄναρ πολλοῖς μὲν πολλάκις ὀφθὲν πρότερον, ἄδηλον δὲ γεγονὸς ὅπη ἐκβήσεται, ἐς φῶς ἐληλύθει. ἐτύγχανε δὲ ὂν τὸ ὄναρ τοιόνδε. Κυπριανόν, ἅγιον ἄνδρα, μάλιστα πάντων οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι σέβονται. [18] καὶ αὐτῷ νεών τινα λόγου πολλοῦ ἄξιον πρὸ τῆς πόλεως ἱδρυσάμενοι παρὰ τὴν τῆς θαλάσσης ἠιόνα τά τε ἄλλα ἐξοσιοῦνται καὶ ἄγουσιν ἑορτὴν ἣν δὴ Κυπριανὰ καλοῦσι, καὶ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ τὸν χειμῶνα οἱ ναῦται, οὗπερ ἐγὼ ἀρτίως ἐμνήσθην, ὁμωνύμως τῇ πανηγύρει προσαγορεύειν εἰώθασιν, ἐπεὶ ἐς τὸν καιρὸν ἐπισκήπτειν φιλεῖ ἐφ̓ οὗ ταύτην οἱ Λίβυες ἄγειν ἐς ἀεὶ τὴν ἑορτὴν νενομίκασι. [19] τοῦτον οἱ Βανδίλοι τὸν νεὼν ἐπὶ Ὁνωρίχου βασιλεύοντος τοὺς Χριστιανοὺς βιασάμενοι ἔσχον. [20] καὶ αὐτῶν ἐνθένδε ξὺν πολλῇ ἀτιμίᾳ τοὺς ἱερέας εὐθὺς ἐξελάσαντες αὐτοὶ τῶν ἱερῶν τὸ λοιπόν, ἅτε προσηκόντων Ἀρειανοῖς, ἐπεμελοῦντο. [21] ἀσχάλλουσιν οὖν διὰ ταῦτα καὶ διαπορουμένοις τοῖς Λίβυσι πολλάκις φασὶ τὸν Κυπριανὸν ὄναρ ἐπισκήψαντα φάναι ἀμφ̓ αὐτῷ μεριμνᾶν τοὺς Χριστιανοὺς ἥκιστα χρῆναι: αὐτὸν γάρ οἱ προϊόντος τοῦ χρόνου τιμωρὸν ἔσεσθαι. [22] ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ λόγος περιφερόμενος ἐς τοὺς Λίβυας ἅπαντας ἦλθε, καραδοκεῖν μὲν αὐτοὺς τίσιν ποτέ τινα τῶν ἱερῶν τούτων ἕνεκα ἐς τοὺς Βανδίλους ἀφίξεσθαι, οὐκ ἔχειν μέντοι τεκμηριῶσαι ὅπη ποτὲ αὐτοῖς ἡ τοῦ ὀνείρου ὄψις ἐκβήσεται. [23] νῦν οὖν, ἐπεὶ ἐς Λιβύην ὁ βασιλέως στόλος ἀφίκετο ῾ἐπανιὼν γὰρ ἤδη ὁ χρόνος τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ τὴν πανήγυριν ἀγαγεῖν ἔμελλεν̓, οἱ μὲν τῶν Ἀρειανῶν ἱερεῖς, καίπερ Ἀμμάτα Βανδίλοις ἐς Δέκιμον ἡγησαμένου, τό τε ἱερὸν ἐκάθηραν ἅπαν καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα ἀναθημάτων τὰ κάλλιστα ἐκρέμων, καὶ τὰ λύχνα ἐν παρασκευῇ ποιησάμενοι τά τε κειμήλια ἐξενεγκόντες ἐκ τῶν ταμιείων ἡτοίμαζον ἀκριβῶς ἅπαντα, ὥς πη αὐτῶν ἕκαστον ἐς τὴν χρείαν ἐπιτηδείως ἔχον ἐτύγχανε. [24] τὰ δὲ ἐν Δεκίμῳ οὕτως ὥσπερ μοι προδεδήλωται γενέσθαι ξυνέβη. [25] καὶ οἱ μὲν τῶν Ἀρειανῶν ἱερεῖς φεύγοντες ᾤχοντο, Χριστιανοὶ δὲ οἷς τὰ ἐς τὴν δόξαν ὀρθῶς ἤσκηται, ἀφικόμενοι ἐς τοῦ Κυπριανοῦ τὸν νεών, τά τε λύχνα ἔκαιον ἅπαντα καὶ τῶν ἱερῶν ἐπεμελοῦντο ᾗπερ αὐτοῖς τελεῖσθαι ταῦτα νόμος, οὕτω τε ἅπασιν ἃ δὴ προὔλεγεν ἡ τοῦ ὀνείρου ὄψις ἐγνώσθη. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν τῇδε ἐχώρησεν.