actuates men come to your minds, namely, pride in
past achievement. For it is a shame, for those
at least who have reason, to fall short of one’s
own self and to be found inferior to one’s own
standard of valour. For I know well that terror
and the memory of misfortunes have laid hold upon the
enemy and compel them to become less brave, for the
one fills them with fear because of what has already
happened, and the other brushes aside their hope of
success. For Fortune, once seen to be bad, straightway
enslaves the spirit of those who have fallen in her
way. And I shall explain how the struggle involves
for you at the present time a greater stake than formerly.
For in the former battle the danger was, if things
did not go well for us, that we should not take the
land of others; but now, if we do not win the struggle,
we shall lose the land which is our own. In proportion,
then, as it is easier to possess nothing than to be
deprived of what one has, just so now our fear touches
our most vital concerns more than before. And
yet formerly we had the fortune to win the victory
with the infantry absent, but now, entering the battle
with God propitious and with our whole army, I have
hopes of capturing the camp of the enemy, men and
all. Thus, then, having the end of the war ready
at hand, do not by reason of any negligence put it
off to another time, lest you be compelled to seek
for the opportune moment after it has run past us.
For when the fortune of war is postponed, its nature
is not to proceed in the same manner as before, especially
if the war be prolonged by the will of those who are
carrying it on. For Heaven is accustomed to bring
retribution always upon those who abandon the good
fortune which is present. But if anyone considers
that the enemy, seeing their children and wives and
most precious possessions in our hands, will be daring
beyond reason and will incur risks beyond the strength
which they have, he does not think rightly. For
an overpowering passion springing up in the heart
in behalf of what is most precious is wont to diminish
men’s actual strength and does not allow them
to make full use of their present opportunities.
Considering, then, all these things, it behooves you
to go with great contempt against the enemy.”
II
After such words of exhortation, Belisarius sent out all the horsemen on the same day, except five hundred, and also the guardsmen and the standard, which the Romans call “bandum,"[1] entrusting them to John the Armenian, and directing him to skirmish only, if opportunity should arise. And he himself on the following day followed with the infantry forces and the five hundred horsemen. And the Massagetae, deliberating among themselves, decided, in order to seem in friendly agreement with both Gelimer and Belisarius, neither to begin fighting for the Romans nor to go over to the Vandals before the encounter, but whenever the situation of one or the other army should be bad,