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,