History of the Wars, Books III and IV | Page 6

of all men. Boniface accordingly sent to Spain
those who were his own most intimate friends and gained the adherence
of each of the sons of Godigisclus on terms of complete equality, it
being agreed that each one of the three, holding a third part of Libya,
should rule over his own subjects; but if a foe should come against any
one of them to make war, that they should in common ward off the
aggressors. On the basis of this agreement the Vandals crossed the
strait at Gadira and came into Libya, and the Visigoths in later times

settled in Spain. But in Rome the friends of Boniface, remembering the
character of the man and considering how strange his action was, were
greatly astonished to think that Boniface was setting up a tyranny, and
some of them at the order of Placidia went to Carthage. There they met
Boniface, and saw the letter of Aetius, and after hearing the whole story
they returned to Rome as quickly as they could and reported to Placidia
how Boniface stood in relation to her. And though the woman was
dumbfounded, she did nothing unpleasant to Aetius nor did she upbraid
him for what he had done to the emperor's house, for he himself
wielded great power and the affairs of the empire were already in an
evil plight; but she disclosed to the friends of Boniface the advice
Aetius had given, and, offering oaths and pledges of safety, entreated
them to persuade the man, if they could, to return to his fatherland and
not to permit the empire of the Romans to lie under the hand of
barbarians. And when Boniface heard this, he repented of his act and of
his agreement with the barbarians, and he besought them incessantly,
promising them everything, to remove from Libya. But since they did
not receive his words with favour, but considered that they were being
insulted, he was compelled to fight with them, and being defeated in
the battle, he retired to Hippo[22] Regius, a strong city in the portion of
Numidia that is on the sea. There the Vandals made camp under the
leadership of Gizeric and began a siege; for Gontharis had already died.
And they say that he perished at the hand of his brother. The Vandals,
however, do not agree with those who make this statement, but say that
Gontharis' was captured in battle by Germans in Spain and impaled,
and that Gizeric was already sole ruler when he led the Vandals into
Libya. This, indeed, I have heard from the Vandals, stated in this way.
But after much time had passed by, since they were unable to secure
Hippo Regius either by force or by surrender, and since at the same
time they were being pressed by hunger, they raised the siege. And a
little later Boniface and the Romans in Libya, since a numerous army
had come from both Rome and Byzantium and Aspar with them as
general, decided to renew the struggle, and a fierce battle was fought in
which they were badly beaten by the enemy, and they made haste to
flee as each one could. And Aspar betook himself homeward, and
Boniface, coming before Placidia, acquitted himself of the suspicion,
showing that it had arisen against him for no true cause.

IV
So the Vandals, having wrested Libya from the Romans in this way,
made it their own. And those of the enemy whom they took alive they
reduced to slavery and held under guard. Among these happened to be
Marcian, who later upon the death of Theodosius assumed the imperial
power. At that time, however, Gizeric commanded that the captives be
brought into the king's courtyard, in order that it might be possible for
him, by looking at them, to know what master each of them might
serve without degradation. And when they were gathered under the
open sky, about midday, the season being summer, they were distressed
by the sun and sat down. And somewhere or other among them
Marcian, quite neglected, was sleeping. Then an eagle flew over him
spreading out his wings, as they say, and always remaining in the same
place in the air he cast a shadow over Marcian alone. And Gizeric,
upon seeing from the upper storey what was happening, since he was
an exceedingly discerning person, suspected that the thing was a divine
manifestation, and summoning the man enquired of him who he might
be. And he replied that he was a confidential adviser of Aspar; such a
person the Romans call a "domesticus" in their own tongue. And when
Gizeric heard this and considered first the meaning of the bird's action,
and then remembered how great power Aspar exercised in Byzantium,
it became evident to him that the