him, who were nephews and cousins of his and
other persons of high birth, experienced a misery which no one could
describe, however eloquent he might be, in a way which would equal the
facts. For of all the nations which we know that of the Vandals is the
most luxurious, and that of the Moors the most hardy. For the Vandals,
since the time when they gained possession of Libya, used to indulge in
baths, all of them, every day, and enjoyed a table abounding in all
things, the sweetest and best that the earth and sea produce. And they
wore gold very generally, and clothed themselves in the Medic garments,
which now they call "seric,"[18] and passed their time, thus dressed, in
theatres and hippodromes and in other pleasureable pursuits, and above
all else in hunting. And they had dancers and mimes and all other things
to hear and see which are of a musical nature or otherwise merit
attention among men. And the most of them dwelt in parks, which were
well supplied with water and trees; and they had great numbers of
banquets, and all manner of sexual pleasures were in great vogue among
them. But the Moors live in stuffy huts[19] both in winter and in summer
and at every other time, never removing from them either because of snow
or the heat of the sun or any other discomfort whatever due to nature.
And they sleep on the ground, the prosperous among them, if it should so
happen, spreading a fleece under themselves. Moreover, it is not
customary among them to change their clothing with the seasons, but they
wear a thick cloak and a rough shirt at all times. And they have neither
bread nor wine nor any other good thing, but they take grain, either
wheat or barley, and, without boiling it or grinding it to flour or
barley-meal, they eat it in a manner not a whit different from that of
animals. Since the Moors, then, were of a such a sort, the followers of
Gelimer, after living with them for a long time and changing their
accustomed manner of life to such a miserable existence, when at last
even the necessities of life had failed, held out no longer, but death
was thought by them most sweet and slavery by no means disgraceful.

Now when this was learned by Pharas, he wrote to Gelimer as follows: "I
too am a barbarian and not accustomed to writing and speaking, nor am I
skilful in these matters. But that which I am forced as a man to know,
having learned from the nature of things, this I am writing you. What in
the world has happe