detachment to which Solomon belonged;
for thus the Romans call the paymaster. This Gezon, either in play or in
anger, or perhaps even moved by some divine impulse, began to make the
ascent alone, apparently going against the enemy, and not far from him
went some of his fellow-soldiers, marvelling greatly at what he was
doing. And three of the Moors, who had been stationed to guard the
approach, suspecting that the man was coming against them, went on the
run to confront him. But since they were in a narrow way, they did not
proceed in orderly array, but each one went separately. And Gezon struck
the first one who came upon him and killed him, and in this way he
despatched each of the others. And when those in the rear perceived
this, they advanced with much shouting and tumult against the enemy. And
when the whole Roman army both heard and saw what was being done,
without waiting either for the general to lead the way for them or for
the trumpets to give the signal for battle, as was customary, nor indeed
even keeping their order, but making a great uproar and urging one
another on, they ran against the enemy's camp. There Rufinus and
Leontius, the sons of Zaunas the son of Pharesmanes, made a splendid
display of valorous deeds against the enemy. And by this the Moors were
terror-stricken, and when they learned that their guards also had been
destroyed, they straightway turned to flight where each one could, and
the most of them were overtaken in the difficult ground and killed. And
Iaudas himself, though struck by a javelin in the thigh, still made his
escape and withdrew to Mauretania. But the Romans, after plundering the
enemy's camp, decided not to abandon Aurasium again, but to guard
fortresses which Solomon was to build there, so that this mountain might
not be again accessible to the Moors.

Now there is on Aurasium a perpendicular rock which rises in the midst
of precipices; the natives call it the Rock of Geminianus; there the men
of ancient times had built a tower, making it very small as a place of
refuge, strong and unassailable, since the nature of the position
assisted them. Here, as it happened, Iaudas had a few days previously
deposited his money and his women, setting one old Moor in charge as
guardian of the money. For he could never have suspected that the enemy
would either reach this place, or that they could in all time capture
the tower by force. But the Romans at that time, searching through the