ans denied
his intention of seizing the supreme power, he purposed immediately to
go against him arrayed for battle.

But in the meantime Gontharis slandered Areobindus to the soldiers,
saying that he was a coward and not only possessed with fear of the
enemy, but at the same time quite unwilling to give them, his soldiers,
their pay, and that he was planning to run away with Anastasius and that
they were about to sail very soon from Mandracium[68], in order that the
soldiers, fighting both with hunger and with the Moors, might be
destroyed; and he enquired whether it was their wish to arrest both and
keep them under guard. For thus he hoped either that Areobindus,
perceiving the tumult, would turn to flight, or that he would be
captured by the soldiers and ruthlessly put to death. Moreover he
promised that he himself would advance to the soldiers money of his own,
as much as the government owed them. And they were approving his words
and were possessed with great wrath against Areobindus, but while this
was going on Areobindus together with Artabanes and his followers came
there. And a battle took place on the parapet and below about the gate
where Gontharis had taken his stand, and neither side was worsted. And
all were about to gather from the camps, as many as were well disposed
to the emperor, and capture the mutineers by force. For Gontharis had
not as yet deceived all, but the majority remained still uncorrupted in
mind. But Areobindus, seeing then for the first time the killing of men
(for he had not yet, as it happened, become acquainted with this sight),
was terror-stricken and, turning coward, fled, unable to endure what he
saw.

Now there is a temple inside the fortifications of Carthage hard by the
sea-shore, the abode of men who are very exact in their practice of
religion, whom we have always been accustomed to call "monks"; this
temple had been built by Solomon not long before, and he had surrounded
it with a wall and rendered it a very strong fortress. And Areobindus,
fleeing for refuge, rushed into the monastery, where he had already sent
his wife and sister. Then Artabanes too ran away, and all the rest
withdrew from Carthage as each one could. And Gontharis, having taken
the city by assault, with the mutineers took possession of the palace,
and was already guarding both the gates and the harbour most carefully.
First, then, he summoned Athanasius, who came to him without delay, and
by using much fl