-perhaps a hundred--wounded men, as
the Vandals fought only with the sword. That yields almost as many
killed as wounded. Most of our dead and wounded may be credited to the
three Asdings, two noblemen in boar helmets, and an apparently crazy
monk. Eight hundred Vandal corpses covered the field, by far the larger
number of these fell during the flight. We have captured, sound and
wounded, about ten thousand men; women and children unnumbered. In our
two wings we did not lose a single warrior, except one Hun whom
Belisarius was unfortunately compelled to hang. He had stuffed pockets,
shoes, hair, and ears with pearls and gems which he picked up in the
Vandal camp, especially in the women's tents, and which our Empress has
honestly earned.

Our pursuit of the Vandals was checked only by our greed. The fallen
and captive Vandals had many ornaments of gold and silver on their
persons, their horses, and themselves; our heroes plundered every one
before passing on. Our horsemen, who reached the camp first, did not
venture, in spite of their longing to pillage, to enter it at once;
they thought it impossible that a force so superior in numbers should
not defend their own camp, their wives and children.

The King is said to have paused a moment as if stupefied; but when
Belisarius with our whole body appeared before the tents, he exclaimed,
"The avenger!" and pursued his flight toward Numidia, attended by a few
relatives, servants, and faithful Moors. Now all the Vandal warriors
who had reached the camp scattered in wild confusion, surrendering
their shrieking children, their weeping wives, their rich possessions,
without a single sword-stroke; and these men are, or were, Germans! It
would be no wonder if Justinian should now try at once to liberate
Italy and Spain from the Goths.

Our men dashed after the fugitives. All the rest of the day and the
whole moonlight night they slaughtered the Vandals without resistance;
they seized women and children by thousands to use them as slaves.
Never yet have I beheld so much beauty. Nor have I ever seen such heaps
of gold and silver money as in the tents of the King and the Vandal
nobles. It is incredible.

Belisarius was tortured after his victory by the most terrible anxiety.
For in this camp, filled to overflowing with the most beautiful women,
treasures of every description, wine and provisions, the whole army
forgot every trace of discipline. Fairly intoxicated with their
undre