us quantity of spoil, and having
slain many of our officers, the most distinguished of whom were
Rusticianus, one of the priests, and the aedile, Nicasius.

11. This invasion was prevented from being repelled by the fact, that at
the entreaty of the ambassadors, the conduct of the military affairs,
which had at first been intrusted to Ruricius, the president, had been
subsequently transferred to Count Romanus.

12. So now a new messenger was sent to Gaul with an account of this
fresh disaster; and his intelligence roused the emperor to great anger.
So Palladius, his secretary, who had also the rank of tribune, was sent
at once to liquidate the pay due to the soldiers, who were dispersed
over Africa, and to examine into all that had taken place in Tripoli, he
being an officer whose report could be trusted.

13. But while all these delays took place from the continual
deliberations held on the case, and while the people of Tripoli were
still waiting for the answer, the Asturians, now still more insolent
after their double success, like birds of prey whose ferocity has been
sharpened by the taste of blood, flew once more to attack them; and
having slain every one who did not flee from the danger, they carried
off all the spoil which they had previously left behind, cutting down
all the trees and vines.

14. Then a certain citizen named Mychon, a man of high station and
great influence, was taken prisoner in the district outside of the city;
but before they could bind him he gave them the slip, and because an
attack of gout rendered him unable to effect his escape, he threw
himself down a dry well, from which he was drawn up by the barbarians
with his ribs broken, and was conducted near to the gates of the city,
where he was ransomed by the affection of his wife, and was drawn up to
the battlements of the wall by a rope; but two days afterwards he died.

15. These events encouraged the pertinacity of the invaders, so that
they advanced and attacked the very walls of Leptis, which resounded
with the mournful wailings of the women, who were terrified in an
extraordinary manner and quite bewildered, because they had never before
been blockaded by an enemy. And after the city had been besieged for
eight days continuously, during which many of the besiegers were
wounded, while they made no progress, they retired much discouraged to
their own country.

16. In consequence of these events, the citizens, being still doubtful