s of the
Mazices, who had combined with Firmus, and now in a suppliant tone
implored pardon, replying to their entreaties that he would at once
march against them as perfidious enemies.

18. When he had thus cowed them by the fear of impending danger, and had
commanded them to return to their own country, he proceeded onwards to
Caesarea, a city formerly of great wealth and importance, of the origin
of which we have given a full account in our description of Africa. When
he reached it, and saw that nearly the whole of it had been destroyed by
extensive conflagrations, and that the flint stones of the streets were
covered with ashes, he ordered the first and second legions to be
stationed there for a time, that they might clear away the heaps of
cinders and ashes, and keep guard there to prevent a fresh attack of the
barbarians from repeating this devastation.

19. When accurate intelligence of these events had arrived, the
governors of the province and the tribune Vincentius issued forth from
the places of concealment in which they had been lying, and came with
speed and confidence to the general. He saw and received them with joy,
and, while still at Caesarea, having accurately inquired into every
circumstance, he found that Firmus, while assuming the disguise of an
ally and a suppliant, was secretly planning how, like a sudden tempest,
to overwhelm his army while unprepared for any such danger.

20. On this he quitted Caesarea, and went to the town of Sugabarritanum,
which is on the slope of Mount Transcellensis. There he found the
cavalry of the fourth cohort of archers, who had revolted to the
rebels, and in order to show himself content with lenient punishments,
he degraded them all to the lowest class of the service, and ordered
them, and a portion of the infantry of the Constantian legion, to come
to Tigaviae with their tribunes, one of whom was the man who, for want of
a diadem, had placed a neck-chain on the head of Firmus.

21. While these events were proceeding, Gildo and Maximus returned, and
brought with them Bellenes, one of the princes of the Mazices, and
Fericius, prefect of that nation, both of whom had espoused the faction
of the disturber of the public peace, leading them forth in chains.

22. When this order had been executed, Theodosius himself came forth
from his camp at daybreak, and on seeing those men surrounded by his
army, said, "What, my trusty comrades, do you think ought to be done to