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 Chap, xxxvi] OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 37 Anthemius, with whom he had divided the administration of prepara- the universe. 92 The situation, and perhaps the character, of against the Leo dissuaded him from exposing his person to the toils andAMca. 8 dangers of an African war. But the powers of the Eastern AD " empire were strenuously exerted to deliver Italy and the Medi- terranean from the Vandals; and Genseric, who had so long oppressed both the land and the sea, was threatened from every side with a formidable invasion. The campaign was opened by a bold and successful enterprise of the prsefect Heraclius. 93 The troops of Egypt, Thebais, and Libya were embarked under his command ; and the Arabs, with a train of horses and camels, opened the roads of the desert. Heraclius landed on the coast of Tripoli, surprised and subdued the cities of that province, and prepared, by a laborious march, which Cato had formerly exe- cuted, 94 to join the Imperial army under the walls of Carthage. The intelligence of this loss extorted from Genseric some in- sidious and ineffectual propositions of peace ; but he was still more seriously alarmed by the reconciliation of Marcellinus with the two empires. The independent patrician had been per- suaded to acknowledge the legitimate title of Anthemius, whom he accompanied in his journey to Rome ; the Dalmatian fleet was received into the harbours of Italy ; the active valour of Marcellinus expelled the Vandals from the island of Sardinia ; and the languid efforts of the West added some weight to the immense preparations of the Eastern Romans. The expense of the naval armament, which Leo sent against the Vandals, has been distinctly ascertained ; and the curious and instructive account displays the wealth of the declining empire. The royal 92 Itaque nos quibus totius uiundi regimen commisit superna provisio. . . . Pius et triuniphator semper Augustus filius noster Anthemius, licet Divina Majestas et nostra oreatio pietati ejus plenam Imperii commiserit potestatem, etc. .. . Such is the dignified style of Leo, whom Anthemius respectfully names Dominus et Pater meus Prineeps sacratissimus Leo. See Novell. Anthem, tit. ii. iii. p. 38, ad calcem Cod. Theod. 93 The expedition of Heraclius is clouded with difficulties (Tillemont, Hist, des Empereur6, torn. vi. p. 640), and it requires some dexterity to use the circumstances afforded by Theophanes without injury to the more respectable evidence of Pro- copius. [On the numbers of his armament, cp. Martroye, Genseric, p. 216.] 94 The march of Cato from Berenice, in the province of Cyrene, was much longer than that of Heraclius from Tripoli. He passed the deep sandy desert in thirty days, and it was found necessary to provide, besides the ordinary supplies, a great number of skins filled with water, and several Psylli, who were supposed to possess the art of sucking the wounds which had been made by the serpents of their native oountry. See Plutarch, in Caton. Uticens. torn. iv. p. 275 (c. 56). Strabon. Geograph. 1. xvii. p. 1193. [Cp. Lucan, Pharsalia, Bk. ix.]