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 THE ROMAN HISTORY OF AMMIANUS MARCELLINUS

 DURING THE REIGNS OF

 THE EMPERORS CONSTANTIUS, JULIAN, JOVIANUS, VALENTINIAN, AND VALENS. 

 TRANSLATED BY C. D. YONGE, M. A. 

 _WITH A GENERAL INDEX_

 [Illustration]

 LONDON G. BELL AND SONS, LTD 1911

 [_Reprinted from Stereotype plates. _]

PREFACE. 

Of Ammianus Marcellinus, the writer of the following History, we knowvery little more than what can be collected from that portion of itwhich remains to us. From that source we learn that he was a native ofAntioch, and a soldier; being one of the _prefectores domestici_--thebody-guard of the emperor, into which none but men of noble birth wereadmitted. He was on the staff of Ursicinus, whom he attended in severalof his expeditions; and he bore a share in the campaigns which Julianmade against the Persians. After that time he never mentions himself, and we are ignorant when he quitted the service and retired to Rome, inwhich city he composed his History. We know not when he was born, orwhen he died, except that from one or two incidental passages in hiswork it is plain that he lived nearly to the end of the fourth century:and it is even uncertain whether he was a Christian or a Pagan; thoughthe general belief is, that he adhered to the religion of the ancientRomans, without, however, permitting it to lead him even to speakdisrespectfully of Christians or Christianity. 

His History, which he divided into thirty-one books (of which the firstthirteen are lost, while the text of those which remain is in someplaces imperfect), began with the accession of Nerva, A. D. 96, whereTacitus and Suetonius end, and was continued to the death of Valens, A. D. 378, a period of 282 years. And there is probably no work as to theintrinsic value of which there is so little difference of opinion. Gibbon bears repeated testimony to his accuracy, fidelity, andimpartiality, and quotes him extensively. In losing his aid after A. D. 378, he says, "It is not without sincere regret that I must now takeleave of an accurate and faithful guide, who has composed the history ofhis own times without indulging the prejudices and passions whichusually affect the mind of a contemporary. " Professor Ramsay (in Smith'sDictionary of Greek and Roman Biography) says, "We are indebted to himfor a knowledge of many important facts not elsewhere recorded, and formuch valuable insight into the modes of thought and the general tone ofpublic feeling prevalent in his day. Nearly all the statements admittedappear to be founded upon his own observations, or upon the informationderived from trustworthy eye-witnesses. A considerable number ofdissertations and digressions are introduced, many of them highlyinteresting and valuable. Such are his notices of the institutions andmanners of the Saracens (xiv. 4), of the Scythians and Sarmatians (xvii. 12), of the Huns and Alani (xxxi. 2), of the Egyptians and their country(xxii. 6, 14-16), and his geographical discussions upon Gaul (xv. 9), the Pontus (xxii. 8), and Thrace (xxvii. 4). Less legitimate and lessjudicious are his geological speculations upon earthquakes (xvii. 7), his astronomical inquiries into eclipses (xx. 3), comets (xxv. 10), andthe regulation of the calendar (xxvi. 1); his medical researches intothe origin of epidemics (xix. 4); his zoological theory on thedestruction of lions by mosquitos (xviii. 7), and his horticulturalessay on the impregnation of palms (xxiv. 3). In addition to industry inresearch and honesty of purpose, he was gifted with a large measure ofstrong common sense, which enabled him in many points to rise superiorto the prejudices of his day, and with a clear-sighted independence ofspirit which prevented him from being dazzled or over-awed by thebrilliancy and the terrors which enveloped the imperial throne. Butalthough sufficiently acute in detecting and exposing the follies ofothers, and especially in ridiculing the absurdities of popularsuperstition, Ammianus did not entirely escape the contagion. Thegeneral and deep-seated belief in magic spells, omens, prodigies, andoracles, which appears to have gained additional strength upon the firstintroduction of Christianity, evidently exercised no small influenceover his mind. The old legends and doctrines of the pagan creed, and thesubtle mysticism which philosophers pretended to discover lurking below, when mixed up with the pure and simple but startling tenets of the newfaith, formed a confused mass which few intellects could reduce to orderand harmony. "

The vices of our author's style, and his ambitious affectation ofornament, are condemned by most critics; but some of the points whichstrike a modern reader as defects evidently arise from the alterationwhich the Latin language had already undergone since the days of Livy. His great value, however, consists in the facts he has made known to us, and is quite independent of the style or language in which he hasconveyed that knowledge, of which without him we should have been nearlydestitute. 

The present translation has been made from Wagner and Erfurdt's edition, published at Leipzig in 1808, and their division of chapters into shortparagraphs has been followed. 

_Feb. _ 1862. 

THE HISTORY OF AMMIANUS MARCELLINUS. 

THE FIRST THIRTEEN BOOKS ARE LOST. 

BOOK XIV. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. The cruelty of the Cæsar Gallus. --II. The incursions of the Isaurians. --III. The unsuccessful plans of the Persians. --IV. The invasion of the Saracens, and the manners of that people. --V. The punishment of the adherents of Magnentius. --VI. The vices of the senate and people of Rome. --VII. The ferocity and inhumanity of the Cæsar Gallus. --VIII. A description of the provinces of the East. --IX. About the Cæsar Constantius Gallus. --X. The Emperor Constantius grants the Allemanni peace at their request. --XI. The Cæsar Constantius Gallus is sent for by the Emperor Constantius, and beheaded. 

I. 

A. D. 353. 

§ 1. After the events of an expedition full of almost insuperabledifficulties, while the spirits of all parties in the state, broken bythe variety of their dangers and toils, were still enfeebled; while theclang of trumpets was ringing in men's ears, and the troops were stilldistributed in their winter quarters, the storms of angry fortunesurrounded the commonwealth with fresh dangers through the manifold andterrible atrocities of Cæsar Gallus:[1] who, when just entering into theprime of life, having been raised with unexpected honour from thelowest depth of misery to the highest rank, exceeded all the legitimatebounds of the power conferred on him, and with preposterous violencethrew everything into confusion. For by his near relationship to theroyal family, and his connection with the name of Constantine, he was soinflated with pride, that if he had had more power, he would, as itseemed, have ventured to attack even the author of his prosperity. 

2. His wife added fuel to his natural ferocity; she was a womanimmoderately proud of her sisterly relationship to Augustus, and hadbeen formerly given in marriage by the elder Constantine to KingHannibalianus, [2] his brother's son. She was an incarnate fury: neverweary of inflaming his savage temper, thirsting for human blood asinsatiably as her husband. The pair, in process of time, becoming moreskilful in the infliction of suffering, employed a gang of underhand andcrafty talebearers, accustomed in their wickedness to make randomadditions to their discoveries, which consisted in general of suchfalsehoods as they themselves delighted in; and these men loaded theinnocent with calumnies, charging them with aiming at kingly power, orwith practising infamous acts of magic. 

3. And among his less remarkable atrocities, when his power had gonebeyond the bounds of moderate crimes, was conspicuous the horrible andsudden death of a certain noble citizen of Alexandria, named Clematius. His mother-in-law, having conceived a passion for him, could not prevailon him to gratify it; and in consequence, as was reported, she, havingobtained an introduction by a secret door into the palace, won over thequeen by the present of a costly necklace, and procured a fatal warrantto be sent to Honoratus, at that time count-governor of the East, incompliance with which Clematius was put to death, a man wholly innocentof any kind of wickedness, without being permitted to say a word in hisdefence. 

4. After this iniquitous transaction, which struck others also with fearlest they should meet with similar treatment, as if cruelty had nowobtained a licence, many were condemned on mere vague suspicion; of whomsome were put to death, others were punished by the confiscation oftheir property, and driven forth as exiles from their homes, so thathaving nothing left but their tears and complaints, they were reduced tolive on the contributions of their friends; and many opulent and famoushouses were shut up, the old constitutional and just authority beingchanged into a government at the will of a bloodthirsty tyrant. 

5. Nor amid these manifold atrocities was any testimony of an accuser, not even of a suborned one, sought for, in order to give at least anappearance of these crimes being committed according to law and statute, as very commonly even the most cruel princes have done: but whateversuited the implacable temper of Cæsar was instantly accomplished inhaste, as if its accordance with human and divine law had been wellconsidered. 

6. After these deeds a fresh device was adopted, and a body of obscuremen, such as, by reason of the meanness of their condition, were littlelikely to excite suspicion, were sent through all the districts ofAntioch, to collect reports, and to bring news of whatever they mighthear. They, travelling about, and concealing their object, joinedclandestinely in the conversational circles of honourable men, and alsoin disguise obtained entrance into the houses of the rich. When theyreturned they were secretly admitted by back doors into the palace, andthen reported all that they had been able to hear or to collect; takingcare with an unanimous kind of conspiracy to invent many things, and toexaggerate for the worse all they really knew; at the same timesuppressing any praises of Cæsar which had come to their ears, althoughthese were wrung from many, against their consciences, by the dread ofimpending evils. 

7. And it had happened sometimes that, if in his secret chamber, when nodomestic servant was by, the master of the house had whispered anythinginto his wife's ear, the very next day, as if those renowned seers ofold, Amphiaraus or Marcius, had been at hand to report it, the emperorwas informed of what had been said; so that even the walls of a man'ssecret chamber, the only witnesses to his language, were viewed withapprehension. 

8. And Cæsar's fixed resolution to inquire into these and other similaroccurrences was increased by the queen, who constantly stimulated hisdesire, and was driving on the fortunes of her husband to headlongdestruction, while she ought rather, by giving him useful advice, tohave led him back into the paths of truth and mercy, by femininegentleness, as, in recounting the acts of the Gordiani, we have relatedto have been done by the wife of that truculent emperor Maximinus. 

9. At last, by an unsurpassed and most pernicious baseness, Gallusventured on adopting a course of fearful wickedness, which indeedGallienus, to his own exceeding infamy, is said formerly to have triedat Rome; and, taking with him a few followers secretly armed, he used torove in the evening through the streets and among the shops, makinginquiries in the Greek language, in which he was well skilled, what werethe feelings of individuals towards Cæsar. And he used to do this boldlyin the city, where the brillancy of the lamps at night often equalledthe light of day. At last, being often recognized, and considering thatif he went out in this way he should be known, he took care never to goout except openly in broad daylight, to transact whatever business whichhe thought of serious importance. And these things caused bitter thoughsecret lamentation, and discontent to many. 

10. But at that time Thalassius was the present prefect[3] of thepalace, a man of an arrogant temper; and he, perceiving that the hastyfury of Gallus gradually increased to the danger of many of thecitizens, did not mollify it by either delay or wise counsels, as men inhigh office have very often pacified the anger of their princes; but byuntimely opposition and reproof, did often excite him the more tofrenzy; often also informing Augustus of his actions, and that too withexaggeration, and taking care, I know not with what intention, that whathe did should not be unknown to the emperor. And at this Cæsar soonbecame more vehemently exasperated, and, as if raising more on high thanever the standard of his contumacy, without any regard to the safety ofothers or of himself, he bore himself onwards like a rapid torrent, withan impetuosity which would listen to no reason, to sweep away all theobstacles which opposed his will. 

II. 

§ 1. Nor indeed was the East the only quarter which this plague affectedwith its various disasters. For the Isaurians also, a people who wereaccustomed to frequent alternations of peace, and of turbulence whichthrew everything into confusion with sudden outbreaks--impunity havingfostered their growing audacity and encouraged it to evil--broke out ina formidable war. Being especially excited, as they gave out by thisindignity, that some of their allies, having been taken prisoners, werein an unprecedented manner exposed to wild beasts, and in the games ofthe amphitheatre, at Iconium, a town of Pisidia. 

2. And as Cicero[4] says, that "even wild beasts, when reminded byhunger, generally return to that place where they have been fed before. "So they all, descending like a whirlwind from their high and pathlessmountains, came into the districts bordering on the sea: in which hidingthemselves in roads full of lurking-places, and in defiles, when thelong nights were approaching, the moon being at that time new, and sonot yet giving her full light, they lay wait for the sailors; and whenthey perceived that they were wrapped in sleep, they, crawling on theirhands and feet along the cables which held the anchors, and raisingthemselves up by them, swung themselves into the boats, and so cameupon the crews unexpectedly, and, their natural ferocity being inflamedby covetousness, they spared not even those who offered no resistance, but slew them all, and carried off a splendid booty with no more troublethan if it had been valueless. 

3. This conduct did not last long, for when the deaths of the crews thusplundered and slaughtered became known, no one afterwards brought avessel to the stations on that coast; but, avoiding them as they wouldhave avoided the deadly precipices of Sciron, [5] they sailed on, withouthalting, to the shores of Cyprus, which lie opposite to the rocks ofIsauria. 

4. Therefore as time went on, and no foreign vessels went there anymore, they quitted the sea-coast, and betook themselves to Lycaonia, acountry which lies on the borders of Isauria. And there, occupying theroads with thick barricades, they sought a living by plundering theinhabitants of the district, as well as travellers. These outragesaroused the soldiers who were dispersed among the many municipal townsand forts which lie on the borders. And they, endeavouring to the utmostof their strength to repel these banditti, who were spreading every daymore widely, sometimes in solid bodies, at others in small stragglingparties, were overcome by their vast numbers. 

5. Since the Isaurians, having been born and brought up amid theentangled defiles of lofty mountains, could bound over them as overplain and easy paths, and attacked all who came in their way withmissiles from a distance, terrifying them at the same time with savageyells. 

6. And very often our infantry were compelled in pursuit of them toclimb lofty crags, and, when their feet slipped, to catch hold of theshrubs and briars to raise themselves to the summits; without ever beingable to deploy into battle array, by reason of the narrow and difficultnature of the ground, nor even to stand firm; while their enemy runninground in every direction hurled down upon them fragments of rock fromabove till they retired down the declivities with great danger. Orelse, sometimes, in the last necessity fighting bravely, they wereoverwhelmed with fragments of immense bulk and weight. 

7. On this account they subsequently were forced to observe morecaution, and whenever the plunderers began to retire to the high ground, our soldiers yielded to the unfavourable character of the country andretired. But whenever they could be met with in the plain, which oftenhappened, then charging them without giving them time to combine theirstrength, or even to brandish the javelins of which they always carriedtwo or three, they slaughtered them like defenceless sheep. 

8. So that these banditti, conceiving a fear of Lycaonia, which is forthe most part a champaign country, since they had learnt by repeatedproofs that they were unequal to our troops in a pitched battle, betookthemselves by unfrequented tracks to Pamphylia. This district had longbeen free from the evils of war, but nevertheless had been fortified inall quarters by strong forts and garrisons, from the dread entertainedby the people of rapine and slaughter, since soldiers were scatteredover all the neighbouring districts. 

9. Therefore hastening with all speed, in order by their exceedingcelerity of movement to anticipate all rumour of their motions, trustingto their strength and activity of body, they travelled by winding roadsuntil they reached the high ground on the tops of the mountains, thesteepness of which delayed their march more than they had expected. Andwhen at last, having surmounted all the difficulties of the mountains, they came to the precipitous banks of the Melas, a deep river and onefull of dangerous currents, which winds round the district, protectingthe inhabitants like a wall, the night which had overtaken themincreased their fears, so that they halted for a while awaiting thedaylight. For they expected to be able to cross without hindrance, andthen, in consequence of the suddenness of their inroad, to be able toravage all the country around; but they had incurred great toil to nopurpose. 

10. For when the sun rose they were prevented from crossing by the sizeof the river, which though narrow was very deep. And while they weresearching for some fishing-boats, or preparing to commit themselves tothe stream on rafts hastily put together, the legions which at thattime were wintering about Side, came down upon them with great speed andimpetuosity; and having pitched their standards close to the bank with aview to an immediate battle, they packed their shields together beforethem in a most skilful manner, and without any difficulty slew some ofthe banditti, who either trusted to their swimming, or who tried tocross the river unperceived in barks made of the trunks of treeshollowed out. 

11. And the Isaurians having tried many devices to obtain success in aregular battle, and having failed in everything, being repulsed in greatconsternation, and with great vigour on the part of the legions, andbeing uncertain which way to go, came near the town of Laranda. Andthere, after they had refreshed themselves with food and rest, andrecovered from their fears, they attacked several wealthy towns; butbeing presently scared by the support given to the citizens by somesquadrons of horse which happened to be at hand, and which they wouldnot venture to resist in the extensive plains, they retreated, andretracing their steps summoned all the flower of their youth which hadbeen left at home to join them. 

12. And as they were oppressed with severe famine, they made for a placecalled Palea, standing on the sea-shore, and fortified with a strongwall; where even to this day supplies are usually kept in store, to bedistributed to the armies which defend the frontier of Isauria. 

13. Therefore they encamped around this fortress for three days andthree nights, and as the steepness of the ground on which it stoodprevented any attempt to storm it without the most deadly peril, and asit was impossible to effect anything by mines, and no other manoeuvressuch as are employed in sieges availed anything, they retired muchdejected, being compelled by the necessities of their situation toundertake some enterprise, even if it should be greater than theirstrength was equal to. 

14. Then giving way to greater fury than ever, being inflamed both bydespair and hunger, and their strength increased by their unrestrainableardour, they directed their efforts to destroy the city of Seleucia, themetropolis of the province, which was defended by Count Castucius, whoselegions were inured to every kind of military service. 

15. The commanders of the garrison being forewarned of their approachby their own trusty scouts, having, according to custom, given, out thewatchword to the troops, led forth all their forces in a rapid sally, and having with great activity passed the bridge over the riverCalicadnus, the mighty waters of which wash the turrets of the walls, they drew out their men as if prepared for battle. But as yet no manleft the ranks, and the army was not allowed to engage; for the band ofthe Isaurians was dreaded, inasmuch as they were desperate with rage, and superior in number, and likely to rush upon the arms of the legionswithout any regard to their lives. Therefore as soon as the army wasbeheld at a distance, and the music of the trumpeters was heard, thebanditti halted and stood still for a while, brandishing theirthreatening swords, and after a time they marched on slowly. And whenthe steady Roman soldiery began to deploy, preparing to encounter them, beating their shields with their spears (a custom which rouses the furyof the combatants, and strikes terror into their enemies), they filledthe front ranks of the Isaurians with consternation. But as the troopswere pressing forward eagerly to the combat their generals recalledthem, thinking it inopportune to enter upon a contest of doubtful issue, when their walls were not far distant, under protection of which thesafety of the whole army could be placed on a solid foundation. 

16. Therefore the soldiers were brought back inside the walls inaccordance with this resolution, and all the approaches and gates werestrongly barred; and the men were placed on the battlements andbulwarks, having vast stones and weapons of all kinds piled close athand, so that if any one forced his way inside he might be overwhelmedwith a multitude of missiles and stones. 

17. But those who were shut up in the walls were at the same timegreatly afflicted, because the Isaurians having taken some vessels whichwere conveying grain down the river, were well provided with abundanceof food, while they themselves, having almost consumed the usual storesof food, were in a state of alarm dreading the fatal agonies ofapproaching famine. When the news of this distress got abroad, and whenrepeated messages to this effect had moved Gallus Cæsar, because themaster of the horse was kept away longer than usual at that season, Nebridius the count of the East was ordered to collect a military forcefrom all quarters, and hastened forward with exceeding zeal to deliverthe city, so wealthy and important, from such a peril. And when this wasknown the banditti retired, without having performed any memorableexploit, and dispersing, according to their wont, they sought thetrackless recesses of the lofty mountains. 

III. 

§ 1. While affairs were in this state in Isauria, and while the king ofPersia was involved in wars upon his frontier, repulsing from hisborders a set of ferocious tribes which, being full of fickleness, werecontinually either attacking him in a hostile manner, or, as oftenhappens, aiding him when he turned his arms against us, a certain noble, by name Nohodares, having been appointed to invade Mesopotamia, wheneveroccasion might serve, was anxiously exploring our territories with aview to some sudden incursion, if he could anywhere find an opportunity. 

2. And because since every part of Mesopotamia is accustomed to bedisturbed continually, the lands were protected by frequent barriers, and military stations in the rural districts, Nohodares, having directedhis march to the left, had occupied the most remote parts of theOsdroene, having devised a novel plan of operations which had neverhitherto been tried. And if he had succeeded he would have laid wastethe whole country like a thunderbolt. 

3. Now the plan which he had conceived was of this kind. There is a townin Anthemusia called Batne, built by the ancient Macedonians, a shortdistance from the river Euphrates, thickly peopled by wealthy merchants. To this city, about the beginning of the month of September, a greatmultitude of all ranks throng to a fair, in order to buy the wares whichthe Indians and Chinese send thither, and many other articles which areusually brought to this fair by land and sea. 

4. The leader before named, preparing to invade this district on thedays set apart for this solemnity, marching through the deserts andalong the grassy banks of the river Abora, was betrayed by informationgiven by some of his own men, who being alarmed at the discovery ofcertain crimes which they had committed, deserted to the Romangarrisons, and accordingly he retired again without having accomplishedanything; and after that remained quiet without undertaking any furtherenterprise. 

IV. 

§ 1. At this time also the Saracens, a race whom it is never desirableto have either for friends or enemies, ranging up and down the country, if ever they found anything, plundered it in a moment, like rapacioushawks who, if from on high they behold any prey, carry it off with rapidswoop, or, if they fail in their attempt, do not tarry. 

2. And although, in recounting the career of the Prince Marcus, and onceor twice subsequently, I remember having discussed the manners of thispeople, nevertheless I will now briefly enumerate a few more particularsconcerning them. 

3. Among these tribes, whose primary origin is derived from thecataracts of the Nile and the borders of the Blemmyæ, all the men arewarriors of equal rank; half naked, clad in coloured cloaks down to thewaist, overrunning different countries, with the aid of swift and activehorses and speedy camels, alike in times of peace and war. Nor does anymember of their tribes ever take plough in hand or cultivate a tree, orseek food by the tillage of the land; but they are perpetually wanderingover various and extensive districts, having no home, no fixed abode orlaws; nor can they endure to remain long in the same climate, no onedistrict or country pleasing them for a continuance. 

4. Their life is one continued wandering; their wives are hired, onspecial covenant, for a fixed time; and that there may be someappearance of marriage in the business, the intended wife, under thename of a dowry, offers a spear and a tent to her husband, with a rightto quit him after a fixed day, if she should choose to do so. And it isinconceivable with what eagerness the individuals of both sexes givethemselves up to matrimonial pleasures. 

5. But as long as they live they wander about with such extensive andperpetual migrations, that the woman is married in one place, bringsforth her children in another, and rears them at a distance from eitherplace, no opportunity of remaining quiet being ever granted to her. 

6. They all live on venison, and are further supported on a greatabundance of milk, and on many kinds of herbs, and on whatever birdsthey can catch by fowling. And we have seen a great many of them whollyignorant of the use of either corn or wine. 

7. So much for this most mischievous nation. Now let us return to thesubject we originally proposed to ourselves. 

V. 

§ 1. While these events were taking place in the East, Constantius waspassing the winter at Arles; and after an exhibition of games in thetheatre and in the circus, which were displayed with most sumptuousmagnificence, on the tenth of October, the day which completed thethirtieth year of his reign, he began to give the reins more freely tohis insolence, believing every information which was laid before him asproved, however doubtful or false it might be; and among other acts ofcruelty, he put Gerontius, a count of the party of Magnentius, to thetorture, and then condemned him to banishment. 

2. And as the body of a sick man is apt to be agitated by even triflinggrievances, so his narrow and sensitive mind, thinking every sound thatstirred something either done or planned to the injury of his safety, made his victory[6] mournful by the slaughter of innocent men. 

3. For if any one of his military officers, or of those who had everreceived marks of honour, or if any one of high rank was accused, on thebarest rumour, of having favoured the faction of his enemy, he wasloaded with chains and dragged about like a beast. And whether any enemyof the accused man pressed him or not, as if the mere fact that hisname had been mentioned was sufficient, every one who was informedagainst or in any way called in question, was condemned either to death, or to confiscation of his property, or to confinement in a desertisland. 

4. For his ferocity was excited to a still further degree when anymention was made of treason or sedition; and the bloodthirstyinsinuations of those around him, exaggerating everything that happened, and pretending great concern at any danger which might threaten the lifeof the emperor, on whose safety, as on a thread, they hypocriticallyexclaimed the whole world depended, added daily to his suspicions andwatchful anger. 

5. And therefore it is reported he gave orders that no one who was atany time sentenced to punishment for these or similar offences should bereadmitted to his presence for the purpose of offering the usualtestimonies to his character, a thing which the most implacable princeshave been wont to permit. And thus deadly cruelty, which in all othermen at times grows cool, in him only became more violent as he advancedin years, because the court of flatterers which attended on him addedcontinual fuel to his stern obstinacy. 

6. Of this court a most conspicuous member was Paulus, the secretary, anative of Spain, a man keeping his objects hidden beneath a smoothcountenance, and acute beyond all men in smelling out secret ways tobring others into danger. He, having been sent into Britain to arrestsome military officers who had dared to favour the conspiracy ofMagnentius, as they could not resist, licentiously exceeded hiscommands, and like a flood poured with sudden violence upon the fortunesof a great number of people, making his path through manifold slaughterand destruction, loading the bodies of free-born men with chains, andcrushing some with fetters, while patching up all kinds of accusationsfar removed from the truth. And to this man is owing one especialatrocity which has branded the time of Constantius with indelibleinfamy. 

7. Martinus, who at that time governed these provinces as deputy, beinggreatly concerned for the sufferings inflicted on innocent men, andmaking frequent entreaties that those who were free from all guiltmight be spared, when he found that he could not prevail, threatened towithdraw from the province, in the hope that this malevolent inquisitor, Paulus, might be afraid of his doing so, and so give over exposing toopen danger men who had combined only in a wish for tranquillity. 

8. Paulus, thinking that this conduct of Martinus was a hindrance to hisown zeal, being, as he was, a formidable artist in involving matters, from which people gave him the nickname of "the Chain, " attacked thedeputy himself while still engaged in defending the people whom he wasset to govern, and involved him in the dangers which surrounded everyone else, threatening that he would carry him, with his tribunes andmany other persons, as a prisoner to the emperor's court. Martinus, alarmed at this threat, and seeing the imminent danger in which his lifewas, drew his sword and attacked Paulus. But because from want ofstrength in his hand he was unable to give him a mortal wound, he thenplunged his drawn sword into his own side. And by this unseemly kind ofdeath that most just man departed from life, merely for having dared tointerpose some delay to the miserable calamities of many citizens. 

9. And when these wicked deeds had been perpetrated, Paulus, coveredwith blood, returned to the emperor's camp, bringing with him a crowd ofprisoners almost covered with chains, in the lowest condition of squalorand misery; on whose arrival the racks were prepared, and theexecutioner began to prepare his hooks and other engines of torture. Ofthese prisoners, many of them had their property confiscated, otherswere sentenced to banishment, some were given over to the sword of theexecutioner. Nor is it easy to cite the acquittal of a single person inthe time of Constantius, where the slightest whisper of accusation hadbeen brought against him. 

VI. 

§ 1. At this time Orfitus was the governor of the Eternal City, with therank of prefect; and he behaved with a degree of insolence beyond theproper limits of the dignity thus conferred upon him. A man of prudenceindeed, and well skilled in all the forensic business of the city, butless accomplished in general literature and in the fine arts than wasbecoming in a nobleman. Under his administration some very formidableseditions broke out in consequence of the scarcity of wine, as thepeople, being exceedingly eager for an abundant use of that article, were easily excited to frequent and violent disorders. 

2. And since I think it likely that foreigners who may read this account(if, indeed, any such should meet with it) are likely to wonder how itis that, when my history has reached the point of narrating what wasdone at Rome, nothing is spoken of but seditions, and shops, andcheapness, and other similarly inconsiderable matters, I will brieflytouch upon the causes of this, never intentionally departing from thestrict truth. 

3. At the time when Rome first rose into mundane brilliancy--that Romewhich was fated to last as long as mankind shall endure, and to beincreased with a sublime progress and growth--virtue and fortune, thoughcommonly at variance, agreed upon a treaty of eternal peace, as far asshe was concerned. For if either of them had been wanting to her, shewould never have reached her perfect and complete supremacy. 

4. Her people, from its very earliest infancy to the latest moment ofits youth, a period which extends over about three hundred years, carried on a variety of wars with the natives around its walls. Then, when it arrived at its full-grown manhood, after many and variouslabours in war, it crossed the Alps and the sea, till, as youth and man, it had carried the triumphs of victory into every country in the world. 

5. And now that it is declining into old age, and often owes itsvictories to its mere name, it has come to a more tranquil time of life. Therefore the venerable city, after having bowed down the haughty necksof fierce nations, and given laws to the world, to be the foundationsand eternal anchors of liberty, like a thrifty parent, prudent and rich, intrusted to the Cæsars, as to its own children, the right of governingtheir ancestral inheritance. 

6. And although the tribes are indolent, and the countries peaceful, andalthough there are no contests for votes, but the tranquillity of theage of Numa has returned, nevertheless, in every quarter of the worldRome is still looked up to as the mistress and the queen of the earth, and the name of the Roman people is respected and venerated. 

7. But this magnificent splendour of the assemblies and councils of theRoman people is defaced by the inconsiderate levity of a few, who neverrecollect where they have been born, but who fall away into error andlicentiousness, as if a perfect impunity were granted to vice. For asthe lyric poet Simonides teaches us, the man who would live happily inaccordance with perfect reason, ought above all things to have aglorious country. 

8. Of these men, some thinking that they can be handed down toimmortality by means of statues, are eagerly desirous of them, as ifthey would obtain a higher reward from brazen figures unendowed withsense than from a consciousness of upright and honourable actions; andthey even are anxious to have them plated over with gold, a thing whichis reported to have been first done in the instance of Acilius Glabrio, who by his wisdom and valour had subdued King Antiochus. But how reallynoble a thing it is to despise all these inconsiderable and triflingthings, and to bend one's attention to the long and toilsome steps oftrue glory, as the poet of Ascrea[7] has sung, and Cato the Censor hasshown by his example. For when he was asked how it was that while manyother nobles had statues he had none, replied: "I had rather that goodmen should marvel how it was that I did not earn one, than (what wouldbe a much heavier misfortune) inquire how it was that I had obtainedone. "

9. Others place the height of glory in having a coach higher than usual, or splendid apparel; and so toil and sweat under a vast burden ofcloaks, which are fastened to their necks by many clasps, and blow aboutfrom the excessive fineness of the material; showing a desire, by thecontinual wriggling of their bodies, and especially by the waving of theleft hand, to make their long fringes and tunics, embroidered inmultiform figures of animals with threads of various colours, moreconspicuous. 

10. Others, with not any one asking them, put on a feigned severity ofcountenance, and extol their patrimonial estates in a boundless degree, exaggerating the yearly produce of their fruitful fields, which theyboast of possessing in numbers from east to west, being forsoothignorant that their ancestors, by whom the greatness of Rome was sowidely extended, were not eminent for riches; but through a course ofdreadful wars overpowered by their valour all who were opposed to them, though differing but little from the common soldiers either in riches, or in their mode of life, or in the costliness of their garments. 

11. This is how it happened that Valerius Publicola was buried by thecontributions of his friends, and that the destitute wife of Reguluswas, with her children, supported by the aid of the friends of herhusband, and that the daughter of Scipio had a dowry provided for herout of the public treasury, the other nobles being ashamed to see thebeauty of this full-grown maiden, while her moneyless father was so longabsent on the service of his country. 

12. But now if you, as an honourable stranger, should enter the house ofany one well off, and on that account full of pride, for the purpose ofsaluting him, at first, indeed, you will be hospitably received, asthough your presence had been desired; and after having had manyquestions put to you, and having been forced to tell a number of lies, you will wonder, since the man had never seen you before, that one ofhigh rank should pay such attention to you who are but an unimportantindividual; so that by reason of this as a principal source ofhappiness, you begin to repent of not having come to Rome ten years ago. 

13. And when relying on this affability you do the same thing the nextday, you will stand waiting as one utterly unknown and unexpected, whilehe who yesterday encouraged you to repeat your visit, counts upon hisfingers who you can be, marvelling, for a long time, whence you come, and what you want. But when at length you are recognized and admitted tohis acquaintance, if you should devote yourself to the attention ofsaluting him for three years consecutively, and after this intermit yourvisits for an equal length of time, then if you return to repeat asimilar course, you will never be questioned about your absence any morethan if you had been dead, and you will waste your whole life insubmitting to court the humours of this blockhead. 

14. But when those long and unwholesome banquets, which are indulged inat certain intervals, begin to be prepared, or the distribution of theusual dole-baskets takes place, then it is discussed with anxiousdeliberation whether when those to whom a return is due are to beentertained, it is proper to invite also a stranger; and if, after thematter has been thoroughly sifted, it is determined that it may be done, that person is preferred who waits all night before the houses ofcharioteers, or who professes a skill in dice, or pretends to beacquainted with some peculiar secrets. 

15. For such entertainers avoid all learned and sober men asunprofitable and useless; with this addition, that the nomenclators[8]also, who are accustomed to make a market of these invitations and ofsimilar favours, selling them for bribes, do for gain thrust in mean andobscure men at these dinners. 

16. The whirlpools of banquets, and the various allurements of luxury, Iomit, that I may not be too prolix, and with the object of passing on tothis fact, that some people, hastening on without fear of danger, drivetheir horses, as if they were post-horses, with a regular licence, asthe saying is, through the wide streets of the city, over the roadspaved with flint, dragging behind them large bodies of slaves like bandsof robbers; not leaving at home even Sannio, [9] as the comic poet says. 

17. And many matrons, imitating these men, gallop over every quarter ofthe city with their heads covered, and in close carriages. And asskilful conductors of battles place in the van their densest andstrongest battalions, then their light-armed troops, behind them thedarters, and in the extreme rear troops of reserve, ready to join in theattack if necessity should arise; so, according to the carefularrangements of the stewards of these city households, who areconspicuous by wands fastened to their right hands, as if a regularwatchword had been issued from the camp, first of all, near the frontof the carriage march all the slaves concerned in spinning and working;next to them come the blackened crew employed in the kitchen; then thewhole body of slaves promiscuously mixed up with a gang of idleplebeians from the neighbourhood; last of all, the multitude of eunuchs, beginning with the old men and ending with the boys, pale and unsightlyfrom the distorted deformity of their features; so that whichever wayany one goes, seeing troops of mutilated men, he will detest the memoryof Semiramis, that ancient queen who was the first person to castratemale youths of tender age; doing as it were a violence to nature, andforcing it back from its appointed course, which at the very firstbeginning and birth of the child, by a kind of secret law revealing theprimitive fountains of seed, points out the way of propagatingposterity. 

18. And as this is the case, those few houses which were formerlycelebrated for the serious cultivation of becoming studies, are nowfilled with the ridiculous amusements of torpid indolence, re-echoingwith the sound of vocal music and the tinkle of flutes and lyres. Lastly, instead of a philosopher, you find a singer; instead of anorator, some teacher of ridiculous arts is summoned; and the librariesclosed for ever, like so many graves; organs to be played by water-powerare made; and lyres of so vast a size, that they look like waggons; andflutes, and ponderous machines suited for the exhibitions of actors. 

19. Last of all, they have arrived at such a depth of unworthiness, thatwhen, no very long time ago, on account of an apprehended scarcity offood, the foreigners were driven in haste from the city; those whopractised liberal accomplishments, the number of whom was exceedinglysmall, were expelled without a moment's breathing-time; yet thefollowers of actresses, and all who at that time pretended to be of sucha class, were allowed to remain; and three thousand dancing-girls hadnot even a question put to them, but stayed unmolested with the membersof their choruses, and a corresponding number of dancing masters. 

20. And wherever you turn your eyes, you may see a multitude of womenwith their hair curled, who, as far as their age goes, might, if theyhad married, been by this time the mothers of three children, sweepingthe pavements with their feet till they are weary, whirling round inrapid gyrations, while representing innumerable groups and figureswhich the theatrical plays contain. 

21. It is a truth beyond all question, that, when at one time Rome wasthe abode of all the virtues, many of the nobles, like the Lotophagi, celebrated in Homer, who detained men by the deliciousness of theirfruit, allured foreigners of free birth by manifold attentions ofcourtesy and kindness. 

22. But now, in their empty arrogance, some persons look upon everythingas worthless which is born outside of the walls of the city, except onlythe childless and the unmarried. Nor can it be conceived with what avariety of obsequious observance men without children are courted atRome. 

23. And since among them, as is natural in a city so great as to be themetropolis of the world, diseases attain to such an insurmountabledegree of violence, that all the skill of the physician is ineffectualeven to mitigate them; a certain assistance and means of safety has beendevised, in the rule that no one should go to see a friend in such acondition, and to a few precautionary measures a further remedy ofsufficient potency has been added, that men should not readmit intotheir houses servants who have been sent to inquire how a man's friendswho may have been seized with an illness of this kind are, until theyhave cleansed and purified their persons in the bath. So that a taint isfeared, even when it has only been seen with the eyes of another. 

24. But nevertheless, when these rules are observed thus stringently, some persons, if they be invited to a wedding, though the vigour oftheir limbs be much diminished, yet, when gold is offered[10] in thehollow palm of the right hand, will go actively as far as Spoletum. These are the customs of the nobles. 

25. But of the lower and most indigent class of the populace some spendthe whole night in the wine shops. Some lie concealed in the shadyarcades of the theatres; which Catulus was in his ædileship the firstperson to raise, in imitation of the lascivious manners of Campania, orelse they play at dice so eagerly as to quarrel over them; snuffing uptheir nostrils and making unseemly noises by drawing back their breathinto their noses; or (and this is their favourite pursuit of all others)from sunrise to evening they stay gaping through sunshine or rain, examining in the most careful manner the most sterling good or badqualities of the charioteers and horses. 

26. And it is very wonderful to see an innumerable multitude of peoplewith great eagerness of mind intent upon the event of the contests inthe chariot race. These pursuits, and others of like character, preventanything worth mentioning or important from being done at Rome. Therefore we must return to our original subject. 

VII. 

§ 1. His licentiousness having now become more unbounded, the Cæsarbegan to be burdensome to all virtuous men; and discarding allmoderation, he harassed every part of the East, sparing neither thosewho had received public honours, nor the chief citizens of the differentcities; nor the common people. 

2. At last by one single sentence he ordered all the principal personsat Antioch to be put to death; being exasperated because when herecommended that a low price should be established in the market at anunseasonable time, when the city was threatened with a scarcity, theyanswered him with objections, urged with more force than he approved;and they would all have been put to death to a man, if Honoratus, whowas at that time count of the East, had not resisted him withpertinacious constancy. 

3. This circumstance was also a proof, and that no doubtful or concealedone, of the cruelty of his nature, that he took delight in cruel sports, and in the circus he would rejoice as if he had made some great gain, tosee six or seven gladiators killing one another in combats which haveoften been forbidden. 

4. In addition to these things a certain worthless woman inflamed hispurpose of inflicting misery; for she, having obtained admission to thepalace, as she had requested, gave him information that a plot wassecretly laid against him by a few soldiers of the lowest rank. AndConstantina, in her exultation, thinking that her husband's safety wasnow fully secured, rewarded and placed this woman, in a carriage, and inthis way sent her out into the public street through the great gate ofthe palace, in order, by such a temptation, to allure others also togive similar or more important information. 

5. After these events, Gallus being about to set out for Hierapolis, inorder, as far as appearance went, to take part in the expedition, thecommon people of Antioch entreated him in a suppliant manner to removetheir fear of a famine which for many reasons (some of them difficult toexplain) it was believed was impending; Gallus, however, did not, as isthe custom of princes whose power, by the great extent of country overwhich it is diffused, is able continually to remedy local distresses, order any distribution of food to be made, or any supplies to be broughtfrom the neighbouring countries; but he pointed out to them a man ofconsular rank, named Theophilus, the governor of Syria, who happened tobe standing by, replying to the repeated appeals of the multitude, whowere trembling with apprehensions of the last extremities, that no onecould possibly want food if the governor were not willing that theyshould be in want of it. 

6. These words increased the audacity of the lower classes, and when thescarcity of provisions became more severe, urged by hunger and frenzy, they set fire to and burnt down the splendid house of a man of the nameof Eubulus, a man of great reputation among his fellow-citizens; andthey attacked the governor himself with blows and kicks as oneespecially made over to them by the judgment of the emperor, kicking himtill he was half dead, and then tearing him to pieces in a miserablemanner. And after his wretched death every one saw in the destruction ofthis single individual a type of the danger to which he was himselfexposed, and, taught by this recent example, feared a similar fate. 

7. About the same time Serenianus, who had previously been duke[11] ofPhoenicia, to whose inactivity it was owing, as we have alreadyrelated, that Celse in Phoenicia was laid waste, was deservedly andlegally accused of treason and no one saw how he could possibly beacquitted. He was also manifestly proved to have sent an intimate friendwith a cap (with which he used to cover his own head) which had beenenchanted by forbidden acts to the temple of prophecy, [12] on purpose toask expressly whether, according to his wish, a firm enjoyment of thewhole empire was portended for him. 

8. And in these days a twofold misfortune occurred: first, that a heavypenalty had fallen upon Theophilus who was innocent; and, secondly, thatSerenianus who deserved universal execration, was acquitted without thegeneral feeling being able to offer any effectual remonstrance. 

9. Constantius then hearing from time to time of these transactions, andhaving been further informed of some particular occurrences byThalassius, who however had now died by the ordinary course of nature, wrote courteous letters to the Cæsar, but at the same time graduallywithdrew from him his support, pretending to be uneasy, least as theleisure of soldiers is usually a disorderly time, the troops might beconspiring to his injury: and he desired him to content himself with theschools of the Palatine, [13] and with those of the Protectors, with theScutarii, and Gentiles. And he ordered Domitianus, who had formerly beenthe Superintendent of the Treasury, but who was now promoted to be aprefect, as soon as he arrived in Syria, to address Gallus in persuasiveand respectful language, exhorting him to repair with all speed toItaly, to which province the emperor had repeatedly summoned him. 

10. And when, with this object, Domitianus had reached Antioch, havingtravelled express, he passed by the gates of the palace, in contempt ofthe Cæsar, whom, however, he ought to have visited, and proceeded to thegeneral's camp with ostentatious pomp, and there pretended to be sick;he neither visited the palace, nor ever appeared in public, but keepinghimself private, he devised many things to bring about the destructionof the Cæsar, adding many superfluous circumstances to the relationswhich he was continually sending to the emperor. 

11. At last, being expressly invited by the Cæsar, and being admittedinto the prince's council-chamber, without making the slightest prefacehe began in this inconsiderate and light-minded manner: "Depart, " saidhe, "as you have been commanded, O Cæsar, and know this, that if youmake any delay I shall at once order all the provisions allotted for thesupport of yourself and your court to be carried away. " And then, havingsaid nothing more than these insolent words, he departed with everyappearance of rage; and would never afterwards come into his sightthough frequently sent for. 

12. The Cæsar being indignant at this, as thinking he had beenunworthily and unjustly treated, ordered his faithful protectors to takethe prefect into custody; and when this became known, Montius, who atthat time was quæstor, a man of deep craft indeed, but still inclined tomoderate measures, [14] taking counsel for the common good, sent for theprincipal members of the Palatine schools and addressed them in pacificwords, pointing out that it was neither proper nor expedient that suchthings should be done; and adding also in a reproving tone of voice, that if such conduct as this were approved of, then, after throwing downthe statues of Constantius the prefect would begin to think how he mightalso with the greater security take his life also. 

13. When this was known Gallus, like a serpent attacked with stones ordarts, being now reduced to the extremity of despair, and eager toinsure his safety by any possible means, ordered all his troops to becollected in arms, and when they stood around him in amazement hegnashed his teeth, and hissing with rage, said, --

14. "You are present here as brave men, come to the aid of me who am inone common danger with you. Montius, with a novel and unprecedentedarrogance, accuses us of rebellion and resistance to the majesty of theemperor, by roaring out all these charges against us. Being offendedforsooth that, as a matter of precaution, I ordered a contumaciousprefect, who pretended not to know what the state of affairs required, to be arrested and kept in custody. "

15. On hearing these words the soldiers immediately, being always on thewatch to raise disturbances, first of all attacked Montius, who happenedto be living close at hand, an old man of no great bodily strength, andenfeebled by disease; and having bound his legs with coarse ropes, theydragged him straddling, without giving him a moment to take breath, asfar as the general's camp. 

16. And with the same violence they also bound Domitianus, dragging himhead first down the stairs; and then having fastened the two mentogether, they dragged them through all the spacious streets of the cityat full speed. And, all their limbs and joints being thus dislocated, they trampled on their corpses after they were dead, and mutilated themin the most unseemly manner; and at last, having glutted their rage, they threw them into the river. 

17. But there was a certain man named Luscus, the governor of the city, who, suddenly appearing among the soldiers, had inflamed them, alwaysready for mischief, to the nefarious actions which they had thuscommitted; exciting them with repeated cries, like the musician whogives the tune to the mourners at funerals, to finish what they hadbegun: and for this deed he was, not long after, burnt alive. 

18. And because Montius, when just about to expire under the hands ofthose who were tearing him to pieces, repeatedly named Epigonius andEusebius, without indicating either their rank or their profession, agreat deal of trouble was taken to find out who they were; and, lest thesearch should have time to cool, they sent for a philosopher namedEpigonius, from Lycia, and for Eusebius the orator, surnamed Pittacos, from Emissa; though they were not those whom Montius had meant, butsome tribunes, superintendents of the manufactures of arms, who hadpromised him information if they heard of any revolutionary measuresbeing agitated. 

19. About the same time Apollinaris, the son-in-law of Domitianus, who ashort time before had been the chief steward of the Cæsar's palace, being sent to Mesopotamia by his father-in-law, took exceeding pains toinquire among the soldiers whether they had received any secretdespatches from the Cæsar, indicating his having meditated any deeperdesigns than usual. And as soon as he heard of the events which hadtaken place at Antioch, he passed through the lesser Armenia and tookthe road to Constantinople; but he was seized on his journey by theProtectors, and brought back to Antioch, and there kept in closeconfinement. 

20. And while these things were taking place there was discovered atTyre a royal robe, which had been secretly made, though it was quiteuncertain who had placed it where it was, or for whose use it had beenmade. And on that account the governor of the province, who was at thattime the father of Apollinaris, and bore the same name, was arrested asan accomplice in his guilt; and great numbers of other persons werecollected from different cities, who were all involved in seriousaccusations. 

21. And now, when the trumpets of internal war and slaughter began tosound, the turbulent disposition of the Cæsar, indifferent to anyconsideration of the truth, began also to break forth, and that notsecretly as before. And without making any solemn investigation into thetruth of the charges brought against the citizens, and withoutseparating the innocent from the guilty, he discarded all ideas of rightor justice, as if they had been expelled from the seat of judgment. Andwhile all lawful defence on trials was silent, the torturer, andplunderer, and the executioner, and every kind of confiscation ofproperty, raged unrestrained throughout the eastern provinces of theempire, which I think it now a favourable moment to enumerate, with theexception of Mesopotamia, which I have already described when I wasrelating the Parthian wars; and also with the exception of Egypt, whichI am forced to postpone to another opportunity. 

VIII. 

§ 1. After passing over the summit of Mount Taurus, which towards theeast rises up to a vast height, Cilicia spreads itself out for a verygreat distance--a land rich in all valuable productions. It is borderedon its right by Isauria, which is equally fertile in vines and in manykinds of grain. The Calycadnus, a navigable river, flows through themiddle of Isaurus. 

2. This province, besides other towns, is particularly adorned by twocities, Seleucia, founded by King Seleucus, and Claudiopolis, which theEmperor Claudius Cæsar established as a colony. For the city of Isauria, which was formerly too powerful, was in ancient times overthrown as anincurable and dangerous rebel, and so completely destroyed that it isnot easy to discover any traces of its pristine splendour. 

3. The province of Cilicia, which exults in the river Cydnus, isornamented by Tarsus, a city of great magnificence. This city is said tohave been founded by Perseus, the son of Jupiter and Danaë; or else, andmore probably, by a certain emigrant who came from Ethiopia, by nameSandan, a man of great wealth and of noble birth. It is also adorned bythe city of Anazarbus, which bears the name of its founder; and byMopsuestia, the abode of the celebrated seer Mopsus, who wandered fromhis comrades the Argonauts when they were returning after having carriedoff the Golden Fleece, and strayed to the African coast, where he died asudden death. His heroic remains, though covered by Punic turf, haveever since that time cured a great variety of diseases, and havegenerally restored men to sound health. 

4. These two provinces being full of banditti were formerly subdued bythe proconsul Servilius, in a piratical war, and were passed under theyoke, and made tributary to the empire. These districts being placed, asit were, on a prominent tongue of land, are cut off from the maincontinent by Mount Amanus. 

5. The frontier of the East stretching straight forward for a greatdistance, reached from the banks of the river Euphrates to those of theNile, being bounded on the left by the tribes of the Saracens and onthe right by the sea. 

6. Nicator Seleucus, after he had occupied that district, increased itsprosperity to a wonderful degree, when, after the death of Alexander, king of Macedonia, he took possession of the kingdom of Persia by rightof succession; being a mighty and victorious king, as his surnameindicates. And making free use of his numerous subjects, whom hegoverned for a long time in tranquillity, he changed groups of rustichabitations into regular cities, important for their great wealth andpower, the greater part of which at the present day, although they arecalled by Greek names which were given them by the choice of theirfounder, have nevertheless not lost their original appellations whichthe original settlers of the villages gave them in the Assyrianlanguage. 

7. After Osdroene, which, as I have already said, I intend to omit fromthis description, the first province to be mentioned is Commagena, nowcalled Euphratensis, which has arisen into importance by slow degrees, and is remarkable for the splendid cities of Hierapolis, the ancientNinus, and Samosata. 

8. The next province is Syria, which is spread over a beautifulchampaign country. This province is ennobled by Antioch, a city knownover the whole world, with which no other can vie in respect of itsriches, whether imported or natural: and by Laodicea and Apameia, andalso by Seleucia, all cities which have ever been most prosperous fromtheir earliest foundation. 

9. After this comes Phoenicia, a province lying under Mount Lebanon, full of beauty and elegance, and decorated with cities of great size andsplendour, among which Tyre excels all in the beauty of its situationand in its renown. And next come Sidon and Berytus, and on a par withthem Emissa and Damascus, cities founded in remote ages. 

10. These provinces, which the river Orontes borders, a river whichpasses by the foot of the celebrated and lofty mountain Cassius, and atlast falls into the Levant near the Gulf of Issus, were added to theRoman dominion by Cnæus Pompey, who, after he had conquered Tigranes, separated them from the kingdom of Armenia. 

11. The last province of the Syrias is Palestine, a district of greatextent, abounding in well-cultivated and beautiful land, and havingseveral magnificent cities, all of equal importance, and rivalling oneanother as it were, in parallel lines. For instance, Cæsarea, whichHerod built in honour of the Prince Octavianus, and Eleutheropolis, andNeapolis, and also Ascalon, and Gaza, cities built in bygone ages. 

12. In these districts no navigable river is seen: in many places, too, waters naturally hot rise out of the ground well suited for the cure ofvarious diseases. These regions also Pompey formed into a Roman provinceafter he had subdued the Jews and taken Jerusalem: and he made overtheir government to a local governor. 

13. Contiguous to Palestine is Arabia, a country which on its other sidejoins the Nabathæi--a land full of the most plenteous variety ofmerchandize, and studded with strong forts and castles, which thewatchful solicitude of its ancient inhabitants has erected in suitabledefiles, in order to repress the inroads of the neighbouring nations. This province, too, besides several towns, has some mighty cities, suchas Bostra, Gerasa, and Philadelphia, fortified with very strong walls. It was the Emperor Trajan who first gave this country the name of aRoman province, and appointed a governor over it, and compelled it toobey our laws, after having by repeated victories crushed the arroganceof the inhabitants, when he was carrying his glorious arms into Mediaand Parthia. 

14. There is also the island of Cyprus, not very far from the continent, and abounding in excellent harbours, which, besides its many municipaltowns, is especially famous for two renowned cities, Salamis and Paphos, the one celebrated for its temple of Jupiter, the other for its templeof Venus. This same Cyprus is so fertile, and so abounding in riches ofevery kind, that without requiring any external assistance, it can byits own native resources build a merchant ship from the very foundationof the keel up to the top sails, and send it to sea fully equipped withstores. 

15. It is not to be denied that the Roman people invaded this islandwith more covetousness than justice. For when Ptolemy, the king, who wasconnected with us by treaty, and was also our ally, was without anyfault of his own proscribed, merely on account of the necessities of ourtreasury, and slew himself by taking poison, the island was madetributary to us, and its spoils placed on board our fleet, as if takenfrom an enemy, and carried to Rome by Cato. We will now return to theactions of Constantius in their due order. 

IX. 

§ 1. Amid all these various disasters, Ursicinus, who was the governorof Nisibis, an officer to whom the command of the emperor hadparticularly attached me as a servant, was summoned from that city, andin spite of his reluctance, and of the opposition which he made to theclamorous bands of flatterers, was forced to investigate the origin ofthe pernicious strife which had arisen. He was indeed a soldier of greatskill in war, and an approved leader of troops; but a man who had alwayskept himself aloof from the strife of the forum. He, alarmed at his owndanger when he saw the corrupt accusers and judges who were associatedwith him, all emerging out of the same lurking-places, wrote secretletters to Constantius informing him of what was going on, both publiclyand in secret; and imploring such assistance as, by striking fear intoGallus, should somewhat curb his notorious arrogance. 

2. But through excessive caution he had fallen into a worse snare, as weshall relate hereafter, since his enemies got the opportunity of layingnumerous snares for him, to poison the mind of Constantius against him;Constantius, in other respects a prince of moderation, was severe andimplacable if any person, however mean and unknown, whispered suspicionof danger into his ears, and in such matters was wholly unlike himself. 

3. On the day appointed for this fatal examination, the master of thehorse took his seat under the pretence of being the judge; others beingalso set as his assessors, who were instructed beforehand what was to bedone: and there were present also notaries on each side of him, who keptthe Cæsar rapidly and continually informed of all the questions whichwere put and all the answers which were given; and by his pitilessorders, urged as he was by the persuasions of the queen, who kept herear at the curtain, many were put to death without being permitted tosoften the accusations brought against them, or to say a word in theirown defence. 

4. The first persons who were brought before them were Epigonius andEusebius, who were ruined because of the similarity of their names tothose of other people; for we have already mentioned that Montius, whenjust at the point of death, had intended to inculpate the tribunes ofmanufactures, who were called by these names, as men who had promised tobe his supports in some future enterprise. 

5. Epigonius was only a philosopher as far as his dress went, as wasevident, when, having tried entreaties in vain, his sides having beentorn with blows, and the fear of instant death being presented to him, he affirmed by a base confession that his companion was privy to hisplans, though in fact he had no plans; nor had he ever seen or heardanything, being wholly unconnected with forensic affairs. But Eusebius, confidently denying what he was accused of, continued firm in unshakenconstancy, loudly declaring that it was a band of robbers before whom hewas brought, and not a court of justice. 

6. And when, like a man well acquainted with the law, he demanded thathis accuser should be produced, and claimed the usual rights of aprisoner; the Cæsar, having heard of his conduct, and looking on hisfreedom as pride, ordered him to be put to the torture as an audaciouscalumniator; and when Eusebius had been tortured so severely that he hadno longer any limbs left for torments, imploring heaven for justice, andstill smiling disdainfully, he remained immovable, with a firm heart, not permitting his tongue to accuse himself or any one else. And so atlength, without having either made any confession, or being convicted ofanything, he was condemned to death with the spiritless partner of hissufferings. He was then led away to death, protesting against theiniquity of the times; imitating in his conduct the celebrated Stoic ofold, Zeno, who, after he had been long subjected to torture in order toextract from him some false confession, tore out his tongue by the rootsand threw it, bloody as it was, into the face of the king of Cyprus, whowas examining him. 

7. After these events the affair of the royal robe was examined into. And when those who were employed in dyeing purple had been put to thetorture, and had confessed that they had woven a short tunic to coverthe chest, without sleeves, a certain person, by name Maras, was broughtin, a deacon, as the Christians call him; letters from whom wereproduced, written in the Greek language to the superintendent of theweaving manufactory at Tyre, which pressed him to have the beautifulwork finished speedily; of which work, however, these letters gave nofurther description. And at last this man also was tortured, to thedanger of his life, but could not be made to confess anything. 

8. After the investigation had been carried on with the examination, under torture of many persons, when some things appeared doubtful, andothers it was plain were of a very unimportant character, and after manypersons had been put to death, the two Apollinares, father and son, werecondemned to banishment; and when they had come to a place which iscalled Crateræ, a country house of their own, which is four-and-twentymiles from Antioch, there, according to the order which had been given, their legs were broken, and they were put to death. 

9. After their death Gallus was not at all less ferocious than before, but rather like a lion which has once tasted blood, he made many similarinvestigations, all of which it is not worth while to relate, lest Ishould exceed the bounds which I have laid down for myself; an errorwhich is to be avoided. 

X. 

§ 1. While the East was thus for a long time suffering under thesecalamities, at the first approach of open weather, Constantius being inhis seventh consulship, and the Cæsar in his third, the emperor quittedArles and went to Valentia, with the intention of making war upon thebrothers Gundomadus and Vadomarius, chiefs of the Allemanni; by whoserepeated inroads the territories of the Gauls, which lay upon theirfrontier, were continually laid waste. 

2. And while he was staying in that district, as he did for some timewhile waiting for supplies, the importation of which from Aquitania wasprevented by the spring rains which were this year more severe thanusual, so that the rivers were flooded by them, Herculanus arrived, aprincipal officer of the guard, son of Hermogenes, who had formerly beenmaster of the horse at Constantinople, and had been torn to pieces in apopular tumult as we have mentioned before. And as he brought a faithfulaccount of what Gallus had done, the emperor, sorrowing over themiseries that were passed, and full of anxious fear for the future, fora time stilled the grief of his mind as well as he could. 

3. But in the mean time all the soldiery being assembled atCabillon, [15] began to be impatient of delay, and to get furious, beingso much the more exasperated because they had not sufficient means ofliving, the usual supplies not yet having arrived. 

4. And in consequence of this state of things, Rufinus, at that timeprefect of the camp, was exposed to the most imminent danger. For hehimself was compelled to go among the soldiers, whose natural ferocitywas inflamed by their want of food, and who on other occasions are bynature generally inclined to be savage and bitter against men of civildignities. He was compelled, I say, to go among them to appease them andexplain on what account the arrival of their corn was delayed. 

5. And the task thus imposed on him was very cunningly contrived, inorder that he, the uncle of Gallus, might perish in the snare; lest he, being a man of great power and energy, should rouse his nephew toconfidence, and lead him to undertake enterprises which might bemischievous. Great caution, however, was used to escape this; and, whenthe danger was got rid of for a while, Eusebius, the high chamberlain, was sent to Cabillon with a large sum of money, which he distributedsecretly among the chief leaders of sedition: and so the turbulent andarrogant disposition of the soldiers was pacified, and the safety of theprefect secured. Afterwards food having arrived in abundance the campwas struck on the day appointed. 

6. After great difficulties had been surmounted, many of the roadsbeing buried in snow, the army came near to Rauracum[16] on the banks ofthe Rhine, where the multitude of the Allemanni offered greatresistance, so that by their fierceness the Romans were prevented fromfixing their bridge of boats, darts being poured upon them from allsides like hail; and, when it seemed impossible to succeed in thatattempt, the emperor being taken by surprise, and full of anxiousthoughts, began to consider what to do. 

7. When suddenly a guide well acquainted with the country arrived, andfor a reward pointed out a ford by night, where the river could becrossed; and the army crossing at that point, while the enemy had theirattention directed elsewhere, might without any one expecting such astep, have and waste the whole country, if a few men of the same nationto whom the higher posts in the Roman army were intrusted had not (assome people believe) informed their fellow-countrymen of the design bysecret messengers. 

8. The disgrace of this suspicion fell chiefly on Latinus, a commanderof the domestic guard, and on Agilo, an equerry, and on Scudilo, thecommander of the Scutarii, men who at that time were looked up to asthose who supported the republic with their right hands. 

9. But the barbarians, though taking instant counsel on such anemergency, yet either because the auspices turned out unfavourable, orbecause the authority of the sacrifices prohibited an instantengagement, abated their energy, and the confidence with which they hadhitherto resisted; and sent some of their chiefs to beg pardon for theiroffences, and sue for peace. 

10. Therefore, having detained for some time the envoys of both thekings, and having long deliberated over the affair in secret, theemperor, when he had decided that it was expedient to grant peace on theterms proposed, summoned his army to an assembly with the intention ofmaking them a short speech, and mounting the tribunal, surrounded with astaff of officers of high rank, spoke in the following manner:

11. "I hope no one will wonder, after the long and toilsome marches wehave made, and the vast supplies and magazines which have been provided, from the confidence which I felt in you, that now although we are closeto the villages of the barbarians, I have, as if I had suddenly changedmy plans, adopted more peaceful counsels. 

12. "For if every one of you, having regard to his own position and hisown feelings, considers the case, he will find this to be the truth:that the individual soldier in all cases, however strong and vigorous hemay be, regards and defends nothing but himself and his own life; whilethe general, looking on all with impartiality as the guardian of theirgeneral safety, is aware that the common interest of the people cannotbe separated from his own safety; and he is bound to seize with alacrityevery remedy of which the condition of affairs admits, as being put intohis hand by the favour of the gods. 

13. "That therefore I may in a few words set before you and explain onwhat account I wished all of you, my most faithful comrades, to assemblehere, I entreat you to listen attentively to what I will state with allthe brevity possible. For the language of truth is always concise andsimple. 

14. "The kings and people of the Allemanni, viewing with apprehensionthe lofty steps of your glory (which fame, increasing in magnificence, has diffused throughout the most distant countries), now by theirambassadors humbly implore pardon for their past offences, and peace. And this indulgence I, as a cautious and prudent adviser of what isuseful, think expedient to grant them, if your consent be not wanting:being led to this opinion by many considerations, in the first placethat so we may avoid the doubtful issues of war; in the second place, that instead of enemies we may have allies, as they promise we shallfind them; further, that without bloodshed we may pacify their haughtyferocity, a feeling which is often mischievous in our provinces; andlast of all, recollecting that the man who falls in battle, overwhelmedby superior weapons or strength, is not the only enemy who has to besubdued; and that with much greater safety to the state, even while thetrumpet of war is silent, he is subdued who makes voluntary submission, having learnt by experience that we lack neither courage against rebels, nor mercy towards suppliants. 

15. "To sum up, making you as it were the arbitrators, I wait to seewhat you determine: having no doubt myself, as an emperor alwaysdesirous of peace, that it is best to employ moderation while prosperitydescends upon us. For, believe me, this conduct which I recommend, andwhich is wisely chosen, will not be imputed to want of courage on yourpart, but to your moderation and humanity. "

16. As soon as he had finished speaking, the whole assembly being readyto agree to what the emperor desired, and praising his advice, gavetheir votes for peace; being principally influenced by thisconsideration, that they had already learnt by frequent expeditions thatthe fortune of the emperor was only propitious in times of civiltroubles; but that when foreign wars were undertaken they had oftenproved disastrous. On this, therefore, a treaty being made according tothe customs of the Allemanni, and all the solemnities being completed, the emperor retired to Milan for the winter. 

XI. 

§ 1. At Milan, having discarded the weight of other cares, the emperortook into his consideration that most difficult gordian knot, how by amighty effort to uproot the Cæsar. And while he was deliberating on thismatter with his friends in secret conference by night, and consideringwhat force, and what contrivances might be employed for the purpose, before Gallus in his audacity should more resolutely set himself toplunging affairs into confusion, it seemed best that Gallus should beinvited by civil letters, under pretence of some public affairs of anurgent nature requiring his advice, so that, being deprived of allsupport, he might be put to death without any hindrance. 

2. But as several knots of light-minded flatterers opposed this opinion, among whom was Arbetio, a man of keen wit and always inclined totreachery, and Eusebius, a man always disposed to mischief, at that timethe principal chamberlain, they suggested that if the Cæsar were to quitthose countries it would be dangerous to leave Ursicinus in the East, with no one to check his designs, if he should cherish ambitiousnotions. 

3. And these counsels were supported by the rest of the royal eunuchs, whose avarice and covetousness at that period had risen to excess. Thesemen, while performing their private duties about the court, by secretwhispers supplied food for false accusations; and by raising bittersuspicions of Ursicinus, ruined a most gallant man, creating byunderhand means a belief that his grown-up sons began to aim at supremepower; intimating that they were youths in the flower of their age andof admirable personal beauty, skilful in the use of every kind ofweapon, well trained in all athletic and military exercises, andfavourably known for prudence and wisdom. They insinuated also thatGallus himself, being by nature fierce and unmanageable, had beenexcited to acts of additional cruelty and ferocity by persons placedabout him for that purpose, to the end that, when he had brought uponhimself universal detestation, the ensigns of power might be transferredto the children of the master of the horse. 

4. When these and similar suspicions were poured into the ears ofConstantius, which were always open to reports of this kind, theemperor, revolving different plans in his mind, at last chose thefollowing as the most advisable course. He commanded Ursicinus in a mostcomplimentary manner to come to him, on the pretence that the urgentstate of certain affairs required to be arranged by the aid of hiscounsel and concurrence, and that he had need of such additional supportin order to crush the power of the Parthian tribes, who were threateningwar. 

5. And that he who was thus invited might not suspect anythingunfriendly, the Count Prosper was sent to act as his deputy till hereturned. Accordingly, when Ursicinus had received the letters, and hadobtained a sufficient supply of carriages, and means of travelling, we[17] hastened to Milan with all speed. 

6. The next thing was to contrive to summon the Cæsar, and to induce himto make the like haste. And to remove all suspicion in his mind, Constantius used many hypocritical endearments to persuade his ownsister, Gallus's wife, whom he pretended he had long been wishing tosee, to accompany him. And although she hesitated from fear of herbrother's habitual cruelty, yet, from a hope that, as he was herbrother, she might be able to pacify him, she set out; but when shereached Bithynia, at the station named Cæni Gallici, she was seized witha sudden fever and died. And after her death, her husband, consideringthat he had lost his greatest security and the chief support on which herelied, hesitated, taking anxious thought what he should do. 

7. For amid the multiplicity of embarrassing affairs which distractedhis attention, this point especially filled his mind with apprehension, that Constantius, determining everything according to his own solejudgment, was not a man to admit of any excuse, or to pardon any error;but being, as he was, more inclined to severity towards his kinsmen thantowards others, would be sure to put him to death if he could get himinto his power. 

8. Being therefore in this critical situation, and feeling that he hadto expect the worst unless he took vigilant care, he embraced the ideaof seizing on the supreme power if he could find any opportunity: butfor two reasons he distrusted the good faith of his most intimatecouncillors; both because they dreaded him as at once cruel and fickle, and also because amid civil dissensions they looked with awe upon theloftier fortune of Constantius. 

9. While perplexed with these vast and weighty anxieties he receivedcontinual letters from the emperor, advising and entreating him to cometo him; and giving him hints that the republic neither could nor oughtto be divided; but that every one was bound to the utmost of his powerto bring aid to it when it was tottering; alluding in this to thedevastations of the Gauls. 

10. And to this suggestion he added an example of no great antiquity, that in the time of Diocletian and his colleague, [18] the Cæsars obeyedthem as their officers, not remaining stationary, but hastening toexecute their orders in every direction. And that even Galerius went inhis purple robe on foot for nearly a mile before the chariot ofAugustus[19] when he was offended with him. 

11. After many other messengers had been despatched to him, Scudilo thetribune of the Scutarii arrived, a very cunning master of persuasionunder the cloak of a rude, blunt disposition. He, by mixing flatteringlanguage with his serious conversation, induced him to proceed, when noone else could do so, continually assuring him, with a hypocriticalcountenance, that his cousin was extremely desirous to see him; that, like a clement and merciful prince, he would pardon whatever errors hadbeen committed through thoughtlessness; that he would make him a partnerin his own royal rank, and take him for his associate in those toilswhich the northern provinces, long in a disturbed state, imposed uponhim. 

12. And as when the Fates lay their hand upon a man his senses are wontto be blunted and dimmed, so Gallus, being led on by these alluringpersuasions to the expectation of a better fortune, quitted Antiochunder the guidance of an unfriendly star, and hurried, as the oldproverb has it, out of the smoke into the flame;[20] and having arrivedat Constantinople as if in great prosperity and security, at thecelebration of the equestrian games, he with his own hand placed thecrown on the head of the charioteer Corax, when he obtained the victory. 

13. When Constantius heard this he became exasperated beyond all boundsof moderation; and lest by any chance Gallus, feeling uncertain of thefuture, should attempt to consult his safety by flight, all thegarrisons stationed in the towns which lay in his road were carefullyremoved. 

14. And at the same time Taurus, who was sent as quæstor into Armenia, passed by without visiting or seeing him. Some persons, however, by thecommand of the emperor, arrived under the pretence of one duty oranother, in order to take care that he should not be able to move, ormake any secret attempt of any kind. Among whom was Leontius, afterwardsprefect of the city, who was sent as quæstor; and Lucillianus, as countof the domestic guards, and a tribune of the Scutarii named Bainobaudes. 

15. Therefore after a long journey through the level country, when hehad reached Hadrianopolis, a city in the district of Mount Hæmus, whichhad been formerly called Uscudama, where he stayed twelve days torecover from his fatigue, he found that the Theban legions, who were inwinter quarters in the neighbouring towns of those parts, had sent someof their comrades to exhort him by trustworthy and sure promises toremain there relying upon them, since they were posted in great forceamong the neighbouring stations; but those about him watched him withsuch diligent care that he could get no opportunity of seeing them, orof hearing their message. 

16. Then, as letter after letter from the emperor urged him to quit thatcity, he took ten public carriages, as he was desired to do, and leavingbehind him all his retinue, except a few of his chamberlains anddomestic officers, whom he had brought with him, he was in this poormanner compelled to hasten his journey, his guards forcing him to useall speed; while he from time to time, with many regrets, bewailed therashness which had placed him in a mean and despised condition at themercy of men of the lowest class. 

17. And amid all these circumstances, in moments when exhausted naturesought repose in sleep, his senses were kept in a state of agitation bydreadful spectres making unseemly noises about him; and crowds of thosewhom he had slain, led on by Domitianus and Montius, seemed to seize andtorture him with all the torments of the Furies. 

18. For the mind, when freed by sleep from its connection with the body, is nevertheless active, and being full of the thoughts and anxieties ofmortal pursuits, engenders mighty visions which we call phantoms. 

19. Therefore his melancholy fate, by which it was destined he should bedeprived of empire and life, leading the way, he proceeded on hisjourney by continual relays of horses, till he arrived at Petobio, [21] atown in Noricum. Here all disguise was thrown off, and the CountBarbatio suddenly made his appearance, with Apodemius, the secretary forthe provinces, and an escort of soldiers whom the emperor had picked outas men bound to him by especial favours, feeling sure that they couldnot be turned from their obedience either by bribes or pity. 

20. And now the affair was conducted to its conclusion without furtherdisguise or deceit, and the whole portion of the palace which is outsidethe walls was surrounded by armed men. Barbatio, entering the palacebefore daybreak, stripped the Cæsar of his royal robes, and clothed himwith a tunic and an ordinary soldier's garment, assuring him with manyprotestations, as if by the especial command of the emperor, that heshould be exposed to no further suffering; and then said to him, "Standup at once. " And having suddenly placed him in a private carriage, heconducted him into Istria, near to the town of Pola, where it isreported that Crispus, the son of Constantine, was formerly put todeath. 

21. And while he was there kept in strict confinement, being alreadyterrified with apprehensions of his approaching destruction, Eusebius, at that time the high chamberlain, arrived in haste, and with himPentadius the secretary, and Mallobaudes the tribune of the guard, whohad the emperor's orders to compel him to explain, case by case, on whataccounts he had ordered each of the individuals whom he had executed atAntioch to be put to death. 

22. He being struck with a paleness like that of Adrastus[22] at thesequestions, was only able to reply that he had put most of them to deathat the instigation of his wife Constantina; being forsooth ignorant thatwhen the mother of Alexander the Great urged him to put to death someone who was innocent, and in the hope of prevailing with him, repeatedto him over and over again that she had borne him nine months in herwomb, and was his mother, that emperor made her this prudent answer, "Myexcellent mother, ask for some other reward; for the life of a mancannot be put in the balance with any kind of service. "

23. When this was known, the emperor, giving way to unchangeableindignation and anger, saw that his only hope of establishing securityfirmly lay in putting the Cæsar to death. And having sent Serenianus, whom we have already spoken of as having been accused of treason, butacquitted by intrigue, and Pentadius the secretary, and Apodemius thesecretary for the provinces, he commanded that they should put him todeath. And accordingly his hands were bound like those of someconvicted thief, and he was beheaded, and his carcass, which but alittle while ago had been the object of dread to cities and provinces, deprived of head and defaced: it was then left on the ground. 

24. In this the supervision of the supreme Deity manifested itself to beeverywhere vigilant. For not only did the cruelties of Gallus bringabout his own destruction, but they also who, by their perniciousflattery and instigation, and charges supported by perjury, had led himto the perpetration of many murders, not long afterwards died miserably. Scudilo, being afflicted with a liver complaint which penetrated to hislungs, died vomiting; while Barbatio, who had long busied himself ininventing false accusations against Gallus, was accused by secretinformation of aiming at some post higher than his command of infantry, and being condemned, though unjustly, was put to death, and so by hismelancholy end made atonement to the shade of the Cæsar. 

25. These, and innumerable other actions of the same kind, Adrastea, whois also called Nemesis, the avenger of wicked and the rewarder of gooddeeds, is continually bringing to pass: would that she could always doso! She is a kind of sublime agent of the powerful Deity, dwelling, according to common belief, above the human circle; or, as others defineher, she is a substantial protection, presiding over the particulardestinies of individuals, and feigned by the ancient theologians to bethe daughter of Justice, looking down from a certain inscrutableeternity upon all terrestrial and mundane affairs. 

26. She, as queen of all causes of events, and arbitress and umpire inall affairs of life, regulates the urn which contains the lots of men, and directs the alternations of fortune which we behold in the world, frequently bringing our undertakings to an issue different from what weintended, and involving and changing great numbers of actions. She also, binding the vainly swelling pride of mankind by the indissoluble fettersof necessity, and swaying the inclination of progress and decayaccording to her will, sometimes bows down and enfeebles the stiff neckof arrogance, and sometimes raises virtuous men from the lowest depth, leading them to a prosperous and happy life. And it is on this accountthat the fables of antiquity have represented her with wings, that shemay be supposed to be present at all events with prompt celerity. Andthey have also placed a rudder in her hand and given her a wheel underher feet, that mankind may be aware that she governs the universe, running at will through all the elements. [23]

27. In this untimely manner did the Cæsar, being himself also alreadyweary of life, die, in the twenty-ninth year of his age, having reignedfour years. He was born in the country of the Etrurians, in the districtof Veternum, [24] being the son of Constantius, the brother of theEmperor Constantine; his mother was Galla, the sister of Rufinus andCerealis, men who had been ennobled by the offices of consul andprefect. 

28. He was a man of splendid stature and great beauty of person andfigure, with soft hair of a golden colour, his newly sprouting beardcovering his cheeks with a tender down, and in spite of his youth hiscountenance showed dignity and authority. He differed as much from thetemperate habits of his brother Julian, as the sons of Vespasian, Domitian and Titus, differed from each other. 

29. After he had been taken by the emperor as his colleague, and raisedto the highest eminence of power, he experienced the ficklechangeableness of fortune which mocks mortality, sometimes raisingindividuals to the stars, at others sinking them to the lowest depthsof hell. 

30. And though the examples of such vicissitudes are beyond number, nevertheless I will only enumerable a few in a cursory manner. Thischangeable and fickle fortune made Agathocles, the Sicilian, a king frombeing a potter, and reduced Dionysius, formerly the terror of allnations, to be the master of a grammar school. This same fortuneemboldened Andriscus of Adramyttium, who had been born in a fuller'sshop, to assume the name of Philip, and compelled the legitimate son ofPerseus[25] to descend to the trade of a blacksmith to obtain alivelihood. Again, fortune surrendered Mancinus[26] to the people ofNumantia, after he had enjoyed the supreme command, exposed Veturius[27]to the cruelty of the Samnites, Claudius[28] to that of the Corsicans, and made Regulus[29] a victim to the ferocity of the Carthaginians. Through the injustice of fortune, Pompey, [30] after he had acquired thesurname of the Great by the grandeur of his exploits, was murdered inÆgypt at the pleasure of some eunuchs, while a fellow named Eunus, aslave who had escaped from a house of correction, commanded an army ofrunaway slaves in Sicily. How many men of the highest birth, through theconnivance of this same fortune, submitted to the authority of Viriathusand of Spartacus![31] How many heads at which nations once trembled havefallen under the deadly hand of the executioner! One man is thrown intoprison, another is promoted to unexpected power, a third is hurled downfrom the highest rank and dignity. But he who would endeavour toenumerate all the various and frequent instances of the caprice offortune, might as well undertake to number the sands or ascertain theweight of mountains. 

[1] Gallus and his brother Julian were the nephews of the greatConstantine, sons of his brother Julius. When Constantius, who succeededConstantine on the throne, murdered his uncles and most of his cousins, he spared these two, probably on account of their tender age. 

[2] Hannibalianus was another nephew of Constantine. That emperor raisedhis own three sons, Constantine, Constantius, and Constans, to thedignity of Cæsar; and of his two favourite nephews, Dalmacius andHannibalianus, he raised the first, by the title of Cæsar, to anequality with his cousins; "in favour of the latter he invented the newand singular appellation of Fortitissimus, to which he annexed theflattering distinction of a robe of purple and gold. But of the wholeseries of Roman princes in any age of the empire Hannibalianus alone wasdistinguished by the title of _king_, a name which the subjects ofTiberius would have detested as the profane and cruel insult ofcapricious tyranny. "--Gibbon, cxviii. The editor of Bohn's edition addsin a note: "The title given to Hannibalianus did not apply to him as a_Roman_ prince, but as king of a territory assigned to him in Asia. Thisterritory consisted of Pontus, Cappadocia, and the lesser Armenia, thecity of Cæsarea being chosen for his residence. "--Gibbon, Bohn'sedition, vol. Ii. Pp. 256, 257. 

[3] "There was among the commanders of the soldiery one prefect who wasespecially entitled Præsens, or Præsentalis, because his office was tobe always in the court or about the person of the prince, and becausethe emperor's body-guard was under his particular orders. "--H. Valesius. 

[4] The passage is found in Cicero's Oration pro Cluentio, c. 25. 

[5] Sciron was a pirate slain by Theseus, v. Ov. Metam. Vii. 44 and theEpistle of Ariadne to Theseus. 

 "Cum fuerit Sciron lectus, torvusque Procrustes. "

[6] His victory over Magnentius, whom he defeated at Mursa, on theDoave, in the year 351. Magnentius fled to Aquileia, but was pursued, and again defeated the next year, at a place called Mons Seleuci, in theneighbourhood of Gap, and threw himself on his own sword to avoidfalling into the hands of Constantius. 

[7] Hesiod. Ammianus refers to the passage in Hesiod's Op. Et Dies, 289, beginning--τῆς δ’ ἀρεῆς ίδρῶτα θεοὶ προπάροιθεν ἔθησαν. 

[8] A nomenclator was a slave who attended a great noble in his walkthrough the city to remind him of the names of those whom he met. SeeCicero pro Muræna, c. 36. 

[9] The name of a slave in the Eunuch, of Terence, who says, act. Iv sc. 8--Sannio alone stays at home. 

[10] It was customary on such solemnities, as also on the occasion ofassuming the toga virilis, or entering on any important magistracy, tomake small presents of money to the guests who were invited to celebratethe occasion. Cf. Plin. Epist. X. 117. 

[11] The Latin is Dux. It is about this period that the title Duke andCount, which we have already had, arose, indicating however at first notterritorial possessions, but military commands; and it is worth noticingthat the rank of Count was the higher of the two. 

[12] Constantine, on his conversion to Christianity, had issued an edictforbidding the consultation of oracles; but the practice was not whollyabandoned till the time of Theodosius. 

[13] Schools was the name given at Rome to buildings where men were wontto meet for any purpose, whether of study, of traffic, or of thepractice of any art. The schools of the Palatine were the station of thecohorts of the guard. The "Protectors or Guards" were a body of soldiersof higher rank, receiving also higher pay; called also "Domestici orhousehold troops, " as especially set apart for the protection of theimperial palace and person. The "Scutarii" (shield-bearers) belonged tothe Palatine schools; and the Gentiles were troops enlisted from amongthose nations which were still accounted barbarous. 

[14] Gibbon here proposes for le_n_itatem to read le_v_itatem, fickleness; himself describing Montius as "a statesman whose art andexperience were frequently betrayed by the levity of hisdisposition. "--Cap. Xix. , p. 298, vol. Iii. , Bohn's edition. 

[15] Châlons sur Saône. 

[16] Near Basle. 

[17] It will be observed that Ammianus here speaks of himself as inattendance upon Ursicinus. 

[18] Maximianus Herculius. 

[19] Diocletian. 

[20] As we say, Out of the frying-pan into the fire. 

[21] The town of Pettau, on the Drave. 

[22] A paleness such as overspread the countenance of Adrastus when hesaw his two sons-in-law, Pydeus and Polynices, slain at Thebes. Virgilspeaks of Adrasti pallentis imago, Æn. Vi. 480. 

[23] Ammianus here confounds Nemesis with Fortuna. Compare Horace'sdescription of the latter goddess, Lib. I. Od. 34:--

 " . . . Valet ima summis Mutare, et insignia attenuat deus Obscura promens: hinc apicem rapax Fortuna cum stridore acuto Sustulit; hic posuisse gaudet. "

Or, as it is translated by Dr. Francis:--

 "The hand of Jove can crush the proud Down to the meanness of the crowd: And raise the lowest in his stead: But rapid Fortune pulls him down, And snatches his imperial crown, To place, not _fix_ it, on another's head. "

[24] Near the modern city of Sienna. 

[25] See Plutarch's Life of Æmilius, c. 37. The name of the young princewas Alexander. 

[26] Called also Hostilius; cf. Vell. Paterc. Ii. 1. 

[27] Cf. Liv. Ix. C. X. ; Cicero de Officiis, iii. 30. 

[28] Cf. Val. Max. Vi. 3. 

[29] Cf. Horace, Od. Iv. Ult. ; Florus, ii. 1. The story of the crueltiesinflicted on Regulus is now, however, generally disbelieved. 

[30] The fate of Pompey served also as an instance to Juvenal in hissatire on the vanity of human wishes. 

 Provida Pompeio diderat Campania febres Optandas, sed multæ urbes et publica vota Vicerunt; igitur Fortuna ipsius et urbis Servatum victo caput abstulit. 

Sat. X. 283, &c. 

[31] Spartacus was the celebrated leader of the slaves in the ServileWar. 

BOOK XV. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. The death of the Cæsar Gallus is announced to the emperor. --II. Ursicinus, the commander of the cavalry in the East; Julian, the brother of the Cæsar Gallus; and Gorgonius, the high chamberlain, are accused of treason. --III. The adherents and servants of the Cæsar Gallus are punished. --IV. The Allemanni of the district of Lintz are defeated by the Emperor Constantius with great loss. --V. Silvanus, a Frank, the commander of the infantry in Gaul, is saluted as emperor at Cologne; and on the twenty-eighth day of his reign is destroyed by stratagem. --VI. The friends and adherents of Silvanus are put to death. --VII. Seditions of the Roman people are repressed by Leontius, the prefect of the city; Liberius, the bishop, is driven from his see. --VIII. Julian, the brother of Gallus, is created Cæsar by the Emperor Constantius, his uncle; and is appointed to command. --IX. On the origin of the Gauls, and from whence they derive the names of Celts and Gauls; and of their treaties. --X. Of the Gallic Alps, and of the various passes over them. --XI. A brief description of Gaul, and of the course of the River Rhone. --XII. Of the manners of the Gauls. --XIII. Of Musonianus, prefect of the Prætorium in the East. 

I. 

A. D. 354. 

§ 1. Having investigated the truth to the best of our power we havehitherto related all the transactions which either our age permitted usto witness, or which we could learn from careful examination of thosewho were concerned in them, in the order in which the several eventstook place. The remaining facts, which the succeeding books will setforth, we will, as far as our talent permits, explain with the greatestaccuracy, without fearing those who may be inclined to cavil at our workas too long; for brevity is only to be praised when, while it puts anend to unseasonable delays, it suppresses nothing which is wellauthenticated. 

2. Gallus had hardly breathed his last in Noricum, when Apodemius, whoas long as he lived had been a fiery instigator of disturbances, caughtup his shoes and carried them off, journeying, with frequent relays ofhorses, so rapidly as even to kill some of them by excess of speed, andso brought the first news of what had occurred to Milan. And having madehis way into the palace, he threw down the shoes before the feet ofConstantius, as if he were bringing the spoils of a king of theParthians who had been slain. And when this sudden news arrived that anaffair so unexpected and difficult had been executed with entirefacility in complete accordance with the wish of the emperor, theprincipal courtiers, according to their custom, exerting all their zealin the path of flattery, extolled to the skies the virtue and goodfortune of the emperor, at whose nod, as if they had been mere commonsoldiers, two princes had thus been deprived of their power, namely, Veteranio and Gallus. 

3. And Constantius being exceedingly elated at the exquisite taste ofthis adulation, and thinking that he himself for the future should befree from all the ordinary inconveniences of mortality, now began todepart from the path of justice so evidently that he even at times laidclaim to immortality; and in writing letters with his own hand, wouldstyle himself lord of the whole world; a thing which, if others hadsaid, any one ought to have been indignant at, who laboured with properdiligence to form his life and habits in emulation of the constitutionalprinces who had preceded him, as he professed to do. 

4. For even if he had under his power the infinities of worlds fanciedby Democritus, as Alexander the Great, under the promptings ofAnaxarchus, did fancy, yet either by reading, or by hearing othersspeak, he might have considered that (as mathematicians unanimouslyagree) the circumference of the whole earth, immense as it seems to us, is nevertheless not bigger than a pin's point as compared with thegreatness of the universe. 

II. 

§ 1. And now, after the pitiable death of the Cæsar, the trumpet ofjudicial dangers sounded the alarm, and Ursicinus was impeached oftreason, envy gaining more and more strength every day to attack hissafety; envy which is inimical to all powerful men. 

2. For he was overcome by this difficulty, that, while the ears of theemperor were shut against all defences which were reasonable and easy ofproof, they were open to all the secret whispers of calumniators, whopretended that his name was almost disused among all the districts ofthe East, and that Ursicinus was urged by them both privately andpublicly to be their commander, as one who could be formidable to thePersian nation. 

3. But this magnanimous man stood his ground immovably against whatevermight happen, only taking care not to throw himself away in an abjectmanner, and grieving from his heart that innocence had no safefoundation on which to stand. And the more sad also for thisconsideration, that before these events took place many of his friendshad gone over to other more powerful persons, as in cases of officialdignity the lictors go over to the successors of former officers. 

4. His colleague Arbetio was attacking him by cajoling words of feignedgood-will, often publicly speaking of him as a virtuous and brave man;Arbetio being a man of great cunning in laying snares for men of simplelife, and one who at that season enjoyed too much power. For as aserpent that has its hole underground and hidden from the sight of manobserves the different passers-by, and attacks whom it will with asudden spring, so this man, having been raised from being a commonsoldier of the lowest class to the highest military dignities, withouthaving received any injury or any provocation, polluted his consciencefrom an insatiable desire of doing mischief. 

5. Therefore, having a few partners in his secrets for accomplices, hehad secretly arranged with the emperor when he asked his opinion, thaton the next night Ursicinus should be seized and carried away from thesight of the soldiers, and so be put to death uncondemned, just asformerly Domitius Corbulo, that faithful and wise defender of ourprovinces, is said to have been slain in the miserable period of Nero'scruelty. 

6. And after the matter had been thus arranged, while the men destinedfor the service of seizing Ursicinus were waiting for the appointedtime, the emperor's mind changed to mercy, and so this impious deed wasput off for further consideration. 

7. Then the engine of calumny was directed against Julian, who hadlately been brought to court; a prince who afterwards became memorable, but who was now attacked with a twofold accusation, as the iniquity ofhis enemies thought requisite. First, that he had gone from the Park ofMacellum, which lies in Cappadocia, into Asia, from a desire ofacquiring polite learning. Secondly, that he had seen his brother as hepassed through Constantinople. 

8. And when he had explained away the charges thus brought against him, and had proved that he had not done either of these things without beingordered, he would still have perished through the intrigues of theabandoned court of flatterers, if he had not been saved by the favour ofthe supreme Deity, with the assistance of Queen Eusebia. By herintercession he obtained leave to be conducted to the town of Como, inthe neighbourhood of Milan; and after he had remained there a short timehe was permitted to go to Greece for the purpose of cultivating hisliterary tastes, as he was very eager to do. 

9. Nor were there wanting other incidents arising out of theseoccurrences, which might be looked upon as events under the direction ofProvidence, as some of them were rightly punished, while others failedof their design, proving vain and ineffective. But it occasionallyhappened that rich men, relying on the protection of those in office, and clinging to them as the ivy clings to lofty trees, bought acquittalsat immense prices; and that poor men who had little or no means ofpurchasing safety were condemned out of hand. And therefore truth wasovershadowed by falsehood, and sometimes falsehood obtained theauthority of truth. 

10. In these days Gorgonius also was summoned to court, the man who hadbeen the Cæsar's principal chamberlain. And though it was made plain byhis own confession that he had been a partner in his undertakings, andsometimes a chief instigator of them, yet through the conspiracy of theeunuchs justice was overpowered by dexterously arranged falsehoods, andhe was acquitted and so escaped the danger. 

III. 

§ 1. While these events were taking place at Milan, battalions ofsoldiers were brought from the East to Aquileia, with a number ofmembers of the court, who, being broken in spirit, while their limbswere enfeebled by the weight of their chains, cursed the protraction oftheir lives which were surrounded with every variety of misery. For theywere accused of having been the ministers of the ferocity of Gallus, andit was believed to be owing to them that Domitian had been torn topieces, and that Montius and others had been brought to destruction. 

2. Arboreus, and Eusebius, at that time high chamberlain, both men ofinsane arrogance, and equally unjust and cruel, were appointed to trythese men. And they, without any careful examination, or making anydistinction between the innocent and the guilty, condemned some toscourgings, others to torture and exile, some they adjudged to serve inthe lowest ranks of the army, and the rest they condemned to death. Andwhen they had thus filled the sepulchres with dead bodies, they returnedas if in triumph, and brought an account of their exploits to theemperor, who was notoriously severe and implacable against all offencesof the kind. 

3. After this, throughout the rest of his reign, Constantius, as ifresolved to reverse the prescribed arrangement of the Fates, behavedwith greater violence than ever, and opened his heart to numbers ofdesigning plotters. And owing to this conduct, many men arose whowatched for all kinds of reports, at first attacking, as with theappetite of wild beasts, those in the enjoyment of the highest honoursand rank, and afterwards both poor and rich indiscriminately. Not likethose Cibyratæ in the time of Verres, [32] fawning on the tribunal of asingle lieutenant, but harassing the limbs of the whole republic bymeans of all the evils that arose anywhere. 

4. Among these men Paulus and Mercurius were especially conspicuous, thefirst a Dacian born, the latter a Persian. Mercurius was a notary, andPaulus had been promoted from being a steward of the emperor's table toa receivership in the provinces. Paulus, as I have already mentioned, had been nicknamed The Chain, because in weaving knots of calumnies hewas invincible, scattering around foul poisons and destroying people byvarious means, as some skilful wrestlers are wont in their contests tocatch hold of their antagonists by the heel. 

5. Mercurius was nicknamed Count of Dreams, because (as a dog fond ofbiting secretly fawns and wags his tail while full of inward spite) heforced his way into feasts and companies, and if any one in his sleep(when nature roves about with an extraordinary degree of freedom)communicated to a friend that he had seen anything, exaggerated it, colouring it for the most part with envenomed arts, and bore it to theopen ears of the emperor. And for such speeches men were attacked withformidable accusations, as if they had committed inexpiable crimes. 

6. The news of these events having got abroad, men were so cautious ofeven relating nocturnal dreams, that, in the presence of a stranger, they would scarcely confess they had slept at all. And some accomplishedmen lamented that they had not been born in the country of MountAtlas, [33] where it is said that dreams never occur, though what thecause of such a fact is, we must leave to those who are learned in suchmatters to decide. 

7. Amid all these terrible investigations and punishments, anotherdisaster took place in Illyricum, which from some empty words involvedmany in danger. At an entertainment given by Africanus, the governor ofthe second Pannonia, at Sirmium, some men having drunk rather too much, and thinking there was no witness of their proceedings, spoke freely ofthe existing imperial government, accusing it as most vexatious to thepeople. And some of them expressed a hope that a change, such as waswished for by all, might be at hand, affirming that this was portendedby omens, while some, with incredible rashness, affirmed that theauguries of their ancestral house promised the same thing. 

8. Among those present at the banquet was Gaudentius, one of thesecretaries, a stupid man, and of a hasty disposition. And he lookingupon the matter as serious, reported it to Rufinus, who was at that timethe chief commander of the guard of the prætorian prefecture, a manalways eager for the most cruel measures, and infamous for every kind ofwickedness. 

9. He immediately, as if borne on wings, flew to the court of theemperor, and so bitterly inflamed him, always easy of access andsusceptible of impressions from suspicious circumstances of this kind, that without a moment's deliberation he ordered Africanus and all whohad been partakers of his fatal banquet to be seized. And when this wasdone, the wicked informer, always fond of whatever is contrary topopular manners, obtained what he most coveted, a continuation of hisexisting office for two years. 

10. To arrest these men, Teutomeres, the chief of the Protectores, wassent with his colleague; and he loaded them all with chains, andconducted them, as he had been ordered, to the emperor's court. But whenthey arrived at Aquileia, Marinus, who from having been a drillmasterhad been promoted to a tribuneship, but who at that time had had noparticular duty, being a man who had held dangerous language, and whowas in other respects of an intemperate disposition, being left in aninn while things necessary for the journey were being prepared, stabbedhimself with a knife which he accidentally found, and his bowels gushedout, so that he died. The rest were conducted to Milan, and subjected totorture; and having been forced by their agony to confess that while atthe banquet they had used some petulant expressions, were ordered to bekept in penal confinement, with some hope, though an uncertain one, ofeventual release. But Teutomeres and his colleague, being accused ofhaving allowed Marinus to kill himself, were condemned to banishment, though they were afterwards pardoned through the intercession ofArbetio. 

IV. 

§ 1. Soon after this transaction had been thus terminated, war wasdeclared against the tribes of the Allemanni around Lentia, [34] who hadoften made extensive incursions into the contiguous Roman territories. The emperor himself set out on the expedition, and went as far asRhætia, and the district of the Canini. [35] And there, after long andcareful deliberation, it was decided to be both honourable and expedientthat Arbetio, the master of the horse, should march with a division ofthe troops, in fact with the greater part of the army, along the bordersof the lake of Brigantia, with the object of coming to an immediateengagement with the barbarians. And I will here describe the characterof the ground briefly, as well as I can. 

2. The Rhine rising among the defiles of lofty mountains, and forcingits way with immense violence through steep rocks, stretches its onwardcourse without receiving any foreign waters, in the same manner as theNile pours down with headlong descent through the cataracts. And it isso abundantly full by its own natural riches that it would be navigableup to its very source were it not like a torrent rather than a stream. 

3. And soon after it has disentangled itself from its defiles, rollingonward between high banks, it enters a vast lake of circular form, whichthe Rhætian natives call Brigantia, [36] being four hundred and sixtyfurlongs in length, and of nearly equal extent in breadth, unapproachable on account of a vast mass of dark woods, except where theenergy of the Romans has made a wide road through them, in spite of thehostility of the barbarians, and the unfavourable character both of theground and the climate. 

4. The Rhine forcing its way into this pool, and roaring with itsfoaming eddies, pierces the sluggish quiet of the waters, and rushesthrough the middle from one end to the other. And like an elementseparated from some other element by eternal discord, without anyincrease or diminution of the volume of water which it has brought intothe lake, it comes forth from it again with its old name and itsunalloyed power, never having suffered from the contact, and so proceedstill it mingles with the waves of the sea. 

5. And what is exceedingly strange, the lake is not moved at all by thisrapid passage of the river through it, nor is it affected by the muddysoil beneath the waters of the lake; the two bodies of water beingincapable of mingling with each other. A thing which would be supposedimpossible, did not the very sight of the lake prove the fact. 

6. In a similar manner, the Alpheus, rising in Arcadia, being seizedwith a love for the fountain Arethusa, [37] passing through the Ioniansea, as is related by the poets, proceeds onward till it arrives at theneighbourhood of its beloved fountain. 

 * * * * *

7. Arbetio not choosing to wait till messengers arrived to announce theapproach of the barbarians, although he knew the fierce way in whichthey begin their wars, allowed himself to be betrayed into a hiddenambush, where he stood without the power of moving, being bewildered bythe suddenness of his disaster. 

8. In the mean time the enemy, showing themselves, sprang forth fromtheir hiding-places and spared not one who came in their way, butoverwhelmed them with every kind of weapon. For none of our men couldoffer the smallest resistance, nor was there any hope of any of thembeing able to save their lives except by a speedy flight. Therefore, being intent only on avoiding wounds, our soldiers, losing all order, ran almost at random in every direction, exposing their backs to theblows of the enemy. Nevertheless the greater part of them, scatteringthemselves among narrow paths, were saved from danger by the protectingdarkness of the night, and at the return of day recovered their courageand rejoined their different legions. But still by this sad andunexpected disaster a vast number of common soldiers and ten tribuneswere slain. 

9. The Allemanni were greatly elated at this event, and advanced withincreased boldness, every day coming up to the fortifications of theRomans while the morning mists obscured the light; and drawing theirswords roamed about in every direction, gnashing their teeth, andthreatening us with haughty shouts. Then with a sudden sally ourScutarii would rush forth, and after being stopped for a moment by theresistance of the hostile squadrons, would call out all their comradesto join them in the engagement. 

10. But the greater part of our men were alarmed by the recollection oftheir recent disaster, and Arbetio hesitated, thinking everythingpregnant with danger. Upon this three tribunes at once sallied forth, Arintheus who was a lieutenant commander of the heavy troops, Seniauchuswho commanded the cavalry of the Comites, [38] and Bappo who had thecommand of the Promoti[39] and of those troops who had been particularlyintrusted to his charge by the emperor. 

11. These men, looking on the common cause as their own, resolved torepel the violence of the enemy according to the example of theirancient comrades. And pouring down upon the foe like a torrent, not in aregular line of battle, but in desultory attacks like those of banditti, they put them all to flight in a disgraceful manner. Since they, beingin loose order and straggling, and hampered by their endeavours toescape, exposed their unprotected bodies to our weapons, and were slainby repeated blows of sword and spear. 

12. Many too were slain with their horses, and seemed as they lay ontheir backs to be so entangled as still to be sitting on them. And whenthis was seen, all our men who had previously hesitated to engage inbattle with their comrades, poured forth out of the camp; and now, forgetful of all precautions, they drove before them the mob ofbarbarians, except such as flight had saved from destruction, tramplingon the heaps of slain, and covered with gore. 

13. When the battle was thus terminated the emperor in triumph and joyreturned to Milan to winter quarters. 

V. 

A. D. 355. 

§ 1. After these unhappy circumstances, accompanied as they were withequal calamities in the provinces, a whirlwind of new misfortunes arosewhich seemed likely to destroy the whole state at once, if Fortune, which regulates the events of human life, had not terminated a state ofaffairs which all regarded with great apprehension, by bringing thedangers to a speedy issue. 

2. From the long neglect with which these provinces had been treated, the Gauls, having no assistance on which to rely, had borne cruelmassacres, with plunder and conflagration, from barbarians who ragedthroughout their land with impunity. Silvanus, the commander of theinfantry, being a man well suited to correct these evils, went thitherat the command of the emperor, Arbetio at the same time urging with allhis power that this task should be undertaken without delay, with theobject of imposing the dangerous burden of this duty on his absentrival, whom he was vexed to see still in prosperity. . . . 

3. There was a certain man named Dynamius, the superintendent of theemperor's beasts of burden, who had begged of Silvanus recommendatoryletters to his friends as of one who was admitted to his most intimatefriendship. Having obtained this favour, as Silvanus, having nosuspicion of any evil intention, had with great simplicity granted whathe was asked, Dynamius kept the letters, in order at a future time toplan something to his injury. 

4. Therefore, when the aforesaid commander had gone to the Gauls in theservice of the republic, and while he was engaged in repelling thebarbarians, who already began to distrust their own power, and to befilled with alarm, Dynamius, being restless, like a man of cunning andpractised deceitfulness, devised a wicked plot; and in this it is saidhe had for his accomplices Lampadius, the prefect of the prætorianguard, Eusebius, who had been the superintendent of the emperor's privypurse, and was known by the nickname of Mattyocopa, [40] and Ædesius, formerly keeper of the records, whom this prefect had contrived to haveelected consul, as being his dearest friend. He then with a spongeeffaced the contents of the letters, leaving nothing but the address, and inserted a text materially differing from the original writing, asif Silvanus had asked, by indirect hints, and entreated his friends whowere within the palace, and those who had no office (among whom wasAlbinus of Etruria, and many others), to aid him in projects of loftierambition, as one who would soon attain the imperial throne. This bundleof letters he thus made up, inventing at his leisure, in order with themto endanger the life of this innocent man. 

5. Dynamius was appointed to investigate these charges on behalf of theemperor; and while he was artfully weaving these and similar plans, hecontrived to enter alone into the imperial chamber, choosing hisopportunity, and hoping to entangle firmly in his meshes the mostvigilant guardian of the emperor's safety. And being full of wickedcunning, after he had read the forged packet of letters in the councilchamber, the tribunes were ordered to be committed to custody, and alsoseveral private individuals were commanded to be arrested and brought upfrom the provinces, whose names were mentioned in those letters. 

6. But presently Malarichus, the commander of the Gentiles, being struckwith the iniquity of the business, and taking his colleagues to hiscounsel, spoke out loudly that men devoted to the preservation of theemperor ought not to be circumvented by factions and treachery. Heaccordingly demanded that he himself, his nearest relations being leftas hostages, and Mallobaudes, the tribune of the heavy-armed soldiers, giving bail that he would return, might be commissioned to go with speedto bring back Silvanus, who he was certain had never entertained theidea of any such attempt as these bitter plotters had imputed to him. Or, as an alternative, he entreated that he might become security forMallobaudes, and that their officers might be permitted to go and dowhat he had proposed to take upon himself. 

7. For he affirmed that he knew beyond all question that, if anystranger were sent, Silvanus, who was inclined to be somewhatapprehensive of danger, even when no circumstances were reallycalculated to alarm him, would very likely throw matters into confusion. 

8. But, although the advice which he gave was useful and necessary, hespoke as to the winds, to no purpose. For by the counsels of Arbetio, Apodemius, who was a persevering and bitter enemy to all good men, wassent with letters to summon Silvanus to the presence. When he hadarrived in Gaul, taking no heed of the commission with which he wascharged, and caring but little for anything that might happen, heremained inactive, without either seeing Silvanus, or delivering theletters which commanded him to appear at court. And having taken thereceiver of the province into his counsels, he began with arrogance andmalevolence to harass the clients and servants of the master of thehorse, as if that officer had been already condemned and was on thepoint of being executed. 

9. In the mean time, while the arrival of Silvanus was looked for, andwhile Apodemius was throwing everything, though quiet before, intocommotion, Dynamius, that he might by still more convincing proofsestablish belief in his wicked plots, had sent other forged letters(agreeing with the previous ones which he had brought under theemperor's notice by the agency of the prefect) to the tribune of thefactory at Cremona: these were written in the names of Silvanus andMalarichus, in which the tribune, as one privy to their secrets, waswarned to lose no time in having everything in readiness. 

10. But when this tribune had read the whole of the letters, he was forsome time in doubt and perplexity as to what they could mean (for he didnot recollect that those persons whose letters he had thus received hadever spoken with him upon private transactions of any kind); andaccordingly he sent the letters themselves, by the courier who hadbrought them, to Malarichus, sending a soldier also with him; andentreated Malarichus to explain in intelligible language what he wanted, and not to use such obscure terms. For he declared that he, being but aplain and somewhat rude man, had not in the least understood what wasintimated so obscurely. 

11. Malarichus the moment he received the letters, being already insorrow and anxiety, and alarmed for his own fate and that of hiscountryman Silvanus, called around him the Franks, of whom at that timethere was a great multitude in the palace, and in resolute language laidopen and proved the falsehood of the machinations by which their liveswere threatened, and was loud in his complaints. 

12. When these things became known to the emperor, he appointed themembers of his secret council and the chief officers of his army to makefurther investigation of the matter. And when the judges appeared tomake light of it, Florentius the son of Nigridianus, who at that timefilled the post of master of the offices, [41] having examined thewritings carefully, and detecting beneath them some vestiges of the topsof the former words which had been effaced, perceived, as was indeed thecase, that by interpolations of the original letter, matters verydifferent from any of which Silvanus was author had been written overthem, according to the fancy of the contriver of this forgery. 

13. On this the cloud of treachery was dispersed, and the emperor, informed of the truth by a faithful report, recalled the powers grantedto the prefect, and ordered him to be submitted to an examination. Nevertheless he was acquitted through the active combination of many ofhis friends; while Eusebius, the former treasurer of the emperor'ssecret purse, being put to the torture, confessed that these things hadbeen done with his privity. 

14. Ædesius, affirming with obstinate denial that he had never knownanything which had been done in the matter, escaped, being adjudgedinnocent. And thus the transaction was brought to an end, and all thosewho had been accused in the original information were acquitted; andDynamius, as a man of exceeding accomplishments and prudence, wasappointed to govern Etruria with the rank of corrector. 

15. While these affairs were proceeding, Silvanus was living atAgrippina, [42] and having learnt by continual information sent to himby his friends what Apodemius was doing with the hope of effecting hisruin; and knowing also how impressible the mind of the feeble emperorwas; began to fear lest in his absence, and without being convicted ofany crime, he might still be treated as a criminal. And so, being placedin a situation of the greatest difficulty, he began to think of trustinghimself to the good faith of the barbarians. 

16. But being dissuaded from this by Laniogaisus, at that time atribune, whom we have already spoken of as the only person who waspresent with Constans when he was dying, himself serving at that time asa volunteer; and being assured by Laniogaisus that the Franks, of whomhe himself was a countryman, would put him to death, or else betray himfor a bribe, he saw no safety anywhere in the present emergency, and sowas driven to extreme counsels. And by degrees, having secretlyconferred with the chiefs of the principal legions, and having excitedthem by the magnitude of promised rewards, he tore for use on thisoccasion the purple silk from the insignia of the dragons[43] andstandards, and so assumed the title of emperor. 

17. And while these events are passing in Gaul, one day, a little beforesunset, an unexpected messenger arrived at Milan, relating fully thatSilvanus, being ambitious to rise above his place as commander of theinfantry, had tampered with the army, and assumed the imperial dignity. 

18. Constantius, at this amazing and unexpected event, seemed as ifstruck by a thunderbolt of fate, and having at once summoned a councilto meet at the second watch, all the nobles hastened to the palace. Noone had either mind to conceive or tongue to recommend what was best tobe done; but in suppressed tones they mentioned the name of Ursicinus asa man eminent for skill in affairs of war, and one who had beenundeservedly exposed to most injurious treatment. He was immediatelysent for by the principal chamberlain, which is the most honourable kindof summons, and as soon as he entered the council-chamber was offeredthe purple to salute much more graciously than at any former time. Diocletian was the first who introduced the custom of offering reverenceto the emperor after this foreign manner and royal pretension; whereasall former princes, as we read, had been saluted like judges. 

19. And so the man who a little while before, through the malevolentpersecution of certain of the courtiers, had been termed the whirlpoolof the East, and who had been accused of a design to aim at the supremepower for his sons, was now recommended as one who was a most skilfulgeneral, who had been the comrade of the great Constantine, and as theonly man capable of extinguishing the threatened conflagration. Andthough the reasons for which he was sent for were honest, they were notwholly free from underhand motives. For while great anxiety was feltthat Silvanus should be destroyed as a most formidable rebel, yet, ifthat object miscarried, it was thought that Ursicinus, being damaged bythe failure, would himself easily be ruined; so that no scruple, whichelse was to be feared, would interpose to save him from destruction. 

20. While arrangements were being made for accelerating his journey, thegeneral was preparing to repel the charges which had been broughtagainst him; but the emperor prevented him, forbidding him inconciliatory language, saying that this was not an opportunity suitablefor undertaking any controversy in defence of his cause, when theimminent necessity of affairs rather prompted that no delay should beinterposed to the restoration of parties to their pristine concordbefore the disunion got worse. 

21. Therefore, after a long deliberation about many things, the firstand most important matter in which consultation was held, was by whatmeans Silvanus could be led to think the emperor still ignorant of hisconduct. And the most likely manner to confirm him in his confidenceappeared to be that he should be informed, in a complimentary despatch, that Ursicinus was appointed his successor, and that he was invited toreturn to court with undiminished power. 

22. After this affair was arranged, the officer who had brought the newsto Milan was ordered to depart with some tribunes and ten of theProtectores and domestic guard as an escort, given to him at his ownrequest, to aid him in the discharge of his public duty. And of these Imyself was one, with my colleague Verrinianus; and all the rest wereeither friends or relations of mine. 

23. And now all of us, fearing mainly for ourselves, accompanied him along distance on his journey; and although we seemed as exposed todanger as gladiators about to fight with wild beasts, yet considering inour minds that evils are often the forerunners of good, we recollectedwith admiration that expression of Cicero's, uttered by him inaccordance with the eternal maxims of truth, which runs in thesewords:[44]--"And although it is a thing most desirable that one'sfortune should always continue in a most flourishing condition; stillthat general level state of life brings not so much sensation of joy aswe feel when, after having been surrounded by disasters or by dangers, fortune returns into a happier condition. "

24. Accordingly we hastened onwards by forced journeys, in order thatthe master of the horse, who was eager to acquire the honour ofsuppressing the revolt, might make his appearance in the suspecteddistrict before any rumour of the usurpation of Silvanus had spreadamong the Italians. But rapidly as we hastened, fame, like the wind, hadoutstripped us, and had revealed some part of the facts; and when wereached Agrippina we found matters quite out of the reach of ourattempts. 

25. For a vast multitude of people, assembled from all quarters, were, with a mixture of haste and alarm, strengthening the foundations ofSilvanus's enterprise, and a numerous military force was collected; sothat it seemed more advisable, on the existing emergency, for ourunfortunate general to await the intentions and pleasure of the newemperor, who was assuring himself by ridiculous omens and signs that hewas gaining accessions of strength. By permitting his feelings ofsecurity to increase, by different pretences of agreement and flattery, Silvanus, it was thought, might be relieved from all fear of hostility, and so be the more easily deceived. 

26. But the accomplishment of such a design appeared difficult. For itwas necessary to use great care and watchfulness to make our desiressubordinate to our opportunities, and to prevent their either outrunningthem, or falling behind them; since if our wishes were allowed to becomeknown unseasonably, it was plain we should all be involved in onesentence of death. 

27. However our general was kindly received, and (the very businessitself forcing us to bend our necks), having been compelled to prostratehimself with all solemnity before the newly robed prince, still aimingat higher power, was treated as a highly favoured and eminent friend;having freedom of access and the honour of a seat at the royal tablegranted to him in preference to every one else, in order that he mightbe consulted with the more secrecy about the principal affairs of state. 

28. Silvanus expressed his indignation that, while unworthy persons hadbeen raised to the consulship and to other high dignities, he andUrsicinus alone, after the frequent and great toils which they hadendured for the sake of the republic, had been so despised that hehimself had been accused of treason in consequence of the examination ofsome slaves, and had been exposed to an ignoble trial; while Ursicinushad been brought over from the East, and placed at the mercy of hisenemies; and these were the subjects of his incessant complaints both inpublic and in private. 

29. While, however, he was holding this kind of language, we werealarmed at the murmurs of our soldiers who were now suffering from want, which surrounded us on all sides; the troops showing every eagerness tomake a rapid march, through the defiles of the Cottian Alps. 

30. In this state of anxiety and agitation, we occupied ourselves insecretly deliberating on the means of arriving at our object; and atlength, after our plans had been repeatedly changed out of fear, it wasdetermined to use great industry in seeking out prudent agents, bindingthem to secrecy by solemn oaths, in order to tamper with the Gallicsoldiers whom we knew to be men of doubtful fidelity, and at any timeopen to change for a sufficient reward. 

31. Therefore, after we had secured our success by the address of someagents among the common soldiers, men by their very obscurity fitted forthe accomplishment of such a task, and now excited by the expectation ofreward, at sunrise, as soon as the east began to redden, a band of armedmen suddenly sallied forth, and, as is common in critical moments, behaving with more than usual audacity. They slew the sentinels andpenetrated into the palace, and so having dragged Silvanus out of alittle chapel in which, in his terror, he had taken refuge on his way toa conventicle devoted to the ceremonies of the Christian worship, theyslew him with repeated strokes of their swords. 

32. In this way did a general of no slight merit perish, through fear offalse accusations heaped on him in his absence by a faction of wickedmen, and which drove him to the utmost extremities in order to preservehis safety. 

33. For although he had acquired strong claims on the gratitude ofConstantius by his seasonable sally with his troops before the battle ofMursa, and although he could boast the valorous exploits of his fatherBonitus, a man of Frankish extraction, but who had espoused the party ofConstantine, and often in the civil war had exhibited great prowessagainst the troops of Licinius, still he always feared him as a princeof wavering and fickle character. 

34. Now before any of these events had taken place in Gaul, it happenedthat one day in the Circus Maximus at Rome, the populace cried out witha loud voice, "Silvanus is conquered. " Whether influenced by instinct orby some prophetic spirit, cannot be decided. 

35. Silvanus having been slain, as I have narrated, at Agrippina, theemperor was seized with inconceivable joy when he heard the news, andgave way to exceeding insolence and arrogance, attributing this eventalso to the prosperous course of his good fortune; giving the reins tohis habitual disposition which always led him to hate men of braveconduct, as Domitian in former times had done, and desiring at alltimes to destroy them by every act of opposition. 

36. And he was so far from praising even his act of diligence andfidelity, that he recorded in writing a charge that Ursicinus hadembezzled a part of the Gallic treasures, which no one had ever touched. And he ordered strict inquiry to be made into the fact, by anexamination of Remigius, who was at that time accountant-general toUrsicinus in his capacity of commander of the heavy troops. And longafterwards, in the time of Valentinian, this Remigius hung himself onaccount of the trouble into which he fell in the matter of hisappointment as legate in Tripolis. 

37. And after this business was terminated, Constantius, thinking hisprosperity had now raised him to an equality with the gods, and hadbestowed on him entire sovereignty over human affairs, gave himself upto elation at the praises of his flatterers, whom he himself encouraged, despising and trampling under foot all who were unskilled in that kindof court. As we read that Croesus, when he was king, drove Solonheadlong from his court because he would not fawn on him; and thatDionysius threatened the poet Philoxenus with death because, when theking recited his absurd and unrhythmical verses, he alone refused tofall into an ecstasy while all the rest of the courtiers praised them. 

38. And this mischievous taste is the nurse of vices; for praise oughtonly to be acceptable in high places, where blame also is permitted whenthings are not sufficiently performed. 

VI. 

§ 1. And now, after the re-establishment of security, investigations asusual were set on foot, and many persons were put in prison as guilty. For that infernal informer Paulus, boiling over with delight, arose toexercise his poisonous employment with increased freedom, and while themembers of the emperor's council and the military officers were employedin the investigation of these affairs, as they were commanded, Proculuswas put to the torture, who had been a servant of Silvanus, a man ofweak body and of ill health; so that every one was afraid lest theexceeding violence of his torture should prove too much for his feeblelimbs, so that he would expose numbers to be implicated in theaccusations of atrocious crimes. But the result proved quite differentto what had been expected. 

2. For remembering a dream in which he had been forbidden, while asleep, as he affirmed, to accuse any innocent person, though he should betortured till he was brought to the very point of death, he neitherinformed against, nor even named any one; but, with reference to theusurpation of Silvanus, he invariably asserted that he had been drivento contemplate that act, not out of ambition, but from sheer necessity;and he proved this assertion by evident arguments. 

3. For he adduced one important excuse, which was established by thetestimony of many persons, that, five days before he assumed the ensignsof imperial authority, he addressed the soldiers, while distributingtheir pay to them, in the name of Constantius, exhorting them to provealways brave and loyal. From which it was plain that if he had then beenthinking of seizing on a loftier fortune, he would have given them thismoney as if it had proceeded from himself. 

4. After Proculus, Poemenius was condemned and put to death: he who, as we have mentioned before, [45] when the Treveri had shut their gatesagainst Cæsar Decentius, was chosen to defend that people. After him, Asclepiodotus, and Luto, and Maudio, all Counts, were put to death, andmany others also, the obdurate cruelty of the times seeking for theseand similar punishments with avidity. 

VII. 

§ 1. While the fatal disturbances of the state multiplied these generalslaughters, Leontius, who was the governor of Rome itself, gave manyproofs of his deserving the character of an admirable judge; beingprompt in hearing cases, rigidly just in deciding them, and merciful bynature, although, for the sake of maintaining lawful authority, heappeared to some people to be severe. He was also of a somewhat amoroustemperament. 

2. The first pretext for exciting any sedition against him was a mostslight and trumpery one. For when an order had been issued to arrest acharioteer, named Philoromus, the whole populace followed him, as ifresolved to defend something of their own, and with terrible violenceassailed the prefect, presuming him to be timorous. But he remainedunmoved and upright, and sending his officers among the crowd, arrestedsome and punished them, and then, without any one venturing to opposehim, or even to murmur, condemned them to banishment. 

3. A few days later the populace again became excited to its customaryfrenzy, and alleging as a grievance the scarcity of wine, assembled atthe well-known place called Septemzodium, where the Emperor Marcus builtthe Nymphæum, [46] an edifice of great magnificence. To that place theprefect went forthwith, although he was earnestly entreated by all hishousehold and civil officers not to trust himself among an arrogant andthreatening multitude, now in a state of fury equal to any of theirformer commotions; but he, unsusceptible of fear, went right onwards, though many of his attendants deserted him, when they saw him hasteninginto imminent danger. 

4. Therefore, sitting in a carriage, with every appearance ofconfidence, he looked with fierce eyes at the countenance of thetumultuous mobs thronging towards him from all quarters, and agitatingthemselves like serpents. And after suffering many bitter insults, atlast, when he had recognized one man who was conspicuous among all therest by his vast size and red hair, he asked him whether his name wasPetrus Valvomeres, as he had heard it was; and when the man replied in adefiant tone that it was so, Leontius, in spite of the outcries of manyaround, ordered him to be seized as one who had long since been anotorious ringleader of the disaffected, and having his hands boundbehind him, commanded him to be suspended on a rack. 

5. And when he was seen in the air, in vain imploring the aid of hisfellow-tribesmen, the whole mob, which a little while before was soclosely packed, dispersed at once over the different quarters of thecity, so as to offer no hindrance to the punishment of this seditiousleader, who after having been thus tortured--with as little resistanceas if he been in a secret dungeon of the court--was transported toPicenum, where, on a subsequent occasion, having offered violence to avirgin of high rank, he was condemned to death by the judgment ofPatruinus, a noble of consular dignity. 

6. While Leontius governed the city in this manner, Liberius, a priestof the Christian law, was ordered by Constantius to be brought beforethe council, as one who had resisted the commands of the emperor, andthe decrees of many of his own colleagues, in an affair which I willexplain briefly. 

7. Athanasius was at that time bishop of Alexandria; and as he was a manwho sought to magnify himself above his profession, and to mix himselfup with affairs which did not belong to his province, as continualreports made known, an assembly of many of his sect met together--asynod, as they call it--and deprived him of the right of administeringthe sacraments, which he previously enjoyed. 

8. For it was said that he, being very deeply skilled in the arts ofprophecy and the interpretation of auguries and omens, had very oftenpredicted coming events. And to these charges were added others veryinconsistent with the laws of the religion over which he presided. 

9. So Liberius, being of the same opinion with those who condemned thesepractices, was ordered, by the sentence of the emperor, to expelAthanasius from his priestly seat; but this he firmly refused to do, reiterating the assertion that it was the extremity of wickedness tocondemn a man who had neither been brought before any court nor beenheard in his defence, in this openly resisting the commands of theemperor. 

10. For that prince, being always unfavourable to Athanasius, althoughhe knew that what he ordered had in fact taken effect, yet wasexceedingly desirous that it should be confirmed by that authority whichthe bishops of the Eternal City enjoy, as being of higher rank. And ashe did not succeed in this, Liberius was removed by night; a measurewhich was not effected without great difficulty, through the fear whichhis enemies had of the people, among whom he was exceedingly popular. 

VIII. 

§ 1. These events, then, took place at Rome, as I have alreadymentioned. But Constantius was agitated by frequent intelligence whichassured him that the Gauls were in a lamentable condition, since noadequate resistance could be made to the barbarians who were nowcarrying their devastations with fire and sword over the whole country. And after deliberating a long time, in great anxiety, what force hecould employ to repel these dangers (himself remaining in Italy, as hethought it very dangerous to remove into so remote a country), he atlast determined on a wise plan, which was this: to associate withhimself in the cares of the empire his cousin Julian, whom he had sometime before summoned to court, and who still retained the robe he hadworn in the Greek schools. 

2. And when, oppressed by the heavy weight of impending calamities, hehad confessed to his dearest friends that by himself he was unequal tothe burden of such weighty and numerous difficulties--a thing which hehad never felt before--they, being trained to excessive flattery, triedto fill him with foolish ideas, affirming that there was nothing in theworld so difficult but what his pre-eminent virtue and his good fortune, equal to that of the gods, would be able to overcome, as it alwayshitherto had done. And many of them added further, being stung by theirconsciousness of guilt, that henceforth he ought to beware of conferringthe title of Cæsar on any one, enumerating the deeds which had been donein the time of Gallus. 

3. They therefore opposed his design resolutely, and it was supported byno one but the queen, who, whether it was that she feared a journey to adistant country, or that, from her own natural wisdom, she saw the bestcourse for the common good, urged him that a relation like Julian oughtto be preferred to every one else. Accordingly, after many undecideddeliberations and long discussions, his resolution was at last takendecidedly, and having discarded all further vain debate, he resolved onassociating Julian with him in the empire. 

4. He was therefore summoned; and when he had arrived, on a fixed day, the whole of his fellow-comrades who were in the city were ordered toattend, and a tribunal was erected on a lofty scaffolding, surrounded bythe eagles and standards. And Augustus, mounting it, and holding Julianby the right hand, made this conciliatory speech:--

5. "We stand here before you, most excellent defenders of the republic, to avenge with one unanimous spirit the common dangers of the state. Andhow I propose to provide for it I will briefly explain to you, asimpartial judges. 

6. "After the death of those rebellious tyrants whom rage and madnessprompted to engage in the enterprises which they undertook, thebarbarians, as if they meant to sacrifice unto their wicked manes withRoman blood, having violated the peace and invaded the territories ofthe Gauls, are encouraged by this consideration, that our empire, beingspread over very remote countries, causes us to be beset with greatdifficulties. 

7. "If, then, your decision and mine are mutual to encounter this evil, already progressing beyond the barriers which were opposed to it, whilethere is still time to check it, the necks of these haughty nations willlearn to humble their pride, and the borders of the empire will remaininviolate. It remains for you to give, by your strength, prosperouseffect to the hopes which I entertain. 

8. "You all know my cousin Julian, whom I here present to you; a youthendeared to us by his modesty as well as by his relationship; a youth ofvirtue already proved, and of conspicuous industry and energy. Him Ihave determined to raise to the rank of Cæsar, and hope, if this seemsexpedient to you, to have my decision confirmed by your consent. "

9. He was proceeding to say more, but was prevented by the wholeassembly interrupting him with friendly shouts, declaring that hisdecision was the judgment of the Supreme Deity, and not of any humanmind; with such certainty that one might have thought them inspiredwith the spirit of prophecy. 

10. The emperor stood without moving till they resumed silence, and thenwith greater confidence proceeded to explain what he had to say further. 

"Because, therefore, your joyful acclamations show that you lookfavourably on the design I have announced, let this youth, of tranquilstrength, whose temperate disposition it will be better to imitate thanmerely to praise, rise up now to receive the honours prepared for him. His excellent disposition, increased as it has been by all liberalaccomplishments, I will say no more of than is seen in the fact that Ihave chosen him. Therefore, now, with the manifest consent of the Deity, I will clothe him with the imperial robe. "

11. This was his speech. And then, having immediately clothed Julianwith the purple robe of his ancestors, and having pronounced him Cæsar, to the great joy of the army, he thus addressed him, though Julianhimself appeared by his grave countenance to be somewhat melancholy. 

12. "Most beloved of all my brothers, you thus in early youth havereceived the splendid honour belonging to your birth, not, I confess, without some addition to my own glory; who thus show myself as just inconferring supreme power on a noble character nearly related to me, as Iappear also sublime by virtue of my own power. Come thou, therefore, tobe a partner in my labours and dangers, and undertake the defence of thegovernment of the Gauls, devoting thyself with all beneficence toalleviate the calamities of those afflicted countries. 

13. "And if it should be necessary to engage with the enemy in battle, do thou take thy place steadily among the standard-bearers themselves, as a prudent encourager of daring at the proper opportunity; excitingthe warriors by leading them on with caution, supporting any troopswhich may be thrown into disorder by reserves, gently reproving thosewho hang back, and being present as a trustworthy witness of the actionsof all, whether brave or timid. 

14. "Think that a serious crisis is upon us, and so show yourself agreat man, worthy to command brave men. We ourselves will stand by youin the energetic constancy of affection, or will join you in thelabours of war, so that we may govern together the whole world in peace, if only God will grant us, as we pray he may, to govern with equalmoderation and piety. You will everywhere represent me, and I also willnever desert you in whatever task you may be engaged. To sum up: Goforth; go forth supported by the friendly prayers of men of all ranks, to defend with watchful care the station assigned to you, it may besaid, by the republic itself. "

15. After the emperor had thus ended his speech, no one held his peace, but all the soldiers, with a tremendous crash, rattled their shieldsagainst their knees (which is an abundant indication of applause; whileon the other hand to strike the shield with the spear is a testimony ofanger and indignation), and it was marvellous with what excessive joythey all, except a very few, showed their approbation of the judgment ofAugustus: and they received the Cæsar with well-deserved admiration, brilliant as he was with the splendour of the imperial purple. 

16. And while they gazed earnestly on his eyes, terrible in theirbeauty, and his countenance more attractive than ever by reason of hispresent excitement, they augured from his looks what kind of ruler hewas likely to prove, as if they had been searching into those ancientvolumes which teach how to judge of a man's moral disposition by theexternal signs on his person. And that he might be regarded with thegreater reverence, they neither praised him above measure, nor yet belowhis desert. And so the voices raised in his favour were looked upon asthe judgment of censors, not of soldiers. 

17. After the ceremony was over, Julian was taken up into the imperialchariot and received into the palace, and was heard to whisper tohimself this verse of Homer--

 "Now purple death hath seized on me, And powerful strength of destiny. "

These transactions took place on the sixth of November, in the year ofthe consulship of Arbetio and Lollianus. 

18. A few days afterwards, Helen, the maiden sister of Constantius, wasalso given in marriage to the Cæsar. And everything being got readywhich the journey required, he started on the first of December with asmall retinue, and having been escorted on his way by Augustus himselfas far as the spot, marked by two pillars, which lies between Laumellumand Ticinum, he proceeded straight on to the country of the Taurini, where he received disastrous intelligence, which had recently reachedthe emperor's court, but still had been intentionally kept back, lestall the preparations made for his journey should be wasted. 

19. And this intelligence was that Colonia Agrippina, [47] a city ofgreat renown in lower Germany, had been carried by a vigorous siege ofthe barbarians, who appeared before it in great force, and had utterlydestroyed it. 

20. Julian being greatly distressed at this news, looking on it as akind of omen of misfortunes to come, was often heard to murmur inquerulous tones, "that he had gained nothing except the fate of dyingamid greater trouble and employment than before. "

21. But when he arrived at Vienne, people of every age and class wentforth to meet him on his entrance to the city, with a view to do himhonour by their reception of him as one who had been long wished for, and was now granted to their prayers. And when he was seen in thedistance the whole population of the city and of the adjacentneighbourhood, going before his chariot, celebrated his praises, saluting him as Emperor, clement and prosperous, greeting with eager joythis royal procession in honour of a lawful prince. And they placed alltheir hopes of a remedy for the evils which affected the whole provinceon his arrival, thinking that now, when their affairs were in a mostdesperate condition, some friendly genius had come to shine upon them. 

22. And a blind old woman, when in reply to her question "Who wasentering the city?" she received for answer "Julian the Cæsar, " criedout that "He would restore the temples of the gods. "

IX. 

§ 1. Now then, since, as the sublime poet of Mantua has sung, "A greaterseries of incident rises to my view; in a more arduous task Iengage, "--I think it a proper opportunity to describe the situation anddifferent countries of the Gauls, lest, among the narration of fierypreparations and the various chances of battles, I should seem, whilespeaking of matters not understood by every one, to resemble thosenegligent sailors, who, when tossed about by dangerous waves and storms, begin to repair their sails and ropes which they might have attended toin calm weather. 

2. Ancient writers, pursuing their investigations into the earliestorigin of the Gauls, left our knowledge of the truth very imperfect; butat a later period, Timagenes, a thorough Greek both in diligence andlanguage, collected, from various writings facts which had been longunknown, and guided by his faithful statements, we, dispelling allobscurity, will now give a plain and intelligible relation of them. 

3. Some persons affirm that the first inhabitants ever seen in theseregions were called Celts, after the name of their king, who was verypopular among them, and sometimes also Galatæ, after the name of hismother. For Galatæ is the Greek translation of the Roman term Galli. Others affirm that they are Dorians, who, following a more ancientHercules, selected for their home the districts bordering on the ocean. 

4. The Druids affirm that a portion of the people was really indigenousto the soil, but that other inhabitants poured in from the islands onthe coast, and from the districts across the Rhine, having been drivenfrom their former abodes by frequent wars, and sometimes by inroads ofthe tempestuous sea. 

5. Some again maintain that after the destruction of Troy, a few Trojansfleeing from the Greeks, who were then scattered over the whole world, occupied these districts, which at that time had no inhabitants at all. 

6. But the natives of these countries affirm this more positively thanany other fact (and, indeed, we ourselves have read it engraved on theirmonuments), that Hercules, the son of Amphitryon, hastening to thedestruction of those cruel tyrants, Geryon and Tauriscus, one of whomwas oppressing the Gauls, and the other Spain, after he had conqueredboth of them, took to wife some women of noble birth in those countries, and became the father of many children; and that his sons called thedistricts of which they became the kings after their own names. 

7. Also an Asiatic tribe coming from Phocæa in order to escape thecruelty of Harpalus, the lieutenant of Cyrus the king, sought to sail toItaly. [48] And a part of them founded Velia, in Lucania, others settleda colony at Marseilles, in the territory of Vienne; and then, insubsequent ages, these towns increasing in strength and importance, founded other cities. But we must avoid a variety of details which arecommonly apt to weary. 

8. Throughout these provinces, the people gradually becoming civilized, the study of liberal accomplishments flourished, having been firstintroduced by the Bards, the Eubages, [49] and the Druids. The Bards wereaccustomed to employ themselves in celebrating the brave achievements oftheir illustrious men, in epic verse, accompanied with sweet airs on thelyre. The Eubages investigated the system and sublime secrets of nature, and sought to explain them to their followers. Between these two camethe Druids, men of loftier genius, bound in brotherhoods according tothe precepts and example of Pythagoras; and their minds were elevated byinvestigations into secret and sublime matters, and from the contemptwhich they entertained for human affairs they pronounced the soulimmortal. 

X. 

§ 1. This country then of the Gauls was by reason of its lofty mountainranges perpetually covered with terrible snows, almost unknown to theinhabitants of the rest of the world, except where it borders on theocean; vast fortresses raised by nature, in the place of art, surrounding it on all sides. 

2. On the southern side it is washed by the Etruscan and Gallic sea:where it looks towards the north it is separated from the tribes of thebarbarians by the river Rhine; where it is placed under the western starit is bounded by the ocean, and the lofty chain of the Pyrenees; whereit has an eastern aspect it is bounded by the Cottian[50] Alps. In thesemountains King Cottius, after the Gauls had been subdued, lying byhimself in their defiles, and relying on the rugged and pathlesscharacter of the country, long maintained his independence; thoughafterwards he abated his pride, and was admitted to the friendship ofthe Emperor Octavianus. And subsequently he constructed immense works toserve as a splendid gift to the emperor, making roads over them, short, and convenient for travellers, between other ancient passes of the Alps;on which subject we will presently set forth what discoveries have beenmade. 

3. In these Cottian Alps, which begin at the town of Susa, one vastridge rises up, scarcely passable by any one without danger. 

4. For to travellers who reach it from the side of Gaul it descends witha steepness almost precipitous, being terrible to behold, in consequenceof the bulk of its overhanging rocks. In the spring, when the ice ismelting, and the snow beginning to give way from the warm springbreezes, if any one seeks to descend along the mountain, men and beastsand wagons all fall together through the fissures and clefts in therocks, which yawn in every direction, though previously hidden by thefrost. And the only remedy ever found to ward off entire destruction isto have many vehicles bound together with enormous ropes, with men oroxen hanging on behind, to hold them back with great efforts; and sowith a crouching step they get down with some degree of safety. Andthis, as I have said, is what happens in the spring. 

5. But in winter, the ground being covered over with a smooth crust ofice, and therefore slippery under foot, the traveller is often plungedheadlong; and the valleys, which seem to open here and there into wideplains, which are merely a covering of treacherous ice, sometimesswallow up those who try to pass over them. On account of which dangerthose who are acquainted with the country fix projecting wooden pilesover the safest spots, in order that a series of them may conduct thetraveller unhurt to his destination; though if these piles get coveredwith snow and hidden, or thrown down by melting torrents descending fromthe mountains, then it is difficult for any one to pass, even if nativesof the district lead the way. 

6. But on the summit of this Italian mountain there is a plain, sevenmiles in extent, reaching as far as the station known by the name ofMars; and after that comes another ridge, still more steep, and scarcelypossible to be climbed, which stretches on to the summit of MonsMatrona, named so from an event which happened to a noble lady. 

7. From this point a path, steep indeed, but easily passable, leads tothe fortress of Virgantia. [51] The sepulchre of this petty prince whomwe have spoken of as the maker of these roads is at Susa, close to thewalls; and his remains are honoured with religious veneration for tworeasons: first of all, because he governed his people with equitablemoderation; and secondly, because, by becoming an ally of the Romanrepublic, he procured lasting tranquillity for his subjects. 

8. And although this road which I have been speaking of runs through thecentre of the district, and is shorter and more frequented now than anyother, yet other roads also were made at much earlier periods, ondifferent occasions. 

9. The first of them, near the maritime alps, was made by the ThebanHercules, when he was proceeding in a leisurely manner to destroy Geryonand Tauriscus, as has already been mentioned; and he it was who gave tothese alps the name of the Grecian Alps. [52] In the same way heconsecrated the citadel and port of Monæcus to keep alive therecollection of his name for ever. And this was the reason why, manyages afterwards, those alps were called the Penine Alps. [53]

10. Publius Cornelius Scipio, the father of the elder Africanus, whenabout to go to the assistance of the citizens of Saguntum--celebratedfor the distresses which they endured, and for their loyalty to Rome, atthe time when they were besieged with great resolution by theCarthaginians--led to the Spanish coast a fleet having on board anumerous army. But after the city had been destroyed by the valour ofthe Carthaginians, he, being unable to overtake Hannibal, who hadcrossed the Rhone, and had obtained three days' start of him in themarch towards Italy, crossed the sea, which at that point was not wide, making a rapid voyage; and taking his station near Genoa, a town of theLigures, awaited his descent from the mountains, so that, if chanceshould afford him an opportunity, he might attack him in the plain whilestill fatigued with the ruggedness of the way by which he had come. 

11. But still, having regard to the interests of the republic, heordered Cnæus Scipio, his brother, to go into Spain, to preventHasdrubal from making a similar expedition from that country. ButHannibal, having received information of their design by some deserters, being also a man of great shrewdness and readiness of resources, obtained some guides from the Taurini who inhabited those districts, andpassing through the Tricastini and through the district of the Vocontii, he thus reached the defiles of the Tricorii. [54] Then starting from thispoint, he made another march over a line previously impassable. Andhaving cut through a rock of immense height, which he melted by means ofmighty fires, and pouring over it a quantity of vinegar, he proceededalong the Druentia, a river full of danger from its eddies and currents, until he reached the district of Etruria. This is enough to say of theAlps; now let us return to our original subject. 

XI. 

§ 1. In former times, when these provinces were little known, as beingbarbarous, they were considered to be divided into three races:[55]namely, the Celtæ, the same who are also called Galli; the Aquitani, and the Belgæ: all differing from each other in language, manners, andlaws. 

2. The Galli, who, as I have said, are the same as the Celtæ, aredivided from the Aquitani by the river Garonne, which rises in themountains of the Pyrenees; and after passing through many towns, losesitself in the ocean. 

3. On the other side they are separated from the Belgians by the Marneand the Seine, both rivers of considerable size, which flowing throughthe tribe of the Lugdunenses, after surrounding the stronghold of theParisii named Lutetia, so as to make an island of it, proceed onwardstogether, and fall into the sea near the camp of Constantius. 

4. Of all these people the Belgians are said by ancient writers to bethe most warlike, because, being more remote from civilization, and nothaving been rendered effeminate by foreign luxuries, they have beenengaged in continual wars with the Germans on the other side of theRhine. 

5. For the Aquitanians, to whose shores, as being nearest and alsopacific, foreign merchandise is abundantly imported, were easily broughtunder the dominion of the Romans, because their character had becomeenervated. 

6. But from the time when the Gauls, after long and repeated wars, submitted to the dictator Julius, all their provinces were governed byRoman officers, the country being divided into four portions; one ofwhich was the province of Narbonne; containing the districts of Vienneand Lyons: a second province comprehended all the tribes of theAquitanians; upper and lower Germany formed a third jurisdiction, andthe Belgians a fourth at that period. 

7. But now the whole extent of the country is portioned out into manyprovinces. The second (or lower) Germany is the first, if you begin onthe western side, fortified by Cologne and Tongres, both cities of greatwealth and importance. 

8. Next comes the first (or high) Germany, in which, besides othermunicipal towns, there is Mayence, and Worms, and Spiers, and Strasburg, a city celebrated for the defeats sustained by the barbarians in itsneighbourhood. 

9. After these the first Belgic province stretches as far as Metz andTreves, which city is the splendid abode of the chief governor of thecountry. 

10. Next to that comes the second Belgic province, where we find Amiens, a city of conspicuous magnificence, and Châlons, [56] and Rheims. 

11. In the province of the Sequani, the finest cities are Besançon andBasle. The first Lyonnese province contains Lyons, Châlons, [57] Sens, Bourges, and Autun, the walls of which are very extensive and of greatantiquity. 

12. In the second Lyonnese province are Tours, and Rouen, Evreux, andTroyes. The Grecian and Penine Alps have, besides other towns of lessnote, Avenche, a city which indeed is now deserted, but which wasformerly one of no small importance, as even now is proved by itshalf-ruinous edifices. These are the most important provinces, and mostsplendid cities of the Galli. 

13. In Aquitania, which looks towards the Pyrenees, and that part of theocean which belongs to the Spaniards, the first province is Aquitanica, very rich in large and populous cities; passing over others, I maymention as pre-eminent, Bordeaux, Clermont, Saintes, and Poictiers. 

14. The province called the Nine Nations is enriched by Ausch and Bazas. In the province of Narbonne, the cities of Narbonne, Euses, and Toulouseare the principal places of importance. The Viennese exults in themagnificence of many cities, the chief of which are Vienne itself, andArles, and Valence; to which may be added Marseilles, by the alliancewith and power of which we read that Rome itself was more than oncesupported in moments of danger. 

15. And near to these cities is also Aix, Nice, Antibes, and the islandsof Hieres. 

16. And since we have come in the progress of our work to this district, it would be inconsistent and absurd to omit all mention of the Rhone, ariver of the greatest celebrity. The Rhone rises in the Penine Alps, from sources of great abundance, and descending with headlongimpetuosity into the more champaign districts, it often overruns itsbanks with its own waters, and then plunges into a lake called LakeLeman, and though it passes through it, yet it never mingles with anyforeign waters, but, rushing over the top of those which flow with lessrapidity, in its search for an exit, it forces its own way by theviolence of its stream. 

17. And thus passing through that lake without any damage, it runsthrough Savoy and the district of Franche Comté; and, after a longcourse, it forms the boundary between the Viennese on its left, and theLyonnese on its right. Then after many windings it receives the Saône, ariver which rises in the first Germany, and this latter river heremerges its name in the Rhone. At this point is the beginning of theGauls. And from this spot the distances are measured not by miles but byleagues. 

18. From this point also, the Rhone, being now enriched by other rivers, becomes navigable for large vessels, which are often tossed about in itby gales of wind; and at last, having finished the course which naturehas marked out for it, foaming on it joins the Gallic Sea in the widegulf which they call the Gulf of Lyons, about eighteen miles from Arles. This is enough to say of the situation of the province; I will nowproceed to describe the appearance and character of the inhabitants. 

XII. 

§ 1. Nearly all the Gauls are of a lofty stature, fair, and of ruddycomplexion; terrible from the sternness of their eyes, very quarrelsome, and of great pride and insolence. A whole troop of foreigners would notbe able to withstand a single Gaul if he called his wife to hisassistance, who is usually very strong, and with blue eyes; especiallywhen, swelling her neck, gnashing her teeth, and brandishing her sallowarms of enormous size, she begins to strike blows mingled with kicks, asif they were so many missiles sent from the string of a catapult. 

2. The voices of the generality are formidable and threatening, whetherthey are in good humour or angry: they are all exceedingly careful ofcleanliness and neatness, nor in all the country, and most especially inAquitania, could any man or woman, however poor, be seen either dirty orragged. 

3. The men of every age are equally inclined to war, and the old man andthe man in the prime of life answer with equal zeal the call to arms, their bodies being hardened by their cold weather and by constantexercise so that they are all inclined to despise dangers and terrors. Nor has any one of this nation ever mutilated his thumb from fear of thetoils of war, as men have done in Italy, whom in their district arecalled Murci. 

4. The nation is fond of wine, and of several kinds of liquor whichresemble wine. And many individuals of the lower orders, whose senseshave become impaired by continual intoxication, which the apophthegm ofCato defined to be a kind of voluntary madness, run about in alldirections at random; so that there appears to be some point in thatsaying which is found in Cicero's oration in defence of Fonteius, "thathenceforth the Gauls will drink their wine less strong than formerly, "because forsooth they thought there was poison in it. 

5. These countries, and especially such parts of them as border onItaly, fell gradually under the dominion of the Romans without muchtrouble to their conquerors, having been first attacked by Fulvius, afterwards weakened in many trifling combats by Sextius, and at lastentirely subdued by Fabius Maximus; who gained an additional surnamefrom the complete accomplishment of this task, after he had brought intosubjection the fierce tribe of the Allobroges. 

6. Cæsar finally subdued all the Gauls, except where their country wasabsolutely inaccessible from its morasses, as we learn from Sallust, after a war of ten years, in which both nations suffered many disasters;and at last he united them to us in eternal alliance by formal treaties. I have digressed further than I had intended, but now I will return tomy original subject. 

XIII. 

§ 1. After Domitianus had perished by a cruel death, Musonianus hissuccessor governed the East with the rank of prætorian prefect; a mancelebrated for his eloquence and thorough knowledge of both the Greekand Latin languages; from which he reaped a loftier glory than heexpected. 

2. For when Constantine was desirous of obtaining a more accurateknowledge of the different sects in the empire, the Manicheans and othersimilar bodies, and no one could be found able sufficiently to explainthem, Musonianus was chosen for the task, having been recommended ascompetent; and when he had discharged this duty with skill, the emperorgave him the name of Musonianus, for he had been previously calledStrategius. After that he ran through many degrees of rank and honour, and soon reached the dignity of prefect; being in other matters also aman of wisdom, popular in the provinces, and of a mild and courteousdisposition. But at the same time, whenever he could find anopportunity, especially in any controversies or lawsuits (which is mostshameful and wicked), he was greatly devoted to sordid gain. Not tomention many other instances, this was especially exemplified in theinvestigations which were made into the death of Theophilus, thegovernor of Syria, a man of consular rank, who gave information againstthe Cæsar Gallus, and who was torn to pieces in a tumult of the people;for which several poor men were condemned, who, it was clearly proved, were at a distance at the time of the transaction, while certain richmen who were the real authors of the crime were spared from allpunishment, except the confiscation of their property. 

3. In this he was equalled by Prosper, at that time master of the horsein Gaul; a man of abject spirit and great inactivity; and, as the comicpoet has it, despising the acts of secret robbing he plunderedopenly. [58]

4. And, while these two officers were conniving together, andreciprocally helping each other to many means of acquiring riches, thechiefs of the Persian nation who lived nearest to the river, profitingby the fact that the king was occupied in the most distant parts of hisdominions, and that these commanders were occupied in plundering thepeople placed under their authority, began to harass our territorieswith predatory bands, making audacious inroads, sometimes into Armenia, often also into Mesopotamia. 

[32] Tlepolemus and Hiero, whom Cicero, Verres iii. 11, calls Cibyraticicanes. 

[33] Herodotus, iv. 184, records that in Africa, in the country aboutMount Atlas, dreams are unknown. 

[34] Lintz. 

[35] The district around Bellinzona. 

[36] The Bodensee, more generally known as the Lake of Constance: at itssouth-eastern end is the town of Bregenz, the ancient Brigantia. 

[37] The Arethusa is in Sicily, near Syracuse. 

[38] The Comites were a picked body of troops, divided into severalregiments distinguished by separate names, such as Seniores, Juniores, Sagittarii, &c. 

[39] The Promoti were also picked men, something like the Comites; theFrench translator calls them the Veterans. 

[40] From κόπτω to cut, and ματτύα any delicate food;meant as equivalent to our cheeseparer, or skinflint. 

[41] This was a very important post; it seems to have united thefunctions of a modern chamberlain, chancellor, and secretary of state. The master presented citizens to the emperor, received foreignambassadors, recommended men for civil employments, decided civilactions of several kinds, and superintended many of the affairs of thepost. 

[42] Cologne. 

[43] The dragons were the effigies on some of the standards. 

[44] There is no such passage in any extant work of Cicero, but asentence in his speech ad Pontifices resembles it: "For although it bemore desirable to end one's life without pain, and without injury, stillit tends more to an immortality of glory to be regretted by one'scountrymen, than to have been always free from injury. " And a stillcloser likeness to the sentiment is found in his speech ad Quirites postreditum: "Although there is nothing more to be wished for by man thanprosperous, equal, continual good-fortune in life, flowing on in aprosperous course, without any misadventure; still, if all my life hadbeen tranquil and peaceful, I should have been deprived of theincredible and almost heavenly delight and happiness which I now enjoythrough your kindness. "--Orations, v. 2; Bohn, p. 491-2. 

[45] In one of the lost books of this history. 

[46] The Nymphæum was a temple sacred to the Nymphs, deriving its nameof Septemzodium, or Septizonium (which it shared with more than oneother building at Rome), from the seven rows of pillars, one above theother, and each row lessening both in circuit and in height, with whichthe exterior was embellished. Another temple of this kind was built bySeptimius Severus. 

[47] Cologne. 

[48] This story of the Phocæenses is told by Herodotus, i. 166, andalluded to by Horace, Epod. Xv. 10. 

[49] The Eubages, or Οὐατεῖς, as Strabo calls them, appear tohave been a tribe of priests. 

[50] The Cottian Alps are Mont Genevre. It is unnecessary to point outhow Ammianus mistakes the true bearing of these frontiers of Gaul. 

[51] Briançon. 

[52] The Graiæ Alps are the Little St. Bernard; and it was over themthat Hannibal really passed, as has been conclusively proved by Dr. J. A. Cramer. 

[53] From the god Pen, or Peninus, Liv. Xxi. 38. The Alpes Peninæ arethe Great St. Bernard. 

[54] Compare Livy's account of Hannibal's march, from which, whollyerroneous as it is, this description seems to have been taken; not thateven Livy has made such a gross mistake about the Druentia, or Durance, which falls into the Rhone. 

[55] Cæsar's account of his expedition begins with the statement that"Gaul is divided into three provinces. "

[56] Châlons sur Marne. 

[57] Châlons sur Saône. 

[58] Ammianus refers to Plautus, Epidicus, Act. I. , sc. I. , line 10:--

 _Thesprio. _ I am less of a pilferer now than formerly. 

 _Ep. _ How so?

 _Thes. _ I rob openly. 

BOOK XVI. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. A panegyric of Julian the Cæsar. --II. Julian attacks and defeats the Allemanni. --III. He recovers Cologne, which had been taken by the Franks, and concludes a peace with the king of the Franks. --IV. He is besieged in the city of Sens by the Allemanni. --V. His virtues--VI. The prosecution and acquittal of Arbetio. --VII. The Cæsar Julian is defended before the emperor by his chamberlain Eutherius against the accusations of Marcellus. --VIII. Calumnies are rife in the camp of the Emperor Constantius, and the courtiers are rapacious. --IX. The question of peace with the Persians. --X. --The triumphal entry of Constantius into Rome. --XI. Julian attacks the Allemanni in the islands of the Rhine in which they had taken refuge, and repairs the fort of Saverne. --XII. He attacks the kings of the Allemanni on the borders of Gaul, and defeats them at Strasburg. 

I. 

A. D. 356. 

§ 1. While the chain of destiny was bringing these events to pass in theRoman world, Julian, being at Vienne, was taken by the emperor, then inhis own eighth consulship, as a partner in that dignity; and, under thepromptings of his own innate energy, dreamt of nothing but the crash ofbattles and the slaughter of the barbarians; preparing without delay tore-establish the province, and to reunite the fragments that had beenbroken from it, if only fortune should be favourable to him. 

2. And because the great achievements which by his valour and goodfortune Julian performed in the Gauls, surpass many of the most gallantexploits of the ancients, I will relate them in order as they occurred, employing all the resources of my talents, moderate as they are, in thehope that they may suffice for the narrative. 

3. But what I am about to relate, though not emblazoned by craftilydevised falsehood, and being simply a plain statement of facts, supported by evident proofs, will have all the effect of a studiedpanegyric. 

4. For it would seem that some principle of a more than commonlyvirtuous life guided this young prince from his very cradle to his lastbreath. Increasing rapidly in every desirable quality, he soon became soconspicuous both at home and abroad, that in respect to his prudence hewas looked upon as a second Titus: in his glorious deeds of war he wasaccounted equal to Trajan; in mercy he was the prototype of Antoninus;and in the pursuit and discovery of true and perfect wisdom, heresembled Marcus Aurelius, in imitation of whom he formed all hisactions and character. 

5. And since, as we are taught by Cicero, that the loftiness of greatvirtues delights us, as does that of high trees, while we are notequally interested in the roots and trunks; so, also, the firstbeginnings of his admirable disposition were kept concealed by manycircumstances which threw a cloud over them; though in fact they oughtto be preferred to many of his most marvellous actions of later life, inthat he, who in his early youth had been brought up like Erectheus inthe retirement sacred to Minerva, nevertheless when he was drawn forthfrom the quiet shades of the academy (and not from any military tent)into the labours of war, subdued Germany, tranquillized the districts ofthe frozen Rhine, routed the barbarian kings breathing nothing butbloodshed and slaughter, and forced them to submission. 

II. 

§ 1. Therefore while passing a toilsome winter in the city aforesaid, helearnt, among the numerous reports which were flying about, that theancient city of Autun, the walls of which, though of vast extent, werein a state of great decay from age, was now besieged by the barbarians, who had suddenly appeared before it in great force; and while thegarrison remained panic-stricken and inactive, the town was defended bya body of veterans who were behaving with great courage and vigilance;as it often happens that extreme despair repulses dangers which appeardestructive of all hope or safety. 

2. Therefore, without relaxing his anxiety about other matters, andputting aside all the adulation of the courtiers with which they soughtto divert his mind towards voluptuousness and luxury, he hastened hispreparations, and when everything was ready he set out, and on the 24thof June arrived at Autun; behaving like a veteran general conspicuousalike for skill and prowess, and prepared to fall upon the barbarians, who were straggling in every direction over the country, the momentfortune afforded him an opportunity. 

3. Therefore having deliberated on his plans, and consulted those whowere acquainted with the country as to what would be the safest line ofmarch for him to adopt, after having received much information in favourof different routes, some recommending Arbois, others insisting on itthat the best way was by Saulieu and Cure. 

4. But as some persons affirmed that Silvanus, in command of a body ofinfantry, had, a short time before, made his way with 8, 000 men by aroad shorter than either, but dangerous as lying through many dark woodsand defiles suitable for ambuscades, Julian became exceedingly eager toimitate the audacity of this brave man. 

5. And to prevent any delay, taking with him only his cuirassiers andarchers, who would not have been sufficient to defend his person had hebeen attacked, he took the same route as Silvanus; and so came toAuxerre. 

6. And there, having, according to his custom, devoted a short time torest, for the purpose of refreshing his men, he proceeded onwardstowards Troyes; and strengthened his flanks that he might with thegreater effect watch the barbarians, who attacked him in numerousbodies, which he avoided as well as he could, thinking them morenumerous than they really were. Presently, however, having occupied somefavourable ground, he descended upon one body of them, and routed it, and took some prisoners whom their own fears delivered to him; and thenhe allowed the rest, who now devoted all their energies to flying withwhat speed they could, to escape unattacked, as his men could not pursuethem by reason of the weight of their armour. 

7. This occurrence gave him more hope of being able to resist any attackwhich they might make, and marching forwards with this confidence, aftermany dangers he reached Troyes so unexpectedly, that when he arrived atthe gates, the inhabitants for some time hesitated to give him entranceinto the city, so great was their fear of the straggling multitudes ofthe barbarians. 

8. After a little delay, devoted to again refreshing his weary troops, thinking that there was no time to waste, he proceeded to the city ofRheims, where he had ordered his whole army, carrying[59] . . . Toassemble, and there to await his presence. The army at Rheims was underthe command of Marcellus, the successor of Ursicinus; and Ursicinushimself was ordered to remain there till the termination of theexpedition. 

9. Again Julian took counsel, and after many opinions of differentpurport had been delivered, it was determined to attack the host of theAllemanni in the neighbourhood of Dieuse; and to that quarter the armynow marched in dense order, and with more than usual alacrity. 

10. And because the weather, being damp and misty, prevented even whatwas near from being seen, the enemy, availing themselves of theirknowledge of the country, came by an oblique road upon the Cæsar's rear, and attacked two legions while they were piling their arms; and theywould almost have destroyed them if the uproar which suddenly arose hadnot brought the auxiliary troops of the allies to their support. 

11. From this time forth Julian, thinking it impossible to find anyroads or any rivers free from ambuscades, proceeded with consummateprudence and caution; qualities which above all others in great generalsusually bring safety and success to armies. 

12. Hearing therefore that Strasburg, Brumat, Saverne, Spiers, Worms, and Mayence, were all in the hands of the barbarians, who wereestablished in their suburbs, for the barbarians shunned fixingthemselves in the towns themselves, looking upon them like gravessurrounded with nets, he first of all entered Brumat, and just as hereached that place he was encountered by a body of Germans prepared forbattle. 

13. Having arranged his own army in the form of a crescent, theengagement began, and the enemy were speedily surrounded and utterlydefeated. Some were taken prisoners, others were slain in the heat ofthe battle, the rest sought safety by rapid flight. 

III. 

§ 1. After this, meeting with no resistance, he determined to proceed torecover Cologne, which had been destroyed before his arrival in Gaul. In that district there is no city or fortress to be seen except thatnear Confluentes;[60] a place so named because there the river Mosellebecomes mingled with the Rhine; there is also the village of Rheinmagen, and likewise a single tower near Cologne. 

2. After having taken possession of Cologne he did not leave it till theFrank kings began, through fear of him, to abate of their fury, when hecontracted a peace with them likely to be of future advantage to therepublic. In the mean time he put the whole city into a state ofcomplete defence. 

3. Then, auguring well from these first-fruits of victory, he departed, passing through the district of Treves, with the intention of winteringat Sens, which was a town very suitable for that purpose. When bearing, so to say, the weight of a world of wars upon his shoulders, he wasoccupied by perplexities of various kinds, and among them how to providefor establishing in places most exposed to danger the soldiers who hadquitted their former posts; how to defeat the enemies who had conspiredtogether to injure the Roman cause; and further, how to provide suppliesfor the army while employed in so many different quarters. 

IV. 

§ 1. While he was anxiously revolving these things in his mind, he wasattacked by a numerous force of the enemy, who had conceived a hope ofbeing able to take the town. And they were the more confident of successbecause, from the information of deserters, they had learnt that heneither had with him his Scutarii nor his Gentiles, both of which bodiesof troops had been distributed among the different municipal towns inorder that they might be the more easily supplied with provisions. 

2. Therefore after the gates of the city had been barricaded, and theweakest portions of the walls carefully strengthened, Julian was seennight and day on the battlements and ramparts, attended by a band ofarmed men, boiling over with anger and gnashing his teeth, because, often as he wished to sally forth, he was prevented from taking such astep by the scantiness of the force which he had with him. 

3. At last, after thirty days, the barbarians retired disappointed, murmuring that they had been so vain and weak as to attempt the siege ofsuch a city. It deserves however to be remarked, as a most unworthycircumstance, that when Julian was in great personal danger, Marcellus, the master of the horse, who was posted in the immediate neighbourhood, omitted to bring him any assistance, though the danger of the cityitself, even if the prince had not been there, ought to have excited hisendeavours to relieve it from the peril of a siege by so formidable anenemy. 

4. Being now delivered from this fear, Julian, ever prudent and active, directed his anxious thoughts incessantly to the care of providing that, after their long labours, his soldiers should have rest, which, howeverbrief, might be sufficient to recruit their strength. In addition to theexhaustion consequent on their toils, they were distressed by thedeficiency of crops on the land, which through the frequent devastationsto which they had been exposed afforded but little suitable for humanfood. 

5. But these difficulties he likewise surmounted by his ever wakefuldiligence, and a more confident hope of future success opening itself tohis mind, he rose with higher spirits to accomplish his other designs. 

V. 

§ 1. In the first place (and this is a most difficult task for everyone), he imposed on himself a rigid temperance, and maintained it as ifhe had been living under the obligation of the sumptuary laws. Thesewere originally brought to Rome from the edicts of Lycurgus and thetables of laws compiled by Solon, and were for a long time strictlyobserved. When they had become somewhat obsolete, they werere-established by Sylla, who, guided by the apophthegms of Democritus, agreed with him that it is Fortune which spreads an ambitious table, butthat Virtue is content with a sparing one. 

2. And likewise Cato of Tusculum, who from his pure and temperate way oflife obtained the surname of the Censor, said with profound wisdom onthe same subject, "When there is great care about food, there is verylittle care about virtue. "

3. Lastly, though he was continually reading the little treatise whichConstantius, when sending him as his step-son to prosecute his studies, had written for him with his own hand, in which he made extravagantprovision for the dinner-expenses of the Cæsar, Julian now forbadepheasants, or sausages, or even sow's udder to be served up to him, contenting himself with the cheap and ordinary food of the commonsoldiers. 

4. Hereupon arose his custom of dividing his nights into three portions, one of which he allotted to rest, one to the affairs of the state, andone to the study of literature; and we read that Alexander the Great hadbeen accustomed to do the same, though he practised the rule with lessself-reliance. For Alexander, having placed a brazen shell on the groundbeneath him, used to hold a silver ball in his hand, which he keptstretched outside his bed, so that when sleep pervading his whole bodyhad relaxed the rigour of his muscles, the rattling of the ball fallingmight banish slumber from his eyes. 

5. But Julian, without any instrument, awoke whenever he pleased; andalways rising when the night was but half spent, and that not from a bedof feathers, or silken coverlets shining with varied brilliancy, butfrom a rough blanket or rug, would secretly offer his supplications toMercury, who, as the theological lessons which he had received hadtaught him, was the swift intelligence of the world, exciting thedifferent emotions of the mind. And thus removed from all externalcircumstances calculated to distract his attention, he gave his wholeattention to the affairs of the republic. 

6. Then, after having ended this arduous and important business, heturned and applied himself to the cultivation of his intellect. And itwas marvellous with what excessive ardour he investigated and attainedto the sublime knowledge of the loftiest matters, and how, seeking as itwere some food for his mind which might give it strength to climb up tothe sublimest truths, he ran through every branch of philosophy inprofound and subtle discussions. 

7. Nevertheless, while engaged in amassing knowledge of this kind inall its fullness and power, he did not despise the humbleraccomplishments. He was tolerably fond of poetry and rhetoric, as isshown by the invariable and pure elegance, mingled with dignity, of allhis speeches and letters. And he likewise studied the varied history ofour own state and of foreign countries. To all these accomplishments wasadded a very tolerable degree of eloquence in the Latin language. 

8. Therefore, if it be true, as many writers affirm, that Cyrus theking, and Simonides the lyric poet, and Hippias of Elis, the most acuteof the Sophists, excelled as they did in memory because they hadobtained that faculty through drinking a particular medicine, we mustalso believe that Julian in his early manhood had drunk the whole caskof memory, if such a thing could ever be found. And these are thenocturnal signs of his chastity and virtue. 

9. But as for the manner in which he passed his days, whether inconversing with eloquence and wit, or in making preparations for war, orin actual conflict of battle, or in his administration of affairs of thestate, correcting all defects with magnanimity and liberality, thesethings shall all be set forth in their proper place. 

10. When he was compelled, as being a prince, to apply himself to thestudy of military discipline, having been previously confined to lessonsof philosophy, and when he was learning the art of marching in timewhile the pipes were playing the Pyrrhic air, he often, calling upon thename of Plato, ironically quoted that old proverb, "A pack-saddle isplaced on an ox; this is clearly a burden which does not belong to me. "

11. On one occasion, when some secretaries were introduced into thecouncil-chamber, with solemn ceremony, to receive some gold, one oftheir company did not, as is the usual custom, open his robe to receiveit, but took it in the hollow of both his hands joined together; onwhich Julian said, secretaries only know how to seize things, not how toaccept them. 

12. Having been approached by the parents of a virgin who had beenravished, seeking for justice, he gave sentence that the ravisher, onconviction, should be banished; and when the parents complained of thissentence as unequal to the crime, because the criminal had not beencondemned to death, he replied, "Let the laws blame my clemency: but itis fitting that an emperor of a most merciful disposition should besuperior to all other laws. "

13. Once when he was about to set forth on an expedition, he wasinterrupted by several people complaining of injuries which they hadreceived, whom he referred for a hearing to the governors of theirrespective provinces. And after he had returned, he inquired what hadbeen done in each case, and with genuine clemency mitigated thepunishments which had been assigned to the offences. 

14. Last of all, without here making any mention of the victories inwhich he repeatedly defeated the barbarians, and the vigilance withwhich he protected his army from all harm, the benefits which heconferred on the Galli, previously exhausted by extreme want, are mostespecially evident from this fact, that when he first entered thecountry he found that four-and-twenty pieces of gold were exacted, underthe name of tribute, in the way of poll-tax, from each individual. Butwhen he quitted the country seven pieces only were required, which madeup all the payments due from them to the state. On which account theyrejoiced with festivals and dances, looking upon him as a serene sunwhich had shone upon them after melancholy darkness. 

15. Moreover we know that up to the very end of his reign and of hislife, he carefully and with great benefit observed this rule, not toremit the arrears of tribute by edicts which they call indulgences. Forhe knew that by such conduct he should be giving something to the rich, whilst it is notorious everywhere that, the moment that taxes areimposed, the poor are compelled to pay them all at once without anyrelief. 

16. But while he was thus regulating and governing the country in amanner deserving the imitation of all virtuous princes, the rage of thebarbarians again broke out more violently than ever. 

17. And as wild beasts, which, owing to the carelessness of theshepherds, have been wont to plunder their flocks, even when thesecareless keepers are exchanged for more watchful ones, still cling totheir habit, and being furious with hunger, will, without any regard fortheir own safety, again attack the flocks and herds; so also thebarbarians, having consumed all their plunder, continued, under thepressure of hunger, repeatedly to make inroads for the sake of booty, though sometimes they died of want before they could obtain any. 

VI. 

§ 1. These were the events which took place in Gaul during this year; atfirst of doubtful issue, but in the end successful. Meanwhile in theemperor's court envy constantly assailed Arbetio, accusing him of havingalready assumed the ensigns of imperial rank, as if designing soon toattain the supreme dignity itself. And especially was he attacked by acount named Verissimus, who with great vehemence brought forth terriblecharges against him, openly alleging that although he had been raisedfrom the rank of a common soldier to high military office, he was notcontented, thinking little of what he had obtained, and aiming at thehighest place. 

2. And he was also vigorously attacked by a man named Dorus, who hadformerly been surgeon of the Scutarii, and of whom we have spoken, whenpromoted in the time of Magnentius to be inspector of the works of artat Rome, as having brought accusations against Adelphius, the prefect ofthe city, as forming ambitious designs. 

3. And when the matter was brought forward for judicial inquiry, and allpreliminary arrangements were made, proof of the accusations which hadbeen confidently looked for was still delayed; when suddenly, as if thebusiness had been meant as a satire on the administration of justice, through the interposition of the chamberlain as rumour affirmed, thepersons who had been imprisoned as accomplices were released from theirconfinement: Dorus disappeared, and Verissimus kept silence for thefuture, as if the curtain had dropped and the scene had been suddenlychanged. 

VII. 

§ 1. About the same time, Constantius having learnt, from common report, that Marcellus had omitted to carry assistance to the Cæsar when he wasbesieged at Sens, cashiered him, and ordered him to retire to his ownhouse. And he, as if he had received a great injury, began to plotagainst Julian, relying upon the disposition of the emperor to open hisears to every accusation. 

2. Therefore, when he departed, Eutherius, the chief chamberlain, wasimmediately sent after him, that he might convict him before the emperorif he propagated any falsehoods. But Marcellus, unaware of this, as soonas he arrived at Milan, began talking loudly, and seeking to createalarm, like a vain chatterer half mad as he was. And when he wasadmitted into the council-chamber, he began to accuse Julian of beinginsolent, and of preparing for himself stronger wings in order to soarto a greater height. For this was his expression, agitating his bodyviolently as he uttered it. 

3. While he was thus uttering his imaginary charges with great freedom, Eutherius being, at his own request, introduced into the presence, andbeing commanded to say what he wished, speaking with great respect andmoderation showed the emperor that the truth was being overlaid withfalsehood. For that, while the commander of the heavy-armed troops had, as it was believed, held back on purpose, the Cæsar having been longbesieged at Sens, had by his vigilance and energy repelled thebarbarians. And he pledged his own life that the Cæsar would, as long ashe lived, be faithful to the author of his greatness. 

4. The opportunity reminds me here to mention a few facts concerningthis same Eutherius, which perhaps will hardly be believed; because ifNuma Pompilius or Socrates were to say anything good of a eunuch, andwere to confirm what they said by an oath, they would be accused ofhaving departed from the truth. But roses grow up among thorns, andamong wild beasts some are of gentle disposition. And therefore I willbriefly mention a few of his most important acts which are wellascertained. 

5. He was born in Armenia, of a respectable family, and having while avery little child been taken prisoner by the enemies on the border, hewas castrated and sold to some Roman merchants, and by them conducted tothe palace of Constantine, where, while growing up to manhood, he beganto display good principles and good talents, becoming accomplished inliterature to a degree quite sufficient for his fortune, displayingextraordinary acuteness in discovering matters of a doubtful anddifficult complexion; being remarkable also for a marvellous memory, always eager to do good, and full of wise and honest counsel. A man, inshort, who, if the Emperor Constantius had listened to his advice, which, whether he gave it in youth or manhood, was always honourable andupright, would have been prevented from committing any errors, or atleast any that were not pardonable. 

6. When he became high chamberlain he sometimes also found fault evenwith Julian, who, as being tainted with Asiatic manners, was apt to becapricious. Finally, when he quitted office for private life, and againwhen he was recalled to court, he was always sober and consistent, cultivating those excellent virtues of good faith and constancy to sucha degree that he never betrayed any secret, except for the purpose ofsecuring another's safety; nor was he ever accused of covetous orgrasping conduct, as the other courtiers were. 

7. From which it arose that, when at a late period he retired to Rome, and fixed there the abode of his old age, bearing with him the companyof a good conscience, he was loved and respected by men of all ranks, though men of that class generally, after having amassed riches byiniquity, love to seek secret places of retirement, just as owls ormoths, and avoid the sight of the multitude whom they have injured. 

8. Though I have often ransacked the accounts of antiquity, I do notfind any ancient eunuch to whom I can compare him. There were indeedamong the ancients some, though very few, faithful and economical, butstill they were stained by some vice or other; and among the chieffaults which they had either by nature or habit, they were apt to beeither rapacious or else boorish, and on that account contemptible; orelse ill-natured and mischievous; or fawning too much on the powerful;or too elated with power, and therefore arrogant. But of any one souniversally accomplished and prudent, I confess I have neither ever readnor heard, relying for the truth of this judgment on the generaltestimony of the age. 

9. But if any careful reader of ancient histories should oppose to usMenophilus, the eunuch of King Mithridates, I would warn him torecollect that nothing is really known of him except this single fact, that he behaved gloriously in a moment of extreme danger. 

10. When the king above mentioned, having been defeated by the Romansunder the command of Pompey, and fleeing to his kingdom of Colchis, lefta grown-up daughter, named Drypetina, who at the time was dangerouslyill, in the castle of Synhorium, under the care of this Menophilus, hecompletely cured the maiden by a variety of remedies, and preserved herin safety for her father; and when the fortress in which they wereenclosed began to be besieged by Manlius Priscus, the lieutenant of thegeneral, and when he became aware that the garrison were proposing tosurrender, he, fearing that, to the dishonour of her father, this nobledamsel might be made a prisoner and be ravished, slew her, and then fellupon his sword himself. Now I will return to the point from which Idigressed. 

VIII. 

§ 1. After Marcellus had been foiled, as I have mentioned, and hadreturned to Serdica, which was his native place, many great crimes wereperpetrated in the camp of Augustus, under pretence of upholding themajesty of the emperor. 

2. For if any one had consulted any cunning soothsayer about the squeakof a mouse, or the appearance of a weasel, or any other similar portent, or had used any old woman's chants to assuage any pain--a practice whichthe authority of medicine does not always prohibit--such a man was atonce informed against, without being able to conceive by whom, and wasbrought before a court of law, and at once condemned to death. 

3. About the same time an individual named Dames was accused by his wifeof certain trifling acts, of which, whether he was innocent or not isuncertain; but Rufinus was his enemy, who, as we have mentioned, hadgiven information of some matters which had been communicated to him byGaudentius, the emperor's secretary, causing Africanus, then governingPannonia with the rank of a consul, to be put to death, with all hisfriends. This Rufinus was now, for his devotion to the interests of theemperor, the chief commander of the prætorian guard. 

4. He, being given to talking in a boastful manner, after havingseduced that easily deluded woman (the wife of Dames) into an illicitconnection with him, allured her into a perilous fraud, and persuadedher by an accumulation of lies to accuse her innocent husband oftreason, and to invent a story that he had stolen a purple garment fromthe sepulchre of Diocletian, and, by the help of some accomplices, stillkept it concealed. 

5. When this story had been thus devised in a way to cause thedestruction of many persons, Rufinus himself, full of hopes of someadvantage, hastened to the camp of the emperor, to spread his customarycalumnies. And when the transaction had been divulged, Manlius, at thattime the commander of the prætorian camp, a man of admirable integrity, received orders to make a strict inquiry into the charge, having unitedto him, as a colleague in the examination, Ursulus, the chief paymaster, a man likewise of praiseworthy equity and strictness. 

6. There, after the matter had been rigorously investigated according tothe fashion of that period, and when, after many persons had been put tothe torture, nothing was found out, and the judges were in doubt andperplexity; at length truth, long suppressed, found a respite, and, under the compulsion of a rigorous examination, the woman confessed thatRufinus was the author of the whole plot, nor did she even conceal thefact of her adultery with him. Reference was immediately made to thelaw, and as order and justice required, the judges condemned them bothto death. 

7. But as soon as this was known, Constantius became greatly enraged, and lamenting Rufinus as if the champion of his safety had beendestroyed, he sent couriers on horseback express, with threateningorders to Ursulus, commanding him to return to court. Ursulus, disregarding the remonstrances of those who advised him to disobey, hastened fearlessly to the presence; and having entered the emperor'scouncil-chambers, with undaunted heart and voice related the wholetransaction; and this confident behaviour of his shut the mouths of theflatterers, and delivered both the prefect and himself from seriousdanger. 

8. It was at this time also that an event took place in Aquitania whichwas more extensively talked about. A certain cunning person beinginvited to a splendid and sumptuous banquet, which are frequent in thatprovince, having seen a pair of coverlets, with two purple borders ofsuch width, that by the skill of those who waited they seemed to be butone; and beholding the table also covered with a similar cloth, he tookup one in each hand, and arranged them so as to resemble the front of acloak, representing them as having formed the ornament of the imperialrobe; and then searching over the whole house in order to find the robewhich he affirmed must be hidden there, he thus caused the ruin of awealthy estate. 

9. With similar malignity, a certain secretary in Spain, who waslikewise invited to a supper, hearing the servants, while bringing inthe evening candles, cry "let us conquer, " affixing a malignantinterpretation to that common exclamation, in like manner ruined a noblefamily. 

10. These and other evils increasing more and more, because Constantius, being a man of a very timorous disposition, was always thinking thatblows were being aimed at him, like the celebrated tyrant of Sicily, Dionysius, who, because of this vice of his, taught his daughters toshave him, in order that he might not have to put his face in astranger's power; and surrounded the small chamber in which he wasaccustomed to sleep with a deep ditch, so placed that it could only beentered by a drawbridge; the loose beams and axles of which when he wentto bed he removed into his own chamber, replacing them when about to goforth at daybreak. 

11. Moreover, those who had influence in the court promoted the spreadof these evils, with the hope of joining to their own estates theforfeited possessions of those who should be condemned; and thusbecoming rich by the ruin of their neighbours. 

12. For, as clear evidence has shown, if Constantine was the first toexcite the appetites of his followers, Constantius was the prince whofattened them on the marrow of the provinces. 

13. For under him the principal persons of every rank burnt with aninsatiable desire of riches, without any regard for justice or right. And among the ordinary judges, Rufinus, the chief prefect of theprætorium, was conspicuous for this avarice. And among the militaryofficers Arbetio, the master of the horse, and Eusebius, the highchamberlain, . . . Ard . . . Anus, the quæstor, and in the city, the twoAnicii, whose posterity, treading in the steps of their fathers, couldnot be satisfied even with possessions much larger than they themselveshad enjoyed. 

IX. 

§ 1. But in the East, the Persians now practising predatory inroads andforays, in preference to engaging in pitched battles, as they had beenwont to do before, carried off continually great numbers of men andcattle: sometimes making great booty, owing to the unexpectedness oftheir incursions, but at other times being overpowered by superiornumbers, they suffered losses. Sometimes, also, the inhabitants of thedistricts which they had invaded had removed everything which could becarried off. 

2. But Musonianus, the prefect of the prætorium, a man, as we havealready said, of many liberal accomplishments but corrupt, and a personeasily turned from the truth by a bribe, acquired, by means of someemissaries who were skilful in deceiving and obtaining information, aknowledge of the plans of the Persians; taking to his counsels on thissubject Cassianus, duke of Mesopotamia, a veteran who had served manycampaigns, and had become hardened by all kinds of dangers. 

3. And when, by the concurrent report of spies, these officers hadbecome certain that Sapor was occupied in the most remote frontier ofhis kingdom in repelling the hostilities of the bordering tribes, whichhe could not accomplish without great difficulty and bloodshed, theysought to tamper with Tamsapor, the general in command in the districtnearest our border. Accordingly they sent soldiers of no renown toconfer with him secretly, to engage him, if opportunity served, to writeto the king to persuade him to make peace with the Roman emperor;whereby he, being then secure on every side, might be the better able tosubdue the rebels who were never weary of exciting disturbances. 

4. Tamsapor coincided with these wishes, and, trusting to them, reportedto the king that Constantius, being involved in very formidable wars, was a suppliant for peace. But it took a long time for these letters toreach the country of the Chionites and the Euseni, on whose bordersSapor had taken up his winter quarters. 

X. 

§ 1. While matters were thus proceeding in the eastern regions and inthe Gauls, Constantius, as if the temple of Janus were now shut andhostilities everywhere at an end, became desirous of visiting Rome, withthe intention of celebrating his triumph over Magnentius, to which hecould give no name, since the blood that he had spilt was that of Romanfoes. 

2. For indeed, neither by his own exertions, nor by those of hisgenerals did he ever conquer any nation that made war upon him; nor didhe make any additions to the empire; nor at critical moments was he everseen to be the foremost or even among the foremost; but still he waseager to exhibit to the people, now in the enjoyment of peace, a vastprocession, and standards heavy with gold, and a splendid train ofguards and followers, though the citizens themselves neither expectednor desired any such spectacle. 

3. He was ignorant, probably, that some of the ancient emperors were, intime of peace, contented with their lictors, and that when the ardour ofwar forbade all inactivity, one, [61] in a violent storm, had trustedhimself to a fisherman's boat; another, [62] following the example of theDecii, had sacrificed his life for the safety of the republic;another[63] had by himself, accompanied by only a few soldiers of thelowest rank, gone as a spy into the camp of the enemy: in short, thatmany of them had rendered themselves illustrious by splendid exploits, in order to hand down to posterity a glorious memory of themselves, earned by their achievements. 

4. Accordingly, after long and sumptuous preparation, . . . In the secondprefecture of Orfitus, Constantius, elated with his great honours, andescorted by a formidable array of troops, marching in order of battle, passed through Ocricoli, attracting towards himself the astonished gazeof all the citizens. 

5. And when he drew near to the city, contemplating the salutationsoffered him by the senators, and the whole body of fathers venerablefrom their likeness to their ancestors, he thought, not like Cineas, theambassador of Pyrrhus, that a multitude of kings was here assembledtogether, but that the city was the asylum of the whole world. 

6. And when from them he had turned his eyes upon the citizens, hemarvelled to think with what rapidity the whole race of mankind uponearth had come from all quarters to Rome; and, as if he would haveterrified the Euphrates or the Rhine with a show of armed men, hehimself came on, preceded by standards on both sides, sitting alone in agolden chariot, shining with all kinds of brilliant precious stones, which seemed to spread a flickering light all around. 

7. Numbers also of the chief officers who went before him weresurrounded by dragons embroidered on various kinds of tissue, fastenedto the golden or jewelled points of spears, the mouths of the dragonsbeing open so as to catch the wind, which made them hiss as though theywere inflamed with anger; while the coils of their tails were alsocontrived to be agitated by the breeze. 

8. After these marched a double row of heavy-armed soldiers, withshields and crested helmets, glittering with brilliant light, and cladin radiant breastplates; and among these were scattered cavalry withcuirasses, whom the Persians call Clibanarii, [64] protected by coveringsof iron breastplates, and girdled with belts of iron, so that you wouldfancy them statues polished by the hand of Praxiteles, rather than men. And the light circular plates of iron which surrounded their bodies, andcovered all their limbs, were so well fitted to all their motions, thatin whatever direction they had occasion to move, the joints of theiriron clothing adapted themselves equally to any position. 

9. The emperor as he proceeded was saluted as Augustus by voices of goodomen, the mountains and shores re-echoing the shouts of the people, amidwhich he preserved the same immovable countenance which he wasaccustomed to display in his provinces. 

10. For though he was very short, yet he bowed down when entering highgates, and looking straight before him, as though he had had his neck ina vice, he turned his eyes neither to the right nor to the left, as ifhe had been a statue: nor when the carriage shook him did he nod hishead, or spit, or rub his face or his nose; nor was he ever seen even tomove a hand. 

11. And although this calmness was affectation, yet these and otherportions of his inner life were indicative of a most extraordinarypatience, as it may be thought, granted to him alone. 

12. I pass over the circumstance that during the whole of his reign henever either took up any one to sit with him in his chariot, or admittedany private person to be his partner in the consulship, as otheremperors had done; also many other things which he, being filled withelation and pride, prescribed to himself as the justest of all rules ofconduct, recollecting that I mentioned those facts before, as occasionserved. 

13. As he went on, having entered Rome, that home of sovereignty and ofall virtues, when he arrived at the rostra, he gazed with amazed awe onthe Forum, the most renowned monument of ancient power; and, beingbewildered with the number of wonders on every side to which he turnedhis eyes, having addressed the nobles in the senate-house, and haranguedthe populace from the tribune, he retired, with the good-will of all, into his palace, where he enjoyed the luxury he had wished for. Andoften, when celebrating the equestrian games, was he delighted with thetalkativeness of the common people, who were neither proud, nor, on theother hand, inclined to become rebellious from too much liberty, whilehe himself also reverently observed a proper moderation. 

14. For he did not, as was usually done in other cities, allow thelength of the gladiatorial contests to depend on his caprice; but leftit to be decided by various occurrences. Then, traversing the summits ofthe seven hills, and the different quarters of the city, whether placedon the slopes of the hills or on the level ground, and visiting, too, the suburban divisions, he was so delighted that whatever he saw firsthe thought the most excellent of all. Admiring the temple of theTarpeian Jupiter, which is as much superior to other temples as divinethings are superior to those of men; and the baths of the size ofprovinces; and the vast mass of the amphitheatre, so solidly erected ofTibertine stone, to the top of which human vision can scarcely reach;and the Pantheon with its vast extent, its imposing height, and thesolid magnificence of its arches, and the lofty niches rising one aboveanother like stairs, adorned with the images of former emperors; and thetemple of the city, and the forum of peace, and the theatre of Pompey, and the odeum, and the racecourse, and the other ornaments of theEternal City. 

15. But when he came to the forum of Trajan, the most exquisitestructure, in my opinion, under the canopy of heaven, and admired evenby the deities themselves, he stood transfixed with wonder, casting hismind over the gigantic proportions of the place, beyond the power ofmortal to describe, and beyond the reasonable desire of mortals torival. Therefore giving up all hopes of attempting anything of thiskind, he contented himself with saying that he should wish to imitate, and could imitate the horse of Trajan, which stands by itself in themiddle of the hall, bearing the emperor himself on his back. 

16. And the royal prince Hormisdas, whose departure from Persia we havealready mentioned, standing by answered, with the refinement of hisnature, "But first, O emperor, command such a stable to be built forhim, if you can, that the horse which you purpose to make may have asfair a domain as this which we see. " And when he was asked what hethought of Rome, he said that "he was particularly delighted with itbecause he had learnt that men died also there. "

17. Now after he had beheld all these various objects with awfuladmiration, the emperor complained of fame, as either deficient inpower, or else spiteful, because, though it usually exaggerateseverything, it fell very short in its praises of the things which areat Rome; and having deliberated for some time what he should do, hedetermined to add to the ornaments of the city by erecting an obelisk inthe Circus Maximus, the origin and form of which I will describe when Icome to the proper place. 

18. At this time Eusebia, the queen, who herself was barren all herlife, began to plot against Helena, the sister of Constantius, and wifeof the Cæsar Julian, whom she had induced to come to Rome under apretence of affection, and by wicked machinations she induced her todrink a poison which she had procured, which should have the effect, whenever Helena conceived, of producing abortion. 

19. For already, when in Gaul, she had borne a male child, but that alsohad been dishonestly destroyed because the midwife, having been bribed, killed it as soon as it was born, by cutting through the navel-stringtoo deeply; such exceeding care was taken that this most gallant manshould have no offspring. 

20. But the emperor, while wishing to remain longer in this most augustspot of the whole world, in order to enjoy a purer tranquillity andhigher degree of pleasure, was alarmed by repeated intelligence on whichhe could rely, which informed him that the Suevi were invading theTyrol, that the Quadi were ravaging Valeria, [65] and that theSarmatians, a tribe most skilful in plunder, were laying waste the upperMoesia, and the second Pannonia. And roused by these news, on thethirtieth day after he had entered Rome, he again quitted it, leaving iton the 29th of May, and passing through Trent he proceeded with allhaste towards Illyricum. 

21. And from that city he sent Severus to succeed Marcellus, a man ofgreat experience and ripe skill in war, and summoned Ursicinus tohimself. He, having gladly received the letter of summons, came toSirmium, with a large retinue, and after a long deliberation on thepeace which Musonianus had reported as possible to be made with thePersians, he was sent back to the East with the authority ofcommander-in-chief, and the older officers of our company having beenpromoted to commands over the soldiers, we younger men were ordered tofollow him to perform whatever he commanded us for the service of therepublic. 

XI. 

A. D. 357. 

§ 1. But Julian, having passed his winter at Sens, amid continualdisturbance, in the ninth consulship of the emperor, and his own second, while the threats of the Germans were raging on all sides, being rousedby favourable omens, marched with speed to Rheims, with the greateralacrity and joy because Severus was in command of the army there; a maninclined to agree with him, void of arrogance, but of proved proprietyof conduct and experience in war, and likely to follow his lawfulauthority, obeying his general like a well-disciplined soldier. 

2. In another quarter, Barbatio, who after the death of Silvanus hadbeen promoted to the command of the infantry, came from Italy by theemperor's orders, to Augst, with 25, 000 heavy-armed soldiers. 

3. For the plan proposed and very anxiously prepared was, that theAllemanni, who were in a state of greater rage than ever, and wereextending their incursions more widely, should be caught between our twoarmies, as if between the arms of a pair of pincers, and so driven intoa corner and destroyed. 

4. But while these well-devised plans were being pressed forward, thebarbarians, in joy at some success which they had obtained, and skilfulin seizing every opportunity for plunder, passed secretly between thecamps of the armies, and attacked Lyons unexpectedly. And havingplundered the district around, they would have stormed and burnt thecity itself, if they had not found the gates so strongly defended thatthey were repulsed; so that they only destroyed all they could findoutside the city. 

5. When this disaster was known, Cæsar, with great alacrity, despatchedthree squadrons of light cavalry, of approved valour, to watch threelines of road, knowing that beyond all question the invaders must quitthe district by one of them. 

6. Nor was he mistaken; for all who came by these roads wereslaughtered by our men, and the whole of the booty which they werecarrying off was recovered unhurt. Those alone escaped in safety whopassed by the camp of Barbatio, who were suffered to escape in thatdirection because Bainobaudes the tribune, and Valentinian (afterwardsemperor), who had been appointed to watch that pass with the squadronsof cavalry under their orders, were forbidden by Cella (the tribune ofthe Scutarii, who had been sent as colleague to Barbatio) to occupy thatroad, though they were sure that by that the Germans would return totheir own country. 

7. The cowardly master of the horse, being also an obstinate enemy tothe glory of Julian, was not contented with this, but being consciousthat he had given orders inconsistent with the interests of Rome (forwhen he was accused of it Cella confessed what he had done), he made afalse report to Constantius, and told him that these same tribunes had, under a pretence of the business of the state, came thither for thepurpose of tampering with the soldiers whom he commanded. And owing tothis statement they were deprived of their commands, and returned homeas private individuals. 

8. In these days, also, the barbarians, alarmed at the approach of ourarmies, which had established their stations on the left bank of theRhine, employed some part of their force in skilfully barricading theroads, naturally difficult of access, and full of hills, by abattisconstructed of large trees cut down; others occupied the numerousislands scattered up and down the Rhone, and with horrid howls pouredforth constant reproaches against the Romans and the Cæsar; who, beingnow more than ever resolved to crush some of their armies, demanded fromBarbatio seven of those boats which he had collected, for the purpose ofconstructing a bridge with them, with the intention of crossing theriver. But Barbatio, determined that no assistance should be got fromhim, burnt them all. 

9. Julian, therefore, having learnt from the report of some spies whomhe had lately taken prisoners, that, when the drought of summer arrived, the river was fordable, addressed a speech of encouragement to hislight-armed auxiliary troops, and sent them forward with Bainobaudes, the tribune of the Cornuti, to try and perform some gallant exploit, ifthey could find an opportunity. And they, entering the shallow of theriver, and sometimes, when there was occasion for swimming, puttingtheir shields under them like canoes, reached a neighbouring island, andhaving landed, killed every one they found on it, men and women, withoutdistinction of age, like so many sheep. And having found some emptyboats, though they were not very safe, they crossed in them, forcingtheir way into many places of the same land. When they were weary ofslaughter, and loaded with a rich booty, some of which, however, theylost through the violence of the river, they returned back to the campwithout losing a man. 

10. And when this was known, the rest of the Germans, thinking theycould no longer trust the garrisons left in the islands, removed theirrelations, and their magazines, and their barbaric treasures, into theinland parts. 

11. After this Julian turned his attention to repair the fortress knownby the name of Saverne, which had a little time before been destroyed bya violent attack of the enemy, but which, while it stood, manifestlyprevented the Germans from forcing their way into the interior of theGauls, as they had been accustomed to do; and he executed this work withgreater rapidity than he expected, and he laid up for the garrison whichhe intended to post there sufficient magazines for a whole year'sconsumption, which his army collected from the crops of the barbarians, not without occasional contests with the owners. 

12. Nor indeed was he contented with this, but he also collectedprovisions for himself and his army sufficient for twenty days. For thesoldiers delighted in using the food which they had won with their ownright hands, being especially indignant because, out of all the supplieswhich had been recently sent them, they were not able to obtainanything, inasmuch as Barbatio, when they were passing near his camp, had with great insolence seized on a portion of them, and had collectedall the rest into a heap and burnt them. Whether he acted thus out ofhis own vanity and insane folly, or whether others were really theauthors of this wickedness, relying on the command of the emperorhimself, has never been known. 

13. However, as far as report went, the story commonly was, that Julianhad been elected Cæsar, not for the object of relieving the distressesof the Gauls, but rather of being himself destroyed by the formidablewars in which he was sure to be involved; being at that time, as wassupposed, inexperienced in war, and not likely to endure even the soundof arms. 

14. While the works of the camp were steadily rising, and while aportion of the army was being distributed among the stations in thecountry districts, Julian occupied himself in other quarters withcollecting supplies, operating with great caution, from the fear ofambuscades. And in the mean time, a vast host of the barbarians, outstripping all report of their approach by the celerity of theirmovements, came down with a sudden attack upon Barbatio, and the armywhich (as I have already mentioned) he had under his command, separatedfrom the Gallic army of Severus only by a rampart; and having put him toflight, pursued him as far as Augst, and beyond that town too, as far asthey could; and, having made booty of the greater part of his baggageand beasts of burden, and having carried off many of the sutlers asprisoners, they returned to their main army. 

15. And Barbatio, as if he had brought his expectations to a prosperousissue, now distributed his soldiers into winter quarters, and returnedto the emperor's court, to forge new accusations against the Cæsar, according to his custom. 

XII. 

§ 1. When this disgraceful disaster had become known, Chnodomarius andVestralpus, the kings of the Allemanni, and Urius and Ursicinus, withSerapion, and Suomarius, and Hortarius, having collected all theirforces into one body, encamped near the city of Strasburg, thinking thatthe Cæsar, from fear of imminent danger, had retreated at the very timethat he was wholly occupied with completing a fortress to enable him tomake a permanent stand. 

2. Their confidence and assurance of success was increased by one of theScutarii who deserted to them, who fearing punishment for some offencewhich he had committed, crossed over to them after the departure ofBarbatio, and assured them that Julian had now only 13, 000 men remainingwith him. For that was the number of troops that he had now with him, while the ferocious barbarians were stirring up attacks upon him fromall sides. 

3. And as he constantly adhered to the same story, they were excited tomore haughty attempts by the confidence with which he inspired them, andsent ambassadors in an imperious tone to Cæsar, demanding that he shouldretire from the territory which they had acquired by their own valour inarms. But he, a stranger to fear, and not liable to be swayed either byanger or by disappointment, despised the arrogance of the barbarians, and detaining the ambassadors till he had completed the works of hiscamp, remained immovable on his ground with admirable constancy. 

4. But King Chnodomarius, moving about in every direction, and beingalways the first to undertake dangerous enterprises, kept everything incontinual agitation and confusion, being full of arrogance and pride, asone whose head was turned by repeated success. 

5. For he had defeated the Cæsar Decentius in a pitched battle, and hehad plundered and destroyed many wealthy cities, and he had long ravagedall Gaul at his own pleasure without meeting with any resistance. Andhis confidence was now increased by the recent retreat of a generalsuperior to him in the number and strength of his forces. 

6. For the Allemanni, beholding the emblems on their shields, saw that afew predatory bands of their men had wrested those districts from thosesoldiers whom they had formerly never engaged but with fear, and by whomthey had often been routed with much loss. And these circumstances madeJulian very anxious, because, after the defection of Barbatio, hehimself under the pressure of absolute necessity was compelled toencounter very populous tribes, with but very few, though brave troops. 

7. And now, the sun being fully risen, the trumpets sounded, and theinfantry were led forth from the camp in slow march, and on their flankswere arrayed the squadrons of cavalry, among which were both thecuirassiers and the archers, troops whose equipment was very formidable. 

8. And since from the spot from which the Roman standards had firstadvanced to the rampart of the barbarian camp were fourteen leagues, that is to say one-and-twenty miles, Cæsar, carefully providing for theadvantage and safety of his army, called in the skirmishers who had goneout in front, and having ordered silence in his usual voice, while theyall stood in battalions around him, addressed them in his naturaltranquillity of voice. 

9. "The necessity of providing for our common safety, to say the leastof it, compels me, and I am no prince of abject spirit, to exhort you, my comrades, to rely so much on your own mature and vigorous valour, asto follow my counsels in adopting a prudent manner of enduring orrepelling the evils which we anticipate, rather than resort to anoverhasty mode of action which must be doubtful in its issue. 

10. "For though amid dangers youth ought to be energetic and bold, soalso in cases of necessity it should show itself manageable and prudent. Now what I think best to be done, if your opinion accords with mine, andif your just indignation will endure it, I will briefly explain. 

11. "Already noon is approaching, we are weary with our march, and if weadvance we shall enter upon rugged paths where we can hardly see ourway. As the moon is waning the night will not be lighted up by anystars. The earth is burnt up with the heat, and will afford us nosupplies of water. And even if by any contrivance we could get overthese difficulties comfortably, still, when the swarms of the enemy fallupon us, refreshed as they will be with rest, meat, and drink, what willbecome of us? What strength will there be in our weary limbs, exhaustedas we shall be with hunger, thirst, and toil, to encounter them?

12. "Therefore, since the most critical difficulties are often overcomeby skilful arrangements, and since, after good counsel has been taken ingood part, divine-looking remedies have often re-established affairswhich seemed to be tottering; I entreat you to let us here, surroundedas we are with fosse and rampart, take our repose, after firstparcelling out our regular watches, and then, having refreshed ourselveswith sleep and food as well as the time will allow, let us, under theprotection of God, with the earliest dawn move forth our conqueringeagles and standards to reap a certain triumph. "

13. The soldiers would hardly allow him to finish his speech, gnashingtheir teeth, and showing their eagerness for combat by beating theirshields with their spears; and entreating at once to be led against theenemy already in their sight, relying on the favour of the God ofheaven, and on their own valour, and on the proved courage of theirfortunate general. And, as the result proved, it was a certain kindgenius that was present with them thus prompting them to fight whilestill under his inspiration. 

14. And this eagerness of theirs was further stimulated by the fullapproval of the officers of high rank, and especially of Florentius theprefect of the prætorian guard, who openly gave his opinion for fightingat once, while the enemy were in the solid mass in which they were nowarranged; admitting the danger indeed, but still thinking it the wisestplan, because, if the enemy once dispersed, it would be impossible torestrain the soldiers, at all times inclined by their natural vehemenceof disposition towards sedition; and they were likely to be, as hethought, so indignant at being denied the victory they sought, as to beeasily tempted to the most lawless violence. 

15. Two other considerations also added to the confidence of our men. First, because they recollected that in the previous year, when theRomans spread themselves in every direction over the countries on theother side of the Rhine, not one of the barbarians stood to defend hishome, nor ventured to encounter them; but they contented themselves withblockading the roads in every direction with vast abattis, throughoutthe whole winter retiring into the remote districts, and willinglyendured the greatest hardships rather than fight; recollecting alsothat, after the emperor actually invaded their territories, thebarbarians neither ventured to make any resistance, nor even to showthemselves at all, but implored peace in the most suppliant manner, tillthey obtained it. 

16. But no one considered that the times were changed, because thebarbarians were at that time pressed with a threefold danger. Theemperor hastening against them through the Tyrol, the Cæsar who wasactually in their country cutting off all possibility of retreat, whilethe neighbouring tribes, whom recent quarrels had converted intoenemies, were all but treading on their heels; and thus they weresurrounded on all sides. But since that time the emperor, having grantedthem peace, had returned to Italy, and the neighbouring tribes, havingall cause of quarrel removed, were again in alliance with them; and thedisgraceful retreat of one of the Roman generals had increased theirnatural confidence and boldness. 

17. Moreover there was another circumstance which at this crisis addedweight to the difficulties which pressed upon the Romans. The two royalbrothers, who had obtained peace from Constantius in the preceding year, being bound by the obligations of that treaty, neither ventured to raiseany disturbance, nor indeed to put themselves in motion at all. But alittle after the conclusion of that peace one of them whose name wasGundomadus, and who was the most loyal and the most faithful to hisword, was slain by treachery, and then all his tribe joined our enemies;and on this the tribe of Vadomarius also, against his will, as heaffirmed, ranged itself on the side of the barbarians who were armingfor war. 

18. Therefore, since all the soldiers of every rank, from the highest tothe lowest, approved of engaging instantly, and would not relax theleast from the rigour of their determination, on a sudden thestandard-bearer shouted out, "Go forth, O Cæsar, most fortunate of allprinces. Go whither thy better fortune leads thee. At least we havelearnt by your example the power of valour and military skill. Go on andlead us, as a fortunate and gallant champion. You shall see what asoldier under the eye of a warlike general, a witness of the exploits ofeach individual, can do, and how little, with the favour of the Deity, any obstacle can avail against him. "

19. When these words were heard, without a moment's delay, the wholearmy advanced and approached a hill of moderate height, covered withripe corn, at no great distance from the banks of the Rhine. On itssummit were posted three cavalry soldiers of the enemy as scouts, whoat once hastened back to their comrades to announce that the Roman armywas at hand; but one infantry soldier who was with them, not being ableto keep up with them, was taken prisoner by the activity of some of oursoldiers, and informed us that the Germans had been passing over theriver for three days and three nights. 

20. And when our generals beheld them now at no great distance formingtheir men into solid columns, they halted, and formed all the firstranks of their troops into a similarly solid body, and with equalcaution the enemy likewise halted. 

21. And when in consequence of this halt, the enemy saw (as the deserterI mentioned above had informed them) that all our cavalry was rangedagainst them in our right wing, then they posted all their own cavalryin close order on their left wing. And with them they mingled every hereand there a few infantry, skirmishers and light-armed soldiers, whichindeed was a very wise manoeuvre. 

22. For they knew that a cavalry soldier, however skilful, if fightingwith one of our men in complete armour, while his hands were occupiedwith shield and bridle, so that he could use no offensive weapon but thespear which he brandished in his right hand, could never injure an enemywholly covered with iron mail; but that an infantry soldier, amid theactual struggles of personal conflict, when nothing is usually guardedagainst by a combatant except that which is straight before him, maycrawl unperceivedly along the ground, and piercing the side of the Romansoldier's horse, throw the rider down headlong, rendering him thus aneasy victim. 

23. When these dispositions had been thus made, the barbarians alsoprotected their right flank with secret ambuscades and snares. Now thewhole of these warlike and savage tribes were on this day under thecommand of Chnodomarius and Serapio, monarchs of more power than any oftheir former kings. 

24. Chnodomarius was indeed the wicked instigator of the whole war, andbearing on his head a helmet blazing like fire, he led on the left wingwith great boldness, confiding much on his vast personal strength. Andnow with great eagerness for the impending battle he mounted a spiritedhorse, that by the increased height he might be more conspicuous, leaning upon a spear of most formidable size, and remarkable for thesplendour of his arms. Being indeed a prince who had on former occasionsshown himself brave as a warrior and a general, eminent for skill abovehis fellows. 

25. The right wing was led by Serapio, a youth whose beard had hardlygrown, but who was beyond his years in courage and strength. He was theson of Mederichus the brother of Chnodomarius, a man throughout hiswhole life of the greatest perfidy; and he had received the name ofSerapio because his father, having been given as a hostage, had beendetained in Gaul for a long time, and had there learnt some of themysteries of the Greeks, in consequence of which he had changed the nameof his son, who at his birth was named Agenarichus, into that ofSerapio. 

26. These two leaders were followed by five other kings who were butlittle inferior in power to themselves, by ten petty princes, a vastnumber of nobles, and thirty-five thousand armed men, collected fromvarious nations partly by pay, and partly by a promise of requitingtheir service by similar assistance on a future day. 

27. The trumpets now gave forth a terrible sound; Severus, the Romangeneral in command of the left wing, when he came near the ditchesfilled with armed men, from which the enemy had arranged that those whowere there concealed should suddenly rise up, and throw the Roman lineinto confusion, halted boldly, and suspecting some yet hidden ambuscade, neither attempted to retreat nor advance. 

28. Seeing this, Julian, always full of courage at the moment of thegreatest difficulty, galloped with an escort of two hundred cavalrythrough the ranks of the infantry at full speed, addressing them withwords of encouragement, as the critical circumstances in which they wereplaced required. 

29. And as the extent of the space over which they were spread and thedenseness of the multitude thus collected into one body, would not allowhim to address the whole army (and also because on other accounts hewished to avoid exposing himself to malice and envy, as well as not toaffect that which Augustus thought belonged exclusively to himself), he, while taking care of himself as he passed within reach of the darts ofthe enemy, encouraged all whom his voice could reach, whether known orunknown to him, to fight bravely, with these and similar words:--

30. "Now, my comrades, the fit time for fighting has arrived; the timewhich I, as well as you, have long desired, and which you just nowinvited when, with gestures of impatience, you demanded to be led on. "Again, when he came to those in the rear rank, who were posted inreserve: "Behold, " said he, "my comrades, the long-wished-for day is athand, which incites us all to wash out former stains, and to restore toits proper brightness the Roman majesty. These men before you arebarbarians, whom their own rage and intemperate madness have urgedforward to meet with the destruction of their fortunes, defeated as theywill now be by our might. "

31. Presently, when making better dispositions for the array of sometroops who, by long experience in war, had attained to greater skill, heaided his arrangements by these exhortations. "Let us rise up like bravemen; let us by our native valour repel the disgrace which has at onetime been brought upon our arms, from contemplating which it was thatafter much delay I consented to take the name of Cæsar. "

32. But to any whom he saw inconsiderately demanding the signal to begiven for instant battle, and likely by their rash movements to beinattentive to orders, he said, "I entreat you not to be too eager inyour pursuit of the flying enemy, so as to risk losing the glory of thevictory which awaits us, and also never to retreat, except under thelast necessity. 

33. "For I shall certainly take no care of those who flee. But amongthose who press on to the slaughter of the enemy I shall be present, andshare with you indiscriminately, provided only that your charge be madewith moderation and prudence. "

34. While repeatedly addressing these and similar exhortations to thetroops, he drew up the principal part of his army opposite to the frontrank of the barbarians. And suddenly there arose from the Allemanni agreat shout, mingled with indignant cries, all exclaiming with onevoice that the princes ought to leave their horses and fight in theranks on equal terms with their men, lest if any mischance should occurthey should avail themselves of the facility of escaping, and leave themass of the army in miserable plight. 

35. When this was known, Chnodomarius immediately leapt down from hishorse, and the rest of the princes followed his example withouthesitation. For indeed none of them doubted but that their side would bevictorious. 

36. Then the signal for battle being given as usual by the sound oftrumpets, the armies rushed to the combat with all their force. First ofall javelins were hurled, and the Germans, hastening on with the utmostimpetuosity, brandishing their javelins in their right hands, dashedamong the squadrons of our cavalry, uttering fearful cries. They hadexcited themselves to more than usual rage; their flowing hair bristlingwith their eagerness, and fury blazing from their eyes. While inopposition to them our soldiers, standing steadily, protecting theirheads with the bulwark of their shields, and drawing their swords orbrandishing their javelins, equally threatened death to theirassailants. 

37. And while in the very conflict of battle, the cavalry kept theirgallant squadrons in close order, and the infantry strengthened theirflanks, standing shoulder to shoulder with closely-locked shields, clouds of thick dust arose, and the battle rocked to and fro, our mensometimes advancing, sometimes receding. Some of the most powerfulwarriors among the barbarians pressed upon their antagonists with theirknees, trying to throw them down; and in the general excitement menfought hand to hand, shield pressing upon shield; while the heavenresounded with the loud cries of the conquerors and of the dying. Presently, when our left wing, advancing forward, had driven back withsuperior strength the vast bands of German assailants, and was itselfadvancing with loud cries against the enemy, our cavalry on the rightwing unexpectedly retreated in disorder; but when the leading fugitivescame upon those in the rear, they halted, perceiving themselves coveredby the legions, and renewed the battle. 

38. This disaster had arisen from the cuirassiers seeing their commanderslightly wounded, and one of their comrades crushed under the weight ofhis own arms, and of his horse, which fell upon him while they werechanging their position, on which they all fled as each could, and wouldhave trampled down the infantry, and thrown everything into confusion, if the infantry had not steadily kept their ranks and stood immovable, supporting each other. Julian, when from a distance he saw his cavalrythus seeking safety in flight, spurred his horse towards them, andhimself stopped them like a barrier. 

39. For as he was at once recognized by his purple standard of thedragon, which was fixed to the top of a long spear, waving its fringe asa real dragon sheds its skin, the tribune of one squadron halted, andturning pale with alarm, hastened back to renew the battle. 

40. Then, as is customary in critical moments, Julian gently reproachedhis men: "Whither, " said he, "gallant comrades, are ye retreating? Areye ignorant that flight, which never insures safety, proves the folly ofhaving made a vain attempt? Let us return to our army, to be partakersof their glory, and not rashly desert those who are fighting for therepublic. "

41. Saying these words in a dignified tone, he led them all back todischarge their duties in the fight, imitating in this the ancient heroSylla, if we make allowances for the difference of situation. For whenSylla, having led his army against Archelaus, the general ofMithridates, became exhausted by the violence of the conflict, and wasdeserted by all his soldiers, he ran to the foremost rank, and seizing astandard he turned it against the enemy, exclaiming, "Go! ye once chosencompanions of my dangers; and when you are asked where I, your general, was left, tell them this truth, --alone in Boeotia, fighting for usall, to his own destruction. "

42. The Allemanni, when our cavalry had been thus driven back and throwninto confusion, attacked the first line of our infantry, expecting tofind their spirit abated, and to be able to rout them without muchresistance. 

43. But when they came to close quarters with them, they found they hadmet an equal match. The conflict lasted long; for the Cornuti andBraccati, [66] veterans of great experience in war, frightening even bytheir gestures, shouted their battle cry, and the uproar, through theheat of the conflict, rising up from a gentle murmur, and becominggradually louder and louder, grew fierce as that of waves dashingagainst the rocks; the javelins hissed as they flew hither and thitherthrough the air; the dust rose to the sky in one vast cloud, preventingall possibility of seeing, and causing arms to fall upon arms, man uponman. 

44. But the barbarians, in their undisciplined anger and fury, ragedlike the flames; and with ceaseless blows of their swords sought topierce through the compact mass of the shields with which our soldiersdefended themselves, as with the testudo. [67]

45. And when this was seen, the Batavi, with the royal legion, hastenedto the support of their comrades, a formidable band, well able, iffortune aided them, to save even those who were in the extremest danger. And amid the fierce notes of their trumpets, the battle again raged withundiminished ferocity. 

46. But the Allemanni, still charging forward impetuously, strove moreand more vigorously, hoping to bear down all opposition by the violenceof their fury. Darts, spears, and javelins never ceased; arrows pointedwith iron were shot; while at the same time, in hand-to-hand conflict, sword struck sword, breastplates were cloven, and even the wounded, ifnot quite exhausted with loss of blood, rose up still to deeds ofgreater daring. 

47. In some sense it may be said that the combatants were equal. TheAllemanni were the stronger and the taller men; our soldiers by greatpractice were the more skilful. The one were fierce and savage, theothers composed and wary; the one trusted to their courage, the othersto their physical strength. 

48. Often, indeed, the Roman soldier was beaten down by the weight ofhis enemy's arms, but he constantly rose again; and then, on the otherhand, the barbarian, finding his knees fail under him with fatigue, would rest his left knee on the ground, and even in that positionattack his enemy, an act of extreme obstinacy. 

49. Presently there sprang forward with sudden vigour a fiery band ofnobles, among whom also were the princes of the petty tribes, and, asthe common soldiers followed them in great numbers, they burst throughour lines, and forced a path for themselves up to the principal legionof the reserve, which was stationed in the centre, in a position calledthe prætorian camp; and there the soldiery, being in closer array, andin densely serried ranks, stood firm as so many towers, and renewed thebattle with increased spirit. And intent upon parrying the blows of theenemy, and covering themselves with their shields as the Mirmillos[68]do, with their drawn swords wounded their antagonists in the sides, which their too vehement impetuosity left unprotected. 

50. And thus the barbarians threw away their lives in their strugglesfor victory, while toiling to break the compact array of our battalions. But still, in spite of the ceaseless slaughter made among them by theRomans, whose courage rose with their success, fresh barbarianssucceeded those who fell; and as the frequent groans of the dying wereheard, many became panic-stricken, and lost all strength. 

51. At last, exhausted by their losses, and having no strength foranything but flight, they sought to escape with all speed by differentroads, like as sailors and traders, when the sea rages in a storm, areglad to flee wherever the wind carries them. But any one then presentwill confess that escape was a matter rather to be wished than hopedfor. 

52. And the merciful protection of a favourable deity was present on ourside, so that our soldiers, now slashing at the backs of the fugitives, and finding their swords so battered that they were insufficient towound, used the enemy's own javelins, and so slew them. Nor could anyone of the pursuers satiate himself enough with their blood, nor allowhis hand to weary with slaughter, nor did any one spare a suppliant outof pity. 

53. Numbers, therefore, lay on the ground, mortally wounded, imploringinstant death as a relief; others, half dead with failing breath turnedtheir dying eyes to the last enjoyment of the light. Of some the headswere almost cut off by the huge weapons, and merely hung by small stripsto their necks; others, again, who had fallen because the ground hadbeen rendered slippery by the blood of their comrades, withoutthemselves receiving any wound, were killed by being smothered in themass of those who fell over them. 

54. While these events were proceeding thus prosperously for us, theconquerors pressed on vigorously, though the edges of their weapons wereblunted by frequent use, and shining helmets and shields were trampledunder foot. At last, in the extremity of their distress, the barbarians, finding the heaps of corpses block up all the paths, sought the aid ofthe river, which was the only hope left to them, and which they had nowreached. 

55. And because our soldiers unweariedly and with great speed pressed, with arms in their hands, upon the fleeing bands, many, hoping to beable to deliver themselves from danger by their skill in swimming, trusted their lives to the waves. And Julian, with prompt apprehension, seeing what would be the result, strictly forbade the tribunes andcaptains to allow any of our men to pursue them so eagerly as to trustthemselves to the dangerous currents of the river. 

56. In consequence of which order they halted on the brink, and from itwounded the Germans with every kind of missile; while, if any of themescaped from death of that kind by the celerity of their movements, theystill sunk to the bottom from the weight of their own arms. 

57. And as sometimes in a theatrical spectacle the curtain exhibitsmarvellous figures, so here one could see many strange things in thatdanger; some unconsciously clinging to others who were good swimmers, others who were floating were pushed off by those less encumbered as somany logs, others again, as if the violence of the stream itself foughtagainst them, were swallowed up in the eddies. Some supported themselveson their shields avoiding the heaviest attacks of the opposing waves bycrossing them in an oblique direction, and so, after many dangers, reached the opposite brink, till at last the foaming river, discolouredwith barbarian blood, was itself amazed at the unusual increase it hadreceived. 

58. And while this was going on, Chnodomarius, the king, finding anopportunity of escaping, making his way over the heaps of dead with asmall escort, hastened with exceeding speed towards the camp which hehad made near the two Roman fortresses of Alstatt and Lauterbourg, inthe country of the Tribocci, that he might embark in some boats whichhad already been prepared in case of any emergency, and so escape tosome secret hiding-place in which he might conceal himself. 

59. And because it was impossible for him to reach his camp withoutcrossing the Rhine, he hid his face that he might not be recognized, andafter that retreated slowly. And when he got near the bank of the river, as he was feeling his way round a marsh, partly overflowed, seeking somepath by which to cross it, his horse suddenly stumbled in some soft andsticky place, and he was thrown down, but though he was fat and heavy, he without delay reached the shelter of a hill in the neighbourhood;there he was recognized (for indeed he could not conceal who he was, being betrayed by the greatness of his former fortune): and immediatelya squadron of cavalry came up at full gallop with its tribune, andcautiously surrounded the wooded mound; though they feared to enter thethicket lest they should fall into any ambuscade concealed among thetrees. 

60. But when he saw them he was seized with extreme terror, and of hisown accord came forth by himself and surrendered; and his companions, two hundred in number, and his three most intimate friends, thinking itwould be a crime in them to survive their king, or not to die for him ifoccasion required, gave themselves up also as prisoners. 

61. And, as barbarians are naturally low spirited in adverse fortune, and very much the reverse in moments of prosperity, so now that he wasin the power of another he became pale and confused, his consciousnessof guilt closing his mouth; widely different from him who lately, insulting the ashes of the Gauls with ferocious and lamentable violence, poured forth savage threats against the whole empire. 

62. Now after these affairs were thus by the favour of the deity broughtto an end, the victorious soldiers were recalled at the close of theday to their camp by the signal of the trumpeter, and marched towardsthe bank of the Rhine, and there erecting a rampart of shields piledtogether in several rows, they refreshed themselves with food and sleep. 

63. There fell in this battle, of Romans 243, and four generals:Bainobaudes, the tribune of the Cornuti, and with him Laipso, andInnocentius, who commanded the cuirassiers and one tribune who had noparticular command, and whose name I forget. But of the Allemanni, therewere found 6000 corpses on the field, and incalculable numbers werecarried down by the waves of the river. 

64. Then Julian, as one who was now manifestly approved by fortune, andwas also greater in his merit than even in his authority, was byunanimous acclamation hailed as Augustus by the soldiers; but he sharplyreproved them for so doing, affirming with an oath that he neitherwished for such an honour, nor would accept it. 

65. In order to increase the joy at his recent success, Julian orderedChnodomarius to be brought before him at his council; who at firstbowing, and then like a suppliant, prostrating himself on the ground, and imploring pardon with entreaties framed after the fashion of hisnation, was bidden to take courage. 

66. A few days afterwards he was conducted to the court of the emperor, and thence he was sent to Rome, where he died of a lethargy in theforeign camp which is stationed on Mons Cælius. 

67. Notwithstanding that these numerous and important events werebrought to so happy an issue, some persons in the palace of Constantius, disparaging Julian in order to give pleasure to the emperor, in a toneof derision called him Victorinus, because he, modestly relating howoften he had been employed in leading the army, at the same time relatedthat the Germans had received many defeats. 

68. They at the same time, by loading the emperor with empty praises, ofwhich the extravagance was glaringly conspicuous, so inflated aninherent pride, already beyond all natural bounds, that he was led tobelieve that, whatever took place in the whole circumference of theearth was owing to his fortunate auspices. 

69. So that, being inflated by the pompous language of his flatterers, he then, and at all subsequent periods, became accustomed in all theedicts which he published to advance many unfounded statements;assuming, that he by himself had fought and conquered, when in fact hehad not been present at anything that had happened; often also assertingthat he had raised up the suppliant kings of conquered nations. Forinstance, if while he was still in Italy any of his generals had foughta brilliant campaign against the Persians, the emperor would writetriumphant letters to the provinces without the slightest mention of thegeneral throughout its whole length, relating with odious self-praisehow he himself had fought in the front ranks. 

70. Lastly, edicts of his are still extant, laid up among the publicrecords of the empire . . . Relating . . . [69] and extolling himself to theskies. A letter also is to be found, though he was forty days' journeyfrom Strasburg when the battle was fought, describing the engagement, saying that he marshalled the army, stood among the standard-bearers, and put the barbarians to the rout; and with amazing falsehood assertingthat Chnodomarius was brought before him, without (oh shamefulindignity!) saying a single word about the exploits of Julian; which hewould have utterly buried in oblivion if fame had not refused to letgreat deeds die, however many people may try to keep them in the shade. 

[59] The text is defective here, as it is wherever these marks occur. 

[60] Coblenz. 

[61] Julius Cæsar: the story of the frightened fisherman beingencouraged by the assurance that he was carrying "Cæsar and hisfortunes" is universally known. 

[62] Claudius, who devoted himself in the Gothic war. 

[63] Galerius Maximianus, who reconnoitred in person the camp of theking of Persia. 

[64] The word is derived from κλιβανον, an oven, and seems tomean entirely clothed in iron. 

[65] Valeria was a division of Pannonia, so called from Valeria, thedaughter of Diocletian, and the wife of Galerius. 

[66] Troops named from the fashion of their arms; the Cornuti havingprojections like horns on their helmets, the Braccati wearing drawers. 

[67] The testudo was properly applied to the manner in which they lockedtheir shields over their heads while advancing to storm a walled town. 

[68] The Mirmillo was a gladiator opposed to a Retiarius, protectinghimself by his oblong shield against the net of the latter. 

[69] The text is mutilated here, as in many other passages similarlymarked. 

BOOK XVII. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. Julian crosses the Rhine and plunders and burns the towns of the Allemanni, repairs the fortress of Trajan, and grants the barbarians a truce for ten months. --II. He hems in six hundred Franks who are devastating the second Germania, and starves them into surrender. --III. He endeavours to relieve the Gauls from some of the tribute which weighs them down. --IV. By order of the Emperor Constantius an obelisk is erected at Rome in the Circus Maximus;--some observations on obelisks and on hieroglyphics. --V. Constantius and Sapor, king of the Persians, by means of ambassadors and letters, enter into a vain negotiation for peace. --VI. The Nethargi, an Allemanni tribe, are defeated in the Tyrol, which they were laying waste. --VII. Nicomedia is destroyed by an earthquake; some observations on earthquakes--VIII. Julian receives the surrender of the Salii, a Frankish tribe. He defeats one body of the Chamavi, takes another body prisoners, and grants peace to the rest. --IX. He repairs three forts on the Meuse that had been destroyed by the barbarians. His soldiers suffer from want, and become discontented and reproachful. --X. Surmarius and Hortarius, kings of the Allemanni, surrender their prisoners and obtain peace from Julian. --XI. Julian, after his successes in Gaul, is disparaged at the court of Constantius by enviers of his fame, and is spoken of as inactive and cowardly. --XII. The Emperor Constantius compels the Sarmatians to give hostage, and to restore their prisoners; and imposes a king on the Sarmatian exiles, whom he restores to their country and to freedom. --XIII. He compels the Limigantes, after defeating them with great slaughter, to emigrate, and harangues his own soldiers. --XIV. The Roman ambassadors, who had been sent to treat for peace, return from Persia; and Sapor returns into Armenia and Mesopotamia. 

I. 

A. D. 357. 

§ 1. After the various affairs which we have described were brought to aconclusion, the warlike young prince, now that the battle of Strasburghad secured him the navigation of the Rhine, felt anxious that theill-omened birds should not feed on the corpses of the slain, and soordered them all to be buried without distinction. And having dismissedthe ambassadors whom we have mentioned as having come with some arrogantmessages before the battle, he returned to Saverne. 

2. From this place he ordered all the booty and the prisoners to bebrought to Metz, to be left there till his return. Then departing forMayence, to lay down a bridge at that city and to seek the barbarians intheir own territories, since he had left none of them in arms, he was atfirst met by great opposition on the part of his army; but addressingthem with eloquence and persuasion he soon won them to his opinion. Fortheir affection for him, becoming strengthened by repeated experience, induced them to follow one who shared in all their toils, and who, whilenever surrendering his authority, was still accustomed, as every onesaw, to impose more labour on himself than on his men. They soon arrivedat the appointed spot, and, crossing the river by a bridge they laiddown, occupied the territory of the enemy. 

3. The barbarians, amazed at the greatness of his enterprise, inasmuchas they had fancied they were situated in a position in which they couldhardly be disturbed, were now led by the destruction of their countrymento think anxiously of their own future fate, and accordingly, pretendingto implore peace that they might escape from the violence of his firstinvasion, they sent ambassadors to him with a set message, offering alasting treaty of agreement; but (though it is not known what design orchange of circumstances altered their purpose) they immediatelyafterwards sent off some others with all speed, to threaten our troopswith implacable war if they did not at once quit their territories. 

4. And when this was known, the Cæsar, as soon as all was quiet, at thebeginning of night embarked 800 men in some small swift boats, with theintention that they should row with all their strength up stream forsome distance, and then land and destroy all they could find with fireand sword. 

5. After he had made this arrangement, the barbarians were seen atdaybreak on the tops of the mountains, on which our soldiers were ledwith speed to the higher ground; and when no enemy was found there(since the barbarians, divining their plan, immediately retreated to adistance), presently large volumes of smoke were seen, which indicatedthat our men had broken into the enemy's territory, and were laying itwaste. 

6. This event broke the spirit of the Germans, who, deserting theambuscades which they had laid for our men in narrow defiles full oflurking-places, they fled across the river Maine to carry aid to theircountrymen. 

7. For, as is often the case in times of uncertainty and difficulty, they were panic-stricken by the incursion of our cavalry on the oneside, and the sudden attacks of our infantry, conveyed in boats, on theother; and therefore, relying on their knowledge of the country, theysought safety in the rapidity of their flight; and, as their retreatleft the motions of our troops free, we plundered the wealthy farms oftheir crops and their cattle, sparing no one. And having carried off anumber of prisoners, we set fire to, and burnt to the ground all theirhouses, which in that district were built more carefully than usual, inthe Roman fashion. 

8. And when we had penetrated a distance of ten miles, till we came neara wood terrible from the denseness of its shade, our army halted for awhile, and stayed its advance, having learnt from information given by adeserter that a number of enemies were concealed in some subterraneanpassages and caverns with many entrances in the neighbourhood, ready tosally forth when a favourable opportunity should appear. 

9. Nevertheless our men presently ventured to advance in fullconfidence, and found the roads blockaded by oaks, ashes, and pines, ofgreat size, cut down and laid together. And so they retreated withcaution, perceiving that it was impossible to advance except by long andrugged defiles; though they could hardly restrain their indignation atbeing compelled to do so. 

10. The weather too became very severe, so that they were enveloped inall kinds of toil and danger to no purpose (forasmuch as it was now pastthe autumnal equinox, and the snow, which had already fallen in thoseregions, covered the mountains and the plains), and so, instead ofproceeding, Julian undertook a work worthy of being related. 

11. He repaired with great expedition, while there was no one to hinderhim, the fortress which Trajan had constructed in the territory of theAllemanni, and to which he had given his own name, and which had latelybeen attacked with great violence and almost destroyed. And he placedthere a temporary garrison, and also some magazines, which he hadcollected from the barbarians. 

12. But when the Allemanni saw these preparations made for theirdestruction, they assembled rapidly in great consternation at what hadalready been done, and sent ambassadors to implore peace, with prayersof extreme humility. And the Cæsar, now that he had fully matured andsecured the success of all his designs, taking into consideration allprobabilities, granted them a truce for ten months. In reality he wasespecially influenced by this prudent consideration, that the camp whichhe had thus occupied without hindrance, in a way that could hardly havebeen hoped for, required, nevertheless, to be fortified with muralengines and other adequate equipments. 

13. Trusting to this truce, three of the most ferocious of those kingswho had sent reinforcements to their countrymen when defeated atStrasburg, came to him, though still in some degree of alarm, and tookthe oaths according to the formula in use in their country, that theywould create no further disturbance, but that they would keep the trucefaithfully up to the appointed day, because that had been the decisionof our generals; and that they would not attack the fortress; and thatthey would even bring supplies to it on their shoulders if the garrisoninformed them that they were in want; all which they promised, becausetheir fear bridled their treachery. 

14. In this memorable war, which deserves to be compared with thoseagainst the Carthaginians or the Gauls, yet was accompanied with verylittle loss to the republic, Julian triumphed as a fortunate andsuccessful leader. The very smallness of his losses might have givensome colour to the assertions of his detractors, who declared that hehad only fought bravely on all occasions, because he preferred dyinggloriously to being put to death like his brother Gallus, as a condemnedmalefactor, as they had expected he would be, if he had not, after thedeath of Constantius, continued to distinguish himself equally bysplendid exploits. 

II. 

§ 1. Now when everything was settled in that country as fairly as thecase permitted, Julian, returning to his winter quarters, found sometrouble still left for him. Severus, the master of the horse, being onthe way to Rheims through Cologne and Juliers, fell in with some strongbattalions of Franks, consisting of six hundred light-armed soldiers, who were laying waste those places which were not defended by garrisons. They had been encouraged to this audacious wickedness by the opportunityafforded them when the Cæsar was occupied in the remote districts of theAllemanni, thinking to obtain a rich booty without any hindrance. But infear of the army which had now returned, they occupied two fortresseswhich had been abandoned for some time, and defended themselves there aslong as they could. 

2. Julian, amazed at the novelty of such an attempt, and thinking itimpossible to say how far such a spirit would spread if he allowed it topass without a check, halted his soldiers, and gave orders to blockadethe forts. . . . The Meuse passes beneath them; and the blockade wasprotracted for fifty-four days, through nearly the entire months ofDecember and January, the barbarians resisting with incredible obstinacyand courage. 

3. Then the Cæsar, like an experienced general, fearing that thebarbarians might take advantage of some moonless night to cross over theriver, which was now thoroughly frozen, ordered soldiers to go up anddown the stream every day in light boats, from sunset till daybreak, soas to break the crust of ice and prevent any one from escaping in thatmanner. Owing to this manoeuvre, the barbarians were so exhausted byhunger, watching, and the extremity of despair, that at last theyvoluntarily surrendered, and were immediately sent to the court of theemperor. 

4. And a vast multitude of Franks, who had come to their assistance, hearing that they were taken prisoners and sent off, would not ventureon any further enterprise, but returned to their own country. And whenthis affair was finished, the Cæsar retired to Paris to pass the winterthere. 

III. 

§ 1. It was now expected that a number of tribes would unite in greaterforce, and therefore the prudent Julian, bearing in mind theuncertainties of war, became very anxious and full of care. And as hethought that the truce lately made, though not free from trouble, andnot of long duration, still gave him opportunity to remedy some thingswhich were faulty, he began to remodel the arrangements about tribute. 

2. And when Florentius, the prefect of the prætorium, having taken anestimate of everything, affirmed that whatever deficiency there might bein the produce of a capitation tax he should be able to make good fromwhat he could levy by force, Julian, deprecating this practice, determined to lose his own life rather than permit it. 

3. For he knew that the wounds inflicted by such extortions, or, as Ishould rather call them, confiscations, are incurable, and have oftenreduced provinces to extreme destitution. Indeed, such conduct, as willbe related hereafter, utterly lost us Illyricum. 

4. And when, owing to this resolution of his, the prætorian prefectexclaimed that it could not be endured that he, to whom the emperor hadintrusted the chief authority in this matter, should be thus distrusted, Julian attempted to appease him, showing by exact and accuratecalculations that the capitation tax was not only enough, but more thanenough to provide all the necessary supplies. 

5. And when some time afterwards an edict for a supplementary tax wasnevertheless presented to him by Florentius, he refused to sign or evento read it; and threw it on the ground; and when warned by letters fromthe emperor (written on receiving the prefect's report) not to act in soembarrassing a manner, lest he should seem to be diminishing theauthority of Florentius, Julian wrote in answer, that it was a matter tobe thankful for, if a province that had been devastated in everydirection could still pay its regular taxes, without demanding from itany extraordinary contributions, which indeed no punishments couldextort from men in a state of destitution: and then, and from that timeforward, owing to the firmness of one man, no one ever attempted toextort anything illegal in Gaul beyond the regular taxes. 

6. The Cæsar had also in another affair set an example whollyunprecedented, entreating the prefect to intrust to him the governmentof the second Belgic province, which was oppressed by manifold evils; onthe especial and single condition that no officer, either belonging tothe prefect or to the garrison, should force any one to pay anything. And the whole people whom he thus took under his care, comforted andrelieved by this mildness, paid all the taxes due from them before theappointed day, without any demand being made upon them. 

IV. 

§ 1. While Julian was thus beginning to put Gaul into a bettercondition, and while Orfitus was still governor of the second province, an obelisk was erected at Rome, in the Circus Maximus, concerning which, as this seems a convenient opportunity, I will mention a fewparticulars. 

2. The city of Thebes, in Egypt, built in remote ages, with enormouswalls, and celebrated also for entrances by a hundred gates, was fromthis circumstance called by its founders ἑκατόμπυλος(_Hecatompylos_); and from the name of this city the whole district isknown as Thebais. 

3. When Carthage began to rise in greatness, the Carthaginian generalsconquered and destroyed Thebes by a sudden attack. And after it wasrebuilt, Cambyses, the celebrated king of Persia, who throughout hiswhole life was covetous and ferocious, overran Egypt, and again attackedthis city that he might plunder it of its wealth, which was enough toexcite his envy; and he spared not even the offerings which had beenmade to the gods. 

4. And while he was in his savage manner moving to and fro among hisplunderers, he got entangled in his own flowing robes, and fell on hisface, and by the fall his dagger, which he wore close to his thigh, gotloose from the scabbard, and he was mortally wounded and died. 

5. And long afterwards, Cornelius Gallus, who was governor of Egypt atthe time when Octavianus was emperor of Rome, impoverished the city byplundering it of most of its treasuries; and returning to Rome on beingaccused of theft and of laying waste the province, he, from fear of thenobles, who were bitterly indignant against him, as one to whom theemperor had committed a most honourable task, fell on his own sword andso died. If I mistake not, he is the same person as Gallus the poet, whose loss Virgil deplores at the end of his Bucolics, celebrating hismemory in sweet verses. 

6. In this city of Thebes, among many works of art and differentstructures recording the tales relating to the Egyptian deities, we sawseveral obelisks in their places, and others which had been thrown downand broken; which the ancient kings, when elated at some victory or atthe general prosperity of their affairs, had caused to be hewn out ofmountains in distant parts of the world, and erected in honour of thegods, to whom they solemnly consecrated them. 

7. Now an obelisk is a rough stone, rising to a great height, shapedlike a pillar in the stadium; and it tapers upwards in imitation of asunbeam, keeping its quadrilateral shape, till it rises almost to apoint, being made smooth by the hand of a sculptor. 

8. On these obelisks the ancient authority of elementary wisdom hascaused innumerable marks of strange forms all over them, which arecalled hieroglyphics. 

9. For the workmen, carving many kinds of birds and beasts, some evensuch as must belong to another world, in order that the recollection ofthe exploits which the obelisk was designed to commemorate might reachto subsequent ages, showed by them the accomplishment of vows which thekings had made. 

10. For it was not the case then as it is now, that the establishednumber of letters can distinctly express whatever the human mindconceives; nor did the ancient Egyptians write in such a manner; buteach separate character served for a separate noun or verb, andsometimes even for an entire sense. 

11. Of which fact the two following may for the present be sufficientinstances: by the figure of a vulture they indicate the name of nature;because naturalists declare that no males are found in this class ofbird. And by the figure of a bee making honey they indicate a king;showing by such a sign that stings as well as sweetness are thecharacteristics of a ruler; and there are many similar emblems. 

12. And because the flatterers, who were continually whispering into theear of Constantius, kept always affirming that when Augustus Octavianushad brought two obelisks from Heliopolis, a city of Egypt, one of whichwas placed in the Circus Maximus, and the other in the Campus Martius, he yet did not venture to touch or move this one which has just beenbrought to Rome, being alarmed at the greatness of such a task; I wouldhave those, who do not know the truth, learn that the ancient emperor, though he moved several obelisks, left this one untouched, because itwas especially dedicated to the Sun-god, and was set up within theprecincts of his magnificent temple, which it was impious to profane;and of which it was the most conspicuous ornament. 

13. But Constantine deeming that a consideration of no importance, hadit torn up from its place, and thinking rightly that he should not beoffering any insult to religion if he removed a splendid work from someother temple to dedicate it to the gods at Rome, which is the temple ofthe whole world, let it lie on the ground for some time whilearrangements for its removal were being prepared. And when it had beencarried down the Nile, and landed at Alexandria, a ship of a burdenhitherto unexampled, requiring three hundred rowers to propel it, wasbuilt to receive it. 

14. And when these preparations were made, and after the aforenamedemperor had died, the enterprise began to cool. However, after a time itwas at last put on board ship, and conveyed over sea, and up the streamof the Tiber, which seemed as it were frightened, lest its own windingwaters should hardly be equal to conveying a present from the almostunknown Nile to the walls which itself cherished. At last the obeliskreached the village of Alexandria, three miles from the city; and thenit was placed in a cradle, and drawn slowly on, and brought through theOstran gate and the public fish-market to the Circus Maximus. 

15. The only work remaining to be done was to raise it, which wasgenerally believed to be hardly, if at all, practicable. And vast beamshaving been raised on end in a most dangerous manner, so that theylooked like a grove of machines, long ropes of huge size were fastenedto them, darkening the very sky with their density, as they formed a webof innumerable threads; and into them the great stone itself, coveredover as it was with elements of writing, was bound, and gradually raisedinto the empty air, and long suspended, many thousands of men turning itround and round like a millstone, till it was at last placed in themiddle of the square; and on it was placed a brazen sphere, madebrighter with plates of gold: and as that was immediately afterwardsstruck by lightning, and destroyed, a brazen figure like a torch wasplaced on it, also plated with gold--to look as if the torch were fullyalight. 

16. Subsequent ages also removed other obelisks; one of which is in theVatican, a second in the garden of Sallust; and two in the monument ofAugustus. 

17. But the writing which is engraven on the old obelisk in the Circus, we have set forth below in Greek characters, following in this the workof Hermapion:--

 ΑΡΧΗΝ ΑΠΟ ΤΟΝ ΝΟΤΙΟΝ ΔΙΕΡΜΗΝΕΥΜΕΝΑ ΕΧΕΙ ΣΤΙΧΟΕ ΠΡΩΤΟΕ ΤΑΔΕ. 

18. The first line, beginning on the south side, bears thisinterpretation--"The Sun to Ramestes the king--I have given to thee toreign with joy over the whole earth; to thee whom the Sun and Apollolove--to thee, the mighty truth-loving son of Heron--the god-born rulerof the habitable earth; whom the Sun has chosen above all men, thevaliant warlike King Ramestes. Under whose power, by his valour andmight, the whole world is placed. The King Ramestes, the immortal son ofthe Sun. "

19. The second line is--"The mighty Apollo, who takes his stand upontruth, the lord of the diadem, he who has honoured Egypt by becoming itsmaster, adorning Heliopolis, and having created the rest of the world, and having greatly honoured the gods who have their shrines in the cityof the Sun; whom the son loves. "

20. The third line--"The mighty Apollo, the all-brilliant son of theSun, whom the Sun chose above all others, and to whom the valiant Marsgave gifts. Thou whose good fortune abideth for ever. Thou whom Ammonloves. Thou who hast filled the temple of the Phoenix with goodthings. Thou to whom the gods have given long life. Apollo the mightyson of Heron, Ramestes the king of the world. Who has defended Egypt, having subdued the foreign enemy. Whom the Sun loves. To whom the godshave given long life--the master of the world--the immortal Ramestes. "

21. Another second line--"The Sun, the great God, the master of heaven. I have given unto thee a life free from satiety. Apollo, the mightymaster of the diadem; to whom nothing is comparable. To whom the lord ofEgypt has erected many statues in this kingdom. And has made the city ofHeliopolis as brilliant as the Sun himself, the master of heaven. Theson of the Sun, the king living for ever, has co-operated in thecompletion of this work. "

22. A third line--"I, the Sun, the god, the master of heaven, have givento Ramestes the king might and authority over all. Whom Apollo thetruth-lover, the master of time, and Vulcan the father of the gods hathchosen above others by reason of his courage. The all-rejoicing king, the son of the Sun, and beloved by the Sun. "

23. The first line, looking towards the east--"The great God ofHeliopolis, the mighty Apollo who dwelleth in Heaven, the son of Heronwhom the Sun hath guided. Whom the gods have honoured. He who rulethover all the earth: whom the Sun has chosen before all others. The kingvaliant by the favour of Mars. Whom Ammon loveth, and the all-shininggod, who hath chosen him as a king for everlasting. " And so on. 

V. 

A. D. 358. 

§ 1. In the consulship of Datianus and Cerealis, when all arrangementsin Gaul were made with more careful zeal than before, and while theterror caused by past events still checked the outbreaks of thebarbarians, the king of the Persians, being still on the frontiers ofthose nations which border on his dominions, and having made a treaty ofalliance with the Chionitæ and the Gelani, the most warlike andindefatigable of all tribes, being about to return to his own country, received the letters of Tamsapor which announced to him that the Romanemperor was a suppliant for peace. 

2. And he, suspecting that Constantius would never have done so if theempire had not been weakened all over, raised his own pretensions, andembracing the name indeed of peace, offered very unwelcome conditions. And having sent a man of the name of Narses as ambassador with manypresents, he gave him letters to Constantius, in which he in no respectabated of his natural pride. The purport of these letters we haveunderstood to be this:--

3. "I, Sapor, king of kings, partner of the stars, brother of the sunand moon, to Constantius Cæsar my brother send much greeting. I am gladand am well pleased that at last thou hast returned to the right way, and hast acknowledged the incorruptible decree of equity, having gainedexperience by facts, and having learnt what disasters an obstinatecovetousness of the property of others has often caused. 

4. "Because therefore the language of truth ought to be unrestrained andfree, and because men in the highest rank ought only to say what theymean, I will reduce my propositions into a few words; remembering that Ihave already often repeated what I am now about to say. 

5. "Even your own ancient records bear witness that my ancestorspossessed all the country up to the Strymon and the frontier ofMacedonia. And these lands it is fitting that I who (not to speakarrogantly) am superior to those ancient kings in magnificence, and inall eminent virtues, should now reclaim. But I am at all timesthoughtful to remember that, from my earliest youth, I have never doneanything to repent of. 

6. "And therefore it is a duty in me to recover Armenia and Mesopotamia, which were wrested from my ancestor by deliberate treachery. Thatprinciple was never admitted by us which you with exultation assert, that all successes in war deserve praise, without considering whetherthey were achieved by valour or by treachery. 

7. "Lastly, if you are willing to be guided by one who gives you goodadvice, I would bid you despise a small part of your dominions which isever the parent of sorrow and bloodshed, in order to reign in safetyover the rest. Wisely considering that physicians also sometimes applycautery or amputation, and cut off portions of the body that the patientmay have good use of the rest of his limbs. Nay, that even beasts do thesame: since when they observe on what account they are most especiallyhunted, they will of their own accord deprive themselves of that, inorder henceforth to be able to live in security. 

8. "This, in short, I declare, that should my present embassy returnwithout having succeeded in its object, after giving the winter seasonto rest I will gird myself up with all my strength, and while fortuneand justice give me a well-founded hope of ultimate success, I willhasten my march as much as Providence will permit. "

9. Having given long consideration to this letter, the emperor withupright and wise heart, as the saying is, made answer in this manner:--

10. "Constantius, always august, conqueror by land and sea, to mybrother Sapor much health. I congratulate thee on thy safety, as one whois willing to be a friend to thee if thou wilt. But I greatly blame thyinsatiable covetousness, now more grasping than ever. 

11. "Thou demandest Mesopotamia as thine own, and then Armenia. And thoubiddest me cut off some members from my sound body in order to place itshealth on a sound footing: a demand which is to be rejected at oncerather than to be encouraged by any consent. Receive therefore thetruth, not covered with any pretences, but clear, and not to be shakenby any threats. 

12. "The prefect of my prætorian guard, thinking to undertake an affairwhich might be beneficial to the state, without my knowledge discoursedabout peace with thy generals, by the agency of some low persons. Peacewe should neither regret nor refuse--let it only come with credit andhonour, in such a way as to impair neither our self-respect nor ourdignity. 

13. "For it would be an unbecoming and shameful thing when all men'sears are filled with our exploits, so as to have shut even the mouth ofenvy; when after the destruction of tyrants the whole Roman world obeysus, to give up those territories which even when limited to the narrowboundaries of the east we preserved undiminished. 

14. "But I pray thee make an end of the threats which thou utterestagainst me, in obedience to thy national habit, when it cannot bedoubted that it is not from inactivity, but from moderation, that wehave at times endured attacks instead of being the assailants ourselves:and know that, whenever we are attacked, we defend our own with braveryand good will: being assured both by thy reading and thy personalexperience that in battle it has been rare for Romans to meet withdisaster; and that in the final issue of a war we have never come offthe worst. "

15. The embassy was therefore dismissed without gaining any of itsobjects; and indeed no other reply could be given to the unbridledcovetousness of the king. And a few days afterwards, Count Prosperfollowed, and Spectatus the tribune and secretary; and also, by thesuggestion of Musonianus, Eustathius the philosopher, as one skilful inpersuading, bearing a letter from the emperor, and presents, with a viewto induce Sapor to suspend his preparations, so that all our attentionmight be turned to fortifying the northern provinces in the mosteffective manner. 

VI. 

§ 1. Now while these affairs, of so doubtful a complexion, wereproceeding, that portion of the Allemanni which borders on the regionsof Italy, forgetful of the peace and of the treaties which they onlyobtained by abject entreaty, laid waste the Tyrol with such fury thatthey even went beyond their usual habit in undertaking the siege of somewalled towns. 

2. And when a strong force had been sent to repel them under the commandof Barbatio, who had been promoted to the command of the infantry in theroom of Silvanus, a man of not much activity, but a fluent talker, he, as his troops were in a high state of indignation at the invaders, gavethem so terrible a defeat, that only a very few, who took to flight intheir panic, escaped to carry back their tears and lamentations to theirhomes. 

3. In this battle Nevitta, who afterwards became consul, was present ascommander of a squadron of cavalry, and displayed great gallantry. 

VII. 

§ 1. This year also some terrible earthquakes took place in Macedonia, Asia Minor, and Pontus, and their repeated shocks overthrew many towns, and even mountains. But the most remarkable of all the manifolddisasters which they caused was the entire ruin of Nicomedia, themetropolis of Bithynia; which I will here relate with truth and brevity. 

2. On the 23rd of August, at daybreak, some heavy black clouds suddenlyobscured the sky, which just before was quite fair. And the sun was sowholly concealed that it was impossible to see what was near or evenquite close, so completely did a thick lurid darkness settle on theground, preventing the least use of the eyes. 

3. Presently, as if the supreme deity were himself letting loose hisfatal wrath, and stirring up the winds from their hinges, a violentraging storm descended, by the fury of which the groaning mountains werestruck, and the crash of the waves on the shore was heard to a vastdistance. And then followed typhoons and whirlwinds with a horridtrembling of the earth, throwing down the whole city and its suburbs. 

4. And as most of the houses were built on the slopes of the hills, theynow fell down one over the other, while all around resounded with thevast crash of their fall. In the mean time the tops of the hillsre-echoed all sorts of noises, as well as outcries of men seeking theirwives and children, and other relations. 

5. At last, after two hours, or at least within three, the air becameagain clear and serene, and disclosed the destruction which till thenwas unseen. Some, overwhelmed by the enormous masses of ruins which hadfallen upon them, were crushed to death. Some were buried up to theneck, and might have been saved if there had been any timely help athand, but perished for want of assistance; others were transfixed by thepoints of beams projecting forth, on which they hung suspended. 

6. Here was seen a crowd of persons slain by one blow; there apromiscuous heap of corpses piled in various ways--some were buriedbeneath the roofs of falling houses, which leant over so as to protectthem from any actual blows, but reserved them for an agonizing death bystarvation. Among whom was Aristænetus, who, with the authority ofdeputy, governed Bithynia, which had been recently erected into aprovince; and to which Constantius had given the name of Piety, inhonour of his wife Eusebia, (a Greek word, equivalent to Pietas inLatin); and he perished thus by a lingering death. 

7. Others who were overwhelmed by the sudden fall of vast buildings, arestill lying entombed beneath the immovable masses. Some with theirskulls fractured, or their shoulders or legs cut through, lay betweenlife and death, imploring aid from others suffering equally withthemselves; but in spite of their entreaties they were abandoned. 

8. Not but what the greater part of the temples and buildings and of thecitizens also would have escaped unhurt, if a fire had not suddenlybroken out, which raged with great violence for fifty days and nights, and destroyed all that remained. 

9. I think this a good opportunity to enumerate a few of the conjectureswhich the ancients have formed about earthquakes. For as to any accurateknowledge of their causes, not only has that never been attained by theignorance of the common people, but they have equally eluded the longlucubrations and subtle researches of natural philosophers. 

10. And on this account in all priestly ceremonies, whether ritual orpontifical, care is taken not at such times to name one god more thananother, for fear of impiety, since it is quite uncertain which godcauses these visitations. 

11. But as the various opinions, among which Aristotle wavers andhesitates, suggest, earthquakes are engendered either in small cavernsunder the earth, which the Greeks call σύριγγες, because ofthe waters pouring through them with a more rapid motion than usual, or, as Anaxagoras affirms, they arise from the force of the wind penetratingthe lower parts of the earth, which, when they have got down to theencrusted solid mass, finding no vent-holes, shake those portions intheir solid state, into which they have got entrance when in a state ofsolution. And this is corroborated by the observation that at such timesno breezes of wind are felt by us above ground, because the winds areoccupied in the lowest recesses of the earth. 

12. Anaximander says that the earth when burnt up by excessive heat anddrought, and also after excessive rains, opens larger fissures thanusual, which the upper air penetrates with great force and in excessivequantities, and the earth, shaken by the furious blasts which penetratethose fissures, is disturbed to its very foundations; for which reasonthese fearful events occur either at times of great evaporation or elseat those of an extravagant fall of rain from heaven. And therefore theancient poets and theologians gave Neptune the name of Earthshaker, [70]as being the power of moist substance. 

13. Now earthquakes take place in four manners: either they are_brasmatiæ_, [71] which raise up the ground in a terrible manner, andthrow vast masses up to the surface, as in Asia, Delos arose, and Hiera;and also Anaphe and Rhodes, which has at different times been calledOphiusa and Pelagia, and was once watered with a shower of gold;[72] andEleusis in Boeotia, and the Hellenian islands in the Tyrrhenian sea, and many other islands. Or they are _climatiæ_, [73] which, with aslanting and oblique blow, level cities, edifices, and mountains. Or_chasmatiæ_, [74] which suddenly, by a violent motion, open huge mouths, and so swallow up portions of the earth, as in the Atlantic sea, on thecoast of Europe, a large island[75] was swallowed up, and in theCrissæan Gulf, Helice and Bura, [76] and in Italy, in the Ciminiandistrict, the town of Saccumum[77] was swallowed up in a deep gulf andhidden in everlasting darkness. And among these three kinds ofearthquakes, _myæmotiæ_[78] are heard with a threatening roar, when theelements either spring apart, their joints being broken, or againresettle in their former places, when the earth also settles back; forthen it cannot be but that crashes and roars of the earth should resoundwith bull-like bellowings. Let us now return to our original subject. 

VIII. 

§ 1. Cæsar, passing his winter among the Parisii, was eagerly preparingto anticipate the Allemanni, who were not yet assembled in one body, butwho, since the battle of Strasburg, were working themselves up to apitch of insane audacity and ferocity. And he was waiting with greatimpatience for the month of July, when the Gallic campaigns usuallybegin. For indeed he could not march before the summer had banished thefrost and cold, and allowed him to receive supplies from Aquitania. 

2. But as diligence overcomes almost all difficulties, he, revolvingmany plans of all kinds in his mind, at last conceived the idea of notwaiting till the crops were ripe, but falling on the barbarians beforethey expected him. And having resolved on that plan, he caused his mento take corn for twenty days' consumption from what they had in store, and to make it into biscuit, so that it might keep longer; and thisenabled the soldiers to carry it, which they did willingly. And relyingon this provision, and setting out as before, with favourable auspices, he reckoned that in the course of five or six months he might finish twourgent and indispensable expeditions. 

3. And when all his preparations were made, he first marched againstthe Franks, that is against that tribe of them usually called Salii, whosome time before had ventured with great boldness to fix theirhabitations on the Roman soil near Toxandria. [79] But when he hadreached Tongres, he was met by an embassy from this tribe, who expectedstill to find him in his winter quarters, offering him peace oncondition of his leaving them unattacked and unmolested, as if theground they had seized were rightfully their own. Julian comprehendedthe whole affair, and having given the ambassadors an ambiguous reply, and also some presents, sent them back again, leaving them to suppose hewould remain in the same place till they returned. 

4. But the moment they had departed he followed them, sending Severusalong the bank of the river, and suddenly came upon the whole settlementlike a thunderbolt; and availing himself of his victory to make areasonable exhibition of clemency, as indeed they met him withentreaties rather than with resistance, he received the submission ofthem and their children. 

5. He then attacked the Chamavi, [80] who had been guilty of similaraudacity, and through the same celerity of movement he slew one portionof them, and another who made a vigorous resistance he took prisoners, while others who fled precipitately he allowed to escape unhurt to theirown territories, to avoid exhausting his soldiers with a long campaign. And when ambassadors were afterwards sent by them to implore his pardon, and generally to do what they could for them, when they prostratedthemselves before him, he granted them peace on condition of retiring totheir own districts without doing any mischief. 

IX. 

§ 1. Everything thus succeeding according to his wish, Julian, always onthe watch to establish by every means in his power the security of theprovinces on a solid foundation, determined to put in as good repair asthe time permitted those fortresses erected in a line on the banks ofthe Meuse, which some time before had been destroyed by an attack ofthe barbarians. And accordingly he desisted for a while from all otheroperations, and restored them. 

2. And that he might by a prudent rapidity insure their safety, he tooka part of the seventeen days' provisions, which troops, when going on anexpedition, carry on their backs, and stored in those forts, hoping toreplace what he thus took from the soldiers by seizing the crops of theChamavi. 

3. But he was greatly disappointed. For as the crops were not yet ripe, the soldiers when they had consumed what they had with them were unableto find food, and began to utter violent threats against Julian, mingledwith fierce cries and reproaches, calling him Asiatic, Greek, a cheat, and a fool pretending to be wise. And as it is commonly the case amongsoldiers that some men are found of remarkable fluency of speech, theypoured forth such harangues as this:--

4. "Whither are we being dragged, having lost all hope of good fortune?We formerly, indeed, suffered terrible hardships in the snow, and cruelbiting frost; but now (oh, shame!), when we have the fate of the enemyin our hands, we are wasting away with famine, the most miserable of alldeaths. Let no one think that we are stirrers up of tumults; we declarethat we are speaking for our very lives. We do not ask for gold orsilver, which it is long since we have touched or seen, and which are asmuch denied to us as if we had been convicted of having encountered allour toils and perils in the service of the enemies of the republic. "

5. And their complaints were just. For after all his gallant exploitsand all his doubtful changes and dangers, the soldiers were exhausted byhis Gallic campaigns, without even receiving either donation or pay fromthe time that Julian was sent to take the command; because he himselfhad nothing to give, nor would Constantius permit anything to be drawnfor that purpose from the treasury, as had been the custom. 

6. And at a later period it was manifest that this was owing more toill-will than to parsimony, because when Julian had given some smallcoin to one of the common soldiers, who, as was the custom, had askedfor some to get shaved with, he was attacked for it with most insultingcalumnies by Gaudentius, the secretary, who had long remained in Gaul asa spy upon his actions, and whom he himself subsequently ordered to beput to death, as will be related in its fitting place. 

X. 

§ 1. When at length their discontent was appeased by various kinds ofcaresses, and when the Rhine had been crossed by a bridge of boats, which was thrown over it, Severus, the master of the horse, up to thattime a brave and energetic soldier, suddenly lost all his vigour. 

2. And he who had frequently been used to exhort the troops, both inbodies and as individuals, to gallant acts, now seemed a base and timidskulker from battle, as if he feared the approach of death. As we readin the books of Tages[81] that those who are fated to be soon struck bylightning, so lose their senses that they cannot hear thunder, or evengreater noises. And he marched on in a lazy way, not natural to him, andeven threatened with death the guides, who were leading on the army witha brisk step, if they would not agree to say that they were whollyignorant of the road any further. So they, fearing his power, and beingforbidden to show the way any more, advanced no further. 

3. But amid this delay, Suomarius, king of the Allemanni, arrivedunexpectedly with his suite; and he who had formerly been fierce andeager for any injury to the Romans, was now inclined to regard it as anunexpected gain to be permitted to retain his former possessions. Andbecause his looks and his gait showed him to be a suppliant, he wasreceived as a friend, and desired to be of good cheer. But still hesubmitted himself to Julian's discretion, and implored peace on hisbended knees. And peace was granted him, with pardon for the past, oncondition of giving up our prisoners and of supplying our soldiers withfood, whenever it was required, receiving, like any ordinary purveyor, security for payment of what he provided. But he was at the same timewarned, that if he did not furnish the required supplies in time hewould be liable to be called in question for his former hostility. 

4. And that which had been discreetly planned was carried out withouthindrance. Julian desiring to reach a town belonging to anotherchieftain, named Hortarius, towards which object nothing seemed wantingbut guides, gave orders to Nestica, a tribune of the Scutarii, and toChariettoa, a man of marvellous courage, to take great pains to capturea prisoner and to bring him to him. A youth of the Allemanni wasspeedily caught and brought before him, who, on condition of obtaininghis freedom, promised to show the road. The army, following him as itsguide, was soon obstructed by an abattis of lofty trees, which had beencut down; but by taking long and circuitous paths, they at last came tothe desired spot, and the soldiers in their rage laid waste the fieldswith fire, carried off the cattle and the inhabitants, and slew all whoresisted without mercy. 

5. The king, bewildered at this disaster, seeing the numerous legions, and the remains of his burnt villages, and looking upon the lastcalamities of fortune as impending over him, of his own accord imploredpardon, promising to do all that should be commanded him, and bindinghimself on oath to restore all his prisoners. For that was the objectabout which Julian was the most anxious. But still he restored only afew, and detained the greater part of them. 

6. When Julian knew this, he was filled with just indignation, and whenthe king came to receive the customary presents, the Cæsar refused torelease his four companions, on whose support and fidelity the kingprincipally relied, till all the prisoners were restored. 

7. But when the king was summoned by the Cæsar to a conference, lookingup at him with trembling eyes, he was overcome by the aspect of theconqueror, and overwhelmed by a sense of his own embarrassing condition, and especially by the compulsion under which he was now (since it wasreasonable that after so many successes of the Romans that the citieswhich had been destroyed by the violence of the barbarians should berebuilt) to supply waggons and materials from his own stores and thoseof his subjects. 

8. And after he had promised to do so, and had bound himself with anoath to consent to die if he were guilty of any treachery, he waspermitted to return to his own country. For he could not be compelled tofurnish provisions like Suomarius, because his land had been so utterlylaid waste that nothing could be found on it for him to give. 

9. Thus those kings who were formerly so proud and accustomed to growrich by the plunder of our citizens, were now brought under the Romanyoke; and as if they had been born and brought up among our tributaries, they submitted to our commands, though with reluctance. And when theseevents were thus brought to a conclusion, the Cæsar distributed his armyamong its usual stations, and returned to his winter quarters. 

XI. 

§ 1. When these transactions presently became known in the court ofConstantius--for the knowledge of them could not be concealed, since theCæsar, as if he had been merely an officer of the emperor's, referred tohim on all occasions--those who had the greatest influence in thepalace, being skilful professors of flattery, turned all Julian'swell-arranged plans and their successful accomplishment into ridicule;continually uttering such malicious sayings as this, "We have had enoughof the goat and his victories;" sneering at Julian because of his beard, and calling him a chattering mole, a purple-robed ape, and a Greekpedant. And pouring forth numbers of sneers of the same kind, acceptableto the emperor, who liked to hear them, they endeavoured with shamelessspeeches to overwhelm Julian's virtues, slandering him as a lazy, timid, carpet-knight, and one whose chief care was to set off his exploits byfine descriptions; it not being the first time that such a thing hadbeen done. 

2. For the greatest glory is always exposed to envy. So we read inrespect of the illustrious generals of old, that, though no fault couldbe found in them, still the malignity which found offence in theirgreatest actions was constantly inventing false charges and accusationsagainst them. 

3. In the same manner Cimon the son of Miltiades, who destroyed a vasthost of the Persians on the Eurymedon, a river in Pamphylia, andcompelled a nation always insolent and arrogant to beg for peace mosthumbly, was accused of intemperance; and again Scipio Æmilianus, bywhose indomitable vigilance two[82] most powerful cities, which had madegreat efforts to injure Rome, were both destroyed, was disparaged as amere drone. 

4. Moreover, wicked detractors, scrutinizing the character of Pompey, when no pretext for finding fault with him could be discovered, remarkedtwo qualities in which they could raise a laugh against him; one that hehad a sort of natural trick of scratching his head with one finger:another that for the purpose of concealing an unsightly sore, he used tobind one of his legs with a white bandage. Of which habits, the firstthey said showed a dissolute man; the second, one eager for a change ofgovernment; contending, with a somewhat meagre argument, that it did notsignify what part of his body he clothed with a badge of royal dignity;so snarling at that man of whom the most glorious proofs show that nobraver and truer patriot ever lived. 

5. During these transactions, Artemius, the deputy governor of Rome, succeeded Bassus in the prefecture also; for Bassus, who had lately beenpromoted to be prefect of the city, had since died. His administrationhad been marked by turbulent sedition, but by no other eventssufficiently memorable to deserve mention. 

XII. 

§ 1. In the mean time, while the emperor was passing the winter quietlyat Sirmium, he received frequent and trustworthy intelligence that theSarmatians and the Quadi, two tribes contiguous to each other, andsimilar in manners and mode of warfare, were conjointly overrunningPannonia and the second province of Moesia, in straggling detachments. 

2. These tribes are more suited to predatory incursions than to regularwar; they carry long spears, and wear breastplates made of horn scrapedand polished, let into linen jackets, so that the layers of horn arelike the feathers of a bird. Their horses are chiefly geldings, lest atthe sight of mares they should be excited and run away, or, when heldback in reserve, should betray their riders by their fierce neighing. 

3. They cover vast spaces in their movements, whether in pursuit or inretreat, their horses being swift and very manageable; and they leadwith them one or sometimes two spare chargers apiece, in order that thechange may keep up the strength of their cattle, and that their vigourmay be preserved by alternations of rest. 

4. Therefore, after the vernal equinox was past, the emperor, havingcollected a strong body of soldiers, marched forth under the guidance ofpropitious fortune. Having arrived at a suitable place, he crossed theDanube, which was now flooded from the melting of the snow, by a bridgeof boats, and descended on the lands of the barbarians, which he beganto lay waste. They, being taken by surprise through the rapidity of hismarch, and seeing that the battalions of his warlike army were at theirthroats, when they had not supposed it possible that such a force couldbe collected for a year, had no courage to make a stand, but, as theonly means of escaping unexpected destruction, took to flight. 

5. When many had been slain, fear fettering their steps, those whosespeed had saved them from death hid themselves among the secret defilesof the mountains, and from thence beheld their country destroyed by thesword, which they might have delivered if they had resisted with as muchvigour as they fled. 

6. These events took place in that part of Sarmatia which looks towardsthe second Pannonia. Another military expedition, conducted with equalcourage, routed the troops of the barbarians in Valeria, who wereplundering and destroying everything within their reach. 

7. Terrified at the greatness of this disaster, the Sarmatians, underpretext of imploring peace, planned to divide their force into threebodies, and to attack our army while in a state of fancied security; sothat they should neither be able to prepare their weapons, nor avoidwounds, nor (which is the last resource in a desperate case) take toflight. 

8. There were with the Sarmatians likewise on this occasion, aspartners in their danger, the Quadi, [83] who had often before taken partin the injuries inflicted on us; but their prompt boldness did not helpthem on this occasion, rushing as they did into open danger. 

9. For many of them were slain, and the survivors escaped among thehills, with which they were familiar. And as this event raised thespirits and courage of our army, they united in solid columns, andmarched with speed into the territories of the Quadi; who, having learntby the past to dread the evils which impended over them, came boldlyinto the emperor's presence to implore peace as suppliants, since he wasinclined to be merciful in such cases. On the day appointed for settlingthe conditions, one of their princes named Zizais, a young man of greatstature, marshalled the ranks of the Sarmatians to offer theirentreaties of peace in the fashion of an army; and as soon as they camewithin sight, he threw away his arms, and fell like one dead, prostrating himself on his breast before the emperor; his very voicefrom fear refusing its office, when he ought to have uttered hisentreaties, he awakened the more pity, making many attempts, and beingscarcely able from the violence of his sobs to give utterance to hiswishes. 

10. At last, having recovered himself, and being bidden to rise up, heknelt, and having regained the use of his tongue, he implored pardon forhis offences. His followers also, whose mouths had been closed by fearwhile the fate of their leader was still doubtful, were admitted tooffer the same petition, and when he, being commanded to rise, gave themthe signal which they had been long expecting, to present theirpetition, they all threw away their javelins and their shields, and heldout their hands in an attitude of supplication, striving to surpasstheir prince in the humility of their entreaties. 

11. Among the other Sarmatians the prince had brought with him threechiefs of tribes, Rumo, Zinafer, and Fragiledus, and many nobles whocame to offer the same petition with earnest hope of success. And they, being elated at the promise of safety, undertook to make amends fortheir former deeds of hostility by performing the conditions now imposedon them; giving up willingly into the power of the Romans themselves, their wives and children, and all their possessions. The kindness of theemperor, united with justice, subdued them; and he bidding them be ofgood cheer and return to their homes, they restored our prisoners. Theyalso brought the hostages who were demanded of them, and promised promptobedience to all the emperor's commands. 

12. Then, encouraged by this example of our clemency, other chieftainscame with all their tribe, by name Araharius and Usafer, men ofdistinction among the nobles, and at the head of a great force of theircountrymen; one of them being chief of a portion of the Quadi who dweltbeyond the mountains, and the other of a division of the Sarmatians: thetwo being united by the proximity of their territories, and theirnatural ferocity. But the emperor, fearing the number of theirfollowers, lest, while pretending to make a treaty, they should suddenlyrise up in arms, separated them; ordering those who were acting for theSarmatians to retire for a while, while he was examining into theaffairs of Araharius and the Quadi. 

13. And when they presented themselves before him, bowing according totheir national custom, as they were not able to clear themselves ofheavy charges, so, fearing extreme punishment, they gave the hostageswhich were demanded, though they had never before been compelled to givepledges for their fidelity. 

14. These matters being thus equitably and successfully settled, Usaferwas admitted to offer his petition, though Araharius loudly protestedagainst this, and maintained that the peace ratified with him ought tocomprehend Usafer also, as an ally of his though of inferior rank, andsubject to his command. 

15. But when the question was discussed, the Sarmatians were pronouncedindependent of any other power, as having been always vassals of theRoman empire; and they willingly embraced the proposal of givinghostages as a pledge of the maintenance of tranquillity. 

16. After this there came a vast number of nations and princes, flockingin crowds, when they heard that Araharius had been allowed to depart insafety, imploring us to withdraw the sword which was at their throats;and they also obtained the peace which they requested on similar terms, and without any delay gave as hostages the sons of their nobles whomthey brought from the interior of the country; and they alsosurrendered, as we insisted, all their prisoners, from whom they partedas unwillingly as from their own relations. 

17. When these arrangements were completed, the emperor's anxiety wastransferred to the Sarmatians, who were objects of pity rather than ofanger. It is incredible how much prosperity our connection with theiraffairs had brought them, so as to give grounds for really believing, what some persons do imagine, that Fate may be either overcome orcreated at the will of the emperor. 

18. There were formerly many natives of this kingdom, of high birth andgreat power, but a secret conspiracy armed their slaves against them;and as among barbarians all right consists in might, they, as they wereequal to their masters in ferocity, and superior in number, completelyovercame them. 

19. And these native chiefs, losing all their wisdom in their fear, fledto the Victohali, [84] whose settlements were at a great distance, thinking it better in the choice of evils to become subject to theirprotectors than slaves to their own slaves. But afterwards, when theyhad obtained pardon from us, and had been received as faithful allies, they deplored their hard fate, and invoked our direct protection. Movedby the undeserved hardship of their lot, the emperor, when they wereassembled before him, addressed them with kind words in the presence ofhis army, and commanded them for the future to own no master but himselfand the Roman generals. 

20. And that the restoration of their liberty might carry with itadditional dignity, he made Zizais their king, a man, as the eventproved, deserving the rewards of eminent fortune, and faithful. Afterthese glorious transactions, none of the Sarmatians were allowed todepart till all our prisoners had returned, as we had before insisted. 

21. When these matters had been concluded in the territories of thebarbarians, the camp was moved to Szoeni, [85] that there also theemperor might, by subjugation or slaughter, terminate the war with theQuadi, who were keeping that district in a state of agitation. Theirprince Vitrodorus, the son of king Viduarius, and Agilimundus, aninferior chieftain, with the other nobles and judges who governed thedifferent tribes, as soon as they saw the imperial army in the bosom oftheir kingdom and of their native land, threw themselves at the feet ofthe soldiers, and having obtained pardon, promised obedience; and gavetheir children as hostages for the performance of the conditions imposedupon them; and drawing their swords, which they worship as deities, theyswore to remain faithful. 

XIII. 

§ 1. These matters then, as has been related, having been thussuccessfully terminated, the public interests required that the armyshould at once march against the Limigantes, the revolted slaves of theSarmatians, who had perpetrated many atrocities with impunity. For, assoon as the countrymen of free blood had attacked us, they also, forgetful of their former condition, thinking to take advantage of afavourable opportunity, burst through the Roman frontier, in thiswickedness alone agreeing with their masters and enemies. 

2. But on deliberation we determined that their offence also should bepunished with more moderation than its greatness deserved; and thatvengeance should limit itself to removing them to a distance where theycould no longer harass our territories. The consciousness of a longseries of crimes made them fearful of danger. 

3. And therefore, suspecting that the weight of war was about to fallupon them, they were prepared, as exigency might require, to resort tostratagem, arms, or entreaties. But at the first sight of our army theybecame as it were panic-stricken; and being reduced to despair, theybegged their lives, offering a yearly tribute, and a body of theirchosen youths for our army, and promising perpetual obedience. But theywere prepared to refuse if they were ordered to emigrate (as they showedby their gestures and countenances), trusting to the strength of theplace where, after they had expelled their masters, they had fixed theirabode. 

4. For the Parthiscus[86] waters this land, proceeding with obliquewindings till it falls into the Danube. But while it flows unmixed, itpasses through a vast extent of country, which, near its junction withthe Danube, it narrows into a very small corner, so that over on theside of the Danube those who live in that district are protected fromthe attack of the Romans, and on the side of the Parthiscus they aresecured from any irruptions of the barbarians. Since along its coursethe greater part of the ground is frequently under water from thefloods, and always swampy and full of osiers, so as to be quiteimpassable to strangers; and besides the mainland there is an islandclose to the mouth of the river, which the stream itself seems to haveseparated into its present state. 

5. Accordingly, at the desire of the emperor, they came with nativearrogance to our bank of the river, not, as the result showed, with theintention of obeying his commands, but that they might not seem alarmedat the presence of his soldiers. And there they stood, stubbornlyshowing that they had come bent on resistance. 

6. And as the emperor had foreseen that this might happen, he secretlydivided his army into several squadrons, and by the rapidity of theirmovements hemmed in the barbarians between his own lines. And then, standing on a mound, with a few of his officers and a small body-guard, he gently admonished them not to give way to ferocity. 

7. But they, wavering and in doubt, were agitated by various feelings, and mingling craft with their fury, they had recourse to arms and toprayers at the same time. And meditating to make a sudden attack onthose of our men who were nearest, they threw their shields somedistance before them, with the intent that while they made some stepsforward to recover them, they might thus steal a little ground withoutgiving any indication of their purpose. 

8. And as it was now nearly evening, and the departing light warned usto avoid further delay, our soldiers raised their standards and fellupon them with a fiery onset. And they, in close order, directed alltheir force against the mound on which (as has been already said) theemperor himself was standing, fixing their eyes on him, and utteringfierce outcries against him. 

9. Our army was indignant at such insane audacity, and forming into atriangle, to which military simplicity has given the name of "the boar'shead, " with a violent charge they scattered the barbarians now pressingvigorously upon the emperor; on the right our infantry slew theirinfantry, and on the left our cavalry dashed among their squadrons oflight horsemen. 

10. The prætorian cohort, carefully guarding the emperor, spared neitherthe breasts of those who attacked nor the backs of those who fled, andthe barbarians, yielding in their stubbornness to death alone, showed bytheir horrid cries that they grieved not so much at their own death asat the triumph of our army. And, beside the dead, many lay with theirlegs cut off, and so deprived of the resource of flight, others had losttheir hands; some who had received no wound were crushed by the weightof those who fell upon them, and bore their torments in profoundsilence. 

11. Nor, amid all their sufferings, did any one of them ask for mercy, or throw away his sword, or implore a speedy death, but clingingresolutely to their arms, wounded as they were, they thought it a lesserevil to be subdued by the strength of another than by their ownconsciences, and at times they were heard to grumble that what hadhappened was the work of fortune, not of their deserts. And so thiswhole battle was brought to an end in half an hour, in which suchnumbers of barbarians fell that nothing but the fact of our victoryproved that there had been any battle at all. 

12. Those in arms had scarcely been routed when the relations of thedead, of every age and sex, were brought forward in crowds, having beendragged from their humble dwellings. And all their former pride beingnow gone, they descended to the lowest depths of servile obedience, andafter a very short time nothing but barrows of the dead and bands ofcaptives were beheld. 

13. So, the heat of strife and the excitement of victory stimulating ourmen, they rose up to destroy all who had escaped the battle, or who werelying hidden in their dwellings. And when, eager for the blood of thebarbarians, our soldiers had reached the spot, they tore to pieces theslight straw-thatched huts; nor could even the strongest-built cottages, or the stoutest beams save any one from death. 

14. At last, when everything was set on fire, and when no one could beconcealed any longer, since every protection for their lives wasdestroyed, they either perished obstinately in the flames, or else, ifthey avoided the fire and sallied out, they only escaped thatdestruction to fall beneath the sword of their enemies. 

15. Some, however, did escape from the weapons of the enemy and from thespreading flames, and committed themselves to the stream, trusting totheir skill in swimming to enable them to reach the further bank; butmany of them were drowned, and others were transfixed by our javelins, so that the winding stream of the vast river was discoloured with blood, and thus, by the agency of both elements, did the indignation and valourof the conquerors destroy the Sarmatians. 

16. After these events it was determined to leave the barbarians no hopenor comfort of life; and after burning their houses and carrying offtheir families, an order was given to collect boats in order to hunt outthose who, being on the opposite bank of the river, had escaped theattack of our men. 

17. And immediately, that the alacrity of our warriors might have notime to cool, some light-armed troops were embarked in boats, and led bysecret paths to occupy the retreats of the Sarmatians. The barbarians atfirst were deceived by seeing only the boats of their own country, andcrews with whom they were acquainted. 

18. But when the weapons glittered in the distance, and they perceivedthat what they feared was upon them, they sought refuge in theiraccustomed marshes. And our soldiers pursuing them with great animosity, slew numbers of them, and gained a victory in a place where it had notbeen supposed that any soldier could find a footing, much less do anybold action. 

19. After the Anicenses[87] had thus been routed and almost destroyed, we proceeded at once to attack the Picenses, who are so called from theregions which they inhabit, which border on one another; and thesetribes had fancied themselves the more secure from the disasters oftheir allies, which they had heard of by frequent rumours. To crush them(for it was an arduous task for those who did not know the country tofollow men scattered in many directions as they were) the aid ofTaifali[88] and of the free-born Sarmatians was sought. 

20. And as the nature of the ground separated the auxiliary battalionsfrom each other, our own troops took the ground nearest Moesia, theTaifali that nearest to their own settlements, while the free Sarmatiansoccupied that in front of their original position. 

21. The Limigantes, alarmed at the still fresh examples of nationssubdued and crushed by us, for a long time hesitated and wavered whetherthey should attack us or ask for peace, having arguments of no smallweight for either line of conduct. But at last, through the influence ofthe council of the elders, the idea of surrender prevailed; and thesubmission also of those who had dared to attack their free-born masterswas added to our numerous victories; and the rest of them, who hadpreviously despised their masters, thinking them unwarlike and easilysubdued, now finding them stronger than themselves, submitted to them. 

22. Accordingly, having received pledges of their safety, and havingquitted the defence of their mountains, the greater portion of them camewith speed to the Roman camp, and they spread over a vast extent ofground, bringing with them their parents, their children, their wives, and all the movable treasures which their rapid motions had allowed themto carry off. 

23. And those who it had been supposed would rather lose their livesthan quit their country, while they mistook their mad licentiousness forliberty, now submitted to obey our orders, and to take up another abodein peace and good faith, so as to be undisturbed for the future by warsor seditions. And having been thus accepted as subjects, in accordancewith their own wish as it was believed, they remained quiet for a time;but afterwards they broke out in destructive wickedness, as shall berelated at the proper time. 

24. While our affairs were thus prospering, Illyricum was put in astate of twofold security, since the emperor, in endeavouring by twomeans to accomplish this object, succeeded in both. He brought back andestablished in their ancient homes the people who had been banished, whom, although they were objects of suspicion from their naturalfickleness, he believed would go on more moderately than of old. And tocrown this kindness, he set over them as a king, not one of low birth, but the very man whom they themselves had formerly chosen, as eminentfor all the virtues of mind and body. 

25. After such a wise action, Constantius, being now raised above allfear, and having received from the unanimous consent of his soldiers thetitle of Sarmaticus, from the name of the nation which he had subdued;and being now about to leave the army, summoned all his cohorts andcenturies and maniples, and mounting the tribune, surrounded by thestandards and eagles, and by a great number of soldiers of all ranks, headdressed the troops in these words, choosing his topics as usual so asto gain the favour of all. 

26. "The recollection of our glorious exploits, the dearest of allfeelings to brave men, encourages me to repeat, though with greatmoderation, what, in our heaven-granted victories, and before battle, and in the very heat of the strife, we, the most faithful champions ofthe Roman state, have conducted to a deservedly prosperous issue. Forwhat can be so honourable or so justly worthy to be handed down to therecollection of posterity as the exultation of the soldier in his bravedeeds, and of the general in his wise plans?

27. "The rage of our enemies, in their arrogant pride thinking to profitby our absence, while we were protecting Italy and Gaul, was overrunningIllyricum, and with continual sallies they were ravaging even thedistricts beyond our frontiers; crossing the rivers, sometimes in boatsmade of hollow trees, sometimes on foot; not relying on combats, nor ontheir arms and strength, but being accustomed to secret forays, andhaving been from the very earliest era of their nation an object of fearto our ancestors, from their cunning and the variety of theirmanoeuvres, which we indeed, being at a great distance, bore as longas we could, thinking that the vigour of our generals would be able toprotect us from even slight injury. 

28. "But when their licentiousness led them on to bolder attempts, andto inflict great and frequent injury on our provinces, we, having firstfortified the passes of the Tyrol, and having secured the safety of theGauls by watchful care, leaving no danger behind us, have marched intoPannonia, in order, with the favour of the everlasting deity, tostrengthen our tottering interests in that country. And after everythingwas prepared, we set forth, as you know, at the end of the spring, andundertook a great enterprise; first of all taking care that thecountless darts of the enemy should not prevent us from making a bridge. And when, with no great trouble, this had been accomplished, after wehad set our foot upon the enemy's territories, we defeated, with verylittle loss to ourselves, the Sarmatians, who with obstinate courage setthemselves to resist us to the death. And we also crushed the Quadi, whowere bringing reinforcements to the Sarmatians, and who with similarcourage attacked our noble legions. 

29. "These tribes, after heavy losses sustained in their attacks, andtheir stubborn and toilsome resistance, have at length learnt the powerof our valour, and throwing away their arms, have allowed their hands, prepared for fighting, to be bound behind their backs; and seeing thattheir only hope of safety is in prayer, have fallen at the feet of yourmerciful emperor, whose wars they found are usually successful. Havinggot rid of these enemies, we with equal courage defeated the Limigantes, and after we had put numbers of them to the sword, the rest found theironly means of escaping danger lay in fleeing to their hiding-places inthe marshes. 

30. "And when these things were successfully terminated, it seemed to bea seasonable opportunity for mercy. So we compelled the Limigantes toremove to very distant lands, that they might not be able any more tomove to our injury; and we spared the greatest part of them. And we madeZizais king over the free-born portion of them, sure that he would befaithful to us, and thinking it more honour to create a king for thebarbarians than to take one from them, the dignity being increased bythis honourable consideration, that the ruler whom we thus gave them hadbefore been elected and accepted by them. 

31. "So we and the republic have in one campaign obtained a fourfoldreward: first, vengeance on our guilty assailants; next, abundance ofcaptive slaves from the enemy, for valour is entitled to those rewardswhich it has earned with its toil and prowess. 

32. "Thirdly, we have ample resources and great treasures of wealth; ourlabour and courage having preserved the patrimony of each of usundiminished. This, in the mind of a good sovereign, is the best fruitof prosperity. 

33. "Lastly, I myself have the well-won spoil of a surname derived fromthe enemy--the title of Sarmaticus--which you unanimously have (if I maysay so without arrogance) deservedly conferred on me. "

34. After he had made an end of speaking, the whole assembly, with morealacrity than usual, since its hope of booty and gain was increased, rose up with joyful voices in praise of the emperor; and, as usual, calling God to witness that Constantius was invincible, returned withjoy to their tents. And the emperor was conducted back to his palace, and having rested two days, re-entered Sirmium with a triumphalprocession; and the troops returned to their appointed stations. 

XIV. 

§ 1. About this time Prosper and Spectatus and Eustathius, who, as hasbeen mentioned above, had been sent as ambassadors to the Persians, found the Persian king at Ctesiphon, on his return from his campaign, and they delivered the emperor's letters and presents, and requestedpeace while affairs were still in their existing state. And mindful ofwhat had been enjoined them, they never forgot the interests nor thedignity of the Roman empire, maintaining that the peace ought to be madeon the condition that no alteration should be made in the state ofArmenia or Mesopotamia. 

2. And having remained for some time, when they saw that the king wasobstinate, and resolute not to admit of peace unless the absolutedominion of those regions was assigned to him, they returned withouthaving completed their business. 

3. After which, Lucillianus, a count, and Procopius, at that timesecretary, were sent to obtain the same conditions, with equal powers. Procopius being the same man who afterwards, under the pressure ofviolent necessity, committed himself to a revolutionary movement. 

[70] Ἐνοίχθωη, Σεισίχθων, Ἐννοσίγδαιος, from ἐνίθω and σείω, to shake, and χθὰνand γαῖα, the earth. 

[71] From βραζω, to boil over. 

[72] Strabo gives Ophiusa as one of the names of Rhodes, and Homermentions the golden shower:--

 καί σφιν Θεσπέσιον πλοῦτου κατέχευε κρονιὼν. --Il. β. Vi. 70. 

As also does Pindar, Ol. Vii. 63. 

[73] From κλίνω, to lay down. 

[74] From χάσμα, a chasm, derived from χαίνω, togape. 

[75] This is a tale told by Plato in the Timæus (which is believed tohave no foundation). 

[76] The destruction of Helice is related in Diodorus Sic. Xiv. 48; cf. Ov. Met. Xv. 290. 

[77] The lake Ciminus was near Centumcellæ, cf. Virg. Æn. Vii. 697. Thetown of Saccumum is not mentioned by any other writer. 

[78] From μυκάω, to roar like a bull. 

[79] Toxandria was in Belgium, on the Scheldt. 

[80] The Chamavi were a tribe at the mouth of the Rhine. 

[81] Tages was an Etruscan, the son, it is said, of a genius, Jovialis, and grandson of Jupiter, who rose out of the ground as a man namedTarchon was ploughing near Tarquinii, and instructed the auspices indivination. Cf. Cic. Div. Ii. 23. 

[82] Carthage and Numantia. 

[83] The Quadi occupied a part of Hungary. 

[84] The Victohali were a tribe of Goths. 

[85] Szoeni, called by Ammianus Bregetio, is near Cormorn. 

[86] The Theiss. 

[87] The Anicenses and Picenses were Dacian tribes. 

[88] The Taifali were a tribe of the Western Goths. 

BOOK XVIII. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. The Cæsar Julian consults the welfare of the Gauls, and provides for the general observance of justice. --II. He repairs the walls of the castles on the Rhine which he had recovered; crosses the Rhine, and having conquered those of the Alemanni who remained hostile, he compels their kings to sue for peace, and to restore their prisoners. --III. Why Barbatio, the commander of the infantry, and his wife, were beheaded by command of Constantius. --IV. Sapor, king of Persia, prepares to attack the Romans with all his power. --V. Antoninus, the protector, deserts to Sapor, with all his men; and increases his eagerness to engage in war with the Romans. --VI. Ursicinus, the commander of the legions, being summoned from the East, when he had reached Thrace was sent back to Mesopotamia, and having arrived there he hears from Marcellinus of Sapor's approach. --VII. Sapor, with the kings of the Chionitæ and Albani, invades Mesopotamia--The Romans of their own accord lay waste their lands with fire; compelled the countrymen to come into the towns, and fortify the western bank of the Euphrates with castles and garrisons. --VIII. Seven hundred Illyrian cavalry are surprised by the Persians, and put to flight--Ursicinus escapes in one direction, and Marcellinus in another. --IX. A description of Amida; and how many legions and squadrons were there in garrison. --X. Sapor receives the surrender of two Roman fortresses. 

I. 

A. D. 359. 

§ 1. These events took place in the different parts of the world in oneand the same year. But while the affairs in Gaul were in a better state;and while titles of consul were ennobling the brothers Eusebius andHypatius, Julian, illustrious for his uninterrupted successes, now inhis winter quarters, being relieved for a while from his warlikeanxieties, was devoting equal care to many points connected with thewelfare of the provinces. Taking anxious care that no one should beoppressed by the burden of taxation; that the power of the officersshould not be stretched into extortion; that those who increase theirproperty by the public distresses, should have no sanction, and that nojudge should violate justice with impunity. 

2. And he found it easy to correct what was wrong on this head, becausehe himself decided all causes in which the persons concerned were of anygreat importance; and showed himself a most impartial discerner of rightand wrong. 

3. And although there are many acts of his in deciding these disputesworthy of praise, it will be sufficient to mention one, on the model ofwhich all his other words and actions were framed. 

4. Numerius, a native of Narbonne, had a little time before been accusedbefore the governor as a thief, and Julian, by an unusual exercise ofthe censor's power, heard his cause in public; admitting into the courtall who sought entrance. And when Numerius denied all that was chargedagainst him, and could not be convicted on any point, Delphidius theorator, who was assailing him with great bitterness, being enraged atthe failure of his charges, exclaimed, "But, great Cæsar, will any oneever be found guilty if it be enough to deny the charge?" To whomJulian, with seasonable wisdom, replied, "Can any one be judged innocentif it be enough to make a charge?" And he did many similar actions inhis civil capacity. 

II. 

§ 1. But when he was about to set out on an important expedition againstsome tribes of the Allemanni whom he considered hostile, and likely toproceed to acts of atrocious daring if they were not defeated in a wayto be an example to the rest, he hesitated in great anxiety, since areport of his intentions had gone before him, what force he couldemploy, and how he could be quick enough to take them by surprise thefirst moment that circumstances should afford him an opportunity. 

2. But after he had meditated on many different plans, he decided ontrying one, which the result proved to be good without any one beingaware of it. He had sent Hariobaudes, a tribune who at that time had noparticular command, a man of honour, loyalty, and courage, under pretextof an embassy, to Hortarius the king who was now in a state offriendship with us; in order that from his court Hariobaudes mighteasily proceed to the frontiers of the enemy whom he was proposing toattack; and so ascertain what they were about, being thoroughly skilledin the language of the barbarians. 

3. And when he had gone boldly on this commission, Julian himself, as itwas now a favourable time of the year, assembled his soldiers from allquarters for the expedition, and set out; thinking it above all thingsdesirable, before the war had got warm, to effect his entrance into thecities which had been destroyed some time before, and having recoveredthem to put them in a state of defence; and also to establish granariesin the place of those which had been burnt, in which to store the cornusually imported from Britain. 

4. Both these objects were accomplished, and that more speedily thancould have been looked for. For the store-houses were rapidly built, andabundance of provisions laid up in them; and seven cities were occupied. The camp of Hercules, Quadriburgium, [89] Kellen, Nuys, Bonn, Andernach, and Bingen. At which last city, by exceedingly good fortune, Florentiusthe prefect also arrived unexpectedly, bringing with him a division ofsoldiers, and a supply of provisions sufficient to last a long time. 

5. After this, the next measure of urgent necessity was to repair thewalls of the recovered cities, while as yet no one raised any hindrance;and it is abundantly plain that at that time the barbarians did out offear what was commanded them for the public interests, while the Romansdid it for love of their ruler. 

6. According to the treaty made in the preceding year, the kings senttheir own waggons with many articles useful for building. And theauxiliary soldiers who always hold themselves above employments of thiskind being won over by Julian's caresses to diligent obedience, nowcarried beams fifty feet long and more on their shoulders, and gave thegreatest aid to the labours of the architect. 

7. And while all this was being done with diligence and speed, Hariobaudes, having learnt all he wanted, returned and related what hehad ascertained. And after his arrival the army marched with all speed, and soon reached Mayence, where, though Florentius and Lupicinus, whosucceeded Severus, insisted vehemently that they might cross by thebridge laid down at that town, the Cæsar strenuously objected, maintaining that it was not well to trample on the lands of those whowere brought into a state of tranquillity and friendship; lest thetreaty made with them should be brought to an abrupt end, as had oftenhappened through the discourtesy of the soldiers ravaging everythingthat came in their way. 

8. But all the Allemanni who were the objects of our attack, seeing thedanger now on their borders, with many threats urged Surmarius theirking, who by a previous treaty was on friendly terms with us, to preventthe Romans from crossing the river. For their villages were on theeastern bank of the Rhine. But when Surmarius affirmed that he byhimself was unable to offer effectual resistance, the barbarian hostassembled in a body, and came up to Mayence, intending by main force toprevent our army from crossing the river. 

9. So that Cæsar's advice now seemed best in two points, both not toravage the lands of our friends; and also, not in the teeth of theopposition of a most warlike people, to risk the loss of many lives inorder to make a bridge, even in a spot the most favourable for such awork. 

10. And the enemy, watching his movements with great skill, marchedslowly along the opposite bank, and when they saw our men pitching theirtents at a distance, they still watched all night, exerting the mostsleepless vigilance to prevent the passage of the river from beingattempted. 

11. But when our men reached the spot intended, they surrounded theircamp with a rampart and ditch, and took their rest; and the Cæsar, having taken counsel with Lupicinus, ordered some of the tribunes to getready three hundred light-armed soldiers with stakes, without lettingthem know what was to be done, or whither they were going. 

12. They being collected, when the night was well advanced, and beingall embarked on board of forty light boats, which were all that were athand, were ordered to go down the stream so silently as not to use eventheir oars, lest the noise should rouse the barbarians, and then usingall activity both of mind and body, to force a landing on the oppositebank, within the frontier of the enemy, while they were still watchingthe camp-fires of our men. 

13. While these orders were being performed with great promptness, KingHortarius, who had been previously bound to us by treaties, and waswithout any intention of revolting, kept on friendly terms with thebordering tribes, having invited all their kings, princes, andchieftains to a banquet, detained them to the third watch, the banquetbeing prolonged so late according to the custom of his nation. And asthey were departing, our men chanced to come upon them suddenly, butcould neither stay nor capture any of them owing to the darkness of thenight and the fleetness of their horses, on which they fled at random inall directions. A number of sutlers and slaves, however, who werefollowing them on foot, our men slew; the few who escaped being likewiseprotected by the darkness of the hour. 

14. When it became known that the Romans had crossed the river (and theythen as well as in all former expeditions accounted it a great relief totheir labours when they could find the enemy), the kings and theirpeople, who were watching zealously to prevent the bridge from beingmade, were alarmed, and being panic-stricken fled in all directions, andtheir violent fury being thus cooled, they hastened to remove theirrelations and their treasures to a distance. And as all difficultieswere now surmounted, the bridge was at once made, and before thebarbarians could expect it, the Roman army appeared in theirterritories, and passed through the dominions of Hortarius without doingany injury. 

15. But when they reached the lands of those kings who were stillhostile, they went on invincibly through the midst of their rebelliouscountry, laying waste with fire and sword, and plundering everything. And after their frail houses were destroyed by fire, and a vast numberof men had been slain, and the army, having nothing to face but corpsesand suppliants, had arrived in the region called Capellatum, or Palas, where there are boundary stones marking the frontiers of the Allemanniand the Burgundians; the army pitched its camp, in order that Macrianusand Hariobaudus, brothers, and both kings, might be received by us, anddelivered from their fears. Since they, thinking their destructionimminent, were coming with great anxiety to sue for peace. 

16. And immediately after them King Vadomarius also came, whose abodewas opposite Augst: and having produced some letters of the EmperorConstantius, in which he was strictly recommended to the protection ofthe Romans, he was courteously received, as became one who had beenadmitted by the emperor as a client of the Roman empire. 

17. And Macrianus and his brother, being admitted among our eagles andstandards, marvelled at the imposing appearance of our arms, and variousresources which they had never seen before. And they offered uppetitions on behalf of their people. But Vadomarius, who had met usbefore, since he was close to our frontier, admired indeed theappointments of our daring expedition, but remembered that he had oftenseen such before, ever since his childhood. 

18. At last, after long deliberation, with the unanimous consent of all, peace was granted to Macrianus and Hariobaudus; but an answer could notbe given to Vadomarius, who had come to secure his own safety, and alsoas an ambassador to intercede for the kings Urius, Ursicinus, andVestralpus, imploring peace for them also; lest, as the barbarians aremen of wavering faith, they might recover their spirits when our armywas withdrawn, and refuse adherence to conditions procured by the agencyof others. 

19. But when they also, after their crops and houses had been burnt, andmany of their soldiers had been slain or taken prisoners, sentambassadors of their own, and sued for mercy as if they had been guiltyof similar violence to our subjects, they obtained peace on similarterms; of which that most rigorously insisted on was that they shouldrestore all the prisoners which they had taken in their frequentincursions. 

III. 

§ 1. While the god-like wisdom of the Cæsar was thus successful in Gaul, great disturbances arose in the court of the emperor, which from slightbeginnings increased to grief and lamentations. Some bees swarmed on thehouse of Barbatio, at that time the commander of the infantry. And whenhe consulted the interpreters of prodigies on this event, he receivedfor an answer, that it was an omen of great danger; the answer beingfounded on the idea that these animals, after they have fixed theirabode, and laid up their stores, are usually expelled by smoke and thenoisy din of cymbals. 

2. Barbatio's wife was a woman called Assyria, neither silent norprudent. And when he had gone on an expedition which caused her muchalarm, she, because of the predictions which she recollected to havebeen given her, and being full of female vanity, having summoned ahandmaid who was skilful in writing, and of whom she had becomepossessed by inheritance from her father Silvanus, sent an unseasonableletter to her husband, full of lamentations, and of entreaties thatafter the approaching death of Constantius, if he himself, as she hoped, was admitted to a share in the empire, he would not despise her, andprefer to marry Eusebia, who was Constantius's empress, and who was of abeauty equalled by few women. 

3. She sent this letter as secretly as she could; but the maid, when thetroops had returned from their expedition at the beginning of the night, took a copy of the letter which she had written at the dictation of hermistress, to Arbetio, and being eagerly admitted by him, she gave himthe paper. 

4. He, relying on this evidence, being at all times a man eager to bringforward accusations, conveyed it to the emperor. As was usual, no delaywas allowed, and Barbatio, who confessed that he had received theletter, and his wife, who was distinctly proved to have written it, wereboth beheaded. 

5. After this execution, investigations were carried further, and manypersons, innocent as well as guilty, were brought into question. Amongwhom was Valentinus, who having lately been an officer of theprotectores, had been promoted to be a tribune; and he with many otherswas put to the torture as having been privy to the affair, though he waswholly ignorant of it. But he survived his sufferings; and as somecompensation for the injury done to him, and for his danger, he receivedthe rank of duke of Illyricum. 

6. This same Barbatio was a man of rude and arrogant manners, and veryunpopular, because while captain of the protectores of the household, inthe time of Gallus Cæsar, he was a false and treacherous man; and afterhe had attained the higher rank he became so elated that he inventedcalumnies against the Cæsar Julian, and, though all good men hated him, whispered many wicked lies into the ever-ready ears of the emperor. 

7. Being forsooth ignorant of the wise old saying of Aristotle, who whenhe sent Callisthenes, his pupil and relation, to the king Alexander, warned him to say as little as he could, and that only of a pleasantkind, before a man who carried the power of life and death on the tip ofhis tongue. 

8. We should not wonder that mankind, whose minds we look upon as akinto those of the gods, can sometimes discern what is likely to bebeneficial or hurtful to them, when even animals devoid of reasonsometimes secure their own safety by profound silence, of which thefollowing is a notorious instance:--

9. When the wild geese leave the East because of the heat, and seek awestern climate, as soon as they reach Mount Taurus, which is full ofeagles, fearing those warlike birds, they stop up their own beaks withstones, that not even the hardest necessity may draw a cry from them;they fly more rapidly than usual across that range, and when they havepassed it they throw away the stones, and then proceed more securely. 

IV. 

§ 1. While these investigations were being carried on with greatdiligence at Sirmium, the fortune of the East sounded the terribletrumpet of danger. For the king of Persia, being strengthened by the aidof the fierce nations whom he had lately subdued, and being above allmen ambitious of extending his territories, began to prepare men andarms and supplies, mingling hellish wisdom with his human counsels, andconsulting all kinds of soothsayers about futurity. And when he hadcollected everything, he proposed to invade our territories at the firstopening of the spring. 

2. And when the emperor learnt this, at first by report, butsubsequently by certain intelligence, and while all were in suspensefrom dread of the impending danger, the dependents of the court, hammering on the same anvil day and night (as the saying is), at theprompting of the eunuchs, held up Ursicinus as a Gorgon's head beforethe suspicious and timid emperor, continually repeating that, because onthe death of Silvanus, in a dearth of better men, he had been sent todefend the eastern districts, he had become ambitious of still greaterpower. 

3. And by this base compliance many tried to purchase the favour ofEusebius, at that time the principal chamberlain, with whom (if we areto say the real truth) Constantius had great influence, and who was nowa bitter enemy of the safety of the master of the horse, Ursicinus, ontwo accounts; first, because he was the only person who did not need hisassistance, as others did; and secondly, because he would not give uphis house at Antioch, which Eusebius greatly coveted. 

4. So this latter, like a snake abounding in poison, and exciting itsoffspring as soon as they can crawl to do mischief, stirred up the otherchamberlains, that they, while performing their more private dutiesabout the prince's person, with their thin and boyish voices, mightdamage the reputation of a brave man by pouring into the too open earsof the emperor accusations of great odium. And they soon did what theywere commanded. 

5. Disgust at this and similar events leads one to praise Domitian, whoalthough, by the unalterable detestation he incurred, has ever stainedthe memory of his father and his brother, [90] still deserved credit fora most excellent law, by which he forbade with severe threats any one tocastrate any boy within the limits of the Roman jurisdiction. For ifthere were no such edict, who could endure the swarms of such creaturesas would exist, when it is so difficult to bear even a few of them?

6. However, they proceeded with caution, lest, as Eusebius suggested, ifUrsicinus were again sent for, he should take alarm and throw everythinginto confusion; but it was proposed that on the first casual opportunityhe should be put to death. 

7. While they were waiting for this chance, and full of doubt andanxiety; and while we[91] were tarrying a short time at Samosata, thegreatest city of what had formerly been the kingdom of Commagene, wesuddenly received frequent and consistent reports of some newcommotions, which I will now proceed to relate. 

V. 

§ 1. A certain man named Antoninus, who from having been a wealthymerchant had become superintendent of the accounts of the duke ofMesopotamia, and after that entered the corps of the protectores, a manof experience and wisdom, and very well known in all that country. Beingthrough the avarice of certain persons involved in heavy losses, andperceiving that while defending actions against men of influence he wasbeing sunk lower and lower through injustice, since the judges who hadto decide on his affairs sought to gratify people in power, he, notwishing to kick against the pricks, bent himself to obsequious caresses;and confessing that he owed what was claimed of him, the claim, bycollusion, was transferred to the treasury. He now, having resolved on aflagitious plan, began secretly to look into the secrets of the wholerepublic; and being acquainted with both languages, he devoted hisattention to the accounts; remarking the amount, quality, and situationof the different divisions of the army, and the employment of them onany expeditions; inquiring also with unwearied diligence into the extentof the supplies of arms and provisions, and other things likely to beneedful in war. 

2. And when he had made himself acquainted with all the internalcircumstances of the East, and had learnt that a great portion of thetroops and of the money for their pay was distributed in Illyricum, where the emperor himself was detained by serious business; as the daywas now approaching which had been fixed for the payment of the moneyfor which he had been constrained by fear to give an acknowledgment ofhis bond; and as he saw that he must be overwhelmed by disasters on allsides, since the chief treasurer was devoted to the interests of hisadversary; he conceived the audacious design of crossing over to thePersians with his wife and children, and his whole numerous family ofrelations. 

3. And to elude the observation of the soldiers at their differentstations, he bought for a small price a farm in Hiaspis, a district onthe banks of the Tigris. And, relying on this pretext, since no onewould venture to ask why a landed proprietor should go to the extremefrontier of the Roman territory, as many others did the same, by theagency of some trusty friends who were skilful swimmers, he carried onfrequent secret negotiations with Tamsapor, who was at that timegoverning the country on the other side of the river with the rank ofduke, and with whom he was already acquainted. And at last, havingreceived from the Persian camp an escort of well-mounted men, heembarked in some boats, and crossed over at night with all his family, in the same manner as Zopyrus, the betrayer of Babylon, had formerlydone, only with an opposite object. 

4. While affairs in Mesopotamia were in this state, the hangers-on ofthe palace, always singing the same song for our destruction, at lastfound a handle to injure the gallant Ursicinus; the gang of eunuchsbeing still the contrivers and promoters of the plot; since they arealways sour tempered and savage, and having no relations, cling toriches as their dearest kindred. 

5. The design now adopted was to send Sabinianus, a withered old man ofgreat wealth, but infirm and timid, and from the lowness of his birthfar removed from any office of command, to govern the districts of theEast; while Ursicinus should be recalled to court, to command theinfantry, as successor to Barbatio. And then he, this greedy promoter ofrevolution, as they called him, being within their reach, could easilybe attacked by his bitter and formidable enemies. 

6. While these things were going on in the camp of Constantius, as at afestival or a theatre, and while the dispensers of rank which was boughtand sold were distributing the price agreed upon among the influentialhouses, Antoninus, having reached Sapor's winter quarters, was receivedwith gladness; and being ennobled by the grant of a turban, an honourwhich gives admission to the royal table, and also that of assisting atand delivering one's opinion in the councils of the Persians, wentonwards, not with a punt pole or a tar rope, as the proverb is (that isto say, not by any tedious or circuitous path), but with flowing sailsinto the conduct of state affairs, and stirring up Sapor, as formerlyMaharbal roused the sluggish Hannibal, was always telling him that heknew how to conquer, but not how to use a victory. 

7. For having been bred up in active life, and being a thorough man ofbusiness, he got possession of the feelings of his hearers, who likewhat tickles their ears, and who do not utter their praises aloud, but, like the Phæacians in Homer, admire in silence, [92] while he recountedthe events of the last forty years; urging that, after all thesecontinual wars, and especially the battles of Hileia and Singara, [93]where that fierce combat by night took place, in which we lost a vastnumber of our men, as if some fecial had interposed to stop them, thePersians, though victorious, had never advanced as far as Edessa or thebridges over the Euphrates. Though with their warlike power andsplendid success, they might have pushed their advances especially atthat moment, when in consequence of the protracted troubles of theircivil wars the blood of the Romans was being poured out on all sides. 

8. By these and similar speeches the deserter, preserving his sobrietyat the banquets, where, after the fashion of the ancient Greeks, thePersians deliberate on war and other important affairs, stimulated thefiery monarch, and persuaded him to rely upon the greatness of hisfortune, and to take up arms the moment that the winter was over, and hehimself boldly promised his assistance in many important matters. 

VI. 

§ 1. About this time Sabinianus, being elated at the power which he hadsuddenly acquired, and having arrived in Cilicia, gave his predecessorletters from the emperor, desiring him to hasten to court to be investedwith higher dignities. In fact the affairs of Asia were in such a statethat, even if Ursicinus had been at Ultima Thule their urgency wouldhave required him to be summoned thence to set them right, since he wasa man of the ancient discipline, and from long experience especiallyskilful in the Persian manner of conducting war. 

2. But when the report of this reached the provinces, all ranks of thecitizens and agricultural population, by formal edicts and by unanimousoutcries, endeavoured to detain him, almost forcibly, as the publicdefender of their country, remembering that though for ten years he hadbeen left to his own resources with a scanty and unwarlike force, he hadyet incurred no loss; and fearing for their safety if at so critical atime he should be removed and a man of utter inactivity assume the rulein his stead. 

3. We believe, and indeed there is no doubt of it, that fame flies onwings through the paths of the air; and she it was who now gaveinformation of these events to the Persians while deliberating on theentire aspect of affairs. At last, after many arguments pro and con, they determined, on the advice of Antoninus, that as Ursicinus wasremoved, and as the new governor was contemptible, they might ventureto neglect laying siege to cities, an operation which would cause amischievous loss of time, and at once cross the Euphrates, and advancefurther, in order, outstripping all rumour of their march, to occupythose provinces which, throughout all our wars, had always been safe(except in the time of Gallienus), and which, from their long enjoymentof peace, were very wealthy. And in this enterprise, with the favour ofGod, Antoninus offered himself as a most desirable guide. 

4. His advice, therefore, being unanimously praised and adopted, and theattention of the whole nation being directed to the speedy collection ofthose things which were required, supplies, soldiers, arms, andequipments, the preparation of everything for the coming campaign wascontinued the whole winter. 

5. In the mean time, we, hastening at the emperor's command towardsItaly, after having been detained a short time on the western side ofMount Taurus, reached the river Hebrus, which descends from themountains of the Odrysæ[94], and there we received letters from theemperor, ordering us, without the least delay, to return to Mesopotamia, without any officers, and having, indeed, no important duty todischarge, since all the power had been transferred to another. 

6. And this had been arranged by those mischievous meddlers in thegovernment, in order that if the Persians failed and returned to theirown country, our success might be attributed to the valour of the newgovernor; while, if our affairs turned out ill, Ursicinus might beimpeached as a traitor to the republic. 

7. Accordingly we, being tossed about without any reason, after muchtime had been lost, returned, and found Sabinianus, a man full of pride, of small stature, and of a petty and narrow mind, scarcely able withoutfear to encounter the slight noise of a beast, much less to face thecrash of battle. 

8. Nevertheless, since our spies brought positive and consistentintelligence that all kind of preparations were going on among theenemy, and since their report was confirmed by that of the deserters, while this manikin was in a state of perplexity, we hastened to Nisibisto make such preparation as seemed requisite, lest the Persians, whileconcealing their intention to besiege it, should come upon it bysurprise. 

9. And while all things necessary were being pressed forward within thewalls, continued fires and columns of smoke being seen on the other sideof the Tigris, near the town called the Camp of the Moors, and Sisara, and the other districts on the Persian frontier, and spreading up to thecity itself, showed that the predatory bands of the enemy had crossedthe river, and entered our territories. 

10. And therefore we hastened forwards with a forced march, to preventthe roads from being occupied; and when we had advanced two miles, wesaw a fine boy of about eight years old, as we guessed, wearing anecklace, of noble appearance, standing on the top of a small hillock, and crying out, stating himself to be the son of a man of noble birth, whom his mother, while fleeing in her alarm at the approach of theenemy, had left in her panic in order to be less encumbered. We pitiedhim, and at the command of our general, I put him on my horse, in frontof me, and took him back to the city, while the predatory bands of theenemy, having blockaded the city, were ravaging all around. 

11. And because I was alarmed at the difficulties in which we should beplaced by a blockade, I put the child in at a half open postern gate, and hastened back with all speed to my troop. And I was very nearlytaken prisoner; for a tribune named Abdigidus, accompanied by a groom, was fleeing, pursued by a squadron of cavalry, and though the masterescaped the servant was taken. And as I was passing by rapidly, they, examining the servant, inquired of him who was the chief who hadadvanced against them; and when they heard that Ursicinus had a littlewhile before entered the city, and was on his way to Mount Izala, theyput their informant to death, and then, forming into one body, pursuedus with ceaseless speed. 

12. But I outstripped them by the speed of my horse, and finding mycomrades reposing securely under the walls of a slight fort, calledAmudis, with their horses dispersed over the grass, I waved my hand, andraising the hem of my cloak: by this usual signal I gave notice thatthe enemy was at hand, and then joining them we retreated together, though my horse was greatly fatigued. 

13. Our alarm was increased by the brightness of the night, as the moonwas full, and by the even level of the plain, which, if our dangershould become worse, afforded no possible hiding-place, as havingneither trees, nor bushes, nor anything but low herbage. 

14. Accordingly we adopted the following plan: we lit a lamp andfastened it tightly on a horse, which we turned loose without a rider, and let go where it pleased to our left, while we marched towards thehigh ground on our right, in order that the Persians might fancy thelight a torch held before the general as he proceeded slowly forwards, and so keep on in that direction. And unless we had adopted thisprecaution we should have been circumvented, and have fallen asprisoners into the power of the enemy. 

15. Being delivered from this danger, when we had come to a woody spot, full of vines and fruit-bearing trees, called Meiacarire, a name derivedfrom the cool springs found there, we found that the inhabitants had allfled, and there was only a single soldier remaining behind, concealed ina remote corner. And when he was brought before our general, and throughfear told all kinds of different stories, and so became an object ofsuspicion; at last, under the compulsion of our threats, he told thereal truth, that he was a native of Gaul, and had been born among theParisii, that he had served in our cavalry, but that fearing punishmentfor some offence he had deserted to the Persians; that he had sincemarried a wife of excellent character, and had a family, and that havingbeen frequently sent as a spy to our camp, he had always brought thePersians true intelligence. And now he said he had been sent by thenobles Tamsapor and Nohodares, who were in command of the predatorybands, to bring them such intelligence as he could collect. Aftertelling us this, and also that he knew of the operations of the enemy, he was put to death. 

16. Afterwards, as our anxiety increased, we proceeded from thence withas much speed as we could make to Amida, a city celebrated at a laterperiod for the disaster which befel it. And when our scouts had rejoinedus there we found in one of their scabbards a scrap of parchmentwritten in cipher, which they had been ordered to convey to us byProcopius, whom I have already spoken of as ambassador to the Persianswith the Count Lucillianus; its terms were purposely obscure, lest ifthe bearers should be taken prisoners, and the sense of the writingunderstood, materials should be found for fatal mischief. 

17. The purport was, "The ambassadors of the Greeks, having beenrejected, and being perhaps to be put to death, the aged king, notcontented with the Hellespont, will throw bridges over the Granicus andthe Rhyndacus, and invade Asia Minor with a numerous host, being by hisown natural disposition irritable and fierce; and being now prompted andinflamed by him who was formerly the successor of the Roman emperorHadrian, [95] it is all over with the Greeks if they do not take care. "

18. The meaning of this was that the Persian king, having crossed therivers Anzaba and Tigris, at the prompting of Antoninus was aiming atthe sovereignty of the entire East. When it had been interpreted withdifficulty, from its great obscurity, a wise plan was decided on. 

19. The satrap of Corduena, a province under the authority of thePersians, was a man named Jovinianus, who had grown up to manhood in theRoman territories, and was secretly friendly to us, because he had beendetained as a hostage in Syria, and being now allured by the love ofliberal studies, he was exceedingly desirous to return among us. 

20. To this man I, being sent with a faithful centurion, for the purposeof learning with greater certainty what was being done, reached him bytravelling over pathless mountains, and dangerous defiles. And when hesaw and recognized me, he received me courteously, and I avowed to himalone the reason of my coming; and having received from him a silentguide, well acquainted with the country, I was sent to some lofty rocksat a distance, from which, if one's eyes did not fail, one could seeeven the most minute object fifty miles off. 

21. There we remained two whole days; and on the morning of the thirdday we saw all the circuit of the earth, which we call the horizon, filled with countless hosts of men, and the king marching before themglittering with the brilliancy of his robes. And next to him on his lefthand marched Grumbates, king of the Chionitæ, a man of middle age, andwrinkled limbs, but of a grand spirit, and already distinguished formany victories. On his right hand was the king of the Albani, of equalrank and splendour. After them came various generals, renowned for theirrank and power, who were followed by a multitude of all classes, pickedfrom the flower of the neighbouring nations, and trained by longhardship to endure any toil or danger. 

22. How long, O mendacious Greece, wilt thou tell us of Doriscus, [96]the Thracian town, and of the army counted there in battalions in afenced space, when we careful, or to speak more truly, cautioushistorians, exaggerate nothing, and merely record what is established byevidence neither doubtful nor uncertain!

VII. 

§ 1. After the kings had passed by Nineveh, an important city of theprovince of Adiabene, they offered a sacrifice in the middle of thebridge over the Anzaba, and as the omens were favourable, they advancedwith great joy; while we, calculating that the rest of their host couldhardly pass over in three days, returned with speed to the satrap, andrested, refreshing ourselves by his hospitable kindness. 

2. And returning from thence through a deserted and solitary country, under the pressure of great necessity, and reaching our army morerapidly than could have been expected, we brought to those who werehesitating the certain intelligence that the kings had crossed over theriver by a bridge of boats, and were marching straight towards us. 

3. Without delay, therefore, horsemen with horses of picked speed weresent to Cassianus, duke of Mesopotamia, and to Euphronius, at that timethe governor of the province, to compel the residents in the country toretire with their families and all their flocks to a safer place; andto quit at once the town of Carræ, which was defended by very slightwalls; and further, to burn all the standing crops, that the enemy mightget no supplies from the land. 

4. And when these orders had been executed, as they were without delay, and when the fire was kindled, the violence of the raging element socompletely destroyed all the corn, [97] which was just beginning to swelland turn yellow, and all the young herbage, that from the Euphrates tothe Tigris nothing green was to be seen. And many wild beasts wereburnt, and especially lions, who infest these districts terribly, butwho are often destroyed or blinded in this manner. 

5. They wander in countless droves among the beds of rushes on the banksof the rivers of Mesopotamia, and in the jungles; and lie quiet all thewinter, which is very mild in that country. But when the warm weatherreturns, as these regions are exposed to great heat, they are forced outby the vapours, and by the size of the gnats, with swarms of which everypart of that country is filled. And these winged insects attack theeyes, as being both moist and sparkling, sitting on and biting theeyelids; the lions, unable to bear the torture, are either drowned inthe rivers, to which they flee for refuge, or else by frequentscratchings tear their eyes out themselves with their claws, and thenbecome mad. And if this did not happen the whole of the East would beoverrun with beasts of this kind. 

6. While the plains were thus being laid waste by fire, as I havedescribed, the tribunes, who were sent with a body of protectores, fortified all the western bank of the Euphrates with castles and sharppalisades and every kind of defence, fixing also large engines forhurling missiles on those spots where the more tranquil condition of theriver made it likely that the enemy might attempt to cross. 

7. While these things were being expeditiously done, Sabinianus, chosenin the hurried moment of general danger as the fittest conductor of aninternecine war, was living luxuriously, according to his custom, at thetombs of Edessa, [98] as if he had established peace with the dead, andhad nothing to fear: and he took especial pleasure in breaking thesilence of the place with the sounding measures of the martialpyathicari, instead of the usual theatrical exhibitions; a fancy, considering the place, pregnant with omens. Since these and similargloomy scenes foreshow future commotions, as we learn in the progress oftime, all good men ought to avoid them. 

8. In the mean time, passing by Nisibis as of no importance, while theconflagration increased through the dryness of the crops, the kings, dreading a scarcity of food, marched through the grassy valleys at thefoot of the mountains. 

9. When they had arrived at a small place called Bebase (from whichplace to the town of Constantina, which is one hundred miles distant, the whole country is an arid desert, except where a little water isfound in some wells), they hesitated for some time, doubting what to do;and at last resolving to proceed in reliance on the endurance of theirmen, they learnt from a trusty spy that the Euphrates was swollen by themelting of the snow, and was now extensively inundating the adjacentlands, and so could not possibly be forded. 

10. Therefore they turned to see what opportunities chance might affordthem, being now cut off unexpectedly from the hope which they hadconceived. And in the present emergency a council was held, at whichAntoninus was requested to give his advice: and he counselled them todirect their march to the right, so that by a longer circuit they mightreach the two strong forts of Barzala and Laudias, to which he couldguide them through a region fertile in everything, and stillundestroyed, since the march of the army was expected to be made in astraight line. And the only river on their road was one small andnarrow, to be passed near its source, before it was increased by anyother streams, and easily fordable. 

11. When they had heard this, they praised their adviser, and biddinghim lead the way, the whole army turned from its previously appointedline, and followed his guidance. 

VIII. 

§ 1. When our generals received intelligence of this from their spies, we settled to march in haste to Samosata, in order to cross the river atthat point, and destroying the bridges at Zeugma and Capersana, to checkthe invasion of the enemy if we could find a favourable chance forattacking them. 

2. But we met with a sad disaster, worthy to be buried in profoundsilence. For two squadrons of cavalry, of about seven hundred men, whohad just been sent from Illyricum to Mesopotamia as a reinforcement, andwho were guarding the passes, becoming enervated and timid, and fearinga surprise by night, withdrew from the public causeways in the evening, a time above all others when they most required watching. 

3. And when it was remarked that they were all sunk in wine and sleep, about twenty thousand Persians, under the command of Tamsapor andNohodares, passed without any one perceiving them, and fully armed asthey were, concealed themselves behind the high ground in theneighbourhood of Amida. 

4. Presently, when (as has been said) we started before daybreak on ourmarch to Samosata, our advanced guard, on reaching a high spot whichcommanded a more distant view, was suddenly alarmed by the glitter ofshining arms; and cried out in a hurried manner that the enemy were athand. Upon this the signal for battle was given, and we halted in asolid column, never thinking of fleeing, since, indeed, those who wouldhave pursued us were in sight; nor to engage in battle with an enemysuperior to us in numbers, and especially in cavalry; but seeing thenecessity for caution in the danger of certain death which lay beforeus. 

5. At last, when it seemed clear that a battle could not be avoided, andwhile we were still hesitating what to do, some of our men rashlyadvanced as skirmishers, and were slain. And then, as each side pressedonwards, Antoninus, ambitiously marching in front of the enemy, wasrecognized by Ursicinus, and addressed by him in a tone of reproach, andcalled a traitor and a scoundrel; till at last, taking off the tiarawhich he wore on his head as a badge of honour, he dismounted from hishorse, and bending down till his face nearly touched the ground, hesaluted the Roman general, calling him patron and master; and holdinghis hands behind his back, which among the Assyrians is a gesture ofsupplication, he said, "Pardon me, most noble count, who have beendriven to this guilt by necessity, not by my own will. My creditors, asyou know, drove me headlong into it: men whose avarice even your highauthority, which tried to support me in my distress, could notovercome. " Having said this, he withdrew without turning his back uponhim, but retiring backwards in a respectful manner, with his facetowards him. 

6. And while this was taking place, which did not occupy above half anhour, our second rank, which occupied the higher ground, cried out thatanother body of cuirassiers appeared behind, and was coming on withgreat speed. 

7. And then, as is often the case at critical moments, doubting whichenemy we ought, or even could resist, and being pressed on all sides byan overwhelming mass, we dispersed in every direction, each fleeingwhere he could. And while every one was trying to extricate himself fromthe danger, we were brought, without any order, face to face with theenemy. 

8. And so struggling vigorously while giving up all desire of saving ourlives, we were driven back to the high banks of the Tigris. Some of ourmen, driven into the water where it was shallow, locked their arms, andso made a stand; others were carried off by the current and drowned;some, still fighting with the enemy, met with various fortune, or, panic-stricken at the numbers of the barbarians, sought the nearestdefiles of Mount Taurus. Among these was the general himself, who wasrecognized and surrounded by a vast body of the enemy; but he escapedwith the tribune Aiadalthes and one groom, being saved by the swiftnessof his horse. 

9. I myself was separated from my comrades, and while looking round tosee what to do, I met with one of the protectores named Verrinianus, whose thigh was pierced through by an arrow, and while at his entreaty Iwas trying to pull it out, I found myself surrounded on all sides byPersians, some of whom had passed beyond me. I therefore hastened backwith all speed towards the city, which, being placed on high ground, isonly accessible by one very narrow path on the side on which we wereattacked; and that path is made narrower still by escarpments of therocks, and barriers built on purpose to make the approach moredifficult. 

10. Here we became mingled with the Persians, who were hastening with arun, racing with us, to make themselves masters of the higher ground:and till the dawn of the next day we stood without moving, so closelypacked, that the bodies of those who were slain were so propped up bythe mass that they could not find room to fall to the ground; and asoldier in front of me, whose head was cloven asunder into equalportions by a mighty sword-blow, still stood upright like a log, beingpressed upon all sides. 

11. And although javelins were incessantly hurled from the battlementsby every kind of engine, yet we were protected from that danger by theproximity of the walls. And at last I got in at the postern gate, whichI found thronged by a multitude of both sexes flocking in from theneighbouring districts. For it happened by chance on these very daysthat it was the time of a great annual fair which was held in thesuburbs, and which was visited by multitudes of the country people. 

12. In the mean time all was in disorder with every kind of noise; somebewailing those whom they had lost; others being mortally wounded; andmany calling on their different relations whom the crowd prevented themfrom discovering. 

IX. 

§ 1. This city had formerly been a very small one, till Constantiuswhile Cæsar, at the same time that he built another town calledAntinopolis, surrounded Amida also with strong towers and stout walls, that the people in the neighbourhood might have a safe place of refuge. And he placed there a store of mural engines, making it formidable tothe enemy, as he wished it to be called by his own name. 

2. On the southern side it is watered by the Tigris, which passes closeto it, making a kind of elbow: on the east it looks towards the plainsof Mesopotamia, on the north it is close to the river Nymphæus, and isovershadowed by the chain of Mount Taurus, which separates the nationson the other side of the Tigris from Armenia. On the west it borders onthe province of Gumathena, a fertile and well-cultivated district, inwhich is a village known as Abarne, celebrated for the healingproperties of its hot springs. But in the very centre of Amida, underthe citadel, there rises a rich spring of water, drinkable indeed, butoften tainted with hot vapours. 

3. In the garrison of this town, the fifth or Parthian legion was alwayslocated with a considerable squadron of native cavalry. But at that timesix legions, by forced marches, had outstripped the Persian host in itsadvance, and greatly strengthened the garrison: they were the Magnentianand Decentian legions whom, after the end of the civil war, the emperorhad sent as mutinous and discontented to the East, since there the onlydanger was from foreign wars: the tenth, and the thirteenth legioncalled the Fretensian:[99] and two legions of light infantry calledpræventores and superventores, [100] with Ælian, who was now a count. Ofthese latter, when only new recruits, we have already[101] spoken, assallying out from Singara at the instigation of this same Ælian, thenonly one of the guard, and slaying a great number of Persians whom theyhad surprised in their sleep. 

4. There was also the greater part of the force called companionarchers, being squadrons of cavalry so named, in which all the free-bornbarbarians serve, and who are conspicuous among all others for thesplendour of their arms and for their prowess. 

X. 

§ 1. While the first onset of the Persians was by its unexpectedvehemence throwing these troops into disorder, the king, with his nativeand foreign troops, having after leaving Bebase turned his march to theright, according to the advice of Antoninus, passed by Horre andMeiacarire and Charcha, as if he meant also to pass by Amida. And whenhe had come near the Roman forts, one of which is called Reman, and theother Busan, he learnt from some deserters that many persons had removedtheir treasures there for protection, trusting to their lofty and strongwalls; and it was also added that there was there, with a great manyvaluables, a woman of exquisite beauty, the wife of a citizen of Nisibisnamed Craugasius, of great consideration by birth, character, andinfluence; with her little daughter. 

2. Sapor, eager to seize what belonged to another, hastened on, andattacked the castle with force; and the garrison, being seized with asudden panic at the variety of arms of the assailants, surrenderedthemselves, and all who had fled to them for protection; and at thefirst summons gave up the keys of the gates. Possession being taken, allthat was stored there was ransacked; women bewildered with fear weredragged forth; and children clinging to their mothers were taught bittersuffering at the very beginning of their infancy. 

3. And when Sapor, by asking each whose wife she was, had found that ofCraugasius trembling with fear of violence, he allowed her to come insafety to him, and when he saw her, veiled as she was with a black veilto her lips, he kindly encouraged her with a promise that she shouldrecover her husband, and that her honour should be preserved inviolate. For hearing that her husband was exceedingly devoted to her, he thoughtthat by this bribe he might win him over to betray Nisibis. 

4. And he also extended his protection to other virgins who, accordingto Christian rites, had been formally consecrated to the service of God, ordering that they should be kept uninjured, and be allowed to performthe offices of religion as they had been accustomed. Affecting clemencyfor a time, in order that those who were alarmed at his former ferocityand cruelty might now discard their fears, and come to him of their ownaccord, learning from these recent examples that he tempered thegreatness of his success with humanity and courtesy. 

[89] It is not known what towns are meant by Castra Herculis andQuadriburgium. 

[90] Vespasian and Titus. 

[91] Ammianus was still in attendance on Ursicinus. 

[92] Homer, Od. Xiii. I; translated by Pope--

 "He ceased, but left, so pleasing on their ear, His voice, that listening still they seemed to hear. "

And imitated by Milton, Paradise Lost, ix. 1--

 "The angel ended, and in Adam's ear So pleasing left his voice that he awhile Thought him still speaking, still stood fixed to hear. "

[93] The battle of Hileia took place A. D. 348; that of Singara threeyears earlier. 

[94] The Maritza, rising in Mount Hæmus, now the Balkan. 

[95] Antoninus is meant, as Hadrian was succeeded by Antoninus Pius. 

[96] Doriscus was the town where Xerxes reviewed and counted his army, as is related by Herodotus, vii. 60. 

[97] "Ammianus has marked the chronology of this year by three signswhich do not perfectly coincide with each other, or with the series ofthe history:--1. The corn was ripe when Sapor invaded Mesopotamia, 'cumjura stipulâ flavente turgerent'--a circumstance which, in the latitudeof Aleppo, would naturally refer us to the month of April or May. 2. Theprogress of Sapor was checked by the overflowing of the Euphrates, whichgenerally happens in July and August. 3. When Sapor had taken Amida, after a siege of seventy-three days, the autumn was far advanced. 'Autumno præcipiti hædorumque improbo sidere exorto. ' To reconcile theseapparent contradictions, we must allow for some delay in the Persianking, some inaccuracy in the historian, and some disorder in theseasons. "--Gibbon, cap. Xix. ; ed. Bohn, vol. Ii. 320. "Clinton, F. R. , i. 442, sees no such difficulty as Gibbon has here supposed; he makes Saporto have passed the Tigris in May, reached the Euphrates July 8th, arrived before Amida July 27th, and stormed the place October7th. "--Editor of Bohn's ed. 

[98] That is, in the suburbs of Edessa, as cemeteries in ancient timeswere usually outside the walls of cities. 

[99] It is not known what this name is derived from: some readFortensis, instead of Fretensis, and those who prefer this readingderive it either from Fortis, brave; or from Fortia, a small town ofAsiatic Sarmatia. 

[100] Præventores, or "going before;" superventores, "coming after, " asa reserve. 

[101] In one of the earlier books which has been lost. 

BOOK XIX. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. Sapor, while exhorting the citizens of Amida to surrender, is assailed with arrows and javelins by the garrison--And when king Grumbates makes a similar attempt, his son is slain. --II. Amida is blockaded, and within two days is twice assaulted by the Persians. --III. Ursicinus makes a vain proposal to sally out by night, and surprise the besiegers, being resisted by Sabinianus, the commander of the forces. --IV. A pestilence, which breaks out in Amida, is checked within ten days by a little rain--A discussion of the causes, and different kinds of pestilences. --V. Amida, betrayed by a deserter, is assailed both by assaults on the walls and by underground mines. --VI. A sally of the Gallic legions does great harm to the Persians. --VII. Towers and other engines are brought close to the walls of the city, but they are burnt by the Romans. --VIII. Attempts are made to raise lofty mounds close to the walls of Amida, and by these means it is entered--After the fall of the city, Marcellinus escapes by night, and flees to Antioch. --IX. Of the Roman generals at Amida, some are put to death, and others are kept as prisoners--Craugasius of Nisibis deserts to the Persians from love of his wife, who is their prisoner. --X. The people of Rome, fearing a scarcity, become seditious. --XI. The Limigantes of Sarmatia, under pretence of suing for peace, attack Constantius, who is deceived by their trick; but are driven back with heavy loss. --XII. Many are prosecuted for treason, and condemned. --XIII. Lauricius, of the Isaurians checks the hordes of banditti. 

I. 

§ 1. The king, rejoicing at this our disaster and captivity, andexpecting other successes, advanced from this castle, and marchingslowly, on the third day came to Amida. 

2. And at daybreak, everything, as far as we could see, glittered withshining arms; and an iron cavalry filled the plains and the hills. 

3. And he himself, mounted on his charger, and being taller than therest, led his whole army, wearing instead of a crown a golden figure ofa ram's head inlaid with jewels; being also splendid from the retinue ofmen of high rank and of different nations which followed him. And it wasevident that his purpose was merely to try the garrison of the wallswith a parley, as, in following out the counsel of Antoninus, he washastening to another quarter. 

4. But the deity of heaven, mercifully limiting the disasters of theempire within the compass of one region, led on this king to such anextravagant degree of elation, that he seemed to believe that the momenthe made his appearance the besieged would be suddenly panic-stricken, and have recourse to supplication and entreaty. 

5. He rode up to the gates, escorted by the cohort of his royal guard;and while pushing on more boldly, so that his very features might beplainly recognized, his ornaments made him such a mark for arrows andother missiles, that he would have been slain, if the dust had nothindered the sight of those who were shooting at him; so that after apart of his robe had been cut off by a blow of a javelin, he escaped tocause vast slaughter at a future time. 

6. After this, raging as if against sacrilegious men who had violated atemple, he cried out that the lord of so many monarchs and nations hadbeen insulted, and resolved to use all his efforts to destroy the city. But at the entreaty of his choicest generals not to break the example ofmercy which he had so gloriously set, by indulging in anger, he waspacified, and the next day ordered the garrison to be summoned tosurrender. 

7. Therefore, at daybreak, Grumbates, king of the Chionitæ, went boldlyup to the walls to effect that object, with a brave body of guards; andwhen a skilful reconnoitrer had noticed him coming within shot, he letfly his balista, and struck down his son in the flower of his youth, whowas at his father's side, piercing through his breastplate, breast andall; and he was a prince who in stature and beauty was superior to allhis comrades. 

8. At his death all his countrymen took to flight, but presentlyreturning in order to prevent his body from being carried off, andhaving roused with their dissonant clamours various tribes to their aid, a stern conflict arose, the arrows flying on both sides like hail. 

9. The deadly struggle having been continued till the close of day, itwas nightfall before the corpse of the young prince, which had been sostubbornly defended, was extricated from the heap of dead and streams ofblood, amid the thick darkness; as formerly at Troy, the armies foughtin furious combat for the comrade of the Thessalian chieftain. [102]

10. At his death the count was sad, and all the nobles as well as hisfather were distressed at his sudden loss; and a cessation of armshaving been ordered, the youth, so noble and beloved, was mourned afterthe fashion of his nation. He was carried out in the arms he was wont towear, and placed on a spacious and lofty pile; around him ten coucheswere dressed, bearing effigies of dead men, so carefully laid out, thatthey resembled corpses already buried; and for seven days all the men inthe companies and battalions celebrated a funeral feast, dancing, andsinging melancholy kinds of dirges in lamentation for the royal youth. 

11. And the women, with pitiable wailing, deplored with their customaryweepings the hope of their nation thus cut off in the early bloom ofyouth; as the worshippers of Venus are often seen to do in the solemnfestival of Adonis, which the mystical doctrines of religion show to besome sort of image of the ripened fruits of the earth. 

II. 

§ 1. When the body was burnt and the bones collected in a silver urn, which his father had ordered to be carried back to his native land, tobe there buried beneath the earth, Sapor, after taking counsel, determined to propitiate the shade of the deceased prince by making thedestroyed city of Amida his monument. Nor indeed was Grumbates willingto move onward while the shade of his only son remained unavenged. 

2. And having given two days to rest, and sent out large bodies oftroops to ravage the fertile and well-cultivated fields which were asheavy with crops as in the time of peace, the enemy surrounded the citywith a line of heavy-armed soldiers five deep; and at the beginning ofthe third day the brilliant squadrons filled every spot as far as theeye could see in every direction, and the ranks marching slowly, took upthe positions appointed to each by lot. 

3. All the Persians were employed in surrounding the walls; that partwhich looked eastward, where that youth so fatal to us was slain, fellto the Chionitæ. The Vertæ were appointed to the south; the Albaniwatched the north; while opposite to the western gate were posted theSegestani, the fiercest warriors of all, with whom were trains of tallelephants, horrid with their wrinkled skins, which marched on slowly, loaded with armed men, terrible beyond the savageness of any otherfrightful sight, as we have often said. 

4. When we saw these countless hosts thus deliberately collected for theconflagration of the Roman world, and directed to our own immediatedestruction, we despaired of safety, and sought only how to end ourlives gloriously, as we all desired. 

5. From the rising of the sun to its setting, the enemy's lines stoodimmovable, as if rooted to the ground, without changing a step oruttering a sound; nor was even the neigh of a horse heard; and the menhaving withdrawn in the same order as they had advanced, afterrefreshing themselves with food and sleep, even before the dawn, returned, led by the clang of brazen trumpets, to surround the city, asif fated to fall with their terrible ring. 

6. And scarcely had Grumbates, like a Roman fecial, hurled at us a spearstained with blood, according to his native fashion, than the wholearmy, rattling their arms, mounted up to the walls, and instantly thetumult of war grew fierce, while all the squadrons hastened with speedand alacrity to the attack, and our men on their side opposed them withequal fierceness and resolution. 

7. Soon many of the enemy fell with their heads crushed by vast stoneshurled from scorpions, some were pierced with arrows, others weretransfixed with javelins, and strewed the ground with their bodies;others, wounded, fled back in haste to their comrades. 

8. Nor was there less grief or less slaughter in the city, where thecloud of arrows obscured the air, and the vast engines, of which thePersians had got possession when they took Singara, scattered woundseverywhere. 

9. For the garrison, collecting all their forces, returning in constantreliefs to the combat, in their eagerness to defend the city, fellwounded, to the hindrance of their comrades, or, being sadly torn asthey fell, threw down those who stood near them, or if still alive, sought the aid of those skilful in extracting darts which had becomefixed in their bodies. 

10. So slaughter was met by slaughter, and lasted till the close of day, being scarcely stopped by the darkness of evening, so great was theobstinacy with which both sides fought. 

11. And the watches of the night were passed under arms, and the hillsresounded with the shouts raised on both sides, while our men extolledthe valour of Constantius Cæsar as lord of the empire and of the world, and the Persians styled Sapor Saansas and Pyroses, which appellationsmean king of kings, and conqueror in wars. 

12. The next morning, before daybreak, the trumpet gave the signal, andcountless numbers from all sides flocked like birds to a contest ofsimilar violence; and in every direction, as far as the eye could reach, nothing could be seen in the plains and valleys but the glittering armsof these savage nations. 

13. And presently a shout was raised, and as the enemy rushed forwardall at once, they were met by a dense shower of missiles from the walls;and as may be conjectured, none were hurled in vain, falling as they didamong so dense a crowd. For while so many evils surrounded us, we foughtas I have said before, with the hope, not of procuring safety, but ofdying bravely; and from dawn to eventide the battle was evenlybalanced, both fighting with more ferocity than method, and there arosethe shouts of men striking and falling, so that from the eagerness ofboth parties there was scarcely any one who did not give or receivewounds. 

14. At last, night put an end to the slaughter, and the losses on bothsides caused a longer truce. For when the time intended for rest wasallowed to us, continual sleepless toil still exhausted our littleremaining strength, in spite of the dread caused by the bloodshed andthe pallid faces of the dying, whom the scantiness of our room did notpermit us even the last solace of burying; since within the circuit of amoderate city there were seven legions, and a vast promiscuous multitudeof citizens and strangers of both sexes, and other soldiers, so that atleast twenty thousand men were shut up within the walls. 

15. So each attended to his own wounds as well as he could, availinghimself of whatever assistance or remedies came in his way. While some, being severely wounded, died of loss of blood; and some, pierced throughby swords, lay on the ground, and breathed their last in the open air;others who were pierced through and through the skilful refused totouch, in order not to pain them further by inflicting uselesssufferings; some, seeking the doubtful remedy of extracting the arrows, only incurred agonies worse than death. 

III. 

§ 1. While the war was going on in this manner around Amida, Ursicinus, vexed at being dependent on the will of another, gave continual warningto Sabinianus, who had superior authority over the soldiers, and whostill remained in the quarter of the tombs, to collect all hislight-armed troops, and hasten by secret paths along the foot of themountain chain, with the idea that by the aid of this light force, ifchance should aid them, they might surprise some of the enemy'soutposts, and attack with success the night watches of the army, which, with its vast circuit, was surrounding the walls, or else by incessantattacks might harass those who clung resolutely to the blockade. 

2. But Sabinianus rejected this proposal as mischievous, and producedsome letters from the emperor, expressly enjoining that all that couldbe done was to be done without exposing the troops to any danger; buthis own secret motive he kept in his own bosom, namely, that he had beenconstantly recommended while at court to refuse his predecessor, who wasvery eager for glory, every opportunity of acquiring renown, howevermuch it might be for the interest of the republic. 

3. Extreme pains were taken, even to the ruin of the provinces, toprevent the gallant Ursicinus from being spoken of as the author of orpartner in any memorable exploit. Therefore, bewildered with thesemisfortunes, Ursicinus, seeing that, though constantly sending spies tous (although from the strict watch that was set it was not easy for anyone to enter the city), and proposing many advantageous plans, he did nogood, seemed like a lion, terrible for his size and fierceness, but withhis claws cut and his teeth drawn, so that he could not dare to savefrom danger his cubs entangled in the nets of the hunters. 

IV. 

§ 1. But in the city, where the number of the corpses which layscattered over the streets was too great for any one to perform thefuneral rites over them, a pestilence was soon added to the othercalamities of the citizens; the carcases becoming full of worms andcorruption, from the evaporation caused by the heat, and the variousdiseases of the people; and here I will briefly explain whence diseasesof this kind arise. 

2. Both philosophers and skilful physicians agree that excess of cold, or of heat, or of moisture, or of drought, all cause pestilences; onwhich account those who dwell in marshy or wet districts are subject tocoughs and complaints in the eyes, and other similar maladies: on theother hand, those who dwell in hot climates are liable to fevers andinflammations. But since fire is the most powerful of all elements, sodrought is the quickest at killing. 

3. On this account it is that when the Greeks were toiling at the tenyears' war, [103] to prevent a foreigner from profiting by his violationof a royal marriage, a pestilence broke out among them, and numbers diedby the darts of Apollo, who is the same as the Sun. 

4. Again, as Thucydides relates, that pestilence which at the beginningof the Peloponnesian war harassed the Athenians with a most cruel kindof sickness, came by slow steps from the burning plains of Ethiopia toAttica. 

5. Others maintain that the air and the water, becoming tainted by thesmell of corpses, and similar things, takes away the healthiness of aplace, or at all events that the sudden change of temperature bringsforth slighter sicknesses. 

6. Some again affirm that the air becomes heavier by emanations from theearth, and kills some individuals by checking the perspiration of thebody, for which reason we learn from Homer, that, besides men, the otherliving creatures also died; and we know by many instances, that in suchplagues this does occur. 

7. Now the first species of pestilence is called pandemic; this causesthose who live in dry places to be attacked by frequent heats. Thesecond is called epidemic, which gets gradually more violent, dims thesight of the eyes, and awakens dangerous humours. The third is calledloemodes, [104] which is also temporary, but still often kills withgreat rapidity. 

8. We were attacked by this deadly pestilence from the excessive heat, which our numbers aggravated, though but few died: and at last, on thenight after the tenth day from the first attack, the heavy and dense airwas softened by a little rain, and the health of the garrison wasrestored and preserved. 

V. 

§ 1. In the mean time the restless Persians were surrounding the citywith a fence of wicker-work, and mounds were commenced; lofty towersalso were constructed with iron fronts, in the top of each of which abalista was placed, in order to drive down the garrison from thebattlements; but during the whole time the shower of missiles from thearchers and slingers never ceased for a moment. 

2. We had with us two of the legions which had served under Magnentius, and which, as we have said, had lately been brought from Gaul, composedof brave and active men well adapted for conflicts in the plain; but notonly useless for such a kind of war as that by which we were nowpressed, but actually in the way. For as they had no skill either inworking the engines, or in constructing works, but were continuallymaking foolish sallies, and fighting bravely, they always returned withdiminished numbers; doing just as much good, as the saying is, as abucket of water brought by a single hand to a general conflagration. 

3. At last, when the gates were completely blocked, and they wereutterly unable to get out, in spite of the entreaties of their tribunes, they became furious as wild beasts. But on subsequent occasions theirservices became conspicuous, as we shall show. 

4. In a remote part of the walls on the southern side, which looks downon the Tigris, there was a high tower, below which yawned an abruptprecipice, which it was impossible to look over without giddiness. Fromthis by a hollow subterranean passage along the foot of the mountainsome steps were cut with great skill, which led up to the level of thecity, by which water was secretly obtained from the river, as we haveseen to be the case in all the fortresses in that district which aresituated on any river. 

5. This passage was dark, and because of the precipitous character ofthe rock was neglected by the besiegers, till, under the guidance of adeserter who went over to them, seventy Persian archers of the royalbattalion, men of eminent skill and courage, being protected by theremoteness of the spot which prevented their being heard, climbed up bythe steps one by one at midnight, and reached the third story of thetower. There they concealed themselves till daybreak, when they held outa scarlet cloak as a signal for commencing an assault, when they sawthat the city was entirely surrounded by the multitude of theircomrades; and then they emptied their quivers and threw them down attheir feet, and with loud cries shot their arrows among the citizenswith prodigious skill. 

6. And presently the whole of the mighty host of the enemy assaulted thecity with more ferocity than ever. And while we stood hesitating andperplexed to know which danger to oppose first, whether to make headagainst the foe above us, or against the multitude who were scaling thebattlements with ladders, our force was divided; and five of the lighterbalistæ were brought round and placed so as to attack our tower. Theyshot out heavy wooden javelins with great rapidity, sometimestransfixing two of our men at one blow, so that many of them fell to theground severely wounded, and some jumped down in haste from fear of thecreaking engines, and being terribly lacerated by the fall, died. 

7. But by measures promptly taken, the walls were again secured on thatside, and the engines replaced in their former situation. 

8. And since the crime of desertion had increased the labours of oursoldiers, they, full of indignation, moved along the battlements as ifon level ground, hurling missiles of all kinds, and exerting themselvesso strenuously that the Virtæ, who were attacking on the south side, were repulsed covered by wounds, and retired in consternation to theirtents, having to lament the fall of many of their number. 

VI. 

§ 1. Thus fortune showed us a ray of safety, granting us one day inwhich we suffered but little, while the enemy sustained a heavy loss;the remainder of the day was given to rest in order to recruit ourstrength; and at the dawn of the next morning we saw from the citadel aninnumerable multitude, which, after the capture of the fort calledZiata, was being led to the enemy's camp. For a promiscuous multitudehad taken refuge in Ziata on account of its size and strength; it beinga place ten furlongs in circumference. 

2. In those days many other fortresses also were stormed and burnt, andmany thousands of men and women carried off from them into slavery;among whom were many men and women, enfeebled by age, who, faintingfrom different causes, broke down under the length of the journey, gaveup all desire of life, and were hamstrung and left behind. 

3. The Gallic soldiers beholding these wretched crowds, demanded by anatural but unseasonable impulse to be led against the forces of theenemy, threatening their tribunes and principal centurions with death ifthey refused them leave. 

4. And as wild beasts kept in cages, being rendered more savage by thesmell of blood, dash themselves against their movable bars in the hopeof escaping, so these men smote the gates, which we have already spokenof as being blockaded, with their swords; being very anxious not to beinvolved in the destruction of the city till they had done some gallantexploit; or, if they ultimately escaped from their dangers, not to bespoken of as having done nothing worth speaking of, or worthy of theirGallic courage. Although when they had sallied out before, as they hadoften done, and had inflicted some loss on the raisers of the mounds, they had always experienced equal loss themselves. 

5. We, at a loss what to do, and not knowing what resistance to opposeto these furious men, at length, having with some difficulty won theirconsent thereto, decided, since the evil could be endured no longer, toallow them to attack the Persian advanced guard, which was not muchbeyond bowshot; and then, if they could force their line, they mightpush their advance further. For it was plain that if they succeeded inthis, they would cause a great slaughter of the enemy. 

6. And while the preparations for this sally were being made, the wallswere still gallantly defended with unmitigated labour and watching, andplanting engines for shooting stones and darts in every direction. Buttwo high mounds had been raised by the Persian infantry, and theblockade of the city was still pressed forward by gradual operations;against which our men, exerting themselves still more vigorously, raisedalso immense structures, topping the highest works of the enemy; andsufficiently strong to support the immense weight of their defenders. 

7. In the mean time the Gallic troops, impatient of delay, armed withtheir axes and swords, went forth from the open postern gate, takingadvantage of a dark and moonless night. And imploring the Deity to bepropitious, and repressing even their breath when they got near theenemy, they advanced with quick step and in close order, slew some ofthe watch at the outposts, and the outer sentinels of the camp (who wereasleep, fearing no such event), and entertained secret hopes ofpenetrating even to the king's tent if fortune assisted them. 

8. But some noise, though slight, was made by them in their march, andthe groans of the slain aroused many from sleep; and while eachseparately raised the cry "to arms, " our soldiers halted and stood firm, not venturing to move any further forward. For it would not have beenprudent, now that those whom they sought to surprise were awakened, tohasten into open danger, while the bands of Persians were now heard tobe flocking to battle from all quarters. 

9. Nevertheless the Gallic troops, with undiminished strength andboldness, continued to hew down their foes with their swords, thoughsome of their own men were also slain, pierced by the arrows which wereflying from all quarters; and they still stood firm, when they saw thewhole danger collected into one point, and the bands of the enemy comingon with speed; yet no one turned his back: and they withdrew, retiringslowly as if in time to music, and gradually fell behind the pales ofthe camp, being unable to sustain the weight of the battalions pressingclose upon them, and being deafened by the clang of the Persiantrumpets. 

10. And while many trumpets in turn poured out their clang from thecity, the gates were opened to receive our men, if they should be ableto reach them: and the engines for missiles creaked, though no javelinswere shot from them, in order that the captains of the advanced guard ofthe Persians, ignorant of the slaughter of their comrades, might beterrified by the noise into falling back, and so allowing our gallanttroops to be admitted in safety. 

11. And owing to this manoeuvre, the Gauls about daybreak entered thegate although with diminished numbers, many of them severely and othersslightly wounded. They lost four hundred men this night, when if theyhad not been hindered by more formidable obstacles, they would haveslain in his very tent not Rhesus nor Thracians sleeping before thewalls of Troy, but the king of Persia, surrounded by one hundredthousand armed men. 

12. To their leaders, as champions of valiant actions, the emperor, after the fall of the city, ordered statues in armour to be erected atEdessa in a frequented spot. And those statues are preserved up to thepresent time unhurt. 

13. When the next day showed the slaughter which had been made, noblesand satraps were found lying amongst the corpses, and all kinds ofdissonant cries and tears indicated the changed posture of the Persianhost: everywhere was heard wailing; and great indignation was expressedby the princes, who thought that the Romans had forced their way throughthe sentries in front of the walls. A truce was made for three days bythe common consent of both armies, and we gladly accepted a littlerespite in which to take breath. [105]

VII. 

§ 1. Now the nations of the barbarians, being amazed at the novelty ofthis attempt, and rendered by it more savage than ever, discarding alldelay, determined to proceed with their works, since open assaultsavailed them but little. And with extreme warlike eagerness they all nowhastened to die gloriously, or else to propitiate the souls of the deadby the ruin of the city. 

2. And now, the necessary preparations having been completed by theuniversal alacrity, at the rising of the day-star all kinds ofstructures and iron towers were brought up to the walls; on the loftysummits of which balistæ were fitted, which beat down the garrison whowere placed on lower ground. 

3. And when day broke the iron coverings of the bodies of the foedarkened the whole heaven, and the dense lines advanced without anyskirmishers in front, and not in an irregular manner as before, but tothe regular and soft music of trumpets; protected by the roofs of theengines, and holding before them wicker shields. 

4. And when they came within reach of our missiles, the Persianinfantry, holding their shields in front of them, and even then havingdifficulty in avoiding the arrows which were shot from the engines onthe walls, for scarcely any kind of weapon found an empty space, theybroke their line a little; and even the cuirassiers were checked andbegan to retreat, which raised the spirits of our men. 

5. Still the balistæ of the enemy, placed on their iron towers, andpouring down missiles with great power from their high ground on thosein a lower position, spread a great deal of slaughter in our ranks. Atlast, when evening came on, both sides retired to rest, and the greaterpart of the night was spent by us in considering what device could beadopted to resist the formidable engines of the enemy. 

6. At length, after we had considered many plans, we determined on onewhich the rapidity with which it could be executed made the safest--tooppose four scorpions to the four balistæ; which were carefully moved (avery difficult operation) from the place in which they were; but beforethis work was finished, day arrived, bringing us a mournful sight, inasmuch as it showed us the formidable battalions of the Persians, withtheir trains of elephants, the noise and size of which animals are suchthat nothing more terrible can be presented to the mind of man. 

7. And while we were pressed on all sides with the vast masses of arms, and works, and beasts, still our scorpions were kept at work with theiriron slings, hurling huge round stones from the battlements, by whichthe towers of the enemy were crushed and the balistæ and those whoworked them were dashed to the ground, so that many were desperatelyinjured, and many crushed by the weight of the falling structures. Andthe elephants were driven back with violence, and surrounded by theflames which we poured forth against them, the moment that they werewounded retired, and could not be restrained by their riders. The workswere all burnt, but still there was no cessation from the conflict. 

8. For the king of the Persians himself, who is never expected to minglein the fight, being indignant at these disasters, adopting a new andunprecedented mode of action, sprang forth like a common soldier amonghis own dense columns; and as the very number of his guards made him themore conspicuous to us who looked from afar on the scene, he wasassailed by numerous missiles, and was forced to retire after he hadlost many of his escort, while his troops fell back by echellons; and atthe end of the day, though frightened neither by the sad sight of theslaughter nor of the wounds, he at length allowed a short period to begiven to rest. 

VIII. 

§ 1. Night had put an end to the combat; and when a slight rest had beenprocured from sleep, the moment that the dawn, looked for as theharbinger of better fortune, appeared, Sapor, full of rage andindignation, and perfectly reckless, called forth his people to attackus. And as his works were all burnt, as we have related, and the attackhad to be conducted by means of their lofty mounds raised close to ourwalls, we also from mounds within the walls, as fast as we could raisethem, struggled in spite of all our difficulties, with all our might, and with equal courage, against our assailants. 

2. And long did the bloody conflict last, nor was any one of thegarrison driven by fear of death from his resolution to defend the city. The conflict was prolonged, till at last, while the fortune of the twosides was still undecided, the structure raised by our men, having beenlong assailed and shaken, at last fell, as if by an earthquake. 

3. And the whole space which was between the wall and the external moundbeing made level as if by a causeway or a bridge, opened a passage tothe enemy, which was no longer embarrassed by any obstacles; and numbersof our men, being crushed or enfeebled by their wounds, gave up thestruggle. Still men flocked from all quarters to repel so imminent adanger, but from their eager haste they got in one another's way, whilethe boldness of the enemy increased with their success. 

4. By the command of the king all his troops now hastened into action, and a hand-to-hand engagement ensued. Blood ran down from the vastslaughter on both sides: the ditches were filled with corpses, and thusa wider path was opened for the besiegers. And the city, being nowfilled with the eager crowd which forced its way in, all hope of defenceor of escape was cut off, and armed and unarmed without any distinctionof age or sex were slaughtered like sheep. 

5. It was full evening, when, though fortune had proved adverse, thebulk of our troops was still fighting in good order; and I, havingconcealed myself with two companions in an obscure corner of the city, now under cover of darkness, made my escape by a postern gate wherethere was no guard; and aided by my own knowledge of the country and bythe speed of my companions, I at last reached the tenth milestone fromthe city. 

6. Here, having lightly refreshed ourselves, I tried to proceed, butfound myself, as a noble unaccustomed to such toil, overcome by fatigueof the march. I happened to fall in, however, with what, though a mostunsightly object, was to me, completely tired out, a most seasonablerelief. 

7. A groom riding a runaway horse, barebacked and without a bridle, inorder to prevent his falling had knotted the halter by which he wasguiding him tightly to his left hand, and presently, being thrown, andunable to break the knot, he was torn to pieces as he was dragged overthe rough ground and through the bushes, till at last the weight of hisdead body stopped the tired beast; I caught him, and mounting him, availed myself of his services at a most seasonable moment, and aftermuch suffering arrived with my companions at some sulphurous springs ofnaturally hot water. 

8. On account of the heat we had suffered greatly from thirst, and hadbeen crawling about for some time in search of water; and now when wecame to this well it was so deep that we could not descend into it, norhad we any ropes; but, taught by extreme necessity, we tore up the linenclothes which we wore into long rags, which we made into one great rope, and fastened to the end of it a cap which one of us wore beneath hishelmet; and letting that down by the rope, and drawing up water in itlike a sponge, we easily quenched our thirst. 

9. From hence we proceeded rapidly to the Euphrates, intending to crossto the other side in the boat which long custom had stationed in thatquarter, to convey men and cattle across. 

10. When lo! we see at a distance a Roman force with cavalry standards, scattered and pursued by a division of Persians, though we did not knowfrom what quarter it had come so suddenly on them in their march. 

11. This example showed us that what men call indigenous people are notsprung from the bowels of the earth, but merely appear unexpectedly byreason of the speed of their movements: and because they were seenunexpectedly in various places, they got the name of Sparti, [106] andwere believed to have sprung from the ground, antiquity exaggeratingtheir renown in a fabulous manner, as it does that of other things. 

12. Roused by this sight, since our only hope of safety lay in ourspeed, we drew off through the thickets and woods to the high mountains;and from thence we went to Melitina, a town of the Lesser Armenia, wherewe found our chief just on the point of setting off, in whose company wewent on to Antioch. 

IX. 

§ 1. In the mean time Sapor and the Persians began to think of returninghome, because they feared to penetrate more inland with their prisonersand booty, now that the autumn was nearly over, and the unhealthy starof the Kids had arisen. 

2. But amid the massacres and plunder of the destroyed city, Ælian thecount, and the tribunes by whose vigour the walls of Amida had beendefended, and the losses of the Persians multiplied, were wickedlycrucified; and Jacobus and Cæsias, the treasurers of the commander ofthe cavalry, and others of the band of protectores, were led asprisoners, with their hands bound behind their backs; and the people ofthe district beyond the Tigris, who were diligently sought for, were allslain without distinction of rank or dignity. 

3. But the wife of Craugasius, who, preserving her chastity inviolate, was treated with the respect due to a high-born matron, was mourning asif she were to be carried to another world without her husband, although she had indications afforded her that she might hope for ahigher future. 

4. Therefore, thinking of her own interests, and having a wise forecastof the future, she was torn with a twofold anxiety, loathing bothwidowhood and the marriage she saw before her. Accordingly, she secretlysent off a friend of sure fidelity, and well acquainted withMesopotamia, to pass by Mount Izala, between the two forts called Marideand Lorne, and so to effect his entrance into Nisibis, calling upon herhusband, with urgent entreaties and the revelation of many secrets ofher own private condition, after hearing what the messenger could tellhim, to come to Persia and live happily with her there. 

5. The messenger, travelling with great speed through jungle roads andthickets, reached Nisibis, pretending that he had never seen hismistress, and that, as in all likelihood she was slain, he had availedhimself of an accidental opportunity to make his escape from the enemy'scamp. And so, being neglected as one of no importance, he got access toCraugasius, and told him what had happened. And having received from himan assurance that, as soon as he could do so with safety, he wouldgladly rejoin his wife, he departed, bearing the wished-for intelligenceto the lady. She, when she received it, addressed herself, through themedium of Tamsapor, to the king, entreating him that, if the opportunityoffered before he quitted the Roman territories, he would order herhusband to be restored to her. 

6. But the fact of this stranger having departed thus unexpectedly, without any one suspecting it, after his secret return, raisedsuspicions in the mind of Duke Cassianus and the other nobles who hadauthority in the city, who addressed severe menaces to Craugasius, insisting that the man could neither have come nor have gone without hisprivity. 

7. And he, fearing the charge of treason, and being very anxious lestthe flight of the deserter should cause a suspicion that his wife wasstill alive and was well treated by the enemy, feigned to court amarriage with another virgin of high rank. And having gone out to avilla which he had eight miles from the city, as if with the object ofmaking the necessary preparations for the wedding feast, he mounted ahorse, and fled at full speed to a predatory troop of Persians which hehad learnt was in the neighbourhood, and being cordially received, whenit was seen from what he said who he was, he was delivered over toTamsapor on the fifth day, and by him he was introduced to the king, andrecovered not only his wife, but his family and all his treasures, though he lost his wife only a few months afterwards. And he wasesteemed only second to Antoninus, though as a great poet has said, "Longo proximus intervallo. "[107]

8. For Antoninus was eminent both for genius and experience in affairs, and had useful counsels for every enterprise that could be proposed, while Craugasius was of a less subtle nature, though also verycelebrated. And all these events took place within a short time afterthe fall of Amida. 

9. But the king, though showing no marks of anxiety on his countenance, and though he appeared full of exultation at the fall of the city, stillin the depths of his heart was greatly perplexed, recollecting that inthe siege he had frequently sustained severe losses, and that he hadlost more men, and those too of more importance than any prisoners whomhe had taken from us, or than we had lost in all the battles that hadtaken place; as indeed had also been the case at Singara, and atNisibis. In the seventy-three days during which he had been blockadingAmida, he had lost thirty thousand soldiers, as was reckoned a few dayslater by Discenes, a tribune and secretary; the calculation being themore easily made because the corpses of our men very soon shrink andlose their colour, so that their faces can never be recognized afterfour days; but the bodies of the Persians dry up like the trunks oftrees, so that nothing exudes from them, nor do they suffer from anysuffusion of blood, which is caused by their more sparing diet, and bythe dryness and heat of their native land. 

X. 

§ 1. While these events and troubles were proceeding rapidly in theremote districts of the East, the Eternal City was fearing distressfrom an impending scarcity of corn; and the violence of the commonpeople, infuriated by the expectation of that worst of all evils, wasvented upon Tertullus, who at that time was prefect of the city. Thiswas unreasonable, since it did not depend upon him that the provisionswere embarked in a stormy season in ships which, through the unusuallytempestuous state of the sea, and the violence of contrary winds, weredriven into any ports they could make, and were unable to reach the portof Augustus, from the greatness of the dangers which threatened them. 

2. Nevertheless, Tertullus was continually troubled by the seditiousmovements of the people, who worked themselves up to great rage, beingexcited by the imminent danger of a famine; till, having no hope ofpreserving his own safety, he wisely brought his little boys out to thepeople, who, though in a state of tumultuous disorder, were ofteninfluenced by sudden accidents, and with tears addressed them thus:--

3. "Behold your fellow-citizens, who (may the gods avert the omen), unless fortune should take a more favourable turn, will be exposed tothe same sufferings as yourselves. If then you think that by destroyingthem you will be saved from all suffering, they are in your power. " Thepeople, of their own nature inclined to mercy, were propitiated by thissad address, and made no answer, but awaited their impending fate withresignation. 

4. And soon, by the favour of the deity who has watched over the growthof Rome from its first origin, and who promised that it should last forever, while Tertullus was at Ostia, sacrificing in the temple of Castorand Pollux, the sea became calm, the wind changed to a gentle south-eastbreeze, and the ships in full sail entered the port, laden with corn tofill the granaries. 

XI. 

§ 1. While these perplexing transactions were taking place, intelligencefull of importance and danger reached Constantius who was reposing inwinter quarters at Sirmium, informing him (as he had already greatlyfeared) that the Sarmatian Limigantes, who, as we have before related, had expelled their masters from their hereditary homes, had learnt todespise the lands which had been generously allotted to them in thepreceding year, in order to prevent so fickle a class from undertakingany mischievous enterprise, and had seized on the districts over theborder; that they were straggling, according to their national custom, with great licence over the whole country, and would throw everythinginto disorder if they were not put down. 

2. The emperor, judging that any delay would increase their insolence, collected from all quarters a strong force of veteran soldiers, andbefore the spring was much advanced, set forth on an expedition againstthem, being urged to greater activity by two considerations; first, because the army, having acquired great booty during the last summer, was likely to be encouraged to successful exertion in the hope ofsimilar reward; and secondly, because, as Anatolius was at that timeprefect of Illyricum, everything necessary for such an expedition couldbe readily provided without recourse to any stringent measures. 

3. For under no other prefect's government (as is agreed by all), up tothe present time, had the northern provinces ever been so flourishing inevery point of view; all abuses being corrected with a kind and prudenthand, while the people were relieved from the burden of transporting thepublic stores (which often caused such losses as to ruin many families), and also from the heavy income tax. So that the natives of thosedistricts would have been free from all damage and cause of complaint, if at a later period some detestable collectors had not come among them, extorting money, and exaggerating accusations, in order to build upwealth and influence for themselves, and to procure their own safety andprosperity by draining the natives; carrying their severities to theproscription and even execution of many of them. 

4. To apply a remedy to this insurrection, the emperor set out, as Ihave said, with a splendid staff, and reached Valeria, which wasformerly a part of Pannonia, but which had been established as aseparate province, and received its new name in honour of Valeria, thedaughter of Diocletian. And having encamped his army on the banks of theDanube, he watched the movements of the barbarians, who, before hisarrival, had been proposing, under friendly pretences, to enterPannonia, meaning to lay it waste during the severity of the winterseason, before the snow had been melted by the warmth of spring and theriver had become passable, and while our people were unable from thecold to bear bivouacking in the open air. 

5. He at once therefore sent two tribunes, each accompanied by aninterpreter, to the Limigantes, to inquire mildly why they had quittedthe homes which at their own request had been assigned to them after theconclusion of the treaty of peace, and why they were now straggling invarious directions, and passing their boundaries in contempt of hisprohibitions. 

6. They made vain and frivolous excuses, fear compelling them to haverecourse to lies, and implored the emperor's pardon, beseeching him todiscard his displeasure, and to allow them to cross the river and cometo him to explain the hardships under which they were labouring;alleging their willingness, if required, to retire to remoter lands, only within the Roman frontier, where, enjoying lasting peace andworshipping tranquillity as their tutelary deity, they would submit tothe name and discharge the duties of tributary subjects. 

7. When the tribunes returned and related this, the emperor, exultingthat an affair which appeared full of inextricable difficulties waslikely to be brought to a conclusion without any trouble, and beingeager to add to his acquisitions, admitted them all to his presence. Hiseagerness for acquiring territory was fanned by a swarm of flatterers, who were incessantly saying that when all distant districts were atpeace, and when tranquillity was established everywhere, he would gainmany subjects, and would be able to enlist powerful bodies of recruits, thereby relieving the provinces, which would often rather give moneythan personal service (though this expectation has more than once provedvery mischievous to the state). 

8. Presently he pitched his camp near Acimincum, [108] where a loftymound was raised to serve for a tribune; and some boats, loaded withsoldiers of the legions, without their baggage, under command ofInnocentius, an engineer who had suggested the measure, were sent towatch the channel of the river, keeping close under the bank; so that, if they perceived the barbarians in disorder, they might come upon themand surprise their rear, while their attention was directed elsewhere. 

9. The Limigantes became aware of the measures thus promptly taken, butstill employed no other means of defence than humility and entreaty;though secretly they cherished designs very different from thoseindicated by their words and gestures. 

10. But when they saw the emperor on his high mound preparing a mildharangue, and about to address them as men who would prove obedient infuture, one of them, seized with a sudden fury, hurled his shoe at thetribune, and cried out, "Marha, Marha!" which in their language is asignal of war; and a disorderly mob following him, suddenly raised theirbarbaric standard, and with fierce howls rushed upon the emperorhimself. 

11. And when he, looking down from his high position, saw the wholeplace filled with thousands of men running to and fro, and their drawnswords and rapiers threatening him with immediate destruction, hedescended, and mingling both with the barbarians and his own men, without any one perceiving him or knowing whether he was an officer or acommon soldier; and since there was no time for delay or inaction, hemounted a speedy horse, and galloped away, and so escaped. 

12. But his few guards, while endeavouring to keep back the mutineers, who rushed on with the fierceness of fire, were all killed, either bywounds, or by being crushed beneath the weight of others who fell uponthem; and the royal throne, with its golden cushion, was torn to pieceswithout any one making an effort to save it. 

13. But presently, when it became known that the emperor, after havingbeen in the most imminent danger of his life, was still in peril, thearmy, feeling it to be the most important of all objects to assist him, for they did not yet think him safe, and confiding in their prowess, though from the suddenness of the attack they were only half formed, threw themselves, with loud and warlike cries upon the bands of thebarbarians, fearlessly braving death. 

14. And because in their fiery valour our men were resolved to wipe outdisgrace by glory, and were full of anger at the treachery of the foe, they slew every one whom they met without mercy, trampling all underfoot, living, wounded, and dead alike; so that heaps of dead were piledup before their hands were weary of the slaughter. For the rebels werecompletely overwhelmed, some being slain, and others fleeing in fear, many of whom implored their lives with various entreaties, but wereslaughtered with repeated wounds. And when, after they were alldestroyed, the trumpets sounded a retreat, it was found that only a veryfew of our men were killed, and these had either been trampled down atfirst, or had perished from the insufficiency of their armour to resistthe violence of the enemy. 

15. But the most glorious death was that of Cella, the tribune of theScutarii, who at the beginning of the uproar set the example of plungingfirst into the middle of the Sarmatian host. 

16. After these blood-stained transactions, Constantius took whatprecautions prudence suggested for the security of his frontiers, andthen returned to Sirmium, having avenged himself on the perfidity of hisenemies. And having there settled everything which the occasionrequired, he quitted Sirmium and went to Constantinople, that by beingnearer to the East, he might remedy the disasters which had beensustained at Amida, and having reinforced his army with new levies, hemight check the attempts of the king of Persia with equal vigour; as itwas clear that Sapor, if Providence and some more pressing occupationdid not prevent him, would leave Mesopotamia and bring the war over theplains on this side of that country. 

XII. 

§ 1. But amid these causes of anxiety, as if in accordance withold-established custom, instead of the signal for civil war, the trumpetsounded groundless charges of treason, and a secretary, whom we shalloften have to speak of, named Paulus, was sent to inquire into thesecharges. He was a man skilful in all the contrivances of cruelty, makinggain and profit of tortures and executions, as a master of gladiatorsdoes of his fatal games. 

2. For as he was firm and resolute in his purpose of injuring people, he did not abstain even from theft, and invented all kinds of causes forthe destruction of innocent men, while engaged in this miserablecampaign. 

3. A slight and trivial circumstance afforded infinite material forextending his investigations. There is a town called Abydum in the mostremote corner of the Egyptian Thebais, where an oracle of the god, knownin that region by the name of Besa, had formerly enjoyed some celebrityfor its prophecies, and had sacred rites performed at it with all theceremonies anciently in use in the neighbouring districts. 

4. Some used to go themselves to consult this oracle, some to send byothers documents containing their wishes, and with prayers couched inexplicit language inquired the will of the deities; and the paper orparchment on which their wants were written, after the answer had beengiven, was sometimes left in the temple. 

5. Some of these were spitefully sent to the emperor, and he, narrowminded as he was, though often deaf to other matters of seriousconsequence, had, as the proverb says, a soft place in his ear for thiskind of information; and being of a suspicious and petty temper, becamefull of gall and fury; and immediately ordered Paulus to repair with allspeed to the East, giving him authority, as to a chief of great eminenceand experience, to try all the causes as he pleased. 

6. And Modestus also, at that time count of the East, a man well suitedfor such a business, was joined with him in this commission. ForHermogenes of Pontus, at that time prefect of the prætorium, was passedover as of too gentle a disposition. 

7. Paulus proceeded, as he was ordered, full of deadly eagerness andrage; inviting all kinds of calumnies, so that numbers from every partof the empire were brought before him, noble and low born alike; some ofwhom were condemned to imprisonment, others to instant death. 

8. The city which was chosen to witness these fatal scenes wasScythopolis in Palestine, which for two reasons seemed the most suitableof all places; first, because it was little frequented and secondly, because it was half-way between Antioch and Alexandria, from which citymany of those brought before this tribunal came. 

9. One of the first persons accused was Simplicius, the son of Philip;a man who, after having been prefect and consul, was now impeached onthe ground that he was said to have consulted the oracle how to obtainthe empire. He was sentenced to the torture by the express command ofthe emperor, who in these cases never erred on the side of mercy; but bysome special fate he was saved from it, and with uninjured body wascondemned to distant banishment. 

10. The next victim was Parnasius, who had been prefect of Egypt, a manof simple manners, but now in danger of being condemned to death, andglad to escape with exile; because long ago he had been heard to saythat when he left Patræ in Achaia, the place of his birth, with the viewof procuring some high office, he had in a dream seen himself conductedon his road by several figures in tragic robes. 

11. The next was Andronicus, subsequently celebrated for his liberalaccomplishments and his poetry; he was brought before the court withouthaving given any real ground for suspicion of any kind, and defendedhimself so vigorously that he was acquitted. 

12. There was also Demetrius, surnamed Chytras, a philosopher, of greatage, but still firm in mind and body; he, when charged with havingfrequently offered sacrifices in the temple of his oracle, could notdeny it; but affirmed that, for the sake of propitiating the deity, hehad constantly done so from his early youth, and not with any idea ofaiming at any higher fortune by his questions; nor had he known any onewho had aimed at such. And though he was long on the rack he supportedit with great constancy, never varying in his statement, till at lengthhe was acquitted and allowed to retire to Alexandria, where he was born. 

13. These and a few others, justice, coming to the aid of truth, delivered from their imminent dangers. But as accusations extended morewidely, involving numbers without end in their snares, many perished;some with their bodies mangled on the rack; others were condemned todeath and confiscation of their goods; while Paulus kept on inventinggroundless accusations, as if he had a store of lies on which to draw, and suggesting various pretences for injuring people, so that on hisnod, it may be said, the safety of every one in the place depended. 

14. For if any one wore on his neck a charm against the quartan ague orany other disease, or if by any information laid by his ill-wishers hewas accused of having passed by a sepulchre at nightfall, and thereforeof being a sorcerer, and one who dealt in the horrors of tombs and thevain mockeries of the shades which haunt them, he was found guilty andcondemned to death. 

15. And the affairs went on as if people had been consulting Claros, orthe oaks at Dodona, or the Delphic oracles of old fame, with a view tothe destruction of the emperor. 

16. Meantime, the crowd of courtiers, inventing every kind of deceitfulflattery, affirmed that he would be free from all common misfortunes, asserting that his fate had always shone forth with vigour and power indestroying all who attempted anything injurious to him. 

17. That indeed strict investigation should be made into such matters, no one in his senses will deny; nor do we question that the safety ofour lawful prince, the champion and defender of the good, and on whomthe safety of all other people depends, ought to be watched over by thecombined zeal of all men; and for the sake of insuring this morecompletely, when any treasonable enterprise is discovered, the Cornelianlaws have provided that no rank shall be exempted even from torture ifnecessary for the investigation. 

18. But it is not decent to exult unrestrainedly in melancholy events, lest the subjects should seem to be governed by tyranny, not byauthority. It is better to imitate Cicero, who, when he had it in hispower either to spare or to strike, preferred, as he tells us himself, to seek occasions for pardoning rather than for punishing, which ischaracteristic of a prudent and wise judge. 

19. At that time a monster, horrible both to see and to describe, wasproduced at Daphne, a beautiful and celebrated suburb of Antioch;namely, an infant with two mouths, two sets of teeth, two heads, foureyes, and only two very short ears. And such a mis-shapen offspring wasan omen that the republic would become deformed. 

20. Prodigies of this kind are often produced, presaging events ofvarious kinds; but as they are not now publicly expiated, as they wereamong the ancients, they are unheard of and unknown to people ingeneral. 

XIII. 

§ 1. During this period the Isaurians, who had been tranquil for sometime after the transactions already mentioned, and the attempt to takethe city of Seleucia, gradually reviving, as serpents come out of theirholes in the warmth of spring, descended from their rocky and pathlessjungles, and forming into large troops, harassed their neighbours withpredatory incursions; escaping, from their activity as mountaineers, allattempts of the soldiers to take them, and from long use moving easilyover rocks and through thickets. 

2. So Lauricius was sent among them as governor, with the additionaltitle of count, to reduce them to order by fair means or foul. He was aman of sound civil wisdom, correcting things in general by threatsrather than by severity, so that while he governed the province, whichhe did for some time, nothing happened deserving of particular notice. 

[102] Patroclus, the companion of Achilles. 

[103] The Trojan war. See the account of the pestilence, Homer Il. I. 50. 

[104] _i. E. _, λοιμώδης, from λοιμὸς, pestilence. Pandemic means "attacking the whole people. " Epidemic, "spreading fromindividual to individual. "

[105] Ammian alludes to the expedition of Ulysses and Diomede related byHomer, Il. Viii. 

[106] Ammianus is wrong here; it was only the Thebans who were calledΣπαρτοὶ, from σπείρω, to sow, because of the fable ofthe dragon's teeth sown by Cadmus; the Athenians, who claimed to beearthborn, not called Σπαρτοὶ, but αὐτόχθονες. 

[107] A quotation from the description of the foot-race in Virgil, Æn. V. 320. 

[108] Salankemen, in Hungary. 

BOOK XX. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. Lupicinus is sent as commander-in-chief into Britain with an army to check the incursions of the Picts and Scots. --II. Ursicinus, commander of the infantry, is attacked by calumnies, and dismissed. --III. An eclipse of the sun--A discussion on the two suns, and on the causes of solar and lunar eclipses, and the various changes and shapes of the moon. --IV. The Cæsar Julian, against his will, is saluted as emperor at Paris, where he was wintering, by his Gallican soldiers, whom Constantius had ordered to be taken from him, and sent to the East to act against the Persians. --V. He harangues his soldiers. --VI. Singara is besieged and taken by Sapor: the citizens, with the auxiliary cavalry and two legions in garrison, are carried off to Persia--The town is razed to the ground. --VII. Sapor storms the town of Bezabde, which is defended by three legions; repairs it, and places in it a garrison and magazines; he also attacks the fortress of Victa, without success. --VIII. Julian writes to Constantius to inform him of what had taken place at Paris. --IX. Constantius desires Julian to be content with the title of Cæsar; but the Gallican legions unanimously refuse to allow him to be so. --X. The Emperor Julian unexpectedly attacks a Frank tribe, known as the Attuarii, on the other side of the Rhine; slays some, takes others prisoners, and grants peace to the rest, on their petition. --XI. Constantius attacks Bezabde with his whole force, but fails--A discussion on the rainbow. 

I. 

A. D. 360. 

§ 1. These were the events which took place in Illyricum and in theEast. But the next year, that of Constantius's tenth and Julian's thirdconsulship, the affairs of Britain became troubled, in consequence ofthe incursions of the savage nations of Picts and Scots, who breakingthe peace to which they had agreed, were plundering the districts ontheir borders, and keeping in constant alarm the provinces exhausted byformer disasters, Cæsar, who was wintering at Paris, having his minddivided by various cares, feared to go to the aid of his subjects acrossthe channel (as we have related Constans to have done), lest he shouldleave the Gauls without a governor, while the Allemanni were still fullof fierce and warlike inclinations. 

2. Therefore, to tranquillize these districts by reason or by force, itwas decided to send Lupicinus, who was at that time commander of theforces; a man of talent in war, and especially skilful in all thatrelated to camps, but very haughty, and smelling, as one may say, of thetragic buskin, while parts of his conduct made it a question whichpredominated--his avarice or his cruelty. 

3. Accordingly, an auxiliary force of light-armed troops, Heruli andBatavi, with two legions from Moesia, were in the very depth of winterput under the command of this general, with which he marched toBoulogne, and having procured some vessels and embarked his soldiers onthem, he sailed with a fair wind, and reached Richborough on theopposite coast, from which place he proceeded to London, that he mightthere deliberate on the aspect of affairs, and take immediate measuresfor his campaign. 

II. 

§ 1. In the mean time, after the fall of Amida, and after Ursicinus hadreturned as commander of the infantry to the emperor's camp (for we havealready mentioned that he had been appointed to succeed Barbatio), hewas at once attacked by slanderers, who at first tried to whisper hischaracter away, but presently openly brought forward false chargesagainst him. 

2. And the emperor, listening to them, since he commonly formed hisopinions on vain conjecture, and was always ready to yield his judgmentto crafty persons, appointed Arbetio and Florentius, the chief steward, as judges to inquire how it was that the town was destroyed. Theyrejected the plain and easily proved causes of the disaster, fearingthat Eusebius, at that time high chamberlain, would be offended if theyadmitted proofs which showed undeniably that what had happened was owingto the obstinate inactivity of Sabinianus; and so distorting the truth, they examined only some points of no consequence, and having no bearingon the transaction. 

3. Ursicinus felt the iniquity of this proceeding; and said, "Althoughthe emperor despises me, still the importance of this affair is suchthat it cannot be judged of and punished by any decision lower than thatof the emperor. Nevertheless, let him know what I venture to prophesy, that while he is concerning himself about this disaster at Amida, ofwhich he has received a faithful account; and while he gives himself upto the influence of the eunuchs, he will not in the ensuing spring, [109]even if he himself should come with the entire strength of his army, beable to prevent the dismemberment of Mesopotamia. " This speech havingbeen related to the emperor with many additions, and a malignantinterpretation, Constantius became enraged beyond measure; and withoutallowing the affair to be discussed, or those things to be explained tohim of which he was ignorant, he believed all the calumnies againstUrsicinus, and deposing him from his office, ordered him intoretirement; promoting Agilo, by a vast leap, to take his place, hehaving been before only a tribune of a native troop of Scutarii. 

III. 

§ 1. At the same time one day the sky in the east was perceived to becovered with a thick darkness, and from daybreak to noon the stars werevisible throughout; and, as an addition to these terrors, while thelight of heaven was thus withdrawn, and the world almost buried inclouds, men, from the length of the eclipse, began to believe that thesun had wholly disappeared. Presently, however, it was seen again like anew moon, then like a half-moon, and at last it was restored entire. 

2. A thing which on other occasions did not happen so visibly exceptwhen after several unequal revolutions, the moon returns to exactly thesame point at fixed intervals; that is to say, when the moon is found inthe same sign of the zodiac, exactly opposite to the rays of the sun, and stops there a few minutes, which in geometry are called parts ofparts. 

3. And although the changes and motions of both sun and moon, as theinquiries into intelligible causes have remarked, perpetually return tothe same conjunction at the end of each lunar month, still the sun isnot always eclipsed on these occasions, but only when the moon, as by akind of balance, is in the exact centre between the sun and our sight. 

4. In short, the sun is eclipsed, and his brilliancy removed from oursight, when he and the moon, which of all the constellations of heavenis the lowest, proceeding with equal pace in their orbits, are placed inconjunction in spite of the height which separates them (as Ptolemylearnedly explains it), and afterwards return to the dimensions whichare called ascending or descending points of the ecliptic conjunctions:or, as the Greeks call them, defective conjunctions. And if these greatlights find themselves in the neighbourhood of these points or knots, the eclipse is small. 

5. But if they are exactly in the knots which form the points ofintersection between the ascending and descending path of the moon, thenthe sky will be covered with denser darkness, and the whole atmospherebecomes so thick that we cannot see what is close to us. 

6. Again, the sun is conceived to appear double when a cloud is raisedhigher than usual, which from its proximity to the eternal fires, shinesin such a manner that it forms the brightness of a second orb as from apurer mirror. 

7. Now let us come to the moon. The moon sustains a clear and visibleeclipse when, being at the full, and exactly opposite to the sun, she isdistant from his orb one hundred and eighty degrees, that is, is in theseventh sign; and although this happens at every full moon, still thereis not always one eclipse. 

8. But since she is always nearest to the earth as it revolves, and themost distant from the rest of the other stars, and sometimes exposesitself to the light which strikes it, and sometimes also is partiallyobscured by the intervention of the shade of night, which comes over itin the form of a cone; and then she is involved in thick darkness, whenthe sun, being surrounded by the centre of the lowest sphere, cannotilluminate her with his rays, because the mass of the earth is in theway; for opinions agree that the moon has no light of her own. 

9. And when she returns to the same sign of the zodiac which the sunoccupies, she is obscured (as has been said), her brightness beingwholly dimmed, and this is called a conjunction of the moon. 

10. Again the moon is said to be new when she has the sun above her witha slight variation from the perpendicular, and then she appears verythin to mankind, even when leaving the sun she reaches the second sign. Then, when she has advanced further, and shines brilliantly with a sortof horned figure, she is said to be crescent shaped; but when she beginsto be a long way distant from the sun, and reaches the fourth sign, shegets a greater light, the sun's rays being turned upon her, and then sheis of the shape of a semicircle. 

11. As she goes on still further, and reaches the fifth sign, sheassumes a convex shape, a sort of hump appearing from each side. Andwhen she is exactly opposite the sun, she shines with a full light, having arrived at the seventh sign; and even while she is there, havingadvanced but a very little further, she begins to diminish, which wecall waning; and as she gets older, she resumes the same shapes that shehad while increasing. But it is established by unanimous consent thatshe is never seen to be eclipsed except in the middle of her course. 

12. But when we said that the sun moves sometimes in the ether, sometimes in the lower-world, it must be understood that the starrybodies, considered in relation to the universe, neither set nor rise;but only appear to do so to our sight on earth, which is suspended bythe motion of some interior spirit, and compared with the immensity ofthings is but a little point, which causes the stars in their eternalorder to appear sometimes fixed in heaven, and at others, from theimperfection of human vision, moving from their places. Let us nowreturn to our original subject. 

IV. 

§ 1. Even while he was hastening to lead succours to the East, which, asthe concurrent testimony of both spies and deserters assured him, was onthe point of being invaded by the Persians, Constantius was greatlydisturbed by the virtues of Julian, which were now becoming renownedamong all nations, so highly did fame extol his great labours, achievements, and victories, in having conquered several kingdoms of theAllemanni, and recovered several towns in Gaul which had been plunderedand destroyed by the barbarians, and having compelled the barbariansthemselves to become subjects and tributaries of the empire. 

2. Influenced by these considerations, and fearing lest Julian'sinfluence should become greater, at the instigation, as it is said, ofthe prefect Florentius, he sent Decentius, the tribune and secretary, tobring away at once the auxiliary troops of the Heruli and Batavi, andthe Celtæ, and the legion called Petulantes, [110] and three hundredpicked men from the other forces; enjoining him to make all speed on theplea that their presence was required with the army which it wasintended to march at the beginning of spring against the Parthians. 

3. Also, Lupicinus was directed to come as commander of these auxiliarytroops with the three hundred picked men and to lose no time, as it wasnot known that he had crossed over to Britain; and Sintula, at that timethe superintendent of Julian's stables, was ordered to select the bestmen of the Scutarii and Gentiles, [111] and to bring them also to jointhe emperor. 

4. Julian made no remonstrance, but obeyed these orders, yielding in allrespects to the will of the emperor. But on one point he could notconceal his feelings nor keep silence: but entreated that those menmight be spared from this hardship who had left their homes on the otherside of the Rhine, and had joined his army on condition of never beingmoved into any country beyond the Alps, urging that if this were known, it might be feared that other volunteers of the barbarian nations, whohad often enlisted in our service on similar conditions, would beprevented from doing so in future. But he argued in vain. 

5. For the tribune, disregarding his complaints, carried out thecommands of the emperor, and having chosen out a band suited for forcedmarches, of pre-eminent vigour and activity, set out with them full ofhope of promotion. 

6. And as Julian, being in doubt what to do about the rest of the troopswhom he was ordered to send, and revolving all kinds of plans in hismind, considered that the matter ought to be managed with great care, asthere was on one side the fierceness of the barbarians, and on the otherthe authority of the orders he had received (his perplexity beingfurther increased by the absence of the commander of the cavalry), heurged the prefect, who had gone some time before to Vienne under thepretence of procuring corn, but in reality to escape from militarytroubles, to return to him. 

7. For the prefect bore in mind the substance of a report which he wassuspected to have sent some time before, and which recommended thewithdrawing from the defence of Gaul those troops so renowned for theirvalour, and already objects of dread to the barbarians. 

8. The prefect, as soon as he had received Julian's letters, informinghim of what had happened, and entreating him to come speedily to him toaid the republic with his counsels, positively refused, being alarmedbecause the letters expressly declared that in any crisis of danger theprefect ought never to be absent from the general. And it was added thatif he declined to give his aid, Julian himself would, of his own accord, renounce the emblems of authority, thinking it better to die, if so itwas fated, than to have the ruin of the provinces attributed to him. Butthe obstinacy of the prefect prevailed, and he resolutely refused tocomply with the wishes thus reasonably expressed and enforced. 

9. But during the delay which arose from the absence of Lupicinus and ofany military movement on the part of the alarmed prefect, Julian, deprived of all assistance in the way of advice, and being greatlyperplexed, thought it best to hasten the departure of all his troopsfrom the stations in which they were passing the winter, and to let thembegin their march. 

10. When this was known, some one privily threw down a bitter libel nearthe standard of the Petulantes legion, which, among other things, contained these words, --"We are being driven to the farthest parts ofthe earth like condemned criminals, and our relations will become slavesto the Allemanni after we have delivered them from that first captivityby desperate battles. "

11. When this writing was taken to head-quarters and read, Julian, considering the reasonableness of the complaint, ordered that theirfamilies should go to the East with them, and allowed them the use ofthe public wagons for the purpose of moving them. And as it was for sometime doubted which road they should take, he decided, at the suggestionof the secretary Decentius, that they should go by Paris, where hehimself still was, not having moved. 

12. And so it was done. And when they arrived in the suburbs, theprince, according to his custom, met them, praising those whom herecognized, and reminding individuals of their gallant deeds, hecongratulated them with courteous words, encouraging them to gocheerfully to join the emperor, as they would reap the most worthyrewards of their exertions where power was the greatest and mostextensive. 

13. And to do them the more honour, as they were going to a greatdistance, he invited their chiefs to a supper, when he bade them askwhatever they desired. And they, having been treated with suchliberality, departed, anxious and sorrowful on two accounts, becausecruel fortune was separating them at once from so kind a ruler and fromtheir native land. And with this sorrowful feeling they retired to theircamp. 

14. But when night came on they broke out into open discontent, andtheir minds being excited, as his own griefs pressed upon eachindividual, they had recourse to force, and took up arms, and with agreat outcry thronged to the palace, and surrounding it so as to preventany one from escaping, they saluted Julian as emperor with loudvociferations, insisting vehemently on his coming forth to them; andthough they were compelled to wait till daylight, still, as they wouldnot depart, at last he did come forth. And when he appeared, theysaluted him emperor with redoubled and unanimous cheers. 

15. But he steadily resisted them individually and collectively, at onetime showing himself indignant, at another holding out his hands andentreating and beseeching them not to sully their numerous victorieswith anything unbecoming, and not to let unseasonable rashness andprecipitation awaken materials for discord. At last he appeased them, and having addressed them mildly, he added--

16. "I beseech you let your anger depart for a while: without anydissension or attempt at revolution what you wish will easily beobtained. Since you are so strongly bound by love of your country, andfear strange lands to which you are unaccustomed, return now to yourhomes, certain that you shall not cross the Alps, since you dislike it. And I will explain the matter to the full satisfaction of the emperor, who is a man of great wisdom, and will listen to reason. "

17. Nevertheless, after his speech was ended, the cries were repeatedwith as much vigour and unanimity as ever; and so vehement was theuproar and zeal, which did not even spare reproaches and threats, thatJulian was compelled to consent. And being lifted up on the shield ofan infantry soldier, and raised up in sight of all, he was saluted asAugustus with one universal acclamation, and was ordered to produce adiadem. And when he said that he had never had one, his wife's coronetor necklace was demanded. 

18. And when he protested that it was not fitting for him at his firstaccession to be adorned with female ornaments, the frontlet of a horsewas sought for, so that being crowned therewith, he might have somebadge, however obscure, of supreme power. But when he insisted that thatalso would be unbecoming, a man named Maurus, afterwards a count, thesame who was defeated in the defile of the Succi, but who was then onlyone of the front-rank men of the Petulantes, tore a chain off his ownneck, which he wore in his quality of standard-bearer, and placed itboldly on Julian's head, who, being thus brought under extremecompulsion, and seeing that he could not escape the most imminent dangerto his life if he persisted in his resistance, consented to theirwishes, and promised a largesse of five pieces of gold and a pound ofsilver to every man. 

19. After this Julian felt more anxiety than ever; and, keenly alive tothe future consequences, neither wore his diadem or appeared in public, nor would he even transact the serious business which pressed upon hisattention, but sought retirement, being full of consternation at thestrangeness of the recent events. This continued till one of thedecurions of the palace (which is an office of dignity) came in greathaste to the standards of the Petulantes and of the Celtic legion, andin a violent manner exclaimed that it was a monstrous thing that he whohad the day before been by their will declared emperor should have beenprivily assassinated. 

20. When this was heard, the soldiers, as readily excited by what theydid not know as by what they did, began to brandish their javelins, anddraw their swords, and (as is usual at times of sudden tumult) to flockfrom every quarter in haste and disorder to the palace. The sentinelswere alarmed at the uproar, as were the tribunes and the captain of theguard, and suspecting some treachery from the fickle soldiery, theyfled, fearing sudden death to themselves. 

21. When all before them seemed tranquil, the soldiers stood quietlyawhile; and on being asked what was the cause of their sudden andprecipitate movement, they at first hesitated, and then avowing theiralarm for the safety of the emperor, declared they would not retire tillthey had been admitted into the council-chamber, and had seen him safein his imperial robes. 

V. 

§ 1. When the news of these events reached the troops, whom we havespoken of as having already marched under the command of Sintula, theyreturned with him quietly to Paris. And an order having been issued thatthe next morning they should all assemble in the open space in front ofthe camp, Julian advanced among them, and ascended a tribunal moresplendid than usual, surrounded with the eagles, standards, and banners, and guarded by a strong band of armed soldiers. 

2. And after a moment's quiet, while he looked down from his height onthe countenances of those before him, and saw them all full of joy andalacrity, he kindled their loyalty with a few simple words, as with atrumpet. 

3. "The difficulty of my situation, O brave and faithful champions ofmyself and of the republic, who have often with me exposed your livesfor the welfare of the provinces, requires that, since you have now byyour resolute decision raised me, your Cæsar, to the highest of alldignities, I should briefly set before you the state of affairs, inorder that safe and prudent remedies for their new condition may bedevised. 

4. "While little more than a youth, as you well know, I was for form'ssake invested with the purple, and by the decision of the emperor wasintrusted to your protection. Since that time I have never forgotten myresolution of a virtuous life: I have been seen with you as the partnerof all your labours, when, in consequence of the diminution of theconfidence felt in us by the barbarians, terrible disasters fell uponthe empire, our cities being stormed, and countless thousands of menbeing slain, and even the little that was left to us being in a verytottering condition. I think it superfluous to recapitulate how often, in the depth of winter, beneath a frozen sky, at a season when there isusually a cessation from war both by land and sea, we have defeated withheavy loss the Allemanni, previously unconquered. 

5. "One circumstance may neither be passed over nor suppressed. On thatglorious day which we saw at Strasburg, which brought perpetual libertyto Gaul, we together, I throwing myself among the thickly falling darts, and you being invincible by your vigour and experience, repelled theenemy who poured upon us like a torrent; slaying them as we did with thesword, or driving them to be drowned in the river, with very little lossof our own men, whose funerals we celebrated with glorious panegyricsrather than with mourning. 

6. "It is my belief that after such mighty achievements posterity willnot be silent respecting your services to the republic, in everycountry, if you now, in case of any danger or misfortune, vigorouslysupport with your valour and resolution me whom you have raised to thelofty dignity of emperor. 

7. "But to maintain things in their due order, so as to preserve tobrave men their well-merited rewards and prevent underhand ambition fromforestalling your honours, I make this rule in the honourable presenceof your counsel. That no civil or military officer shall be promotedfrom any other consideration than that of his own merits; and he shallbe disgraced who solicits promotion for any one on any other ground. "

8. The lower class of soldiers, who had long been deprived of rank orreward, were encouraged by this speech to entertain better hopes, andnow rising up with a great noise, and beating their shields with theirspears, they with unanimous shouts showed their approbation of hislanguage and purpose. 

9. And that no opportunity, however brief, might be afforded to disturbso wise an arrangement, the Petulantes and Celtic legion immediatelybesought him, on behalf of their commissaries, to give them thegovernment of any provinces he pleased, and when he refused them, theyretired without being either offended or out of humour. 

10. But the very night before the day on which he was thus proclaimedemperor, Julian had mentioned to his most intimate friends that duringhis slumbers some one had appeared to him in a dream, in the form andhabit of the genius of the empire, who uttered these words in a tone ofreproach: "For some time, Julian, have I been secretly watching the doorof thy palace, wishing to increase thy dignity, and I have often retiredas one rejected; but if I am not now admitted, when the opinion of themany is unanimous, I shall retire discouraged and sorrowful. But laythis up in the depth of thy heart, that I will dwell with thee nolonger. "

VI. 

§ 1. While these transactions were proceeding in Gaul, to the greatanxiety of many, the fierce king of Persia (the advice of Antoninusbeing now seconded by the arrival of Craugasius), burning with eagernessto obtain Mesopotamia, while Constantius with his army was at adistance, crossed the Tigris in due form with a vast army, and laidsiege to Singara with a thoroughly equipped force, sufficient for thesiege of a town which, in the opinion of the chief commanders of thoseregions, was abundantly fortified and supplied. 

2. The garrison, as soon as they saw the enemy, while still at adistance, at once closed their gates, and with great spirit thronged tothe towers and battlements, collecting on them stones and warlikeengines. And then, having made all their preparations, they stoodprepared to repel the advancing host if they should venture to approachthe walls. 

3. Therefore the king, when he arrived and found that, though they wouldadmit some of his nobles near enough to confer with them, he could not, by any conciliatory language, bend the garrison to his wishes, he gaveone entire day to rest, and then, at daybreak, on a signal made by theraising of a scarlet flag, the whole city was surrounded by men carryingladders, while others began to raise engines; all being protected byfences and penthouses while seeking a way to assail the foundation ofthe walls. 

4. Against these attempts the citizens, standing on the loftybattlements, drove back with stones and every kind of missile theassailants who were seeking with great ferocity to find an entrance. 

5. For many days the struggle continued without any decided result, manybeing wounded and killed on both sides. At last, the struggle growingfiercer, one day on the approach of evening a very heavy battering-ramwas brought forward among other engines, which battered a round towerwith repeated blows, at a point where we mentioned that the city hadbeen laid open in a former siege. 

6. The citizens at once repaired to this point, and a violent conflictarose in this small space; torches and firebrands were brought from allquarters to consume this formidable engine, while arrows and bulletswere showered down without cessation on the assailants. But the keennessof the ram prevailed over every means of defence, digging through themortar of the recently cemented stones, which was still moist andunsettled. 

7. And while the contest was thus proceeding with fire and sword, thetower fell, and a path was opened into the city, the place beingstripped of its defenders, whom the magnitude of the danger hadscattered. The Persian bands raised a wild shout, and without hindrancefilled every quarter of the city. A very few of the inhabitants wereslain, and all the rest, by command of Sapor, were taken alive andtransported to the most distant regions of Persia. 

8. There had been assigned for the protection of this city two legions, the first Flavian and the first Parthian, and a great body of nativetroops, as well as a division of auxiliary cavalry which had been shutup in it through the suddenness of the attack made upon it. All ofthese, as I have said, were taken prisoners, without receiving anyassistance from our armies. 

9. For the greater part of our army was in tents taking care of Nisibis, which was at a considerable distance. But even if it had not been so, noone even in ancient times could easily bring aid to Singara when indanger, since the whole country around laboured under a scarcity ofwater. And although a former generation had placed this fort veryadvisedly, to check sudden movements of hostility, yet it was a greatburden to the state, having been several times taken, and alwaysinvolving the loss of its garrison. 

VII. 

§ 1. After Singara had fallen, Sapor prudently avoided Nisibis, recollecting the losses which he had several times sustained before it, and turned to the right by a circuitous path, hoping either to subdue byforce or to win by bribes the garrison of Bezabde, which its foundersalso called Phoenice, and to make himself master of that town, whichis an exceedingly strong fortress, placed on a hill of moderate height, and close to the banks of the Tigris, having a double wall, as manyplaces have which from their situation are thought to be especiallyexposed. For its defence three legions had been assigned; the secondFlavian, the second Armenian, and the second Parthian, with a large bodyof archers of the Zabdiceni, a tribe subject to us, in whose territorythis town was situated. 

2. At the beginning of the siege, the king, with an escort of glitteringcuirassiers, himself taller than any of them, rode entirely round thecamp, coming up boldly to the very edge of the fosse, where he was atonce a mark for the unerring bullets of the balistæ, and arrows; but hewas so completely covered with thick scale-armour that he retiredunhurt. 

3. Then laying aside his anger, he sent some heralds with all duesolemnity, courteously inviting the besieged to consult the safety oftheir lives, and seeing the desperateness of their situation, to put anend to the siege by a timely surrender; to open their gates and comeforth, presenting themselves as suppliants before the conqueror ofnations. 

4. When these messengers approached the walls, the garrison spared thembecause they had with them some men of noble birth, who had been madeprisoners at Singara, and were well known to the citizens; and out ofpity to them no one shot an arrow, though they would give no reply tothe proposal of peace. 

5. Then a truce being made for a day and night, before dawn on thesecond day the entire force of the Persians attacked the palisade withferocious threats and cries, coming up boldly to the walls, where afierce contest ensued, the citizens resisting with great vigour. 

6. So that many of the Parthians[112] were wounded, because some ofthem carrying ladders, and others wicker screens, advanced as it wereblindfold, and were not spared by our men. For the clouds of arrows flewthickly, piercing the enemy packed in close order. At last, after sunsetthe two sides separated, having suffered about equal loss: and the nextday before dawn the combat was renewed with greater vehemence thanbefore, the trumpets cheering the men on both sides, and again aterrible slaughter of each took place, both armies struggling with themost determined obstinacy. 

7. But on the following day both armies by common consent rested fromtheir terrible exertions, the defenders of the walls and the Persiansbeing equally dismayed. When a Christian priest made sign by gesturesthat he desired to go forth, and having received a promise that heshould be allowed to return in safety, he advanced to the king's tent. 

8. When he was permitted to speak, he, with gentle language, urged thePersians to depart to their own country, affirming that after the losseseach side had sustained they had reason perhaps to fear even greaterdisasters in future. But these and other similar arguments were utteredto no purpose. The fierce madness of the king robbing them of theireffect, as Sapor swore positively that he would never retire till he haddestroyed our camp. 

9. Nevertheless a groundless suspicion was whispered against the bishop, wholly false in my opinion, though supported by the assertions of many, that he had secretly informed Sapor what part of the wall to attack, asbeing internally slight and weak. Though the suspicion derived somecorroboration from the fact that afterwards the engines of the enemywere carefully and with great exultation directed against the placeswhich were weakest, or most decayed, as if those who worked them wereacquainted with what parts were most easily penetrable. 

10. And although the narrowness of the causeway made the approach to thewalls hard, and though the battering-rams when equipped were broughtforward with great difficulty, from fear of the stones and arrows hurledupon the assailants by the besieged, still neither the balistæ nor thescorpions rested a moment, the first shooting javelins, and the latterhurling showers of stones, and baskets on fire, smeared with pitch andtar; and as these were perpetually rolled down, the engines halted as ifrooted to the ground, and fiery darts and firebrands well-aimed set themon fire. 

11. Still while this was going on, and numbers were falling on bothsides, the besiegers were the more eager to destroy a town, strong bothby its natural situation and its powerful defences, before the arrivalof winter, thinking it impossible to appease the fury of their king ifthey should fail. Therefore neither abundant bloodshed nor the sight ofnumbers of their comrades pierced with deadly wounds could deter therest from similar audacity. 

12. But for a long time, fighting with absolute desperation, theyexposed themselves to imminent danger; while those who worked thebattering-rams were prevented from advancing by the vast weight ofmillstones, and all kinds of fiery missiles hurled against them. 

13. One battering-ram was higher than the rest, and was covered withbull's hides wetted, and being therefore safer from any accident offire, or from lighted javelins, it led the way in the attacks on thewall with mighty blows, and with its terrible point it dug into thejoints of the stones till it overthrew the tower. The tower fell with amighty crash, and those in it were thrown down with a sudden jerk, andbreaking their limbs, or being buried beneath the ruins, perished byvarious and unexpected kinds of death; then, a safer entrance havingbeen thus found, the multitude of the enemy poured in with their arms. 

14. While the war-cry of the Persians sounded in the trembling ears ofthe defeated garrison, a fierce battle within the narrower bounds ragedwithin the walls, while bands of our men and of the enemy fought hand tohand, being jammed together, with swords drawn on both sides, and noquarter given. 

15. At last the besieged, after making head with mighty exertion againstthe destruction which long seemed doubtful, were overwhelmed with theweight of the countless host which pressed upon them. And the swords ofthe furious foe cut down all they could find; children were torn fromtheir mother's bosom, and the mothers were slain, no one regarding whathe did. Among these mournful scenes the Persians, devoted to plunder, loaded with every kind of booty, and driving before them a vastmultitude of prisoners, returned in triumph to their tents. 

16. But the king, elated with insolence and triumph, having long beendesirous to obtain possession of Phoenice, as a most importantfortress, did not retire till he had repaired in the strongest mannerthat portion of the walls which had been shaken, and till he had stockedit with ample magazines of provisions, and placed in it a garrison ofmen noble by birth and eminent for their skill in war. For he feared(what indeed happened) that the Romans, being indignant at the loss ofthis their grand camp, would exert themselves with all their might torecover it. 

17. Then, being full of exultation, and cherishing greater hopes thanever of gaining whatever he desired, after taking a few forts of smallimportance, he prepared to attack Victa, a very ancient fortress, believed to have been founded by Alexander, the Macedonian, situated onthe most distant border of Mesopotamia, and surrounded with windingwalls full of projecting angles, and so well furnished at all points asto be almost unassailable. 

18. And when he had tried every expedient against it, at one time tryingto bribe the garrison with promises, at another to terrify them withthreats of torture, and employing all kinds of engines such as are usedin sieges, after sustaining more injury than he inflicted, he at lastretired from his unsuccessful enterprise. 

VIII. 

§ 1. These were the events of this year between the Tigris and theEuphrates. And when frequent intelligence of them had reachedConstantius, who was in continual dread of Parthian expeditions, and waspassing the winter at Constantinople, he devoted greater care than everto strengthening his frontiers with every kind of warlike equipment. Hecollected veterans, and enlisted recruits, and increased the legionswith reinforcements of vigorous youths, who had already repeatedlysignalized their valour in the battles of the eastern campaigns: andbeside these he collected auxiliary forces from among the Scythians byurgent requests and promises of pay, in order to set out from Thrace inthe spring, and at once march to the disturbed provinces. 

2. During the same time Julian, who was wintering at Paris, alarmed atthe prospect of the ultimate issue of the events in that district, became full of anxiety, feeling sure, after deep consideration, thatConstantius would never give his consent to what had been done in hiscase, since he had always disdained him as a person of no importance. 

3. Therefore, after much reflection on the somewhat disturbed beginningwhich the present novel state of affairs showed, he determined to sendenvoys to him to relate all that had taken place; and he gave themletters setting forth fully what had been done, and what ought to bedone next, supporting his recommendations by proofs. 

4. Although in reality he believed that the emperor was already informedof all, from the report of Decentius, who had returned to him some timebefore; and of the chamberlains who had recently gone back from Gaul, after having brought him some formal orders. And although he was not inreality vexed at his promotion, still he avoided all arrogant languagein his letters, that he might not appear to have suddenly shaken off hisauthority. Now the following was the purport of his letters. 

5. "I have at all times been of the same mind, and have adhered to myoriginal intentions, not less by my conduct than by my promises, as faras lay in my power, as has been abundantly plain from repeated actionsof mine. 

6. "And up to this time, since you created me Cæsar, and exposed me tothe din of war, contented with the power you conferred on me, as afaithful officer I have sent you continued intelligence of all youraffairs proceeding according to your wishes; never speaking of my owndangers; though it can easily be proved, that, while the Germans havebeen routed in every direction, I have always been the first in alltoils and the last to allow myself any rest. 

7. "But allow me to say, that if any violent change has taken place, asyou think, the soldier who has been passing his life in many terriblewars without reward, has only completed what he has long had underconsideration, being indignant and impatient at being only under a chiefof the second class, as knowing that from a Cæsar no adequate reward forhis continued exertions and frequent victories could possibly beprocured. 

8. "And while angry at the feeling that he could neither expectpromotion nor annual pay, he had this sudden aggravation to hisdiscontent, that he, a man used to cold climates, was ordered to marchto the most remote districts of the East, to be separated from his wifeand children, and to be dragged away in want and nakedness. This madehim fiercer than usual; and so the troops one night collected and laidsiege to the palace, saluting with loud and incessant outcries Julian asemperor. 

9. "I shuddered at their boldness, I confess, and withdrew myself. Andretiring while I could, I sought safety in concealment and disguise--andas they would not desist, armed, so to say, with the shield of my ownfree heart, I came out before them all, thinking that the tumult mightbe appeased by authority, or by conciliatory language. 

10. "They became wonderfully excited, and proceeded to such lengthsthat, when I endeavoured to overcome their pertinacity with myentreaties, they came close up to me, threatening me with instant death. At last I was overcome, and arguing with myself that if I were murderedby them some one else would willingly accept the dignity of emperor, Iconsented, hoping thus to pacify their armed violence. 

11. "This is the plain account of what has been done; and I entreat youto listen to it with mildness. Do not believe that anything else is thetruth; and do not listen to malignant men who deal in mischievouswhispers, always eager to seek their own gain by causing ill willbetween princes. Banish flattery, which is the nurse of vice, and listento the voice of that most excellent of all virtues, justice. And receivewith good faith the equitable condition which I propose, considering inyour mind that such things are for the interest of the Roman state, andof us also who are united by affection of blood, and by an equality ofsuperior fortune. 

12. "And pardon me. These reasonable requests of mine I am not soanxious to see carried out, as to see them approved by you as expedientand proper; and I shall with eagerness follow all your instructions. 

13. "What requires to be done I will briefly explain. I will provide yousome Spanish draught horses, and some youths to mingle with the Gentilesand Scutarii of the Letian tribe, a race of barbarians on the side ofthe Rhine; or else of those people which have come over to our side. AndI promise till the end of my life to do all I can to assist you, notonly with gratitude, but with eagerness. 

14. "Your clemency will appoint us prefects for our prætorium of knownequity and virtue: the appointment of the ordinary judges, and thepromotion of the military officers it is fair should be left to me; asalso the selection of my guard. For it would be unreasonable, when it ispossible to be guarded against, that those persons should be placedabout an emperor of whose manners and inclinations he is ignorant. 

15. "These things I can further assure you of positively. The Gauls willneither of their own accord, nor by any amount of compulsion, be broughtto send recruits to foreign and distant countries, since they have beenlong harassed by protracted annoyances and heavy disasters, lest theyouth of the nation should be destroyed, and the whole people, whilerecollecting their past sufferings, should abandon themselves to despairfor the future. 

16. "Nor is it fit to seek from hence assistance against the Parthians, when even now the attempts of the barbarians against this land are notbrought to an end, and while, if you will suffer me to tell the truth, these provinces are still exposed to continual dangers on being deprivedof all foreign or adequate assistance. 

17. "In speaking thus, I do think I have written to you in a mannersuited to the interests of the state, both in my demands and myentreaties. For I well know, not to speak in a lofty tone, though suchmight not misbecome an emperor, what wretched states of affairs, evenwhen utterly desperate and given up, have been before now retrieved andre-established by the agreement of princes, each yielding reciprocallyto one another. While it is also plain from the example of ourancestors, that rulers who acknowledge and act upon such principles dosomehow ever find the means of living prosperously and happily, andleave behind them to the latest posterity an enviable fame. "

18. To these letters he added others of a more secret purport, to begiven privily to Constantius, in which he blamed and reproached him;though their exact tenor was not fit to be known, nor if known, fit tobe divulged to the public. 

19. For the office of delivering these letters, men of great dignitywere chosen; namely, Pentadius, the master of the ceremonies, andEutherius, at that time the principal chamberlain; who were charged, after they had delivered the letters, to relate what they had seen, without suppressing anything; and to take their own measures boldly onall future emergencies which might arise. 

20. In the mean time the flight of Florentius, the prefect, aggravatedthe envy with which these circumstances were regarded. For he, as if heforesaw the commotion likely to arise, as might be gathered from generalconversation, from the act of sending for the troops, had departed forVienne (being also desirous to get out of the way of Julian, whom he hadoften slandered), pretending to be compelled to this journey for thesake of providing supplies for the army. 

21. Afterwards, when he had heard of Julian's being raised to thedignity of emperor, being greatly alarmed, and giving up almost all hopeof saving his life, he availed himself of his distance from Julian toescape from the evils which he suspected; and leaving behind him all hisfamily, he proceeded by slow journeys to Constantius; and to prove hisown innocence he brought forward many charges of rebellion againstJulian. 

22. And after his departure, Julian, adopting wise measures, and wishingit to be known that, even if he had him in his power, he would havespared him, allowed his relations to take with them all their property, and even granted them the use of the public conveyances to retire withsafety to the East. 

IX. 

§ 1. The envoys whom I have mentioned took equal care to discharge theirorders; but while eager to pursue their journey they were unjustlydetained by some of the superior magistrates on their road; and havingbeen long and vexatiously delayed in Italy and Illyricum, they at lastpassed the Bosphorus, and advancing by slow journeys, they foundConstantius still staying at Cæsarea in Cappadocia, a town formerlyknown as Mazaca, admirably situated at the foot of Mount Argæus, and ofhigh reputation. 

2. Being admitted to the presence, they received permission to presenttheir letters; but when they were read the emperor became immoderatelyangry, and looking askance at them so as to make them fear for theirlives, he ordered them to be gone without asking them any questions orpermitting them to speak. 

3. But in spite of his anger he was greatly perplexed to decide whetherto move those troops whom he could trust against the Persians, oragainst Julian; and while he was hesitating, and long balancing betweenthe two plans, he yielded to the useful advice of some of hiscounsellors, and ordered the army to march to the East. 

4. Immediately also he dismissed the envoys, and ordered his quæstorLeonas to go with all speed with letters from him to Julian; in which heasserted that he himself would permit no innovators, and recommendedJulian, if he had any regard for his own safety or that of hisrelations, to lay aside his arrogance, and resume the rank of Cæsar. 

5. And, in order to alarm him by the magnitude of his preparations, asif he really was possessed of great power, he appointed Nebridius, whowas at that time Julian's quæstor, to succeed Florentius as prefect ofthe prætorium, and made Felix the secretary, master of the ceremonies, with several other appointments. Gumoharius, the commander of the heavyinfantry, he had already appointed to succeed Lupicinus, before any ofthese events were known. 

6. Accordingly Leonas reached Paris, and was there received as anhonourable and discreet man; and the next day, when Julian had proceededinto the plain in front of the camp with a great multitude of soldiersand common people, which he had ordered to assemble on purpose, hemounted a tribune, in order from that high position to be moreconspicuous, and desired Leonas to present his letters; and when he hadopened the edict which had been sent, and began to read it, as soon ashe arrived at the passage that Constantius disapproved of all that hadbeen done, and desired Julian to be content with the power of a Cæsar, aterrible shout was raised on all sides, 7. "Julian emperor, as has been decreed by the authority of theprovince, of the army, and of the republic; which is indeedre-established, but which still dreads the renewed attacks of thebarbarians. "

8. Leonas heard this, and, after receiving letters from Julian, statingwhat had occurred, was dismissed in safety: the only one of theemperor's appointments which was allowed to take effect was that ofNebridius, which Julian in his letters had plainly said would be inaccordance with his wishes. For he himself had some time beforeappointed Anatolius to be master of the ceremonies, having been formerlyhis private secretary; and he had also made such other appointments asseemed useful and safe. 

9. And since, while matters were going on in this matter, Lupicinus, asbeing a proud and arrogant man, was an object of fear, though absent andstill in Britain; and since there was a suspicion that if he heard ofthese occurrences while on the other side of the channel, he might causedisorders in the island, a secretary was sent to Boulogne to take carethat no one should be allowed to cross; and as that was contrived, Lupicinus returned without hearing of any of these matters, and so hadno opportunity of giving trouble. 

X. 

§ 1. But Julian, being gratified at his increase of rank, and at theconfidence of the soldiers in him, not to let his good fortune cool, orto give any colour for charging him with inactivity or indolence, afterhe had sent his envoys to Constantius, marched to the frontier of theprovince of lower Germany; and having with him all the force which thebusiness in hand demanded, he approached the town of Santon. [113]

2. Then crossing the Rhine, he suddenly entered the district belongingto a Frank tribe, called the Attuarii, men of a turbulent character, whoat that very moment were licentiously plundering the districts of Gaul. He attacked them unexpectedly while they were apprehensive of no hostilemeasures, but were reposing in fancied security, relying on theruggedness and difficulty of the roads which led into their country, andwhich no prince within their recollection had ever penetrated. He, however, easily surmounted all difficulties, and having put many to thesword and taken many prisoners, he granted the survivors peace at theirrequest, thinking such a course best for their neighbours. 

3. Then with equal celerity he repassed the river, and examiningcarefully the state of the garrisons on the frontier, and putting themin a proper state, he marched towards Basle; and having recovered theplaces which the barbarians had taken and still retained in their hands, and having carefully strengthened them, he went to Vienne, passingthrough Besançon, and there took up his winter quarters. 

XI. 

§ 1. These were the events which took place in Gaul, and while they werethus conducted with prudence and good fortune, Constantius, havingsummoned Arsaces, king of Armenia, and having received him with greatcourtesy, advised and exhorted him to continue friendly and faithful tous. 

2. For he had heard that the king of Persia had often tried by deceitsand threats, and all kinds of stratagems, to induce him to forsake theRoman alliance and join his party. 

3. But he, vowing with many oaths that he would rather lose his lifethan change his opinion, received ample rewards, and returned to hiskingdom with the retinue which he brought with him; and never venturedat any subsequent time to break any of his promises, being bound bymany ties of gratitude to Constantius. The strongest tie of all beingthat the emperor had given him for a wife, Olympias, the daughter ofAbladius, formerly prefect of the prætorium, who had once been betrothedto his own brother Constans. 

4. And when Arsaces had been dismissed, Constantius left Cappadocia, andgoing by Melitina, a town of the lesser Armenia, and Lacotene, andSamosata, he crossed the Euphrates and arrived at Edessa. Stopping sometime in each town, while waiting for divisions of soldiers who wereflocking in from all quarters, and for sufficient supplies ofprovisions. And after the autumnal equinox, he proceeded onwards on hisway to Amida. 

5. When he approached the walls of that town, and saw everything buriedin ashes, he groaned and wept, recollecting what sufferings the wretchedcity had suffered. And Ursulus, the treasurer, who happened to bepresent, was moved with indignation, and exclaimed, "Behold the couragewith which cities are defended by our soldiers; men for whose pay thewhole wealth of the empire is exhausted. " This bitter speech the crowdof soldiers afterwards recollected at Chalcedon, when they rose up anddestroyed him. 

6. Then proceeding onward in close column, he reached Bezabde, andhaving fixed his camp there, and fortified it with a rampart and a deepfosse, as he took a long ride round the camp, he satisfied himself, bythe account which he received from several persons, that those places inthe walls which the carelessness of ancient times had allowed to becomedecayed, had been repaired so as to be stronger than ever. 

7. And, not to omit anything which was necessary to do before the heatof the contest was renewed, he sent prudent men to the garrison to offerthem two conditions; either to withdraw to their own country, giving upwhat did not belong to them, without causing bloodshed by resistance, orelse to become subjects of the Romans, in which case they should receiverank and rewards. But when they, with native obstinacy, resisted thedemands as became men of noble birth, who had been hardened by dangersand labours, everything was prepared for the siege. 

8. Therefore the soldiers with alacrity, in dense order, and cheered bythe sound of trumpets, attacked every side of the town; and the legions, being protected by various kinds of defences, advanced in safety, endeavouring by slow degrees to overthrow the walls; and because allkinds of missiles were poured down upon them, which disjoined the unionof their shields, they fell back, the signal for a retreat being given. 

9. Then a truce was agreed upon for one day; but the day after, havingprotected themselves more skilfully, they again raised their war-cry, and tried on every side to scale the walls. And although the garrison, having stretched cloths before them not to be distinguished, layconcealed within the walls; still, as often as necessity required, theyboldly put out their arms and hurled down stones and javelins on theirassailants below. 

10. And while the wicker penthouses were advanced boldly and broughtclose to the walls, the besieged dropped upon them heavy casks andmillstones, and fragments of pillars, by the overpowering weight ofwhich the assailants were crushed, their defences torn to pieces, andwide openings made in them, so that they incurred terrible dangers, andwere again forced to retreat. 

11. Therefore, on the tenth day from the beginning of the siege, whenthe confidence of our men began to fill the town with alarm, wedetermined on bringing up a vast battering-ram, which, after havingdestroyed Antioch with it sometime before, the Persians had left atCarrhæ; and as soon as that appeared, and was begun to be skilfully setup, it cowed the spirits of the besieged, so that they were almost onthe point of surrendering, when they again plucked up courage andprepared means for resisting this engine. 

12. From this time neither their courage nor their ingenuity failed; foras the ram was old, and it had been taken to pieces for the facility oftransporting it, so while it was being put together again, it wasattacked with great exertions and vigour by the garrison, and defendedwith equal valour and firmness by the besiegers; and engines hurlingshowers of stones, and slings, and missiles of all sorts, slew numberson each side. Meantime, high mounds rose up with speedy growth; and thesiege grew fiercer and sterner daily; many of our men being slainbecause, fighting as they were under the eye of the emperor, and eagerfor reward, they took off their helmets in order to be the more easilyrecognized, and so with bare heads, were an easy mark for the skilfularchers of the enemy. 

13. The days and nights being alike spent in watching, made each sidethe more careful; and the Persians, being alarmed at the vast height towhich the mounds were now carried, and at the enormous ram, which wasaccompanied by others of smaller size, made great exertions to burnthem, and kept continually shooting firebrands and incendiary missilesat them; but their labour was vain, because the chief part of them wascovered with wet skins and cloths, and some parts also had been steepedin alum, so that the fire might fall harmless upon them. 

14. But the Romans, driving these rams on with great courage, althoughthey had difficulty in defending themselves, disregarded danger, howeverimminent, in the hope of making themselves masters of the town. 

15. And on the other hand, when the enormous ram was brought against thetower to which it was applied, as if it could at once throw it down, thegarrison, by a clever contrivance, entangled its projecting iron head, which in shape was like that of a ram, with long cords on both sides, toprevent its being drawn back and then driven forward with great force, and to hinder it from making any serious impression on the walls byrepeated blows; and meanwhile they poured on it burning pitch, and for along time these engines were fixed at the point to which they had beenadvanced, and exposed to all the stones and javelins which were hurledfrom the walls. 

16. By this time the mounds were raised to a considerable height, andthe garrison, thinking that unless they used extraordinary vigilancetheir destruction must be at hand, resorted to extreme audacity; andmaking an unexpected sally from the gates, they attacked our front rank, and with all their might hurled firebrands and iron braziers loaded withfire against the rams. 

17. But after a fierce but undecided conflict, the bulk of them weredriven within the walls, without having succeeded in their attempt; andpresently the battlements were attacked from the mounds which the Romanshad raised, with arrows and slings and lighted javelins, which flewover the roofs of the towers, but did no harm, means having beenprepared to extinguish any flames. 

18. And as the ranks on both sides became thinner, and the Persians werenow reduced to extremities unless some aid could be found, they preparedwith redoubled energy a fresh sally from the camp: accordingly, theymade a sudden sally, supported by increased numbers, and among the armedmen were many bearing torches, and iron baskets full of fire, andfaggots; and all kinds of things best adapted for setting fire to theworks of the besiegers were hurled against them. 

19. And because the dense clouds of smoke obscured the sight, when thetrumpet gave the signal for battle, the legions came up with quick step;and as the eagerness of the conflict grew hotter, after they hadengaged, suddenly all the engines, except the great ram, caught firefrom the flames which were hurled at them; but the ropes which held thechief ram were broken asunder, and that the vigorous efforts of somegallant men saved, when it was half burnt. 

20. When the darkness of night terminated the combat, only a short timewas allowed to the soldiers for rest; but when they had been refreshedby a little food and sleep, they were awakened by their captains, andordered to remove their works away from the walls of the town, andprepare to fight at closer quarters from the lofty mounds which wereuntouched by the flames, and now commanded the walls. And to drive thedefenders from the walls, on the summit of the mounds they stationed twobalistæ, in fear of which they thought that none of the enemy wouldventure even to look out. 

21. After having taken these efficacious measures, a triple line of ourmen, having a more threatening aspect than usual from the nodding conesof their helmets (many of them also bearing ladders), attempted abouttwilight to scale the walls. Arms clashed and trumpets sounded, and bothsides fought with equal boldness and ardour. The Romans, extending theirlines more widely, when they saw the Persians hiding from fear of theengines which had been stationed on the mounds, battered the wall withtheir ram, and with spades, and axes, and levers, and ladders, pressedfiercely on, while missiles from each side flew without ceasing. 

22. But the Persians were especially pressed by the various missilesshot from the balistæ, which, from the artificial mounds, came down uponthem in torrents; and having become desperate, they rushed on, fearlessof death, and distributing their force as if at the last extremity, theyleft some to guard the walls, while the rest, secretly opening a posterngate, rushed forth valiantly with drawn swords, followed by others whocarried concealed fire. 

23. And while the Romans at one moment were pressing on those whoretreated, at another receiving the assault of those who attacked them, those who carried the fire crept round by a circuitous path, and pushedthe burning coals in among the interstices of one of the mounds, whichwas made up of branches of trees, and rushes, and bundles of reeds. Thissoon caught fire and was utterly destroyed, the soldiers themselveshaving great difficulty in escaping and saving their engines. 

24. But when the approach of evening broke off the conflict, and the twosides separated to snatch a brief repose, the emperor, after duereflection, resolved to change his plans. Although many reasons of greaturgency pressed him to force on the destruction of Phoenice, as of afortress which would prove an impregnable barrier to the inroads of theenemy, yet the lateness of the season was an objection to perseveringany longer. He determined, therefore, while he preserved his position, to carry on the siege for the future by slight skirmishes, thinking thatthe Persians would be forced to surrender from want of provisions, which, however, turned out very different. 

25. For while the conflict was proceeding sharply, the heavens becamemoist, and watery clouds appeared with threatening darkness; andpresently the ground got so wet from continual rain, that the wholecountry was changed into an adhesive mud (for the soil is naturallyrich), and every plan was thrown into confusion; meantime, thunder withincessant crashes and ceaseless lightning filled men's minds with fear. 

26. To these portents were added continual rainbows. A short explanationwill serve to show how these appearances are formed. The vapours of theearth becoming warmer, and the watery particles gathering in clouds, andthence being dispersed in spray, and made brilliant by the fusion ofrays, turn upwards towards the fiery orb of the sun and form a rainbow, which sweeps round with a large curve because it is spread over ourworld, which physical investigations place on the moiety of a sphere. 

27. Its appearance, as far as mortal sight can discern, is, in the firstline yellow, in the second tawny, in the third scarlet, in the fourthpurple, and in the last a mixture of blue and green. 

28. And it is so tempered with this mixed beauty, as mankind believe, because its first portion is discerned in a thin diluted state, of thesame colour as the air which surrounds it; the next line is tawny, thatis a somewhat richer colour than yellow; the third is scarlet, becauseit is opposite to the bright rays of the sun, and so pumps up andappropriates, if one may so say, the most subtle portion of its beams;the fourth is purple, because the density of the spray by which thesplendour of the sun's rays is quenched shines between, and so itassumes a colour near that of flame; and as that colour is the morediffused, it shades off into blue and green. 

29. Others think that the rainbow is caused by the rays of the sunbecoming infused into some dense cloud, and pouring into it a liquidlight, which, as it can find no exit, falls back upon itself, and shinesthe more brilliantly because of a kind of attrition; and receives thosehues which are most akin to white from the sun above; its green huesfrom the cloud under which it lies, as often happens in the sea, wherethe waters which beat upon the shore are white, and those farther fromthe land, which, as being so, are more free from any admixture, areblue. 

30. And since it is an indication of a change in the atmosphere (as wehave already said), when in a clear sky sudden masses of clouds appear, or on the other hand, when the sky changed from a gloomy look to ajoyful serenity, therefore we often read in the poets that Iris is sentfrom heaven when a change is required in the condition of any presentaffairs. There are various other opinions which it would be superfluousnow to enumerate, since my narration must hasten back to the point fromwhich it digressed. 

31. By these and similar events the emperor was kept wavering betweenhope and fear, as the severity of winter was increasing, and hesuspected ambuscades in the country, which was destitute of roads;fearing also, among other things, the discontent of the exasperatedsoldiers. And it further goaded his unquiet spirit to return balked ofhis purpose, after, as it were, the door of the rich mansion was openedto him. 

32. However, giving up his enterprise as fruitless, he returned into theunwelcome Syria, to winter at Antioch, after having suffered asuccession of melancholy disasters. For, as if some unfriendlyconstellation so governed events, Constantius himself, while warringwith the Persians, was always attended by adverse fortune; on whichaccount he hoped at least to gain victories by means of his generals;and this, as we remember, usually happened. 

[109] "The minute interval which may be interposed between the _hyemeadultâ_ and the _primo vere_ of Ammianus, instead of allowing asufficient space for a march of three thousand miles, would render theorders of Constantius as extravagant as they were unjust; the troops ofGaul could not have reached Syria till the end of autumn. The memory ofAmmianus must have been inaccurate, and his languageincorrect. "--Gibbon, c. Xxii. 

[110] According to Erdfurt, this legion was so named from itscontumacious and mutinous disposition. 

[111] The Gentiles were body-guards of the emperor, or of the Cæsar, ofbarbarian extraction, whether Scythians, Goths, Franks, Germans, &c. 

[112] It may be remarked that Ammianus continually uses the wordsPersian and Parthian as synonymous. 

[113] Santon is near Cleves. 

BOOK XXI. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. The Emperor Julian at Vienne learns that Constantius is about to die--How he knew it--An essay on the different arts of learning the future. --II. Julian at Vienne feigns to be a Christian in order to conciliate the multitude, and on a day of festival worships God among the Christians. --III. Vadomarius, king of the Allemanni, breaking his treaty, lays waste our frontier, and slays Count Libino, with a few of his men. --IV. Julian having intercepted letters of Vadomarius to the Emperor Constantius, contrives to have him seized at a banquet; and having slain some of the Allemanni, and compelled others to surrender, grants the rest peace at their entreaty. --Julian harangues his soldiers, and makes them all promise obedience to him, intending to make war upon the Emperor Constantius. --VI. Constantius marries Faustina--Increases his army by fresh levies; gains over the kings of Armenia and Hiberia by gifts. --VII. Constantius, at that time at Antioch, retains Africa in his power by means of his secretary Gaudentius; crosses the Euphrates, and moves with his army upon Edessa. --VIII. After settling the affairs of Gaul, Julian marches to the Danube, sending on before a part of his army through Italy and the Tyrol. --IX. Taurus and Florentius, consuls, and prefects of the prætorium, fly at the approach of Julian, the one through Illyricum, the other through Italy--Lucillianus, the commander of the cavalry, who was preparing to resist Julian, is crushed by him. --X. Julian receives the allegiance of Sirmium, the capital of Western Illyricum, and of its garrison--Occupies the country of the Sacci, and writes to the senate letters of complaint against Constantius. --XI. Two of the legions of Constantius which at Sirmium had passed over to Julian are sent by him into Gaul, and occupy Aquileia, with the consent of the citizens, who, however, shut their gates against the troops of Julian. --XII. Aquileia takes the part of Constantius, and is besieged, but presently, when news of his death arrives, surrenders to Julian. --XIII. Sapor leads back his army home, because the auspices forbid war--Constantius, intending to march against Julian, harangues his soldiers. --XIV. Omens of the death of Constantius. --XV. Constantius dies at Mopsucrenæ in Cilicia. --XVI. His virtues and vices. 

I. 

A. D. 360. 

§ 1. While Constantius was detained by this perplexing war beyond theEuphrates, Julian at Vienne devoted his days and nights to forming plansfor the future, as far as his limited resources would allow; being ingreat suspense, and continually doubting whether to try every expedientto win Constantius over to friendship, or to anticipate his attack, withthe view of alarming him. 

2. And while anxiously considering these points he feared him, as likelyto be in the one case a cruel friend, while in the other case herecollected that he had always been successful in civil disturbances. Above all things his anxiety was increased by the example of his brotherGallus, who had been betrayed by his own want of caution and theperjured deceit of certain individuals. 

3. Nevertheless he often raised himself to ideas of energetic action, thinking it safest to show himself as an avowed enemy to him whosemovements he could, as a prudent man, judge of only from his pastactions, in order not to be entrapped by secret snares founded onpretended friendship. 

4. Therefore, paying little attention to the letters which Constantiushad sent by Leonas, and admitting none of his appointments with theexception of that of Nebridius, he now celebrated theQuinquennalia[114] as emperor, and wore a splendid diadem inlaid withprecious stones, though when first entering on that power he had wornbut a paltry-looking crown like that of a president of the public games. 

5. At this time also he sent the body of his wife Helen, recentlydeceased, to Rome, to be buried in the suburb on the road to Nomentum, where also Constantina, his sister-in-law, the wife of Gallus, had beenburied. 

6. His desire to march against Constantius, now that Gaul wastranquillized, was inflamed by the belief which he had adopted from manyomens (in the interpretation of which he had great skill), and fromdreams that the emperor would soon die. 

7. And since malignant people have attributed to this prince, so eruditeand so eager to acquire all knowledge, wicked practices for the purposeof learning future events, we may here briefly point out how thisimportant branch of learning may be acquired by a wise man. 

8. The spirit which directs all the elements, and which at all times andthroughout all places exercises its activity by the movement of theseeternal bodies, can communicate to us the capacity of foreseeing thefuture by the sciences which we attain through various kinds ofdiscipline. And the ruling powers, when properly propitiated, as fromeverlasting springs, supply mankind with words of prophecy, over whichthe deity of Themis is said to preside, and which, because she teachesmen to know what has been settled for the future by the law of Fate, hasreceived that name from the Greek word τεθειμένα ("fixed"), and has been placed by ancient theologians in the bed and on the throneof Jupiter, who gives life to all the world. 

9. Auguries and auspices are not collected from the will of birds whoare themselves ignorant of the future (for there is no one so silly asto say they understand it); but God directs the flight of birds, so thatthe sound of their beaks, or the motion of their feathers, whether quietor disturbed, indicates the character of the future. For the kindnessof the deity, whether it be that men deserve it, or that he is touchedby affection for them, likes by these acts to give information of whatis impending. 

10. Again, those who attend to the prophetic entrails of cattle, whichoften take all kinds of shapes, learn from them what happens. Of thispractice a man called Tages was the inventor, who, as is reported, wascertainly seen to rise up out of the earth in the district of Etruria. 

11. Men too, when their hearts are in a state of excitement, foretellthe future, but then they are speaking under divine inspiration. For thesun, which is, as natural philosophers say, the mind of the world, andwhich scatters our minds among us as sparks proceeding from itself, whenit has inflamed them with more than usual vehemence, renders themconscious of the future. From which the Sibyls often say they areburning and fired by a vast power of flames; and with reference to thesecases the sound of voices, various signs, thunder, lightning, thunderbolts, and falling stars, have a great significance. 

12. But the belief in dreams would be strong and undoubted if theinterpreters of them were never deceived; and sometimes, as Aristotleasserts, they are fixed and stable when the eye of the person, beingsoundly asleep, turns neither way, but looks straight forward. 

13. And because the ignorance of the vulgar often talks loudly, thoughignorantly, against these ideas, asking why, if there were any facultyof foreseeing the future, one man should be ignorant that he would bekilled in battle, or another that he would meet with some misfortune, and so on; it will be enough to reply that sometimes a grammarian hasspoken incorrectly, or a musician has sung out of tune, or a physicianbeen ignorant of the proper remedy for a disease; but these facts do notdisprove the existence of the sciences of grammar, music, or medicine. 

14. So that Tully is right in this as well as other sayings of his, whenhe says, "Signs of future events are shown by the gods; if any onemistakes them he errs, not because of the nature of the gods, butbecause of the conjectures of men. " But lest this discussion, running onthis point beyond the goal, as the proverb is, should disgust thereader, we will now return to relate what follows. 

II. 

§ 1. While Julian, still with the rank of Cæsar only, was at Paris oneday, exercising himself in the camp-field, and moving his shield invarious directions, the joints by which it was fastened gave way, andthe handle alone remained in his hand, which he still held firmly, andwhen those present were alarmed, thinking it a bad omen, he said, "Letno one be alarmed, I still hold firmly what I had before. "

2. And again, when one day after a slight dinner, he was sleeping atVienne, in the middle of the darkness of the night a figure of unusualsplendour appeared to him, and when he was all but awake, repeated tohim the following heroic verses, reciting them over and over again;which he believed, so that he felt sure that no ill fortune remained forhim:--

 "When Jove has passed the water-carrier's sign, And Saturn's light, for five-and-twenty days Has lightened up the maid; the king divine Of Asia's land shall enter on the ways That painful lead to death and Styx's gloomy maze. "

3. Therefore in the mean time he made no change in the existingcondition of affairs, but arranged everything that occurred with a quietand easy mind, gradually strengthening himself, in order to make theincrease of his power correspond with the increase of his dignity. 

4. And in order, without any hindrance, to conciliate the good-will ofall men, he pretended to adhere to the Christian religion, which in facthe had long since secretly abandoned, though very few were aware of hisprivate opinions, giving up his whole attention to soothsaying anddivination, and the other arts which have always been practised by theworshippers of the gods. 

5. But to conceal this for a while, on the day of the festival at thebeginning of January, which the Christians call Epiphany, he went intotheir church, and offered solemn public prayer to their God. 

III. 

§ 1. While these events were proceeding, and spring was coming on, Julian was suddenly smitten with grief and sorrow by unexpectedintelligence. For he learnt that the Allemanni had poured forth fromthe district of Vadomarius, in which quarter, after the treaty which hadbeen made with him, no troubles had been anticipated, and were layingwaste the borders of the Tyrol, pouring their predatory hands over thewhole frontier, and leaving nothing unravaged. 

2. He feared that if this were passed over it might rekindle the flamesof war; and so at once sent a count named Libino, with the Celtic andPetulantes legions, who were in winter quarters with him, to put adecided and immediate end to this affair. 

3. Libino marched with speed, and arrived at Seckingen; but was seenwhile at a distance by the barbarians, who had already hidden themselvesin the valleys with the intention of giving him battle. His soldierswere inferior in number, but very eager for battle; and he, afterharanguing them, rashly attacked the Germans, and at the very beginningof the fight was slain among the first. At his death the confidence ofthe barbarians increased, while the Romans were excited to avenge theirgeneral; and so the conflict proceeded with great obstinacy, but our menwere overpowered by numbers, though their loss in killed and wounded wasbut small. 

4. Constantius, as has been related, had made peace with thisVadomarius, and his brother Gundomadus, who was also a king. And whenafterwards Gundomadus died, thinking that Vadomarius would be faithfulto him, and a silent and vigorous executor of his secret orders (if onemay believe what is only report), he gave him directions by letter toharass the countries on his borders, as if he had broken off the treatyof peace, in order to keep Julian, through his fears of him, from everabandoning the protection of Gaul. 

5. In obedience to these directions, it is fair to believe thatVadomarius committed this and other similar actions; being a man fromhis earliest youth marvellously skilled in artifice and deceit, as heafterwards showed when he enjoyed the dukedom of Phoenice. [115]

6. But now, being discovered, he desisted from his hostilities. For oneof his secretaries, whom he had sent to Constantius, was taken prisonerby Julian's outposts, and when he was searched to see if he was thebearer of anything, a letter was found on him, which contained thesewords among others, "Your Cæsar is not submissive. " But when he wrote toJulian he always addressed him as lord, and emperor, and god. 

IV. 

§ 1. These affairs were full of danger and doubt; and Julian consideringthem likely to lead to absolute destruction, bent all his mind to theone object of seizing Vadomarius unawares, through the rapidity of hismovements, in order to secure his own safety and that of the provinces. And the plan which he decided on was this. 

2. He sent to those districts Philagrius, one of his secretaries, afterwards count of the East, in whose proved prudence and fidelity hecould thoroughly rely; and besides a general authority to act as hecould upon emergencies, he gave him also a paper signed by himself, which he bade him not to open nor read unless Vadomarius appeared on thewestern side of the Rhine. 

3. Philagrius went as he was ordered, and while he was in that districtbusying himself with various arrangements, Vadomarius crossed the river, as if he had nothing to fear, in a time of profound peace, andpretending to know of nothing having been done contrary to treaty, whenhe saw the commander of the troops who were stationed there, made him ashort customary speech, and to remove all suspicion, of his own accordpromised to come to a banquet to which Philagrius also had been invited. 

4. As soon as Philagrius arrived, when he saw the king, he recollectedJulian's words, and pretending some serious and urgent business, returned to his lodging, where having read the paper intrusted to him, and learnt what he was to do, he immediately returned and took his seatamong the rest. 

5. But when the banquet was over he boldly arrested Vadomarius, and gavehim to the commander of the forces, to be kept in strict custody in thecamp, reading to him the commands he had received; but as nothing wasmentioned about Vadomarius's retinue, he ordered them to return to theirown country. 

6. But the king was afterwards conducted to Julian's camp, anddespaired of pardon when he heard that his secretary had been taken, andthe letters which he had written to Constantius read; he was however noteven reproached by Julian, but merely sent off to Spain, as it was anobject of great importance that, while Julian was absent from Gaul, thisferocious man should not be able to throw into confusion the provinceswhich had been tranquillized with such great difficulty. 

7. Julian, being much elated at this occurrence, since the king, whom hefeared to leave behind him while at a distance, had been caught morequickly than he expected, without delay prepared to attack thebarbarians who, as we have just related, had slain Count Libino and someof his soldiers in battle. 

8. And to prevent any rumour of his approach giving them warning toretire to remoter districts, he passed the Rhine by night with greatsilence, with some of the most rapid of his auxiliary bands; and so cameupon them while fearing nothing of the sort. And he at once attackedthem the moment they were first roused by the sound of enemies, andwhile still examining their swords and javelins; some he slew, some hetook prisoners, who sued for mercy and offered to surrender their booty;to the rest who remained and implored peace, and promised to be quietfor the future, he granted peace. 

V. 

§ 1. While these transactions were carried on in this spirited manner, Julian, considering to what great internal divisions his conduct hadgiven rise, and that nothing is so advantageous for the success ofsudden enterprise as celerity of action, saw with his usual sagacitythat if he openly avowed his revolt from the emperor, he should besafer; and feeling uncertain of the fidelity of the soldiers, havingoffered secret propitiatory sacrifices to Bellona, he summoned the armyby sound of trumpet to an assembly, and standing on a tribune built ofstone, with every appearance of confidence in his manner, he spoke thuswith a voice unusually loud:--

2. "I imagine that you, my gallant comrades, exalted by the greatness ofyour own achievements, have long been silently expecting this meeting, in order to form a previous judgment of, and to take wise measuresagainst the events which may be expected. For soldiers united byglorious actions ought to hear rather than speak; nor ought a commanderof proved justice to think anything but what is worthy of praise andapprobation. That therefore I may explain to you what I propose, Ientreat you to listen favourably to what I will briefly set before you. 

3. "From my earliest year, by the will of God, I have been placed amongyou, with whom I have crushed the incessant inroads of the Franks andAllemanni, and checked the endless licentiousness of their ravages; byour united vigour we have opened the Rhine to the Roman armies, wheneverthey choose to cross it; standing immovable against reports, as well asagainst the violent attacks of powerful nations, because I trusted tothe invincibility of your valour. 

4. "Gaul, which has beheld our labours, and which, after much slaughterand many periods of protracted and severe disasters, is at last replacedin a healthy state, will for ever bear witness to posterity of ourachievements. 

5. "But now since, constrained both by the authority of your judgment, and also by the necessity of the case, I have been raised to the rank ofemperor, under the favour of God and of you, I aim at still greaterthings, if fortune should smile on my undertakings. Boasting at leastthat I have secured to the army, whose equity and mighty exploits are sorenowned, a moderate and merciful chief in time of peace, and in war aprudent and wary leader against the combined forces of the barbarians. 

6. "In order therefore that by the cordial unanimity of our opinions wemay prevent ill fortune by anticipating it, I beg you to follow mycounsel, salutary, as I think it, since the state of our affairscorresponds to the purity of my intentions and wishes. And while thelegions of Illyricum are occupied by no greater force than usual, let usoccupy the further frontier of Dacia; and then take counsel from oursuccess what is to be done next. 

7. "But as brave generals, I entreat you to promise with an oath thatyou will adhere to me with unanimity and fidelity; while I will give mycustomary careful attention to prevent anything from being done rashlyor carelessly; and if any one requires it, will pledge my own unsulliedhonour that I will never attempt nor think of anything but what is forthe common good. 

8 "This especially I request and beseech you to observe, that none ofyou let any impulse of sudden ardour lead you to inflict injury on anyprivate individual; recollecting that our greatest renown is not derivedso much from the numberless defeats of the enemy as from the safety ofthe provinces, and their freedom from injury, which is celebrated as aneminent example of our virtue. "

9. The emperor's speech was approved as though it had been the voice ofan oracle, and the whole assembly was greatly excited, and being eagerfor a change, they all with one consent raised a tremendous shout, andbeat their shields with a violent crash, calling him a great and noblegeneral, and, as had been proved, a fortunate conqueror and king. 

10. And being all ordered solemnly to swear fidelity to him, they puttheir swords to their throats with terrible curses, and took the oath inthe prescribed form, that for him they would undergo every kind ofsuffering, and even death itself, if necessity should require it; andtheir officers and all the friends of the prince gave a similar pledgewith the same forms. 

11. Nebridius the prefect alone, boldly and unshakenly refused, declaring that he could not possibly bind himself by an oath hostile toConstantius, from whom he had received many and great obligations. 

12. When these words of his were heard, the soldiers who were nearest tohim were greatly enraged, and wished to kill him; but he threw himselfat the feet of Julian, who shielded him with his cloak. Presently, whenhe returned to the palace, Nebridius appeared before him, threw himselfat his feet as a suppliant, and entreated him to relieve his fears bygiving him his right hand. Julian replied, "Will there be anyconspicuous favour reserved for my own friends if you are allowed totouch my hand? However, depart in peace as you will. " On receiving thisanswer, Nebridius retired in safety to his own house in Tuscany. 

13. By these preliminary measures, Julian having learnt, as theimportance of the affair required, what great influence promptness andbeing beforehand has in a tumultuous state of affairs, gave the signalto march towards Pannonia, and advancing his standard and his camp, boldly committed himself to fickle fortune. 

VI. 

A. D. 361. 

§ 1. It is fitting now to retrace our steps and to relate briefly what(while these events just related were taking place in Gaul) Constantius, who passed the winter at Antioch, did, whether in peace or war. 

2. Besides many others of high rank, some of the most distinguishedtribunes generally come to salute an emperor on his arrival from distantlands. And accordingly, when Constantius, on his return fromMesopotamia, received this compliment, a Paphlagonian namedAmphilochius, who had been a tribune, and whom suspicion, not very farremoved from the truth, hinted at as having, while serving formerlyunder Constans, sown the seeds of discord between him and his brother, now ventured, with no little audacity, to come forward as if he were tobe admitted to pay his duty in this way, but was recognized and refusedadmittance. Many also raised an outcry against him, crying out that he, as a stubborn rebel, ought not to be permitted to see another day. ButConstantius, on this occasion more merciful than usual, said, "Cease topress upon a man who, indeed, as I believe, is guilty, but who has notbeen convicted. And remember that if he has done anything of the kind, he, as long as he is in my sight, will be punished by the judgment ofhis own conscience, which he will not be able to escape. " And so hedeparted. 

3. The next day, at the Circensian games, the same man was present as aspectator, just opposite the usual seat of the emperor, when a suddenshout was raised at the moment of the commencement of the expectedcontest; the barriers, on which he with many others was leaning, werebroken, and the whole crowd as well as he were thrown forward into theempty space; and though a few were slightly hurt, he alone was found tobe killed, having received some internal injury. At which Constantiusrejoiced, prognosticating from this omen protection from his otherenemies. 

4. About the same time (his wife Eusebia having died some time before)he took another wife, named Faustina. Eusebia's brothers were two men ofconsular rank, Hypatius and Eusebius. She had been a woman ofpre-eminent beauty both of person and character, and for one of her highrank most courteous and humane. And to her favour and justice it wasowing, as we have already mentioned, that Julian was saved from dangerand declared Cæsar. 

5. About the same time Florentius also was rewarded, who had quittedGaul from fear of a revolution. He was now appointed to succeedAnatolius, the prefect of the prætorium in Illyricum, who had latelydied. And in conjunction with Taurus, who was appointed to the sameoffice in Italy, he received the ensigns of this most honourabledignity. 

6. Nevertheless, the preparations for both foreign and civil wars wenton, the number of the squadrons of cavalry was augmented, andreinforcements for the legions were enlisted with equal zeal, recruitsbeing collected all over the provinces. Also every class and professionwas exposed to annoyances, being called upon to furnish arms, clothes, military engines, and even gold and silver and abundant stores ofprovisions, and various kinds of animals. 

7. And because, as the king of Persia had been compelled unwillingly tofall back on account of the difficulties of the winter, it was fearedthat as soon as the weather became open he would return with greaterimpetuosity than ever, ambassadors were sent to the kings and satrapsacross the Tigris, with splendid presents, to advise and entreat themall to join us, and abstain from all designs or plots against us. 

8. But the most important object of all was to win over Arsaces andMeribanes, the kings of Armenia and Hiberia, who were conciliated by thegift of magnificent and honourable robes and by presents of all kinds, and who could have done great harm to the Roman interests if at such acrisis they had gone over to the Persians. 

9. At this important time, Hermogenes died, and was succeeded in hisprefecture by Helpidius, a native of Paphlagonia, a man of meanappearance and no eloquence, but of a frank and truthful disposition, humane and merciful. So much so that once when Constantius ordered aninnocent man to be put to the torture before him, he calmly requested tobe deprived of his office, and that such commissions might be given toothers who would discharge them in a manner more in accordance with theemperor's sentence. 

VII. 

§ 1. Constantius was perplexed at the danger of the crisis before him, and doubted what to do, being for some time in deep anxiety whether tomarch against Julian, who was still at a distance, or to drive back thePersians, who were already threatening to cross the Euphrates. And whilehe was hesitating, and often taking counsel with his generals, he atlast decided that he would first finish, or at all events take the edgeoff, the war which was nearest, so as to leave nothing formidable behindhim, and then penetrate through Illyricum and Italy, thinking to catchJulian at the very outset of his enterprise, as he might catch a deerwith hounds. For so he used to boast, to appease the fears of thoseabout him. 

2. But that his purpose might not appear to cool, and that he might notseem to have neglected any side of the war, he spread formidable rumoursof his approach in every direction. And fearing that Africa, which onall occasions seemed to invite usurpers, might be invaded during hisabsence, as if he had already quitted the eastern frontier, he sent bysea to that country his secretary Gaudentius, whom we have alreadymentioned as a spy upon the actions of Julian in Gaul. 

3. He had two reasons for thinking that this man would be able withprompt obedience to do all that he desired, both because he feared theother side, which he had offended, and also because he was anxious totake this opportunity to gain the favour of Constantius, whom heexpected beyond a doubt to see victorious. Indeed no one at that timehad any other opinion. 

4. When Gaudentius arrived in Africa, recollecting the emperor's orders, he sent letters to Count Cretio, and to the other officers, to instructthem what his object was; and having collected a formidable force fromall quarters, and having brought over a light division of skirmishersfrom the two Mauritanias, he watched the coasts opposite to Italy andGaul with great strictness. 

5. Nor was Constantius deceived in the wisdom of this measure. For aslong as Gaudentius lived none of the adverse party ever reached thatcountry, although a vast multitude in arms was watching the Siciliancoast between Cape Boeo and Cape Passaro, and ready to cross in a momentif they could find an opportunity. 

6. Having made these arrangements as well as the case admitted, in sucha way as he thought most for his advantage and having settled otherthings also of smaller importance, Constantius was warned by messengersand letters from his generals that the Persian army, in one solid body, and led by its haughty king, was now marching close to the banks of theTigris, though it was as yet uncertain at what point they meant to crossthe frontier. 

7. And he, feeling the importance of this intelligence, in order, bybeing near them, to anticipate their intended enterprises, quitted hiswinter quarters in haste, having called in the infantry and cavalry onwhich he could rely from all quarters, crossed the Euphrates by a bridgeof boats at Capessana, and marched towards Edessa, which was wellprovisioned and strongly fortified, intending to wait there a short timetill he could receive from spies or deserters certain information of theenemy's motions. 

VIII. 

§ 1. In the mean time, Julian leaving the district of Basle, and havingtaken all the steps which we have already mentioned, sent Sallustius, whom he had promoted to be a prefect, into Gaul, and appointedGermanianus to succeed Nebridius. At the same time he gave Nevitta thecommand of the heavy cavalry, being afraid of the old traitorGumoharius, who, when he was commander of the Scutarii, he heard hadsecretly betrayed his chief officer, Vetranio. The quæstorship he gaveto Jovius, of whom we have spoken when relating the acts of Magnentius, and the treasury he allotted to Mamertinus. Dagalaiphus also was madecaptain of the household guard, and many others, with whose merits andfidelity he was acquainted, received different commands at hisdiscretion. 

2. Being now about to march through the Black Forest, and the countrylying on the banks of the Danube, he on a sudden conceived great doubtand fear whether the smallness of his force might not breed contempt, and encourage the numerous population of the district to resist hisadvance. 

3. To prevent this, he took prudent precautions, and distributing hisarmy into divisions, he sent some under Jovenius and Jovius to advancewith all speed by the well-trodden roads of Italy; others under thecommand of Nevitta, the commander of the cavalry, were to take theinland road of the Tyrol. So that his army, by being scattered overvarious countries, might cause a belief that its numbers were immense, and might fill all nations with fear. Alexander the Great, and manyother skilful generals, had done the same thing when their affairsrequired it. 

4. But he charged them, when they set forth, to march with all speed, asif likely to meet at any moment with an enemy, and carefully to postwatches and sentries and outposts at night, so as to be free from thedanger of any sudden attack. 

IX. 

§ 1. These things having been arranged according to the best of hisjudgment, Julian adhering to the maxim by which he had often forced hisway through the countries of the barbarians, and trusting in hiscontinued successes, proceeded in his advance. 

2. And when he had reached the spot at which he had been informed thatthe river was navigable, he embarked on board some boats which goodfortune had brought thither in numbers, and passed as secretly as hecould down the stream, escaping notice the more because his habits ofendurance and fortitude had made him indifferent to delicate food; sothat, being contented with meagre and poor fare, he did not care toapproach their towns or camps, forming his conduct in this respectaccording to the celebrated saying of the ancient Cyrus, who, when hewas introduced to a host who asked him what he wished to have got readyfor supper, answered, "Nothing beyond bread, for that he hoped he shouldsup by the side of a river. "

3. But Fame, which, as they say, having a thousand tongues, alwaysexaggerates the truth, at this time spread abroad a report among all thetribes of Illyricum that Julian, having overthrown a number of kings andnations in Gaul, was coming on flushed with success and with a numerousarmy. 

4. Jovinus, the prefect of the prætorium, being alarmed at this rumour, fled in haste, as if from a foreign enemy; and going by the publicconveyances with frequent relays, he crossed the Julian Alps, takingwith him also Florentius the prefect. 

5. But Count Lucillianus, who at that time had the command of the armyin these districts, being at Sirmium, and having received some slightintelligence of Julian's movements, collected the soldiers whom theemergency gave time for being quickly called from their severalstations, and proposed to resist his advance. 

6. Julian, however, like a firebrand or torch once kindled, hastenedquickly to his object; and when, at the waning of the moon, he hadreached Bonmunster, which is about nineteen miles from Sirmium, [116] andwhen, therefore, the main part of the night was dark, he unexpectedlyquitted his boats, and at once sent forward Dagalaiphus with his lighttroops to summon Lucillianus to his presence, and to drag him before himif he resisted. 

7. He was asleep, and when he was awakened by the violence of thisuproar, and saw himself surrounded by a crowd of strangers, perceivingthe state of the case, and being filled with awe at the name of theemperor, he obeyed his orders, though sadly against his will. And thoughcommander of the cavalry, a little while before proud and fierce, he nowobeyed the will of another, and mounting a horse which was brought himon a sudden, he was led before Julian, as an ignoble prisoner, and fromfear was hardly able to collect his senses. 

8. But as soon as he saw the emperor, and was relieved by receivingpermission to offer his salutations to his purple robe, he recovered hiscourage, and feeling safe said, "You have been incautious and rash, Oemperor, to trust yourself with but a few troops in the country ofanother. " But Julian, with a sarcastic smile, replied, "Keep theseprudent speeches for Constantius. I offered you the ensign of my royalrank to ease you of your fears, and not to take you for my counsellor. "

X. 

§ 1. So after he had got rid of Lucillianus, thinking no further delayor hesitation admissible, being bold and confident in all emergencies, and on the way, as he presumed, to a city inclined to surrender, hemarched on with great speed. When he came near the suburbs, which arevery large and much extended, a vast crowd of soldiers and of everyclass of the population came forth to meet him with lights and flowersand auspicious prayers, and after saluting him as emperor and lord, conducted him to the palace. 

2. He, pleased at these favourable omens, and conceiving therefrom asanguine hope of future success, concluded that the example of sopopulous and illustrious a metropolis would be followed as aguiding-star by other cities also, and therefore on the very next dayexhibited a chariot race, to the great joy of the people. On the thirdday, unable to brook any delay, he proceeded by the public roads, andwithout any resistance seized upon Succi, and appointed Nevitta governorof the place, as one whom he could trust. It is fitting that I shouldnow explain the situation of this place Succi. 

3. The summits of the mountain chains of Hæmus[117] and Rhodope, thefirst of which rises up from the very banks of the Danube, and the otherfrom the southern bank of the river Axius, ending with swelling ridgesat one narrow point, separate the Illyrians and the Thracians, being onthe one side near the inland Dacians and Serdica, on the other lookingtowards Thrace and the rich and noble city of Philippopolis. And, as ifNature had provided for bringing the surrounding nations under thedominion of the Romans, they are of such a form as to lead to this end. Affording at first only a single exit through narrow defiles, but at alater period they were opened out with roads of such size and beauty asto be passable even for waggons. Though still, when the passes have beenblocked up, they have often repelled the attacks of great generals andmighty armies. 

4. The part which looks to Illyricum is of a more gentle ascent, so asto be climbed almost imperceptibly; but the side opposite to Thrace isvery steep and precipitous, in some places absolutely impassable, and inothers hard to climb even where no one seeks to prevent it. Beneath thislofty chain a spacious level plain extends in every direction, the upperportion of it reaching even to the Julian Alps, while the lower portionof it is so open and level as to present no obstacles all the way to thestraits and sea of Marmora. 

5. Having arranged these matters as well as the occasion permitted, andhaving left there the commander of the cavalry, the emperor returned toNissa, a considerable town, in order, without any hindrance, to settleeverything in the way most suited to his interests. 

6. While there he appointed Victor, an historical writer, whom he hadseen at Sirmium, and whom he ordered to follow him from that city, to beconsular governor of the second Pannonia; and he erected in his honour abrazen statue, as a man to be imitated for his temperance; and some timeafter he was appointed prefect of Rome. 

7. And now, giving the rein to loftier ideas, and believing it to beimpossible to bring Constantius to terms, he wrote a speech full ofbitter invectives to the senate, setting forth many charges of disgraceand vice against him. And when this harangue, Tertullus still beingprefect of the city, was read in the senate, the gratitude of thenobles, as well as their splendid boldness, was very conspicuous; forthey all cried out with one unanimous feeling, "We expect that youshould show reverence to the author of your own greatness. "

8. Then he assailed the memory of Constantine also as an innovator and adisturber of established laws and of customs received from ancienttimes, accusing him of having been the first to promote barbarians tothe fasces and robe of the consul. But in this respect he spoke withfolly and levity, since, in the face of what he so bitterly reproved, hea very short time afterwards added to Mamertinus, as his colleague inthe consulship, Nevitta, a man neither in rank, experience, orreputation at all equal to those on whom Constantine had conferred thatillustrious magistracy, but who, on the contrary, was destitute ofaccomplishments and somewhat rude; and what was less easy to be endured, made a cruel use of his high power. 

XI. 

§ 1. While Julian was occupied with these and similar thoughts, and wasanxious about great and important affairs, a messenger came withterrible and unexpected news of the monstrous attempts of some personswhich were likely to hinder his fiery progress, unless by promptvigilance he could crush them, before they came to a head. I willbriefly relate what they were. 

2. Under pretence of urgent necessity, but in reality because he stillsuspected their fidelity to him, he had sent into Gaul two legionsbelonging to the army of Constantius, with a troop of archers which hehad found at Sirmium. They, moving slowly, and dreading the length ofthe journey and the fierce and continual attacks of the hostile Germans, planned a mutiny, being prompted and encouraged by Nigrinus, a tribuneof a squadron of cavalry, a native of Mesopotamia. And having arrangedthe matter in secret conferences, and kept it close in profound silence, when they arrived at Aquileia, a city important from its situation andwealth, and fortified with strong walls, they suddenly closed the gatesin a hostile manner, the native population, by whom the name ofConstantius was still beloved, increasing the confusion and the terror. And having blockaded all the approaches, and armed the towers andbattlements, they prepared measures to encounter the impending struggle, being in the mean time free and unrestrained. By this daring conductthey roused the Italian natives of the district to espouse the side ofConstantius, who was still alive. 

XII. 

§ 1. When Julian heard of this transaction, being then at Nissa, as hefeared nothing unfriendly in his rear, and had read and heard that thiscity, though often besieged, had never been destroyed or taken, hastened the more eagerly to gain it, either by stratagem, or by somekind of flattery or other, before any more formidable event shouldarise. 

2. Therefore he ordered Jovinus, the captain of his cavalry, who wasmarching over the Alps, and had entered Noricum, to return with allspeed, to remedy by some means or other, the evil which had burst out. And, that nothing might be wanting, he bade him retain all the soldierswho were marching after his court or his standards and passing throughthat town, and to avail himself of their help to the utmost. 

3. When he had made these arrangements, having soon afterwards heard ofthe death of Constantius, he crossed through Thrace, and enteredConstantinople: and having been often assured that the siege would beprotracted rather than formidable, he sent Immo with some other countsto conduct it; and removed Jovinus to employ him in other matters ofgreater importance. 

4. Therefore, having surrounded Aquileia with a double line of heavyinfantry, the generals all agreed upon trying to induce the garrison tosurrender, using alternately threats and caresses; but after manyproposals and replies had been interchanged, their obstinacy onlyincreased, and the conferences were abandoned, having proved whollyineffectual. 

5. And because there was now no prospect but that of a battle, bothsides refreshed themselves with sleep and food; and at daybreak thetrumpets sounded, and the two armies, arrayed for reciprocal slaughter, attacked one another with loud shouts, but with more ferocity thanskill. 

6. Therefore the besiegers, bearing wooden penthouses over them, andclosely woven wicker defences, marched on slowly and cautiously, andattempted to undermine the walls with iron tools: many also bore ladderswhich had been made of the height of the walls, and came up close tothem: when some were dashed down by stones hurled on their heads, otherswere transfixed by whizzing javelins, and falling back, dragged withthem those who were in their rear; and others, from fear of similarmischances, shrank from the attack. 

7. The besieged being encouraged by the issue of this first conflict, and hoping for still better success, disregarded the rest of the attacksmade on them; and with resolute minds they stationed engines in suitablepositions, and with unwearied toil discharged the duties of watching andof whatever else could tend to their safety. 

8. On the other hand, the besiegers, though fearing another combat, andfull of anxiety, still out of shame would not appear lazy or cowardly, and as they could make no way by open attacks, they also appliedthemselves to the various manoeuvres employed in sieges. And becausethere was no ground favourable for working battering-rams or otherengines, nor for making mines, since the river Natiso passed under thewalls of the city, they contrived a plan worthy to be compared with anyeffort of ancient skill. 

9. With great rapidity they built some wooden towers, higher than thebattlements of the enemy, and then fastening their boats together, theyplaced these towers on them. In them they stationed soldiers, who, withundaunted resolution, laboured to drive down the garrison from thewalls; while under them were bodies of light infantry whollyunencumbered, who going forth from the hollow parts of the towers below, threw drawbridges across, which they had put together beforehand, and sotried to cross over to the bottom of the wall while the attention of thegarrison was diverted from them; so that while those above them wereattacking one another with darts and stones, those who crossed over onthe drawbridges might be able without interruption to break down aportion of the wall and so effect an entrance. 

10. But once more a clever design failed in its result. For when thetowers came close to the walls, they were assailed with brands steepedin pitch, and reeds, and faggots, and every kind of food for flames, allkindled. The towers quickly caught fire, and yielding under the weightof the men who were mounted on them, fell into the river, while some ofthe soldiers on their summits, even before they fell, had been piercedwith javelins hurled from the engines on the walls, and so died. 

11. Meanwhile the soldiers at the foot of the wall, being cut off by thedestruction of their comrades in the boats, were crushed with hugestones, with the exception of a few, who, in spite of the difficultground over which their flight lay, escaped by their swiftness of foot. At last, when the contest had been protracted till evening, the usualsignal for retreat was given, and the combatants parted to pass thenight with very different feelings. 

12. The losses of the besiegers, who had suffered greatly, encouragedthe defenders of the town with hopes of victory, though they also had tomourn the deaths of some few of their number. Nevertheless, thepreparations went on rapidly. Rest and food refreshed their bodiesduring the night; and at dawn of day the conflict was renewed at thetrumpet's signal. 

13. Some, holding their shields over their heads, in order to fight withmore activity; others, in front, bore ladders on their shoulders, andrushed on with eager vehemence, exposing their breasts to wounds fromevery kind of weapon. Some endeavoured to break down the iron bars ofthe gates; but were attacked with fire, or crushed under stones hurledfrom the walls. Some boldly strove to cross the fosses, but fell beneaththe sudden sallies of soldiers rushing out from postern gates, or weredriven back with severe wounds. For those who sallied forth had an easyretreat within the walls, and the rampart in front of the walls, strengthened with turf, saved those who lay in wait behind it from alldanger. 

14. Although the garrison excelled in endurance and in the arts of war, without any other aid than that of their walls, still our soldiers, being attacked as they were from a more numerous force, became impatientof the long delay, and moved round and round the suburbs, seekingdiligently to discover by what force or what engines they could maketheir way out of the city. 

15. But as, through the greatness of the difficulties in their way, theycould not accomplish this, they began to slacken their exertions as tothe siege itself, and leaving a few watches and outposts, ravaged theadjacent country, and thus obtained all kinds of supplies, dividingtheir booty with their comrades. The consequence was, that excessiveeating and drinking proved injurious to their health. 

16. When, however, Immo and his colleagues reported this to Julian, whowas passing the winter at Constantinople, he applied a wise remedy tosuch a disorder, and sent thither Agilo, the commander of his infantry, an officer in great esteem, that when a man of his rank and reputationappeared there and took the intelligence of the death of Constantius tothe army, the siege might be terminated in that way. 

17. In the mean while, not to abandon the siege of Aquileia, as allother attempts had proved futile, the generals endeavoured to compel thecitizens to surrender by want of water. So they cut the aqueducts; butas the garrison still resisted with undiminished courage, they, withvast valour, diverted the stream of the river. But this again was donein vain; for they reduced the allowance of water to each man; andcontented themselves with the scanty supply they could procure fromwells. 

18. While these affairs were proceeding thus, Agilo arrived, as he hadbeen commanded; and, being protected by a strong body of heavy infantry, came up boldly close to the walls; and in a long and veracious speech, told the citizens of the death of Constantius, and the confirmation ofJulian's power; but was reviled and treated as a liar. Nor would any onebelieve his statement of what had occurred, till on promise of safety hewas admitted by himself to the edge of the defences; where, with asolemn oath, he repeated what he had before related. 

19. When his story was heard, they all, eager to be released from theirprotracted sufferings, threw open the gates and rushed out, admittinghim in the joy as a captain who brought them peace; and excusingthemselves, they gave up Nigrinus as the author of their mad resistance, and a few others; demanding that their punishment should be taken as anatonement for the treason and sufferings of the city. 

20. Accordingly, a few days later, the affair was rigorouslyinvestigated; Mamertinus, the prefect of the prætorium, sitting asjudge; and Nigrinus, as the cause of the war, was burnt alive. Afterhim, Romulus and Sabostius, men who had held high office, beingconvicted of having sown discord in the empire without any regard to theconsequences, were beheaded; and all the rest escaped unpunished, asmen who had been driven to hostilities by necessity, and not by theirown inclination; this being the decision of the merciful and clementemperor, after a full consideration of justice. These things, however, happened some time afterwards. 

21. But Julian, who was still at Nissa, was occupied in the gravercases, being full of fears on both sides. For he was apprehensive lestthe defiles of the Julian Alps might be seized and barred against him bysome sudden onset of the troops who had been shut up in Aquileia; bywhich he might lose the provinces beyond, and the supplies which he wasdaily expecting from that quarter. 

22. And he also greatly feared the power of the East; hearing that thesoldiers who were scattered over Thrace had been suddenly collectedtogether to act against him, and were advancing towards the frontiers ofthe Succi, under command of Count Marcianus. But, devising measuressuitable to this mass of pressing anxieties, he quickly assembled hisIllyrian army, long inured to war, and eager to renew its martiallabours under a warlike chief. 

23. Nor even at this critical moment did he forget the interests ofindividuals; but devoted some time to hearing contested causes, especially those concerning municipal bodies, in whose favour he was toopartial, so that he raised several persons who did not deserve suchhonour to public offices. 

24. It was here that he found Symmachus and Maximus, two eminentsenators, who had been sent by the nobles as envoys to Constantius, andhad returned again. He promoted them with great honour; so that, preferring them to others more deserving, he made Maximus prefect of theeternal city, in order to gratify Rufinus Vulcatius, whose nephew hewas. Under his administration the city enjoyed great plenty, and therewas an end to the complaints of the common people, which had been sofrequent. 

25. Afterwards, in order to add security to those of his affairs whichwere still unsettled, and encourage the confidence of the loyal, heraised Mamertinus, the prefect of the prætorium in Illyricum, andNevitta to the consulship; though he had so lately assailed the memoryof Constantine as the person who had set the example of thus promotinglow-born barbarians. 

XIII. 

§ 1. While Julian was thus carrying out new projects, and alternatingbetween hope and fear, Constantius at Edessa, being made anxious by thevarious accounts brought him by his spies, was full of perplexity. Atone time collecting his army for battle; at another, wishing to laysiege to Bezabde on two sides, if he could find an opportunity; takingat the same time prudent precautions not to leave Mesopotamiaunprotected, while about to march into the districts of Armenia. 

2. But while still undecided, he was detained by various causes. Saporalso remained on the other side of the Tigris till the sacrifices shouldbecome propitious to his moving. For if after crossing the river hefound no resistance, he might without difficulty penetrate to theEuphrates. On the other hand, if he wished to keep his soldiers for thecivil war, he feared to expose them to the dangers of a siege; havingalready experienced the strength of the walls and the vigour of thegarrison. 

3. However, not to lose time, and to avoid inactivity, he sent Arbetioand Agilo, the captains of his infantry and cavalry, with very largeforces, to march with all speed; not to provoke the Persians to battle, but to establish forts on the nearest bank of the Tigris, which might beable to reconnoitre, and see in what direction the furious monarch brokeforth; and with many counsels given both verbally and in writing, hecharged them to retreat with celerity the moment the enemy's army beganto cross the river. 

4. While these generals were watching the frontier as they were ordered, and spying out the secret designs of their most crafty enemy, hehimself, with the main body of his army, made head against his mostpressing foes, as if prepared for battle; and defended the adjacenttowns by rapid movements. Meantime spies and deserters continuallycoming in, related to him opposite stories; being in fact ignorant ofwhat was intended, because among the Persians no one knows what isdecided on except a few taciturn and trusty nobles, by whom the godSilence is worshipped. 

5. But the emperor was continually sent for by the generals whom I havementioned, who implored him to send them aid. For they protested thatunless the whole strength of the army was collected together, it wouldbe impossible to withstand the onset of the furious Sapor. 

6. And while things in this quarter were thus full of anxiety, othermessengers arrived in numbers, by whose accurate statements he learntthat Julian had traversed Italy and Illyricum with great rapidity, hadoccupied the defiles of the Succi, and called in auxiliaries from allquarters, and was now marching through Thrace with a very large force. 

7. Constantius, learning this, was overwhelmed with grief, but supportedby one comfort, that he had always triumphed over internal commotions. Nevertheless, though the affair made it very difficult for him to decideon a line of action, he chose the best; and sent a body of troops on bypublic conveyances, in order as quickly as possible to make head againstthe impending danger. 

8. And as that plan was universally approved, the troops went as theywere commanded, in the lightest marching order. But the next day, whilehe was finally arranging these matters, he received intelligence thatSapor, with his whole army, had returned to his own country, because theauspices were unfavourable. So, his fears being removed, he called inall the troops except those who as usual were assigned for theprotection of Mesopotamia, and returned to Hierapolis. 

9. And still doubting what would be the final result of all hisdifficulties, when he had collected his army together he convened allthe centuries and companies and squadrons by sound of trumpet; and thewhole plain being filled with the host, he, standing on a lofty tribune, in order to encourage them the more readily to execute what he shoulddirect, and being surrounded by a numerous retinue, spoke thus withgreat appearance of calmness and a studied look of confidence. 

10. "Being always anxious never to do or say anything inconsistent withincorruptible honour, like a cautious pilot, who turns his helm this wayor that way according to the movement of the waves, I am nowconstrained, my most affectionate subjects, to confess my errors to you, or rather, if I were to say the plain truth, my humanity, which I didthink would be beneficial to our common interests. So now that you maythe better understand what is the object of convoking this assembly, listen, I pray you, with impartiality and kindness. 

11. "At the time when Magnentius, whom your bravery overcome, wasobstinately labouring to throw all things into confusion, I sent Gallusmy cousin, who had been lately raised to the rank of Cæsar, to guard theEast. But he, having by many wicked and shameful arts departed fromjustice, was punished by a legal sentence. 

12. "Would that Envy had then been contented, that most bitter exciterof troubles! And that we had nothing to grieve us but the singlerecollection of past sorrows, unaccompanied by any idea of presentdanger! But now a new circumstance, more grievous than any former one Iwill venture to say, has taken place, which the gods who aid us will putan end to by means of your innate valour. 

13. "Julian, whom, while you were combating the nations which threatenIllyricum on all sides, I appointed to protect Gaul, presuming on theissue of some trifling battles which he has fought against thehalf-armed Germans, and full of silly elation, has taken a few auxiliarybattalions into his noble alliance, men from their natural ferocity andthe desperateness of their situation ready for acts of the mostmischievous audacity, and has conspired against the public safety, trampling down justice, the parent and nurse of the Roman world. Thatpower I believe, both because I myself have experienced it, and becauseall antiquity assures me of its might, will, as an avenger ofwickedness, soon trample down their pride like so many ashes. 

14. "What then remains, except to hasten to encounter the whirlwind thusraised against us? so as by promptitude to crush the fury of this risingwar before it comes to maturity and strength? Nor can it be questionedthat, with the favour of the supreme deity, by whose everlastingsentence ungrateful men are condemned, the sword which they havewickedly drawn will be turned to their own destruction. Since neverhaving received any provocation, but rather after having been loadedwith benefits, they have risen up to threaten innocent men with danger. 

15. "For as my mind augurs, and as justice, which will aid uprightcounsels, promises, I feel sure that when once we come to closequarters, they will be so benumbed with fear as neither to be able tostand the fire of your glancing eyes nor the sound of your battle cry. "This speech harmonized well with the feelings of the soldiers. In theirrage they brandished their shields, and after answering him in terms ofeager good-will, demanded to be led at once against the rebels. Theircordiality changed the emperor's fear into joy; and having dismissed theassembly, as he knew by past experience that Arbetio was most eminentlysuccessful in putting an end to intestine wars, he ordered him toadvance first by the road which he himself designed to take, with thespearmen and the legion of Mattium, [118] and several battalions of lighttroops; he also ordered Gomoarius to take with him the Leti, to checkthe enemy on their arrival among the defiles of the Succi; he wasselected for this service because he was unfriendly to Julian on accountof some slight he had received from him in Gaul. 

XIV. 

§ 1. While the fortune of Constantius was now wavering and tottering inthis tumult of adverse circumstances, it showed plainly by signs whichalmost spoke that a very critical moment of his life was at hand. For hewas terrified by nocturnal visions, and before he was thoroughly asleephe had seen the shade of his father bringing him a beautiful child; andwhen he received it and placed it in his bosom, it struck a globe whichhe had in his right hand to a distance. Now this indicated a change ofcircumstances, although those who interpreted it gave favourable answerswhen consulted. 

2. After this he confessed to his most intimate friends that, as if hewere wholly forsaken, he had ceased to see a secret vision whichsometimes he had fancied appeared to him in mournful guise; and hebelieved that the genius who had been appointed to watch over his safetyhad abandoned him, as one who was soon to leave the world. 

3. For the opinion of theologians is, that all men when they are born(without prejudice to the power of destiny) are connected with asuperior power of this kind, who, as it were, guides their actions; butwho is seen by very few, and only by those who are endued with great andvarious virtues. 

4. This may be collected both from oracles and from eminent writers. Among whom is the comic poet Menander, in whose works these two versesare found:--

 "A spirit is assigned to every man When born to guide him in the path of life. "

5. It may also be gathered from the immortal poetry of Homer, that theywere not really the gods of heaven who conversed with his heroes, orstood by them and aided them in their combats; but the familiar geniiwho belonged to them; to whom also, as their principal support, Pythagoras owes his eminence, and Socrates and Numa Pompilius and theelder Scipio. And, as some fancy, Marius, and Octavianus the first, whotook the name of Augustus. And Hermes Trismegistus, and Apollonius ofTyana, and Plotinus, who ventured upon some very mystical discussions ofthis point; and endeavoured to show by profound reasoning what is theoriginal cause why these genii, being thus connected with the souls ofmortals, protect them as if they had been nursed in their own bosoms, asfar as they are permitted; and, if they find them pure, preserving thebody untainted by any connection with vice, and free from all taint ofsin, instruct them in loftier mysteries. 

XV. 

§ 1. Constantius therefore, having hastened to Antioch, according to hiswont, at the first movement of a civil war which he was eager toencounter, as soon as he had made all his preparations, was in amazinghaste to march, though many of his court were so unwilling as even toproceed to murmurs. For no one dare openly to remonstrate or object tohis plan. 

2. He set forth towards the end of autumn; and when he reached thesuburb called Hippocephalus, which is about three miles from the town, as soon as it was daylight he saw on his right the corpse of a man whohad been murdered, lying with his head torn off from the body, stretchedout towards the west--and though alarmed at the omen, which seemed as ifthe Fates were preparing his end, he went on more resolutely, and cameto Tarsus, where he caught a slight fever; and thinking that the motionof his journey would remove the distemper, he went on by bad roads;directing his course by Mopsucrenæ, the farthest station in Cilicia forthose who travel from hence, at the foot of Mount Taurus. 

3. But when he attempted to proceed the next day he was prevented by theincreasing violence of his disorder, and the fever began gradually toinflame his veins, so that his body felt like a little fire, and couldscarcely be touched; and as all remedies failed, he began in the lastextremity to bewail his death; and while his mental faculties were stillentire, he is said to have indicated Julian as the successor to hispower. Presently the last struggle of death came on, and he lost thepower of speech. And after long and painful agony he died on the fifthof October, having lived and reigned forty years and a few months. 

4. After bewailing his death with groans, lamentations, and mourning, those of the highest rank in the royal palace deliberated what to do orto attempt; and having secretly consulted a few persons about theelection of an emperor, at the instigation, as it is said, of Eusebius, who was stimulated by his consciousness of guilt (since Julian wasapproaching who was prepared to oppose his attempts at innovation), theysent Theolaiphus and Aligildus, who at that time were counts, to him, toannounce the death of his kinsman; and to entreat him to lay aside alldelay and hasten to take possession of the East, which was prepared toobey him. 

5. But fame and an uncertain report whispered that Constantius had lefta will, in which, as we have already mentioned, he had named Julian ashis heir; and had given commissions and legacies to his friends. But heleft his wife in the family way, who subsequently had a daughter, whoreceived the same name, and was afterwards married to Gratianus. 

XVI. 

§ 1. In accurately distinguishing the virtues and vices of Constantius, it will be well to take the virtues first. Always preserving the dignityof the imperial authority, he proudly and magnanimously disdainedpopularity. In conferring the higher dignities he was very sparing, andallowed very few changes to be made in the administration of thefinances. Nor did he ever encourage the arrogance of the soldiers. 

2. Nor under him was any general promoted to the title of mostillustrious. [119] For there was also, as we have already mentioned, thetitle of most perfect. [120] Nor had the governor of a province occasionto court a commander of cavalry; as Constantius never allowed thoseofficers to meddle with civil affairs. But all officers, both militaryand civil, were according to the respectful usages of old, inferior tothat of the prefect of the prætorium, which was the most honourable ofall. 

3. In taking care of the soldiers he was very cautious: an examiner intotheir merits, sometimes over-scrupulous, giving dignities about thepalace as if with scales. Under him no one who was not well known tohim, or who was favoured merely by some sudden impulse, ever receivedany high appointment in the palace. But only such as had served tenyears in some capacity or other could look for such appointments asmaster of the ceremonies or treasurer. The successful candidates couldalways be known beforehand; and it very seldom happened that anymilitary officer was transferred to a civil office; while on the otherhand none but veteran soldiers were appointed to command troops. 

4. He was a diligent cultivator of learning, but, as his blunted talentwas not suited to rhetoric, he devoted himself to versification; inwhich, however, he did nothing worth speaking of. 

5. In his way of life he was economical and temperate, and by moderationin eating and drinking he preserved such robust health that he wasrarely ill, though when ill dangerously so. For repeated experience andproof has shown that this is the case with persons who avoidlicentiousness and luxury. 

6. He was contented with very little sleep, which he took when time andseason allowed; and throughout his long life he was so extremely chastethat no suspicion was ever cast on him in this respect, though it is acharge which, even when it can find no ground, malignity is apt tofasten on princes. 

7. In riding and throwing the javelin, in shooting with the bow, and inall the accomplishments of military exercises, he was admirably skilful. That he never blew his nose in public, never spat, never was seen tochange countenance, and that he never in all his life ate any fruit Ipass over, as what has been often related before. 

8. Having now briefly enumerated his good qualities with which we havebeen able to become acquainted, let us now proceed to speak of hisvices. In other respects he was equal to average princes, but if he hadthe slightest reason (even if founded on wholly false information) forsuspecting any one of aiming at supreme power, he would at onceinstitute the most rigorous inquiry, trampling down right and wrongalike, and outdo the cruelty of Caligula, Domitian, or Commodus, whosebarbarity he rivalled at the very beginning of his reign, when heshamefully put to death his own connections and relations. 

9. And his cruelty and morose suspicions, which were directed againsteverything of the kind, were a cruel addition to the sufferings of theunhappy persons who were accused of sedition or treason. 

10. And if anything of the kind got wind, he instituted investigationsof a more terrible nature than the law sanctioned, appointing men ofknown cruelty as judges in such cases; and in punishing offenders heendeavoured to protract their deaths as long as nature would allow, being in such cases more savage than even Gallienus. For he, thoughassailed by incessant and real plots of rebels, such as Aureolus, Posthumus, Ingenuus, and Valens who was surnamed the Thessalonian, andmany others, often mitigated the penalty of crimes liable to sentence ofdeath; while Constantius caused facts which were really unquestionableto be looked upon as doubtful by the excessive inhumanity of histortures. 

11. In such cases he had a mortal hatred of justice, even though hisgreat object was to be accounted just and merciful: and as sparks flyingfrom a dry wood, by a mere breath of wind are sometimes carried on withunrestrained course to the danger of the country villages around, so healso from the most trivial causes kindled heaps of evils, being veryunlike that wise emperor Marcus Aurelius, who, when Cassius in Syriaaspired to the supreme power, and when a bundle of letters which he hadwritten to his accomplices, was taken with their bearer, and brought tohim, ordered them at once to be burned, while he was still in Illyricum, in order that he might not know who had plotted against him, and soagainst his will be obliged to consider some persons as his enemies. 

12. And, as some right-thinking people are of opinion, it was rather anindication of great virtue in Constantius to have quelled the empirewithout shedding more blood, than to have revenged himself with suchcruelty. 

13. As Cicero also teaches us, when in one of his letters to Nepos heaccuses Cæsar of cruelty, "For, " says he, "felicity is nothing else butsuccess in what is honourable;" or to define it in another way, "Felicity is fortune assisting good counsels, and he who is not guidedby such cannot be happy. Therefore in wicked and impious designs such asthose of Cæsar there could be no felicity; and in my judgment Camilluswhen in exile was happier than Manlius at the same time, even if Manliushad been able to make himself king, as he wished. "

14. The same is the language of Heraclitus of Ephesus, when he remarksthat men of eminent capacity and virtue, through the caprice of fortune, have often been overcome by men destitute of either talent or energy. But that that glory is the best when power, existing with high rank, forces, as it were, its inclinations to be angry and cruel, andoppressive under the yoke, and so erects a glorious trophy in thecitadel of its victorious mind. 

15. But as in his foreign wars this emperor was unsuccessful andunfortunate, on the other hand in his civil contests he was successful;and in all those domestic calamities he covered himself with the horridblood of the enemies of the republic and of himself; and yielding to hiselation at these triumphs in a way neither right nor usual, he erectedat a vast expense triumphal arches in Gaul and the two Pannonias, torecord his triumphs over his own provinces; engraving on them the titlesof his exploits . . . As long as they should last, to those who read theinscriptions. 

16. He was preposterously addicted to listening to his wives, and to thethin voices of his eunuchs, and some of his courtiers, who applauded allhis words, and watched everything he said, whether in approval ordisapproval, in order to agree with it. 

17. The misery of these times was further increased by the insatiablecovetousness of his tax-collectors, who brought him more odium thanmoney; and to many persons this seemed the more intolerable, because henever listened to any excuse, never took any measures for relief of theprovinces when oppressed by the multiplicity of taxes and imposts; andin addition to all this he was very apt to take back any exemptionswhich he had granted. 

18. He confused the Christian religion, which is plain and simple, withold women's superstitions; in investigating which he preferredperplexing himself to settling its questions with dignity, so that heexcited much dissension; which he further encouraged by diffuse wordyexplanations: he ruined the establishment of public conveyances bydevoting them to the service of crowds of priests, who went to and froto different synods, as they call the meetings at which they endeavourto settle everything according to their own fancy. 

19. As to his personal appearance and stature, he was of a darkcomplexion with prominent eyes; of keen sight, soft hair, with hischeeks carefully shaved, and bright looking. From his waist to his neckhe was rather long, his legs were very short and crooked, which made hima good leaper and runner. 

20. When the body of the deceased emperor had been laid out, and placedin a coffin, Jovianus, at that time the chief officer of the guard, wasordered to attend it with royal pomp to Constantinople, to be buriedamong his relations. 

21. While he was proceeding on the vehicle which bore the remains, samples of the military provisions were brought to him as an offering, as is usual in the case of princes; and the public animals were paradedbefore him; and a concourse of people came out to meet him as was usual;which, with other similar demonstrations, seemed to portend to Jovianus, as the superintendent of his funeral, the attainment of the empire, butan authority only curtailed and shadowy. 

[114] The Quinquennalia (games under which title had been previouslyinstituted in honour of Julius Cæsar and Augustus) were revived by Nero, A. D. 60, again fell into disuse, and were again revived byDomitian. --Cf. Tacit. An. Xiv. 20. 

[115] V. Infra, Leo xxvi. C. 8. 

[116] Sirmium was very near the existing town of Peterwaradin. 

[117] Now the Balkan. 

[118] It is believed that Mattium is the same as Marburg; it is notquite certain. 

[119] These and other titles, such as "respectable" (spectabiles), "illustrious" (egregrie, illustres), were invented by the emperors ofthis century. They none of them appear to have conferred any substantivepower. 

[120] This office had been first established by Augustus, who createdtwo prefects of the prætorian cohorts, under whose command also all thesoldiers in Italy were placed. Commodus raised the number to three, andConstantine to four, whom (when he abolished the prætorian cohort), hemade, in fact, governors of provinces. There was one præfectus prætoriofor Gaul, one for Italy, one for Illyricum, and one for the East. 

BOOK XXII. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. From fear of Constantius Julian halts in Dacia, and secretly consults the augurs and soothsayers. --II. When he hears of Constantius's death he passes through Thrace, and enters Constantinople, which he finds quiet; and without a battle becomes sole master of the Roman empire. --III. Some of the adherents of Constantius are condemned, some deservedly, some wrongfully. --IV. Julian expels from the palace all the eunuchs, barbers, and cooks--A statement of the vices of the eunuchs about the palace, and the corrupt state of military discipline. --V. Julian openly professes his adherence to the pagan worship, which he had hitherto concealed; and lets the Christian bishops dispute with one another. --VI. How he compelled some Egyptian litigants, who modestly sought his intervention, to return home. --VII. At Constantinople he often administers justice in the senate-house; he arranges the affairs of Thrace, and receives anxious embassies from foreign nations. --VIII. A description of Thrace, and of the Sea of Marmora, and of the regions and nations contiguous to the Black Sea. --IX. Having enlarged and beautified Constantinople, Julian goes to Antioch; on his road he joins the citizens of Nicomedia moving to restore their city; and at Ancyra presides in the court of justice. --X. He winters at Antioch, and presides in the court of justice; and oppresses no one on account of his religion. --XI. George, bishop of Alexandria, with two others, is dragged through the streets by the Gentiles of Alexandria, and torn to pieces and burnt, without any one being punished for this action. --XII. Julian prepares an expedition against the Persians, and, in order to know beforehand the result of the war, he consults the oracles; and sacrifices innumerable victims, devoting himself wholly to soothsaying and augury. --XIII. He unjustly attributes the burning of the temple of Apollo at Daphne to the Christians, and orders the great church at Antioch to be shut up. --XIV. He sacrifices to Jupiter on Mount Casius--Why he writes the Misopogon in his anger against the citizens of Antioch. --XV. A description of Egypt; mention of the Nile, the crocodile, the ibis, and the pyramids. --XVI. Description of the five provinces of Egypt, and of their famous cities. 

I. 

A. D. 361. 

§ 1. While the variable events of fortune were bringing to pass theseevents in different parts of the world, Julian, amid the many planswhich he was revolving while in Illyricum, was continually consultingthe entrails of victims and watching the flight of birds in hiseagerness to know the result of what was about to happen. 

2. Aprunculus Gallus, an orator and a man of skill as a soothsayer, whowas afterwards promoted to be governor of Narbonne, announced theseresults to him, being taught beforehand by the inspection of a liver, ashe affirmed, which he had seen covered with a double skin. And whileJulian was fearing that he was inventing stories to correspond with hisdesires, and was on that account out of humour, he himself beheld a farmore favourable omen, which clearly predicted the death of Constantius. For at the same moment that that prince died in Cilicia, the soldierwho, as he was going to mount his horse, had supported him with hisright hand, fell down, on which Julian at once exclaimed, in the hearingof many persons, that he who had raised him to the summit had fallen. 

3. But he did not change his plans, but remained within the border ofDacia, still being harassed with many fears. Nor did he think it prudentto trust to conjectures, which might perhaps turn out contrary to hisexpectations. 

II. 

§ 1. But while he was thus in suspense, the ambassadors, Theolaiphus andAligildus, who had been despatched to him to announce the death ofConstantius, suddenly arrived, adding that that prince with his lastwords had named him as his successor in his dignity. 

2. As soon as he learnt this, being delighted at his deliverance fromthe turmoils of war and its consequent disorders, and fully relying onthe prophecies he had received, having besides often experienced theadvantages of celerity of action, he issued orders to march to Thrace. Therefore speedily advancing his standards, he passed over the highground occupied by the Succi, and marched towards the ancient city ofEumolpias, now called Philippopolis, all his army following him withalacrity. 

3. For they now saw that the imperial power which they were on their wayto seize, in the face of imminent danger, was in a measure beyond theirhopes put into their hands by the course of nature. And as report iswont marvellously to exaggerate events, a rumour got abroad that Julian, formidable both by sea and land, had entered Heraclea, called alsoPerinthus, borne over its unresisting walls on the chariot ofTriptolemus, which from its rapid movements the ancients, who lovedfables, had stated to be drawn by flying serpents and dragons. 

4. When he arrived at Constantinople, people of every age and sex pouredforth to meet him, as though he were some one dropped from heaven. Onthe eleventh of December he was received with respectful duty by thesenate, and by the unanimous applause of the citizens, and was escortedinto the city by vast troops of soldiers and civilians, marshalled likean army, while all eyes were turned on him, not only with the gaze ofcuriosity, but with great admiration. 

5. For it seemed to them like a dream, that a youth in the flower of hisage, of slight body, but renowned for great exploits, after manyvictories over barbarian kings and nations, having passed from city tocity with unparalleled speed, should now, by an accession of wealth andpower as rapid as the spread of fire, have become the unresisted masterof the world; and the will of God itself having given him the empire, should thus have obtained it without any injury to the state. 

III. 

§ 1. His first step was to give to Secundus Sallustius, whom he promotedto be prefect of the prætorium, being well assured of his loyalty, acommission to conduct some important investigations, joining with him ascolleagues Mamertinus, Arbetio, Agilo, and Nevitta, and also Jovinus, whom he had recently promoted to the command of the cavalry inIllyricum. 

2. They all went to Chalcedon, and in the presence of the chiefs andtribunes, the Jovian and Herculian legions, they tried several causeswith too much rigour, though there were some in which it was undeniablethat the accused were really guilty. 

3. They banished Palladius, the master of the ceremonies, to Britain, though there was but a suspicion that he had prejudiced Constantiusagainst Gallus, while he was master of the ceremonies under that princeas Cæsar. 

4. They banished Taurus, who had been prefect of the prætorium, toVercelli, who, to all persons capable of distinguishing between rightand wrong, will appear very excusable in respect to the act for which hewas condemned. For his offence was only that, fearing a violentdisturbance which had arisen, he fled to the protection of his prince. And the treatment inflicted on him could not be read without greathorror, when the preamble of the public accusation began thus:--"In theconsulship of Taurus and Florentius, Taurus being brought before thecriers . . . "

5. Pentadius also was destined for a similar sentence; the chargeagainst him being that, having been sent on a mission by Constantius, hehad made notes of the replies given by Gallus when he was examined onseveral subjects before he was put to death. But as he defended himselfwith justice, he was at last discharged. 

6. With similar iniquity, Florentius, at that time master of theceremonies, the son of Nigridianus, was banished to Boæ, an island onthe coast of Dalmatia. The other Florentius, who had been prefect of theprætorium, and was then consul, being alarmed at the sudden change inthe aspect of affairs, in order to save himself from danger, hidhimself and his wife for some time, and never returned during Julian'slife; still he was, though absent, condemned to death. 

7. In the same way, Evagrius, the comptroller of the private demesnes ofthe emperor, and Saturninus, late superintendent of the palace, andCyrinus, late secretary, were all banished. But Justice herself seems tohave mourned over the death of Ursulus, the treasurer, and to accuseJulian of ingratitude to him. For when, as Cæsar, he was sent to thewest, with the intent that he was to be kept in great poverty, andwithout any power of making presents to any of his soldiers, in order tomake them less inclined to favour any enterprise which he mightconceive, this same Ursulus gave him letters to the superintendent ofthe Gallic treasury, desiring him to give the Cæsar whatever he mightrequire. 

8. After his death, Julian, feeling that he was exposed to generalreproach and execration, thinking that an unpardonable crime could beexcused, affirmed that the man had been put to death without his beingaware of it, pretending that he had been massacred by the fury of thesoldiers, who recollected what he had said (as we mentioned before) whenhe saw the destruction of Amida. 

9. And therefore it seemed to be through fear, or else from a want ofunderstanding what was proper, that he appointed Arbetio, a man alwaysvacillating and arrogant, to preside over these investigations, withothers of the chief officers of the legions present for the look of thething, when he knew that he had been one of the chief enemies to hissafety, as was natural in one who had borne, a distinguished share inthe successes of the civil war. 

10. And though these transactions which I have mentioned vexed those whowished him well, those which came afterwards were carried out with aproper vigour and severity. 

11. It was only a deserved destiny which befel Apodemius, who had beenthe chief steward, and whose cruel machinations with respect to thedeaths of Silvanus and Gallus we have already mentioned, and Paulus, thesecretary, surnamed "The Chain, " men who are never spoken of withoutgeneral horror, and who were now sentenced to be burnt alive. 

12. They also sentenced to death Eusebius, the chief chamberlain ofConstantius, a man equally full of ambition and cruelty, who from thelowest rank had been raised so high as even almost to lord it over theemperor, and who had thus become wholly intolerable; and whom Nemesis, who beholds all human affairs, having often, as the saying is, pluckedhim by the ear, and warned to conduct himself with more moderation, now, in spite of his struggles, hurled headlong from his high position. 

IV. 

§ 1. After this Julian directed his whole favour and affection to peopleof every description about the palace; not acting in this like aphilosopher anxious for the discovery of truth. 

2. For he might have been praised if he had retained a few who weremoderate in their disposition, and of proved honesty and respectability. We must, indeed, confess that the greater part of them had nourished asit were such a seed-bed of all vices, which they spread abroad so as toinfect the whole republic with evil desires, and did even more injury bytheir example than by the impunity which they granted to crimes. 

3. Some of them had been fed on the spoils of temples, had smelt outgain on every occasion, and having raised themselves from the lowestpoverty to vast riches, had set no bounds to their bribery, theirplunder, or their extravagance, being at all times accustomed to seizewhat belonged to others. 

4. From which habit the beginnings of licentious life sprang up, withperjuries, contempt of public opinion, and an insane arrogance, sacrificing good faith to infamous gains. 

5. Among which vices, debauchery and unrestrained gluttony grew to ahead, and costly banquets superseded triumphs for victories. The commonuse of silken robes prevailed, the textile arts were encouraged, andabove all was the anxious care about the kitchen. Vast spaces weresought out for ostentatious houses, so vast that if the consulCincinnatus had possessed as much land, he would have lost the glory ofpoverty after his dictatorship. 

6. To these shameful vices was added the loss of military discipline;the soldier practised songs instead of his battle-cry, and a stone wouldno longer serve him for a bed, as formerly, but he wanted feathers andyielding mattresses, and goblets heavier than his sword, for he was nowashamed to drink out of earthenware; and he required marble houses, though it is recorded in ancient histories that a Spartan soldier wasseverely punished for venturing to appear under a roof at all during acampaign. 

7. But now the soldier was fierce and rapacious towards his owncountrymen, but towards the enemy he was inactive and timid, by courtingdifferent parties, and in times of peace he had acquired riches, and wasnow a judge of gold and precious stones, in a manner wholly contrary tothe recollection of very recent times. 

8. For it is well known that when, in the time of the Cæsar Maximian, the camp of the king of Persia was plundered; a common soldier, afterfinding a Persian bag full of pearls, threw the gems away in ignoranceof their value, and went away contented with the mere beauty of his bitof dressed leather. 

9. In those days it also happened that a barber who had been sent for tocut the emperor's hair, came handsomely dressed; and when Julian sawhim, he was amazed, and said, "I did not send for a superintendent, butfor a barber. " And when he was asked what he made by his business, heanswered that he every day made enough to keep twenty persons, and asmany horses, and also a large annual income, besides many sources ofaccidental gain. 

10. And Julian, angry at this, expelled all the men of this trade, andthe cooks, and all who made similar profits, as of no use to him, telling them, however, to go where they pleased. 

V. 

§ 1. And although from his earliest childhood he was inclined to theworship of the gods, [121] and gradually, as he grew up, became moreattached to it, yet he was influenced by many apprehensions which madehim act in things relating to that subject as secretly as he could. 

2. But when his fears were terminated, and he found himself at libertyto do what he pleased, he then showed his secret inclinations, and byplain and positive decrees ordered the temples to be opened, and victimsto be brought to the altars for the worship of the gods. 

3. And in order to give more effect to his intentions, he ordered thepriests of the different Christian sects, with the adherents of eachsect, to be admitted into the palace, and in a constitutional spiritexpressed his wish that their dissensions being appeased, each withoutany hindrance might fearlessly follow the religion he preferred. 

4. He did this the more resolutely because, as long licence increasedtheir dissensions, he thought he should never have to fear the unanimityof the common people, having found by experience that no wild beasts areso hostile to men as Christian sects in general are to one another. Andhe often used to say, "Listen to me, to whom the Allemanni and Frankshave listened;" imitating in this an expression of the ancient emperorMarcus Aurelius. But he omitted to notice that there was a greatdifference between himself and his predecessor. 

5. For when Marcus was passing through Palestine, on his road to Egypt, he is said, when wearied by the dirt and rebellious spirit of the Jews, to have often exclaimed with sorrow, "O Marcomanni, O Quadi, OSarmatians, I have at last found others worse than you!"

VI. 

§ 1. About the same time many Egyptians, excited by various rumours, arrived at Constantinople; a race given to controversy, and extremelyaddicted to habits of litigation, covetous, and apt to ask payment ofdebts due to them over and over again; and also, by way of escaping frommaking the payments due to them, to accuse the rich of embezzlement, andthe tax-gatherers of extortion. 

2. These men, collecting into one body, came screeching like so manyjackdaws, claiming in a rude manner the attention of the emperorhimself, and of the prefects of the prætorium, and demanding therestoration of the contributions which they had been compelled tofurnish, justly or unjustly, for the last seventy years. 

3. And as they hindered the transaction of any other business, Julianissued an edict in which he ordered them all to go to Chalcedon, promising that he himself also would soon come there, and settle alltheir business. 

4. And when they had gone, an order was given to all the captains ofships which go to and fro, that none of them should venture to take anEgyptian for a passenger. And as this command was carefully observed, their obstinacy in bringing false accusations came to an end, and theyall, being disappointed in their object, returned home. 

5. After which, as if at the dictation of justice herself, a law waspublished forbidding any one to exact from any officer the restitutionof things which that officer had legally received. 

VII. 

A. D. 362. 

§ 1. At the beginning of the new year, when the consular records hadreceived the names of Mamertinus and Nevitta, the prince humbled himselfby walking in their train with other men of high rank; an act which somepraised, while others blame it as full of affectation, and mean. 

2. Afterwards, when Mamertinus was celebrating the Circensian games, Julian, following an ancient fashion, manumitted some slaves, who wereintroduced by the consul's officer; but afterwards, being informed thaton that day the supreme jurisdiction belonged to another, he finedhimself ten pounds of gold as an offender. 

3. At the same time he was a continual attendant in the court ofjustice, settling many actions which were brought in all kinds of cases. One day while he was sitting as judge, the arrival of a certainphilosopher from Asia named Maximus, was announced, on which he leaptdown from the judgment seat in an unseemly manner, and forgettinghimself so far as to run at full speed from the hall, he kissed him, andreceived him with great reverence, and led him into the palace, appearing by this unseasonable ostentation a seeker of empty glory, andforgetful of those admirable words of Cicero, which describe people likehim. 

4. "Those very philosophers inscribe their names on the identical bookswhich they write about the contempt of glory, in order that they may benamed and extolled in that very thing in which they proclaim theircontempt for mention and for praise. "[122]

5. Not long afterwards, two of the secretaries who had been banishedcame to him, boldly promising to point out the hiding-place ofFlorentius if he would restore them to their rank in the army; but heabused them, and called them informers; adding that it did not become anemperor to be led by underhand information to bring back a man who hadconcealed himself out of fear of death, and who perhaps would not longbe left in his retreat unpardoned. 

6. On all these occasions Prætextatus was present, a senator of a nobledisposition and of old-fashioned dignity; who at that time had come toConstantinople on his own private affairs, and whom Julian by his ownchoice selected as governor of Achaia with the rank of proconsul. 

7. Still, while thus diligent in correcting civil evils, Julian did notomit the affairs of the army: continually appointing over the soldiersofficers of long-tried worth; repairing the exterior defences of all thecities throughout Thrace, and taking great care that the soldiers on thebanks of the Danube, who were exposed to the attacks of the barbarians, and who, as he heard were doing their duty with vigilance and courage, should never be in want of arms, clothes, pay, or provisions. 

8. And while superintending these matters he allowed nothing to be donecarelessly: and when those about him advised him to attack the Gauls asneighbours who were always deceitful and perfidious, he said he wishedfor more formidable foes; for that the Gallic merchants were enough forthem, who sold them at all times without any distinction of rank. 

9. While he gave his attention to these and similar matters, his famewas spreading among foreign nations for courage, temperance, skill inwar, and eminent endowments of every kind of virtue, so that hegradually became renowned throughout the whole world. 

10. And as the fear of his approach pervaded both neighbouring anddistant countries, embassies hastened to him with unusual speed from allquarters at one time; the people beyond the Tigris and the Armenianssued for peace. At another the Indian tribes vied with each other, sending nobles loaded with gifts even from the Maldive Islands andCeylon; from the south the Moors offered themselves as subjects of theRoman empire; from the north, and also from those hot climates throughwhich the Phasis passes on its way to the sea, and from the people ofthe Bosphorus, and from other unknown tribes came ambassadors entreatingthat on the payment of annual duties they might be allowed to live inpeace within their native countries. 

VIII. 

§ 1. The time is now appropriate, in my opinion, since in treating ofthis mighty prince we are come to speak of these districts, to explainperspicuously what we have learnt by our own eyesight or by reading, about the frontiers of Thrace and the situation of the Black Sea. 

2. The lofty mountains of Athos in Macedonia, once made passable forships by the Persians, and the Euboean rocky promontory of Caphareus, where Nauplius the father of Palamedes wrecked the Grecian fleet, thoughfar distant from one another, separate the Ægean from the ThessalianSea, which, extending as it proceeds, on the right, where it is widest, is full of the Sporades and Cyclades islands, which latter are so calledbecause they lie round Delos, an island celebrated as the birthplace ofthe gods; on the left it washes Imbros, Tenedos, Lemnos, and Thasos; andwhen agitated by any gale it beats violently on Lesbos. 

3. From thence, with a receding current, it flows past the temple ofApollo Sminthius, and Troas, and Troy, renowned for the adventures ofheroes; and on the west it forms the Gulf of Melas, near the head ofwhich is seen Abdera, the abode of Protagoras and Democritus; and theblood-stained seat of the Thracian Diomede; and the valleys throughwhich the Maritza flows on its way to its waves; and Maronea, and Ænus, founded under sad auspices and soon deserted by Æneas, when under theguidance of the gods he hastened onwards to ancient Italy. 

4. After this it narrows gradually, and, as if by a kind of natural wishto mingle with its waters, it rushes towards the Black Sea; and takinga portion of it forms a figure like the Greek φ. Thenseparating the Hellespont from Mount Rhodope, it passes byCynossema, [123] where Hecuba is supposed to be buried, and Cæla, andSestos, and Callipolis, and passing by the tombs of Ajax and Achilles, it touches Dardanus and Abydos (where Xerxes, throwing a bridge across, passed over the waters on foot), and Lampsacus, given to Themistocles bythe king of Persia; and Parion, founded by Parius the son of Jason. 

5. Then curving round in a semicircle and separating the opposite landsmore widely in the round gulf of the sea of Marmora, it washes on theeast Cyzicus, and Dindyma, the holy seat of the mighty mother Cybele, and Apamia, and Cius, and Astacus afterwards called Nicomedia from theKing Nicomedes. 

6. On the west it beats against the Chersonese, Ægospotami whereAnaxagoras predicted that stones would fall from heaven, and Lysimachia, and the city which Hercules founded and consecrated to the memory of hiscomrade Perinthus. And in order to preserve the full and complete figureof the letter φ, in the very centre of the circular gulf liesthe oblong island of Proconnesus, and also Besbicus. 

7. Beyond the upper end of this island the sea again becomes very narrowwhere it separates Bithynia from Europe, passing by Chalcedon andChrysopolis, and some other places of no importance. 

8. Its left shore is looked down upon by Port Athyras and Selymbria, andConstantinople, formerly called Byzantium, a colony of the Athenians, and Cape Ceras, having at its extremity a lofty tower to serve as alighthouse to ships--from which cape also a very cold wind which oftenarises from that point is called Ceratas. 

9. The sea thus broken, and terminated by mingling with the seas at eachend, and now becoming very calm, spreads out into wider waters, as faras the eye can reach both in length and breadth. Its entire circuit, ifone should measure it as one would measure an island, sailing along itsshores, is 23, 000 furlongs according to Eratosthenes, Hecatæus, andPtolemy, and other accurate investigators of subjects of this kind, resembling, by the consent of all geographers, a Scythian bow, held atboth ends by its string. 

10. When the sun rises from the eastern ocean, it is shut in by themarshes of the Sea of Azov. On the west it is bounded by the Romanprovinces. On the north lie many tribes differing in language andmanners; its southern side describes a gentle curve. 

11. Over this extended space are dispersed many Greek cities, which havefor the most part been founded by the people of Miletus, an Atheniancolony, long since established in Asia among the other Ionians byNileus, the son of the famous Codrus, who is said to have devotedhimself to his country in the Doric war. 

12. The thin extremities of the bow at each end are commanded by the twoBospori, the Thracian and Cimmerian, placed opposite to one another; andthey are called Bospori because through them the daughter ofInachus, [124] who was changed (as the poets relate) into a cow, passedinto the Ionian sea. 

13. The right curve of the Thracian Bosphorus is covered by a side ofBithynia, formerly called Mygdonia, of which province Thynia andMariandena are districts; as also is Bebrycia, the inhabitants of whichwere delivered from the cruelty of Amycus by the valour of Pollux; andalso the remote spot in which the soothsayer Phineus was terrified bythe threatening flight of the Harpies. 

14. The shores are curved into several long bays, into which fall therivers Sangarius, and Phyllis, and Bizes, and Rebas; and opposite tothem at the lower end are the Symplegades, two rocks which rise intoabrupt peaks, and which in former times were accustomed to dash againstone another with a fearful crash, and then rebounding with a sharpspring, to recoil once more against the object already struck. Even abird could by no speed of its wings pass between these rocks as theypass and meet again without being crushed to death. 

15. These rocks, when the Argo, the first of all ships, hastening toColchis to carry off the golden fleece, had passed unhurt by them, stoodimmovable for the future, the power of the whirlwind which used toagitate them being broken; and are now so firmly united that no one whosaw them now would believe that they had ever been separated; if all thepoems of the ancients did not agree on the point. 

16. After this portion of Bithynia, the next provinces are Pontus andPaphlagonia, in which are the noble cities of Heraclea, and Sinope, andPolemonium, and Amisus, and Tios, and Amastris, all originally foundedby the energy of the Greeks; and Cerasus, from which Lucullus broughtthe cherry, and two lofty islands which contain the famous cities ofTrapezus and Pityus. 

17. Beyond these places is the Acherusian cave, which the natives callΜυχοπόντιον; and the harbour of Acone, and several rivers, theAcheron, the Arcadius, the Iris, the Tibris, and near to that theParthenius, all of which proceed with a rapid stream into the sea. Closeto them is the Thermodon, which rises in Mount Armonius, and flowsthrough the forest of Themiscyra, to which necessity formerly compelledthe Amazons to migrate. 

18. The Amazons, as may be here explained, after having ravaged theirneighbours by bloody inroads, and overpowered them by repeated defeats, began to entertain greater projects; and perceiving their own strengthto be superior to their neighbours', and being continually covetous oftheir possessions, they forced their way through many nations, andattacked the Athenians. But they were routed in a fierce battle, andtheir flanks being uncovered by cavalry, they all perished. 

19. When their destruction became known, the rest, who had been left athome as unwarlike, were reduced to the last extremities; and fearing theattacks of their neighbours, who would now retaliate on them, theyremoved to the more quiet district of the Thermodon. And after a longtime, their posterity again becoming numerous, returned in great forceto their native regions, and became in later ages formidable to thepeople of many nations. 

20. Not far from hence is the gentle hill Carambis, on the north, opposite to which, at a distance of 2, 500 furlongs, is the Criu-Metopon, a promontory of Taurica. From this spot the whole of the sea-coast, beginning at the river Halys, is like the chord of an arc fastened atboth ends. 

21. On the frontiers of this district are the Dahæ, [125] the fiercestof all warriors; and the Chalybes, the first people who dug up iron, andwrought it to the use of man. Next to them lies a large plain occupiedby the Byzares, the Saqires, the Tibareni, the Mosynæci, the Macronesand the Philyres, tribes with which we have no intercourse. 

22. And at a small distance from them are some monuments of heroes, where Sthenelus, Idmon, and Tiphys are buried, the first being that oneof Hercules's comrades who was mortally wounded in the war with theAmazons; the second the soothsayer of the Argonauts; the third theskilful pilot of the crew. 

23. After passing by the aforesaid districts, we come to the cave Aulon, and the river of Callichorus, which derives its name from the fact thatwhen Bacchus, having subdued the nations of India in a three years' war, came into those countries, he chose the green and shady banks of thisriver for the re-establishment of his ancient orgies and dances; andsome think that such festivals as these were those calledTrieterica. [126]

24. Next to these frontiers come the famous cantons of the Camaritæ, andthe Phasis, which with its roaring streams reaches the Colchi, a racedescended from the Egyptians; among whom, besides other cities, is onecalled Phasis from the name of the river; and Dioscurias, [127] stillfamous, which is said to have been founded by the Spartans Amphitus andCercius, the charioteers of Castor and Pollux; from whom the nation ofHeniochi[128] derives its origin. 

25. At a little distance from these are the Achæi, who after someearlier Trojan war, and not that which began about Helen, as someauthors have affirmed, were driven into Pontus by foul winds, and, asall around was hostile, so that they could nowhere find a settled abode, they always stationed themselves on the tops of snowy mountains; and, under the pressure of an unfavourable climate they contracted a habit ofliving on plunder in contempt of all danger; and thus became the mostferocious of all nations. Of the Cercetæ, who lie next to them, nothingis known worth speaking of. 

26. Behind them lie the inhabitants of the Cimmerian Bosphorus, livingin cities founded by the Milesiani, the chief of which is Panticapæum, which is on the Bog a river of great size, both from its natural watersand the streams which fall into it. 

27. Then for a great distance the Amazons stretch as far as the Caspiansea; occupying the banks of the Don, which rises in Mount Caucasus, andproceeds in a winding course, separating Asia from Europe, and fallsinto the swampy sea of Azov. 

28. Near to this is the Rha, on the banks of which grows a vegetable ofthe same name, which is useful as a remedy for many diseases. 

29. Beyond the Don, taking the plain in its width, lie the Sauromatæ, whose land is watered by the never-failing rivers Maræcus, Rhombites, Theophanes, and Totordanes. And there is at a vast distance anothernation also known as Sauromatæ, touching the shore at the point wherethe river Corax falls into the sea. 

30. Near to this is the sea of Azov, of great extent, from the abundantsources of which a great body of water pours through the straits ofPatares, near the Black Sea; on the right are the islands Phanagorus andHermonassa, which have been settled by the industry of the Greeks. 

31. Round the furthest extremity of this gulf dwell many tribesdiffering from one another in language and habits; the Jaxamatæ, theMæotæ, the Jazyges, the Roxolani, the Alani, the Melanchlænæ, theGeloni, and the Agathyrsi, whose land abounds in adamant. 

32. And there are others beyond, who are the most remote people of thewhole world. On the left side of this gulf lies the Crimea, full ofGreek colonies; the people of which are quiet and steady: they practiseagriculture, and live on the produce of the land. 

33. From them the Tauri, though at no great distance, are separated byseveral kingdoms, among which are the Arinchi, a most savage tribe, theSinchi, and the Napæi, whose cruelty, being aggravated by continuallicence, is the reason why the sea is called the Inhospitable, [129]from which by the rule of contrary it gets the name of the Euxine, justas the Greeks call a fool εὐήθης, and night εὐθρόνη, and the furies, the Εὐμενίδες. 

34. For they propitiated the gods with human victims, sacrificingstrangers to Diana, whom they call Oreiloche, and fix the heads of theslain on the walls of their temples, as perpetual monuments of theirdeeds. 

35. In this kingdom of the Tauri lies the uninhabited island of Leuce, which is consecrated to Achilles; and if any ever visit it, as soon asthey have examined the traces of antiquity, and the temple and offeringsdedicated to the hero, they return the same evening to their ships, asit is said that no one can pass the night there without danger to hislife. 

36. There is water there, and white birds like kingfishers, the originof which, and the battles of the Hellespont, we will discuss at a propertime. And there are some cities in this region of which the most eminentare Eupatoria, Dandaca, and Theodosia, and several others which are freefrom the wickedness of human sacrifices. 

37. Up to this we reckon that one of the extremities of the arc extends. We will now follow, as order suggests, the rest of the curve whichextends towards the north, along the left side of the ThracianBosphorus, just reminding the reader that while the bows of all othernations bend along the whole of their material, those of the Scythiansand Parthians have a straight rounded line in the centre, from whichthey curve their spreading horns so as to present the figure of thewaning moon. 

38. At the very beginning then of this district, where the Rhipæanmountains end, lie the Arimphæi, a just people known for their quietcharacter, whose land is watered by the rivers Chronius and Bisula; andnext to them are the Massagetæ, the Alani, and the Sargetæ, and severalother tribes of little note, of whom we know neither the names nor thecustoms. 

39. Then, a long way off, is the bay Carcinites, and a river of thesame name, and a grove of Diana, frequented by many votaries in thosecountries. 

40. After that we come to the Dnieper (Borysthenes), which rises in themountains of the Neuri; a river very large at its first beginning, andwhich increases by the influx of many other streams, till it falls intothe sea with great violence; on its woody banks is the town ofBorysthenes, and Cephalonesus, and some altars consecrated to Alexanderthe Great and Augustus Cæsar. 

41. Next, at a great distance, is an island inhabited by the Sindi, atribe of low-born persons, who upon the overthrow of their lords andmasters in Asia, took possession of their wives and properties. Belowthem is a narrow strip of coast called by the natives the Course ofAchilles, having been made memorable in olden time by the exercises ofthe Thessalian chief, and next to that is the city of Tyros, a colony ofthe Phoenicians, watered by the river Dniester. 

42. But in the middle of the arc which we have described as being of anextended roundness, and which takes an active traveller fifteen days totraverse, are the Europæan Alani, the Costoboci, and the countlesstribes of the Scythians, who extend over territories which have noascertained limit; a small part of whom live on grain. But the restwander over vast deserts, knowing neither ploughtime nor seedtime; butliving in cold and frost, and feeding like great beasts. They placetheir relations, their homes, and their wretched furniture on waggonscovered with bark, and, whenever they choose, they migrate withouthindrance, driving off these waggons wherever they like. 

43. When one arrives at another point of the circuit where there is aharbour, which bounds the figure of the arc at that extremity, theisland Peuce is conspicuous, inhabited by the Troglodytæ, and Peuci, andother inferior tribes, and we come also to Histros, formerly a city ofgreat power, and to Tomi, Apollonia, Anchialos, Odissos, and many otherson the Thracian coast. 

44. But the Danube, rising near Basle on the borders of the Tyrol, extending over a wider space, and receiving on his way nearly sixtynavigable rivers, pours through the Scythian territory by seven mouthsinto the Black Sea. 

45. The first mouth (according to the Greek interpretation of thenames) is at the island of Peuce, which we have mentioned; the second isat Naracustoma, the third at Calonstoma, the fourth at Pseudostoma. TheBoreonstoma and the Sthenostoma, are much smaller, and the seventh islarge and black-looking like a bog. 

46. But the whole sea, all around, is full of mists and shoals, and issweeter than seas in general, because by the evaporation of moisture theair is often thick and dense, and its waters are tempered by theimmensity of the rivers which fall into it; and it is full of shiftingshallows, because the number of the streams which surround it pour inmud and lumps of soil. 

47. And it is well known that fish flock in large shoals to its mostremote extremities that they may spawn and rear their young morehealthfully, in consequence of the salubrity of the water; while thehollow caverns, which are very numerous there, protect them fromvoracious monsters. For nothing of the kind is ever seen in this sea, except some small dolphins, and they do no harm. 

48. Now the portions of the Black Sea which are exposed to the northwind are so thoroughly frozen that, while the rivers, as it is believed, cannot continue their course beneath the ice, yet neither can the footof beast or man proceed firmly over the treacherous and shifting ground;a fault which is never found in a pure sea, but only in one of which thewaters are mingled with those of rivers. We have digressed more than wehad intended, so now let us turn back to what remains to be told. 

49. Another circumstance came to raise Julian's present joy, one whichindeed had been long expected, but which had been deferred by all mannerof delays. For intelligence was brought by Agilo and Jovius, who wasafterwards quæstor, that the garrison of Aquileia, weary of the lengthof the siege, and having heard of the death of Constantius, had openedtheir gates and come forth, delivering up the authors of the revolt; andthat, after they had been burnt alive, as has been related, the rest hadobtained pardon for their offences. 

IX. 

§ 1. But Julian, elated at his prosperity, began to aspire to greatnessbeyond what is granted to man: amid continual dangers he had learnt byexperience that propitious fortune held out to him, thus peacefullygoverning the Roman world, a cornucopia as it were of human blessingsand all kinds of glory and success: adding this also to his formertitles of victory, that while he alone held the reins of empire he wasneither disturbed by intestine commotions, nor did any barbariansventure to cross his frontiers; but all nations, eager at all times tofind fault with what is past, as mischievous and unjust, were withmarvellous unanimity agreed in his praises. 

2. Having therefore arranged with profound deliberation all the matterswhich were required either by the circumstances of the state or by thetime, and, having encouraged the soldiers by repeated harangues and byadequate pay to be active in accomplishing all that was to be done, Julian, being in great favour with all men, set out for Antioch, leavingConstantinople, which he had greatly strengthened and enriched; for hehad been born there, and loved and protected it as his native city. 

3. Then crossing the straits, and passing by Chalcedon and Libyssa, where Hannibal the Carthaginian is buried, he came to Nicomedia; a cityof ancient renown, and so adorned at the great expense of formeremperors, that from the multitude of its public and private buildingsgood judges look on it as a quarter, as it were, of the eternal city. 

4. When Julian beheld its walls buried in miserable ashes, he showed theanguish of his mind by silent tears, and went slowly on towards thepalace; especially lamenting its misfortunes, because the senators whocame out to meet him were in poor-looking condition, as well as thepeople who had formerly been most prosperous; some of them he recognizedhaving been brought up there by the bishop Eusebius, of whom he was adistant relation. 

5. Having here made many arrangements for repairing the damage done byan earthquake, he passed through Nisæa to the frontier of Gallo-Græcia, and then turning to the right, he went to Pessinus, to see the ancienttemple of Cybele; from which town in the second Punic war, in accordancewith the warning of the Sibylline verses, the image of the goddess wasremoved to Rome by Scipio Nasica. 

6. Of its arrival in Italy, with many other matters connected with it, we made mention in recording the acts of the emperor Commodus; but as towhat the reason was for the town receiving this name writers differ. 

7. For some have declared that the city was so called ἀπὸ τοῦ πεσῖν, from falling; inventing a tale that the statue fell fromheaven; others affirm that Ilus, the son of Tros, king of Dardania, gavethe place this name, which Theopompus says it received not from this, but from Midas, formerly a most powerful king of Phrygia. 

8. Accordingly, having paid his worship to the goddess, and propitiatedher with sacrifices and prayers, he returned to Ancyra; and as he wasproceeding on this way from thence he was disturbed by a multitude; someviolently demanding the restoration of what had been taken from them, others complaining that they had been unjustly attached to differentcourts; some, regardless of the risk they ran, tried to enrage himagainst their adversaries, by charging them with treason. 

9. But he, a sterner judge than Cassius or Lycurgus, weighed the chargeswith justice, and gave each his due; never being swayed from the truth, but very severe to calumniators, whom he hated, because he himself, while still a private individual and of low estate, had oftenexperienced the petulant frenzy of many in a way which placed him ingreat danger. 

10. And though there are many other examples of his patience in suchmatters, it will suffice to relate one here. A certain man laid aninformation against his enemy, with whom he had a most bitter quarrel, affirming that he had been guilty of outrage and sedition; and when theemperor concealed his own opinion, he renewed the charge for severaldays, and when at last he was asked who the man was whom he wasaccusing, he replied, a rich citizen. When the emperor heard this hesmiled and said, "What proof led you to the discovery of this conduct ofhis?" He replied, "The man has had made for himself a purple silk robe. "

11. And on this, being ordered to depart in silence, and thoughunpunished as a low fellow who was accusing one of his own class of toodifficult an enterprise to be believed, he nevertheless insisted on thetruth of the accusation, till Julian, being wearied by his pertinacity, said to the treasurer, whom he saw near him, "Bid them give thisdangerous chatterer some purple shoes to take to his enemy, who, as hegives me to understood, has made himself a robe of that colour; that sohe may know how little a worthless piece of cloth can help a man, without the greatest strength. "

12. But as such conduct as this is praiseworthy and deserving theimitation of virtuous rulers, so it was a sad thing and deserving ofcensure, that in his time it was very hard for any one who was accusedby any magistrate to obtain justice, however fortified he might be byprivileges, or the number of his campaigns, or by a host of friends. Sothat many persons being alarmed bought off all such annoyances by secretbribes. 

13. Therefore, when after a long journey he had reached Pylæ, a place onthe frontiers of Cappadocia and Cilicia, he received the ruler of theprovince, Celsus, already known to him by his Attic studies, with akiss, and taking him up into his chariot conducted him with him intoTarsus. 

14. From hence, desiring to see Antioch, the splendid metropolis of theEast, he went thither by the usual stages, and when he came near thecity he was received as if he had been a god, with public prayers, sothat he marvelled at the voices of the vast multitude, who cried outthat he had come to shine like a star on the Eastern regions. 

15. It happened that just at that time, the annual period for thecelebration of the festival of Adonis, according to the old fashion, came round; the story being, as the poets relate, that Adonis had beenloved by Venus, and slain by a boar's tusk, which is an emblem of thefruits of the earth being cut down in their prime. And it appeared a sadthing that when the emperor was now for the first time making hisentrance into a splendid city, the abode of princes, wailinglamentations and sounds of mourning should be heard in every direction. 

16. And here was seen a proof of his gentle disposition, shown indeedin a trifling, but very remarkable instance. He had long hated a mannamed Thalassius, an officer in one of the law courts, as having beenconcerned in plots against his brother Gallus. He prohibited him frompaying his salutations to him and presenting himself among the men ofrank; which encouraged his enemies against whom he had actions in thecourts of law, the next day, when a great crowd was collected in thepresence of the emperor, to cry out, "Thalassius, the enemy of yourclemency, has violently deprived us of our rights;" and Julian, thinkingthat this was an opportunity for crushing him, replied, "I acknowledgethat I am justly offended with the man whom you mention, and so youought to keep silence till he has made satisfaction to me who am hisprincipal enemy. " And he commanded the prefect who was sitting by himnot to hear their business till he himself was recognized by Thalassius, which happened soon afterwards. 

X. 

§ 1. While wintering at Antioch, according to his wish, he yielded tonone of the allurements of pleasure in which all Syria abounds; butunder pretence of repose, he devoted himself to judicial affairs, whichare not less difficult than those of war, and in which he expendedexceeding care, showing exquisite willingness to receive information, and carefully balancing how to assign to every one his due. And by hisjust sentence the wicked were chastised with moderate punishments, andthe innocent were maintained in the undiminished possession of theirfortunes. 

2. And although in the discussion of causes he was often unreasonable, asking at unsuitable times to what religion each of the litigantsadhered, yet none of his decisions were found inconsistent with equity, nor could he ever be accused, either from considerations of religion orof anything else, of having deviated from the strict path of justice. 

3. For that is a desirable and right judgment which proceeds fromrepeated examinations of what is just and unjust. Julian feared anythingwhich might lead him away from such, as a sailor fears dangerous rocks;and he was the better able to attain to correctness, because, knowingthe levity of his own impetuous disposition, he used to permit theprefects and his chosen counsellors to check, by timely admonition, hisown impulses when they were inclined to stray; and he continually showedthat he was vexed if he committed errors, and was desirous of beingcorrected. 

4. And when the advocates in some actions were once applauding himgreatly as one who had attained to perfect wisdom, he is said to haveexclaimed with much emotion, "I was glad and made it my pride to bepraised by those whom I knew to be competent to find fault with me, if Ihad said or done anything wrong. "

5. But it will be sufficient out of the many instances of his clemencywhich he afforded in judging causes to mention this one, which is notirrelevant to our subject or insignificant. A certain woman beingbrought before the court, saw that her adversary, formerly one of theofficers of the palace, but who had been displaced, was now, contrary toher expectation, re-established and girt in his official dress, complained in a violent manner of this circumstance; and the emperorreplied, "Proceed, O woman, if you think that you have been injured inany respect; he is girt as you see in order to go more quickly throughthe mire; your cause will not suffer from it. "

6. And these and similar actions led to the belief, as he was constantlysaying, that that ancient justice which Aratus states to have fled toheaven in disgust at the vices of mankind, had returned to earth; onlythat sometimes he acted according to his own will rather than accordingto law, making mistakes which somewhat darkened the glorious course ofhis renown. 

7. After many trials he corrected numerous abuses in the laws, cuttingaway circuitous proceedings, and making the enactments show more plainlywhat they commanded or forbade. But his forbidding masters of rhetoricand grammar to instruct Christians was a cruel action, and one deservingto be buried in everlasting silence. 

XI. 

§ 1. At this time, Gaudentius the secretary, whom I have mentioned aboveas having been sent by Constantius to oppose Julian in Africa, and a manof the name of Julian, who had been a deputy governor, and who was anintemperate partisan of the late emperor, were brought back asprisoners, and put to death. 

2. And at the same time, Artemius, who had been Duke of Egypt, andagainst whom the citizens of Alexandria brought a great mass of heavyaccusations, was also put to death, and the son of Marcellus too, whohad been commander both of the infantry and of the cavalry, was publiclyexecuted as one who had aspired to the empire by force of arms. Romanus, too, and Vincentius, the tribunes of the first and second battalion ofthe Scutarii, being convicted of aiming at things beyond their due, werebanished. 

3. And after a short time, when the death of Artemius was known, thecitizens of Alexandria who had feared his return, lest, as hethreatened, he should come back among them with power, and avengehimself on many of them for the offences which he had received, nowturned all their anger against George, the bishop, by whom they had, soto say, been often attacked with poisonous bites. 

4. George having been born in a fuller's shop, as was reported, inEpiphania, a town of Cilicia, and having caused the ruin of manyindividuals, was, contrary both to his own interest and to that of thecommonwealth, ordained bishop of Alexandria, a city which from its ownimpulses, and without any special cause, is continually agitated byseditious tumults, as the oracles also show. 

5. Men of this irritable disposition were readily incensed by George, who accused numbers to the willing ears of Constantius, as being opposedto his authority; and, forgetting his profession, which ought to give nocounsel but what is just and merciful, he adopted all the wicked acts ofinformers. 

6. And among other things he was reported to have maliciously informedConstantius that in that city all the edifices which had been built byAlexander, its founder, at vast public expense, ought properly to be asource of emolument to the treasury. 

7. To these wicked suggestions he added this also, which soon afterwardsled to his destruction. As he was returning from court, and passing bythe superb temple of the Genius, escorted by a large train, as was hiscustom, he turned his eyes towards the temple, and said, "How long shallthis sepulchre stand?" And the multitude, hearing this, wasthunderstruck, and fearing that he would seek to destroy this also, laboured to the utmost of their power to effect his ruin by secretplots. 

8. When suddenly there came the joyful news that Artemius was dead; onwhich all the populace, triumphing with unexpected joy, gnashed theirteeth, and with horrid outcries set upon George, trampling upon him andkicking him, and tearing him to pieces with every kind of mutilation. 

9. With him also, Dracontius, the master of the mint, and a count namedDiodorus, were put to death, and dragged with ropes tied to their legsthrough the street; the one because he had overthrown the altar latelyset up in the mint, of which he was governor; the other because whilesuperintending the building of a church, he insolently cut off the curlsof the boys, thinking thus to affect the worship of the gods. 

10. But the savage populace were not content with this; but havingmutilated their bodies, put them on camels and conveyed them to theshore, where they burnt them and threw the ashes into the sea; fearing, as they exclaimed, lest their remains should be collected and a templeraised over them, as the relics of men who, being urged to forsake theirreligion, had preferred to endure torturing punishments even to aglorious death, and so, by keeping their faith inviolate, earning theappellation of martyrs. In truth the wretched men who underwent suchcruel punishment might have been protected by the aid of the Christians, if both parties had not been equally exasperated by hatred of George. 

11. When this event reached the emperor's ears, he roused himself toavenge the impious deed; but when about to inflict the extremity ofpunishment on the guilty, he was appeased by the intercession of thoseabout him, and contented himself with issuing an edict in which hecondemned the crime which had been committed in stern language, andthreatening all with the severest vengeance if anything should beattempted for the future contrary to the principles of justice and law. 

XII. 

§ 1. In the mean time, while preparing the expedition against thePersians, which he had long been meditating with all the vigour of hismind, he resolved firmly to avenge their past victories; hearing fromothers, and knowing by his own experience, that for nearly sixty yearsthat most ferocious people had stamped upon the East bloody records ofmassacre and ravage, many of our armies having often been entirelydestroyed by them. 

2. And he was inflamed with a desire for the war on two grounds: first, because he was weary of peace, and dreaming always of trumpets andbattles; and secondly, because, having been in his youth exposed to theattacks of savage nations, the wishes of whose kings and princes werealready turning against us, and whom, as was believed, it would beeasier to conquer than to reduce to the condition of suppliants, he waseager to add to his other glories the surname of Parthieus. 

3. But when his inactive and malicious detractors saw that thesepreparations were being pressed forward with great speed and energy, they cried out that it was an unworthy and shameful thing for suchunseasonable troubles to be caused by the change of a single prince, andlaboured with all their zeal to postpone the campaign; and they were inthe habit of saying, in the presence of those whom they thought likelyto report their words to the emperor, that, unless he conducted himselfwith moderation during his excess of prosperity, he, like anover-luxuriant crop, would soon be destroyed by his own fertility. 

4. And they were continually propagating sayings of this kind, barkingin vain at the inflexible prince with secret attacks, as the Pygmies orthe clown Thiodamas of Lindus assailed Hercules. 

5. But he, as more magnanimous, allowed no delay to take place, nor anydiminution in the magnitude of his expedition, but devoted the mostenergetic care to prepare everything suitable for such an enterprise. 

6. He offered repeated victims on the altars of the gods; sometimessacrificing one hundred bulls, and countless flocks of animals of allkinds, and white birds, which he sought for everywhere by land, and sea;so that every day individual soldiers who had stuffed themselves likeboors with too much meat, or who were senseless from the eagerness withwhich they had drunk, were placed on the shoulders of passers-by, andcarried to their homes through the streets from the public temples wherethey had indulged in feasts which deserved punishment rather thanindulgence. Especially the Petulantes and the Celtic legion, whoseaudacity at this time had increased to a marvellous degree. 

7. And rites and ceremonies were marvellously multiplied with a vastnessof expense hitherto unprecedented; and, as it was now allowed withouthindrance, every one professed himself skilful in divination, and all, whether illiterate or learned, without any limit or any prescribedorder, were permitted to consult the oracles, and to inspect theentrails of victims; and omens from the voice of birds, and every kindof sign of the future, was sought for with an ostentatious variety ofproceeding. 

8. And while this was going on, as if it were a time of profound peace, Julian, being curious in all such branches of learning, entered on a newpath of divination. He proposed to reopen the prophetic springs of thefountain of Castalia, which Hadrian was said to have blocked up with ahuge mass of stones, fearing lest, as he himself had attained thesovereignty through obedience to the predictions of these waters, othersmight learn a similar lesson; and Julian immediately ordered the bodieswhich had been buried around it to be removed with the same ceremoniesas those with which the Athenians had purified the island of Delos. 

XII. 

§ 1. About the same time, on the 22nd of October, the splendid temple ofApollo, at Daphne, which that furious and cruel king Antiochus Epiphaneshad built with the statue of the god, equal in size to that of OlympianJupiter, was suddenly burnt down. 

2. This terrible accident inflamed the emperor with such anger, that heinstantly ordered investigations of unprecedented severity to beinstituted, and the chief church of Antioch to be shut up. For hesuspected that the Christians had done it out of envy, not being able tobear the sight of the magnificent colonnade which surrounded the temple. 

3. But it was reported, though the rumour was most vague, that thetemple had been burnt by means of Asclepiades the philosopher, of whomwe have made mention while relating the actions of Magnentius. He issaid to have come to the suburb in which the temple stood to pay a visitto Julian, and being accustomed to carry with him wherever he went asmall silver statue of the Heavenly Venus, he placed it at the feet ofthe image of Apollo, and then, according to his custom, having lightedwax tapers in front of it, he went away. At midnight, when no one wasthere to give any assistance, some sparks flying about stuck to the agedtimbers; and from that dry fuel a fire was kindled which burnteverything it could reach, however separated from it by the height ofthe building. 

4. The same year also, just as winter was approaching, there was afearful scarcity of water, so that some rivers were dried up, andfountains too, which had hitherto abounded with copious springs. Butafterwards they all were fully restored. 

5. And on the second of December, as evening was coming on, all thatremained of Nicomedia was destroyed by an earthquake, and no smallportion of Nicæa. 

XIV. 

§ 1. These events caused great concern to the emperor; but still he didnot neglect other affairs of urgency, till the time of entering on hisintended campaign should arrive. But in the midst of his important andserious concerns, it appeared superfluous that, without any plausiblereason, and out of a mere thirst for popularity, he took measures forproducing cheapness; a thing which often proves contrary to expectationand produces scarcity and famine. 

2. And when the magistrates of Antioch plainly proved to him that hisorders could not be executed, he would not depart from his purpose, being as obstinate as his brother Gallus, but not bloodthirsty. On whichaccount, becoming furious against them, as slanderous and obstinate, hecomposed a volume of invectives which he called "The Antiochean, " or"Misopogon, " enumerating in a bitter spirit all the vices of the city, and adding others beyond the truth; and when on this he found that manywitticisms were uttered at his expense, he felt compelled to conceal hisfeelings for a time; but was full of internal rage. 

3. For he was ridiculed as a Cercops;[130] again, as a dwarf spreadingout his narrow shoulders, wearing a beard like that of a goat, andtaking huge strides, as if he had been the brother of Otus andEphialtes, [131] whose height Horace speaks of as enormous. At anothertime he was "the victim-killer, " instead of the worshipper, in allusionto the numbers of his victims; and this piece of ridicule was seasonableand deserved, as once out of ostentation he was fond of carrying thesacred vessels before the priests, attended by a train of girls. Andalthough these and similar jests made him very indignant, henevertheless kept silence, and concealed his emotions, and continued tocelebrate the solemn festivals. 

4. At last, on the day appointed for the holiday, he ascended MountCasius, a mountain covered with trees, very lofty, and of a round form;from which at the second crowing of the cock[132] we can see the sunrise. And while he was sacrificing to Jupiter, on a sudden he perceivedsome one lying on the ground, who, with the voice of a suppliant, implored pardon and his life; and when Julian asked him who he was, hereplied, that he was Theodotus, formerly the chief magistrate ofHierapolis, who, when Constantius quitted that city, had escorted himwith other men of rank on his way; basely flattering him as sure to bevictorious; and he had entreated him with feigned tears and lamentationsto send them the head of Julian as that of an ungrateful rebel, in thesame way as he recollected the head of Magnentius had been exhibited. 

5. When Julian heard this, he said, "I have heard of this before, fromthe relation of several persons. But go thou home in security, beingrelieved of all fear by the mercy of the emperor, who, like a wise man, has resolved to diminish the number of his enemies, and is eager toincrease that of his friends. "

6. When he departed, having fully accomplished the sacrifices, letterswere brought to him from the governor of Egypt, who informed him thatafter a long time he had succeeded in finding a bull Apis, which he hadbeen seeking with great labour, a circumstance which, in the opinion ofthe inhabitants of those regions, indicates prosperity, abundant crops, and several other kinds of good fortune. 

7. On this subject it seems desirable to say a few words. Among theanimals which have been consecrated by the reverence of the ancients, Mnevis and Apis are the most eminent. Mnevis, concerning whom there isnothing remarkable related, is consecrated to the sun, Apis to the moon. But the bull Apis is distinguished by several natural marks; andespecially by a crescent-shaped figure, like that of a new moon, on hisright side. After living his appointed time, he is drowned in the sacredfountain (for he is not allowed to live beyond the time fixed by thesacred authority of their mystical books; nor is a cow brought to himmore than once a year, who also must be distinguished with particularmarks); then another is sought amid great public mourning; and if onecan be found distinguished by all the required marks, he is led toMemphis, a city of great renown, and especially celebrated for thepatronage of the god Æsculapius. 

8. And after he has been led into the city by one hundred priests, andconducted into a chamber, he is looked upon as consecrated, and is saidto point out by evident means the signs of future events. Some also ofthose who come to him he repels by unfavourable signs; as it is reportedhe formally rejected Cæsar Germanicus when he offered him food; thusportending what shortly happened. 

XV. 

§ 1. Let us then, since the occasion seems to require it, touch brieflyon the affairs of Egypt, of which we have already made some mention inour account of the emperors Hadrian and Severus, where we relatedseveral things which we had seen. [133]

2. The Egyptian is the most ancient of all nations, except indeed thatits superior antiquity is contested by the Scythians: their country isbounded on the south[134] by the greater Syrtes, Cape Ras, and CapeBorion, the Garamantes, and other nations; on the east, by Elephantine, and Meroe, cities of the Ethiopians, the Catadupi, the Red Sea, and theScenite Arabs, whom we now call Saracens. On the north it joins a vasttrack of land, where Asia and the Syrian provinces begin; on the west itis bounded by the Sea of Issus, which some call the Parthenian Sea. 

3. We will also say a few words concerning that most useful of allrivers, the Nile, which Homer calls the Ægyptus; and after that we willenumerate other things worthy of admiration in these regions. 

4. The sources of the Nile, in my opinion, will be as unknown toposterity as they are now. But since poets, who relate fully, andgeographers who differ from one another, give various accounts of thishidden matter, I will in a few words set forth such of their opinions asseem to me to border on the truth. 

5. Some natural philosophers affirm that in the districts beneath theNorth Pole, when the severe winters bind up everything, the vast massesof snow congeal; and afterwards, melted by the warmth of the summer, they make the clouds heavy with liquid moisture, which, being driven tothe south by the Etesian winds, and dissolved into rain by the heat ofthe sun, furnish abundant increase to the Nile. 

6. Some, again, assert that the inundations of the river at fixed timesare caused by the rains in Ethiopia, which fall in great abundance inthat country during the hot season; but both these theories seeminconsistent with the truth--for rain never falls in Ethiopia, or atleast only at rare intervals. 

7. A more common opinion is, that during the continuance of the windfrom the north, called the Precursor, and of the Etesian gales, whichlast forty-five days without interruption, they drive back the streamand check its speed, so that it becomes swollen with its waves thusdammed back; then, when the wind changes, the force of the breeze drivesthe waters to and fro, and the river growing rapidly greater, itsperennial sources driving it forward, it rises as it advances, andcovers everything, spreading over the level plains till it resembles thesea. 

8. But King Juba, relying on the text of the Carthaginian books, affirmsthat the river rises in a mountain situated in Mauritania, which lookson the Atlantic Ocean, and he says, too, that this is proved by the factthat fishes, and herbs, and animals resembling those of the Nile arefound in the marshes where the river rises. 

9. But the Nile, passing through the districts of Ethiopia, and manydifferent countries which give it their own names, swells itsfertilizing stream till it comes to the cataracts. These are abruptrocks, from which in its precipitous course it falls with such a crash, that the Ati, who used to live in that district, having lost theirhearing from the incessant roar, were compelled to migrate to a morequiet region. 

10. Then proceeding more gently, and receiving no accession of waters inEgypt, it falls into the sea through seven mouths, each of which is asserviceable as, and resembles, a separate river. And besides the severalstreams which are derived from its channel, and which fall with otherslike themselves, there are seven navigable with large waves; named bythe ancients the Heracleotic, the Sebennitic, the Bolbitic, thePhatnitic, the Mendesian, the Tanitic, and the Pelusian mouths. 

11. This river, rising as I have said, is driven on from the marshes tothe cataracts, and forms several islands; some of which are said to beof such extent that the stream is three days in passing them. 

12. Among these are two of especial celebrity, Meroe and Delta. Thelatter derives its name from its triangular form like the Greek letter;but when the sun begins to pass through the sign of Cancer, the riverkeeps increasing till it passes into Libra; and then, after flowing at agreat height for one hundred days, it falls again, and its waters beingdiminished it exhibits, in a state fit for riding on, fields which justbefore could only be passed over in boats. 

13. If the inundation be too abundant it is mischievous, just as it isunproductive if it be too sparing; for if the flood be excessive, itkeeps the ground wet too long; and so delays cultivation; while if it bedeficient, it threatens the land with barrenness. No landowner wishes itto rise more than sixteen cubits. If the flood be moderate, then theseed sown in favourable ground sometimes returns seventy fold. The Nile, too, is the only river which does not cause a breeze. 

14. Egypt also produces many animals both terrestrial and aquatic, andsome which live both on the earth and in the water, and are thereforecalled amphibious. In the dry districts antelopes and buffaloes arefound, and sphinxes, animals of an absurd-looking deformity, and othermonsters which it is not worth while to enumerate. 

15. Of the terrestrial animals, the crocodile is abundant in every partof the country. This is a most destructive quadruped, accustomed to bothelements, having no tongue, and moving only the upper jaw, with teethlike a comb, which obstinately fasten into everything he can reach. Hepropagates his species by eggs like those of a goose. 

16. And as he is armed with claws, if he had only thumbs his enormousstrength would suffice to upset large vessels, for he is sometimes tencubits long. At night he sleeps under water; in the day he feeds in thefields, trusting to the stoutness of his skin, which is so thick thatmissiles from military engines will scarcely pierce the mail of hisback. 

17. Savage as these monsters are at all other times, yet as if they hadconcluded an armistice, they are always quiet, laying aside all theirferocity, during the seven days of festival on which the priests atMemphis celebrate the birthday of Apis. 

18. Besides those which die accidentally, some are killed by woundswhich they receive in their bellies from the dorsal fins of some fishresembling dolphins, which this river also produces. 

19. Some also are killed by means of a little bird called the trochilus, which, while seeking for some picking of small food, and flying gentlyabout the beast while asleep, tickles its cheeks till it comes to theneighbourhood of its throat. And when the hydrus, which is a kind ofichneumon, perceives this, it penetrates into its mouth, which the birdhas caused to open, and descends into its stomach, where it devours itsentrails, and then comes forth again. 

20. But the crocodile, though a bold beast towards those who flee, isvery timid when it finds a brave enemy. It has a most acute sight, andfor the four months of winter is said to do without food. 

21. The hippopotamus, also, is produced in this country; the mostsagacious of all animals destitute of reason. He is like a horse, withcloven hoofs, and a short tail. Of his sagacity it will be sufficient toproduce two instances. 

22. The animal makes his lair among dense beds of reeds of great height, and while keeping quiet watches vigilantly for every opportunity ofsallying out to feed on the crops. And when he has gorged himself, andis ready to return, he walks backwards, and makes many tracks, toprevent any enemies from following the straight road and so finding andeasily killing him. 

23. Again, when he feels lazy from having his stomach swollen byexcessive eating, it rolls its thighs and legs on freshly-cut reeds, inorder that the blood which is discharged through the wounds thus mademay relieve his fat. And then he smears his wounded flesh with clay tillthe wounds get scarred over. 

24. This monster was very rare till it was first exhibited to the Romanpeople in the ædileship of Scaurus, the father of that Scaurus whomCicero defended, when he charged the Sardinians to cherish the sameopinion as the rest of the world of the authority of that noble family. Since that time, at different periods, many specimens have been broughtto Rome, and now they are not to be found in Egypt, having been driven, according to the conjecture of the inhabitants, up to the Blemmyæ[135]by being incessantly pursued by the people. 

25. Among the birds of Egypt, the variety of which is countless, is theibis, a sacred and amiable bird, also valuable, because by heaping upthe eggs of serpents in its nest for food it causes these fatal pests todiminish. 

26. They also sometimes encounter flocks of winged snakes, which comeladen with poison from the marshes of Arabia. These, before they canquit their own region, they overcome in the air, and then devour them. This bird, we are told, produces its young through its mouth. 

27. Egypt also produces innumerable quantities of serpents, destructivebeyond all other creatures. Basilisks, amphisbænas, [136] scytalæ, acontiæ, dipsades, vipers, and many others. The asp is the largest andmost beautiful of all; but that never, of its own accord, quits theNile. 

28. There are also in this country many things exceedingly worthy ofobservation, of which it is a good time now to mention a few. Everywherethere are temples of great size. There are seven marvellous pyramids, the difficulty of building which, and the length of time consumed in thework, are recorded by Herodotus. They exceed in height anything everconstructed by human labour, being towers of vast width at the bottomand ending in sharp points. 

29. And their shape received this name from the geometricians becausethey rise in a cone like fire (πῦρ). And huge as they are, asthey taper off gradually, they throw no shadow, in accordance with aprinciple of mechanics. 

30. There are also subterranean passages, and winding retreats, which, it is said, men skilful in the ancient mysteries, by means of which theydivined the coming of a flood, constructed in different places lest thememory of all their sacred ceremonies should be lost. On the walls, asthey cut them out, they have sculptured several kinds of birds andbeasts, and countless other figures of animals, which they callhieroglyphics. 

31. There is also Syene, where at the time of the summer solstice therays surrounding upright objects do not allow the shadows to extendbeyond the bodies. And if any one fixes a post upright in the ground, orsees a man or a tree standing erect, he will perceive that their shadowis consumed at the extremities of their outlines. This also happens atMeroe, which is the spot in Ethiopia nearest to the equinoctial circle, and where for ninety days the shadows fall in a way just opposite toours, on account of which the natives of that district are calledAntiscii. [137]

32. But as there are many other wonders which would go beyond the planof our little work, we must leave these to men of lofty genius, andcontent ourselves with relating a few things about the provinces. 

XVI. 

§ 1. In former times Egypt is said to have been divided into threeprovinces: Egypt proper, the Thebais, and Libya, to which in later timestwo more have been added, Augustamnica, which has been cut off fromEgypt proper, and Pentapolis, which has been detached from Libya. 

2. Thebais, among many other cities, can boast especially of Hermopolis, Coptos, and Antinous, which Hadrian built in honour of his friendAntinous. As to Thebes, with, its hundred gates, there is no oneignorant of its renown. 

3. In Augustamnica, among others, there is the noble city of Pelusium, which is said to have been founded by Peleus, the father of Achilles, who by command of the gods was ordered to purify himself in the lakeadjacent to the walls of the city, when, after having slain his brotherPhocus, he was driven about by horrid images of the Furies; and Cassium, where the tomb of the great Pompey is, and Ostracine, and Rhinocolura. 

4. In Libya Pentapolis is Cyrene, a city of great antiquity, but nowdeserted, founded by Battus the Spartan, and Ptolemais, and Arsinoë, known also as Teuchira, and Darnis, and Berenice, called alsoHesperides. 

5. And in the dry Libya, besides a few other insignificant towns, thereare Parætonium, Chærecla, and Neapolis. 

6. Egypt proper, which ever since it has been united to the Roman empirehas been under the government of a prefect, besides some other towns ofsmaller importance, is distinguished by Athribis, and Oxyrynchus, andThmuis, and Memphis. 

7. But the greatest of all the cities is Alexandria, ennobled by manycircumstances, and especially by the grandeur of its great founder, andthe skill of its architect Dinocrates, who, when he was laying thefoundation of its extensive and beautiful walls, for want of mortar, which could not be procured at the moment, is said to have marked outits outline with flour; an incident which foreshowed that the cityshould hereafter abound in supplies of provisions. 

8. At Inibis the air is wholesome, the sky pure and undisturbed; and, asthe experience of a long series of ages proves, there is scarcely ever aday on which the inhabitants of this city do not see the sun. 

9. The shore is shifty and dangerous; and as in former times it exposedsailors to many dangers, Cleopatra erected a lofty tower in the harbour, which was named Pharos, from the spot on which it was built, and whichafforded light to vessels by night when coming from the Levant or theLibyan sea along the plain and level coast, without any signs ofmountains or towns or eminences to direct them, they were previouslyoften wrecked by striking into the soft and adhesive sand. 

10. The same queen, for a well-known and necessary reason, made acauseway seven furlongs in extent, admirable for its size and for thealmost incredible rapidity with which it was made. The island of Pharos, where Homer in sublime language relates that Proteus used to amusehimself with his herds of seals, is almost a thousand yards from theshore on which the city stands, and was liable to pay tribute to theRhodians. 

11. And when on one occasion the farmers of this revenue came to makeexorbitant demands, she, being a wily woman, on a pretext of it beingthe season of solemn holidays, led them into the suburbs, and orderedthe work to be carried on without ceasing. And so seven furlongs werecompleted in seven days, being raised with the soil of the adjacentshore. Then the queen, driving over it in her chariot, said that theRhodians were making a blunder in demanding port dues for what was notan island but part of the mainland. 

12. Besides this there are many lofty temples, and especially one toSerapis, which, although no words can adequately describe it, we may yetsay, from its splendid halls supported by pillars, and its beautifulstatues and other embellishments, is so superbly decorated, that next tothe Capitol, of which the ever-venerable Rome boasts, the whole worldhas nothing worthier of admiration. 

13. In it were libraries of inestimable value; and the concurrenttestimony of ancient records affirm that 70, 000 volumes, which had beencollected by the anxious care of the Ptolemies, were burnt in theAlexandrian war when the city was sacked in the time of Cæsar theDictator. 

14. Twelve miles from this city is Canopus, which, according to ancienttradition, received its name from the prophet of Menelaus, who wasburied there. It is a place exceedingly well supplied with good inns, ofa most wholesome climate, with refreshing breezes; so that any one whoresides in that district might think himself out of our world while hehears the breezes murmuring through the sunny atmosphere. 

15. Alexandria itself was not, like other cities, gradually embellished, but at its very outset it was adorned with spacious roads. But afterhaving been long torn by violent seditions, at last, when Aurelian wasemperor, and when the intestine quarrels of its citizens had proceededto deadly strife, its walls were destroyed, and it lost the largest halfof its territory, which was called Bruchion, and had long been the abodeof eminent men. 

16. There had lived Aristarchus, that illustrious grammarian; andHerodianus, that accurate inquirer into the fine arts; and SaccasAmmonius, the master of Plotinus, and many other writers in varioususeful branches of literature, among whom Didymus, surnamedChalcenterus, a man celebrated for his writings on many subjects ofscience, deserves especial mention; who, in the six books in which he, sometimes incorrectly, attacks Cicero, imitating those malignant farcewriters, is justly blamed by the learned as a puppy barking from adistance with puny voice against the mighty roar of the lion. 

17. And although, besides those I have mentioned, there were many othermen of eminence in ancient times, yet even now there is much learning inthe same city; for teachers of various sects flourish, and many kinds ofsecret knowledge are explained by geometrical science. Nor is music deadamong them, nor harmony. And by a few, observations of the motion of theworld and of the stars are still cultivated; while of learnedarithmeticians the number is considerable; and besides them there aremany skilled in divination. 

18. Again, of medicine, the aid of which in our present extravagant andluxurious way of life is incessantly required, the study is carried onwith daily increasing eagerness; so that while the employment be ofitself creditable, it is sufficient as a recommendation for any medicalman to be able to say that he was educated at Alexandria. And this isenough to say on this subject. 

19. But if any one in the earnestness of his intellect wishes to applyhimself to the various branches of divine knowledge, or to theexamination of metaphysics, he will find that the whole world owes thiskind of learning to Egypt. 

20. Here first, far earlier than in any other country, men arrived atthe various cradles (if I may so say) of different religions. Here theystill carefully preserve the elements of sacred rites as handed down intheir secret volumes. 

21. It was in learning derived from Egypt that Pythagoras was educated, which taught him to worship the gods in secret, to establish theprinciple that in whatever he said or ordered his authority was final, to exhibit his golden thigh at Olympia, and to be continually seen inconversation with an eagle. 

22. Here it was that Anaxagoras derived the knowledge which enabled himto predict that stones would fall from heaven, and from the feeling ofthe mud in a well to foretell impending earthquakes. Solon too derivedaid from the apophthegms of the priests of Egypt in the enactment of hisjust and moderate laws, by which he gave great confirmation to the Romanjurisprudence. From this source too Plato, soaring amid sublime ideas, rivalling Jupiter himself in the magnificence of his voice, acquiredhis glorious wisdom by a visit to Egypt. 

23. The inhabitants of Egypt are generally swarthy and darkcomplexioned, and of a rather melancholy cast of countenance, thin anddry looking, quick in every motion, fond of controversy, and bitterexactors of their rights. Among them a man is ashamed who has notresisted the payment of tribute, and who does not carry about him whealswhich he has received before he could be compelled to pay it. Nor haveany tortures been found sufficiently powerful to make the hardenedrobbers of this country disclose their names unless they do sovoluntarily. 

24. It is well known, as the ancient annals prove, that all Egypt wasformerly under kings who were friendly to us. But after Antony andCleopatra were defeated in the naval battle at Actium, it became aprovince under the dominion of Octavianus Augustus. We became masters ofthe dry Libya by the last will of king Apion. Cyrene and the othercities of Libya Pentapolis we owe to the liberality of Ptolemy. Afterthis long digression, I will now return to my original subject. 

[121] Ammianus uses the phrase "worship of _the gods_, " in opposition toChristianity. 

[122] Pro Archias Poeta, cap. Xxii. 

[123] The fable was that Hecuba was turned into a bitch, from which thisplace was called κονος σῆμα, a dog's tomb. 

[124] To--the name Βόσπορος is derived from βοὸς πόρος, the passage ofthe Cow. 

[125] So Virgil calls them Indomitique Dahæ. In the Georgics, also, hespeaks of the Chalybes as producers of iron. At Chalybes nudi ferrum. 

[126] Or triennial, from τρεῖς, three; and ἒτος, ayear. 

[127] From Διόσκουροι, the sons of Jupiter, _i. E. _, Castor andPollux. 

[128] From ἡνίοχος, a charioteer. 

[129] The old name was Ἂξεινος, inhospitable; turned intoεὔξεινος, friendly to strangers--εὐήθης, according toetymology, would mean "of a good disposition:" εὐφρόνη, "thetime when people have happy thoughts;" Εὐμενίδες, "deities ofpropitious might. "

[130] A people living in one of the islands near Sicily, and changed byJupiter as related, Ov. Met. Xiv. , into monkeys. 

[131] Two of the chief giants, Hom. Od. Xi. 

[132] A time spoken of by Pliny as before the fourth watch. 

[133] These books are lost. 

[134] We must remark here Ammianus's complete ignorance of comparativegeography and the bearings of the different countries of which hespeaks. The Syrtes and Cape Ras are due _west_, not south of Egypt, TheEthiopians and Catadupi are on the north; while the Arabs, whom heplaces in the same line, are on the south-east. The Sea of Issus, on theLevant, which he places on the west, is on the north. 

[135] The Blemmyæ were an Ethiopian tribe to the south of Egypt. 

[136] These names seem derived from the real or fancied shape of thesnakes mentioned: the amphisbæna, from ἀμφὶ and βαίνω, to go both ways, as it was believed to have a head at each end. Thescytalas was like "a staff;" the acontias, like "a javelin;" the dipsaswas a thirsty snake. 

[137] From ἀντὶ, opposite; and σκιὰ, shadow. 

BOOK XXIII. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. Julian in vain attempts to restore the temple at Jerusalem, which had been destroyed long before. --II. He orders Arsaces, king of Armenia, to prepare for the war with Persia, and with an army and auxiliary troops of the Scythians crosses the Euphrates. --III. As he marches through Mesopotamia, the princes of the Saracenic tribes of their own accord offer him a golden crown and auxiliary troops--A Roman fleet of eleven hundred ships arrives, and bridges over the Euphrates. --IV. A description of several engines, balistæ, scorpions, or wild-asses, battering-rams, helepoles, and fire-machines. --V. Julian, with all his army, crosses the river Aboras by a bridge of boats at Circesium--He harangues his soldiers. --VI. A description of the eighteen principal provinces of Persia, their cities, and the customs of their inhabitants. 

I. 

A. D. 363. 

§ 1. To pass over minute details, these were the principal events of theyear. But Julian, who in his third consulship had taken as his colleagueSallustius, the prefect of Gaul now entered on his fourth year, and by anovel arrangement took as his colleague a private individual; an act ofwhich no one recollected an instance since that of Diocletian andAristobulus. 

2. And although, foreseeing in his anxious mind the various accidentsthat might happen, he urged on with great diligence all the endlesspreparations necessary for his expedition, yet distributing hisdiligence everywhere; and being eager to extend the recollection of hisreign by the greatness of his exploits, he proposed to rebuild at a vastexpense the once magnificent temple of Jerusalem, which after manydeadly contests was with difficulty taken by Vespasian and Titus, whosucceeded his father in the conduct of the siege. And he assigned thetask to Alypius of Antioch, who had formerly been proprefect of Britain. 

3. But though Alypius applied himself vigorously to the work, and thoughthe governor of the province co-operated with him, fearful balls of fireburst forth with continual eruptions close to the foundations, burningseveral of the workmen and making the spot altogether inaccessible. Andthus the very elements, as if by some fate, repelling the attempt, itwas laid aside. 

4. About the same time the emperor conferred various honours on theambassadors who were sent to him from the Eternal City, being men ofhigh rank and established excellence of character. He appointedApronianus to be prefect of Rome, Octavianus to be proconsul of Africa, Venustus to be viceroy of Spain, and promoted Rufinus Aradius to becount of the East in the room of his uncle Julian, lately deceased. 

5. When all this had been carried out as he arranged, he was alarmed byan omen which, as the result showed, indicated an event immediately athand. Felix, the principal treasurer, having died suddenly of ahemorrhage, and Count Julian having followed him, the populace, lookingon their public titles, hailed Julian as Felix and Augustus. 

6. Another bad omen had preceded this, for, on the very first day of theyear, as the emperor was mounting the steps of the temple of the Genius, one of the priests, the eldest of all, fell without any one striking himand suddenly expired; an event which the bystanders, either out ofignorance or a desire to flatter, affirmed was an omen affectingSallustius, as the elder consul; but it was soon seen that the death itportended was not to the elder man, but to the higher authority. 

7. Besides these several other lesser signs from time to time indicatedwhat was about to happen; for, at the very beginning of the arrangementsfor the Parthian campaign, news came that there had been an earthquakeat Constantinople, which those skilful in divination declared to be anunfavourable omen to a ruler about to invade a foreign country; andtherefore advised Julian to abandon his unreasonable enterprise, affirming that these and similar signs can only be disregarded withpropriety when one's country is invaded by foreign armies, as then thereis one everlasting and invariable law, to defend its safety by everypossible means, allowing no relaxation nor delay. News also came byletter that at Rome the Sibylline volumes had been consulted on thesubject of the war by Julian's order, and that they had in plain termswarned him not to quit his own territories that year. 

II. 

§ 1. But in the mean time embassies arrived from several nationspromising aid, and they were liberally received and dismissed; theemperor with plausible confidence replying that it by no means becamethe power of Rome to rely on foreign aid to avenge itself, as it wasrather fitting that Rome should give support to its friends and alliesif necessity drove them to ask it. 

2. He only warned Arsaces, king of Armenia, to collect a strong force, and wait for his orders, as he should soon know which way to march, andwhat to do. Then, as soon as prudence afforded him an opportunity, hastening to anticipate every rumour of his approach by the occupationof the enemy's country, before spring had well set in, he sent thesignal for the advance to all his troops, commanding them to cross theEuphrates. 

3. As soon as the order reached them, they hastened to quit their winterquarters; and having crossed the river, according to their orders, theydispersed into their various stations, and awaited the arrival of theemperor. But he, being about to quit Antioch, appointed a citizen ofHeliopolis, named Alexander, a man of turbulent and ferocious character, to govern Syria, saying that he indeed had not deserved such a post, butthat the Antiochians, being covetous and insolent, required a judge ofthat kind. 

4. When he was about to set forth, escorted by a promiscuous multitudewho wished him a fortunate march and a glorious return, praying that hewould be merciful and kinder than he had been, he (for the anger whichtheir addresses and reproaches had excited in his breast was not yetappeased) spoke with severity to them, and declared that he would neversee them again. 

5. For he said that he had determined, after his campaign was over, toreturn by a shorter road to Tarsus in Cilicia, to winter there: and thathe had written to Memorius, the governor of the city, to prepareeverything that he might require in that city. This happened not longafterwards; for his body was brought back thither and buried in thesuburbs with a very plain funeral, as he himself had commanded. 

6. As the weather was now getting warm he set out on the fifth of March, and by the usual stages arrived at Hieropolis; and as he entered thegates of that large city a portico on the left suddenly fell down, andas fifty soldiers were passing under it at that moment it wounded many, crushing them beneath the vast weight of the beams and tiles. 

7. Having collected all his troops from thence, he marched with suchspeed towards Mesopotamia, that before any intelligence of his marchcould arrive (an object about which he was especially solicitous) hecame upon the Assyrians quite unexpectedly. Then having led his wholearmy and the Scythian auxiliaries across the Euphrates by a bridge ofboats, he arrived at Batnæ, a town of Osdroene, and there again a sadomen met him. 

8. For when a great crowd of grooms was standing near an enormouslyhigh haystack, in order to receive their forage (for in this way thosesupplies used to be stored in that country), the mass was shaken by thenumbers who sought to strip it, and falling down, overwhelmed fifty men. 

III. 

§ 1. Leaving this place with a heavy heart, he marched with great speed, and arrived at Carrhæ, an ancient town notorious for the disasters ofCrassus and the Roman army. From this town two royal roads branch off, both leading into Persia; that on the left hand through Adiabene andalong the Tigris, that on the right through the Assyrians and along theEuphrates. 

2. There he stayed some days, preparing necessary supplies; andaccording to the custom of the district he offered sacrifices to themoon, which is religiously worshipped in that region; and it is saidthat while before the altar, no witness to the action being admitted, hesecretly gave his own purple robe to Procopius, and bade him boldlyassume the sovereignty if he should hear that he had died among theParthians. 

3. Here while asleep his mind was agitated with dreams, and foresaw somesad event about to happen; on which account he and the interpreters ofdreams considering the omens which presented themselves, pronounced thatthe next day, which was the nineteenth of March, ought to be solemnlyobserved. But, as was ascertained subsequently, that very same night, while Apronianus was prefect of Rome, the temple of the Palatine Apollowas burnt in the Eternal City; and if aid from all quarters had not cometo the rescue the violence of the conflagration would have destroyedeven the prophetic volumes of the Sibyl. 

4. After these things had happened in this manner, and while Julian wassettling his line of march, and making arrangements for supplies of allkinds, his scouts come panting in, and bring him word that somesquadrons of the enemy's cavalry have suddenly passed the frontier inthe neighbourhood of the camp, and have driven off a large booty. 

5. Indignant at such atrocity and at such an insult, he immediately (asindeed he had previously contemplated) put thirty thousand chosen menunder the orders of Procopius, who has been already mentioned, unitingwith him in this command Count Sebastian, formerly Duke of Egypt; and heordered them to act on this side of the Tigris, observing everythingvigilantly, so that no danger might arise on any side where it was notexpected, for such things had frequently happened. He charged themfurther, if it could be done, to join King Arsaces; and march with himsuddenly through Corduena and Moxoëne, ravaging Chiliocomus, a veryfertile district of Media, and other places; and then to rejoin himwhile still in Assyria, in order to assist him as he might require. 

6. Having taken these measures, Julian himself, pretending to march bythe line of the Tigris, on which road he had purposely commandedmagazines of provisions to be prepared, turned towards the right, andafter a quiet night, asked in the morning for the horse which he wasaccustomed to ride: his name was Babylonius. And when he was brought, being suddenly griped and starting at the pain, he fell down, androlling about scattered the gold and jewels with which his trappingswere decked. Julian, in joy at this omen, cried out, amid the applauseof those around, that "Babylon had fallen, and was stripped of all herornaments. "

7. Having delayed a little that he might confirm the omen by thesacrifice of some victims, he advanced to Davana, where he had agarrison-fortress, and where the river Belias rises which falls into theEuphrates. Here he refreshed his men with food and sleep, and the nextday reached Callinicus, a strong fortress, and also a great commercialmart, where, on the 27th of March (the day on which at Rome the annualfestival in honour of Cybele is celebrated, and the car in which herimage is borne is, as it is said, washed in the waters of the Almo), hekept the same feast according to the manner of the ancients, and then, retiring to rest, passed a triumphant, and joyful night. 

8. The next day he proceeded along the bank of the river, which otherstreams began to augment, marching with an armed escort; and at night herested in a tent where some princes of the Saracenic tribes came assuppliants, bringing him a golden crown, and adoring him as the masterof the world and of their own nations: he received them graciously, aspeople well adapted for surprises in war. 

9. And while addressing them a fleet arrived equal to that of the mightysovereign Xerxes, under the command of the tribune Constantianus, andCount Lucillianus; they threw a bridge over the broadest part of theEuphrates: the fleet consisted of one thousand transports, of varioussorts and sizes, bringing large supplies of provisions, and arms, andengines for sieges, and fifty ships of war, and as many more suitablefor the construction of bridges. 

IV. 

§ 1. I am reminded by the circumstances to explain instruments of thiskind briefly, as far as my moderate talent may enable me to do, andfirst I will set forth the figure of the balista. 

2. Between two axletrees a strong large iron bar is fastened, like agreat rule, round, smooth, and polished; from its centre a square pinprojects for some distance, hollowed out into a narrow channel down itsmiddle. This is bound by many ligatures of twisted cords: to it twowooden nuts are accurately fitted, by one of which stands a skilful manwho works it, and who fits neatly into the hollow of the pin or pole awooden arrow with a large point; and as soon as this is done, somestrong young men rapidly turn a wheel. 

3. When the tip of the arrow's point has reached the extremity of thecords, the arrow is struck by a blow from the balista, and flies out ofsight; sometimes even giving forth sparks by its great velocity, and itoften happens that before the arrow is seen, it has given a fatal wound. 

4. The scorpion, which they now call the wild-ass, is in the followingform. Two axletrees of oak or box are cut out and slightly curved, so asto project in small humps, and they are fastened together like a sawingmachine, being perforated with large holes on each side; and betweenthem, through the holes, strong ropes are fastened to hold the two partstogether, and prevent them from starting asunder. 

5. From these ropes thus placed a wooden pin rises in an obliquedirection, like the pole of a chariot, and it is so fastened by knottedcords as to be raised or depressed at pleasure. To its top, iron hooksare fastened, from which a sling hangs, made of either cord or iron. Below the pin is a large sack filled with shreds of cloth, fastened bystrong ties, and resting on heaped-up turves or mounds of brick. For anengine of this kind, if placed on a stone wall would destroy whateverwas beneath it, not by its weight, but by the violence of itsconcussion. 

6. Then when a conflict begins, a round stone is placed on the sling, and four youths on each side, loosening the bar to which the cords areattached, bend the pin back till it points almost upright into the air;then the worker of the engine, standing by on high ground, frees by ablow with the heavy hammer the bolt which keeps down the whole engine;and the pin being set free by the stroke, and striking against the massof cloth shreds, hurls forth the stone with such force as to crushwhatever it strikes. 

7. This engine is called a _tormentum_, because all its parts aretwisted (_torquetur_); or a scorpion, because it has an erect sting; butmodern times have given it the name of the wild-ass, because when wildasses are hunted, they throw the stones behind them by their kicks so asto pierce the chests of those who pursue them, or to fracture theirskulls. 

8. Now let us come to the battering ram. A lofty pine or ash is chosen, the top of which is armed with a long and hard head of iron, resemblinga ram, which form has given the name to the engine. It is suspended fromiron beams running across on each side, like the top of a pair ofscales, and is kept in its place by ropes hanging from a third beam. Anumber of men draw it back as far as there is room, and then again driveit forward to break down whatever opposes it by mighty blows, like a ramwhich rises up and butts. 

9. By the frequent blows of this rebounding thunderbolt, buildings aretorn asunder and walls are loosened and thrown down. By this kind ofengine, if worked with proper vigour, garrisons are deprived of theirdefences, and the strongest cities are laid open and sieges rapidlybrought to a conclusion. 

10. Instead of these rams, which from their common use came to bedespised, a machine was framed called in Greek the helepolis, by thefrequent use of which Demetrius, the son of king Antigonus, took Rhodesand other cities, and earned the surname of Poliorcetes. 

11. It is constructed in this manner. A vast testudo is put together, strengthened with long beams and fastened with iron nails; it is coveredwith bullocks' hides and wicker-work made of freshly cut twigs, and itstop is smeared over with clay to keep off missiles and fiery darts. 

12. Along its front very sharp spears with three points are fastened, heavy with iron, like the thunderbolts represented by painters orsculptors, and strong enough with the projecting points to tear topieces whatever it strikes. 

13. A number of soldiers within guide this vast mast with wheels andropes, urging with vehement impulse against the weaker parts of thewall, so that, unless repelled by the strength of the garrison above, itbreaks down the wall and lays open a great breach. 

14. The firebolts, which are a kind of missile, are made thus. They takean arrow of cane, joined together between the point and the reed withjagged iron, and made in the shape of a woman's spindle, with whichlinen threads are spun; this is cunningly hollowed out in the belly andmade with several openings, and in the cavity fire and fuel of some kindis placed. 

15. Then if it be shot slowly from a slack bow (for if it be shot withtoo much speed the fire is extinguished), so as to stick anywhere, itburns obstinately, and if sprinkled with water it creates a stillfiercer fire, nor will anything but throwing dust upon it quench it. This is enough to say of mural engines; let us now return to ouroriginal subject. 

V. 

§ 1. Having received the reinforcements of the Saracens which they socheerfully offered, the emperor advanced with speed, and at thebeginning of April entered Circesium, a very secure fortress, andskilfully built, it is surrounded by the two rivers Aboras (or Chaboras)and Euphrates, which make it as it were an island. 

2. It had formerly been small and insecure, till Diocletian surroundedit with lofty towers and walls when he was strengthening his innerfrontier within the very territories of the barbarians, in order toprevent the Persians from overrunning Syria, as had happened a few yearsbefore to the great injury of the province. 

3. For it happened one day at Antioch, when the city was in perfecttranquillity, a comic actor being on the stage with his wife, actingsome common play, while the people were delighted with his acting, thewife suddenly exclaimed, "Unless I am dreaming, here are the Persians;"and immediately the populace turning round, were put to flight, anddriven about in every direction while seeking to escape the darts whichwere showered upon them; and so the city being burnt and numbers of thecitizens slain, who, as is usual in time of peace, were strolling aboutcarelessly, and all the places in the neighbourhood being burnt and laidwaste, the enemy loaded with booty returned in safety to their owncountry after having burnt Mareades alive, who had wickedly guided themto the destruction of his fellow-citizens. This event took place in thetime of Gallienus. 

4. But Julian, while remaining at Circesium to give time for his armyand all its followers to cross the bridge of boats over the Aboras, received letters with bad news from Sallust, the prefect of Gaul, entreating him to suspend his expedition against the Parthians, andimploring him not in such an unseasonable manner to rush on irrevocabledestruction before propitiating the gods. 

5. But Julian disregarded his prudent adviser, and advanced boldly;since no human power or virtue can ever avail to prevent eventsprescribed by the order of the Fates. And immediately, having crossedthe river, he ordered the bridge to be taken to pieces, that thesoldiers might have no hope of safety by quitting their ranks andreturning. 

6. Here also a bad omen was seen; the corpse of an officer who had beenput to death by the executioner, whom Sallust, the prefect, while inthis country had condemned to death, because, after having promised todeliver an additional supply of provisions by an appointed day, hedisappointed him through some hindrance. But after the unhappy man hadbeen executed, the very next day there arrived, as he had promised, another fleet heavily laden with corn. 

7. Leaving Circesium, we came to Zaitha, the name of the place meaningan olive-tree. Here we saw the tomb of the emperor Gordian, which isvisible a long way off, whose actions from his earliest youth, and whosemost fortunate campaigns and treacherous murder we related at the propertime, [138] and when, in accordance with his innate piety he had offereddue honours to this deified emperor and was on his way to Dura, a townnow deserted, he stood without moving on beholding a large body ofsoldiers. 

8. And as he was doubting what their object was, they brought him anenormous lion which had attacked their ranks and had been slain by theirjavelins. He, elated at this circumstance, which he looked on as an omenof success in his enterprise, advanced with increased exultation; but souncertain is fortune, the event was quite contrary to his expectation. The death of a king was certainly foreshown, but who was the king wasuncertain. 

9. For we often read of ambiguous oracles, never understood till theresults interpreted them; as, for instance, the Delphic prophecy, whichforetold that after crossing the Halys, Croesus would overthrow amighty kingdom; and another, which by hints pointed out the sea to theAthenians as the field of combat against the Medes; and another; laterthan these, but not less ambiguous:--

 "O son of Æacus, I say that you the Romans can subdue. "

10. The Etrurian soothsayers who accompanied him, being men skilful inportents, had often warned him against this campaign, but got no credit;so now they produced their books of such signs, and showed that this wasan omen of a forbidding character, and unfavourable to a prince whoshould invade the country of another sovereign however justly. 

11. But he spurned the opposition of philosophers, whose authority heought to have reverenced, though at times they were mistaken, and thoughthey were sometimes obstinate in cases which they did not thoroughlyunderstand. In truth, they brought forward as a plausible argument tosecure credit to their knowledge, that in time past, when CæsarMaximianus was about to fight Narses, king of the Persians, a lion and ahuge boar which had been slain were at the same time brought to him, andafter subduing that nation he returned in safety; forgetting that thedestruction which was now portended was to him who invaded the dominionsof another, and that Narses had given the offence by being the first tomake an inroad into Armenia, a country under the Roman jurisdiction. 

12. On the next day, which was the 7th of April, as the sun was setting, suddenly the air became darkened, and all light wholly disappeared, andafter repeated claps of thunder and flashes of lightning, a soldiernamed Jovianus was struck by the lightning and killed, with two horseswhich he was leading back from the river to which he had taken them todrink. 

13. When this was seen, the interpreters of such things were sent forand questioned, and they with increased boldness affirmed that thisevent forbade the campaign, demonstrating it to be a monitory lightning(for this term is applied to signs which advise or discourage any lineof action). And this, as they said, was to be the more guarded against, because it had killed a soldier of rank, with war-horses; and the bookswhich explain lightnings pronounce that places struck in this mannershould not be trodden on, nor even looked upon. 

14. On the other hand, the philosophers declared that the brilliancy ofthis sacred fire thus suddenly presented to the eye had no specialmeaning, but was merely the course of a fiercer breath descending bysome singular power from the sky to the lower parts of the world; andthat if any foreknowledge were to be derived from such a circumstance, it was rather an increase of renown which was portended to the emperornow engaged in a glorious enterprise; since it is notorious that flame, if it meet with no obstacle, does of its own nature fly upwards. 

15. The bridge then, as has been narrated, having been finished, and allthe troops having crossed it, the emperor thought it the most importantof all things to address his soldiers who were advancing resolutely, infull reliance on their leader and on themselves. Accordingly, a signalhaving been given by the trumpets, the centurions, cohorts, and maniplesassembled, and he, standing on a mound of earth, and surrounded by aring of officers of high rank, spoke thus with a cheerful face, beingfavourably heard with the unanimous good will of all present. 

16. "Seeing, my brave soldiers, that you are full of great vigour andalacrity, I have determined to address you, to prove to you by severalarguments that the Romans are not, as spiteful grumblers assert, now forthe first time invading the kingdom of Persia. For, to say nothing ofLucullus or of Pompey, who, having forced his way through the Albani andMassagetæ, whom we call Alani, penetrated through this nation also so asto reach the Caspian lake; we know that Ventidius, the lieutenant ofAntony, gained many victories in these regions. 

17. "But to leave those ancient times, I will enumerate other exploitsof more recent memory. Trajan, and Verus, and Severus have all gainedvictories and trophies in this country; and the younger Gordian, whosemonument we have just been honouring, would have reaped similar glory, having conquered and routed the king of Persia at Resaina, if he had notbeen wickedly murdered in this very place by the faction of Philip, theprefect of the prætorium, with the assistance of a few other impiousmen. 

18. "But his shade was not long left to wander unavenged, since, as ifJustice herself had laboured in the cause, all those who conspiredagainst him have been put to death with torture. Those men, indeed, ambition prompted to the atrocious deed; but we are exhorted by themiserable fate of cities recently taken, by the unavenged shades of ourslaughtered armies, by the heaviness of our losses, and the loss of manycamps and fortresses, to the enterprise which we have undertaken. Allmen uniting in their wishes that we may remedy past evils, and havingsecured the honour and safety of the republic on this side, may leaveposterity reason to speak nobly of us. 

19. "By the assistance of the eternal deity, I, your emperor, will bealways among you as a leader and a comrade, relying, as I well believe, on favourable omens. But if variable fortune shall defeat me in battle, it will still be sufficient for me to have devoted myself for thewelfare of the Roman world, like ancient Curtii and Mucii, and theillustrious family of the Decii. We have to abolish a most perniciousnation, on whose swords the blood of our kindred is not yet dry. 

20. "Our ancestors have before now devoted ages to cause thedestruction of enemies who harassed them. Carthage was overthrown aftera long and distressing war; and its great conqueror feared to let itsurvive his victory. After a long and often disastrous siege, Scipioutterly destroyed Numantia. Rome destroyed Fidenæ, that it might notgrow up as a rival to the empire; and so entirely laid waste Falisci andVeii, that it is not easy to attach so much faith to ancient records asto believe that those cities ever were powerful. 

21. "These transactions I have related to you as one acquainted withancient history. It follows that all should lay aside, as unworthy ofhim, the love of plunder, which has often been the insidious bane of theRoman soldier, and that every one should keep steadily to his own troopand his own standard, when the necessity for fighting arises, knowingthat should he loiter anywhere he will be hamstrung and left to hisfate. I fear nothing of our over-crafty enemies but their tricks andperfidy. 

22. "Finally, I promise you all, that when our affairs have met withsuccess, without entrenching myself behind my imperial prerogative, soas to consider all my own decisions and opinions irrefragably just andreasonable because of my authority, I will give, if required, a fullexplanation of all that I have done, that you may be able to judgewhether it has been wise or not. 

23. "Therefore, I entreat you, now summon all your courage, in fullreliance on your good fortune, sure at all events that I will share alldangers equally with you, and believing that victory ever accompaniesjustice. "

24. When he had ended his harangue with this pleasant peroration, thesoldiers, exulting in the glory of their chief, and elated with thehopes of success, lifted up their shields on high, and cried out thatthey should think nothing dangerous nor difficult under an emperor whoimposed more toil on himself than on his common soldiers. 

25. And above all the rest his Gallic troops showed this feeling withtriumphant shouts, remembering how often while he as their leader wasmarshalling their ranks, they had seen some nations defeated and otherscompelled to sue for mercy and peace. 

VI. 

§ 1. Our history here leads us to a digression explanatory of thesituation of Persia. It has been already dilated upon by those whodescribe different nations, though but few of them have given a correctaccount; if my story should be a little longer, it will contribute to abetter knowledge of the country. For whoever affects excessiveconciseness while speaking of things but little known, does not so muchconsider how to explain matters intelligibly, as how much he may omit. 

2. This kingdom, formerly but small, and one which had been known byseveral names, from causes which we have often mentioned, after thedeath of Alexander at Babylon received the name of Parthia from Arsaces, a youth of obscure birth, who in his early youth was a leader ofbanditti, but who gradually improved his condition, and rose to highrenown from his illustrious actions. 

3. After many splendid and gallant exploits he defeated NicatorSeleucus, the successor of the above-named Alexander, who had receivedthe surname of Nicator[139] from his repeated victories; and havingexpelled the Macedonian garrisons, he lived for the remainder of hislife in peace, like a merciful ruler of willing subjects. 

4. At last, after all the neighbouring districts had been brought underhis power, either by force or by fear, or by his reputation for justice, he died a peaceful death in middle age, after he had filled all Persiawith flourishing cities and well-fortified camps and fortresses, and hadmade it an object of terror to its neighbours whom previously it used tofear. And he was the first of these kings who had by the unanimousconsent of all his countrymen of all ranks, in accordance with thetenets of their religion, had his memory consecrated as one now placedamong the stars. 

5. And it is from his era that the arrogant sovereigns of that nationhave allowed themselves to be entitled brothers of the sun and moon. And, as the title of Augustus is sought for and desired by our emperors, so now the additional dignities first earned by the fortunate auspicesof Arsaces are claimed by all the Parthian kings, who were formerlyabject and inconsiderable. 

6. So that they still worship and honour Arsaces as a god, and down toour day have given him so much honour that, in conferring the royalpower, one of his race has been always preferred to any one else. Andalso in intestine quarrels, such as are common in that nation, every oneavoids as sacrilege wounding any descendant of Arsaces, whether in armsor living as a private individual. 

7. It is well known that this nation, after subduing many others byforce, extended its dominions as far as the Propontis and Thrace; butthat it subsequently became diminished and suffered great disasters, owing to the arrogance of its ambitious monarchs, who carried theirlicentious inroads into distant countries. First, in consequence of theconduct of Cyrus, who crossed the Bosphorus with a fabulous host, butwas wholly destroyed by Tomyris, queen of the Scythians, who thusterribly avenged her sons. 

8. After him, when Darius, and subsequently Xerxes, changed the use[140]of the elements and invaded Greece, they had nearly all their forcesdestroyed by land and sea, and could scarcely escape in safetythemselves. I say nothing of the wars of Alexander, and of his leavingthe sovereignty over the whole nation by will to his successor. 

9. Then, a long time after these events, while our republic was underconsuls, and was afterwards brought under the power of the Cæsars, thatnation was constantly warring with us, sometimes with equal fortune;being at one time defeated, and at another victorious. 

10. Now I will in a few words describe the situation and position of thecountry as well as I can. It is a region of great extent both in lengthand breadth, entirely surrounding on all sides the famous Persian gulfwith its many islands. The mouth of this gulf is so narrow that fromHarmozon, the promontory of Carmania, the opposite headland, which thenatives call Maces, is easily seen. 

11. When the strait between these capes is passed, and the water becomeswider, they are navigable up to the city Teredon, where, after havingsuffered a great diminution of its waters, the Euphrates falls into thesea. The entire gulf, if measured round the shore, is 20, 000 furlongs, being of a circular form as if turned in a lathe. And all round itscoasts are towns and villages in great numbers; and the vessels whichnavigate its waters are likewise very numerous. 

12. Having then passed through this strait we come to the gulf ofArmenia on the east, the gulf of Cantichus on the south, and on the westto a third, which they call Chalites. [141] These gulfs, after washingmany islands, of which but few are known, join the great Indian Ocean, which is the first to receive the glowing rising of the sun, and isitself of an excessive heat. 

13. As the pens of geographers delineate it, the whole of the regionwhich we have been speaking of is thus divided. From the north to theCaspian gates it borders on the Cadusii, and on many Scythian tribes, and on the Arimaspi, a fierce one-eyed people. On the west it is boundedby the Armenians, and Mount Niphates, the Asiatic Albani, the Red Sea, and the Scenite Arabs, whom later times have called the Saracens. To thesouth it looks towards Mesopotamia, on the east it reaches to theGanges, which falls into the Southern Ocean after intersecting thecountries of the Indians. 

14. The principal districts of Persia, under command of the Vitaxæ, thatis to say of the generals of the cavalry, and of the king's Satraps, forthe many inferior provinces it would be difficult and superfluous toenumerate, are Assyria, Susiana, Media, Persia, Parthia, the greaterCarmania, Hyrcania, Margiana, the Bactrians, the Sogdians, the Sacæ, Scythia beyond Mount Emodes, Serica, Aria, the Paropanisadæ, Drangiana, Arachosia, and Gedrosia. 

15. Superior to all the rest is that which is the nearest to us, Assyria, both in renown, and extent, and its varied riches andfertility. It was formerly divided among several peoples and tribes, butis now known under one common name as Assyria. It is in that countrythat amid its abundance of fruits and ordinary crops, there is a lakenamed Sosingites, near which bitumen is found. In this lake the Tigrisis for a while absorbed, flowing beneath its bed, till, at a greatdistance, it emerges again. 

16. Here also is produced naphtha, an article of a pitchy and glutinouscharacter, resembling bitumen: on which if ever so small a bird perches, it finds its flight impeded and speedily dies. It is a species ofliquid, and when once it has taken fire, human ingenuity can find nomeans of extinguishing it except that of heaping dust on it. 

17. In the same district is seen an opening in the earth from which adeadly vapour arises, which by its foul odour destroys any animal whichcomes near it. The evil arises from a deep well, and if that odourspread beyond its wide mouth before it rose higher, it would make allthe country around uninhabitable by its fetid effect. 

18. There used, as some affirm, to be a similar chasm near Hierapolis inPhrygia; from which a noxious vapour rose in like manner with a fetidsmell which never ceased, and destroyed everything within the reach ofits influence, except eunuchs; to what this was owing we leave naturalphilosophers to determine. 

19. Also near the temple of the Asbamæan Jupiter, in Cappadocia (inwhich district that eminent philosopher Apollonius is said to have beenborn near the town of Tyana), a spring rises from a marsh, which, however swollen with its rising floods, never overflows its banks. 

20. Within this circuit is Adiabene, which was formerly called Assyria, but by long custom has received its present name from the circumstance, that being placed between the two navigable rivers the Ona and theTigris, it can never be approached by fording; for in Greek we useδιαβαίνειν for to "cross:" this was the belief of the ancients. 

21. But we say that in this country there are two rivers which neverfail, which we ourselves have crossed, the Diabas, and the Adiabas:both having bridges of boats over them; and that Adiabene has receivedits name from this last, as Homer tells us Egypt received its name fromits great river, and India also, and Commagena which was formerly calledEuphratensis, as did the country now called Spain, which was formerlycalled Iberia from the Iberus. [142] And the great Spanish province ofBoetica from the river Boetis. [143]

22. In this district of Adiabene is the city of Nineveh, named afterNinus, a most mighty sovereign of former times, and the husband ofSemiramis, who was formerly queen of Persia, and also the cities ofEcbatana, Arbela, and Gaugamela, where Alexander, after several otherbattles, gave the crowning defeat to Darius. 

23. In Assyria there are many cities, among which one of the mosteminent is Apamia, surnamed Mesene, and Teredon, and Apollonia, andVologesia, and many others of equal importance. But the most splendidand celebrated are these three, Babylon, the walls of which Semiramiscemented with pitch; for its citadel indeed was founded by that mosteminent monarch Belus. And Ctesiphon which Vardanes built long ago, andwhich subsequently King Pacorus enlarged by an immigration of manycitizens, fortifying it also with walls, and giving it a name, made itthe most splendid place in Persia--next to it Seleucia, the splendidwork of Seleucus Nicator. 

24. This, however, as we have already related, was stormed by thegenerals of Verus Cæsar, who carried the image of the Cumæan Apollo toRome, and placed it in the temple of the Palatine Apollo, where it wasformally dedicated to that god by his priests. But it is said that afterthis statue was carried off, and the city was burnt, the soldiers, searching the temple, found a narrow hole, and when this was opened inthe hope of finding something of value in it, from some deep gulf whichthe secret science of the Chaldæans had closed up, issued a pestilence, loaded with the force of incurable disease, which in the time of Verusand Marcus Antoninus polluted the whole world from the borders of Persiato the Rhine and Gaul with contagion and death. 

25. Near to this is the region of the Chaldæans, the nurse of theancient philosophy, as the Chaldæans themselves affirm; and where theart of true divination has most especially been conspicuous. Thisdistrict is watered by the noble rivers already mentioned, by theMarses, by the Royal river, and by that best of all, the Euphrates, which divides into three branches, and is navigable in them all, havingmany islands, and irrigating the fields around in a manner superior toany industry of cultivators, making them fit both for the plough and forthe production of trees. 

26. Next to these come the Susians, in whose province there are not manytowns; though Susa itself is celebrated as a city which has often beenthe home of kings, and Arsiana, and Sele, and Aracha. The other towns inthis district are unimportant and obscure. Many rivers flow through thisregion, the chief of which are the Oroates, the Harax, and the Meseus, passing through the narrow sandy plain which separates the Caspian fromthe Red Sea, and then fall into the sea. 

27. On the left, Media is bounded by the Hyrcanian Sea;[144] a countrywhich, before the reign of the elder Cyrus and the rise of Persia, weread was the supreme mistress of all Asia after the Assyrians had beenconquered; the greater part of whose cantons had their name changed intoone general appellation of Acrapatena, and fell by right of war underthe power of the Medes. 

28. They are a warlike nation, and the most formidable of all theeastern tribes, next to the Parthians, by whom alone they are conquered. The region which they inhabit is in the form of a square. All theinhabitants of these districts extend over great breadth of country, reaching to the foot of a lofty chain of mountains known by the names ofZagrus, Orontes, and Jasonium. 

29. There is another very lofty mountain called Coronus; and those whodwell on its western side abound in corn land and vineyards, beingblessed with a most fertile soil, and one enriched by rivers andfountains. 

30. They have also green meadows, and breeds of noble horses, on which(as ancient writers relate, and as we ourselves have witnessed) theirmen when going to battle mount with great exultation. They call themNesæi. [145]

31. They have also as many cities as Media, and villages as stronglybuilt as towns in other countries, inhabited by large bodies ofcitizens. In short, it is the richest quarter of the kingdom. 

32. In these districts the lands of the Magi are fertile; and it may beas well to give a short account of that sect and their studies, since wehave occasion to mention their name. Plato, that most learned delivererof wise opinions, teaches us that Magiæ is by a mystic nameMachagistia, [146] that is to say, the purest worship of divine beings;of which knowledge in olden times the Bactrian Zoroaster derived muchfrom the secret rites of the Chaldæans; and after him Hystaspes, a verywise monarch, the father of Darius. 

33. Who while boldly penetrating into the remoter districts of upperIndia, came to a certain woody retreat, of which with its tranquilsilence the Brahmans, men of sublime genius, were the possessors. Fromtheir teaching he learnt the principles of the motion of the world andof the stars, and the pure rites of sacrifice, as far as he could; andof what he learnt he infused some portion into the minds of the Magi, which they have handed down by tradition to later ages, each instructinghis own children, and adding to it their own system of divination. 

34. From his time, through many ages to the present era, a number ofpriests of one and the same race has arisen, dedicated to the worship ofthe gods. And they say, if it can be believed, that they even keep alivein everlasting fires a flame which descended from heaven among them; asmall portion of which, as a favourable omen, used to be borne beforethe kings of Asia. 

35. Of this class the number among the ancients was small, and thePersian sovereigns employed their ministry in the solemn performance ofdivine sacrifices, and it was profanation to approach the altars, or totouch a victim before a Magus with solemn prayers had poured over it apreliminary libation. But becoming gradually more numerous they arrivedat the dignity and reputation of a substantial race; inhabiting townsprotected by no fortifications, allowed to live by their own laws, andhonoured from the regard borne to their religion. 

36. It was of this race of Magi that the ancient volumes relate thatafter the death of Cambyses, seven men seized on the kingdom of Persia, who were put down by Darius, after he obtained the kingdom through theneighing of his horse. 

37. In this district a medical oil is prepared with which if an arrow besmeared, and it be shot gently from a loose bow (for it loses its effectin a rapid flight), wherever it sticks it burns steadily, and if any oneattempts to quench it with water it only burns more fiercely, nor can itbe put out by any means except by throwing dust on it. 

38. It is made in this manner. Those skilful in such arts mix common oilwith a certain herb, keep it a long time and when the mixture iscompleted they thicken it with a material derived from some naturalsource, like a thicker oil. The material being a liquor produced inPersia, and called, as I have already said, naphtha in their nativelanguage. 

39. In this district there are many cities, the most celebrated of whichare Zombis, Patigran, and Gazaca; but the richest and most stronglyfortified are Heraclia, Arsacia, Europos, Cyropolis, and Ecbatana, allof which are situated in the Syromedian region at the foot of MountJasonius. 

40. There are many rivers in this country, the principal of which arethe Choaspes, the Gyndes, the Amardus, the Charinda, the Cambyses, andthe Cyrus, to which, on account of its size and beauty, the elder Cyrus, that amiable king, gave its present name, abolishing that which it usedto bear, when he was proceeding on his expedition against Scythia; hisreason being that it was strong, as he accounted himself to be, and thatmaking its way with great violence, as he proposed to do, it falls intothe Caspian Sea. 

41. Beyond this frontier ancient Persia, stretching towards the south, extends as far as the sea, and is very thickly peopled, being also richin grain and date-trees, and well supplied with excellent water. Many ofits rivers fall into the gulf already mentioned, the chief of which arethe Vatrachites, the Rogomanis, the Brisoana, and the Bagrada. 

42. Its inland towns are very considerable; it is uncertain why theybuilt nothing remarkable on the sea-coast. Those of most note arePersepolis, Ardea, Obroatis, and Tragonice. The only islands visiblefrom that coast are these:--Tabiana, Fara, and Alexandria. 

43. On the borders of this ancient Persia towards the north is Parthia, a country subject to snow and frost; the principal river whichintersects that region is the Choatres; the chief towns are Genonia, Moesia, Charax, Apamia, Artacana, and Hecatompylos; from its frontieralong the shores of the Caspian Sea to the Caspian gates is a distanceof 1040 furlongs. 

44. The inhabitants of all the countries in that district are fierce andwarlike, and they are so fond of war and battle that he who is slain inbattle is accounted the happiest of men, while those who die a naturaldeath are reproached as degenerate and cowardly. 

45. These tribes are bounded on the east and the south by Arabia Felix, so called because it abounds equally in corn, cattle, vines, and everykind of spice: a great portion of that country reaches on the right downto the Red Sea, and on its left extends to the Persian Gulf; so that theinhabitants reap the benefits of both. 

46. There are in that country many havens and secure harbours, andwell-frequented marts; many spacious and splendid abodes for theirkings, and wholesome springs of water naturally warm, and a great numberof rivers and streams; the climate is temperate and healthy, so that ifone considers the matter rightly, the natives seem to want nothing toperfect their happiness. 

47. There are in it very many cities both on the coast and inland; manyfertile hills and valleys. The chief cities are Geapolis, Nascon, Baraba, Nagara, Mephra, Taphra, and Dioscurias. And in both seas itpossesses several islands lying off the coast, which it is not worthwhile to enumerate. But the most important of them is Turgana, in whichthere is said to be a magnificent temple of Serapis. 

48. Beyond the frontier of this nation is the greater Carmania, lying onhigh ground, and stretching to the Indian Sea; fertile in fruit andtimber trees, but neither so productive nor so extensive as Arabia. Withrivers it is as well supplied, and in grass and herbage scarcelyinferior. 

49. The most important rivers are the Sagareus, the Saganis, and theHydriacus. The cities are not numerous, but admirably supplied with allthe necessaries and luxuries of life; the most celebrated of them allare Carmania the metropolis, Portospana, Alexandria, and Hermopolis. 

50. Proceeding inland, we next come to the Hyrcanians, who live on thecoast of the sea of that name. Here the land is so poor that it killsthe seed crops, so that agriculture is not much attended to; but theylive by hunting, taking wonderful pleasure in every kind of sport. Thousands of tigers are found among them, and all kinds of wild beasts;we have already mentioned the various devices by which they are caught. 

51. Not indeed that they are ignorant of the art of ploughing, and somedistricts where the soil is fertile are regularly sown; nor are treeswanting to plant in suitable spots: many of the people too supportthemselves by commerce. 

52. In this province are two rivers of universal celebrity the Oxus andthe Maxera, which tigers sometimes, when urged by hunger, cross byswimming, and unexpectedly ravage the neighbouring districts. It hasalso besides other smaller towns some strong cities, two on thesea-shore named Socunda and Saramanna; and some inland, such as Azmornaand Sole, and Hyrcana, of higher reputation than either. 

53. Opposite to this tribe, towards the north, live the Abii, a verydevout nation, accustomed to trample under foot all worldly things, andwhom, as Homer somewhat fabulously says, Jupiter keeps in view fromMount Ida. 

54. The regions next to the Hyrcaneans are possessed by the Margiani, whose district is almost wholly surrounded by high hills, by which theyare separated from the sea; and although the greater part of thisprovince is deserted from want of water, still there are some towns init; the best known of which are Jasonium, Antiochia, and Nisæa. 

55. Next to them are the Bactrians, a nation formerly very warlike andpowerful, and always hostile to the Persians, till they drew all thenations around under their dominion, and united them under their ownname; and in old time the Bactrian kings were formidable even toArsaces. 

56. The greater part of their country, like that of the Margiani, issituated far from the sea-shore, but its soil is fertile, and the cattlewhich feed both on the plains and on the mountains in that district arevery large and powerful; of this the camels which Mithridates broughtfrom thence, and which were first seen by the Romans at the siege ofCyzicus, are a proof. 

57. Many tribes are subject to the Bactrians, the most considerable ofwhich are the Tochari: their country is like Italy in the number of itsrivers, some of which are the Artemis and the Zariaspes, which wereformerly joined, and the Ochus and Orchomanes, which also unite andafterwards fall into the Oxus, and increase that large river with theirstreams. 

58. There are also cities in that country, many of them on the border ofdifferent rivers, the best of which are Chatra, Charte, Alicodra, Astacea, Menapila, and Bactra itself, which has given its name both tothe region and to the people. 

59. At the foot of the mountains lie a people called the Sogdians, inwhose country are two rivers navigable for large vessels, the Araxatesand the Dymas, which, flowing among the hills and through the valleysinto the open plain, form the extensive Oxian marsh. In this districtthe most celebrated towns are Alexandria, Cyreschata, and Drepsa themetropolis. 

60. Bordering on these are the Sacæ, a fierce nation dwelling in agloomy-looking district, only fit for cattle, and on that accountdestitute of cities. They are at the foot of Mount Ascanimia and MountComedus, along the bottom of which, and by a town called the StoneTower, is the long road much frequented by merchants which leads toChina. 

61. Around the glens at the bottom of the Imanian and Tapurianmountains, and within the Persian frontier, is a tribe of Scythians, bordering on the Asiatic Sarmatians, and touching the furthest side ofthe Allemanni, who, like dwellers in a secluded spot, and made forsolitude, are scattered over the regions at long distances from oneanother, and live on hard and poor food. 

62. And various tribes inhabit these districts, which, as I amhastening to other topics, I think superfluous to enumerate. But this isworth knowing, that among these tribes, which are almost unapproachableon account of their excessive ferocity, there are some races of gentleand devout men, as the Jaxartæ and the Galactophagi, whom Homer mentionsin his verses:--

 Γλακτοφάγων, Ἀβίωντε, δικαιοτάτων ἀνθρώπων. [147]

63. Among the many rivers which flow through this land, either unitingat last with larger streams, or proceeding straight to the sea, the mostcelebrated are the Roemnus, the Jaxartes, and the Talicus. There arebut three cities there of any note, Aspabota, Chauriana, and Saga. 

64. Beyond the districts of the two Scythias, on the eastern side, is aring of mountains which surround Serica, a country considerable both forits extent and the fertility of its soil. This tribe on their westernside border on the Scythians, on the north and the east they looktowards snowy deserts; towards the south they extend as far as India andthe Ganges. The best known of its mountains are Annib, Nazavicium, Asmira, Emodon, and Opurocarra. 

65. The plain, which descends very suddenly from the hills, and is ofconsiderable extent, is watered by two famous rivers, the OEchardesand the Bautis, which is less rapid than the other. The character too ofthe different districts is very varied. One is extensive and level, theother is on a gentle slope, and therefore very fertile in corn, andcattle, and trees. 

66. The most fertile part of the country is inhabited by various tribes, of which the Alitrophagi, the Annibi, the Sisyges, and the Chardi lie tothe north, exposed to the frost; towards the east are the Rabannæ, theAsmiræ, and the Essedones, the most powerful of all, who are joined onthe west by the Athagoræ, and the Aspacaræ; and on the south by theBetæ, who live on the highest slopes of the mountains. Though they havenot many cities they have some of great size and wealth; the mostbeautiful and renowned of which are Asmira, Essedon, Asparata, and Sera. 

67. The Seres themselves live quietly, always avoiding arms andbattles; and as ease is pleasant to moderate and quiet men, they givetrouble to none of their neighbours. Their climate is agreeable andhealthy; the sky serene, the breezes gentle and delicious. They havenumbers of shining groves, the trees of which through continued wateringproduce a crop like the fleece of a sheep, which the natives make into adelicate wool, and spin into a kind of fine cloth, formerly confined tothe use of the nobles, but now procurable by the lowest of the peoplewithout distinction. 

68. The natives themselves are the most frugal of men, cultivating apeaceful life, and shunning the society of other men. And when strangerscross their river to buy their cloth, or any other of their merchandise, they interchange no conversation, but settle the price of the articleswanted by nods and signs; and they are so moderate that, while sellingtheir own produce, they never buy any foreign wares. 

69. Beyond the Seres, towards the north, live the Ariani; their land isintersected by a navigable river called the Arias, which forms a hugelake known by the same name. This district of Asia is full of towns, themost illustrious of which are Bitaxa, Sarmatina, Sotera, Nisibis, andAlexandria, from which last down the river to the Caspian Sea is adistance of fifteen hundred furlongs. 

70. Close to their border, living on the slopes of the mountains, arethe Paropanisatæ, looking on the east towards India, and on the westtowards Mount Caucasus. Their principal river is Ortogordomaris, whichrises in Bactria. They have some cities, the principal being Agazaca, Naulibus, and Ortopana, from which if you coast along the shore to theborders of Media which are nearest to the Caspian gates, the distance istwo thousand two hundred furlongs. 

71. Next to them, among the hills, are the Drangiani, whose chief riveris the Arabis, so called because it rises in Arabia; and their twoprincipal towns are Prophthasia and Aniaspe, both wealthy and wellknown. 

72. Next to them is Arachosia, which on the right extends as far asIndia. It is abundantly watered by a river much smaller than the Indus, that greatest of rivers, which gives its name to the surroundingregions; in fact their river flows out of the Indus, and passes on tillit forms the marsh known as Arachotoscrene. Its leading cities areAlexandria, Arbaca, and Choaspa. 

73. In the most inland districts of Persia is Gedrosia; which on itsright touches the frontier of India, and is fertilized by severalrivers, of which the greatest is the Artabius. There the Barbitanimountains end, and from their lowest parts rise several rivers whichfall into the Indus, losing their own names in the greatness of thatsuperior stream. They have several islands, and their principal citiesare Sedratyra and Gynæcon. 

74. We need not detail minutely every portion of the sea-coast on theextremity of Persia, as it would lead us into too long a digression. Itwill suffice to say that the sea which stretches from the Caspianmountains along the northern side to the straits above mentioned, isnine thousand furlongs in extent; the southern frontier, from the mouthof the Nile to the beginning of Carmania, is fourteen thousand furlongs. 

75. In these varied districts of different languages, the races of menare as different as the places. But to describe their persons andcustoms in general terms, they are nearly all slight in figure, swarthyor rather of a pale livid complexion; fierce-looking, with goat-likeeyes, and eyebrows arched in a semicircle and joined, with handsomebeards, and long hair. They at all times, even at banquets andfestivals, wear swords; a custom which that excellent author Thucydidestells us the Athenians were the first of the Greeks to lay aside. 

76. They are generally amazingly addicted to amatory pleasures; each manscarcely contenting himself with a multitude of concubines: fromunnatural vices they are free. Each man marries many or few wives, as hecan afford them, so that natural affection is lost among them because ofthe numerous objects of their licence. They are frugal in theirbanquets, avoiding immoderate indulgence and especially hard drinking, as they would the plague. 

77. Nor, except at the king's table, have they any settled time fordining, but each man's stomach serves as his sun-dial; nor does any oneeat after he is satisfied. 

78. They are marvellously temperate and cautious, so that when sometimesmarching among the gardens and vineyards of enemies, they neitherdesire nor touch anything, from fear of poison or witchcraft. 

79. They perform all the secret functions of nature with the mostscrupulous secrecy and modesty. 

80. But they are so loose in their gait, and move with such correct easeand freedom, that you would think them effeminate, though they are mostvigorous warriors; still they are rather crafty than bold, and are mostformidable at a distance. They abound in empty words, and speak wildlyand fiercely; they talk big, are proud, unmanageable, and threateningalike in prosperity and adversity; they are cunning, arrogant, andcruel, exercising the power of life and death over their slaves, and alllow-born plebeians. They flay men alive, both piecemeal, and bystripping off the whole skin. No servant while waiting on them, orstanding at their table, may gape, speak, or spit, so that their mouthsare completely shut. 

81. Their laws are remarkably severe: the most stringent are againstingratitude and against deserters; some too are abominable, inasmuch asfor the crime of one man they condemn all his relations. 

82. But as those only are appointed judges who are men of provedexperience and uprightness, and of such wisdom as to stand in no need ofadvice, they laugh at our custom of sometimes appointing men ofeloquence and skill in public jurisprudence as guides to ignorantjudges. The story that one judge was compelled to sit on the skin ofanother, who had been condemned for his injustice, is either an ancientfable, or else, if ever there was such a custom, it has become obsolete. 

83. In military system and discipline, by continual exercises in thebusiness of the camp, and the adoption of the various manoeuvres whichthey have learnt from us, they have become formidable even to thegreatest armies; they trust chiefly to the valour of their cavalry, inwhich all their nobles and rich men serve. Their infantry are armed likemirmillos, [148] and are as obedient as grooms; and they always followthe cavalry like a band condemned to everlasting slavery, neverreceiving either pay or gratuity. This nation, besides those whom it haspermanently subdued, has also compelled many others to go under theyoke; so brave is it and so skilful in all warlike exercises, that itwould be invincible were it not continually weakened by civil and byforeign wars. 

84. Most of them wear garments brilliant with various colours, socompletely enveloping the body that even though they leave the bosomsand sides of their robes open so as to flutter in the wind, still fromtheir shoes to their head no part of their person is exposed. Afterconquering Croesus and subduing Lydia, they learnt also to wear goldenarmlets and necklaces, and jewels, especially pearls, of which they hadgreat quantities. 

85. It only remains for me to say a few words about the origin of thisstone. Among the Indians and Persians pearls are found in strong whitesea-shells, being created at a regular time by the admixture of dew. Forthe shells, desiring as it were a kind of copulation, open so as toreceive moisture from the nocturnal aspersion. Then becoming big theyproduce little pearls in triplets, or pairs, or unions, which are socalled because the shells when scaled often produce only single pearls, which then are larger. 

86. And a proof that this produce arises from and is nourished by someaërial derivation rather than by any fattening power in the sea, is thatthe drops of morning dew when infused into them make the stones brightand round; while the evening dew makes them crooked and red, andsometimes spotted. They become either small or large in proportion tothe quality of the moisture which they imbibe, and other circumstances. When they are shaken, as is often the case by thunder, the shells eitherbecome empty, or produce only weak pearls, or such as never come tomaturity. 

87. Fishing for them is difficult and dangerous, and this circumstanceincreases their value; because, on account of the snares of thefishermen they are said to avoid the shores most frequented by them, andhide around rocks which are difficult of access and the hiding places ofsharks. 

88. We are not ignorant that the same species of jewel is also producedand collected in the remote parts of the British sea; though of aninferior value. 

[138] The book containing this account is lost. 

[139] From νικάω, to conquer. 

[140] As the Greek epigram has it--

 Τὸν γαίης καὶ πόντου αμειφθείσαισι κελευθοὶς Ναύτην ἠπείρου, πέζόπορον πελάγους. 

_Thus translated in Bohn's 'Greek Anthology, ' p. 25_:--

 Him, who reversed the laws great Nature gave, Sail'd o'er the continent and walk'd the wave, Three hundred spears from Sparta's iron plain Have stopp'd. Oh blush, ye mountains and thou main!

[141] The probability is that all these names are corrupt. Ammianus'signorance of the relative bearings of countries makes it difficult todecide what they ought to be. If the proper reading of the last name be, as Valesius thinks, Sarbaletes, that is the name given by Ptolemy to apart of the Red Sea. A French translator of the last century considersthe Gulf of Armenia a portion of the Caspian Sea. 

[142] The Ebro. 

[143] The Guadalquivir. 

[144] Ammianus seems to distinguish between the Hyrcanian and CaspianSea, which are only different names for the same sea or inland lake. 

[145] A name not very unlike Nejid, to this day the most celebrated Arabbreed. 

[146] There is evidently some corruption here; there is no such Greekword as Machagistia. 

[147] Il. Xiii. 10. 

[148] A kind of gladiator. 

BOOK XXIV. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. Julian invades Assyria with his army; receives the surrender of Anatha, a fort on the Euphrates, and burns it. --II. Having made attempts on other fortresses and towns, he burns some which were deserted, and receives the surrender of Pirisabora, and burns it. --III. On account of his successes, he promises his soldiers one hundred denarii a man; and as they disdain so small a donation, he in a modest oration recalls them to a proper feeling. --IV. The town of Maogamalcha is stormed by the Romans, and rased to the ground. --V. The Romans storm a fort of great strength, both in its situation and fortifications, and burn it. --VI. Julian defeats the Persians, slays two thousand five hundred of them, with the loss of hardly seventy of his own men; and in a public assembly presents many of his soldiers with crowns. --VII. Being deterred from laying siege to Ctesiphon, he rashly orders all his boats to be burnt, and retreats from the river. --VIII. As he was neither able to make bridges, nor to be joined by a portion of his forces, he determines to return by Corduena. 

I. 

A. D. 363. 

§ 1. After having ascertained the alacrity of his army, which withardour and unanimity declared with their customary shout that theirfortunate emperor was invincible, Julian thinking it well to put anearly end to his enterprise, after a quiet night ordered the trumpets tosound a march; and everything being prepared which the arduousdifficulties of the war required, he at daybreak entered the Assyrianterritory in high spirits, riding in front of his ranks, and excitingall to discharge the duties of brave men in emulation of his owncourage. 

2. And as a leader of experience and skill, fearing lest his ignoranceof the country might lead to his being surprised by secret ambuscades, he began his march in line of battle. He ordered fifteen hundredskirmishers to precede him a short distance, who were to march slowlylooking out on each side and also in front, to prevent any suddenattack. The infantry in the centre were under his own command, theybeing the flower and chief strength of the whole army, while on theright were some legions under Nevitta, who was ordered to march alongthe banks of the Euphrates. The left wing with the cavalry he gave toArinthæus and Hormisdas, with orders to lead them in close order throughthe level and easy country of the plain. The rear was brought up byDagalaiphus and Victor, and the last of all was Secundinus, Duke ofOsdruena. 

3. Then in order to alarm the enemy by the idea of his superior numbers, should they attack him anywhere, or perceive him from a distance, heopened his ranks so as to spread both horses and men over a largerspace, in such a way that the rear was distant from the van nearly tenmiles; a manoeuvre of great skill which Pyrrhus of Epirus is said tohave often put in practice, extending his camp, or his lines, andsometimes on the other hand compressing them all, so as to present anappearance of greater or lesser numbers than the reality, according tothe circumstances of the moment. 

4. The baggage, the sutlers, all the camp-followers, and every kind ofequipment, he placed between the two flanks of troops as they marched, so as not to leave them unprotected and liable to be carried off by anysudden attack, as has often happened. The fleet, although the river wasexceedingly winding, was not allowed either to fall behind or to advancebefore the army. 

5. After two days' march we came near a deserted town called Dura, onthe bank of the river, where many herds of deer were found, some ofwhich were slain by arrows, and others knocked down with the heavy oars, so that soldiers and sailors all had plenty of food; though the greaterpart of the animals, being used to swimming, plunged into the rapidstream and could not be stopped till they had reached their well knownhaunts. 

6. Then after an easy march of four days, as evening came on, heembarked a thousand light-armed troops on board his boats, and sent theCount Lucillianus to storm the fortress of Anatha, which, like manyother forts in that country, is surrounded by the waters of theEuphrates; Lucillianus having, as he was ordered, placed his ships insuitable places, besieged the island, a cloudy night favouring a secretassault. 

7. But as soon as it became light, one of the garrison going out to getwater, saw the enemy, and immediately raised an outcry, which roused theawakened garrison to arm in their defence. And presently, from a highwatch-tower, the emperor examined the situation of the fort, and came upwith all speed escorted by two vessels, and followed by a considerablesquadron laden with engines for the siege. 

8. And as he approached the walls, and considered that the contest couldnot be carried on without great risk, he tried both by conciliatory andthreatening language to induce the garrison to surrender; and they, having invited Hormisdas to a conference, were won over by his promisesand oaths to rely on the mercy of the Romans. 

9. At last, driving before them a crowned ox, which among them is a signof peace, they descended from the fort as suppliants; the fort wasburnt, and Pusæus, its commander, who was afterwards Duke of Egypt, wasappointed to the rank of tribune. The rest of the garrison with theirfamilies and property were conducted with all kindness to the Syriancity of Chalcis. 

10. Among them was found a certain soldier, who formerly, when Maximianinvaded Persia, had been left in this district as an invalid, though avery young man, but who was now bent with age, and according to his ownaccount had several wives, as is the custom of that country, and anumerous offspring. He now full of joy, professing to have been aprincipal cause of the surrender, was led to our camp, calling many ofhis comrades to witness that he had long foreseen and often foretoldthat, though nearly a hundred years' old, he should be buried in Romanground. After this event, the Saracens brought in some skirmishers ofthe enemy whom they had taken; these were received with joy by theemperor, the Saracens rewarded, and sent back to achieve similarexploits. 

11. The next day another disaster took place; a whirlwind arose, andmade havoc in many places, throwing down many buildings, tearing inpieces the tents, and throwing the soldiers on their backs or on theirfaces, the violence of the wind overpowering their steadiness of foot. And the same day another equally perilous occurrence took place. For theriver suddenly overflowed its banks, and some of the ships laden withprovisions were wrecked, the piers and dams which had been constructedof stone to check and repress the waters being swept away; and whetherthat was done by treachery or through the weight of the waters could notbe known. 

12. After having stormed and burnt the chief city, and sent away theprisoners, the army with increased confidence raised triumphant shoutsin honour of the emperor, thinking that the gods were evidently makinghim the object of their peculiar care. 

13. And because in these unknown districts they were forced to be onunusual guard against hidden dangers, the troops especially feared thecraft and exceeding deceitfulness of the enemy; and therefore theemperor was everywhere, sometimes in front, sometimes with hislight-armed battalions protecting the rear, in order to see that noconcealed danger threatened it, reconnoitring the dense jungles andvalleys, and restraining the distant sallies of his soldiers, sometimeswith his natural gentleness, and sometimes with threats. 

14. But he allowed the fields of the enemy which were loaded with everykind of produce to be burnt with their crops and cottages, after his menhad collected all that they could themselves make use of. And in thisway the enemy were terribly injured before they were aware of it; forthe soldiers freely used what they had acquired with their own hands, thinking that they had found a fresh field for their valour; and joyfulat the abundance of their supplies, they saved what they had in theirown boats. 

15. But one rash soldier, being intoxicated, and having crossed over tothe opposite bank of the river, was taken prisoner before our eyes bythe enemy, and was put to death. 

II. 

§ 1. After this we arrived at a fort called Thilutha, situated in themiddle of the river on a very high piece of ground, and fortified bynature as if by the art of man. The inhabitants were invited gently, aswas best, to surrender, since the height of their fort made itimpregnable; but they refused all terms as yet, though they answeredthat when the Romans had advanced further so as to occupy the interiorof the country, they also as an appendage would come over to theconqueror. 

2. Having made this reply they quietly looked down upon our boats asthey passed under the very walls without attempting to molest them. Whenthat fort was passed we came to another called Achaiacala, also defendedby the river flowing round it, and difficult to scale, where we receiveda similar answer, and so passed on. The next day we came to another fortwhich had been deserted because its walls were weak; and we burnt it andproceeded. 

3. In the two next days we marched two hundred furlongs, and arrived ata place called Paraxmalcha. We then crossed the river, and seven milesfurther on we entered the city of Diacira, which we found empty ofinhabitants but full of corn and excellent salt, and here we saw atemple placed on the summit of a lofty height. We burnt the city and puta few women to death whom we found there, and having passed a bituminousspring; we entered the town of Ozogardana, which its inhabitants haddeserted for fear of our approaching army; in that town is shown atribunal of the emperor Trajan. 

4. This town also we burnt after we had rested there two days to refreshour bodies. On the second day just at nightfall, the Surena (who is theofficer next in rank to the king among the Persians), and a man namedMalechus Podosaces, the chief of the Assanite Saracens, who had longravaged our frontiers with great ferocity, laid a snare for Hormisdas, whom by some means or other they had learnt was about to go forth on areconnoitring expedition, and only failed because the river being verynarrow at that point, was so deep as to be unfordable. 

5. And so at daybreak, when the enemy were now in sight, the moment thatthey were discovered by their glittering helmets and bristling armour, our men sprang up vigorously to the conflict, and dashed at them withgreat courage; and although the enemy wielded their huge bows with greatstrength, and the glistening of their weapons increased the alarm of oursoldiers, yet their rage, and the compactness of their ranks, kept aliveand added fuel to their courage. 

6. Animated by their first success, our army advanced to the village ofMacepracta, where were seen vestiges of walls half destroyed, which hadonce been of great extent, and had served to protect Assyria fromforeign invasion. 

7. At this point a portion of the river is drawn off in large canalswhich convey it to the interior districts of Babylonia, for the serviceof the surrounding country and cities. Another branch of the river knownas the Nahamalca, which means "the river of kings, " passes by Ctesiphon;at the beginning of this stream there is a lofty tower like alighthouse, by which our infantry passed on a carefully constructedbridge. 

8. The cavalry and cattle then took the stream where it was lessviolent, and swam across obliquely; another body was suddenly attackedby the enemy with a storm of arrows and javelins, but our light-armedauxiliaries as soon as they reached the other side, supported them, andput the enemy to flight, cutting them to pieces as they fled. 

9. After having successfully accomplished this exploit, we arrived atthe city of Pirisabora, of great size and populousness, and alsosurrounded with water. But the emperor having ridden all round the wallsand reconnoitred its position, began to lay siege to it with greatcaution, as if he would make the townsmen abandon its defence from mereterror. But after several negotiations and conferences with them, asthey would yield neither to promises nor to threats, he set about thesiege in earnest, and surrounded the walls with three lines of soldiers. The whole of the first day the combat was carried on with missiles tillnightfall. 

10. But the garrison, full of courage and vigour, spreading cloths looseeverywhere over the battlements to weaken the attacks of our weapons, and protected by shields strongly woven of osier, made a braveresistance, looking like figures of iron, since they had plates of ironclosely fitting over every limb, which covered their whole person with asafe defence. 

11. Sometimes also they earnestly invited Hormisdas as a countryman anda prince of royal blood to a conference; but when he came they reviledhim with abuse and reproaches as a traitor and deserter; and after agreat part of the day had been consumed in this slow disputing, at thebeginning of night many kinds of engines were brought against the walls, and we began to fill up the ditches. 

12. But before it was quite dawn, the garrison perceived what was beingdone, with the addition that a violent stroke of a battering-ram hadbroken down a tower at one corner; so they abandoned the double citywall, and occupied a citadel close to the wall, erected on the levelsummit of a ragged hill, of which the centre, rising up to a greatheight in its round circle, resembled an Argive shield, except that inthe north it was not quite round, but at that point it was protected bya precipice which ran sheer down into the Euphrates; the walls werebuilt of baked bricks and bitumen, a combination which is well known tobe the strongest of all materials. 

13. And now the savage soldiery, having traversed the city, which theyfound empty, were fighting fiercely with the defenders who poured allkinds of missiles on them from the citadel. Being hard pressed by thecatapults and balistæ of our men, they also raised on the height hugebows of great power, the extremities of which, rising high on each side, could only be bent slowly; but the string, when loosed by violentexertion of the fingers, sent forth iron-tipped arrows with such forceas to inflict fatal wounds on any one whom they struck. 

14. Nevertheless, the fight was maintained on both sides with showers ofstones thrown by the hand, and as neither gained any ground a fiercecontest was protracted from daybreak to nightfall with great obstinacy;and at last they parted without any advantage to either side. The nextday the fight was renewed with great violence, and numbers were slain oneach side, and still the result was even; when the emperor, being eageramid this reciprocal slaughter to try every chance, being guarded by asolid column, and defended from the arrows of the enemy by their closelypacked shields, rushed forward with a rapid charge up to the enemy'sgates, which were faced with stout iron. 

15. And although he was still in some danger, being hard pressed withstones and bullets and other weapons, still he cheered on his men withfrequent war-cries while they were preparing to force in the gates inorder to effect an entrance, and did not retreat till he found himselfon the point of being entirely overwhelmed by the mass of missileswhich were poured down on him. 

16. However, he came off safe with only a few of his men slightlywounded; not without feeling some modest shame at being repulsed. For hehad read that Scipio Æmilianus, with the historian Polybius, a citizenof Megalopolis in Arcadia, and thirty thousand soldiers, had, by asimilar attack, forced the gate of Carthage. 

17. But the account given by the old writers may serve to defend thismodern attempt; for Æmilianus approached a gate protected by astone-covered testudo, under which he safely forced his way into thecity while the garrison was occupied in demolishing this stone roof. ButJulian attacked a place completely exposed, while the whole face ofheaven was darkened by the fragments of rock and weapons which wereshowered upon him, and was even then with great difficulty repulsed andforced to retire. 

18. After this hasty and tumultuous assault, as the vast preparations ofsheds and mounds which were carried on were attended with muchdifficulty, through the hindrances offered by the garrison, Julianordered an engine called helepolis to be constructed with all speed;which, as we have already mentioned, King Demetrius used, and earned thetitle of Poliorcetes by the number of cities which he took. 

19. The garrison, anxiously viewing this engine, which was to exceed theheight of their lofty towers, and considering at the same time thedetermination of the besiegers, suddenly betook themselves tosupplications, and spreading over the towers and walls, imploring thepardon and protection of the Romans with outstretched hands. 

20. And when they saw that the works of the Romans were suspended, andthat those who were constructing them were doing nothing, which seemed asure token of peace, they requested an opportunity of conferring withHormisdas. 

21. And when this was granted, Mamersides, the commander of thegarrison, was let down by a rope, and conducted to the emperor as hedesired; and having received a promise of his own life, and of impunityto all his comrades he was allowed to return to the city. And when herelated what had been done, the citizens unanimously agreed to followhis advice and accept the terms; and peace was solemnly made with allthe sanctions of religion, the gates were thrown open, and the wholepopulation went forth proclaiming that a protecting genius had shoneupon them in the person of the great and merciful Cæsar. 

22. The number of those who surrendered was two thousand five hundred, for the rest of the citizens, expecting the siege beforehand, hadcrossed the river in small boats and abandoned the city. In the citadela great store of arms and provisions was found; and after they had takenwhat they required, the conquerors burnt the rest as well as the placeitself. 

III. 

§ 1. The day after these transactions, serious news reached the emperoras he was quietly taking his dinner, that the Surena, the Persiangeneral, had surprised three squadrons of our advanced guard, and slaina few, among whom was one tribune; and had also taken a standard. 

2. Immediately Julian became violently exasperated, and flew to the spotwith an armed band, placing much hope of success in the rapidity of hismovements: he routed the assailants disgracefully, cashiered the othertwo tribunes as blunderers and cowards, and in imitation of the ancientlaws of Rome disbanded ten of the soldiers who had fled, and thencondemned them to death. 

3. Then, having burnt the city as I have already mentioned, he mounted atribunal which he had caused to be erected, and having convoked hisarmy, he thanked them, and counted upon their achieving other similarexploits. He also promised them each a hundred pieces of silver; butseeing that they were inclined to murmur, as being disappointed at thesmallness of the sum, he became most indignant and said:--

4. "Behold the Persians who abound in wealth of every kind; their richesmay enrich you if we only behave gallantly with one unanimous spirit ofresolution. But after having been very rich, I assure you that therepublic is at this moment in great want, through the conduct of thosemen who, to increase their own wealth, taught former emperors to returnhome after buying peace of the barbarians with gold. 

5. "The treasury is empty, the cities are exhausted, the finances arestripped bare. I myself have neither treasures, nor, noble as I am bybirth, do I inherit anything from my family but a heart free from allfear. Nor shall I be ashamed to place all my happiness in thecultivation of my mind, while preferring an honourable poverty. For theFabricii also conducted great wars while poor in estate and rich only inglory. 

6. "Of all these things you may have plenty, if, discarding all fear, you act with moderation, obeying the cautious guidance of God andmyself, as far as human reason can lead you safely; but if you disobey, and choose to return to your former shameful mutinies, proceed. 

7. "As an emperor should do, I by myself, having performed the importantduties which belong to me, will die standing, despising a life which anyfever may take from me: or else I will abdicate my power, for I have notlived so as to be unable to descend to a private station. I rejoice in, and feel proud of the fact that there are with me many leaders of provedskill and courage, perfect in every kind of military knowledge. "

8. By this modest speech of their emperor, thus unmoved alike byprosperity and adversity, the soldiers were for a time appeased, regaining confidence with an expectation of better success; andunanimously promised to be docile and obedient, at the same timeextolling Julian's authority and magnanimity to the skies; and, as istheir wont when their feelings are genuine and cordial, they showed themby a gentle rattling of their arms. 

9. Then they returned to their tents, and refreshed themselves withfood, for which they had abundant means, and with sleep during thenight. But Julian encouraged his army not by the idea of their families, but by the thoughts of the greatness of the enterprises in which theywere embarked: continually making vows--"So might he be able to make thePersians pass under the yoke. " "So might he restore the Roman powerwhich had been shaken in those regions, "--in imitation of Trajan, whowas accustomed frequently to confirm anything he had said by theimprecations--"So may I see Dacia reduced to the condition of aprovince; so may I bridge over the Danube and Euphrates, "--using manysimilar forms of attestation. 

10. Then after proceeding fourteen miles further we came to a certainspot where the soil is fertilized by the abundance of water. But as thePersians had learnt that we should advance by this road, they removedthe dams and allowed the waters to flood the country. 

11. The ground being thereby, for a great distance, reduced to the stateof a marsh, the emperor gave the soldiers the next day for rest, andadvancing in front himself, constructed a number of little bridges ofbladders, and coracles[149] made of skins, and rafts of palm-treetimber, and thus led his army across, though not without difficulty. 

12. In this region many of the fields are planted with vineyards andvarious kinds of fruit trees; and palm-trees grow there over a greatextent of country, reaching as far as Mesene and the ocean, forminggreat groves. And wherever any one goes he sees continual stocks andsuckers of palms, from the fruit of which abundance of honey and wine ismade, and the palms themselves are said to be divided into male andfemale, and it is added that the two sexes can be easily distinguished. 

13. They say further that the female trees produce fruit whenimpregnated by the seeds of the male trees, and even that they feeldelight in their mutual love: and that this is clearly shown by the factthat they lean towards one another, and cannot be bent back even bystrong winds--and if by any unusual accident a female tree is notimpregnated by the male seed, it produces nothing but imperfect fruit, and if they cannot find out with what male tree any female tree is inlove, they smear the trunk of some tree with the oil which proceeds fromher, and then some other tree naturally conceives a fondness for theodour; and these proofs create some belief in the story of theircopulation. 

14. The army then, having sated itself with these fruits, passed byseveral islands, and instead of the scarcity which they apprehended, thefear arose that they would become too fat. At last, after having beenattacked by an ambuscade of the enemy's archers, but having avengedthemselves well, they came to a spot where the larger portion of theEuphrates is divided into a number of small streams. 

IV. 

§ 1. In this district a city, which on account of the lowness of itswalls, had been deserted by its Jewish inhabitants, was burnt by ourangry soldiers. And afterwards the emperor proceeded further on, beingelated at the manifest protection, as he deemed it, of the Deity. 

2. And when he had reached Maogamalcha, a city of great size andsurrounded with strong walls, he pitched his tent, and took anxious carethat his camp should not be surprised by any sudden attack of thePersian cavalry; whose courage in the open plains is marvellouslydreaded by the surrounding nations. 

3. And when he had made his arrangements, he himself, with an escort ofa few light troops, went forth on foot to reconnoitre the position of acity by a close personal examination; but he fell into a dangerous snarefrom which he with difficulty escaped with his life. 

4. For ten armed Persians stole out by a gate of the town of which hewas not aware, and crawled on their hands and knees along the bottom ofthe hill, till they got within reach so as to fall silently upon ourmen, and two of them distinguishing the emperor by his superiorappearance, made at him with drawn swords; but he encountered them withhis shield raised, and protecting himself with that, and fighting withgreat and noble courage, he ran one of them through the body, while hisguards killed the other with repeated blows. The rest, of whom some werewounded, were put to flight, and the two who were slain were stripped oftheir arms, and the emperor led back his comrades in safety, laden withtheir spoils, into the camp, where he was received with universal joy. 

5. Torquatus took a golden necklace from one of the enemy whom he hadslain. Valerius by the aid of a crow defeated a haughty Gaul and earnedthe surname of Corvinus, and by this glory these heroes were recommendedto posterity. We do not envy them, but let this gallant exploit be addedto those ancient memorials. 

6. The next day a bridge was laid across the river, and the army passedover it, and pitched their camp in a fresh and more healthy place, fortifying it with a double rampart, since, as we have said, the openplains were regarded with apprehension. And then he undertook the siegeof the town, thinking it too dangerous to march forward while leavingformidable enemies in his rear. 

7. While he was making great exertions to complete his preparations, theSurena, the enemy's general, fell upon the cattle which were feeding inthe palm groves, but was repulsed by those of our squadrons who wereappointed to that service, and, having lost a few men, he retired. 

8. And the inhabitants of two cities which are made islands by therivers which surround them, fearing to trust in their means of defence, fled for refuge to Ctesiphon, some fleeing through the thick woods, others crossing the neighbouring marshes on canoes formed out ofhollowed trees, and thus made a long journey to the principal or indeedthe only shelter which existed for them, intending to proceed to stillmore distant regions. 

9. Some of them were overtaken, and on their resistance were put todeath by our soldiers, who, traversing various districts in barks andsmall boats, brought in from time to time many prisoners. For it hadbeen cleverly arranged that, while the infantry was besieging the town, the squadrons of cavalry should scour the country in small bands inorder to bring in booty. And by this system, without doing any injury tothe inhabitants of the provinces, the soldiers fed on the bowels of theenemy. 

10. And by this time the emperor was besieging with all his might andwith a triple line of heavily armed soldiers this town which wasfortified with a double wall; and he had great hope of succeeding in hisenterprise. But if the attempt was indispensable, the execution was verydifficult. For the approach to the town lay everywhere over rocks ofgreat height and abruptness; across which there was no straight road;and dangers of two kinds seemed to render the place inaccessible. In thefirst place there were towers formidable both for their height and forthe number of their garrison; equalling in height the natural mountainon which the citadel was built; and secondly, a sloping plain reacheddown to the river, which again was protected by stout ramparts. 

11. There was a third difficulty not less formidable that the numerousgarrison of picked men which defended the place could not be won over byany caresses to surrender, but resisted the enemy as if resolved eitherto conquer or to perish amid the ashes of their country. The soldiers, who desired to attack at once, and also insisted upon a pitched battlein a fair field, could hardly be restrained, and when the retreat wassounded they burnt with indignation, being eager to make courageousonsets on the enemy. 

12. But the wisdom of our leaders overcame the eagerness of merecourage; and the work being distributed, every one set about hisallotted task with great alacrity. For on one side high mounds wereraised; on another other parties were raising the deep ditches to thelevel of the ground; in other quarters hollow pitfalls were covered overwith long planks; artisans also were placing mural engines soon intendedto burst forth with fatal roars. 

13. Nevitta and Dagalaiphus superintended the miners and the erection ofthe vineæ, or penthouses; but the beginning of the actual conflict, andthe defence of the machines from fire or from sallies of the garrison, the emperor took to himself. And when all the preparations for takingthe city had been completed by this variety of labour, and the soldiersdemanded to be led to the assault, a captain named Victor returned, whohad explored all the roads as far as Ctesiphon, and now brought wordthat he had met with no obstacles. 

14. At this news all the soldiers became wild with joy, and being moreelated and eager for the contest than ever, they waited under arms forthe signal. 

15. And now on both sides the trumpets sounded with martial clang, andthe Roman vanguard, with incessant attacks and threatening cries, assailed the enemy, who were covered from head to foot with thin platesof iron like the feathers of a bird, and who had full confidence thatany weapons that fell on this hard iron would recoil; while ourclose-packed shields with which our men covered themselves as with atestudo, opened loosely so as to adapt themselves to their continualmotion. On the other hand the Persians, obstinately clinging to theirwalls, laboured with all their might to avoid and frustrate our deadlyattacks. 

16. But when the assailants, pushing the osier fences before them, passed up to the walls, the archers, slingers and others, rolling downhuge stones, with firebrands and fire-pots, repelled them to a distance. Then the balistæ, armed with wooden arrows, were bent and loosened witha horrid creak, and poured forth incessant storms of darts. And thescorpions hurled forth round stones under the guidance of the skilfulhands of their workers. 

17. The combat was repeated and redoubled in violence till the heatincreasing up to midday, and the sun burning up everything with itsevaporation, recalled from the battle the combatants on both sides, equally intent as they were on the works and on the fray, but thoroughlyexhausted by fatigue and dripping with sweat. 

18. The same plan was followed the next day, the two parties contendingresolutely in various modes of fighting, and again they parted withequal valour, and equal fortune. But in every danger the emperor wasforemost among the armed combatants, urging on the destruction of thecity lest, by being detained too long before its walls, he should beforced to abandon other objects which he had at heart. 

19. But in times of emergency nothing is so unimportant as notoccasionally to influence great affairs, even contrary to allexpectation. For when, as had often happened, the two sides werefighting slackly, and on the point of giving over, a battering-ram whichhad just been brought up, being pushed forward awkwardly, struck down atower which was higher than any of the others, and was very stronglybuilt of baked brick, and its fall brought down all the adjacent portionof the wall with a mighty crash. 

20. Then in the variety of incidents which arose, the exertions of thebesiegers and the gallantry of the besieged were equally conspicuouswith noble exploits. For to our soldiers, inflamed with anger andindignation, nothing appeared difficult. To the garrison, fighting fortheir safety, nothing seemed dangerous or formidable. At last, when thefierce contest had raged a long time and was still undecided, greatslaughter having been made on both sides, the close of day broke it off, and both armies yielded to fatigue. 

21. While these matters were thus going on in broad daylight, news wasbrought to the emperor, who was full of watchful care, that thelegionary soldiers to whom the digging of the mines had been intrusted, having hollowed out their subterranean paths and supported them withstout stakes, had now reached the bottom of the foundations of thewalls, and were ready to issue forth if he thought fit. 

22. When therefore a great part of the night was passed, the brazentrumpets sounded the signal for advancing to battle, and the troops ranto arms; and as had been planned, the wall was attacked on both itsfaces, in order that while the garrison were running to and fro to repelthe danger, and while the noise of the iron tools of the miners diggingat the foundations was overpowered by the din of battle, the minersshould come forth on a sudden without any one being at the mouth of themine to resist them. 

23. When these plans had all been arranged, and the garrison was fullyoccupied, the mine was opened, and Exsuperius, a soldier of theVictorian legion, sprung out, followed by a tribune named Magnus, andJovianus, a secretary, and an intrepid body of common soldiers, who, after slaughtering all the men found in the temple into which the mineopened, went cautiously forward and slew the sentinels, who wereoccupying themselves after the fashion of their country in singing thepraises, the justice, and good fortune of their king. 

24. It was believed that Mars himself (if indeed the gods are permittedto mingle with men) aided Luscinus when he forced the camp of theLucanians. And it was the more believed because in the height of theconflict there was seen an armed figure of enormous size carryingladders, who the next day, when the roll was called over, though soughtfor very carefully, could not be found anywhere; when if he had reallybeen a soldier he would have come forward of his own accord from aconsciousness of his gallant action. But though on that occasion it wasnever known who performed that splendid achievement, yet those who nowbehaved bravely were not unknown, but received obsidional crowns, andwere publicly praised according to the ancient fashion. 

25. At last the fated city, its numerous entrances being laid open, wasentered by the Romans, and the furious troops destroyed all whom theyfound, without regard to age or sex. Some of the citizens, from dread ofimpending destruction, threatened on one side with fire, on the otherwith the sword, weeping threw themselves headlong over the walls, andbeing crippled in all their limbs, led for a few hours or days a lifemore miserable than any death till they were finally killed. 

26. But Nabdates, the captain of the garrison, was taken alive witheighty of his guards; and when he was brought before the emperor, thatmagnanimous and merciful prince ordered him to be kept in safety. Thebooty was divided according to a fair estimate of the merits and laboursof the troops. The emperor, who was contented with very little, took forhis own share of the victory he had thus gained three pieces of gold anda dumb child who was brought to him, and who by elegant signs andgesticulations explained all he knew, and considered that an acceptableand sufficient prize. 

27. But of the virgins who were taken prisoners, and who, as was likelyin Persia, where female beauty is remarkable, were exceedinglybeautiful, he would neither touch nor even see one; imitating Alexanderand Scipio, who refused similar opportunities, in order, after havingproved themselves unconquered by toil, not to show themselves thevictims of desire. 

28. While the battle was going on, an engineer on our side, whose name Ido not know, who happened to be standing just behind a scorpion, wasknocked down and killed by the recoil of a stone, which the worker ofthe engine had fitted to the sling carelessly, his whole body being sodislocated and battered that he could not even be recognized. 

29. After the town was taken intelligence was brought to the emperorthat a troop was lying in ambuscade in some concealed pits around thewalls of the town just taken (of which pits there are many in thosedistricts), with the intention of surprising the rear of our army by asudden attack. 

30. A body of picked infantry of tried courage was therefore sent totake the troop prisoners. But as they could neither force their wayinto the pits, nor induce those concealed in them to come forth tofight, they collected some straw and faggots, and piled them up beforethe mouths of the caves, and then set them on fire, from which the smokepenetrated into the caverns through the narrow crevice, being the moredense because of the small space through which it was forced, and sosuffocated some of them; others the fire compelled to come forth toinstant destruction; and in this manner they were destroyed by sword orby fire, and our men returned with speed to their camp. Thus was thislarge and populous city, with its powerful garrison, stormed by theRomans, and the city itself reduced to ruins. 

31. After this glorious exploit the bridges which led over severalrivers were crossed in succession, and we reached two forts, constructedwith great strength and skill, where the son of the king endeavoured toprevent Count Victor, who was marching in the van of the army, fromcrossing the river, having advanced for that purpose from Ctesiphon witha large body of nobles and a considerable armed force; but when he sawthe numbers which were following Victor, he retreated. 

V. 

§ 1. So we advanced and came to some groves, and also to some fieldsfertile with a great variety of crops, where we found a palace built inthe Roman fashion, which, so pleased were we with the circumstance, weleft unhurt. 

2. There was also in this same place a large round space, enclosed, containing wild beasts, intended for the king's amusement; lions withshaggy manes, tusked boars, and bears of amazing ferocity (as thePersian bears are), and other chosen beasts of vast size. Our cavalry, however, forced the gates of this enclosure, and killed all the beastswith hunting-spears and clouds of arrows. 

3. This district is rich and well cultivated: not far off is Coche, which is also called Seleucia; where we fortified a camp with greatcelerity, and rested there two days to refresh the army with timelysupplies of water and provisions. The emperor himself in the meanwhileproceeded with his advanced guard and reconnoitred a deserted city whichhad been formerly destroyed by the Emperor Verus, where an everlastingspring forms a large tube which communicates with the Tigris. Here wesaw, hanging on gallows, many bodies of the relations of the man whom wehave spoken of above as having betrayed Pirisabora. 

4. Here also Nabdates was burnt alive, he whom I have mentioned above ashaving been taken with eighty of his garrison while hiding among theruins of the city which we had taken; because at the beginning of thesiege he had secretly promised to betray it, but afterwards had resistedus vigorously, and after having been unexpectedly pardoned had risen tosuch a pitch of violence as to launch all kinds of abuse againstHormisdas. 

5. Then after advancing some distance we heard of a sad disaster: forwhile three cohorts of the advanced guard, who were in light marchingorder, were fighting with a Persian division which had made a sally outof the city gates, another body of the enemy cut off and slew ourcattle, which were following us on the other side of the river, with afew of our foragers who were straggling about in no great order. 

6. The emperor was enraged and indignant at this; he was now near thedistrict of Ctesiphon, and had just reached a lofty and well-fortifiedcastle. He went himself to reconnoitre it, being, as he fancied, concealed, as he rode with a small escort close to the walls; but asfrom too much eagerness he got within bowshot, he was soon noticed, andwas immediately assailed by every kind of missile, and would have beenkilled by an arrow shot from an engine on the walls, if it had notstruck his armour-bearer, who kept close by his side, and he himself, being protected by the closely-packed shields of his guards, fell back, after having been exposed to great danger. 

7. At this he was greatly enraged, and determined to lay siege to thefort; but the garrison was very resolute to defend it, believing theplace to be nearly inaccessible, and that the king, who was advancingwith great speed at the head of a large army, would soon arrive to theirassistance. 

8. And now, the vineæ and everything else required for the siege beingprepared, at the second watch, when the night, which happened to be oneof very bright moonlight, made everything visible to the defenders onthe battlements, suddenly the whole multitude of the garrison formedinto one body, threw open the gates and sallied out, and attacking adivision of our men who were not expecting them, slew numbers, amongwhom one tribune was killed as he was endeavouring to repel the attack. 

9. And while this was going on, the Persians, having attacked a portionof our men in the same manner as before from the opposite side of theriver, slew some and took others prisoners. And our men, in alarm, andbecause they believed the enemy had come into the field in very superiornumbers, behaved at first with but little spirit; but presently, whenthey recovered their courage, they flew again to arms, and being rousedby the sound of the trumpets, they hastened to the charge withthreatening cries, upon which the Persians retired to the garrisonwithout further contest. 

10. And the emperor, being terribly angry, reduced those of the cavalrywho had shown a want of courage when attacked to serve in the infantry, which is a severer service and one of less honour. 

11. Then, being very eager to take a castle where he had incurred somuch danger, he devoted all his own labour and care to that end, neverhimself retiring from the front ranks of his men, in order that byfighting in the van he might be an example of gallantry to his soldiers, and might be also sure to see, and therefore able to reward, everygallant action. And when he had exposed himself a long time to imminentdanger, the castle, having been assailed by every kind of manoeuvre, weapon, and engine, and by great valour on the part of the besiegers, was at length taken and burnt. 

12. After this, in consideration of the great labour of the exploitswhich they had performed, and which were before them, he granted rest tohis army, exhausted with its excessive toil, and distributed among themprovisions in abundance. Then a rampart was raised round the camp, withdense rows of palisades, and a deep fosse, as sudden sallies and variousformidable manoeuvres were dreaded, since they were very nearCtesiphon. 

VI. 

§ 1. From this place they advanced to a canal known as Naharmalcha, aname which means "The River of Kings. " It was then dry. Long ago Trajan, and after him Severus, had caused the soil to be dug out, and had givengreat attention to constructing this as a canal of great size, so that, being filled with water from the Euphrates, it might enable vessels topass into the Tigris. 

2. And for every object in view it appeared best that this should now becleaned out, as the Persians, fearing such an operation, had blocked itup with a mass of stones. After it had been cleared and the damsremoved, a large body of water was let in, so that our fleet, after asafe voyage of thirty furlongs, passed into the Tigris. There the armyat once threw bridges across the river, and passing over to the otherside, marched upon Coche. 

3. And that after our fatigue we might enjoy seasonable rest, weencamped in an open plain, rich with trees, vines, and cypresses, in themiddle of which was a shady and delicious pavilion, having all over it, according to the fashion of the country, pictures of the king slayingwild beasts in the chase; for they never paint or in any way representanything except different kinds of slaughter and war. 

4. Having now finished everything according to his wish, the emperor, rising higher in spirit as his difficulties increased, and building suchhopes on Fortune, which had not yet proved unfavourable to him, that heoften pushed his boldness to the verge of temerity, unloaded some of thestrongest of the vessels which were carrying provisions and warlikeengines, and put on board of them eight hundred armed men; and keepingthe main part of the fleet with him, which he divided into threesquadrons, he settled that one under the command of Count Victor shouldstart at nightfall, in order to cross the river with speed, and so seizeon the bank in possession of the enemy. 

5. The generals were greatly alarmed at this plan, and unanimouslyentreated him to forego it; but as they could not prevail, the signalfor sailing was raised, as he commanded, and at once five ships hastenedonwards out of sight; and when they drew near to the bank they wereattacked with an incessant storm of fire-pots and every kind ofcontrivance to handle flames, and they would have been burnt soldiersand all if the emperor, being roused, had not with great energy hastenedto the spot, shouting out that our men, as they were ordered, had madehim a signal that they were now masters of the bank of the river, andordering the whole fleet to hasten forward with all speed. 

6. In consequence of which vigour the ships were saved, and thesoldiers, though harassed by the enemy from their commanding ground withstones and every kind of missile, nevertheless after a fierce conflictmade good their footing on the high bank of the river, and establishedthemselves immovably. 

7. History marvels that Sertorius swam across the Rhone with his armsand his breastplate; but on this occasion, some soldiers, thoughdisordered, fearing to remain behind after the signal for battle wasraised, clinging firmly to their shields, which are broad and concave, and guiding them, though without much skill, kept pace with the speed ofthe vessels through a river full of currents. 

8. The Persians resisted this attack with squadrons of cuirassiercavalry in such close order that their bodies dazzled the eye, fittingtogether, as it seemed, with their brilliant armour; while their horseswere all protected with a covering of stout leather. As a reserve tosupport them several maniples of infantry were stationed, protected bycrooked, oblong shields, made of wicker-work and raw hides, behind whichthey moved in compact order. Behind them were elephants, like so manywalking hills, which by every motion of their huge bodies threateneddestruction to all who came near them, and our men had been taught tofear them by past experience. 

9. On this the emperor, according to the arrangement of the Greek armyas mentioned by Homer, [150] allotted the centre space between his twolines to his weakest infantry, lest if they were placed in the frontrank, and should then misbehave, they should disorder the whole of hisline; or lest, on the other hand, if posted in the rear, behind all theother centuries, they should flee without shame, since there would be noone to check them: he with his light-armed auxiliaries moving as mightbe required between the lines. 

10. Therefore when the two armies beheld each other, the Romansglittering with their crested helmets, and brandishing their shields, proceeded slowly, their bands playing an anapæstic measure; and after apreliminary skirmish, carried on by the missiles of the front rank, theyrushed to battle with such vehemence that the earth trembled beneaththem. 

11. The battle-shout was raised on all sides, as was usual, the brayingtrumpets encouraged the eagerness of the men: all fought in close combatwith spears and drawn swords, so that the soldiers were free from alldanger of arrows the more rapidly they pressed onwards. Meanwhile, Julian, like a gallant comrade, at the same time that he was a skilfulgeneral, hasten to support his hardly-pressed battalions with reserves, and to cheer on the laggards. 

12. So the front line of the Persians wavered, having been never veryfierce; and at last, no longer able to support the heat of their armour, they retreated in haste to their city, which was near: they were pursuedby our soldiers, weary as they were with having fought in those torridplains from daybreak to sunset; and we, pressing close on their heels, drove them, with their choicest generals, Pigranes, the Surena, andNarses, right up to the walls of Ctesiphon, inflicting many wounds ontheir legs and backs. 

13. And we should have forced our entrance into the city if a generalnamed Victor had not, by lifting up his hands and his voice, checked us, being himself pierced through the shoulder with an arrow, and fearinglest if the soldiers allowed themselves to be hurried within the wallswithout any order, and could then find no means of returning, they mightbe overwhelmed by the mass of their enemies. 

14. Let the poets celebrate the ancient battles of Hector, or extol thevalour of the Thessalian Achilles; let past ages tell the praises ofSophanes, and Aminias, and Callimachus, and Cynægirus, thosethunderbolts of war in the struggles of the Greeks against Persia; butit is evident by the confession of all men that the gallantry displayedby some of our troops on that day was equal to any of their exploits. 

15. After having laid aside their fears, and trampled on the carcases oftheir enemies, the soldiers, still stained with the blood so justlyshed, collected round the tent of the emperor, loading him with praisesand thanks, because, while behaving with such bravery that it was hardto say whether he had been more a general or a soldier, he had conductedthe affair with such success that not above seventy of our men hadfallen, while nearly two thousand five hundred of the Persians had beenslain. And he in his turn addressed by name most of those whose steadycourage and gallant actions he had witnessed, presenting them withnaval, civic, and military crowns. 

16. Thinking that this achievement would surely be followed by othersimilar successes, he prepared a large sacrifice to Mars the Avenger. Ten most beautiful bulls were brought for the purpose, nine of which, even before they reached the altars, lay down of their own accord withmournful countenances, but the tenth broke his bonds and escaped, andwas with difficulty brought back at all; and when sacrificed displayedvery unfavourable omens; but when he saw this, Julian became veryindignant, and exclaimed, calling Jupiter to witness, that henceforth hewould offer no sacrifices to Mars. Nor did he recall his vow, being cutoff by a speedy death. 

VII. 

§ 1. Julian, having discussed with his chief officers the plan for thesiege of Ctesiphon, it appeared to some of them that it would be an actof unseasonable temerity to attack that city, both because its situationmade it almost impregnable, and also because King Sapor was believed tobe hastening to its protection with a formidable army. 

2. The better opinion prevailed; and the sagacious emperor beingconvinced of its wisdom, sent Arinthæus with a division of lightinfantry, to lay waste the surrounding districts, which were rich bothin herds and in crops, with orders also to pursue the enemy with equalenergy, for many of them were wandering about, concealed amid overgrownby-ways, and lurking-places known only to themselves. The booty wasabundant. 

3. But Julian himself, being always eager to extend his conquests, disregarded the advice of those who remonstrated against his advance;and reproaching his chiefs, as men who out of mere laziness and a loveof ease advised him to let go the kingdom of Persia when he had almostmade himself master of it, left the river on his left hand, and led byunlucky guides, determined to proceed towards the inland parts of thecountry by forced marches. 

4. And he ordered all his ships to be burnt, as if with the fatal torchof Bellona herself, except twelve of the smaller vessels, which hearranged should be carried on waggons, as likely to be of use forbuilding bridges. And he thought this a most excellently conceived plan, to prevent his fleet if left behind from being of any use to the enemy, or on the other hand to prevent what happened at the outset of theexpedition, nearly twenty thousand men being occupied in moving andmanaging the vessels. 

5. Then, as the men began in their alarm to grumble to themselves (asindeed manifest truth pointed out), that the soldiers if hindered fromadvancing by the height of the mountains or the dryness of the country, would have no means of returning to get water, and when the deserters, on being put to the torture openly confessed that they had made a falsereport, he ordered all hands to labour to extinguish the flames. But thefire, having got to a great head, had consumed most of them, so thatonly the twelve could be preserved unhurt, which were set apart to betaken care of. 

6. In this way the fleet being unseasonably destroyed, Julian, relyingon his army which was now all united, having none of its divisionsdiverted to other occupations, and so being strong in numbers, advancedinland, the rich district through which he marched supplying him with anabundance of provisions. 

7. When this was known, the enemy, with a view to distressing us by wantof supplies, burnt up all the grass and the nearly ripe crops; and we, being unable to advance by reason of the conflagration, remainedstationary in our camp till the fire was exhausted. And the Persians, insulting us from a distance, sometimes spread themselves widely onpurpose, sometimes offered us resistance in a compact body; so that tous who beheld them from a distance it might seem that the reinforcementsof the king had come up, and we might imagine that it was on thataccount that they had ventured on their audacious sallies and unwontedenterprises. 

8. Both the emperor and the troops were greatly vexed at this, becausethey had no means of constructing a bridge, since the ships had beeninconsiderately destroyed, nor could any check be offered to themovements of the strange enemy, whom the glistening brilliancy of theirarms showed to be close at hand; this armour of theirs being singularlyadapted to all the inflections of their body. There was another evil ofno small weight, that the reinforcements which we were expecting toarrive under the command of Arsaces and some of our own generals, didnot make their appearance, being detained by the causes alreadymentioned. 

VIII. 

§ 1. The emperor, to comfort his soldiers who were made anxious by theseevents, ordered the prisoners who were of slender make, as the Persiansusually are, and who were now more than usually emaciated, to be broughtbefore the army; and looking at our men he said, "Behold what thosewarlike spirits consider men, little ugly dirty goats; and creatureswho, as many events have shown, throw away their arms and take to flightbefore they can come to blows. "

2. And when he had said this, and had ordered the prisoners to beremoved, he held a consultation on what was to be done; and after manyopinions of different kinds had been delivered, the common soldiersinconsiderately crying out that it was best to return by the same waythey had advanced, the emperor steadily opposed this idea, and wasjoined by several officers who contended that this could not be done, since all the forage and crops had been destroyed throughout the plain, and the remains of the villages which had been burnt were all incomplete destitution, and could afford no supplies; because also thewhole soil was soaked everywhere from the snows of winter, and therivers had overflowed their banks and were now formidable torrents. 

3. There was this further difficulty, that in those districts where theheat and evaporation are great, every place is infested with swarms offlies and gnats, and in such numbers that the light of the sun and ofthe stars is completely hidden by them. 

4. And as human sagacity was of no avail in such a state of affairs, wewere long in doubt and perplexity; and raising altars and sacrificingvictims we consulted the will of the gods; inquiring whether it wastheir will that we should return through Assyria, or advancing slowlyalong the foot of the mountain chain, should surprise and plunderChiliocomum near Corduena; but neither of these plans was conformable tothe omens presented by an inspection of the sacrifices. 

5. However it was decided, that since there was no better prospectbefore us, to seize on Corduena; and on the 16th June we struck ourcamp, and at daybreak the emperor set forth, when suddenly was seeneither smoke or a great cloud of dust; so that many thought it wascaused by herds of wild asses, of which there are countless numbers inthose regions, and who were now moving in a troop, in order by theircompactness to ward off the ferocious attacks of lions. 

6. Some, however, fancied that it was caused by the approach of theSaracen chieftains, our allies, who had heard that the emperor wasbesieging Ctesiphon in great force: some again affirmed that thePersians were lying in wait for us on our march. 

7. Therefore amid all these doubtful opinions, the trumpets sounded ahalt, in order to guard against any reverse, and we halted in a grassyvalley near a stream, where, packing our shields in close order and in acircular figure, we pitched our camp and rested in safety. Nor, so darkdid it continue till evening, could we distinguish what it was that hadso long obscured the view. 

[149] Small boats made of wicker and covered with hide; still used inWales, where they are also called thorricle, truckle, or cobble. 

[150] See Il. Iv. 297:--

 Ἰππῆας μὲν πρῶπα σὺν ἵπποισιν καὶ ὄχέσφιν πεζοὺς δ’ εξόπιθεν στῆσεν πολέας τε καὶ ἐσθλούς ἔρκος ἔμεν πολέμοιο, κακοὺς δ’ εἰς μέσσον ἔλασσεν. 

Thus translated by Pope:--

 "The horse and chariots to the front assigned, The foot (the strength of war) he placed behind; The middle space suspected troops supply, Enclosed by both, nor left the power to fly. "

BOOK XXV. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. The Persians attack the Romans on their march, but are gallantly repelled. --II. The army is distressed by want of corn and forage; Julian is alarmed by prodigies. --III. The emperor, while, in order to repulse the Persians, who pressed him on all quarters, he rashly rushes into battle without his breastplate, is wounded by a spear, and is borne back to his tent, where he addresses those around him, and, after drinking some cold water, dies. --IV. His virtues and vices; his personal appearance. --V. Jovian, the captain[151] of the imperial guards, is tumultuously elected emperor. --VI. The Romans hasten to retreat from Persia, and on their march are continually attacked by the Persians and Saracens, whom, however, they repulse with great loss. --VII. The emperor Jovian, being influenced by the scarcity and distress with which his army is oppressed, makes a necessary but disgraceful peace with Sapor; abandoning five provinces, with the cities of Nisibis and Singara. --VIII. The Romans having crossed the Tigris, after a very long and terrible scarcity of provisions, which they endured with great courage, at length reach Mesopotamia--Jovian arranges the affairs of Illyricum and Gaul to the best of his power. --IX. Bineses, a noble Persian, acting for Sapor, receives from Jovian the impregnable city of Nisibis; the citizens are unwilling to quit their country, but are compelled to migrate to Amida--Five provinces, with the city of Singara, and sixteen fortresses, are, according to the terms of the treaty, handed over to the Persian nobles. --X. Jovian, fearing a revolution, marches with great speed through Syria, Cilicia, Cappadocia, and Galatia, and at Ancyra enters on the consulship, with his infant son Varronianus, and soon afterwards dies suddenly at Dadastana. 

I. 

A. D. 363. 

§ 1. The night was dark and starless, and passed by us as nights arepassed in times of difficulty and perplexity; no one out of fear daringto sit down, or to close his eyes. But as soon as day broke, brilliantbreastplates surrounded with steel fringes, and glittering cuirasses, were seen at a distance, and showed that the king's army was at hand. 

2. The soldiers were roused at this sight, and hastened to engage, since only a small stream separated them from the Persians, but werechecked by the emperor; a sharp skirmish did indeed take place betweenour outposts and the Persians, close to the rampart of our camp, inwhich Machamæus, the captain of one of our squadrons was stricken down:his brother Maurus, afterwards Duke of Phoenicia, flew to his support, and slew the man who had killed Machamæus, and crushed all who came inhis way, till he himself was wounded in the shoulder by a javelin; buthe still was able by great exertions to bring off his brother, who wasnow pale with approaching death. 

3. Both sides were nearly exhausted with the intolerable violence of theheat and the repeated conflicts, but at last the hostile battalions weredriven back in great disorder. Then while we fell back to a greaterdistance, the Saracens were also compelled to retreat from fear of ourinfantry, but presently afterwards joining themselves to the Persianhost, they attacked us again, with more safety to themselves for thepurpose of carrying off the Roman baggage. But when they saw the emperorthey again retreated upon their reserve. 

4. After leaving this district we reached a village called Hucumbra, where we rested two days, procuring all kinds of provisions andabundance of corn, so that we moved on again after being refreshedbeyond our hopes; all that the time would not allow us to take away weburnt. 

5. The next day the army was advancing more quietly, when the Persiansunexpectedly fell upon our last division, to whom that day the duty fellof bringing up the rear, and would easily have slain all the men, hadnot our cavalry, which happened to be at hand, the moment that theyheard what was going on, hastened up, though scattered over the widevalley, and repulsed this dangerous attack, wounding all who had thussurprised them. 

6. In this skirmish fell Adaces, a noble satrap, who had formerly beensent as ambassador to the emperor Constantius, and had been kindlyreceived by him. The soldier who slew him brought his arms to Julian, and received the reward he deserved. 

7. The same day one of our corps of cavalry, known as the third legion, was accused of having gradually given way, so that when the legions wereon the point of breaking the enemy's line, they nearly broke the spiritof the whole army. 

8. And Julian, being justly indignant at this, deprived them of theirstandards, broke their spears, and condemned all those who wereconvicted of having misbehaved of marching among the baggage andprisoners; while their captain, the only one of their number who hadbehaved well, was appointed to the command of another squadron, thetribune of which was convicted of having shamefully left the field. 

9. And four other tribunes of companies were also cashiered for similarmisconduct; for the emperor was contented with this moderate degree ofpunishment out of consideration for his impending difficulties. 

10. Accordingly, having advanced seventy furlongs with very scantysupplies, the herbage and the corn being all burnt, each man saved forhimself just as much of the grain or forage as he could snatch from theflames and carry. 

11. And having left this spot, when the army had arrived at the districtcalled Maranx, near daybreak an immense multitude of Persians appeared, with Merenes, the captain of their cavalry, and two sons of the king, and many nobles. 

12. All the troops were clothed in steel, in such a way that theirbodies were covered with strong plates, so that the hard joints of thearmour fitted every limb of their bodies; and on their heads wereeffigies of human faces so accurately fitted, that their whole personsbeing covered with metal, the only place where any missiles which fellupon them could stick, was either where there were minute openings toallow of the sight of the eyes penetrating, or where holes for breathingwere left at the extremities of the nostrils. 

13. Part of them who were prepared to fight with pikes stood immovable, so that you might have fancied they were held in their places byfastenings of brass; and next to them the archers (in which art thatnation has always been most skilful from the cradle) bent their supplebows with widely extended arms, so that the strings touched their rightbreasts, while the arrows lay just upon their left hands; and thewhistling arrows flew, let loose with great skill of finger, bearingdeadly wounds. 

14. Behind them stood the glittering elephants in formidable array, whose grim looks our terrified men could hardly endure; while the horseswere still more alarmed at their growl, odour, and unwonted aspect. 

15. Their drivers rode on them, and bore knives with handles fastened totheir right hands, remembering the disaster which they had experiencedat Nisibis; and if the ferocious animal overpowered his overseer, theypierced the spine where the head is joined to the neck with a vigorousblow, that the beast might not recoil upon their own ranks, as hadhappened on that occasion, and trample down their own people; for it wasfound out by Hasdrubal, the brother of Hannibal, that in this way theseanimals might be very easily deprived of life. 

16. The sight of these beasts caused great alarm; and so this mostintrepid emperor, attended with a strong body of his armed cohorts andmany of his chief officers, as the crisis and the superior numbers ofthe enemy required, marshalled his troops in the form of a crescent withthe wings bending inwards to encounter the enemy. 

17. And to hinder the onset of the archers from disordering our columns, by advancing with great speed he baffled the aim of their arrows; andafter he had given the formal signal for fighting, the Roman infantry, in close order, beat back the front of the enemy with a vigorous effort. 

18. The struggle was fierce, and the clashing of the shields, the din ofthe men, and the doleful whistle of the javelins, which continuedwithout intermission, covered the plains with blood and corpses, thePersians falling in every direction; and though they were often slack infighting, being accustomed chiefly to combat at a distance by means ofmissiles, still now foot to foot they made a stout resistance; and whenthey found any of their divisions giving way, they retreated like rainbefore the wind, still with showers of arrows seeking to deter theirfoes from pursuing them. So the Parthians were defeated by prodigiousefforts, till our soldiers, exhausted by the heat of the day, on thesignal for retreat being sounded, returned to their camp, encouragedfor the future to greater deeds of daring. 

19. In this battle, as I have said, the loss of the Persians was verygreat--ours was very slight. But the most important death in our rankswas that of Vetranio, a gallant soldier who commanded the legion ofZianni. [152]

II. 

§ 1. After this there was an armistice for three days, while the menattended to their own wounds or those of their friends, during which wewere destitute of supplies, and distressed by intolerable hunger; andsince, as all the corn and forage was burnt, both men and cattle were inextreme danger of starvation, a portion of the food which the horses ofthe tribunes and superior officers were carrying was distributed amongthe lower classes of the soldiers, who were in extreme want. 

2. And the emperor, who had no royal dainties prepared for himself, butwho was intending to sup under the props of a small tent on a scantyportion of pulse, such as would often have been despised by a prosperouscommon soldier, indifferent to his own comfort, distributed what wasprepared for him among the poorest of his comrades. 

3. He gave a short time to anxious and troubled sleep; and when heawoke, and, as was his custom, began to write something in his tent, inimitation of Julius Cæsar, while the night was still dark, beingoccupied with the consideration of the writings of some philosophers, hesaw, as he told his friends, in mournful guise, the vision of the Geniusof the Empire, whom, when he first became emperor, he had seen in Gaul, sorrowfully departing through the curtains of his tent with thecornucopia, which he bore in his hand veiled, as well as his head. 

4. And although for a moment he stood stupefied, yet being above allfear, he commended the future to the will of heaven; and leaving hisbed, which was made on the ground, he rose, while it was still butlittle past midnight, and supplicating the deities with sacred rites toavert misfortune, he thought he saw a bright torch, falling, cut apassage through the air and vanish from his sight; and then he washorror-stricken, fearing that the star of Mars had appeared openlythreatening him. 

5. For this brightness was of the kind which we call [Greek:diaissonta], not falling down or reaching the ground. Indeed, he whothinks that solid substances can fall from heaven is rightly accountedprofane and mad. But these occurrences take place in many ways, of whichit will be enough to enumerate a few. 

6. Some think that sparks falling off from the ethereal fire, as theyare able to proceed but a short distance, soon become extinguished; or, perhaps, that rays of fire coming against the dense clouds, sparkle fromthe suddenness of the contact; or that some light attaches itself to acloud, and taking the form of a star, runs on as long as it is supportedby the power of the fire; but being presently exhausted by the magnitudeof the space which it traverses, it becomes dissolved into air, passinginto that substance from the excessive attrition of which it originallyderived its heat. 

7. Therefore, without loss of time, before daybreak, he sent for theEtruscan soothsayers, and consulted them what this new kind of starportended; who replied, that he must cautiously avoid attempting any newenterprise at present, showing that it was laid down in the works ofTarquitius, [153] "on divine affairs, " that when a light of this kind isseen in heaven, no battle ought to be engaged in, or any similar measurebe undertaken. 

8. But as he despised this and many other similar warnings, the divinersat least entreated him to delay his march for some hours; but they couldnot prevail even to this extent, as the emperor was always opposed tothe whole science of divination. So at break of day the camp was struck. 

III. 

§ 1. When we set forward, the Persians, who had learnt by their frequentdefeats to shun pitched battles, laid secret ambuscades on our road, and, occupying the hills on each side, continually reconnoitred ourbattalions as they marched, so that our soldiers, being kept all day onthe watch, could neither find time to erect ramparts round their camp, or to fortify themselves with palisades. 

2. And while our flanks were strongly guarded, and the army proceededonward in as good order as the nature of the ground would allow, beingformed in squares, though not quite closed up, suddenly news was broughtto the emperor, who had gone on unarmed to reconnoitre the ground infront, that our rear was attacked. 

3. He, roused to anger by this mishap, without stopping to put on hisbreastplate, snatched up his shield in a hurry, and while hastening tosupport his rear, was recalled by fresh news that the van which he hadquitted was now exposed to a similar attack. 

4. Without a thought of personal danger, he now hastened to strengthenthis division, and then, on another side, a troop of Persian cuirassiersattacked his centre, and pouring down with vehemence on his left wing, which began to give way, as our men could hardly bear up against thefoul smell and horrid cries of the elephants, they pressed us hard withspears and clouds of arrows. 

5. The emperor flew to every part of the field where the danger washottest; and our light-armed troops dashing out wounded the backs of thePersians, and the hocks of the animals, which were turned the other way. 

6. Julian, disregarding all care for his own safety, made signs bywaving his hands, and shouted out that the enemy were fleeing inconsternation; and cheering on his men to the pursuit, threw himselfeagerly into the conflict. His guards called out to him from all sidesto beware of the mass of fugitives who were scattered in consternation, as he would beware of the fall of an ill-built roof, when suddenly acavalry spear, grazing the skin of his arm, pierced his side, and fixeditself in the bottom of his liver. 

7. He tried to pull it out with his right hand, and cut the sinews ofhis fingers with the double-edged point of the weapon; and, falling fromhis horse, he was borne with speed by the men around him to his tent;and the physician tried to relieve him. 

8. Presently, when his pain was somewhat mitigated, so that hisapprehensions were relieved, contending against death with greatenergy, he asked for arms and a horse in order that, by revisiting histroops, who were still engaged, he might restore their confidence, andappear so secure of his own recovery as to have room for anxiety for thesafety of others; with the same energy though with a different object, with which the celebrated leader, Epaminondas, when he was mortallywounded at Mantinea, and had been borne out of the battle, askedanxiously for his shield; and when he saw it he died of his woundcheerfully, having been in fear for the loss of his shield, while quitefearless about the loss of his life. 

9. But as Julian's strength was inferior to his firmness, and as he wasweakened by the loss of blood, he remained without moving: and presentlyhe gave up all hope of life; because, on inquiry, he found that theplace where he had fallen was called Phrygia; for he had been assured byan oracle that he was destined to die in Phrygia. 

10. When he was brought back to his tent, it was marvellous with whateagerness the soldiers flew to avenge him, agitated with anger andsorrow; and striking their spears against their shields, determined todie if Fate so willed it. And although vast clouds of dust obscuredtheir sight, and the burning heat hindered the activity of theirmovements, still, as if they were released from all military disciplineby the loss of their chief, they rushed unshrinkingly on the enemy'sswords. 

11. On the other hand the Persians, fighting with increased spirit, shotforth such clouds of arrows, that we could hardly see the shootersthrough them; while the elephants, slowly marching in front, by the vastsize of their bodies, and the formidable appearance of their crests, terrified alike our horses and our men. 

12. And far off was heard the clashing of armed men, the groans of thedying, the snorting of the horses, and the clang of swords, till bothsides were weary of inflicting wounds, and the darkness of night put anend to the contest. 

13. Fifty nobles and satraps of the Persians, with a vast number of thecommon soldiers, were slain; and among them, two of their principalgenerals, Merena and Nohodares. Let the grandiloquence of antiquitymarvel at the twenty battles fought by Marcellus in different places;let it add Sicinius Dentatus, adorned with his mass of military crowns;let it further extol Sergius, who is said to have received twenty-threewounds in his different battles, among whose posterity was that lastCatiline, who tarnished the glories of his distinguished family byeverlasting infamy. 

14. But sorrow now overpowered the joy at this success. While theconflict was thus carried on after the withdrawal of the emperor, theright wing of the army was exhausted by its exertions; and Anatolius, atthat time the master of the offices, was killed; Sallust the prefect wasin imminent danger, and was saved only by the exertions of hisattendant, so that at last he escaped, while Sophorius his counsellorwas killed; and certain soldiers, who, after great danger, had thrownthemselves into a neighbouring fort, were unable to rejoin the main armytill three days afterwards. 

15. And while these events were taking place, Julian, lying in his tent, thus addressed those who stood around him sorrowing and mourning: "Theseasonable moment for my surrendering this life, O comrades, has nowarrived, and, like an honest debtor, I exult in preparing to restorewhat nature reclaims; not in affliction and sorrow, since I have learnt, from the general teaching of philosophers, how much more capable ofhappiness the mind is than the body; and considering that when thebetter part is separated from the worse, it is a subject of joy ratherthan of mourning. Reflecting, also, that there have been instances inwhich even the gods have given to some persons of extreme piety, deathas the best of all rewards. 

16. "And I well know that it is intended as a gift of kindness to me, tosave me from yielding to arduous difficulties, and from forgetting orlosing myself; knowing by experience that all sorrows, while theytriumph over the weak, flee before those who endure them manfully. 

17. "Nor have I to repent of any actions; nor am I oppressed by therecollection of any grave crime, either when I was kept in the shade, and, as it were, in a corner, or after I arrived at the empire, which, as an honour conferred on me by the gods, I have preserved, as Ibelieve, unstained. In civil affairs I have ruled with moderation and, whether carrying on offensive or defensive war, have always been underthe influence of deliberate reason; prosperity, however, does not alwayscorrespond to the wisdom of man's counsels, since the powers abovereserve to themselves the regulation of results. 

18. "But always keeping in mind that the aim of a just sovereign is theadvantage and safety of his subjects, I have been always, as you know, inclined to peace, eradicating all licentiousness--that greatcorruptress of things and manners--by every part of my own conduct; andI am glad to feel that in whatever instances the republic, like animperious mother, has exposed me deliberately to danger, I have stoodfirm, inured to brave all fortuitous disturbing events. 

19. "Nor am I ashamed to confess that I have long known, from prophecy, that I should fall by the sword. And therefore do I venerate theeverlasting God that I now die, not by any secret treachery, nor by along or severe disease, or like a condemned criminal, but I quit theworld with honour, fairly earned, in the midst of a career of nourishingglory. For, to any impartial judge, that man is base and cowardly whoseeks to die when he ought not, or who avoids death when it isseasonable for him. 

20. "This is enough for me to say, since my strength is failing me; butI designedly forbear to speak of creating a new emperor, lest I shouldunintentionally pass over some worthy man; or, on the other hand, if Ishould name one whom I think proper, I should expose him to danger inthe event of some one else being preferred. But, as an honest child ofthe republic, I hope that a good sovereign will be found to succeed me. "

21. After having spoken quietly to this effect, he, as it were with thelast effort of his pen, distributed his private property among hisdearest friends, asking for Anatolius, the master of the offices. Andwhen the prefect Sallust replied that he was now happy, he understoodthat he was slain, and bitterly bewailed the death of his friend, thoughhe had so proudly disregarded his own. 

22. And as all around were weeping, he reproved them with stillundiminished authority, saying that it was a humiliating thing to mournfor an emperor who was just united to heaven and the stars. 

23. And as they then became silent, he entered into an intricatediscussion with the philosophers Maximus and Priscus on the sublimenature of the soul, while the wound of his pierced side was gaping wide. At last the swelling of his veins began to choke his breath, and havingdrank some cold water, which he had asked for, he expired quietly aboutmidnight, in the thirty-first year of his age. He was born atConstantinople, and in his childhood lost his father, Constantius, who, after the death of his brother Constantine, perished amid the crowd ofcompetitors for the vacant crown. And at the same early age he lost hismother, Basilina, a woman descended from a long line of noble ancestors. 

IV. 

§ 1. Julian was a man to be classed with heroic characters, andconspicuous for the brilliancy of his exploits and his innate majesty. For since, as wise men lay it down, there are four cardinalvirtues, --temperance, prudence, justice, and fortitude, --withcorresponding external accessaries, such as military skill, authority, prosperity, and liberality, he eagerly cultivated them all as if theyhad been but one. 

2. And in the first place, he was of a chastity so inviolate that, afterthe loss of his wife he never indulged in any sexual pleasures, recollecting what is told in Plato of Sophocles the tragedian, thatbeing asked when he was a very old man whether he still had any commercewith women, he said "No, " with this further addition, that "he was gladto say that he had at all times avoided such indulgence as a tyrannousand cruel master. "

3. And to strengthen this resolution he often called to mind the wordsof the lyric poet Bacchylides, whom he used to read with pleasure, andwho said that as a fine painter makes a handsome face, so chastityadorns a life that aims at greatness. And even when in the prime of lifehe so carefully avoided this taint that there was never the leastsuspicion of his becoming enamoured even of any of his household, as hasoften happened. 

4. And this kind of temperance increased in him, being strengthened by asparing indulgence in eating and sleeping, to which he rigidly adheredwhether abroad or at home. For in time of peace his frugal allowance offood was a marvel to all who knew him, as resembling that of a manalways wishing to resume the philosopher's cloak. And in his variouscampaigns he used commonly only to take a little plain food whilestanding, as is the custom of soldiers. 

5. And when after being fatigued by labour he had refreshed his bodywith a short rest, as soon as he awoke he would go by himself round allthe sentries and outposts; after which he retired to his seriousstudies. 

6. And if any voice could bear witness to his use of the nocturnal lamp, by which he pursued his lucubrations, it would show that there was avast difference between some emperors and him, who did not even indulgehimself in those pleasures permitted by the necessities of human nature. 

7. Of his prudence there were also many proofs, of which it will besufficient to recount a few. He was profoundly skilled in war, and alsoin the arts of peace. He was very attentive to courtesy, claiming justso much respect as he considered sufficient to mark the differencebetween contempt and insolence. He was older in virtue than in years, being eager to acquire all kinds of knowledge. He was a mostincorruptible judge, a rigid censor of morals and manners, mild, adespiser of riches, and indeed of all mortal things. Lastly, it was acommon saying of his, "That it was beneath a wise man, since he had asoul, to aim at acquiring praise by his body. "

8. Of his justice there are many conspicuous proofs: first, because, with all proper regard to circumstances and persons, he inspired awewithout being cruel; secondly, because he repressed vice by makingexamples of a few, and also because he threatened severe punishment morefrequently than he employed it. 

9. Lastly, to pass over many circumstances, it is certain that hetreated with extreme moderation some who were openly convicted ofplotting against him, and mitigated the rigour of the punishment towhich they were sentenced with genuine humanity. 

10. His many battles and constant wars displayed his fortitude, as didhis endurance of extreme cold and heat. From a common soldier werequire the services of the body, from an emperor those of the mind. Buthaving boldly thrown himself into battle, he would slay a ferocious foeat a single blow; and more than once he by himself checked the retreatof our men at his own personal risk. And when he was putting down therule of the furious Germans, and also in the scorching sands of Persia, he encouraged his men by fighting in the front ranks of his army. 

11. Many well-known facts attest his skill in all that concerns a camp;his storming of cities and castles amid the most formidable dangers; thevariety of his tactics for battles, the skill he showed in choosinghealthy spots for his camps, the safe principles on which his lines ofdefence and outposts were managed. 

12. So great was his authority, that while he was feared he was alsogreatly loved as his men's comrade in their perils and dangers. And inthe hottest struggles he took notice of cowards for punishment. Andwhile he was yet only Cæsar, he kept his soldiers in order whileconfronting the barbarians, and destitute of pay as I have mentionedbefore. And haranguing his discontented troops, the threat which he usedwas that he would retire into private life if they continued mutinous. 

13. Lastly, this single instance will do as well as many, by haranguingthe Gallic legions, who were accustomed to the frozen Rhine, in a simpleaddress, he persuaded them to traverse vast regions and to march throughthe warm plains of Assyria to the borders of Media. 

14. His good fortune was so conspicuous that, riding as it were on theshoulders of Fortune, who was long his faithful guide, he overcameenormous difficulties in his victorious career. And after he quitted theregions of the west, they all remained quiet during his life-time, as ifunder the influence of a wand powerful enough to tranquillize the world. 

15. Of his liberality there are many and undoubted proofs. Among whichare his light exactions of tribute, his remission of the tribute ofcrowns, and of debts long due, his putting the rights of individuals onan equal footing with those of the treasury, his restoration of theirrevenues and their lands to different cities, with the exception of suchas had been lawfully sold by former princes; and also the fact that hewas never covetous of money, which he thought was better kept by itsowners, often quoting the saying, "that Alexander the Great, when he wasasked where he kept his treasures, kindly answered 'Among my friends. '"

16. Having discussed those of his good qualities which have come withinour knowledge, let us now proceed to unfold his faults, though they havebeen already slightly noticed. He was of an unsteady disposition; butthis fault he corrected by an excellent plan, allowing people to set himright when guilty of indiscretion. 

17. He was a frequent talker, rarely silent. Too much devoted todivination, so much so as in this particular to equal the emperorAdrian. He was rather a superstitious than a legitimate observer ofsacred rites, sacrificing countless numbers of victims; so that it wasreckoned that if he had returned from the Parthians there would havebeen a scarcity of cattle. Like the celebrated case of MarcusCæsar, [154] about whom it was written, as it is said, "The white cattleto Marcus Cæsar, greeting. If you conquer there is an end of us. "

18. He was very fond of the applause of the common people, and animmoderate seeker after praise even in the most trifling matters; often, from a desire of popularity, indulging in conversation with unworthypersons. 

19. But in spite of all this he deserved, as he used to say himself, tohave it thought that that ancient Justice, whom Aratus says fled toheaven from disgust with the vices of men, had in his reign returnedagain to the earth; only that sometimes he acted arbitrarily andinconsistently. 

20. For he made some laws which, with but few exceptions, were notoffensive, though they very positively enforced or forbade certainactions. Among the exceptions was that cruel one which forbade Christianmasters of rhetoric and grammar to teach unless they came over to theworship of the heathen gods. 

21. And this other ordinance was equally intolerable, namely one whichallowed some persons to be unjustly enrolled in the companies of themunicipal guilds, though they were foreigners, or by privilege or birthwholly unconnected with such companies. 

22. As to his personal appearance it was this. He was of moderatestature, with soft hair, as if he had carefully dressed it, with a roughbeard ending in a point, with beautiful brilliant eyes, which displayedthe subtlety of his mind, with handsome eyebrows and a straight nose, arather large mouth, with a drooping lower lip, a thick and stoopingneck, large and broad shoulders. From head to foot he was straight andwell proportioned, which made him strong and a good runner. 

23. And since his detractors have accused him of provoking new wars, tothe injury of the commonwealth, let them know the unquestionable truth, that it was not Julian but Constantius who occasioned the hostility ofthe Parthians by greedily acquiescing in the falsehoods of Metrodorus, as we have already set forth. 

24. In consequence of this conduct our armies were slain, numbers of oursoldiers were taken prisoners, cities were rased, fortresses werestormed and destroyed, provinces were exhausted by heavy expenses, andin short the Persians, putting their threats into effect, were led toseek to become masters of everything up to Bithynia and the shores ofthe Propontis. 

25. While the Gallic wars grew more and more violent, the Germansoverrunning our territories, and being on the point of forcing thepasses of the Alps in order to invade Italy, there was nothing to beseen but tears and consternation, the recollection of the past beingbitter, the expectation of the future still more woeful. All thesemiseries, this youth, being sent into the West with the rank of Cæsar, put an end to with marvellous celerity, treating the kings of thosecountries as base-born slaves. 

26. Then in order to re-establish the prosperity of the east, withsimilar energy he attacked the Persians, and would have gained in thatcountry both a triumph and a surname, if the will of heaven had been inaccordance with his glorious plans and actions. 

27. And as we know by experience that some men are so rash and hastythat if conquered they return to battle, if shipwrecked, to the sea, inshort, each to the difficulties by which he has been frequentlyovercome, so some find fault with this emperor for returning to similarexploits after having been repeatedly victorious. 

V. 

§ 1. After these events there was no time for lamentation or weeping. For after he had been laid out as well as the circumstances and timepermitted, that he might be buried where he himself had formerlyproposed, at daybreak the next morning, which was on the 27th of June, while the enemy surrounded us on every side, the generals of the armyassembled, and having convened the chief officers of the cavalry and ofthe legions, deliberated about the election of an emperor. 

2. There were great and noisy divisions. Arinthæus and Victor, and therest of those who had been attached to the court of Constantius, soughtfor a fit man of their own party. On the other hand, Nevitta andDagalaiphus, and the nobles of the Gauls, sought for a man among theirown ranks. 

3. While the matter was thus in dispute, they all unanimously agreedupon Sallustius. And when he pleaded ill health and old age, one of thesoldiers of rank observing his real and fixed reluctance said, "And whatwould you do if the emperor while absent himself, as has often happened, had intrusted you with the conduct of this war? Would you not havepostponed all other considerations and applied yourself to extricatingthe soldiers at once from the difficulties which press on them? Do sonow: and then, if we are allowed to reach Mesopotamia, it will be timeenough for the united suffrages of both armies to declare a lawfulemperor. "

4. Amid these little delays in so important a matter, before opinionswere justly weighed, a few made an uproar, as often happens in criticalcircumstances, and Jovian was elected emperor, being the chief officerof the guards, and a man of fair reputation in respect of his father'sservices. For he was the son of Varronianus, a distinguished count, [155]who had not long since retired from military service to lead a privatelife. 

5. And immediately he was clothed in the imperial robes, and wassuddenly led forth out of the tent and passed at a quick pace throughthe army as it was preparing to march. 

6. And as the line extended four miles, those in the van hearing somepersons salute Jovian as Augustus, raised the same cry still moreloudly, for they were caught by the relationship, so to say, of thename, which differed only by one letter from that of Julian, and so theythought that Julian was recovered and was being led forth with greatacclamations as had often been the case. But when the new emperor, whowas both taller and less upright, was seen, they suspected what hadhappened, and gave vent to tears and lamentations. 

7. And if any lover of justice should find fault with what was done atthis extreme crisis as imprudent, he might still more justly blamesailors who, having lost a skilful pilot when both winds and waves areagitated by a storm, commit the helm of their vessel to some one oftheir comrades. 

8. This affair having been thus settled by a blind sort of decision ofFortune, the standard-bearer of the Jovian legion, which Varronianus hadformerly commanded, having had a quarrel with the new emperor while hewas a private individual, because he had been a violent disparager ofhis father, now fearing danger at his hand, since he had risen to aheight exceeding any ordinary fortune, fled to the Persians. And havingbeen allowed to tell what he knew, he informed Sapor, who was at hand, that the prince whom he dreaded was dead, and that Jovian, who hadhitherto been only an officer of the guards, a man of neither energy norcourage, had been raised by a mob of camp drudges to a kind of shadow ofthe imperial authority. 

9. Sapor hearing this news, which he had always anxiously prayed for, and being elated by this unexpected good fortune, having reinforced thetroops who had fought against us with a strong body of the royalcavalry, sent them forward with speed to attack the rear of our army. 

VI. 

§ 1. And while these arrangements were being made, the victims andentrails were inspected on behalf of Jovian, and it was pronounced thathe would ruin everything if he remained in the camp, as he proposed, but that if he quitted it he would have the advantage. 

2. And just as we were beginning our march, the Persians attacked us, preceded by their elephants. Both our horses and men were at firstdisordered by their roaring and formidable onset; but the Jovian andHerculean legions slew a few of the monsters, and made a gallantresistance to the mounted cuirassiers. 

3. Then the legions of the Jovii and Victores coming up to aid theircomrades, who were in distress, also slew two elephants and a greatnumber of the enemy's troops. And on our left wing three most gallantmen were slain, Julian, Macrobius, and Maximus, all tribunes of thelegions which were then the chief of the whole army. 

4. When they were buried as well as circumstances permitted, as nightwas drawing on, and as we were pressing forward with all speed towards afort called Sumere, the dead body of Anatolius was recognized and buriedwith a hurried funeral. Here also we were rejoined by sixty soldiers anda party of the guards of the palace, whom we have mentioned as havingtaken refuge in a fort called Vaccatum. 

5. Then on the following day we pitched our camp in a valley in asfavourable a spot as the nature of the ground permitted, surrounding itwith a rampart like a wall, with sharp stakes fixed all round like somany swords, with the exception of one wide entrance. 

6. And when the enemy saw this they attacked us with all kinds ofmissiles from their thickets, reproaching us also as traitors andmurderers of an excellent prince. For they had heard by the vague reportof some deserters that Julian had fallen by the weapon of a Roman. 

7. And presently, while this was going on, a body of cavalry ventured toforce their way in by the Prætorian gate, and to advance almost up tothe emperor's tent. But they were vigorously repulsed with the loss ofmany of their men killed and wounded. 

8. Quitting this camp, the next night we reached a place called Charcha, where we were safe, because the artificial mounds of the river had beenbroken to prevent the Saracens from overrunning Armenia, so that no onewas able to harass our lines as they had done before. 

9. Then on the 1st of July we marched thirty furlongs more, and came toa city called Dura, where our baggage-horses were so jaded, that theirdrivers, being mostly recruits, marched on foot till they were hemmed inby a troop of Saracens; and they would all have been killed if somesquadrons of our light cavalry had not gone to their assistance in theirdistress. 

10. We were exposed to the hostility of these Saracens because Julianhad forbidden that the presents and gratuities, to which they had beenaccustomed, should be given to them; and when they complained to him, they were only told that a warlike and vigilant emperor had iron, notgold. 

11. Here, owing to the obstinate hostility of the Persians, we lost fourdays. For when we advanced they followed us, compelling us to retraceour steps by their incessant attacks. When we halted gradually to fight, they retired, tormenting us by their long delay. And now (for when menare in great fear even falsehoods please them) a report being spreadthat we were at no great distance from our own frontier, the army raisedan impatient shout, and demanded to be at once led across the Tigris. 

12. But the emperor and his officers opposed this demand, and showedthem that the river, now just at the time of the rising of the Dogstar, was much flooded, entreated them not to trust themselves to itsdangerous currents, reminding them that most of them could not swim, andadding likewise that the enemy had occupied the banks of the river, swoln as it was at many parts. 

13. But when the demand was repeated over and over again in the camp, and the soldiers with shouts and great eagerness began to threatenviolence, the order was given very unwillingly that the Gauls, mingledwith the northern Germans, should lead the way into the river, in orderthat if they were carried away by the violence of the stream theobstinacy of the rest might be shaken; or on the other hand, if theyaccomplished the passage in safety the rest might attempt it with moreconfidence. 

14. And men were selected suited to such an enterprise, who from theirchildhood had been accustomed in their native land to cross the greatestrivers. And when the darkness of night presented an opportunity formaking the attempt unperceived, as if they had just escaped from aprison, they reached the opposite bank sooner than could have beenexpected; and having beaten down and slain numbers of the Persians whom, though they had been placed there to guard the passage, their fanciedsecurity had lulled into a gentle slumber, they held up their hands, andshook their cloaks so as to give the concerted signal that their boldattempt had succeeded. 

15. And when the signal was seen, the soldiers became eager to cross, and could only be restrained by the promise of the engineers to makethem bridges by means of bladders and the hides of slaughtered animals. 

VII. 

§ 1. While these vain attempts were going on, king Sapor, both while ata distance, and also when he approached, received from his scouts andfrom our deserters a true account of the gallant exploits of our men, ofthe disgraceful slaughter of his own troops, and also of his elephantsin greater numbers than he ever remembered to have lost before. And heheard also that the Roman army, being hardened by its continual labourssince the death of its glorious chief, did not now think so much, asthey said, of safety as of revenge; and were resolved to extricatethemselves from their difficulties either by a complete victory or by aglorious death. 

2. He looked on this news as formidable, being aware by experience thatour troops who were scattered over these provinces could easily beassembled, and knowing also that his own troops after their heavy losseswere in a state of the greatest alarm; he also heard that we had inMesopotamia an army little inferior in numbers to that before him. 

3. And besides all this, his courage was damped by the fact of fivehundred men having crossed that swollen river by swimming in perfectsafety, and having slain his guards, and so emboldening the rest oftheir comrades to similar hardihood. 

4. In the mean time, as the violence of the stream prevented any bridgesfrom being constructed, and as everything which could be eaten wasconsumed, we passed two days in great misery, and the starving soldiersbegan to be furious with rage, thinking it better to perish by the swordthan by hunger, that most degrading death. 

5. But the eternal providence of God was on our side, and beyond ourhopes the Persians made the first overtures, sending the Surena andanother noble as ambassadors to treat for peace, and they themselvesbeing in a state of despondency, as the Romans, having proved superiorin almost every battle, weakened them daily. 

6. But the conditions which they proposed were difficult and intricate, since they pretended that, out of regard for humanity, their mercifulmonarch was willing to permit the remains of our army to return home, provided the Cæsar, with his officers, would satisfy his demands. 

7. In reply, we sent as ambassadors on our part, Arinthæus andSallustius; and while the proper terms were being discussed with greatdeliberation, we passed four more days in great suffering from want ofprovisions, more painful than any kind of torture. 

8. And in this truce, if before the ambassadors were sent, the emperor, being disabused, had retired slowly from the territories of the enemy, he would have reached the forts of Corduena, a rich region belonging tous, only one hundred miles from the spot where these transactions werebeing carried on. 

9. But Sapor obstinately demanded (to use his own language) therestoration of those territories which had been taken from him byMaximian; but as was seen in the progress of the negotiation, he inreality required, as the price of our redemption, five provinces on theother side of the Tigris, --Arzanena, Moxoena, Zabdicena, Rehemena, andCorduena, with fifteen fortresses, besides Nisibis, and Singara, and theimportant fortress called the camp of the Moors. 

10. And though it would have been better to fight ten battles than togive up one of them, still a set of flatterers harassed ourpusillanimous emperor with harping on the dreaded name of Procopius, andaffirmed that unless we quickly recrossed the river, that chieftain, assoon as he heard of the death of Julian, would easily bring about arevolution which no one could resist, by means of the fresh troops whichhe had under his command. 

11. Jovian, being wrought upon by the constant reiteration of theseevil counsels, without further delay gave up everything that wasdemanded, with this abatement, which he obtained with difficulty, thatthe inhabitants of Nisibis and Singara should not be given up to thePersians as well as the cities themselves; and that the Roman garrisonsin the forts about to be surrendered should be permitted to retire tofortresses of our own. 

12. To which another mischievous and unfair condition was added, thatafter this treaty was concluded we were not to be at liberty to assistArsaces against the Persians, if he implored our aid, though he hadalways been our friend and trusty ally. And this was insisted on bySapor for two reasons, in order that the man might be punished who hadlaid waste Chiliocomum at the emperor's command, and also that facilitymight be given for invading Armenia without a check. In consequence ofthis it fell out subsequently that Arsaces was taken prisoner, and that, amid different dissensions and disturbances, the Parthians laid violenthands on the greater portion of Armenia, where it borders on Media, andon the town of Artaxata. 

13. This ignoble treaty being made, that nothing might be done duringthe armistice, in contravention of its terms, some men of rank weregiven as hostages on each side: on ours, Remora, Victor, andBellovædius, tribunes of distinguished legions: and on that of theenemy, one of their chief nobles named Bineses, and three other satrapsof note. 

14. So peace was made for thirty years, and ratified by solemn oaths;and we, returning by another line of march, because the parts near theriver were rugged and difficult, suffered severely for want of water andprovisions. 

VIII. 

§ 1. The peace which had been granted on pretence of humanity was turnedto the ruin of many who were so exhausted by want of food as to be atthe last gasp, and who in consequence could only creep along, and wereeither carried away by the current of the river from not being able toswim, or if able to overcome the force of the stream so far as to reachthe bank, were either slain like sheep by the Saracens or Persians(because, as we stated some time back, the Germans had driven them out), or sent to a distance to be sold for slaves. 

2. But when the trumpets openly gave the signal for crossing the river, it was dreadful to see with what ardour every individual hastened torush into this danger, preferring himself to all his comrades, in thedesire of avoiding the many dangers and distresses behind him. Sometried to guide the beasts who were swimming about at random, withhurdles hurriedly put together; others, seated on bladders, and others, being driven by necessity to all kinds of expedients, sought to passthrough the opposing waves by crossing them obliquely. 

3. The emperor himself with a few others crossed over in the smallboats, which we said were saved when the fleet was burnt, and then sentthe same vessels backwards and forwards till our whole body was broughtacross. And at length all of us, except such as were drowned, reachedthe opposite bank of the river, being saved amid our difficulties by thefavour of the Supreme Deity. 

4. While we were still oppressed with the fear of impending disasters, we learnt from information brought in by our outposts that the Persianswere throwing a bridge over the river some way off, at a point out ofour sight, in order that while all ideas of war were put an end to onour side by the ratification of the treaty of peace, they might comeupon our invalids as they proceeded carelessly onwards, and on theanimals exhausted with fatigue. But when they found their purposediscovered, they relinquished their base design. 

5. Being now relieved from this suspicion, we hastened on by rapidmarches, and approached Hatra, an ancient town in the middle of adesert, which had been long since abandoned, though at different timesthose warlike emperors, Trajan and Severus, had attacked it with a viewto its destruction, but had been almost destroyed with their armies, aswe have related in our history of their exploits. 

6. And as we now learnt that over the vast plain before us for seventymiles in that arid region no water could be found but such as wasbrackish and fetid, and no kind of food but southernwood, wormwood, dracontium, and other bitter herbs, we filled the vessels which we hadwith sweet water, and having slain the camels and the rest of the beastsof burden, we thus sought to insure some kind of supplies, though notvery wholesome. 

7. For six days the army marched, till at last even grass, the lastcomfort of extreme necessity, could not be found; when Cassianus, Dukeof Mesopotamia, and the tribune Mauricius, who had been sent forwardwith this object, came to a fort called Ur, and brought some food fromthe supplies which the army under Procopius and Sebastian, by livingsparingly, had managed to preserve. 

8. From this place another person of the name of Procopius, a secretary, and Memoridus, a military tribune, was sent forward to Illyricum andGaul to announce the death of Julian, and the subsequent promotion ofJovian to the rank of emperor. 

9. And Jovian deputed them to present his father-in-law Lucillianus(who, after giving up military service, had retired to the tranquillityof private life, and who was at that time dwelling at Sirmium) with acommission as captain of the forces of cavalry and infantry, and to urgehim at the same time to hasten to Milan, to support him there in anydifficulties which might arise, or (what he feared most) to oppose anyattempts which might be made to bring about a revolution. 

10. And he also gave them still more secret letters, in which he warnedLucillianus to bring him some picked men of tried energy and fidelity, of whose aid he might avail himself according as affairs should turnout. 

11. He also made a wise choice, and selected Malarichus, who was at thattime in Italy on his own private affairs, sending him the ensigns ofoffice that he might succeed Jovinus as commander of the forces in Gaul, in which appointment he had an eye on two important objects; first, toremove a general of especial merit who was an object of suspicion onthat very account, and also by the promotion to so high a position of aman whose hopes were not set on anything so lofty to bind him to exertall his zeal in supporting the doubtful position of the maker of hisfortunes. 

12. And the officers who went to perform these commands were alsoenjoined to extol the emperor's conduct, and wherever they went to agreein reporting that the Parthian campaign had been brought to anhonourable termination; they were also charged to prosecute theirjourney with all speed by night and day, delivering as they went lettersfrom the new emperor to all the governors of provinces and commanders ofthe forces on their road; and when they had secretly learnt the opinionsof them all, to return to him with all speed, in order that when he knewwhat was being done in the distant provinces, he might be able to framewell-digested and wise plans for strengthening himself in hisgovernment. 

13. But Fame (being alway the most rapid bearer of bad news), outstripping these couriers, flew through the different provinces andnations; and above all others struck the citizens of Nisibis with bittersorrow when they heard that their city was surrendered to Sapor, whoseanger and enmity they dreaded, from recollecting the havoc and slaughterwhich he had made in his frequent attempts to take the place. 

14. For it was clear that the whole eastern empire would have fallenunder the power of Persia long before if it had not been for theresistance which this city, strong in its admirable position and itsmighty walls, had been able to offer. But miserable as they now were, and although they were filled with a still greater fear of what mightbefall them hereafter, they were supported by this slender hope, that, either from his own inclination or from being won over by their prayers, the emperor might consent to keep their city in its existing state, asthe strongest bulwark of the east. 

15. While different reports were flying about of what had taken place, the scanty supplies which I have spoken of as having been brought, wereconsumed, and necessity might have driven the men to eat one another, ifthe flesh of the animals slain had not lasted them a little longer; butthe consequence of our destitute condition was, that the arms andbaggage were thrown away; for we were so worn out with this terriblefamine, that whenever a single bushel of corn was found (which seldomhappened), it was sold for ten pieces of gold at the least. 

16. Marching on from thence, we come to Thilsaphata where Sebastian andProcopius, with the tribunes and chief officers of the legions which hadbeen placed under their command for the protection of Mesopotamia, cameto meet the emperor as the solemn occasion required, and being kindlyreceived, accompanied us on our march. 

17. After this, proceeding with all possible speed, we rejoiced when wesaw Nisibis, where the emperor pitched a standing camp outside thewalls; and being most earnestly entreated by the whole population tocome to lodge in the palace according to the custom of his predecessors, he positively refused, being ashamed that an impregnable city should besurrendered to an enraged enemy while he was within its walls. 

18. But as the evening was getting dark, Jovian, the chief secretary, was seized while at supper, the man who at the siege of the cityMaogamalcha we have spoken of as escaping with others by a subterraneanpassage, and being led to an out-of-the-way place, was thrown headlongdown a dry well, and overwhelmed with a heap of stones which were throwndown upon him, because after the death of Julian he also had been namedby a few persons as fit to be made emperor; and after the election ofhis namesake had not behaved with any modesty, but had been heard toutter secret whispers concerning the business, and had from time to timeinvited some of the leading soldiers to entertainments. 

IX. 

§ 1. The next day Bineses, one of the Persians of whom we have spoken asthe most distinguished among them, hastening to execute the commissionof his king, demanded from Jovian the immediate performance of hispromise; and by his permission he entered the city of Nisibis, andraised the standard of his nation on the citadel, announcing to thecitizens a miserable emigration from their native place. 

2. Immediately they were all commanded to expatriate themselves, in vainstretching forth their hands in entreaty not to be compelled to depart, affirming that they by themselves, without drawing on the publicresources for either provisions or soldiers, were sufficient to defendtheir own home in full confidence that Justice would be on their sidewhile fighting for the place of their birth, as they had often found herto be before. Both nobles and common people joined in this supplication;but they spoke in vain as to the winds, the emperor fearing the crime ofperjury, as he pretended, though in reality the object of his fear wasvery different. 

3. Then a man of the name of Sabinus, eminent among his fellow-citizensboth for his fortune and birth, replied with great fluency thatConstantius too was at one time defeated by the Persians in the terriblestrife of fierce war, that afterwards he fled with a small body ofcomrades to the unguarded station of Hibita, where he lived on a scantyand uncertain supply of bread which was brought him by an old woman fromthe country; and yet that to the end of his life he lost no territory;while Jovian, at the very beginning of his reign, was yielding up thewall of his provinces, by the protection of which barrier they hadhitherto remained safe from the earliest ages. 

4. But as he could not prevail on the emperor, who persisted obstinatelyin alleging the obligation of his oath, presently, when Jovian, who hadfor some time refused the crown which was offered to him, accepted itunder a show of compulsion, an advocate, named Silvanus, exclaimedboldly, "May you, O emperor, be so crowned in the rest of your cities. "But Jovian was offended at his words, and ordered the whole body ofcitizens to quit the city within three days, in despair as they were atthe existing state of affairs. 

5. Accordingly, men were appointed to compel obedience to this order, with threats of death to every one who delayed his departure; and thewhole city was a scene of mourning and lamentation, and in every quarternothing was heard but one universal wail, matrons tearing their hairwhen about to be driven from their homes, in which they had been bornand brought up, the mother who had lost her children, or the wife herhusband, about to be torn from the place rendered sacred by theirshades, clinging to their doorposts, embracing their thresholds, andpouring forth floods of tears. 

6. Every road was crowded, each person straggling away as he could. Many, too, loaded themselves with as much of their property as theythought they could carry, while leaving behind them abundant and costlyfurniture, for this they could not remove for want of beasts of burden. 

7. Thou in this place, O fortune of the Roman world, art justly anobject of accusation, who, while storms were agitating the republic, didst strike the helm from the hand of a wise sovereign, to intrust itto an inexperienced youth, whom, as he was not previously known for anyremarkable actions in his previous life, it is not fair either to blameor praise. 

8. But it sunk into the heart of all good citizens, that while, out offear of a rival claimant of his power, and constantly fancying some onein Gaul or in Illyricum might have formed ambitious designs, he washastening to outstrip the intelligence of his approach, he should havecommitted, under pretence of reverence for an oath, an act so unworthyof his imperial power as to abandon Nisibis, which ever since the timeof Mithridates had been the chief hindrance to the encroachments of thePersians in the East. 

9. For never before since the foundation of Rome, if one consults allits annals, I believe has any portion of our territories beensurrendered by emperor or consul to an enemy. Nor is there an instanceof a triumph having been celebrated for the recovery of anything thathad been lost, but only for the increase of our dominions. 

10. On this principle, a triumph was refused to Publius Scipio for therecovery of Spain, to Fulvius for the acquisition of Capua after a longstruggle, and to Opimius after many battles with various results, because the people of Fregellæ, who at that time were our implacableenemies, had been compelled to surrender. 

11. For ancient records teach us that disgraceful treaties, made underthe pressure of extreme necessity, even after the parties to them havesworn to their observance in set terms, have nevertheless been soondissolved by the renewal of war; as in the olden time, after the legionshad been made to pass under the yoke at the Caudine Forks, in Samnium;and also when an infamous peace was contemplated by Albinus in Numidia;and when Mancinus, the author of a peace which was concluded indisgraceful haste, was surrendered to the people of Numantia. 

12. Accordingly, when the citizens had been withdrawn, the citysurrendered, and the tribune Constantius had been sent to deliver up tothe Persian nobles the fortresses and districts agreed upon, Procopiuswas sent forward with the remains of Julian, to bury them in the suburbsof Tarsus, according to his directions while alive. He departed, I say, to fulfil this commission, and as soon as the body was buried, hequitted Tarsus, and though sought for with great diligence, he could notbe found anywhere, till long afterwards he was suddenly seen atConstantinople invested with the purple. 

X. 

§ 1. These transactions having been thus concluded, after a long marchwe arrived at Antioch, where for several days in succession manyterrible omens were seen, as if the gods were offended, since those whowere skilled in the interpretation of prodigies foretold that impendingevents would be melancholy. 

2. For the statue of Maximian Cæsar, which was placed in the vestibuleof the palace, suddenly lost the brazen globe, formed after the figureof the heavens, which it bore in its hand. Also the beams in the councilchamber sounded with an ominous creak; comets were seen in the daytime, respecting the nature of which natural philosophers differ. 

3. For some think they have received the name because they scatter firewreathed like hair[156] by a number of stars being collected into onemass; others think that they derive their fire from the dry evaporationof the earth rising gradually to a greater height; some fancy that thesunbeams as they rapidly pass, being prevented by dense clouds fromdescending lower, by infusing their brilliancy into a dense body show alight which, as it were, seems spotted with stars to the eyes ofmortals. Some again have a fixed opinion that this kind of light isvisible when some cloud, rising to a greater height than usual, becomesilluminated by its proximity to the eternal fires; or, that at allevents there are some stars like the rest, of which the special times oftheir rising and setting are not understood by man. There are manyother suggestions about comets which have been put forth by men skilledin mundane philosophy, but I must pass over them, as my subject calls mein another direction. 

4. The emperor remained a short time at Antioch, distracted by manyimportant cares, but desirous above all things to proceed. And so, sparing neither man nor beast, he started from that city in the depth ofwinter, though, as I have stated, many omens warned him from such acourse, and made his entrance into Tarsus, a noble city of Cilicia, theorigin of which I have already related. 

5. Being in excessive haste to depart from thence, he ordereddecorations for the tomb of Julian, which was placed in the suburb, inthe road leading to the defiles of Mount Taurus. Though a sound judgmentwould have decided that the ashes of such a prince ought not to liewithin sight of the Cydnus, however beautiful and clear that river is, but, to perpetuate the glory of his achievements, ought rather to beplaced where they might be washed by the Tiber as it passes through theEternal City and winds round the monuments of the ancient gods. 

6. Then quitting Tarsus, he reached by forced marches Tyana, a town ofCappadocia, where Procopius the secretary and Memoridus the tribune methim on their return, and related to him all that occurred; beginning, asthe order of events required, at the moment when Lucillianus (who hadentered Milan with the tribunes Seniauchus and Valentinian, whom he hadbrought with him, as soon as it was known that Malarichus had refused toaccept the post which was offered to him) hastened on with all speed toRheims. 

7. There, as if it had been a time of profound tranquillity, he wentquite beside the mark, as we say, and while things were still in a veryunsettled state, he most unseasonably devoted his attention toscrutinizing the accounts of the commissary, who, being conscious offraud and guilt, fled to the standards of the soldiers, and pretendedthat while Julian was still alive some one of the common people hadattempted a revolution. By this false report the army became so greatlyexcited that they put Lucillianus and Seniauchus to death. ForValentinian, who soon afterwards became emperor, had been concealed byhis host Primitivus in a safe place, overwhelmed with fear and notknowing which way to flee. 

8. This disastrous intelligence was accompanied by one piece offavourable news, --that the soldiers who had been sent by Jovian wereapproaching (men known in the camp as the heads of the classes), whobrought word that the Gallic army had cordially embraced the cause ofJovian. 

9. When this was known, the command of the second class of the Scutariiwas given to Valentinian, who had returned with those men; andVitalianus, who had been a soldier of the Heruli, was placed among thebody-guards, and afterwards, when raised to the rank of count, met withvery ill success in Illyricum. And at the same time Arinthæus wasdespatched into Gaul with letters for Jovinus, with an injunction tomaintain his ground and act with resolution and constancy; and he wasfurther charged to make an example of the author of the disturbancewhich had taken place, and to send the ringleaders of the sedition asprisoners to the court. 

10. When these matters had been arranged as seemed most expedient, theGallic soldiers obtained an audience of the emperor at Aspuna, a smalltown of Galatia, and having been admitted into the council chamber, after the message which they brought had been listened to with approval, they received rewards and were ordered to return to their standards. 

A. D. 364. 

11. When the emperor had made his entry into Ancyra, everythingnecessary for his procession having been prepared as well as the timepermitted, Jovian entered on the consulship, and took as his colleaguehis son Varronianus, who was as yet quite a child, and whose cries as heobstinately resisted being borne in the curule chair, according to theancient fashion, was an omen of what shortly happened. 

12. Here also the appointed termination of life carried off Jovian withrapidity. For when he had reached Dadastana, a place on the borders ofBithynia and Galatia, he was found dead in the night; and many uncertainreports were spread concerning his death. 

13. It was said that he had been unable to bear the unwholesome smellof the fresh mortar with which his bedchamber had been plastered. Alsothat his head had swollen in consequence of a great fire of coals, andthat this had been the cause of his death; others said that he had diedof a surfeit from over eating. He was in the thirty-third year of hisage. And though he and Scipio Æmilianus both died in the same manner, wehave not found out that any investigation into the death of either evertook place. 

14. Jovian was slow in his movements, of a cheerful countenance, withblue eyes; very tall, so much so that it was long before any of theroyal robes could be found to fit him. He was anxious to imitateConstantius, often occupying himself with serious business till aftermidday, and being fond of jesting with his friends in public. 

15. He was given to the study of the Christian law, sometimes doing itmarked honour; he was tolerably learned in it, very well inclined to itsprofessors, and disposed to promote them to be judges, as was seen insome of his appointments. He was fond of eating, addicted to wine andwomen, though he would perhaps have corrected these propensities from asense of what was due to the imperial dignity. 

16. It was said that his father, Varronianus, through the warning of adream, had long since foreseen what happened, and had foretold it to twoof his most faithful friends, with the addition that he himself alsoshould become consul. But though part of his prophecy became true, hecould not procure the fulfilment of the rest. For though he heard of hisson's high fortune, he died before he could see him. 

17. And because the old man had it foretold to him in his sleep that thehighest office was destined for his name, his grandson Varronianus, while still an infant, was made consul with his father Jovian, as wehave related above. 

[151] Primicerius: he was the third officer of the guard; the firstbeing the lower; the second, the tribune--answering, as one might say, to our major. 

[152] The Zianni were an Armenian tribe. The legion belonged to theThracian establishment. 

[153] Tarquitius was an ancient Etruscan soothsayer, who had written onthe subject of his art. 

[154] That is Marcus Aurelius. 

[155] It must be remembered that throughout Ammianus's history a countis always spoken of as of higher rank than a duke. 

[156] From κόμη, hair. 

BOOK XXVI. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. Valentinian, the tribune of the second school of the Scutarii, by the unanimous consent of both the civil and military officers, is elected emperor at Nicæa, in his absence--A dissertation on leap-year. --II. Valentinian, being summoned from Ancyra, comes with speed to Nicæa, and is again unanimously elected emperor, and having been clothed in the purple, and saluted as Augustus, harangues the army. --III. Concerning the prefecture of Rome, as administered by Apronianus. --IV. Valentinian at Nicomedia makes Valens, his brother, who was master of the horse, his colleague in the empire, and repeats his appointment at Constantinople, with the consent of the army. --V. The two emperors divide the counts and the army between them, and soon afterwards enter on their first consulship, the one at Milan, the other at Constantinople--The Allemanni lay waste Gaul--Procopius attempts a revolt in the East. --VI. The country, family, habits, and rank of Procopius; his obscurity in the time of Jovian, and how he came to be saluted emperor at Constantinople. --VII. Procopius, without bloodshed, reduces Thrace to acknowledge his authority; and by promises prevails on the cavalry and infantry, who were marching through that country, to take the oath of fidelity to him; he also by a speech wins over the Jovian and Victorian legions, which were sent against him by Valens. --VIII. Nicæa and Chalcedon being delivered from their blockades, Bithynia acknowledges the sovereignty of Procopius; as presently, after Cyzicus is stormed, the Hellespont does likewise. --IX. Procopius is deserted by his troops in Bithynia, Lycia, and Phrygia, is delivered alive to Valens, and beheaded. --X. Marcellus, a captain of the guard, his kinsman, and many of his partisans are put to death. 

I. 

A. D. 364. 

§ 1. Having narrated with exceeding care the series of transactions inmy own immediate recollection, it is necessary now to quit the track ofnotorious events, in order to avoid the dangers often found inconnection with truth; and also to avoid exposing ourselves tounreasonable critics of our work, who would make an outcry as if theyhad been personally injured, if anything should be passed over which theemperor has said at dinner, if any cause should be overlooked for whichthe common soldiers were assembled round their standards, or if therewere not inserted a mention of every insignificant fort, however littlesuch things ought to have room in a varied description of differentdistricts. Or if the name of every one who filled the office of urbanprætor be not given, and many other things quite impertinent to theproper idea of a history, which duly touches on prominent occurrences, and does not stoop to investigate petty details or secret motives, whichany one who wishes to know may as well hope to be able to count thoselittle indivisible bodies flying through space, which we call atoms. 

2. Some of the ancients, fearing this kind of criticism, though theycomposed accounts of various actions in a beautiful style, forbore topublish them, as Tully, a witness of authority, mentions in a letter toCornelius Nepos. However, let us, despising the ignorance of people ingeneral, proceed with the remainder of our narrative. 

3. The course of events being terminated so mournfully, by the death oftwo emperors at such brief intervals, the army, having paid the lasthonours to the dead body which was sent to Constantinople to be interredamong the other emperors, advanced towards Nicæa, which is themetropolis of Bithynia, where the chief civil and military authoritiesapplied themselves to an anxious consideration of the state of affairs, and as some of them were full of vain hopes, they sought for a ruler ofdignity and proved wisdom. 

4. In reports, and the concealed whispers of a few persons, the name ofEquitius was ventilated, who was at that time tribune of the first classof the Scutarii; but he was disapproved by the most influential leadersas being rough and boorish; and their inclinations rather tended towardsJanuarius, a kinsman of Julian, who was the chief commissary of the campin Illyricum. 

5. However, he also was rejected because he was at a distance; and, as aman well qualified and at hand, Valentinian was elected by the unanimousconsent of all men, and the manifest favour of the Deity. He was thetribune of the second class of the Scutarii, and had been left atAncyra, it having been arranged that he should follow afterwards. And, because no one denied that this was for the advantage of the republic, messengers were sent to beg him to come with all speed; and for tendays the empire was without a ruler, which the soothsayer Marcus, by aninspection of entrails at Rome, announced to be the case at that momentin Asia. 

6. But in the meanwhile, to prevent any attempt to overturn what hadbeen thus settled, or any movement on the part of the fickle soldiers toset aside the election in favour of some one on the spot, Equitius andLeo, who was acting as commissary under Dagalaiphus the commander of thecavalry, and who afterwards incurred great odium as master of theoffices, [157] strove with great prudence and vigilance to establish, tothe best of their power, what had been the decision of the whole army, they being also natives of Pannonia, and partisans of the emperor elect. 

7. When Valentinian arrived in answer to the summons he had received, either in obedience to omens which guided him in the prosecution of theaffair, as was generally thought, or to repeated warnings conveyed indreams, he would not come into public or be seen by any one for twodays, because he wished to avoid the bissextile day of February whichcame at that time, and which he knew to have been often an unfortunateday for the Roman empire: of this day I will here give a plainexplanation. 

8. The ancients who were skilled in the motions of the world and thestars, among whom the most eminent are Meton, Euctemon, Hipparchus, andArchimedes, define it as the period of the revolving year when the sun, in accordance with the laws which regulate the heavens, having gonethrough the zodiac, in three hundred and sixty-five days and nights, returns to the same point: as, for instance, when, after having moved onfrom the second degree of the Ram, it returns again to it after havingcompleted its circuit. 

9. But the exact period of a year extends over the number of days abovementioned and six hours more. And so the correct commencement of thenext year will not begin till after midday and ends in the evening. Thethird year begins at the first watch, and lasts till the sixth hour ofthe night. The fourth begins at daybreak. 

10. Now as the beginning of each year varies, one commencing at thesixth hour of the day, another at the same hour of the night, toprevent the calculation from throwing all science into confusion by itsperplexing diversity, and the months of autumn from sometimes beingfound to come in the spring, it has been settled that those six hourswhich in a period of four years amount to twenty-four shall be puttogether so as to make one day and night. 

11. And after much consideration it has been so arranged with theconcurrence of many learned men, that thus the revolutions of the yearmay come to one regular end, removed from all vagueness and uncertainty, so that the theory of the heavens may not be clouded by any error, andthat the months may retain their appointed position. 

12. Before their dominions had reached any wide extent, the Romans werefor a long time ignorant of this fact, and having been for many yearsinvolved in obscure difficulties, they were in deeper darkness and errorthan ever, when they gave the priests the power of intercalating, whichthey, in profligate subservience to the interests of the farmers of therevenue, or people engaged in lawsuits, effected by making additions orsubtractions at their own pleasure. 

13. And from this mode of proceeding many other expedients were adopted, all of which were fallacious, and which I think it superfluous now toenumerate. But when they were given up, Octavianus Augustus, inimitation of the Greeks, corrected these disorderly arrangements and putan end to these fluctuations, after great deliberation fixing theduration of the year at twelve months and six hours, during which thesun with its perpetual movement runs through the whole twelve signs, andconcludes the period of a whole year. 

14. This rule of the bissextile year, Rome, which is destined to endureto the end of time, established with the aid of the heavenly Deity. Nowlet us return to our history. 

II. 

§ 1. When this day, so little fit in the opinion of many for beginningany great affair, had passed, at the approach of evening, by the adviceof the prefect Sallust, an order was issued by general consent, and withthe penalty of death attached to any neglect of it, that no one ofhigher authority, or suspected of aiming at any objects of ambition, should appear in public the next morning. 

2. And when, while the numbers who allowed their own empty wishes totorment them were weary of the slowness of time, the night ended atlast, and daylight appeared, the soldiers were all assembled in onebody, and Valentinian advanced into the open space, and mounting atribunal of some height which had been erected on purpose, he wasdeclared ruler of the empire as a man of due wisdom by this assembly, bearing the likeness of a comitia, with the unanimous acclamations ofall present. 

3. Presently he was clothed with the imperial robe, and crowned, andsaluted as Augustus with all the delight which the pleasure of thisnovelty could engender; and then he began to harangue the multitude in apremeditated speech. But as he put forth his arm to speak more freely, agreat murmur arose, the centuries and maniples beginning to raise anuproar, and the whole mass of the cohorts presently urging that a secondemperor should be at once elected. 

4. And though some people fancied that this cry was raised by a fewcorrupt men in order to gain the favour of those who had been passedover, it appeared that that was a mistake, for the cry that was raiseddid not resemble a purchased clamour, but rather the unanimous voice ofthe whole multitude all animated with the same wish, because recentexamples had taught them to fear the instability of this high fortune. Presently the murmurs of the furious and uproarious army appeared likelyto give rise to a complete tumult, and men began to fear that theaudacity of the soldiers might break out into some atrocious act. 

5. And as Valentinian feared this above everything, he raised his handfirmly with the vigour of an emperor full of confidence, and venturingto rebuke some as obstinate and seditious, he delivered the speech hehad intended without interruption. 

6. "I exult, O ye gallant defenders of our provinces, and boast andalways shall boast that your valour has conferred on me, who neitherexpected nor desired such an honour, the government of the Roman empire, as the fittest man to discharge its duties. That which was in yourhands before an emperor was elected, you have completed beneficially andgloriously, by raising to this summit of honour a man whom you know byexperience to have lived from his earliest youth to his present age withhonour and integrity. Now then I entreat you to listen with quietness toa few plain observations which I think will be for the public advantage. 

7. "So numerous are the matters for the consideration of an emperor, that I neither deny nor even doubt that it is a desirable thing that heshould have a colleague of equal power to deal with every contingency. And I myself, as a man, do also fear the great accumulation of careswhich must be mine, and the various changes of events. But still we mustuse every exertion to insure concord, by which even the smallest affairsgive strength. And that is easily secured if, your patience concurringwith your equity, you willingly grant me what belongs to me in thismatter. For Fortune, the ally of all good counsels, will I trust aid me, while to the very utmost of my ability and power, I diligently searchfor a wise and temperate partner. For as wise men lay it down, not onlyin the case of empire where the dangers are frequent and vast, but alsoin matters of private and everyday life, a man ought rather to take astranger into his friendship after he has had opportunities of judginghim to be wise, than to ascertain his wisdom after he has made him hisfriend. 

8. "This, in hopes of a happier fortune, I promise. Do you, retainingyour steadiness of conduct and loyalty, recruit the vigour of your mindsand bodies while rest in your winter quarters allows you to do so. Andyou shall soon receive what is your due on my nomination as emperor. "

9. Having finished this speech, to which his unexpected authority gaveweight, the emperor by it brought all over to his opinion. And eventhose who a few minutes before with loud voices demanded somethingdifferent, now, following his advice, surrounded him with the eagles andstandards, and, forming a splendid and formidable escort of all classesand ranks of the army, conducted him to the palace. 

III. 

§ 1. While the decisions of Fate were rapidly bringing these events topass in the East, Apronianus, the governor of Rome, an upright andsevere judge, among the grave cases by which that prefecture iscontinually oppressed, was labouring with most particular solicitude tosuppress the magicians, who were now getting scarce, and who, havingbeen taken prisoners, had been, after being put to the question, manifestly convicted by the evidence of their accomplices of havinginjured some persons. These he put to death, hoping thus, by thepunishment of a few, to drive the rest, if any were still concealed, outof the city through fear of similar treatment. 

2. And he is said to have acted thus energetically because having beenpromoted by Julian while he was still in Syria, he had lost one eye onhis journey to take possession of his office, and he suspected that thiswas owing to his having been the object of some nefarious practices;therefore with just but unusual indignation he exerted great industry insearching out these and similar crimes. This made him appear cruel tosome persons, because the populace were continually pouring in crowdsinto the amphitheatre while he was conducting the examination of some ofthe greatest criminals. 

3. At last, after many punishments of this kind had been inflicted, hecondemned to death the charioteer Hilarinus, who was convicted on hisown confession of having intrusted his son, who was but a very youngboy, to a sorcerer to be taught some secret mysteries forbidden by thelaws, in order that he might avail himself of unlawful assistancewithout the privity of any one. But, as the executioner held him butloosely he suddenly escaped and fled to a Christian altar, and had to bedragged from it, when he was immediately beheaded. 

4. But soon ample precautions were taken against the recurrence of thisand similar offences, and there were none or very few who venturedafterwards to insult the rigour of the public law by practising theseiniquities. But at a later period long impunity nourished atrociouscrimes; and licentiousness increased to such a pitch that a certainsenator followed the example of Hilarinus, and was convicted of havingalmost articled by a regular contract one of his slaves to a teacher ofthe black art, to be instructed in his impious mysteries, though heescaped punishment by an enormous bribe, as common report went. 

5. And, as it was said, having thus procured an acquittal, though heought to have been ashamed even to have such an accusation, he took nopains to efface the stain, but as if, among a lot of infamous persons, he were the only one absolutely innocent, he used to ride on ahandsomely caparisoned horse through the streets, and is still alwaysattended by a troop of slaves, as if by a new and curious fashion hewere desirous to attract particular observation, just as Duilius inancient times after his glorious naval victory became so arrogant as tocause a flute-player to precede him with soft airs when he returned tohis house after any dinner-party. 

6. Under this same Apronianus all necessaries were so abundant in Romethat not the slightest murmur because of any scarcity of supplies wasever heard, which is very common at Rome. 

IV. 

§ 1. But in Bithynia, Valentinian, as we have already mentioned, havingbeen declared emperor, having fixed the next day but one for beginninghis march, assembled his chief officers, and, as if the course which hepreferred was to follow their advice, inquired whom they recommended himto take for his colleague; and when no one made him any answer, Dagalaiphus, who at that time was commander of the cavalry, boldlyanswered "If, O excellent emperor, you love your own kindred, you have abrother; if you love the republic, then seek the fittest man to invest. "

2. Valentinian was offended with this speech, but kept silence, anddissembled his displeasure and his intentions. And having made a rapidjourney he reached Nicomedia on the first of March, where he appointedhis brother Valens master of the horse with the rank of tribune. 

3. And after that, when he reached Constantinople, revolving manyconsiderations in his mind, and considering that he himself was alreadyoverwhelmed with the magnitude of pressing business, he thought thatthe emergency would admit of no delay; and on the 28th of March he ledValens into the suburbs, where, with the consent of all men (and indeedno one dared to object), he declared him emperor, had him clothed in theimperial robes, and crowned with a diadem, and then brought him back inthe same carriage with himself as the legitimate partner of his power, though in fact he was to be more like an obedient servant, as theremainder of my narrative will show. 

4. After these matters had been thus settled without any interruption, the two emperors suffered a long time from a violent fever; but when outof danger (as they were more active in the investigation of evils thanin removing them) they intrusted the commission to investigate thesecret causes of this malady to Ursatius the master of the offices, afierce Dalmatian, and to Juventius Siscianus the quæstor, their realmotive, as was constantly reported, being to bring the memory of Julianand that of his friends into odium, as if their illness had been owingto their secret malpractices. But this insinuation was easily disposedof, since not a word could be adduced to justify any imputation of suchtreason. 

5. At this time the trumpet as it were gave signal for war throughoutthe whole Roman world; and the barbarian tribes on our frontier weremoved to make incursion on those territories which lay nearest to them. The Allemanni laid waste Gaul and Rhætia at the same time. TheSarmatians and Quadi ravaged Pannonia. The Picts, Scots, Saxons, andAtacotti harassed the Britons with incessant invasions; the Austorianiand other Moorish tribes attacked Africa with more than usual violence. Predatory bands of the Goths plundered Thrace. 

6. The king of the Persians poured troops into Armenia, exerting all hispower to reduce that people again into subjection to his authority;without any just cause, arguing, that after the death of Julian, withwhom he had made a treaty of peace, there was nothing that ought tohinder him from recovering those lands which he could prove to havebelonged in former times to his ancestors. 

V. 

A. D. 365. 

§ 1. So after the winter had passed off quietly, the two emperors inperfect harmony, one having been formally elected, and the other havingbeen admitted to share that honour, though chiefly in appearance, havingtraversed Thrace, arrived at Nissa, where in the suburb which is knownas Mediana, and is three miles from the city, they divided the countsbetween them as if they were going to separate. 

2. To the share of Valentinian, by whose will everything was settled, there fell Jovinus, who had lately been promoted by Julian to be thecommander of the forces in Gaul, and Dagalaiphus, on whom Jovian hadconferred a similar rank; while Victor was appointed to follow Valens tothe east: and he also had originally been promoted by the decision ofJulian; and to him was given Ariathæus as a colleague. For Lupicinus, who in like manner had sometime before been appointed by Jovian tocommand the cavalry, was defending the eastern districts. 

3. At the same time Equitius received the command of the army ofIllyricum, with the rank not of general but of count; and Serenianus, who sometime before had retired from the service, now, being a citizenof Pannonia, returned to it, and joined Valens as commander of thecohort of his guards. This was the way in which these affairs weresettled, and in which the troops were divided. 

4. After this, when the two brothers entered Sirmium, they divided theircourts also, and Valentinian as the chief took Milan, while Valensretired to Constantinople. 

5. Sallust, with the authority of prefect, governed the East, MamertinusItaly with Africa and Illyricum, and Germanianus the provinces of Gaul. 

6. It was in the cities of Milan and Constantinople that the emperorsfirst assumed the consular robes. But the whole year was one of heavydisaster to the Roman state. 

7. For the Allemanni burst through the limits of Germany, and the causeof their unusual ferocity was this. They had sent ambassadors to thecourt, and according to custom they were entitled to regular fixedpresents, but received gifts of inferior value; which, in greatindignation, they threw away as utterly beneath them. For this they wereroughly treated by Ursatius, a man of a passionate and cruel temper, whoat that time was master of the offices; and when they returned andrelated, with considerable exaggeration, how they had been treated, theyroused the anger of their savage countrymen as if they had been despisedand insulted in their persons. 

8. About the same time, or not much later, Procopius attempted arevolution in the east; and both these occurrences were announced toValentinian on the same day, the 1st of November, as he was on the pointof making his entry into Paris. 

9. He instantly sent Dagalaiphus to make head against the Allemanni, who, when they had laid waste the land nearest to them, had departed toa distance without bloodshed. But with respect to the measures necessaryto crush the attempt of Procopius before it gained any strength, he wasgreatly perplexed, being made especially anxious by his ignorancewhether Valens were alive or dead, that Procopius thus attempted to makehimself master of the empire. 

10. For Equitius, as soon as he heard the account of the tribuneAntonius, who was in command of the army in the interior of Dacia, before he was able to ascertain the real truth of everything, broughtthe emperor a plain statement of what had taken place. 

11. On this Valentinian promoted Equitius to the command of a division, and resolved on retiring to Illyricum to prevent a rebel who was alreadyformidable from overrunning Thrace and then carrying an hostile invasioninto Pannonia. For he was greatly terrified by recollecting recentevents, considering how, not long before, Julian, despising an emperorwho had been invariably successful in every civil war, before he wasexpected or looked for, passed on from city to city with incrediblerapidity. 

12. But his eager desire to return was cooled by the advice of thoseabout him, who counselled and implored him not to expose Gaul to thebarbarians, who were threatening it; nor to abandon on such a pretenceprovinces which were in need of great support. And then prayers wereseconded by embassies from several important cities which entreated himnot in a doubtful and disastrous crisis to leave them wholly undefended, when by his presence he might at once deliver them from the greatestdangers, by the mere terror which his mighty name would strike into theGermans. 

13. At last, having given much deliberation to what might be mostadvisable, he adopted the opinion of the majority, and replied thatProcopius was the foe only of himself and his brother, but the Allemanniwere the enemies of the whole Roman world; and so he determined in themean time not to move beyond the frontier of Gaul. 

14. And advancing to Rheims, being also anxious that Africa should notbe suddenly invaded, he appointed Neotherius, who at that time was onlya secretary, but who afterwards became a consul, to go to the protectionof that country; and with him Masaucio, an officer of the domesticguard, being induced to add him by the consideration that he was wellacquainted with the disturbed parts, since he had been brought up thereunder his father Cretion, who was formerly Count of Africa; he addedfurther, Gaudentius, a commander of the Scutarii, a man whom he had longknown, and on whose fidelity he placed entire confidence. 

15. Because therefore these sad disturbances arose on both sides at oneand the same time, we will here arrange our account of each separatelyin suitable order; relating first what took place in the East, andafterwards the war with the barbarians; since the chief events both inthe West and the East occurred in the same months; lest, by any otherplan, if we skipped over in haste from place to place, we should presentonly a confused account of everything, and so involve our wholenarrative in perplexity and disorder. 

VI. 

§ 1. Procopius was born and bred in Cilicia, of a noble family, andoccupied an advantageous position from his youth, as being a relation ofJulian who afterwards became emperor. He was very strict in his way oflife and morals, reserved and silent; but both as secretary, andafterwards as tribune distinguishing himself by his services in war, and rising gradually to the highest rank. After the death ofConstantius, in the changes that ensued, he, being a kinsman of theemperor, began to entertain higher aims, especially after he wasadmitted to the order of counts; and it became evident that if ever hewere sufficiently powerful, he would be a disturber of the public peace. 

2. When Julian invaded Persia he left him in Mesopotamia, in command ofa strong division of troops, giving him Sebastian for his colleague withequal power; and he was enjoined (as an uncertain rumour whispered, forno certain authority for the statement could be produced) to be guidedby the course of events, and if he should find the republic in a languidstate, and in need of further aid, to cause himself without delay to besaluted as emperor. 

3. Procopius executed his commission in a courteous and prudent manner;and soon afterwards heard of the mortal wound and death of Julian, andof the elevation of Jovian to the supreme authority; while at the sametime an ungrounded report had got abroad that Julian with his lastbreath had declared that it was his will that the helm of the stateshould be intrusted to Procopius. He therefore, fearing that inconsequence of this report he might be put to death uncondemned, withdrew from public observation; being especially alarmed after theexecution of Jovian, the principal secretary, who, as he heard, had beencruelly put to death with torture, because after the death of Julian hehad been named by a few soldiers as one worthy to succeed to thesovereignty, and on that account was suspected of meditating arevolution. 

4. And because he was aware that he was sought for with great care, hewithdrew into a most remote and secret district, seeking to avoid givingoffence to any one. Then, finding that his hiding-place was still soughtout by Jovian with increased diligence, he grew weary of living like awild beast (since he was not only driven from high rank to a lowstation, but was often in distress even for food, and deprived of allhuman society); so at last, under the pressure of extreme necessity, hereturned by secret roads into the district of Chalcedon. 

5. Where, since that appeared a safer retreat, he concealed himself inthe house of a trusty friend, a man of the name of Strategius, who frombeing an officer about the palace had risen to be a senator; crossingover at times to Constantinople whenever he could do so without beingperceived; as was subsequently learnt from the evidence of this sameStrategius after repeated investigations had been made into the conductof all who were accomplices in his enterprise. 

6. Accordingly, like a skilful scout, since hardship and want had soaltered his countenance that no one knew him, he collected the reportsthat were flying about, spread by many who, as the present is alwaysgrievous, accused Valens of being inflamed with a passion for seizingwhat belonged to others. 

7. An additional stimulus to his ferocity was the emperor'sfather-in-law, Petronius, who, from the command of the Martensiancohort, had been suddenly promoted to be a patrician. He was a mandeformed both in mind and appearance, and cruelly eager to plunder everyperson without distinction; torturing all, guilty and innocent, and thenbinding them with fourfold bonds; exacting debts due as far back as thetime of the emperor Aurelian, and grieving if any one escaped withoutloss. 

8. And his natural cruelty was inflamed by this additional incentive, that as he was enriched by the sufferings of others, he was inexorable, cruel, hard hearted, and unfeeling, incapable either of doing justice orof listening to reason. He was more hated than even Cleander, who, as weread, while prefect in the time of Commodus, oppressed people of allranks with his foolish arrogance; and more tyrannical than Plautian, whowas prefect under Severus, and who with more than mortal pride wouldhave thrown everything into confusion, if he had not been murdered outof revenge. 

9. The cruelties which in the time of Valens, who acted under theinfluence of Petronius, closed many houses both of poor men and nobles, and the fear of still worse impending, sank deep into the hearts of boththe provincials and soldiers, who groaned under the same burdens; andthough the prayers breathed were silent and secret, yet some change ofthe existing state of things by the interposition of the supreme Deitywas unanimously prayed for. 

10. This state of affairs came home to the knowledge of Procopius, andhe, thinking that if Fate were at all propitious, he might easily riseto the highest power, lay in wait like a wild beast which prepares tomake its spring the moment it sees anything to seize. 

11. And while he was eagerly maturing his plans, the following chancegave him an opportunity which proved most seasonable. After the winterwas past, Valens hastened into Syria; and when he had reached theborders of Bithynia he learnt from the accounts of the generals that thenation of the Goths, who up to that time had never come into collisionwith us, and who were therefore very fierce and untractable, were allwith one consent preparing for an invasion of our Thracian frontier. When he heard this, in order to proceed on his own journey withouthindrance, he ordered a sufficient force of cavalry and infantry to besent into the districts in which the inroads of these barbarians wereapprehended. 

12. Therefore, as the emperor was now at a distance, Procopius, beingwearied by his protracted sufferings, and thinking even a cruel deathpreferable to a longer endurance of them, precipitately plunged intodanger; and not fearing the last extremities, but being wrought upalmost to madness, he undertook a most audacious enterprise. His desirewas to win over the legions known as the Divitenses and the youngerTungricani, who were under orders to march through Thrace for the comingcampaign, and, according to custom, would stop two days atConstantinople on their way; and for this object he intended to employsome of them whom he knew, thinking it safer to rely on the fidelity ofa few, and dangerous and difficult to harangue the whole body. 

13. Those whom he selected as emissaries, being secured by the hope ofgreat rewards, promised with a solemn oath to do everything he desired;and undertook also for the good-will of their comrades, among whom theyhad great influence from their long and distinguished service. 

14. As was settled between them, when day broke, Procopius, agitated byall kinds of thoughts and plans, repaired to the Baths of Anastasia, socalled from the sister of Constantine, where he knew these legions werestationed; and being assured by his emissaries that in an assembly whichhad been held during the preceding night all the men had declared theiradherence to his party, he received from them a promise of safety, andwas gladly admitted to their assembly; where, however, though treatedwith all honour by the throng of mercenary soldiers, he found himselfdetained almost as a hostage; for they, like the prætorians who afterthe death of Pertinax had accepted Julian as their emperor because hebid highest, now undertook the cause of Procopius in the hope of greatgain to themselves from the unlucky reign he was planning. 

15. Procopius therefore stood among them, looking pale and ghost-like;and as a proper royal robe could not be found, he wore a tunic spangledwith gold, like that of an officer of the palace, and the lower part ofhis dress like that of a boy at school; and purple shoes; he also bore aspear, and carried a small piece of purple cloth in his right hand, sothat one might fancy that some theatrical figure or dramaticpersonification had suddenly come upon the stage. 

16. Being thus ridiculously put forward as if in mockery of all honours, he addressed the authors of his elevation with servile flattery, promising them vast riches and high rank as the first-fruits of hispromotion; and then he advanced into the streets, escorted by amultitude of armed men; and with raised standards he prepared toproceed, surrounded by a horrid din of shields clashing with a mournfulclang, as the soldiers, fearing lest they might be injured by stones ortiles from the housetops, joined them together above their heads inclose order. 

17. As he thus advanced boldly the people showed him neither aversionnor favour; but he was encouraged by the love of sudden novelty, whichis implanted in the minds of most of the common people, and was furtherexcited by the knowledge that all men unanimously detested Petronius, who, as I have said before, was accumulating riches by all kinds ofviolence, reviving actions that had long been buried, and oppressing allranks with the exaction of forgotten debts. 

18. Therefore when Procopius ascended the tribunal, and when, as allseemed thunderstruck and bewildered, even the gloomy silence wasterrible, thinking (or, indeed, expecting) that he had only found ashorter way to death, trembling so as to be unable to speak, he stoodfor some time in silence. Presently when he began, with a broken andlanguid voice, to say a few words, in which he spoke of his relationshipto the imperial family, he was met at first with but a faint murmur ofapplause from those whom he had bribed; but presently he was hailed bythe tumultuous clamours of the populace in general as emperor, andhurried off to the senate-house, where he found none of the nobles, butonly a small number of the rabble of the city; and so he went on withspeed, but in an ignoble style, to the palace. 

19. One might marvel that this ridiculous beginning, so improvidentlyand rashly engaged in, should have led to melancholy disasters for therepublic, if one were ignorant of previous history, and imagined thatthis was the first time any such thing had happened. But, in truth, itwas in a similar manner that Andriscus of Adramyttium, a man of the verylowest class, assuming the name of Philip, added a third calamitous warto the previous Macedonian wars. Again, while the emperor Macrinus wasat Antioch, it was then that Antoninus Heliogabalus issued forth fromEmessa. Thus also Alexander, and his mother Mamæa, were put to death bythe unexpected enterprise of Maximinus. And in Africa the elder Gordianwas raised to the imperial authority, till, being overwhelmed with agonyat the dangers which threatened him, he put an end to his life byhanging himself. 

VII. 

§ 1. So the dealers in cheap luxuries, and those who were about thepalace, or who had ceased to serve, and all who, having been in theranks of the army, had retired to a more tranquil life, now embarked inthis unusual and doubtful enterprise, some against their will, andothers willingly. Some, however, thinking anything better than thepresent state of affairs, escaped secretly from the city, and hastenedwith all speed to the emperor's camp. 

2. They were all outstripped by the amazing celerity of Sophronius, atthat time a secretary, afterwards prefect of Constantinople, who reachedValens as he was just about to set out from Cæsarea in Cappadocia, inorder, now that the hot weather of Cilicia was over, to go to Antioch;and having related to him all that had taken place, brought him, thoughwholly amazed and bewildered at so doubtful and perplexing a crisis, back into Galatia to encounter the danger before it had risen to a head. 

3. While Valens was pushing forward with all speed, Procopius was usingall his energy day and night, producing different persons who withcunning boldness pretended that they had arrived, some from the east, some from Gaul, and who reported that Valentinian was dead, and thateverything was easy for the new and favoured emperor. 

4. And because enterprises suddenly and wantonly attempted are oftenstrengthened by promptness of action, and in order to neglect nothing, Nebridius, who had been recently promoted through the influence ofPetronius to be prefect of the prætorium in the place of Sallust, andCæsarius, the prefect of Constantinople, were at once thrown intoprison; and Phronemius was intrusted with the government of the city, with the customary powers; and Euphrasius was made master of theoffices, both being Gauls, and men of known accomplishments and goodcharacter. The government of the camp was intrusted to Gomoarius andAgilo, who were recalled to military service with that object--a veryill-judged appointment, as was seen by the result. 

5. Now because Count Julius, who was commanding the forces in Thrace, was feared as likely to employ the troops at the nearest stations tocrush the rebels if he received information of what was being done, avigorous measure was adopted; and he was summoned to Constantinople byletter, which Nebridius, while still in prison, was compelled to write, as if he had been appointed by Valens to conduct some serious measuresin connection with the movements of the barbarians; and as soon as hearrived he was seized and kept in close custody. By this cunningartifice the warlike tribes of Thrace were brought over withoutbloodshed, and proved a great assistance to this disorderly enterprise. 

6. After this success, Araxius, by a court intrigue, was made prefect ofthe prætorium, as if at the recommendation of Agilo, his son-in-law. Many others were admitted to various posts in the palace, and to thegovernment of provinces; some against their will, others voluntarily, and even giving bribes for their promotion. 

7. And, as often happens in times of intestine commotion, some men, fromthe very dregs of the populace, rose to a high position, led bydesperate boldness and insane expectations; while, on the contrary, others of noble birth fell from the highest elevation down to exile anddeath. 

8. When by these and similar acts the party of Procopius seemed firmlyestablished, the next thing was to assemble a sufficient military force;and that was easily managed, though sometimes, in times of publicdisorder, a failure here has hindered great enterprises, and even somewhich had a lawful origin. 

9. The divisions of cavalry and infantry which were passing throughThrace were easily gained over, and being kindly and liberally treated, were collected into one body, and at once presented the appearance of anarmy; and being excited by magnificent promises, they swore with solemnoaths fidelity to Procopius, promising to defend him with unswervingloyalty. 

10. For a most seasonable opportunity of gaining them over was found;because he carried in his arms the little daughter of Constantius, whosememory was still held in reverence, himself also claiming relationshipwith Julian. He also availed himself of another seasonable incident, namely, that it was while Faustina, the mother of the child, was presentthat he had received the insignia of the imperial rites. 

11. He employed also another expedient (though it required greatpromptitude); he chose some persons, as stupid as they were rash, whomhe sent to Illyricum, relying on no support except their own impudence;but also well furnished with pieces of gold stamped with the head of thenew emperor, and with other means suited to win over the multitude. Butthese men were arrested by Equitius, who was the commander of the forcesin that country, and were put to death by various methods. 

12. And then, fearing similar attempts by Procopius, he blocked up thethree narrowest entrances into the northern province; one through Dacia, along the course of the different rivers; another, and that the mostfrequented, through the Succi; and the third through Macedonia, which isknown as the Acontisma. And in consequence of these precautions theusurper was deprived of all hope of becoming master of Illyricum, andlost one great resource for carrying on the war. 

13. In the mean time Valens, overwhelmed with the strange nature of thisintelligence, and being already on his return through Gallo-Græcia, after he had heard what had happened at Constantinople, advanced withgreat diffidence and alarm; and as his sudden fears deprived him of hisusual prudence, he fell into such despondency that he thought of layingaside his imperial robes as too heavy a burden; and in truth he wouldhave done so if those about him had not hindered him from adopting sodishonourable a resolution. So, being encouraged by the opinions ofbraver men, he ordered two legions, known as the Jovian and theVictorian, to advance in front to storm the rebel camp. 

14. And when they approached, Procopius, who had returned from Nicæa, towhich city he had lately gone with the legion of Divitenses and apromiscuous body of deserters, which he had collected in a few days, hastened to Mygdus on the Sangarius. 

15. And when the legions, being now prepared for battle, assembledthere, and while both sides were exchanging missiles as if wishing toprovoke an attack, Procopius advanced by himself into the middle, andunder the guidance of favourable fortune, he remarked in the oppositeranks a man named Vitalianus (it is uncertain whether he had known himbefore), and having given him his hand and embraced him, he said, whileboth armies were equally astonished. 

16. "And is this the end of the ancient fidelity of the Roman armies, and of the oaths taken under the strictest obligations of religion! Haveyou decided, O gallant men, to use your swords in defence of strangers, and that a degenerate Pannonian should undermine and upset everything, and so enjoy a sovereign power which he never even ventured to pictureto himself in his prayers, while we lament over your ill-fortune and ourown. Follow rather the race of your own noble princes which is now inarms, not with the view of seizing what does not belong to it, but withthe hope of recovering its ancestral possessions and hereditarydignities. "

17. All were propitiated by this conciliatory speech, and those who hadcome with the intention of fighting now readily lowered their standardsand eagles, and of their own accord came over to him; instead ofuttering their fearful yells, they unanimously saluted Procopiusemperor, and escorted him to his camp, calling Jupiter to witness, aftertheir military fashion, that Procopius should prove invincible. 

VIII. 

§ 1. Another fortunate circumstance occurred to swell the prosperity ofthe rebels. A tribune named Rumitalca, who had joined the partisans ofProcopius, having been intrusted with the guard of the palace, digesteda plan, and after mingling with the soldiers, passed over by sea to thetown formerly known as Drepanum, but now as Helenopolis, and thencemarched upon Nicæa, and made himself master of it before any one dreamtof such a step. 

2. Valens sent Vadomarius, who had formerly been duke and king of theAllemanni, with a body of troops experienced in that kind of work, tobesiege Nicæa, and proceeded himself to Nicomedia; and passing on fromthat city, he pressed the siege of Chalcedon with all his might; but thecitizens poured reproaches on him from the walls, calling himSabaiarius, or beer-drinker. Now Sabai is a drink made of barley orother grain, and is used only by poor people in Illyricum. 

3. At last, being worn out by the scarcity of supplies and the exceedingobstinacy of the garrison, he was preparing to raise the siege, when thegarrison who were shut up in Nicæa suddenly opened the gates and issuedforth, destroying a great portion of the works of the besiegers, andunder the command of the faithful Rumitalca hastened on eagerly in thehope of cutting off Valens, who had not yet quitted the suburb ofChalcedon. And they would have succeeded in their attempt if he had notlearnt the imminence of his danger from some rumour, and eluded theenemy who were pressing on his track, by departing with all speed by aroad lying between the lake Sunon and the winding course of the riverGallus. And through this circumstance Bithynia also fell into the handsof Procopius. 

4. When Valens had returned by forced marches from this city to Ancyra, and had learnt that Lupicinus was approaching with no inconsiderableforce from the East, he began to entertain better hopes, and sentArinthæus as his most approved general to encounter the enemy. 

5. And when Arinthæus reached Dadastana, where we have mentioned thatJovian died, he suddenly saw in his front, Hyperechius, who hadpreviously been only a subaltern, but who now, as a trusty friend, hadreceived from Procopius the command of the auxiliary forces. Andthinking it no credit to defeat in battle a man of no renown, relying onhis authority and on his lofty personal stature, he shouted out acommand to the enemy themselves to take and bind their commander; theyobeyed, and so this mere shadow of a general was arrested by the handsof his own men. 

6. In the interim, a man of the name of Venustus, who had been anofficer of the treasury under Valens, and who had some time before beensent to Nicomedia, to distribute pay to the soldiers who were scatteredover the East, when he heard of this disaster, perceived that the timewas unfavourable for the execution of his commission, and repaired inhaste to Cyzicus with the money which he had with him. 

7. There, as it happened, he met Serenianus, who was at that time thecount of the guards, and who had been sent to protect the treasury, andwho now, with a garrison collected in a hurry, had undertaken thedefence of the city, which was impregnable in its walls, and celebratedalso for many ancient monuments, though Procopius, in order, now that hehad got possession of Bithynia, to make himself master of theHellespont, had sent a strong force to besiege it. 

8. The siege went on slowly; often numbers of the besiegers were woundedby arrows and bullets, and other missiles; and by the skill of thegarrison a barrier of the strongest iron chain was thrown across themouth of the harbour, fastened strongly to the land on each side, toprevent the ships of the enemy, which were armed with beaks, fromforcing their way in. 

9. This boom, however, after great exertions on the part of bothsoldiers and generals, who were all exhausted by the fierce nature ofthe struggle, a tribune of the name of Aliso, an experienced and skilfulwarrior, cut through in the following manner:--He fastened togetherthree vessels, and placed upon them a kind of testudo, thus, --on thebenches stood a body of armed men, united together by their shields, which joined above their heads; behind them was another row, whostooped, so as to be lower; a third rank bent lower still, so as to forma regular gradation; so that the last row of all, resting on theirhaunches, gave the whole formation the appearance of an arch. This kindof machine is employed in contests under the walls of towns, in orderthat while the blows of missiles and stones fall on the slippery descentthey may pass off like so much rain. 

10. Aliso then, being for a while defended from the shower of missiles, by his own vast strength held a log under this chain, while with amighty blow of his axe he cut it through, so that being driven asunder, it left the broad entrance open, and thus the city was laid openunprotected to the assault of the enemy. And on this account, when, after the death of the originator of all this confusion, cruel vengeancewas taken on the members of his party, the same tribune, from arecollection of his gallant action, was granted his life and allowed toretain his commission, and a long time afterwards fell in Isauria in aconflict with a band of ravagers. 

11. When Cyzicus was thus opened to him, Procopius hastened thither, andpardoned all who had opposed him, except Serenianus, whom he put inirons, and sent to Nicæa, to be kept in close confinement. 

12. And immediately he appointed the young Hormisdas (the son of theformer Prince Hormisdas) proconsul intrusting him in the ancient fashionwith the command both in civil and military affairs. He conductedhimself, as his natural disposition prompted him, with moderation, butwas almost seized by the soldiers whom Valens had sent by the difficultpasses of Phrygia; he saved himself, however, by great energy, embarkingon board a vessel which he kept in readiness for any emergency, carrying off also his wife, who followed him, and was nearly takenprisoner, had he not protected her under a shower of arrows. She was alady of high family and great wealth, whose modesty and the gloriousdestiny reserved for her subsequently saved her husband from greatdangers. 

13. In consequence of this victory Procopius was elated beyond measure, and not knowing that a man, however happy, if Fortune turns her wheelmay become most miserable before evening, he ordered the house ofArbetio, which he had previously spared as that of one of his ownpartisans, to be rifled, and it was full of furniture of countlessvalue. The reason of his indignation against Arbetio was, that though hehad summoned him several times to come to him, he had deferred hisaudience, pleading old age and sickness. 

14. And this presumptuous man might, from the uncertainty in humanaffairs, have feared some great change; but though without anyresistance he could have overrun the provinces of the East with thewilling consent of the natives themselves, who, from weariness of thesevere rule under which they then were, were eager for any changewhatever, he indolently lingered, hoping to gain over some cities ofAsia Minor, and to collect some men who were skilful in procuring gold, and who would be of use to him in future battles, which he expectedwould be both numerous and severe. 

15. Thus he was allowing himself to grow blunt, like a rusty sword; justas formerly Pescennius Niger, when repeatedly urged by the Roman peopleto come to their aid at a time of great extremity, lost a great deal oftime in Syria, and at last was defeated by Severus in the Gulf of Issus(which is a town in Cilicia, where Alexander conquered Darius), and wasput to death by a common soldier in a suburb of Antioch. 

IX. 

A. D. 366. 

§ 1. These events took place in the depth of winter, in the consulshipof Valentinian and Valens. But this high office of consul wastransferred to Gratian, who was as yet only a private individual, and toDagalaiphus. And then, having collected his forces at the approach ofspring, Valens, having united Lupicinus's troops, which were a numerousbody, to his own, marched with all speed towards Pessinus, which wasformerly reckoned a town of Phrygia, but was now considered to belong toGalatia. 

2. Having speedily secured it with a garrison, to prevent any unforeseendanger from arising in that district, he proceeded along the foot ofMount Olympus by very difficult passes to Lycia, intending to attackGomoarius, who was loitering in that province. 

3. Many vehemently opposed this project from this consideration, thathis enemy, as has been already mentioned, always bore with him on alitter the little daughter of Constantius, with her mother Faustina, both when marching and when preparing for battle, thus exciting thesoldiers to fight more resolutely for the imperial family, with which, as he told them, he himself was connected. So formerly, when theMacedonians were on the point of engaging in battle with the Illyrians, they placed their king, who was still an infant, [158] in his cradlebehind the line of battle, and the fear lest he should be taken prisonermade them exert themselves the more so as to defeat their enemies. 

4. To counteract this crafty manoeuvre the emperor, in the criticalstate of his affairs, devised a sagacious remedy, and summoned Arbetio, formerly consul, but who was now living in privacy, to join him, inorder that the fierce minds of the soldiers might be awed by thepresence of a general who had served under Constantine. And it happenedas he expected. 

5. For when that officer, who was older in years than all around him, and superior in rank, showed his venerable gray hairs to the numbers whowere inclined to violate their oaths, and accused Procopius as a publicrobber, and addressing the soldiers who followed his guilty leadershipas his own sons and the partners of his former toils, entreated themrather to follow him as a parent known to them before as a successfulleader than obey a profligate spendthrift who ought to be abandoned, andwho would soon fall. 

6. And when Gomoarius heard this, though he might have escaped from theenemy and returned in safety to the place from whence he came, yet, availing himself of the proximity of the emperor's camp, he passed overunder the guise of a prisoner, as if he had been surrounded by thesudden advance of a superior force. 

7. Encouraged by this, Valens quickly moved his camp to Phrygia, andengaged the enemy near Nacolia, and the battle was doubtful till Agilo, the leader of Procopius's forces, betrayed his side by a suddendesertion of his ranks; and he was followed by many who, brandishingtheir javelins and their swords, crossed over to the emperor, bearingtheir standards and their shields reversed, which is the most manifestsign of defection. 

8. When this unexpected event took place, Procopius abandoning all hopeof safety, dismounted, and sought a hiding-place on foot in the grovesand hills. He was followed by Florentius and the tribune Barchalbas, whohaving been known ever since the time of Constantine in all the terriblewars which had taken place, was now driven into treason by necessity notby inclination. 

9. So when the greater part of the night was passed, as the moon, whichhad risen in the evening, by continuing her light till dawn increasedtheir fear, Procopius, finding it impossible to escape, and having noresources, as is often the case in moments of extreme danger, began toblame his mournful and disastrous fortune. And being overwhelmed withcare, he was on a sudden taken and bound by his own comrades, and, atdaybreak led to the camp, and brought, silent and downcast, before theemperor. He was immediately beheaded; and his death put an end to theincreasing disturbances of civil war. His fate resembled that ofPerpenna of old, who, after Sertorius had been slain at a banquet, enjoyed the power for a short time, but was dragged out of the thicketwhere he was concealed, and brought to Pompey, by whose orders he wasput to death. 

10. Giving way to equal indignation against Florentius and Barchalbas, though they delivered up Procopius, he instantly ordered them also to beslain, without listening to reason. For if they had betrayed theirlegitimate prince, Justice herself would pronounce them justly slain;but if he whom they betrayed was a rebel and an enemy to thetranquillity of the state, as was alleged, then they ought to havereceived an ample reward for so memorable an action. 

11. Procopius perished at the age of forty years and ten months. He wasof a goodly appearance, tall, inclined to stoop, always looking on theground as he walked, and in his reserved and melancholy manners likeCrassus, whom Lucillius and Cicero record never to have smiled but oncein his life; and what is very remarkable, as long as he lived he nevershed blood. 

X. 

§ 1. About the same time, his kinsman Marcellus, an officer of theguard, who commanded the garrison of Nicæa, hearing of the treachery ofthe soldiers and the death of Procopius, attacked Serenianus, who wasconfined in the palace, unexpectedly at midnight, and put him to death. And his death was the safety of many. 

2. For if he, a man of rude manners, bitter temper, and a love ofinjuring people, had survived Valens's victory, having also greatinfluence with Valens from the similarity of his disposition and theproximity of their birthplaces, he would have studied the secretinclinations of a prince always inclined to cruelty, and would have shedthe blood of many innocent persons. 

3. Having killed him, Marcellus by a rapid march seized on Chalcedon, and with the aid of a few people, whom the lowness of their conditionand despair urged to crime, obtained a shadow of authority which provedfatal to him, being deceived by two circumstances, because he thoughtthat the three thousand Goths who, after their kings had beenconciliated, had been sent to aid Procopius, who had prevailed on themto support him by pleading his relationship to Constantine, would at asmall cost be easily won over to support him, and also because he wasignorant of what had happened in Illyricum. 

4. While these alarming events were taking place, Equitius, havinglearnt by trustworthy reports from his scouts that the whole stress ofthe war was now to be found in Asia, passed through the Succi, and madea vigorous attempt to take Philippopolis, the ancient Eumolpias, [159]which was occupied by a garrison of the enemy. It was a city in a mostfavourable position, and likely to prove an obstacle to his approach ifleft in his rear, and if he, while conducting reinforcements to Valens(for he was not yet acquainted with what had happened at Nacolia), should be compelled to hasten to the district around Mount Hæmus. 

5. But when, a few days later, he heard of the foolish usurpation ofMarcellus, he sent against him a body of bold and active troops, whoseized him as a mischievous slave, and threw him into prison. Fromwhich, some days afterwards, he was brought forth, scourged severelywith his accomplices, and put to death, having deserved favour by noaction of his life except that he had slain Serenianus, a man as cruelas Phalaris, and faithful only in barbarity, which he displayed on theslightest pretext. 

6. The war being now at an end by the death of the leader, many weretreated with much greater severity than their errors or faults required, especially the defenders of Philippopolis, who would not surrender thecity or themselves till they saw the head of Procopius, which wasconveyed to Gaul. 

7. Some, however, by the influence of intercessors, received mercy, themost eminent of whom was Araxius, who, when the crisis was at itsheight, had applied for and obtained the office of prefect. He, by theintercession of his son-in-law Agilo, was punished only by banishment toan island, from which he soon afterwards escaped. 

8. But Euphrasius and Phronemius were sent to the west to be at thedisposal of Valentinian. Euphrasius was acquitted, but Phronemius wastransported to the Chersonesus, being punished more severely than theother, though their case was the same, because he had been a favouritewith the late emperor Julian, whose memorable virtues the two brothersnow on the throne joined in disparaging, though they were neither likenor equal to him. 

9. To these severities other grievances of greater importance, and moreto be dreaded than any sufferings in battle, were added. For theexecutioner, and the rack, and bloody modes of torture, now attacked menof every rank, class, or fortune, without distinction. Peace seemed as apretext for establishing a detestable tribunal, while all men cursedthe ill-omened victory that had been gained as worse than the mostdeadly war. 

10. For amid arms and trumpets the equality of every one's chance makesdanger seem lighter; and often the might of martial valour obtains whatit aims at; or else a sudden death, if it befalls a man, is attended byno feeling of ignominy, but brings an end to life and to suffering atthe same time. When, however, laws and statutes are put forth aspretexts for wicked counsels, and judges, affecting the equity of Catoor Cassius, sit on the bench, though in fact everything is done at thediscretion of over-arrogant power, on the whim of which every man's lifeor death depends, the mischief is fatal and incurable. 

11. For at this time any one might go to the palace on any pretext, andif he were inflamed with a desire of appropriating the goods of others, though the person he accused might be notoriously innocent, he wasreceived by the emperor as a friend to be trusted and deserving to beenriched at the expense of others. 

12. For the emperor was quick to inflict injury, always ready to listento informers, admitting the most deadly accusations, and exultingunrestrainedly in the diversity of punishments devised; ignorant of theexpression of Tully, which teaches us that those men are unhappy whothink themselves privileged to do everything. 

13. This implacability, unworthy of a just cause, and disgracing hisvictory, exposed many innocent men to the torturers, crushing thembeneath the rack, or slaying them by the stroke of the fierceexecutioner. Men who, if nature had permitted, would rather have lostten lives in battle than be thus tortured while guiltless of all crime, having their estates confiscated, as if guilty of treason, and theirbodies mutilated before death, which is the most bitter kind of death. 

14. At last, when his ferocity was exhausted by his cruelties, men ofthe highest rank were still exposed to proscription, banishment, andother punishments which, though severe, appear lighter to some people. And in order to enrich some one else, men of noble birth, and perhapsstill more richly endowed with virtues, were stripped of their patrimonyand driven into exile, where they were exhausted with misery, perhapsbeing even reduced to subsist by beggary. Nor was any limit put to thecruelties which were inflicted till both the prince and those about himwere satiated with plunder and bloodshed. 

15. While the usurper, whose various acts and death we have beenrelating, was still alive, on the 21st of July, in the first consulshipof Valentinian and his brother, fearful dangers suddenly overspread thewhole world, such as are related in no ancient fables or histories. 

16. For a little before sunrise there was a terrible earthquake, preceded by incessant and furious lightning. The sea was drivenbackwards, so as to recede from the land, and the very depths wereuncovered, so that many marine animals were left sticking in the mud. And the depths of its valleys and the recesses of the hills, which fromthe very first origin of all things had been lying beneath the boundlesswaters, now beheld the beams of the sun. 

17. Many ships were stranded on the dry shore, while people stragglingabout the shoal water picked up fishes and things of that kind in theirhands. In another quarter the waves, as if raging against the violencewith which they had been driven back, rose, and swelling over theboiling shallows, beat upon the islands and the extended coasts of themainland, levelling cities and houses wherever they encountered them. All the elements were in furious discord, and the whole face of theworld seemed turned upside down, revealing the most extraordinarysights. 

18. For the vast waves subsided when it was least expected, and thusdrowned many thousand men. Even ships were swallowed up in the furiouscurrents of the returning tide, and were seen to sink when the fury ofthe sea was exhausted; and the bodies of those who perished by shipwreckfloated about on their backs or faces. 

19. Other vessels of great size were driven on shore by the violence ofthe wind, and cast upon the housetops, as happened at Alexandria; andsome were even driven two miles inland, of which we ourselves saw one inLaconia, near the town of Mothone, which was lying and rotting where ithad been driven. 

[157] Master of the Offices--v. Bohn's 'Gibbon, ' ii. , 223. 

[158] The young king's name was Eropus, v. Justin, vii. 122. 

[159] Called also _Trimontium_, from standing on three hills; the modernname is _Philippopoli_. See Smith's 'Anc. Geography, ' p. 333. 

BOOK XXVII. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. The Allemanni having defeated the Romans, put the counts Charietto and Severianus to death. --II. Jovinus, the commander of the cavalry in Gaul, surprises and routs two divisions of the Allemanni; defeats a third army in the country of the Catalauni, the enemy losing six thousand killed and four thousand wounded. --III. About the three prefects of the city, Symmachus, Lampadius, and Juventius--The quarrels of Damasus and Ursinus about the bishopric of Rome. --IV. The people and the six provinces of Thrace are described, and the chief cities in each province. --V. The emperor Valens attacks the Goths, who had sent Procopius' auxiliary troops to be employed against him, and after three years makes peace with them. --VI. Valentinian, with the consent of the army, makes his son Gratian emperor; and, after investing the boy with the purple, exhorts him to behave bravely, and recommends him to the soldiers. --VII. The passionate temper, ferocity, and cruelty of the emperor Valentinian. --VIII. Count Theodosius defeats the Picts, Attacotti, and Scots, who were ravaging Britain with impunity, after having slain the duke and count of that province, and makes them restore their plunder. --IX. The Moorish tribes ravage Africa--Valens checks the predatory incursions of the Isaurians--Concerning the office of city prefect. --X. The emperor Valentinian crosses the Rhine, and in a battle, attended with heavy loss to both sides, defeats and routs the Allemanni, who had taken refuge in their highest mountains. --XI. On the high family, wealth, dignity, and character of Probus. --XII. The Romans and Persians quarrel about the possession of Armenia and Iberia. 

I. 

A. D. 367. 

§ 1. While these events which we have related were taking place withvarious consequences in the east, the Allemanni, after the manydisasters and defeats which they had received in their frequent contestswith the emperor Julian, at length, having recruited their strength, though not to a degree equal to their former condition, for the reasonwhich has been already set forth, crossed the frontier of Gaul informidable numbers. And immediately after the beginning of the year, while winter was still in its greatest severity in those frozendistricts, a vast multitude poured forth in a solid column, plunderingall the places around in the most licentious manner. 

2. Their first division was met by Charietto, who at that time had theauthority of count in both the German provinces, and who marched againstthem with his most active troops, having with him as a colleague countSeverianus, a man of great age and feeble health, who had the legionsDivitenses and Tungricana under his command, near Cabillonum(Châlons). [160]

3. Then having formed the whole force into one solid body, and havingwith great rapidity thrown a bridge over a small stream, the Romansassailed the barbarians from a distance with arrows and light javelins, which they shot back at us with great vigour. 

4. But when the battalions met and fought with drawn swords, our linewas shaken by the vehement onset of the enemy, and could neither resistnor do any valorous deeds by way of attack, but were all put to flightas soon as they saw Severianus struck down from his horse and severelywounded by an arrow. 

5. Charietto, too, while labouring by the exposure of his own person, and with bitter reproaches, to encourage his men, who were giving way, and while by the gallantry with which he maintained his own position hestrove to efface the disgrace they were incurring, was slain by a mortalwound from a javelin. 

6. And after his death the standard of the Eruli and of the Batavi waslost, and the barbarians raised it on high, insulting it, dancing roundit, but after a fierce struggle it was recovered. 

II. 

A. D. 367. 

§ 1. The news of this disaster was received with great sorrow, andDagalaiphus was sent from Paris to restore affairs to order. But as hedelayed some time, and made excuses, alleging that he was unable toattack the barbarians, who were dispersed over various districts, and ashe was soon after sent for to receive the consulship with Gratian, whowas still only a private individual, Jovinus was appointed commander ofthe cavalry; and he being well provided and fully prepared, attacked thefortress of Churpeigne, protecting both his wings and flanks with greatcare. And at this place he fell on the barbarians unexpectedly, beforethey could arm themselves, and in a very short time utterly destroyedthem. 

2. Then leading on the soldiers while exulting in the glory of this easyvictory, to defeat the other divisions, and advancing slowly, he learntfrom the faithful report of his scouts that a band of ravagers, afterhaving plundered the villages around, were resting on the bank of theriver. And as he approached, while his army was concealed by the lownessof the ground and the thickness of the trees, he saw some of thembathing, some adorning their hair after their fashion, and somecarousing. 

3. And seizing this favourable opportunity, he suddenly bade the trumpetgive the signal, and burst into the camp of the marauders. On the otherhand, the Germans could do nothing but pour forth useless threats andshouts, not being allowed time to collect their scattered arms, or toform in any strength, so vigorously were they pressed by the conquerors. Thus numbers of them fell pierced with javelins and swords, and manytook to flight, and were saved by the winding and narrow paths. 

4. After this success, which was won by valour and good fortune, Jovinusstruck his camp without delay, and led on his soldiers with increasedconfidence (sending out a body of careful scouts in advance) against thethird division. And arriving at Châlons by forced marches, he thereformed the whole body ready for battle. 

5. And having constructed a rampart with seasonable haste, and refreshedhis men with food and sleep as well as the time permitted, at daybreakhe arranged his army in an open plain, extending his line with admirableskill, in order that by occupying an extensive space of ground theRomans might appear to be equal in number to the enemy: being in factinferior in that respect though equal in strength. 

6. Accordingly, when the trumpet gave the signal and the battle began torage at close quarters, the Germans stood amazed, alarmed at thewell-known appearance of the shining standards. But though they werechecked for a moment, they presently recovered themselves, and theconflict was protracted till the close of the day, when our valoroustroops would have reaped the fruit of their gallantry without any lossif it had not been for Balchobaudes, a tribune of the legions, who beingas sluggish as he was boastful, at the approach of evening retreated indisorder to the camp. And if the rest of the cohorts had followed hisexample and had also retired, the affair would have turned out soruinous that not one of our men would have been left alive to tell whathad happened. 

7. But our soldiers, persisting with energy and courage, showed such asuperiority in personal strength that they wounded four thousand of theenemy and slew six thousand, while they did not themselves lose morethan twelve hundred killed and two hundred wounded. 

8. At the approach of night the battle terminated, and our weary menhaving recruited their strength, a little before dawn our skilfulgeneral led forth his army in a square, and found that the barbarianshad availed themselves of the darkness to escape. And having no fearthere of ambuscade, he pursued them over the open plain, trampling onthe dying and the dead, many of whom had perished from the effect of theseverity of the cold on their wounds. 

9. After he had advanced some way further, without finding any of theenemy he returned, and then he learnt that the king of the hostile armyhad been taken prisoner, with a few followers, by the Ascarii, [161] whomhe himself had sent by another road to plunder the tents of theAllemanni, and they had hanged him. But the general being angry at this, ordered the punishment of the tribune who had ventured on such an actwithout consulting his superior officer, and he would have condemned himif he had not been able to establish by manifest proof that theatrocious act had been committed by the violent impulse of the soldiers. 

10. After this, when he returned to Paris with the glory of thissuccess, the emperor met him with joy, and appointed him to be consulthe next year, being additionally rejoiced because at the very same timehe received the head of Procopius, which had been sent to him by Valens. 

11. Besides these events, many other battles of inferior interest andimportance took place in Gaul, which it would be superfluous to recount, since they brought no results worth mentioning, and it is not fit tospin out history with petty details. 

III. 

§ 1. At this time, or a little before, a new kind of prodigy appeared inthe corn district of Tuscany; those who were skilful in interpretingsuch things being wholly ignorant of what it portended. For in the townof Pistoja, at about the third hour of the day, in the sight of manypersons, an ass mounted the tribunal, where he was heard to bray loudly. All the bystanders were amazed, as were all those who heard of theoccurrence from the report of others, as no one could conjecture whatwas to happen. 

2. But soon afterwards the events showed what was portended, for a manof the name of Terence, a person of low birth and a baker by trade, as areward for having given information against Orsitus, who had formerlybeen prefect, which led to his being convicted of peculation, wasintrusted with the government of this same province. And becoming elatedand confident, he threw affairs into great disorder, till he wasconvicted of fraud on transactions relating to some ship-masters, as wasreported, and was executed while Claudius was prefect of Rome. 

3. But some time before this happened Symmachus succeeded Apronianus; aman deserving to be named among the most eminent examples of learningand moderation; under whose government the most sacred city enjoyedpeace and plenty in an unusual degree; being also adorned with amagnificent and solid bridge which he constructed, and opened amid thegreat joy of his ungrateful fellow-citizens, as the result very plainlyshowed. 

4. For they some years afterwards burnt his beautiful house on the otherside of the Tiber, being enraged because some worthless plebeian hadinvented a story, which there was no evidence or witness to support, that he had said that he would prefer putting out the limekilns with hisown wine, to selling the lime at the price expected of him. 

5. After him the prefect of the city was Lampadius, who had beenprefect of the prætorium, a man of such boundless arrogance, that hegrew very indignant if he were not praised even when he spat, as if hedid that with more grace than any one else; but still a man of justice, virtue, and economy. 

6. When as prætor he was celebrating some splendid games, and givingabundant largesses, being unable to bear the tumult of the populace, which was often urgent to have gifts distributed to those who wereunworthy, in order to show his liberality and his contempt for themultitude, he sent for a crowd of beggars from the Vatican, and enrichedthem with great presents. 

7. But, not to digress too much, it will be sufficient to record oneinstance of his vanity, which, though of no great importance, may serveas a warning to judges. In every quarter of the city which had beenadorned at the expense of different emperors he inscribed his own name, and that, not as if he were the restorer of old works, but theirfounder. This same fault is said to have characterized the emperorTrajan, from which the people in jest named him "The Pellitory of thewall. "

8. While he was prefect he was disturbed by frequent commotions, themost formidable being when a vast mob of the lowest of the peoplecollected, and with firebrands and torches would have burnt his housenear the baths of Constantine, if they had not been driven away by theprompt assistance of his friends and neighbours, who pelted them withstones and tiles from the tops of the houses. 

9. And he himself, being alarmed at a sedition, which on this occasionhad become so violent, retired to the Mulvian bridge (which the elderScaurus is said to have built), and waited there till the discontentsubsided, which indeed had been excited by a substantial grievance. 

10. For when he began to construct some new buildings, he ordered thecost to be defrayed, not from the customary sources of revenue, but ifiron, or lead, or copper, or anything of that kind was required, he sentofficers who, pretending to try the different articles, did in factseize them without paying any price for them. This so enraged the poor, since they suffered repealed losses from such a practice, that it wasall he could do to escape from them by a rapid retreat. 

11. His successor had formerly been a quæstor of the palace, his namewas Juventius, a man of integrity and prudence, a Pannonian by birth. His administration was tranquil and undisturbed, and the people enjoyedplenty under it. Yet he also was alarmed by fierce seditions raised bythe discontented populace, which arose from the following occurrence. 

12. Damasus and Ursinus, being both immoderately eager to obtain thebishopric, formed parties and carried on the conflict with greatasperity, the partisans of each carrying their violence to actualbattle, in which men were wounded and killed. And as Juventius wasunable to put an end to, or even to soften these disorders, he was atlast by their violence compelled to withdraw to the suburbs. 

13. Ultimately Damasus got the best of the strife by the strenuousefforts of his partisans. It is certain that on one day one hundred andthirty-seven dead bodies were found in the Basilica of Sicininus, whichis a Christian church. [162] And the populace who had been thus roused toa state of ferocity were with great difficulty restored to order. 

14. I do not deny, when I consider the ostentation that reigns at Rome, that those who desire such rank and power may be justified in labouringwith all possible exertion and vehemence to obtain their wishes; sinceafter they have succeeded, they will be secure for the future, beingenriched by offerings from matrons, riding in carriages, dressingsplendidly, and feasting luxuriously, so that their entertainmentssurpass even royal banquets. 

15. And they might be really happy if, despising the vastness of thecity, which they excite against themselves by their vices, they were tolive in imitation of some of the priests in the provinces, whom the mostrigid abstinence in eating and drinking, and plainness of apparel, andeyes always cast on the ground, recommend to the everlasting Deity andhis true worshippers as pure and sober-minded men. This is a sufficientdigression on this subject: let us now return to our narrative. 

IV. 

§1. While the events above mentioned were taking place in Gaul andItaly, a new campaign was being prepared in Thrace. For Valens, actingon the decision of his brother, by whose will he was entirely governed, marched against the Goths, having a just cause of complaint againstthem, because at the beginning of the late civil war they had sentassistance to Procopius. It will here be desirable to say a few words ofthe origin of this people, and the situation of their country. 

2. The description of Thrace would be easy if the pens of ancientauthors agreed on the subject; but as the obscurity and variety of theiraccounts is of but little assistance to a work which professes to tellthe truth, it will be sufficient for us to record what we remember tohave seen ourselves. 

3. The undying authority of Homer informs us that these countries wereformerly extended over an immense space of tranquil plains and highrising grounds; since that poet represents both the north and the westwind as blowing from thence;[163] a statement which is either fabulous, or else which shows that the extensive district inhabited by all thosesavage tribes was formerly included under the single name of Thrace. 

4. Part of this region was inhabited by the Scordisci, who now live at agreat distance from these provinces; a race formerly savage anduncivilized, as ancient history proves, sacrificing their prisoners toBellona and Mars, and drinking with eagerness human blood out of skulls. Their ferocity engaged the Roman republic in many wars; and on oneoccasion led to the destruction of an entire army with its general. [164]

5. But we see that the country now, the district being in the form of acrescent, resembles a splendid theatre; it is bounded on the west bymountains, on the abrupt summit of which are the thickly wooded passesof the Succi, which separate Thrace from Dacia. 

6. On the left, or northern side, the heights of the Balkan form theboundary, as in one part does the Danube also, where it touches theRoman territory: a river with many cities, fortresses, and castles onits banks. 

7. On the right, or southern side, lies Mount Rhodope; on the east, thecountry is bounded by a strait, which becomes more rapid from beingswollen by the waters of the Euxine sea, and proceeds onwards with itstides towards the Ægean, separating the continents of Europe and Asia bya narrow space. 

8. At a confined corner on the eastward it joins the frontier ofMacedonia by a strait and precipitous defile named Acontisma; near towhich are the valley and station of Arethusa, where one may see the tombof Euripides, illustrious for his sublime tragedies; and Stagira, wherewe are told that Aristotle, who as Cicero says pours from his mouth agolden stream, was born. 

9. In ancient times, tribes of barbarians occupied these countries, differing from each other in customs and language. The most formidableof which, from their exceeding ferocity, were the Odrysæans, men soaccustomed to shed human blood, that when they could not find enemiesenough, they would, at their feasts, when they had eaten and drunk tosatiety, stab their own bodies as if they belonged to others. 

10. But as the republic grew in strength while the authority of theconsular form of government prevailed, Marcus Didius, with greatperseverance, attacked these tribes which had previously been deemedinvincible, and had roved about without any regard either to divine orhuman laws. Drusus compelled them to confine themselves to their ownterritories; Minucius defeated them in a great battle on the riverMaritza, which flows down from the lofty mountains of the Odrysæans; andafter those exploits, the rest of the tribes were almost destroyed in aterrible battle by Appius Claudius the proconsul. And the Roman fleetsmade themselves masters of the towns on the Bosporus, and on the coastof the Sea of Marmora. 

11. After these generals came Lucullus; who was the first of all ourcommanders who fought with the warlike nation of the Bessi: and withsimilar vigour he crushed the mountaineers of the district of theBalkan, in spite of their obstinate resistance. And while he was in thatcountry the whole of Thrace was brought under the power of ourancestors, and in this way, after many doubtful campaigns, six provinceswere added to the republic. 

12. Of these provinces the first one comes to, that which borders on theIllyrians, is called by the especial name of Thrace; its chief citiesare Philippopolis, the ancient Eumolpias, and Beræa; both splendidcities. Next to this the province of the Balkan boasts of Hadrianople, which used to be called Uscudama, and Anchialos, both great cities. Nestcomes Mysia, in which is Marcianopolis, so named from the sister of theemperor Trajan, also Dorostorus, and Nicopolis, Odyssus. 

13. Next comes Scythia, in which the chief towns are Dionysiopolis, Tomis, and Calatis. The last of all is Europa; which besides manymunicipal towns has two principal cities, Apri and Perinthus, which inlater times has received the name of Heraclea. Beyond this is Rhodope, in which are the cities of Maximianopolis, Maronea, and Ænus, afterfounding and leaving which, it was thought Æneas proceeded onwards toItaly, of which, after long wanderings, he became master, expecting bythe auspices to enjoy there perpetual prosperity. 

14. But it is certain, as the invariable accounts of all writersrepresent, that these tribes were nearly all agricultural, and, thatliving on the high mountains in these regions above mentioned, they aresuperior to us in health, vigour, and length of life; and they believethat this superiority arises from the fact, that in their food they forthe most part abstain from all that is hot; also that the constant dewsbesprinkle their persons with a cold and bracing moisture, and thatthey enjoy the freshness of a purer atmosphere; and that they are thefirst of all tribes to feel the rays of the morning sun, which areinstinct with life, before they become tainted with any of the foulnessarising from human things. Having discussed this matter let us nowreturn to our original narrative. 

V. 

§ 1. After Procopius had been overpowered in Phrygia, and all materialfor domestic discords had thus been removed, Victor, the commander ofthe cavalry, was sent to the Goths to inquire, without disguise, why anation friendly to the Romans, and bound to it by treaties of equitablepeace, had given the support of its arms to a man who was waging waragainst their lawful emperor. And they, to excuse their conduct by avalid defence, produced the letters from the above-mentioned Procopius, in which he alleged that he had assumed the sovereignty as his due, asthe nearest relation to Constantine's family; and they asserted thatthis was a fair excuse for their error. 

2. When Victor reported this allegation of theirs, Valens disregardingit as a frivolous excuse, marched against them, they having already gotinformation of his approach. And at the beginning of spring he assembledhis army in a great body, and pitched his camp near a fortress namedDaphne, where having made a bridge of boats he crossed the Danubewithout meeting any resistance. 

3. And being now full of elation and confidence, as while traversing thecountry in every direction he met with no enemy to be either defeated oreven alarmed by his advance; they having all been so terrified at theapproach of so formidable a host, that they had fled to the highmountains of the Serri, which were inaccessible to all except those whoknew the country. 

4. Therefore, that he might not waste the whole summer, and returnwithout having effected anything, he sent forward Arinthæus, the captainof the infantry, with some light forces, who seized on a portion oftheir families, which were overtaken as they were wandering over theplains before coming to the steep and winding defiles of the mountains. And having obtained this advantage, which chance put in his way, hereturned with his men without having suffered any loss, and indeedwithout having inflicted any. 

5. The next year he attempted with equal vigour again to invade thecountry of the enemy; but being checked in his advance by theinundations of the Danube, which covered a wide extent of country, heremained near the town of Capri, where he pitched a camp in which heremained till the autumn. And from thence, as he was prevented fromundertaking any operations on account of the magnitude of the floods, heretired to Marcianopolis into winter quarters. 

6. With similar perseverance he again invaded the land of the barbariansa third year, having crossed the river by a bridge of boats at Nivors;and by a rapid march he attacked the Gruthungi, a warlike and veryremote tribe, and after some trivial skirmishes, he defeated Athanaric, at that time the most powerful man of the tribe, who dared to resist himwith what he fancied an adequate force, but was compelled to flee forhis life. And then he returned himself with his army to Marcianopolis tospend the winter there, as the cold was but slight in that district. 

7. After many various events in the campaigns of three years, therearose at last some very strong reasons in the minds of the barbariansfor terminating the war. In the first place, because the fear of theenemy was increased by the continued stay made by the emperor in thatcountry. Secondly, because as all their commerce was cut off they beganto feel great want of necessaries. So that they sent several embassieswith submissive entreaties for pardon and peace. 

8. The emperor was as yet inexperienced, but still he was a very justobserver of events, till having been captivated by the perniciousallurements of flattery, he subsequently involved the republic in anever-to-be-lamented disaster; and now taking counsel for the commongood, he determined that it was right to grant them peace. 

9. And in his turn he sent to them Victor and Arinthæus, who at thattime were the commanders of his infantry and cavalry; and when they senthim letters truly stating that the Goths were willing to agree to theconditions which they had proposed, he appointed a suitable place forfinally settling the terms of the peace. And since Athanaric allegedthat he was bound by a most dreadful oath, and also forbidden by thestrict commands of his father ever to set foot on the Roman territory, and as he could not be brought to do so, while, on the other hand, itwould be unbecoming and degrading for the emperor to cross over to him, it was decided by negotiation that some boats should be rowed into themiddle of the river, on which the emperor should embark with an armedguard, and that there also the chief of the enemy should meet him withhis people, and conclude a peace as had been arranged. 

10. When this had been arranged, and hostages had been given, Valensreturned to Constantinople, whither afterwards Athanaric fled, when hewas driven from his native land by a faction among his kinsmen; and hedied in that city, and was buried with splendid ceremony according tothe Roman fashion. 

VI. 

§ 1. In the mean time, Valentinian being attacked with a violentsickness and at the point of death, at a secret entertainment of theGauls who were present in the emperor's army, Rusticus Julianus, at thattime master of the records, was proposed as the future emperor; a man asgreedy of human blood as a wild beast, seeming to be smitten with somefrenzy, as had been shown while governing Africa as proconsul. 

2. For in his prefecture of the city, a post which he was filling whenhe died, fearing a change in the tyranny through the exercise of whichhe, as if in a dearth of worthy men, had been raised to that dignity, hewas compelled to appear more gentle and merciful. 

3. Against his partisans others with higher aims were exertingthemselves in favour of Severus, who at that time was captain of theinfantry, as a man very fit for such a dignity, who, although rough andunpopular, seemed yet more tolerable than the other, and worthy of beingpreferred to him by any means that could be devised. 

4. But all these plans were formed to no purpose; for in the meantime, the emperor, through the variety of remedies applied, recovered, andwould scarcely believe that his life had been saved with difficulty. And he proposed to invest his son Gratian, who was now on the point ofarriving at manhood, with the ensigns of the imperial authority. 

5. And when everything was prepared, and the consent of the soldierssecured, in order that all men might willingly accept the new emperor, immediately upon the arrival of Gratian, Valentinian advancing into theopen space, mounted the tribune, and surrounded by a splendid circle ofnobles and princes, and holding the boy by his right hand, showed him tothem all, and in the following formal harangue recommended theirintended sovereign to the army. 

6. "This imperial robe which I wear is a happy indication of your goodwill towards me when you adjudged me superior to many illustrious men. Now, with you as the partners of my counsels and the favourers of mywishes, I will proceed to a seasonable work of affection, relying on theprotecting promises of God, to whose eternal assistance it is owing thatthe Roman state stands and ever shall stand unshaken. 

7. "Listen, I beseech you, O most gallant men, with willing minds to mydesire, recollecting that these things which the laws of naturalaffection sanction, we have in this instance not only wished toaccomplish with your perfect cognizance, but we have also desired tohave them confirmed by you as what is proper for us and likely to provebeneficial. 

8. This, my grown-up son Gratian, to whom all of you bear affection as acommon pledge, who has long lived among your own children, I am, for thesake of securing the public tranquillity on all sides, about to take asmy colleague in the imperial authority, if the propitious will of theruler of heaven and of your dignity, shall co-operate with a parent'saffection. He has not been trained by a rigid education from his verycradle as we ourselves have; nor has he been equally taught to endurehardships; nor is he as yet, as you see, able to endure the toils ofwar; but in his disposition he is not unworthy of the gloriousreputation of his family, or the mighty deeds of his ancestors, and, Iventure to say, he is likely to grow up equal to still greater actions. 

9. "For as I often think when contemplating, as I am wont to do, hismanners and passions though not yet come to maturity, he is so furnishedwith the liberal sciences, and in all accomplishments and graces, thateven now, while only entering on manhood, he will be able to form anaccurate judgment of virtuous and vicious actions. He will so conducthimself that virtuous men may see that they are appreciated; he will beeager in the performance of noble actions; he will never desert themilitary standards and eagles; he will cheerfully bear heat, snow, frost, and thirst; he will, if necessity should arise, never shrink fromfighting in defence of his country; he will expose his life to save hiscomrades from danger, and (and this is the highest and greatest work ofpiety) he will love the republic as his own paternal and ancestralhome. "

10. Before he had finished his speech, every soldier hastened toanticipate his comrades as well as his position permitted him, inshowing that these words of the emperor met with their cheerful assent. And so, as partakers in his joy, and as convinced of the advantage ofhis proposal, they declared Gratian emperor, mingling the propitiousclashing of their arms with the loud roar of the trumpets. 

11. When Valentinian saw this, his confidence increased; he adorned hisson with a crown and with the robes befitting his now supreme rank, andkissed him; and then thus addressed him, brilliant as he appeared, andgiving careful attention to all his words:--

12. "You wear now, " said he, "my Gratian, the imperial robe, as we haveall desired, which has been conferred on you with favourable auspices bymy will and that of our comrades. Therefore now, considering the weightof the affairs which press upon us, gird yourself up as the colleague ofyour father and your uncle; and accustom yourself to pass fearlesslywith the infantry over the Danube and the Rhine, which are made passableby the frost, to keep close to your soldiers, to devote your blood andyour very life with all skill and deliberation for the safety of thoseunder your command; to think nothing unworthy of your attention whichconcerns any portion of the Roman empire. 

13. "This is enough by way of admonition to you at the present moment, at other times I will not fail to give further advice. Now you whoremain, the defenders of the state, I entreat, I beseech you to preservewith a steady affection and loyalty your youthful emperor thus intrustedto your fidelity. "

14. These words of the emperor were accepted and ratified with allpossible solemnity; Eupraxius, a native of Mauritania Cæsariensis, atthat time master of the records, led the way by the exclamation, "Thefamily of Gratian deserves this. " And being at once promoted to bequæstor, he set an example of judicious confidence worthy of beingimitated by all wise men; especially as he in no wise departed from thehabits of his fearless nature, but was at all times a man of consistencyand obedient to the laws, which, as we have remarked, speak to all menwith one and the same voice under the most varied circumstances. He atthis time was the more steady in adhering to the side of justice whichhe always espoused, because on one occasion when he had given goodadvice, the emperor had attacked him with violence and threats. 

15. After this, the whole assembly broke out into praises of bothemperors, the elder and the new one; and especially of the boy, whosebrilliant eyes, engaging countenance and person, and apparent sweetnessof disposition, recommended him to their favour. And these qualitieswould have rendered him an emperor worthy to be compared to the mostexcellent princes of former times, if fate had permitted, and hisrelations who even then began to overshadow his virtue, before it wasfirmly rooted, with their own wicked actions. 

16. But in this affair, Valentinian went beyond the custom which hadbeen established for several generations, in making his brother and hisson, not Cæsar, but emperors; acting indeed in this respect with greatkindness. Nor had any one yet ever created a colleague with powers equalto his own, except the emperor Marcus Aurelius, who made his adoptedbrother Verus his colleague in the empire without any inferiority ofpower. 

VII. 

A. D. 368. 

§ 1. After these transactions had been thus settled to the delight bothof the prince and of the soldiers, but a few days intervened; and thenAvitianus, who had been deputy, accused Mamertinus, the prefect of theprætorium, of peculation, on his return from the city whither he hadgone to correct some abuses. 

2. And in consequence of this accusation he was replaced by Rufinus, aman accomplished in every respect, who had attained the dignity of anhonourable old age, though it is true that he never let slip anyopportunity of making money when he thought he could do so secretly. 

3. He now availed himself of his access to the emperor to obtainpermission for Orfitus, who had been prefect of the city, but who wasnow banished, to receive back his property which had been confiscated, and return home. 

4. And although Valentinian was a man of undisguised ferocity, henevertheless, at the beginning of his reign, in order to lessen theopinion of his cruelty, took all possible pains to restrain the fierceimpetuosity of his disposition. But this defect increasing gradually, from having been checked for some time, presently broke out moreunrestrained to the ruin of many persons; and his severity was increasedby the vehemence of his anger. For wise men define passion as a lastingulcer of the mind, and sometimes an incurable one, usually engenderedfrom a weakness of the intellect; and they have a plausible argument forasserting this in the fact that people in bad health are more passionatethan those who are well; women, than men; old men, than youths; andpeople in bad circumstances than the prosperous. 

5. About this time, among the deaths of many persons of low degree, thatof Diocles, who had previously been a treasurer of Illyricum, wasespecially remarked; the emperor having had him burnt alive for somevery slight offence, as was also the execution of Diodorus, who hadpreviously had an honourable employment in the provinces, and also thatof three officers of the vicar prefect of Italy, who were all put todeath with great cruelty because the count of Italy had complained tothe emperor that Diodorus had, though in a constitutional manner, implored the aid of the law against him; and that the officers, bycommand of the judge, served a summons on him as he was setting out on ajourney, commanding him to answer to the action according to law. Andthe Christians at Milan to this day cherish their memory, and call theplace where they were buried, the tomb of the innocents. 

6. Afterwards, in the affair of a certain Pannonian, named Maxentius, onaccount of the execution of a sentence very properly commanded by thejudge to be carried out immediately, he ordered all the magistrates ofthese towns to be put to death, when Eupraxius, who at that time wasquæstor, interposed, saying, "Be more sparing, O most pious of emperors, for those whom you command to be put to death as criminals, theChristian religion honours as martyrs, that is as persons acceptable tothe deity. "

7. And the prefect Florentius, imitating the salutary boldness ofEupraxius, when he heard that the emperor was in a similar manner veryangry about some trifling and pardonable matter, and that he had orderedthe execution of three of the magistrates in each of several cities, said to him, "And what is to be done if any town has not got so manymagistrates? It will be necessary to suspend the execution there tillthere are a sufficient number for the purpose. "

8. And besides this cruel conduct there was another circumstancehorrible even to speak of, that if any one came before him protestingagainst being judged by a powerful enemy, and requiring that some otherjudge might hear his case, he always refused it; and however just thearguments of the man might be, he remitted his cause to the decision ofthe very judge whom he feared. And there was another very bad thing muchspoken of; namely, that when it was urged that any debtor was in suchabsolute want as to be unable to pay anything, he used to pronouncesentence of death on him. 

9. But some princes do these and other similar actions with the morelofty arrogance, because they never allow their friends any opportunityof setting them right in any mistake they make, either in a plan or inits execution; while they terrify their enemies by the greatness oftheir power. There can be no question of mistake or error raised beforemen who consider whatever they choose to do to be in itself the greatestof virtues. 

VIII. 

§ 1. Valentinian having left Amiens, and being on his way to Treves ingreat haste, received the disastrous intelligence that Britain wasreduced by the ravages of the united barbarians to the lowest extremityof distress; that Nectaridus, the count of the sea-coast, had been slainin battle, and the duke Fullofaudes had been taken prisoner by the enemyin an ambuscade. 

2. This news struck him with great consternation, and he immediatelysent Severus, the count of the domestic guards, to put an end to allthese disasters if he could find a desirable opportunity. Severus wassoon recalled, and Jovinus, who then went to that country, sent forwardProvertuides with great expedition to ask for the aid of a powerfularmy; for they both affirmed that the imminence of the danger requiredsuch a reinforcement. 

3. Last of all, on account of the many formidable reports which acontinual stream of messengers brought from that island, Theodosius wasappointed to proceed thither, and ordered to make great haste. He was anofficer already distinguished for his prowess in war, and havingcollected a numerous force of cavalry and infantry, he proceeded toassume the command in full confidence. 

4. And since when I was compiling my account of the acts of the emperorConstantine, I explained as well as I could the movement of the sea inthose parts at its ebb and flow, and the situation of Britain, I lookupon it as superfluous to return to what has been once described; as theUlysses of Homer when among the Phæacians hesitated to repeat hisadventures by reason of the sufferings they brought to mind. 

5. It will be sufficient here to mention that at that time the Picts, who were divided into two nations, the Dicalidones and the Vecturiones, and likewise the Attacotti, a very warlike people, and the Scots wereall roving over different parts of the country and committing greatravages. While the Franks and the Saxons who are on the frontiers of theGauls were ravaging their country wherever they could effect an entranceby sea or land, plundering and burning, and murdering all the prisonersthey could take. 

6. To put a stop to these evils, if a favourable fortune should affordan opportunity, the new and energetic general repaired to that islandsituated at the extreme corner of the earth; and when he had reached thecoast of Boulogne, which is separated from the opposite coast by a verynarrow strait of the sea, which there rises and falls in a strangemanner, being raised by violent tides, and then again sinking to aperfect level like a plain, without doing any injury to the sailors. From Boulogne he crossed the strait in a leisurely manner, and reachedRichborough, a very tranquil station on the opposite coast. 

7. And when the Batavi, and Heruli, and the Jovian and Victorian legionswho followed from the same place, had also arrived, he then, relying ontheir number and power, landed and marched towards Londinium, an ancienttown which has since been named Augusta; and dividing his army intoseveral detachments, he attacked the predatory and straggling bands ofthe enemy who were loaded with the weight of their plunder, and havingspeedily routed them while driving prisoners in chains and cattle beforethem, he deprived them of their booty which they had carried off fromthese miserable tributaries of Rome. 

8. To whom he restored the whole except a small portion which heallotted to his own weary soldiers; and then joyful and triumphant hemade his entry into the city which had just before been overwhelmed bydisasters, but was now suddenly re-established almost before it couldhave hoped for deliverance. 

9. This success encouraged him to deeds of greater daring, and afterconsidering what counsels might be the safest, he hesitated, being fullof doubts as to the future, and convinced by the confession of hisprisoners and the information given him by deserters, that so vast amultitude, composed of various nations, all incredibly savage, couldonly be vanquished by secret stratagems and unexpected attacks. 

10. Then, by the publication of several edicts, in which he promisedthem impunity, he invited deserters and others who were straggling aboutthe country on furlough, to repair to his camp. At this summons numberscame in, and he, though eager to advance, being detained by anxiouscares, requested to have Civilis sent to him, to govern Britain, withthe rank of proprefect, a man of quick temper, but just and upright; andhe asked at the same time for Dulcitius, a general eminent for hismilitary skill. 

IX. 

§ 1. These were the events which occurred in Britain. But in anotherquarter, from the very beginning of Valentinian's reign, Africa had beenoverrun by the fury of the barbarians, intent on bloodshed and rapine, which they sought to carry on by audacious incursions. Theirlicentiousness was encouraged by the indolence and general covetousnessof the soldiers, and especially by the conduct of Count Romanus. 

2. Who, foreseeing what was likely to happen, and being very skilful intransferring to others the odium which he himself deserved, was detestedby men in general for the savageness of his temper, and also because itseemed as if his object was to outrun even our enemies in ravaging theprovinces. He greatly relied on his relationship to Remigius, at thattime master of the offices, who sent all kinds of false and confusedstatements of the condition of the country, so that the emperor, cautious and wary as he plumed himself on being, was long kept inignorance of the terrible sufferings of the Africans. 

3. I will explain with great diligence the complete series of all thetransactions which took place in those regions, the death of Ruriciusthe governor, and of his lieutenants, and all the other mournful eventswhich took place, when the proper opportunity arrives. 

4. And since we are able here to speak freely, let us openly say what wethink, that this emperor was the first of all our princes who raised thearrogance of the soldiers to so great a height, to the great injury ofthe state, by increasing their rank, dignity, and riches. And (which wasa lamentable thing, both on public and private accounts) while hepunished the errors of the common soldiers with unrelenting severity, hespared the officers, who, as if complete licence were given to theirmisconduct, proceeded to all possible lengths of rapacity and crueltyfor the acquisition of riches, and acting as if they thought that thefortunes of all persons depended directly on their nod. 

5. The framers of our ancient laws had sought to repress their pride andpower, sometimes even condemning the innocent to death, as is often donein cases when, from the multitude concerned in some atrocity, someinnocent men, owing to their ill luck, suffer for the whole. And thishas occasionally extended even to the case of private persons. 

6. But in Isauria the banditti formed into bodies and roamed through thevillages, laying waste and plundering the towns and wealthy countryhouses; and by the magnitude of their ravages they also greatlydistressed Pamphylia and Cilicia. And when Musonius, who at that timewas the deputy of Asia Minor, having previously been a master ofrhetoric at Athens, had heard that they were spreading massacre andrapine in every direction, being filled with grief at the evil of whichhe had just heard, and perceiving that the soldiers were rusting inluxury and inactivity, he took with him a few light-armed troops, calledDiogmitæ, and resolved to attack the first body of plunderers he couldfind. His way led through a narrow and most difficult defile, and thushe fell into an ambuscade, which he had no chance of escaping, and wasslain, with all the men under his command. 

7. The robber bands became elated at this advantage, and roamed over thewhole country with increased boldness, slaying many, till at last ourarmy was aroused, and drove them to take refuge amid the recesses of therocks and mountains they inhabit. And then, as they were not allowed torest, and were cut off from all means of obtaining necessary supplies, they at last begged for a truce, as a prelude to peace, being led tothis step by the advice of the people of Germanicopolis, whose opinionsalways had as much weight with them as standard-bearers have with anarmy. And after giving hostages as they were desired, they remained fora long time quiet, without venturing on any hostilities. 

8. While these events were taking place, Prætextatus was administeringthe prefecture of the city in a noble manner, exhibiting numerousinstances of integrity and probity, virtues for which he had beeneminent from his earliest youth; and thus he obtained what rarelyhappens to any one, that while he was feared, he did not at the sametime lose the affection of his fellow-citizens, which is seldom stronglyfelt for those whom they fear as judges. 

9. By his authority, impartiality, and just decisions, a tumult wasappeased, which the quarrels of the Christians had excited, and afterUrsinus was expelled complete tranquillity was restored, which bestcorresponded to the wishes of the Roman people; while the glory of theirillustrious governor, who performed so many useful actions, continuallyincreased. 

10. For he also removed all the balconies, which the ancient laws ofRome had forbidden to be constructed, and separated from the sacredtemples the walls of private houses which had been improperly joined tothem; and established one uniform and proper weight in every quarter, for by no other means could he check the covetousness of those who madetheir scales after their own pleasure. And in the adjudication oflawsuits he exceeded all men in obtaining that praise which Ciceromentions in his panegyric of Brutus, that while he did nothing with aview to please anybody, everything which he did pleased everybody. 

X. 

§ 1. About the same time, when Valentinian had gone forth on anexpedition very cautiously as he fancied, a prince of the Allemanni, byname Rando, who had been for some time preparing for the execution of aplan which he had conceived, with a body of light-armed troops equippedonly for a predatory expedition, surprised and stormed Mayence, whichwas wholly destitute of a garrison. 

2. And as he arrived at the time when a great solemnity of the Christianreligion was being celebrated, he found no obstacle whatever incarrying off a vast multitude of both men and women as prisoners, withno small quantity of goods as booty. 

3. After this, for a short interval a sudden hope of brighter fortuneshone upon the affairs of Rome. For as king Vithicabius, the son ofVadomarius, a bold and warlike man, though in appearance effeminate anddiseased, was continually raising up the troubles of war against us, great pains were taken to have him removed by some means or other. 

4. And because after many attempts it was found impossible to defeat himor to procure his betrayal, his most confidential servant was tamperedwith by one of our men, and by his hand he lost his life; and after hisdeath, all hostile attacks upon us were laid aside for a while. But hismurderer, fearing punishment if the truth should get abroad, withoutdelay took refuge in the Roman territory. 

5. After this an expedition on a larger scale than usual was projectedwith great care and diligence against the Allemanni, to consist of agreat variety of troops: the public safety imperatively required such ameasure, since the treacherous movements of that easily recruited nationwere regarded with continual apprehension, while our soldiers were themore irritated, because, on account of the constant suspicion whichtheir character awakened, at one time abject and suppliant, at anotherarrogant and threatening, they were never allowed to rest in peace. 

6. Accordingly, a vast force was collected from all quarters, wellfurnished with arms and supplies of provisions, and the count Sebastianhaving been sent for with the Illyrian and Italian legions which hecommanded, as soon as the weather got warm, Valentinian, accompanied byGratian, crossed the Rhine without resistance. Having divided the wholearmy into four divisions, he himself marched with the centre, whileJovinus and Severus, the two captains of the camp, commanded thedivisions on each side, thus protecting the army from any sudden attack. 

7. And immediately under the guidance of men who knew the roads, all theapproaches having been reconnoitred, the army advanced slowly through amost extensive district, the soldiers by the slowness of their marchbeing all the more excited to wish for battle, and gnashing their teethin a threatening manner, as if they had already found the barbarians. And as, after many days had passed, no one could be found who offeredany resistance, the troops applied the devouring flame to all the housesand all the crops which were standing, with the exception of suchsupplies for their own magazines as the doubtful events of war compelledthem to collect and store up. 

8. After this the emperor advanced further, with no great speed, till hearrived at a place called Solicinium, where he halted, as if he hadsuddenly come upon some barrier, being informed by the accurate reportof his advanced guard that the barbarians were seen at a distance. 

9. They, seeing no way of preserving their safety unless they defendedthemselves by a speedy battle, trusting in their acquaintance with thecountry, with one consent occupied a lofty hill, abrupt and inaccessiblein its rugged heights on every side except the north, where the ascentwas gentle and easy. Our standards were fixed in the usual manner, andthe cry, "To arms!" was raised; and the soldiers, by the command of theemperor and his generals, rested in quiet obedience, waiting for theraising of the emperor's banner as the signal for engaging in battle. 

10. And because little or no time could be spared for deliberation, since on one side the impatience of the soldiers was formidable, and onthe other the Allemanni were shouting out their horrid yells all around, the necessity for rapid operations led to the plan that Sebastian withhis division should seize the northern side of the hill, where we havesaid the ascent was gentle, in which position it was expected that, iffortune favoured him, he would be able easily to destroy the flyingbarbarians. And when he, as had been arranged, had moved forward first, while Gratian was kept behind with the Jovian legion, that young princebeing as yet of an age unfit for battle or for hard toil, Valentinian, like a deliberate and prudent general, took off his helmet, and reviewedhis centuries and maniples, and not having informed any of the noblesof his secret intentions, and having sent back his numerous body ofguards, went forward himself with a very small escort, whose courage andfidelity he could trust, to reconnoitre the foot of the hill, declaring(as he was always apt to think highly of his own skill) that it must bepossible to find another path which led to the summit besides that whichthe advanced guard had reported. 

11. He then, as he advanced by a devious track over ground strange tohim, and across pathless swamps, was very nearly being killed by thesudden attack of a band placed in an ambuscade on his flank, and beingdriven to extremities, only escaped by spurring his horse to a gallop ina different direction over a deep swamp, so at last, after being in themost imminent danger, he rejoined his legions. But so great had been hisperil that his chamberlain, who was carrying his helmet, which wasadorned with gold and precious stones, disappeared, helmet and all, while the man's body could never be found, so that it could be knownpositively whether he were alive or dead. 

12. Then, when the men had been refreshed by rest, and the signal forbattle was raised, and the clang of warlike trumpets roused theircourage, two youths of prominent valour, eager to be the first toencounter the danger, dashed on with fearless impetuosity before theline of their comrades. One was of the band of Scutarii, by nameSalvius, the other, Lupicinus, belonging to the Gentiles. They raised aterrible shout, brandished their spears, and when they reached the footof the rocks, in spite of the efforts of the Allemanni to repel them, pushed steadily on to the higher ground; while behind them came the mainbody of the army, which following their lead over places rough withbrambles and rugged, at last, after vast exertions, reached the verysummit of the heights. 

13. Then again, with great spirit on both sides, the conflict raged withspears and swords. On our side the soldiers were more skilful in the artof war; on the other side the barbarians, ferocious but incautious, closed with them in the mighty fray; while our army extending itself, outflanked them on both sides with its overlapping wings, the enemy'salarm being increased by our shouts, the neighing of the horses, and theclang of trumpets. 

14. Nevertheless they resisted with indomitable courage, and the battlewas for some time undecided; both sides exerted themselves to theutmost, and death was scattered almost equally. 

15. At last the barbarians were beaten down by the ardour of the Romans, and being disordered and broken, were thrown into complete confusion;and as they began to retreat they were assailed with great effect by thespears and javelins of their enemies. Soon the retreat became a flight, and panting and exhausted, they exposed their backs and the back sinewsof their legs and thighs to their pursuers. After many had been slain, those who fled fell into the ambuscade laid for them by Sebastian, whowas posted with his reserve at the back of the mountain, and who nowfell unexpectedly on their flank, and slew numbers of them, while therest who escaped concealed themselves in the recesses of the woods. 

16. In this battle we also suffered no inconsiderable loss. Among thosewho fell was Valerian, the first officer of the domestic guards, and oneof the Scutarii, named Natuspardo, a warrior of such pre-eminent couragethat he might be compared to the ancient Sicinius or Sergius. 

17. After these transactions, accompanied with this diversity offortune, the army went into winter quarters, and the emperor returned toTreves. 

XI. 

§ 1. About this time, Vulcatius Rufinus died, while filling the officeof prefect of the prætorium, and Probus was summoned from Rome tosucceed him, a man well known to the whole Roman world for the eminenceof his family, and his influence, as well as for his vast riches, for hepossessed a patrimonial inheritance which was scattered over the wholeempire; whether acquired justly or unjustly it is not for us to decide. 

2. A certain good fortune, as the poets would represent it, attended himfrom his birth, and bore him on her rapid wings, exhibiting himsometimes as a man of beneficent character, promoting the interests ofhis friends, though often also a formidable intriguer, and cruel andmischievous in the gratification of his enmities. As long as he lived hehad great power, owing to the magnificence of his gifts and to hisfrequent possession of office, and yet he was at times timid towards thebold, though domineering over the timid; so that when full ofself-confidence he appeared to be spouting in the tragic buskin, andwhen he was afraid he seemed more abased than the most abject characterin comedy. 

3. And as fishes, when removed from their natural element, cannot livelong on the land, so he began to pine when not in some post of authoritywhich he was driven to be solicitous for by the squabbles of his troopsof clients, whose boundless cupidity prevented their ever beinginnocent, and who thrust their patron forward into affairs of state inorder to be able to perpetrate all sorts of crimes with impunity. 

4. For it must be confessed that though he was a man of such magnanimitythat he never desired any dependent or servant of his to do an unlawfulthing, yet if he found that any one of them had committed a crime, helaid aside all consideration of justice, would not allow the case to beinquired into, but defended the man without the slightest regard forright or wrong. Now this is a fault expressly condemned by Cicero, whothus speaks: "For what difference is there between one who has advisedan action, and one who approves of it after it is performed? or whatdifference does it make whether I wished it be done, or am glad that itis done?"

5. He was a man of a suspicious temper, self-relying, often wearing abitter smile, and sometimes caressing a man the more effectually toinjure him. 

6. This vice is a very conspicuous one in dispositions of that kind, andmostly so when it is thought possible to conceal it. He was also soimplacable and obstinate in his enmities, that if he ever resolved toinjure any one he would never be diverted from his purpose by anyentreaties, nor be led to pardon any faults, so that his ears seemed tobe stopped not with wax but with lead. 

7. Even when at the very summit of wealth and dignity he was alwaysanxious and watchful, and therefore he was continually subject totrifling illnesses. 

8. Such was the course of events which took place in the westernprovinces of the empire. 

XII. 

§ 1. The King of Persia, the aged Sapor, who from the very commencementof his reign had been addicted to the love of plunder, after the deathof the Emperor Julian, and the disgraceful treaty of peace subsequentlymade, for a short time seemed with his people to be friendly to us; butpresently he trampled under foot the agreement which he had made withJovian, and poured a body of troops into Armenia to annex that countryto his own dominions, as if the whole of the former arrangements hadbeen abolished. 

2. At first he contented himself with various tricks, intrigues, anddeceits, inflicting some trifling injuries on the nation whichunanimously resisted him, tampering with some of the nobles and satraps, and making sudden inroads into the districts belonging to others. 

3. Afterwards by a system of artful cajolery fortified by perjury, hegot their king Arsaces into his hands, having invited him to a banquet, when he ordered him to be seized and conducted to a secret chamberbehind, where his eyes were put out, and he was loaded with silverchains, which in that country is looked upon as a solace underpunishment for men of rank, trifling though it be; then he removed himfrom his country to a fortress called Agabana, where he applied to himthe torture, and finally put him to death. 

4. After this, in order that his perfidy might leave nothing unpolluted, having expelled Sauromaces, whom the authority of the Romans had madegovernor of Hiberia, he conferred the government of that district on aman of the name of Aspacuras, even giving him a diadem, to mark theinsult offered to the decision of our emperors. 

5. And after these infamous actions he committed the charge of Armeniato an eunuch named Cylaces, and to Artabannes, a couple of deserterswhom he had received some time before (one of them having been prefectof that nation, and the other commander in-chief); and he enjoined themto use every exertion to destroy the town of Artogerassa, a placedefended by strong walls and a sufficient garrison, in which were thetreasures, and the wife and son of Arsaces. 

6. These generals commenced the siege as they were ordered. And as it isa fortress placed on a very rugged mountain height, it was inaccessibleat that time, while the ground was covered with snow and frost: and soCylaces being an eunuch, and, as such, suited to feminine manoeuvres, taking Artabannes with him, approached the walls; after having receiveda promise of safety, and he and his companion had been admitted into thecity, he sought by a mixture of advice and threats to persuade thegarrison and the queen to pacify the wrath of the implacable Sapor by aspeedy surrender. 

7. And after many arguments had been urged on both sides, the womanbewailing the sad fortune of her husband, these men, who had been mostactive in wishing to compel her to surrender, pitying her distress, changed their views; and conceiving a hope of higher preferment, they insecret conferences arranged that at an appointed hour of the night thegates should be suddenly thrown open, and a strong detachment shouldsally forth and fall upon the ramparts of the enemy's camp, surprisingit with sudden slaughter; the traitors promising that, to prevent anyknowledge of what was going on, they would come forward to meet them. 

8. Having ratified this agreement with an oath, they quitted the town, and led the besiegers to acquiesce in inaction by representing that thebesieged had required two days to deliberate on what course they oughtto pursue. Then in the middle of the night, when they were all soundlyasleep in fancied security, the gates of the city were thrown open, anda strong body of young men poured forth with great speed, creeping onwith noiseless steps and drawn swords, till they entered the camp of theunsuspecting enemy, where they slew numbers of sleeping men, withoutmeeting with any resistance. 

8. This unexpected treachery of his officers, and the loss thusinflicted on the Persians, caused a terrible quarrel between us andSapor; and another cause for his anger was added, as the Emperor Valensreceived Para, the son of Arsaces, who at his mother's instigation hadquitted the fortress with a small escort, and had desired him to stay atNeo-Cæsarea, a most celebrated city on the Black Sea, where he wastreated with great liberality and high respect. Cylaces and Artabannes, being allured by this humanity of Valens, sent envoys to him to ask forassistance, and to request that Para might be given them for their king. 

10. However, for the moment assistance was refused them; but Para wasconducted by the general Terentius back to Armenia, where he was to rulethat nation without any of the insignia of royalty; which was a verywise regulation, in order that we might not be accused of breaking ourtreaty of peace. 

11. When this arrangement became known, Sapor was enraged beyond allbounds, and collecting a vast army, entered Armenia and ravaged it withthe most ferocious devastation. Para was terrified at his approach, aswere also Cylaces and Artabannes, and, as they saw no other resource, fled into the recesses of the lofty mountains which separate ourfrontiers from Lazica; where they hid in the depths of the woods andamong the defiles of the hills for five months, eluding the variousattempts of the king to discover them. 

12. And Sapor, when he saw that he was losing his labour in the middleof winter, burnt all the fruit trees, and all the fortified castles andcamps, of which he had become master by force or treachery, and alsoburnt Artogerassa, which had long been blockaded by his whole army, andafter many battles was taken through the exhaustion of the garrison; andhe carried off from thence the wife of Arsaces and all his treasures. 

13. For these reasons, Arinthæus was sent into these districts with therank of count, to aid the Armenians if the Persians should attempt toharass them by a second campaign. 

14. At the same time, Sapor, with extraordinary cunning, being eitherhumble or arrogant as best suited him, under pretence of an intendedalliance, sent secret messengers to Para to reproach him as neglectfulof his own dignity, since, with the appearance of royal majesty, he wasreally the slave of Cylaces and Artabannes. On which Para, with greatprecipitation, cajoled them with caresses till he got them in his power, and slew them, sending their heads to Sapor in proof of his obedience. 

15. When the death of these men became generally known, it caused suchdismay that Armenia would have been ruined without striking a blow inits own defence, if the Persians had not been so alarmed at the approachof Arinthæus that they forbore to invade it again, contenting themselveswith sending ambassadors to the emperor, demanding of him not to defendthat nation, according to the agreement made between them and Jovian. 

16. Their ambassadors were rejected, and Sauromaces, who, as we havesaid before, had been expelled from the kingdom of Hiberia, was sentback with twelve legions under the command of Terentius; and when hereached the river Cyrus, Aspacuras entreated him that they might bothreign as partners, being cousins; alleging that he could not withdrawnor cross over to the side of the Romans, because his son Ultra was as ahostage in the hands of the Persians. 

17. The emperor learning this, in order by wisdom and prudence to put anend to the difficulties arising out of this affair, acquiesced in thedivision of Hiberia, allowing the Cyrus to be the boundary of the twodivisions: Sauromaces to have the portion next to the Armenians andLazians, and Aspacuras the districts which border on Albania and Persia. 

18. Sapor, indignant at this, exclaimed that he was unworthily treated, because we had assisted Armenia contrary to our treaty, and because theembassy had failed which he had sent to procure redress, and because thekingdom of Hiberia was divided without his consent or privity; and so, shutting as it were, the gates of friendship, he sought assistance amongthe neighbouring nations, and prepared his own army in order, with thereturn of fine weather, to overturn all the arrangements which theRomans had made with a view to their own interests. 

[160] Cabillonum is Châlons-sur-Soane, in Burgundy; Catalauni isChâlons-sur-Marne, in Champagne. 

[161] These seem to have been a tribe of the _Batavi_; but some editorsgive, as a various reading, _Hastarii_, which may be translated, adetachment of lancers. 

[162] Probably the church of Santa Maria Maggiore; but see note inGibbon, ch. Xxv. (vol. Iii. P. 91, Bohn). 

[163] See Iliad, ix. 5:--

 Βορέης καὶ ζέφυρος τώτε Θρήκηθεν ἄητον Ἐλθοντ’ ἐξοπίνης. 

Thus translated by Pope:--

 "As from its cloudy dungeon, issuing forth A double tempest of the west and north Swells o'er the sea from Thracia's frozen shore, Heaps waves on waves, and bids th' Ægean roar. "

[164] The contents of the sixty-third book of Livy record that C. Porcius Cato lost his whole army in a campaign against the Scordisci, who were a Pannonian tribe; but neither Livy nor any other writer, except Ammianus, mentions that Cato himself was killed. 

BOOK XXVIII. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. Many persons, even senators and women of senatorial family are accused at Rome of poisonings, adultery, and debauchery, and are punished. --II. The Emperor Valentinian fortifies the whole Gallic bank of the Rhine with forts, castles, and towers; the Allemanni slay the Romans who are constructing a fortification on the other side of the Rhine. --The Maratocupreni, who are ravaging Syria, are, by the command of Valens, destroyed with their children and their town. --III. Theodosius restores the cities of Britain which had been laid waste by the barbarians, repairs the fortresses, and recovers the province of the island which is called Valentia. --IV. Concerning the administration of Olybrius and Ampelius as prefects of the city: and concerning the vices of the Roman senate and people. --V. The Saxons, after a time, are circumvented in Gaul by the manoeuvres of the Romans. Valentinian having promised to unite his forces with them, sends the Burgundians to invade Germany; but they, finding themselves tricked and deceived, put all their prisoners to the sword, and return home. --VI. The ravages inflicted in the province of Tripoli, and on the people of Leptis and OEa, by the Asturians, are concealed from Valentinian by the bad faith of the Roman count; and so are not properly avenged. 

I. 

A. D. 368. 

§ 1. While the perfidy of the king was exciting these unexpectedtroubles in Persia, as we have related above, and while war was revivingin the east, sixteen years and rather more after the death ofNepotianus, Bellona, raging through the eternal city, destroyedeverything, proceeding from trifling beginnings to the most lamentabledisasters. Would that they could be buried in everlasting silence, lestperhaps similar things may some day be again attempted, which will domore harm by the general example thus set than even by the misery theyoccasion. 

2. And although after a careful consideration of differentcircumstances, a reasonable fear would restrain me from giving a minuteaccount of the bloody deeds now perpetrated, yet, relying on themoderation of the present age, I will briefly touch upon the thingsmost deserving of record, nor shall I regret giving a concise account ofthe fears which the events that happened at a former period caused me. 

3. In the first Median war, when the Persians had ravaged Asia, theylaid siege to Miletus with a vast host, threatening the garrison withtorture and death, and at last reduced the citizens to such straits, that they all, being overwhelmed with the magnitude of their distresses, slew their nearest relations, cast all their furniture and movables intothe fire, and then threw themselves in rivalry with one another on thecommon funeral pile of their perishing country. 

4. A short time afterwards, Phrynichus made this event the subject of atragedy which he exhibited on the stage at Athens; and after he had beenfor a short time listened to with complacency, when amid all its finelanguage the tragedy became more and more distressing, it was condemnedby the indignation of the people, who thought that it was insulting toproduce this as the subject of a dramatic poem, and that it had beenprompted not by a wish to console, but only to remind them to their owndisgrace of the sufferings which that beautiful city had endured withoutreceiving any aid from its founder and parent. For Miletus was a colonyof the Athenians, and had been established there among the other Ionianstates by Neleus, the son of that Codrus who is said to have devotedhimself for his country in the Dorian war. 

5. Let us now return to our subject. Maximinus, formerly deputy prefectof Rome, was born in a very obscure rank of life at Sopianæ, a town ofValeria; his father being only a clerk in the president's office, descended from the posterity of those Carpi whom Diocletian removed fromtheir ancient homes and transferred to Pannonia. 

6. After a slight study of the liberal sciences, and some small practiceat the bar, he was promoted to be governor of Corsica, then of Sardinia, and at last of Tuscany. From hence, as his successor loitered a longwhile on his road, he proceeded to superintend the supplying of theeternal city with provisions, still retaining the government of theprovince; and three different considerations rendered him cautious onhis first entrance into office, namely:--

7. In the first place, because he bore in mind the prediction of hisfather, a man pre-eminently skilful in interpreting what was portendedby birds from whom auguries were taken, or by the note of such birds asspoke. And he had warned him that though he would rise to supremeauthority, he would perish by the axe of the executioner; secondly, because he had fallen in with a Sardinian (whom he himself subsequentlyput to death by treachery, as report generally affirmed) who was a manskilled in raising up evil spirits, and in gathering presages fromghosts; and as long as that Sardinian lived, he, fearing to be betrayed, was more tractable and mild; lastly, because while he was slowly makinghis way through inferior appointments, like a serpent that glidesunderground, he was not yet of power sufficient to perpetrate anyextensive destruction or executions. 

8. But the origin of his arriving at more extensive power lay in thefollowing transaction: Chilo, who had been deputy, and his wife, namedMaxima, complained to Olybrius, at that time prefect of the city, asserting that their lives had been attacked by poison, and with suchearnestness that the men whom they suspected were at once arrested andthrown into prison. These were Sericus, a musician, Asbolius, awrestling master, and Campensis, a soothsayer. 

9. But as the affair began to cool on account of the long-continuedviolence of some illness with which Olybrius was attacked, the personswho had laid the complaint, becoming impatient of delay, presented apetition in which they asked to have the investigation of their chargereferred to the superintendent of the corn-market; and, from a desirefor a speedy decision, this request was granted. 

10. Now, therefore, that he had an opportunity of doing injury, Maximindisplayed the innate ferocity which was implanted in his cruel heart, just as wild beasts exhibited in the amphitheatre often do when atlength released from their cages. And, as this affair was representedfirst in various ways, as if in a kind of prelude, and some persons withtheir sides lacerated named certain nobles, as if by means of theirclients and other low-born persons known as criminals and informers, they had employed various artifices for injuring them. This infernaldelegate, carrying his investigations to an extravagant length, presented a malicious report to the emperor, in which he told him thatsuch atrocious crimes as many people had committed at Rome could not beinvestigated nor punished without the severest penalties. 

11. When the emperor learnt this he was exasperated beyond measure, being rather a furious than a rigorous enemy to vice; and accordingly, by one single edict applying to causes of this kind, which in hisarrogance he treated as if they partook of treason, he commanded thatall those whom the equity of the ancient law and the judgment of thegods had exempted from examination by torture, should, if the caseseemed to require it, be put to the rack. 

12. And in order that the authority to be established, by being doubledand raised to greater distinction, might be able to heap up greatercalamities, he appointed Maximin proprefect at Rome, and gave him ascolleague in the prosecution of these inquiries, which were beingprepared for the ruin of many persons, a secretary named Leo, who wasafterwards master of the ceremonies. He was by birth a Pannonian, and byoccupation originally a brigand, as savage as a wild beast, andinsatiable of human blood. 

13. The accession of a colleague so much like himself, inflamed thecruel and malignant disposition of Maximin, which was further encouragedby the commission which conferred this dignity on them; so that, flinging himself about in his exultation, he seemed rather to dance thanto walk, while he studied to imitate the Brachmans who, according tosome accounts, move in the air amid the altars. 

14. And now the trumpets of intestine discords sounded, while all menstood amazed at the atrocity of the things which were done. Among which, besides many other cruel and inhuman actions so various and so numerousthat it is impossible for me to relate them all, the death of Marinus, the celebrated advocate, was especially remarkable. He was condemned todeath on a charge which was not even attempted to be supported byevidence, of having endeavoured by wicked acts to compass a marriagewith Hispanilla. 

15. And since I think that perhaps some persons may read this historywho, after careful investigation, will object to it that such and such athing was done before another; or again that this or that circumstancehas been omitted, I consider that I have inserted enough, because it isnot every event which has been brought about by base people that isworth recording; nor, if it were necessary to relate them all, wouldthere be materials for such an account, not even if the public recordsthemselves were examined, when so many atrocious deeds were common, andwhen this new frenzy was throwing everything into confusion without theslightest restraint; and when what was feared was evidently not ajudicial trial but a total cessation of all justice. 

16. At this time, Cethegus, a senator, who was accused of adultery, wasbeheaded, and a young man of noble birth, named Alypius, who had beenbanished for some trivial misconduct, with some other persons of lowdescent, were all publicly executed; while every one appeared in theirsufferings to see a representation of what they themselves might expect, and dreamt of nothing but tortures, prisons, and dark dungeons. 

17. At the same time also, the affair of Hymetius, a man of very eminentcharacter, took place, of which the circumstances were as follows. Whenhe was governing Africa as proconsul, and the Carthaginians were inextreme distress for want of food, he supplied them with corn out of thegranaries destined for the Roman people; and shortly afterwards, whenthere was a fine harvest, he without delay fully replaced what he hadthus consumed. 

18. But as at the time of the scarcity ten bushels had been sold tothose who were in want for a piece of gold, while he now bought thirtyfor the same sum, he sent the profit derived from the difference inprice to the emperor's treasury. Therefore, Valentinian, suspecting thatthere was not as much sent as there ought to have been as the proceedsof this traffic, confiscated a portion of his property. 

19. And to aggravate the severity of this infliction, anothercircumstance happened about the same time which equally tended to hisruin. Amantius was a soothsayer of pre-eminent celebrity at that period, and having been accused by some secret informer of being employed bythis same Hymetius to offer a sacrifice for some evil purpose, he wasbrought before a court of justice and put to the rack; but in spite ofall his tortures, he denied the charge with steadfast resolution. 

20. And as he denied it, some secret papers were brought from his house, among which was found a letter in the handwriting of Hymetius, in whichhe asked Amantius to propitiate the gods by some solemn sacrifices toengage them to make the disposition of the emperor favourable to him;and at the end of the letter were found some reproachful terms appliedto the emperor as avaricious and cruel. 

21. Valentinian learnt these facts from the report of some informers, who exaggerated the offence given, and with very unnecessary vigourordered an inquiry to be made into the affair; and because Frontinus, the assessor of Hymetius, was accused of having been the instrument ofdrawing up this letter, he was scourged with rods till he confessed, andthen he was condemned to exile in Britain. But Amantius was subsequentlyconvicted of some capital crimes and was executed. 

22. After these transactions, Hymetius was conducted to the town ofOtricoli, to be examined by Ampelius, the prefect of the city, anddeputy of Maximin; and when he was on the point of being condemned, aswas manifest to every one, he judiciously seized an opportunity that wasafforded to him of appealing to the protection of the emperor, and beingprotected by his name, he came off for the time in safety. 

23. The emperor, however, when he was consulted on the matter, remittedit to the senate, who examined into the whole affair with justice, andbanished him to Boæ, a village in Dalmatia, for which they were visitedwith the wrath of the emperor, who was exceedingly enraged when he heardthat a man whom in his own mind he had condemned to death had been letoff with a milder punishment. 

24. These and similar transactions led every one to fear that thetreatment thus experienced by a few was intended for all: and that theseevils should not, by being concealed, grow greater and greater till theyreached an intolerable height, the nobles sent a deputation consistingof Prætextatus, formerly a prefect of the city, Venustus, formerlydeputy, and Minervius, who had been a consular governor, to entreat theemperor not to allow the punishments to exceed the offences, and not topermit any senator to be exposed to the torture in an unprecedented andunlawful manner. 

25. But when these envoys were admitted into the council chamber, Valentinian denied that he had ever given such orders, and insisted thatthe charges made against him were calumnies. He was, however, refutedwith great moderation by the prætor Eupraxius; and in consequence ofthis freedom, the cruel injunction that had been issued, and which hadsurpassed all previous examples of cruelty, was amended. 

26. About the same time, Lollianus, a youth of tender age, the son ofLampadius, who had been prefect, being accused before Maximin, whoinvestigated his case with great care, and being convicted of havingcopied out a book on the subject of the unlawful acts (though, as hisage made it likely, without any definite plan of using it), was, itseemed, on the point of being sentenced to banishment, when, at thesuggestion of his father, he appealed to the emperor; and being by hisorder brought to court, it appeared that he had, as the proverb has it, gone from the frying-pan into the fire, as he was now handed over toPhalangius, the consular governor of Bætica, and put to death by thehand of the executioner. 

27. There were also Tarratius Bassus, who afterwards became prefect ofthe city, his brother Camenius, a man of the name of Marcian, andEusapius, all men of great eminence, who were prosecuted on the groundof having protected the charioteer Auchenius, and being his accomplicesin the act of poisoning. The evidence was very doubtful, and they wereacquitted by the decision of Victorinus, as general report asserted;Victorinus being a most intimate friend of Maximin. 

28. Women too were equally exposed to similar treatment. For many ofthis sex also, and of noble birth, were put to death on being convictedof adultery or unchastity. The most notorious cases were those ofClaritas and Flaviana; the first of whom, when conducted to death, wasstripped of the clothes which she wore, not even being permitted toretain enough to cover her with bare decency; and for this theexecutioner also was convicted of having committed a great crime, andburnt to death. 

29. Paphius and Cornelius, both senators, confessed that they hadpolluted themselves by the wicked practice of poisoning, and were put todeath by the sentence of Maximin; and by a similar sentence the masterof the mint was executed. He also condemned Sericus and Asbolius, whohave been mentioned before; and because while exhorting them to name anyothers who occurred to them, he had promised them with an oath that theyshould not themselves be punished either by fire or sword, he had themslain by violent blows from balls of lead. After this he also burntalive Campensis the soothsayer, not having in his case bound himself byany oath or promise. 

30. Here it is in my opinion convenient to explain the cause whichbrought Aginatius headlong to destruction, a man ennobled by a long raceof ancestors, as unvarying tradition affirms, though no proof of hisancestral renown was ever substantiated. 

31. Maximin, full of pride and arrogance, and being then also prefect ofthe corn-market, and having many encouragements to audacity, proceededso far as to show his contempt for Probus, the most illustrious of allthe nobles, and who was governing the provinces with the authority ofprefect of the prætorium. 

32. Aginatius, being indignant at this, and feeling it a hardship thatin the trial of causes Olybrius had preferred Maximin to himself, whilehe was actually deputy at Rome, secretly informed Probus in privateletters that the arrogant and foolish man who had thus set himselfagainst his lofty merits, might easily be put down if he thought fit. 

33. These letters, as some affirm, Probus sent to Maximin, hardened ashe was in wickedness, because he feared his influence with the emperor;letting none but the bearer know the business. And when he had readthem, the cruel Maximin became furious, and henceforth set all hisengines at work to destroy Aginatius, like a serpent that had beenbruised by some one whom it knew. 

34. There was another still more powerful cause for intriguing againsthim, which ultimately became his destruction. For he charged Victorinus, who was dead, and from whom he had received a very considerable legacy, with having while alive made money of the decrees of Maximin; and withsimilar maliciousness he had also threatened his wife Anepsia with alawsuit. 

35. Anepsia, alarmed at this, and to support herself by the aid ofMaximin, pretended that her husband in a will which he had recentlymade, had left him three thousand pounds weight of silver. He, full ofcovetousness, for this too was one of his vices, demanded half theinheritance, and afterwards, not being contented with that, as if itwere hardly sufficient, he contrived another device which he looked uponas both honourable and safe; and not to lose his hold of the handle thusput in his way for obtaining a large estate, he demanded the daughter ofAnepsia, who was the stepdaughter of Victorinus, as a wife for his son;and this marriage was quickly arranged with the consent of the woman. 

36. Through these and other atrocities equally lamentable, which threw agloom over the whole of the eternal city, this man, never to be namedwithout a groan, grew by the ruin of numerous other persons, and beganto stretch out his hands beyond the limits of lawsuits and trials: forit is said that he had a small cord always suspended from a remotewindow of the prætorium, the end of which had a loop which was easilydrawn tight, by means of which he received secret informations supportedby no evidence or testimony, but capable of being used to the ruin ofmany innocent persons. And he used often to send his officers, Mucianusand Barbarus, men fit for any deceit or treachery, secretly out of hishouse. 

37. Who then, as if bewailing some hardship which as they pretended hadfallen upon them, and exaggerating the cruelty of the judge, withconstant repetition assured those who really lay under execution thatthere was no remedy by which they could save themselves except that ofadvancing heavy accusation against men of high rank; because if suchmen were involved in such accusations, they themselves would easilyprocure an acquittal. 

38. In this way, Maximin's implacable temper overwhelmed those yet inhis power; numbers were thrown into prison, and persons of the highestrank were seen with anxious faces and in mourning attire. Nor ought anyone of them to be blamed for bowing down to the ground in saluting thismonster, when they heard him vociferating with the tone of a wild beast, that no one could ever be acquitted unless he choose. 

39. For sayings like that, when instantly followed by their naturalresult, would have terrified even men like Numa, Pompilius, or Cato. Infact things went on in such a way that some persons never had their eyesdried of the tears caused by the misfortunes of others, as often happensin such unsettled and dangerous times. 

40. And the iron-hearted judge, continually disregarding all law andjustice, had but one thing about him which made him endurable; forsometimes he was prevailed upon by entreaties to spare some one, thoughthis too is affirmed to be nearly a vice in the following passage ofCicero. "If anger be implacable, it is the extreme of severity; if ityield to entreaties, it is the extreme of levity; though in times ofmisfortune even levity is to be preferred to cruelty. "

41. After these events, Leo arrived, and was received as his successor, and Maximin was summoned to the emperor's court and promoted to theoffice of prefect of the prætorium, where he was as cruel as ever, having indeed greater power of inflicting injury, like a basiliskserpent. 

42. Just at this time, or not long before, the brooms with which thesenate-house of the nobles was swept out were seen to flower, and thisportended that some persons of the very lowest class would be raised tohigh rank and power. 

43. Though it is now time to return to the course of our regularhistory, yet without neglecting the proper order of time, we must dwellon a few incidents, which through the iniquity of the deputy prefects ofthe city, were done most unjustly, being in fact done at the word andwill of Maximin by those same officers, who seemed to look on themselvesas the mere servants of his pleasure. 

44. After him came Ursicinus, a man of a more merciful disposition, who, wishing to act cautiously and in conformity to the constitution, confronted a man named Esaias with some others who were in prison on acharge of adultery with Rufina; who had attempted to establish a chargeof treason against Marcellus her husband, formerly in a situation ofhigh trust. But this act led to his being despised as a dawdler, and aperson little fit to carry out such designs with proper resolution, andso he was removed from his place of deputy. 

45. He was succeeded by Simplicius of Emona, who had been aschoolmaster, but was now the assessor of Maximin. After receiving thisappointment, he did not grow more proud or arrogant, but assumed asupercilious look, which gave a repulsive expression to his countenance. His language was studiously moderate, while he meditated the mostrigorous proceedings against many persons. And first of all he putRufina to death with all the partners of her adultery, and all who wereprivy to it, concerning whom Ursicinus, as we have related, had alreadymade a report. Then he put numbers of others to death, without anydistinction between the innocent and the guilty. 

46. Running a race of bloodshed with Maximin, as if he had, as it were, been his leader, he sought to surpass him in destroying the noblestfamilies, imitating Busiris and Antæus of old, and Phalaris, so that heseemed to want nothing but the bull of Agrigentum. 

47. After these and other similar transactions had taken place, acertain matron named Hesychia, who was accused of having attempted somecrime, becoming greatly alarmed, and being of a fierce and resolutedisposition, killed herself in the house of the officer to whom she wasgiven in custody, by muffling her face in a bed of feathers, andstopping up her nostrils and so becoming suffocated. 

48. To all these calamities another of no less severity was added. ForEumenius and Abienus, two men of the highest class, having been accused, during Maximin's term of office, of adultery with Fausiana, a woman ofrank, after the death of Victorinus, under whose protection they weresafe, being alarmed at the arrival of Simplicius, who was as full ofaudacity and threats as Maximin, withdrew to some secret hiding place. 

49. But after Fausiana had been condemned they were recorded among theaccused, and were summoned by public edict to appear, but they only hidthemselves the more carefully. And Abrenus was for a very long timeconcealed in the house of Anepsia. But as it continually happens thatunexpected accidents come to aggravate the distresses of those who arealready miserable, a slave of Anepsia named Apaudulus, being angrybecause his wife had been flogged, went by night to Simplicius, and gaveinformation of the whole affair, and officers were sent to drag themboth from their place of concealment. 

50. The charge against Abrenus was strengthened by another charge whichwas brought against him, of having seduced Anepsia, and he was condemnedto death. But Anepsia herself, to get some hope of saving her life by atleast procuring the delay of her execution, affirmed that she had beenassailed by unlawful arts, and had been ravished in the house ofAginatius. 

51. Simplicius with loud indignation reported to the emperor all thathad taken place, and as Maximin, who was now at court, hated Aginatiusfor the reason which we have already explained, and having his rageincreased against him at the same time that his power was augmented, entreated with great urgency that he might be sentenced to death; andsuch a favour was readily granted to this furious and influentialexciter of the emperor's severity. 

52. Then fearing the exceeding unpopularity which would fall upon him ifa man of patrician family should perish by the sentence of Simplicius, who was his new assessor and friend, he kept the imperial edict for theexecution by him for a short time, wavering and doubting whom to pitchupon as a trusty and efficient perpetrator of so atrocious a deed. 

53. At length, as like usually finds like, a certain Gaul of the name ofDoryphorianus was discovered, a man daring even to madness; and as hepromised to accomplish the matter in a short time, he obtained for himthe post of deputy, and gave him the emperor's letter with an additionalrescript; instructing the man, who though savage had no experience insuch matters, how, if he used sufficient speed, he would meet with noobstacle to his slaying Aginatius; though, if there were any delay, hewould be very likely to escape. 

54. Doryphorianus, as he was commanded, hastened to Rome by rapidjourneys; and while beginning to discharge the duties of his new office, he exerted great industry to discover how he could put a senator ofeminent family to death without any assistance. And when he learnt thathe had been some time before found in his own house where he was stillkept in custody, he determined to have him brought before him as thechief of all the criminals, with Anepsia, in the middle of the night; anhour at which men's minds are especially apt to be bewildered by terror;as, among many other instances, the Ajax of Homer[165] shows us, when heexpresses a wish rather to die by daylight, than to suffer theadditional terrors of the night. 

55. And as the judge, I should rather call him the infamous robber, intent only on the service he had promised to perform, carriedeverything to excess, having ordered Aginatius to be brought in, he alsocommanded the introduction of a troop of executioners; and while thechains rattled with a mournful sound, he tortured the slaves who werealready exhausted by their long confinement, till they died, in order toextract from them matter affecting the life of their master; aproceeding which in a trial for adultery our merciful laws expresslyforbids. 

56. At last, when the tortures which were all but mortal had wrung somehints from the maid-servant, without any careful examination of thetruth of her words, Aginatius was at once sentenced to be led toexecution, and without being allowed to say a word in his defence, though with loud outcries he appealed to and invoked the names of theemperors, he was carried off and put to death, and Anepsia was executedby a similar sentence. The eternal city was filled with mourning forthese executions which were perpetrated either by Maximin himself whenhe was present in the city, or by his emissaries when he was at adistance. 

57. But the avenging Furies of those who had been murdered werepreparing retribution. For, as I will afterwards relate at the properseason, this same Maximin giving way to his intolerable pride whenGratian was emperor, was put to death by the sword of the executioner;and Simplicius also was beheaded in Illyricum. Doryphorianus too wascondemned to death, and thrown into the Tullian prison, but was takenfrom thence by the emperor at his mother's suggestion, and when he wasbrought back to his own country was put to death with terrible torments. Let us now return to the point at which we left our history. Such, however, was the state of affairs in the city of Rome. 

II. 

A. D. 369. 

§ 1. Valentinian having several great and useful projects in his head, began to fortify the entire banks of the Rhine, from its beginning inthe Tyrol to the straits of the ocean, [166] with vast works; raisinglofty castles and fortresses, and a perfect range of towers in everysuitable place, so as to protect the whole frontier of Gaul; andsometimes, by constructing works on the other side of the river, healmost trenched upon the territories of the enemy. 

2. At last considering that one fortress, of which he himself had laidthe very foundations, though sufficiently high and safe, yet, beingbuilt on the very edge of the river Neckar, was liable to be graduallyundermined by the violent beating of its waters, he formed a plan todivert the river itself into another channel; and, having sought outsome workmen who were skilful in such works and collected a strongmilitary force, he began that arduous labour. 

3. Day after day large masses of oaken beams were fastened together, andthrown into the channel, and by them huge piles were continually fixedand unfixed, being all thrown into disorder by the rising of the stream, and afterwards they were broken and carried away by the current. 

4. However, the resolute diligence of the emperor and the labour of theobedient soldiery prevailed; though the troops were often up to theirchins in the water while at work; and at last, though not withoutconsiderable risk, the fixed camp was protected against all danger fromthe violence of the current, and is still safe and strong. 

5. Joyful and exulting in this success, the emperor, perceiving that theweather and the season of the year did not allow him any otheroccupation, like a good and active prince began to apply his attentionto the general affairs of the republic. And thinking the time veryproper for completing one work which he had been meditating, he beganwith all speed to raise a fortification on the other side of the Rhine, on Mount Piri, a spot which belongs to the barbarians. And as rapidityof action was one great means of executing this design with safety, hesent orders to the Duke Arator, through Syagrius, who was then asecretary, but who afterwards became prefect and consul, to attempt tomake himself master of this height in the dead of the night. 

6. The duke at once crossed over with the secretary, as he wascommanded; and was beginning to employ the soldiers whom he had broughtwith him to dig out the foundations, when he received a successor, Hermogenes. At the very same moment there arrived some nobles of theAllemanni, fathers of the hostages, whom, in accordance with our treaty, we were detaining as important pledges for the long continuance of thepeace. 

7. And they, with bended knees entreated him not to let the Romans, withan improvident disregard of all safety (they whose fortune theireverlasting good faith had raised to the skies), now be misled by a baseerror to trample all former agreements under foot, and attempt an actunworthy of them. 

8. But since it was to no purpose that they used these and similararguments, as they were not listened to, and finding that they had nochance of a conciliatory answer, they reluctantly returned, bewailingthe loss of their sons; and when they were gone, from a secrethiding-place in a neighbouring hill a troop of barbarians sprang forth, waiting, as far as was understood, for the answer which was to be givento the nobles; and attacking our half-naked soldiers, who were carryingloads of earth, drew their swords and quickly slew them, and with themthe two generals. 

9. Nor was any one left to relate what had happened, except Syagrius, who, after they were all destroyed returned to the court, where by thesentence of his offended emperor he was dismissed the service; on whichhe retired to his own home; being judged by the severe decision of theprince to have deserved this sentence because he was the only one whoescaped. 

10. Meanwhile the wicked fury of bands of robbers raged through Gaul tothe injury of many persons; since they occupied the most frequentedroads, and without any hesitation seized upon everything valuable whichcame in their way. Besides many other persons who were the victims ofthese treacherous attacks, Constantianus, the tribune of the stable, wasattacked by a secret ambuscade and slain; he was a relation ofValentinian, and the brother of Cerealis and Justina. 

11. In other countries, as if the Furies were stirring up similar evilsto afflict us on every side, the Maratocupreni, those most cruelbanditti, spread their ravages in every direction. They were the nativesof a town of the same name in Syria, near Apamea; very numerous, marvellously skilful in every kind of deceit, and an object of universalfear, because, under the character of merchants or soldiers of highrank, they spread themselves quietly over the country, and then pillagedall the wealthy houses, villages, and towns which came in their way. 

12. Nor could any one guard against their unexpected attacks; since theyfell not upon any previously selected victim, but in places in variousparts, and at great distances, and carried their devastations whereverthe wind led them. For which reason the Saxons were feared beyond allother enemies, because of the suddenness of their attacks. They then, in bands of sworn comrades, destroyed the riches of many persons; andbeing under the impulse of absolute fury, they committed the mostmournful slaughters, being not less greedy of blood than of booty. Nevertheless, that I may not, by entering into too minute details, impede the progress of my history, it will be sufficient to relate onedestructive device of theirs. 

13. A body of these wicked men assembled in one place, pretending to bethe retinue of a receiver of the revenue, or of the governor of theprovince. In the darkness of the evening they entered the city, whilethe crier made a mournful proclamation, and attacked with swords thehouse of one of the nobles, as if he had been proscribed and sentencedto death. They seized all his valuable furniture, because his servants, being utterly bewildered by the suddenness of the danger, did not defendthe house; they slew several of them, and then before the return ofdaylight withdrew with great speed. 

14. But being loaded with a great quantity of plunder, since from theirlove of booty they had left nothing behind, they were intercepted by amovement of the emperor's troop, and were cut off and all slain to aman. And their children, who were at the time very young, were alsodestroyed to prevent their growing up in the likeness of their fathers;and their houses which they had built with great splendour at theexpense of the misery of others, were all pulled down. These thingshappened in the order in which they have been related. 

III. 

§ 1. But Theodosius, a general of very famous reputation, departed inhigh spirits from Augusta, which the ancients used to call Londinium, with an army which he had collected with great energy and skill;bringing a mighty aid to the embarrassed and disturbed fortunes of theBritons. His plan was to seek everywhere favourable situations forlaying ambuscades for the barbarians; and to impose no duties on histroops of the performance of which he did not himself cheerfully set theexample. 

2. And in this way, while he performed the duties of a gallant soldier, and showed at the same time the prudence of an illustrious general, herouted and vanquished the various tribes in whom their past security hadengendered an insolence which led them to attack the Roman territories;and he entirely restored the cities and the fortresses which through themanifold disasters of the time had been injured or destroyed, thoughthey had been originally founded to secure the tranquillity of thecountry. 

3. But while he was pursuing this career, a great crime was plannedwhich was likely to have resulted in serious danger, if it had not beencrushed at the very beginning. 

4. A certain man named Valentine, in Valeria of Pannonia, a man of aproud spirit, the brother-in-law of Maximin, that wicked and crueldeputy, who afterwards became prefect, having been banished to Britainfor some grave crime, and being a restless and mischievous beast, waseager for any kind of revolution or mischief, began to plot with greatinsolence against Theodosius, whom he looked upon as the only personwith power to resist his wicked enterprise. 

5. But while both openly and privily taking many precautions, as hispride and covetousness increased, he began to tamper with the exiles andthe soldiers, promising them rewards sufficient to tempt them as far atleast as the circumstances and his enterprise would permit. 

6. But when the time for putting his attempt into execution drew near, the duke, who had received from some trustworthy quarter information ofwhat was going on, being always a man inclined to a bold line ofconduct, and resolutely bent on chastising crimes when detected, seizedValentine with a few of his accomplices who were most deeply implicated, and handed them over to the general Dulcitius to be put to death. But atthe same time conjecturing the future, through that knowledge of thesoldiers in which he surpassed other men, he forbade the institution ofany examination into the conspiracy generally, lest if the fear of suchan investigation should affect many, fresh troubles might revive in theprovince. 

7. After this he turned his attention to make many necessary amendments, feeling wholly free from any danger in such attempts, since it was plainthat all his enterprises were attended by a propitious fortune. So herestored cities and fortresses, as we have already mentioned, andestablished stations and outposts on our frontiers; and he so completelyrecovered the province which had yielded subjection to the enemy, thatthrough his agency it was again brought under the authority of itslegitimate ruler, and from that time forth was called Valentia, bydesire of the emperor, as a memorial of his success. 

8. The Areans, a class of men instituted in former times, and of whom wehave already made some mention in recording the acts of Constans, hadnow gradually fallen into bad practices, for which he removed them fromtheir stations; in fact they had been undeniably convicted of yieldingto the temptation of the great rewards which were given and promised tothem, so as to have continually betrayed to the barbarians what was doneamong us. For their business was to traverse vast districts, and reportto our generals the warlike movements of the neighbouring nations. 

9. In this manner the affairs which I have already mentioned, and otherslike them, having been settled, he was summoned to the court, andleaving the provinces in a state of exultation, like another FuriusCamillus or Papirius Cursor, he was celebrated everywhere for hisnumerous and important victories. He was accompanied by a large crowd ofwell-wishers to the coast, and crossing over with a fair wind, arrivedat the emperor's camp, where he was received with joy and high praise, and appointed to succeed Valens Jovinus, who was commander of thecavalry. 

IV. 

§ 1. I have thus made a long and extensive digression from the affairsof the city, being constrained by the abundance of events which tookplace abroad; and now I will return to give a cursory sketch of them, beginning with the tranquil and moderate exercise of the prefect'sauthority by Olybrius, who never forgot the rights of humanity, but wascontinually anxious and careful that no word or deed of his should everbe harsh or cruel. He was a merciless punisher of calumnies; herestrained the exactions of the treasury wherever he could; he was acareful discriminator of right and wrong; an equitable judge, and verygentle towards those placed under his authority. 

2. But all these good qualities were clouded by one vice which, thoughnot injurious to the commonwealth, was very discreditable to a judge ofhigh rank; namely, that his private life was one of great luxury, devoted to theatrical exhibitions, and to amours, though not such aswere either infamous or incestuous. 

3. After him Ampelius succeeded to the government of the city; he alsowas a man addicted to pleasure, a native of Antioch, and one who fromhaving been master of the offices was twice promoted to a proconsulship, and sometime afterwards to that supreme rank, the prefecture. In otherrespects he was a cheerful man, and one admirably suited to win thefavour of the people; though sometimes over-severe, without being asfirm in his purposes as might have been wished. Had he been, he wouldhave corrected, though perhaps not effectually, the gluttonous anddebauched habits which prevailed; but, as it was, by his laxity ofconduct, he lost a glory which otherwise might have been enduring. 

4. For he had determined that no wine-shop should be opened before thefourth hour of the day; and that none of the common people, before acertain fixed hour, should either warm water or expose dressed meat forsale; and that no one of respectable rank should be seen eating inpublic. 

5. Since these unseemly practices, and others still worse, owing to longneglect and connivance, had grown so frequent that even Epimenides ofCrete, if, according to the fabulous story, he could have risen from thedead and returned to our times, would have been unable by himself topurify Rome; such deep stains of incurable vices overwhelmed it. 

6. And in the first place we will speak of the faults of the nobles, aswe have already repeatedly done as far as our space permitted; and thenwe will proceed to the faults of the common people, touching, however, only briefly and rapidly on either. 

7. Some men, conspicuous for the illustriousness of their ancestry asthey think, gave themselves immoderate airs, and call themselvesReburri, and Fabunii, and Pagonii, and Geriones, Dalii, Tarracii, orPerrasii, and other finely-sounding appellations, indicating theantiquity of their family. 

8. Some also are magnificent in silken robes, as if they were being ledto execution, or, to speak without words of so unfavourable an omen, asif after the army had passed they were bringing up the rear, and arefollowed by a vast troop of servants, with a din like that of a companyof soldiers. 

9. Such men when, while followed by fifty servants apiece, they haveentered the baths, cry out with threatening voice, "Where are mypeople?" And if they suddenly find out that any unknown female slave hasappeared, or any worn-out courtesan who has long been subservient to thepleasures of the townspeople, they run up, as if to win a race, andpatting and caressing her with disgusting and unseemly blandishments, they extol her, as the Parthians might praise Semiramis, Egypt herCleopatra, the Carians Artemisia, or the Palmyrene citizens Zenobia. Andmen do this, whose ancestor, even though a senator, would have beenbranded with a mark of infamy because he dared, at an unbecoming time, to kiss his wife in the presence of their common daughter. 

10. Some of these, when any one meets and begins to salute them, tosstheir heads like bulls preparing to butt, offering their flattererstheir knees or hands to kiss, thinking that quite enough for theirperfect happiness; while they deem it sufficient attention and civilityto a stranger who may happen to have laid them under some obligation toask him what warm or cold bath he frequents, or what house he lives in. 

11. And while they are so solemn, looking upon themselves as especialcultivators of virtue, if they learn that any one has broughtintelligence that any fine horses or skilful coachmen are coming fromany place, they rush with as much haste to see them, examine them, andput questions concerning them, as their ancestors showed on beholdingthe twin-brothers Tyndaridæ, [167] when they filled the whole city withjoy by the announcement of that ancient victory. 

12. A number of idle chatterers frequent their houses, and, with variouspretended modes of adulation, applaud every word uttered by men of suchhigh fortune; resembling the parasites in a comedy, for as they puff upbragging soldiers, attributing to them, as rivals of the heroes of old, sieges of cities, and battles, and the death of thousands of enemies, sothese men admire the construction of the lofty pillars, and the wallsinlaid with stones of carefully chosen colours, and extol these grandeeswith superhuman praises. 

13. Sometimes scales are sent for at their entertainments to weigh thefish, or the birds, or the dormice which are set on the table; and thenthe size of them is dwelt on over and over again, to the great wearinessof those present, as something never seen before; especially when nearthirty secretaries stand by, with tablets and memorandum books, torecord all these circumstances; so that nothing seems to be wanting buta schoolmaster. 

14. Some of them, hating learning as they hate poison, read Juvenal andMarius Maximus[168] with tolerably careful study; though, in theirprofound laziness, they never touch any other volumes; why, it does notbelong to my poor judgment to decide. 

15. For, in consideration of their great glories and long pedigrees, they ought to read a great variety of books; in which, for instance, they might learn that Socrates, when condemned to death and thrown intoprison, asked some one who was playing a song of the Greek poetStesichorus with great skill, to teach him also to do that, while it wasstill in his power; and when the musician asked him of what use thisskill could be to him, as he was to die the next day, he answered, "thatI may know something more before I die. "

16. And there are among them some who are such severe judges ofoffences, that if a slave is too long in bringing them hot water, theywill order him to be scourged with three hundred stripes; but should heintentionally have killed a man, while numbers insist that he ought tobe unhesitatingly condemned as guilty, his master will exclaim, "Whatcan the poor wretch do? what can one expect from a good-for-nothingfellow like that?" But should any one else venture to do anything of thekind, he would be corrected. 

17. Their ideas of civility are such that a stranger had better kill aman's brother than send an excuse to them if he be asked to dinner; fora senator fancies that he has suffered a terrible grievance, equal tothe loss of his entire patrimony, if any guest be absent, whom, afterrepeated deliberations, he has once invited. 

18. Some of them, if they have gone any distance to see their estates inthe country, or to hunt at a meeting collected for their amusement byothers, think they have equalled the marches of Alexander the Great, orof Cæsar; or if they have gone in some painted boats from Lake Avernusto Pozzuoli or Cajeta, especially if they have ventured on such anexploit in warm weather. Where if, amid their golden fans, a fly shouldperch on the silken fringes, or if a slender ray of the sun should havepierced through a hole in their awning, they complain that they were notborn among the Cimmerians. 

19. Then, when they come from the bath of Silvanus, or the waters ofMamæa, which are so good for the health, after they come out of thewater, and have wiped themselves with cloths of the finest linen, theyopen the presses, and take out of them robes so delicate as to betransparent, selecting them with care, till they have got enough toclothe eleven persons; and at length, after they have picked out allthey choose, they wrap themselves up in them, and take the rings whichthey had given to their attendants to hold, that they might not beinjured by the damp; and then they depart when their fingers areproperly cooled. 

20. Again, if any one having lately quitted the military service of theemperor, has retired to his home. [169] . . . 

21. Some of them, though not many, wish to avoid the name of gamblers, and prefer to be called dice-players; the difference being much the sameas that between a thief and a robber. But this must be confessed that, while all friendships at Rome are rather cool, those alone which areengendered by dice are sociable and intimate, as if they had been formedamid glorious exertions, and were firmly cemented by exceedingaffection; to which it is owing that some of this class of gamblers livein such harmony that you might think them the brothers Quintilii. [170]And so you may sometimes see a man of base extraction, who knows all thesecrets of the dice, as grave as Porcius Cato when he met with a repulsewhich he had never expected nor dreamt of, when a candidate for theprætorship, with affected solemnity and a serious face, because at somegrand entertainment or assembly some man of proconsular rank has beenpreferred to himself. 

22. Some lay siege to wealthy men, whether old or young, childless orunmarried, or even with wives and children (for with such an object nodistinction is ever regarded by them), seeking by most marvellous tricksto allure them to make their wills; and then if, after observing all theforms of law, they bequeath to these persons what they have to leave, being won over by them to this compliance, they speedily die. [171]

23. Another person, perhaps only in some subordinate office, strutsalong with his head up, looking with so slight and passing a glance uponthose with whom he was previously acquainted, that you might fancy itmust be Marcus Marcellus just returned from the capture of Syracuse. 

24. Many among them deny the existence of a superior Power in heaven, and yet neither appear in public, nor dine, nor think that they canbathe with any prudence, before they have carefully consulted analmanac, and learnt where (for example) the planet Mercury is, or inwhat portion of Cancer the moon is as she passes through the heavens. 

25. Another man, if he perceives his creditor to be importunate indemanding a debt, flies to a charioteer who is bold enough to venture onany audacious enterprise, and takes care that he shall be harassed withdread of persecution as a poisoner; from which he cannot be releasedwithout giving bail and incurring a very heavy expense. One may add tothis, that he includes under this head a debtor who is only so throughthe engagements into which he has entered to avoid a prosecution, as ifhe were a real debtor, and that he never lets him go till he hasobtained the discharge of the debt. 

26. On the other side, a wife, who, as the old proverb has it, hammerson the same anvil day and night, to compel her husband to make his will, and then the husband is equally urgent that his wife shall do the same. And men learned in the law are procured on each side, the one in thebedchamber, and his opponent in the dining-room, to draw upcounter-documents. And under their employ are placed ambiguousinterpreters of the contracts of their victims, who, on the one side, promise with great liberality high offices, and the funerals of wealthymatrons; and from these they proceed to the obsequies of the husbands, giving hints that everything necessary ought to be prepared; and[172]. . . As Cicero says, "Nor in the affairs of men do they understandanything good, except what is profitable; and they love those friendsmost (as they would prefer sheep) from whom they expect to derive thegreatest advantage. "[173]

27. And when they borrow anything, they are so humble and cringing, youwould think you were at a comedy, and seeing Micon or Laches; when theyare constrained to repay what they have borrowed, they become so turgidand bombastic that you would take them for those descendants ofHercules, Cresphontes and Temenus. This is enough to say of thesenatorial order. 

28. And let us come to the idle and lazy common people, among whom some, who have not even got shoes boast of high-sounding names; callingthemselves Cimessores, Statarii, Semicupæ, Serapina, or Cicimbricus, orGluturiorus, Trulla, Lucanicus, Pordaca, or Salsula, [174] with numbersof other similar appellations. These men spend their whole lives indrinking, and gambling, and brothels, and pleasures, and publicspectacles; and to them the Circus Maximus is their temple, their home, their public assembly; in fact, their whole hope and desire. [175]

29. And you may see in the forum, and roads, and streets, and places ofmeeting, knots of people collected, quarrelling violently with oneanother, and objecting to one another, and splitting themselves intoviolent parties. 

30. Among whom those who have lived long, having influence by reason oftheir age, their gray hairs and wrinkles, are continually crying outthat the republic cannot stand, if in the contest which is about to takeplace, the skilful charioteer, whom some individual backs, is notforemost in the race, and does not dextrously shave the turning-postwith the trace-horses. 

31. And when there is so much ruinous carelessness, when the wished-forday of the equestrian games dawns, before the sun has visibly risen, they all rush out with headlong haste, as if with their speed they wouldoutstrip the very chariots which are going to race; while as to theevent of the contest they are all torn asunder by opposite wishes, andthe greater part of them, through their anxiety, pass sleepless nights. 

32. From hence, if you go to some cheap theatre, the actors on the stageare driven off by hisses, if they have not taken the precaution toconciliate the lowest of the people by gifts of money. And if thereshould be no noise, then, in imitation of the people in the TauricChersonese, they raise an outcry that the strangers ought to be expelled(on whose assistance they have always relied for their principalsupport), using foul and ridiculous expressions; such as are greatly atvariance with the pursuits and inclinations of that populace of old, whose many facetious and elegant expressions are recorded by traditionand by history. 

33. For these clever gentlemen have now devised a new method ofexpressing applause, which is, at every spectacle to cry out to thosewho appear at the end, whether they are couriers, huntsmen, orcharioteers--in short, to the whole body of actors, and to themagistrates, whether of great or small importance, and even to nations, "It is to your school that he ought to go. " But what he is to learnthere no one can explain. 

34. Among these men are many chiefly addicted to fattening themselves upby gluttony, who, following the scent of any delicate food, and theshrill voices of the women who, from cockcrow, cry out with a shrillscream, like so many peacocks, and gliding over the ground on tiptoe, get an entrance into the halls, biting their nails while the dishes aregetting cool. Others fix their eyes intently on the tainted meat whichis being cooked, that you might fancy Democritus, with a number ofanatomists, was gazing into the entrails of sacrificed victims, in orderto teach posterity how best to relieve internal pains. 

35. For the present this is enough to say of the affairs of the city;now let us return to other events which various circumstances brought topass in the provinces. 

V. 

§ 1. In the third consulship of the emperors a vast multitude of Saxonsburst forth, and having crossed the difficult passage of the ocean, madetowards the Roman frontier by rapid marches, having before oftenbattened on the slaughter of our men. The first storm of this invasionfell upon the count Nannenus, who was in command in that district, beinga veteran general of great merit and experience. 

2. He now engaged in battle with a host which fought as if resolved ondeath; but when he found that he had lost many of his men, and that hehimself, having been wounded, would be unequal to a succession ofbattles, he sent word to the emperor of what was necessary, andprevailed on him to send Severus, the commander of the infantry, to aidhim at this crisis. 

3. That general brought with him a sufficient body of troops, and whenhe arrived in the country he so arrayed his men that he terrified thebarbarians, and threw them into such disorder, even before any battletook place, that they did not venture to engage him, but, panic-strickenat the brilliant appearance of the standards and eagles, they imploredpardon and peace. 

4. The question of granting it to them was long discussed, with varietyof opinion, between the Roman commanders; but at last, as it seemed forthe advantage of the republic, a truce was granted, and after they hadagreed to the conditions proposed, one of which was that they shouldfurnish a number of young men suitable for military service, the Saxonswere permitted to withdraw, but without their baggage, and to return totheir own country. 

5. But when they, being now freed from all fear, were preparing toreturn, some of our infantry were sent forward, who secretly laid anambuscade in a certain hidden defile, from which they would easily beable to attack them as they passed. But the matter turned out verydifferently from what was expected. 

6. For some of our men being roused by the noise of the Saxons, sprangfrom their ambush unseasonably; and being suddenly seen, while they werehastening to establish themselves, the barbarians, with a terrible yell, put them to flight. Presently, however, they halted in a solid body, andbeing now driven to extremities, were compelled to fight, though theirstrength was far from great. The slaughter was great, and they wouldhave been all cut off to a man, had not a column of cuirassier cavalry, which had been similarly placed in ambuscade at a place where the roaddivided, in order there also to attack the barbarians in their passage, been roused by the uproar, and come up suddenly. 

7. Then the battle raged more fiercely, and with dauntless breasts theRomans pressed forward on all sides, and with drawn swords hemmed intheir enemies, and slew them; nor did any of them ever return home, fornot one survived the slaughter. And although an impartial judge willblame the action as treacherous and disgraceful, still if he weighs allthe circumstances, he will not regret that a mischievous band of robberswas at length destroyed when such an opportunity presented itself. 

8. After these affairs had been consummated thus successfully, Valentinian revolving in his mind a great variety of opinions, wasfilled with anxious solicitude, considering and contemplating differentmeasures for breaking the pride of the Allemanni and their kingMacrianus, who were incessantly and furiously disturbing the republicwith their restless movements. 

9. For that ferocious nation, though from its earliest origindiminished by various disasters, yet continually revives, so that itmight be considered as having been free from attacks for many ages. Atlast, after the emperor had considered and approved of one plan afteranother, it was finally determined to excite the Burgundians to attackthem, the Burgundians being a warlike people, with an immense populationof active youths, and therefore formidable to all their neighbours. 

10. And the emperor sent repeated letters to their chiefs by some silentand trustworthy messengers, to urge them to attack the Allemanni at acertain fixed time, and promising that he likewise would cross the Rhinewith the Roman legions, and attack their forces when in disorder, andseeking to escape the unexpected attack of the Burgundians. 

11. The letters of the emperor were received with joy, for two reasons:first, because for many ages the Burgundians had looked upon themselvesas descended from the Romans; and secondly, because they had continualquarrels with the Allemanni about their salt-pits and their borders. Sothey sent against them some picked battalions, which, before the Romansoldiers could be collected, advanced as far as the banks of the Rhine, and, while the emperor was engaged in the construction of somefortresses, caused the greatest alarm to our people. 

12. Therefore, after waiting for some time, Valentinian having failed tocome on the appointed day as promised, and finding that none of hisengagements were performed, they sent ambassadors to the court, requesting assistance to enable them to return in safety to their ownland, and to save them from exposing their rear unprotected to theirenemies. 

13. But when they perceived that their request was virtually refused bythe excuses and pleas for delay with which it was received, theydeparted from the court in sorrow and indignation; and when the chiefsof the Burgundians received their report, they were very furious, thinking they had been mocked; and so they slew all their prisoners andreturned to their native land. 

14. Among them their king is called by one general name of "Hendinos, "and according to a very ancient custom of theirs, is deposed from hisauthority if under his government the state meets with any disaster inwar; or if the earth fails to produce a good crop; in the same way asthe Egyptians are accustomed to attribute calamities of that kind totheir rulers. The chief priest among the Burgundians is called "theSinistus. " But he is irremovable and not exposed to any such dangers asthe kings. 

15. Taking advantage of this favourable opportunity, Theodosius, thecommander of the cavalry, passed through the Tyrol and attacked theAllemanni, who, out of fear of the Burgundians, had dispersed into theirvillages. He slew a great number, and took some prisoners, whom by theemperor's command he sent to Italy, where some fertile districts aroundthe Po were assigned to them, which they still inhabit as tributaries. 

VI. 

§ 1. Let us now migrate, as it were, to another quarter of the world, and proceed to relate the distresses of Tripoli, a province of Africa;distresses which, in my opinion, even Justice herself must havelamented, and which burst out rapidly like flames. I will now give anaccount both of them and of their causes. 

2. The Asturians are barbarians lying on the frontier of this province, a people always in readiness for rapid invasions, accustomed to live onplunder and bloodshed; and who, after having been quiet for a while, nowrelapsed into their natural state of disquiet, alleging the following asthe serious cause for their movements. 

3. One of their countrymen, by name Stachao, while freely traversing ourterritories, as in time of peace, did some things forbidden by the laws;the most flagrant of his illegal acts being that he endeavoured, byevery kind of deceit and intrigue, to betray the province, as was shownby the most undeniable evidence, for which crime he was burnt to death. 

4. To avenge his death, the Asturians, claiming him as their clansman, and affirming that he had been unjustly condemned, burst forth fromtheir own territory like so many mad wild beasts during the reign ofJovian, but fearing to approach close to Leptis, which was a city witha numerous population, and fortified by strong walls, they occupied thedistrict around it, which is very fertile, for three days: and havingslain the agricultural population on it, whom terror at their suddeninroad had deprived of all spirit, or had driven to take refuge incaves, and burnt a great quantity of furniture which could not becarried off, they returned home, loaded with vast plunder, taking withthem as prisoner a man named Silva, the principal noble of Leptis, whomthey found with his family at his country house. 

5. The people of Leptis being terrified at this sudden disaster, notwishing to incur the further calamities with which the arrogance of thebarbarians threatened them, implored the protection of Count Romanus, who had recently been promoted to the government of Africa. But when hecame at the head of an army, and received their request to come to theirimmediate assistance in their distress, he declared that he would notmove a step further unless abundant magazines and four thousand camelswere provided for his troops. 

6. At this answer the wretched citizens were stupefied, and declared tohim, that after the devastations and conflagrations to which they hadbeen exposed, it was impossible for them to make such exertions, evenfor the reparation of the cruel disasters which they had suffered; and, after waiting forty days there with vain pretences and excuses, thecount retired without attempting any enterprise. 

7. The people of Tripoli, disappointed in their hopes, and dreading theworst extremities, at their next council day, appointed Severus andFlaccianus ambassadors to carry to Valentinian some golden images ofvictory in honour of his accession to the empire, and to state fully andboldly to him the miserable distress of the province. 

8. When this step became known, Romanus sent a swift horseman as amessenger to the master of the offices, Remigius, his own kinsman andhis partner in plunder, bidding him take care, that by the emperor'sdecision, the investigation into this matter should be committed to thedeputy and himself. 

9. The ambassadors arrived at the court, and having obtained access tothe emperor, they, in a set speech, laid all their distresses beforehim, and presented him with a decree of their council in which the wholeaffair was fully set forth. When the emperor had read it, he neithertrusted the report of the master of the offices, framed to defend themisconduct of the count, nor, on the other hand, did he place confidencein these men who made a contrary report; but promised a fullinvestigation into the affair, which however was deferred in the mannerin which high authorities are wont to let such matters give place totheir more pleasant occupations and amusements. 

10. While waiting in suspense and protracted anxiety for some relieffrom the emperor's camp, the citizens of Tripoli were again attacked bytroops of the same barbarians, now elated with additional confidence bytheir past successes. They ravaged the whole territory of Leptis andalso that of OEa, spreading total ruin and desolation everywhere, and, at last, retired loaded with an enormous quantity of spoil, and havingslain many of our officers, the most distinguished of whom wereRusticianus, one of the priests, and the ædile, Nicasius. 

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

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

13. But while all these delays took place from the continualdeliberations held on the case, and while the people of Tripoli werestill waiting for the answer, the Asturians, now still more insolentafter their double success, like birds of prey whose ferocity has beensharpened by the taste of blood, flew once more to attack them; andhaving slain every one who did not flee from the danger, they carriedoff all the spoil which they had previously left behind, cutting downall the trees and vines. 

14. Then a certain citizen named Mychon, a man of high station andgreat influence, was taken prisoner in the district outside of the city;but before they could bind him he gave them the slip, and because anattack of gout rendered him unable to effect his escape, he threwhimself down a dry well, from which he was drawn up by the barbarianswith 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 tothe battlements of the wall by a rope; but two days afterwards he died. 

15. These events encouraged the pertinacity of the invaders, so thatthey advanced and attacked the very walls of Leptis, which resoundedwith the mournful wailings of the women, who were terrified in anextraordinary manner and quite bewildered, because they had never beforebeen blockaded by an enemy. And after the city had been besieged foreight days continuously, during which many of the besiegers werewounded, while they made no progress, they retired much discouraged totheir own country. 

16. In consequence of these events, the citizens, being still doubtfulof their safety, and desirous of trying every possible resource, beforethe ambassadors who had been first sent had returned, sent Jovinus andPancratius to lay before the emperor a faithful account of thesufferings which they had endured, and which they themselves had seen:these envoys found the former ambassadors, Severus and Flaccianus, atCarthage; and on asking them what they had done, they learnt that theyhad been referred for a hearing to the deputy and the count. Andimmediately after this Severus was attacked by a dangerous illness anddied; but notwithstanding what they had heard, the new ambassadorsproceeded on their journey to the court. 

17. After this, when Palladius arrived in Africa, the count, who knew onwhat account he had come, and who had been warned before to takemeasures for his own safety, sent orders to the principal officers ofthe army by certain persons who were in his secrets, to pay over to him, as being a person of great influence, and being the person most nearlyconnected with the principal nobles of the palace, the chief part ofthe money for the soldiers' pay which he had brought over, and theyobeyed him. 

18. So he, having been thus suddenly enriched, reached Leptis; and thathe might arrive at a knowledge of the truth, he took with him to thedistricts that had been laid waste, Erecthius and Aristomenes, twocitizens of great eloquence and reputation, who freely unfolded to himthe distress which their fellow-citizens and the inhabitants of theadjacent districts had suffered. They showed him everything openly; andso he returned after seeing the lamentable desolation of the province:and reproaching Romanus for his inactivity, he threatened to report tothe emperor an accurate statement of everything which he had seen. 

19. He, inflamed with anger and indignation, retorted that he alsoshould soon make a report, that the man who had been sent as anincorruptible secretary had converted to his own uses all the moneywhich had been sent out as a donation to the soldiers. 

20. The consequence was that Palladius, being hampered by theconsciousness of his flagitious conduct, proceeded from henceforth inharmony with Romanus, and when he returned to court, he deceivedValentinian with atrocious falsehoods, affirming that the citizens ofTripoli complained without reason. Therefore he was sent back to Africaa second time with Jovinus, the last of all the ambassadors (forPancratius had died at Treves), in order that he, in conjunction withthe deputy, might inquire into everything connected with the secondembassy. And besides this, the emperor ordered the tongues of Erecthiusand Aristomenes to be cut out, because this same Palladius had intimatedthat they made some malignant and disloyal statements. 

21. The secretary, following the deputy, as had been arranged, came toTripoli. When his arrival was known, Romanus sent one of his servantsthither with all speed, and Cæcilius, his assessor, who was a native ofthe province; and by their agency (whether they employed bribery ordeceit is doubtful) all the citizens were won over to accuse Jovinus, vigorously asserting that he had never issued any of the commands whichhe had reported to the emperor; carrying their iniquity to such apitch, that Jovinus himself was compelled by them to confess, to hisown great danger, that he had made a false report to the emperor. 

22. When these events were learnt from Palladius on his return, Valentinian, being always inclined to severe measures, commanded theexecution of Jovinus as the author of such a report, and of Cælestinus, Concordius, and Lucius, as privy to it, and partners in it. He alsocommanded Ruricius, the president, to be put to death for falsehood; thecharge against him being aggravated by the circumstance that his reportcontained some violent and intemperate expressions. 

23. Ruricius was executed at Sitifis; the rest were condemned at Uticaby the sentence of the deputy Crescens. But before the death of theambassadors, Flaccianus, while being examined by the deputy and thecount, and while resolutely defending his own safety, was assailed withabuse, and then attacked with loud outcries and violence by the angrysoldiers, and was nearly killed; the charge which they made against himbeing that the cause which had prevented the people of Tripoli frombeing defended was, that they had refused to furnish necessaries for theuse of any expedition. 

24. On this account he was thrown into prison, till the emperor could beconsulted on his case, and should decide what ought to be done; but hisgaolers were tampered with, as was believed, and he escaped from prisonand fled to Rome, where he concealed himself for some time, till hisdeath. 

25. In consequence of this memorable catastrophe, Tripoli, which hadbeen often harassed by external and domestic calamities, brought forwardno further accusations against those who had left it undefended, knowingthat the eternal eye of justice was awake, as well as the avengingfuries of the ambassadors and the president. And a long time afterwardsthe following event took place:--Palladius, having been dismissed fromthe military service, and stript of all that nourished his pride, retired into private life. 

26. And when Theodosius, that magnificent commander of armies, came intoAfrica to put down Firmus, who was entertaining some pernicious designs, and, as he was ordered, began to examine the movable effects ofRomanus, he found among his papers a letter of a certain person namedMeterius, containing this passage: "Meterius, to his lord and patron, Romanus;" and at the end of the letter many expressions unconnected withits general subject. "Palladius, who has been cashiered, salutes you. Hewho says he was cashiered for no other reason than that in the case ofthe people of Tripoli he made a false report to the sacred ears. "

27. When this letter was sent to the court and read, Meterius wasarrested by order of Valentinian, and confessed that the letter was hiswriting. Therefore Palladius also was ordered to appear, and reflectingon all the crimes he had committed, while at a halting place on theroad, he watched an opportunity afforded him by the absence of hisguards, as soon as it got dark (for, as it was a festival of theChristian religion, they passed the whole night in the church), andhanged himself. 

28. The news of this propitious event--the death of the principal causeof their sad troubles--being known, Erecthius and Aristomenes, who whenthey first heard that their tongues were ordered to be cut out forsedition, had escaped, now issued from their hiding-places. And when theemperor Gratian was informed of the wicked deceit that had beenpractised (for by this time Valentinian was dead), their fears vanished, and they were sent to have their cause heard before Hesperus theproconsul and Flavian the deputy, men whose justice was supported by therighteous authority of the emperor, and who, after putting Cæcilius tothe torture, learnt from his clear confession that he himself hadpersuaded the citizens to bring false accusations against theambassadors. These actions were followed by a report which gave thefullest possible account of all that had taken place, to which no answerwas given. 

29. And that the whole story might want nothing of tragic interest, thefollowing occurrence also took place after the curtain had fallen. Romanus went to court, taking with him Cæcilius, with the intent toaccuse the judges as having been unduly biassed in favour of theprovince; and being received graciously by Merobaudes, he demanded thatsome more necessary witnesses should be summoned. And when they hadcome to Milan, and had shown by proofs which seemed correct, thoughthese were false, that they had been falsely accused, they wereacquitted, and returned home. Valentinian was still alive, when afterthese events which we have related, Remigius also retired from publiclife, and afterwards hanged himself, as we shall relate in the properplace. 

[165] See the Iliad, XVIII. 1. 645, where Ajax prays:--

 "Lord of earth and air, O King! O Father, hear my humble prayer! Dispel this cloud, the light of heaven restore; Give me to see, and Ajax asks no more! If Greece must perish, we thy will obey, But let us perish in the face of day. "

POPE'S _Trans. _, 1. 727, etc. 

[166] See Gibbon, vol. III. P. 97 (Bohn's edition). 

[167] This is an allusion to the story of Castor and Pollux bringingnews of the victory gained at the battle of Regillus to Domitius (B. C. 496). The legend adds that they stroked his black beard, whichimmediately became red; from which he and his posterity derived thesurname of Ænobarbus. --See Dion. Hal. Vi. 13. 

[168] Marius Maximus was an author who wrote an account of the lives ofthe Cæsars. 

[169] § 20 is mutilated, so that no sense can be extracted from theremainder of it. 

[170] Two brothers who had been colleagues in several important offices, and who were at last put to death together by Commodus. 

[171] The end of § 22 is also mutilated. 

[172] This passage, again, seems hopelessly mutilated. 

[173] Cicero, de Amicitia, c. Xxi. 

[174] These are not in reality noble names, but names derived from lowoccupations. Trulla is a dish; Salsula, belonging to pickles, &c. 

[175] Compare Juvenal's description of the circumspect in his time:--

 "Atque duas tantum resarexius optat Panem et Circenses. "

BOOK XXIX. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. Theodorus, the secretary, aims at the imperial authority, and being accused of treason before Valens at Antioch, and convicted, is executed, with many of his accomplices. --II. In the East many persons are informed against as guilty of poisoning and other crimes; and being condemned (some rightly, some wrongfully), are executed. --III. In the West many instances occur of the ferocity and insane cruelty of the emperor Valentinian. --IV. Valentinian crosses the Rhine on a bridge of boats, but, through the fault of a soldier, fails in an attempt to surprise Macrianus, the king of the Allemanni. --V. Theodosius, the commander of the cavalry in Gaul, in several battles defeats Formus Maorus, the son of Nubelis Regulus, who had revolted from Valentinian; and, after having driven him to kill himself, restores peace to Africa. --VI. The Quadi, being provoked by the wicked murder of their king Galerius, in conjunction with the Sarmatians, lay waste both the Pannonias and Valeria with fire and sword, and destroy almost the whole of two legions--A dissertation on the city prefecture of Claudius. 

I. 

A. D. 371. 

§ 1. At the conclusion of the winter, Sapor, king of Persia, being fullof cruelty and arrogance from the confidence engendered by his formerbattles, having completed his army to its full number, and greatlystrengthened it, sent out a force of cuirassiers, archers, and mercenarytroops, to make an invasion of our territories. 

2. Against this force, Count Trajan and Vadomarius, the ex-king of theAllemanni, advanced with a mighty army, having been enjoined by theemperor to remember his orders to act on the defensive rather than onthe offensive against the Persians. 

3. When they arrived at Vagabanta, a place well suited for themanoeuvres of the legions, they supported against their will a rapidcharge which was made upon them by the squadrons of the enemy, andretreated with the design not to be the first to slay any of the hostilesoldiers, and not to be looked upon as guilty of having broken thetreaty. At last, under the pressure of extreme necessity, they came toan engagement with the barbarians, and after having slain a great numberof them, were victorious. 

4. During the cessation of regular operations which ensued, severalslight skirmishes occurred through the impatience of both armies, whichended with different results; and at last the summer ended, and a trucewas agreed to by common consent, and the two armies separated, thoughthe generals were violently inflamed against each other. The king ofParthia, intending to pass the winter at Ctesiphon, returned to his ownhome, and the Roman emperor went to Antioch; and while he tarried there, in complete security from foreign enemies, he had very nearly perishedthrough domestic treachery, as shall be related in the coming narrative. 

5. A certain Procopius, a restless man, at all times covetous and fondof disturbances, had persuaded Anatolius and Spudasius, officers aboutthe palace, who had been ordered to restore what they had appropriatedfrom the treasury, to bring a plot against the Count Fortunatianus, whowas especially obnoxious as being represented to be the principaldemander of this restitution. He, being a man of naturally harsh temper, was thereupon inflamed almost to insanity, and exercising the authorityof the office which he filled, he delivered up to trial before thetribunal of the prefect a person of the lowest birth, named Palladius, for being a poisoner in the train of Anatolius and Spudasius;Heliodorus, also an interpreter of the Fates from the events whichhappened at any one's birth; with the intent that they should becompelled by torture to relate all that they knew. 

6. And when they came with rigid scrutiny to inquire into what had beendone or attempted, Palladius boldly exclaimed, that the matters nowunder investigation were trivial, and such as might well be passed over;that he himself, if he might be allowed to speak, could bring forwardsome circumstances both formidable and more important, which, havingbeen prepared with great exertion, would throw everything intoconfusion, if they were not provided against beforehand. Being orderedto explain without fear all he knew, he made a deposition at greatlength, affirming that Fidustius the president, and Pergamius andIrenæus, had secretly learnt, by the detestable arts of magic, the nameof the person who should become emperor after Valens. 

7. Fidustius was at once arrested (for he happened by chance be on thespot), and being brought secretly before the emperor, when confrontedwith the informer, he did not attempt by any denial to throw a doubt onwhat was already revealed, but laid open the whole of this wretchedplot; confessing in plain words, that he himself, with Hilarius andPatricius, men skilled in the art of soothsaying, of whom Hilarius hadfilled high offices in the palace, had held consultations about thefuture possessors of the empire; that by secret arts they had searchedinto the Fates, which had revealed to them the name of an excellentemperor, admonishing them at the same time that a miserable end awaitedthe investigators of these omens. [176]

8. And while they were hesitating, unable to decide who at that momentwas superior to all other men in vigour of mind, Theodorus appeared toexcel all the rest, a man who had already arrived at the second class ofsecretaries. And in truth he deserved the opinion which they entertainedof him; for he was descended from an ancient and illustrious family inGaul; he had been liberally educated from his earliest childhood; he waseminent for modesty, prudence, humanity, courtesy, and literature. Healways appeared superior to the post or place which he was filling, andwas equally popular among high and low, and he was nearly the only manwhose tongue was never unbridled, but who always reflected on what hewas going to say, yet without ever being restrained by any fear ofdanger. 

9. Fidustius, who had been tortured so severely that he was at the pointof death, added further, that all that he had now stated he hadcommunicated to Theodorus by the intervention of Eucærius, a man ofgreat literary accomplishments, and of very high reputation; indeed, hehad a little time before governed Asia with the title of proprefect. 

10. Eucærius was now thrown into prison; and when a report of all thathad taken place was, as usual, laid before the emperor, his amazingferocity burst out more unrestrainedly than ever, like a burningfirebrand, being fed by the base adulation of many persons, andespecially of Modestus, at that time prefect of the prætorium. 

11. He, being every day alarmed at the prospect of a successor, addressed himself to the task of conciliating Valens, who was of arustic and rather simple character, by tickling him with all kinds ofdisguised flattery and caresses, calling his uncouth language and rudeexpressions "flowers of Ciceronian eloquence. " Indeed, to raise hisvanity higher, he would have promised to raise him up to the stars if hehad desired it. 

12. So Theodorus also was ordered to be arrested with all speed atConstantinople, to which city he had repaired on some private business, and to be brought to the court. And while he was on his way back, inconsequence of various informations and trials which were carried on dayand night, numbers of people were dragged away from the most widelyseparated countries--men eminent for their birth and high authority. 

13. The public prisons, being now completely filled, could no longercontain the crowds which were confined in them, while private houseswere equally crammed to suffocation, for nearly every one was aprisoner, and every man shuddered to think when it might be his turn orthat of his nearest relations. 

14. At last Theodorus himself arrived, in deep mourning, and half deadthrough fear. And while he was kept concealed in some obscure place inthe vicinity, and all things were being got ready for his intendedexamination, the trumpet of civil discord suddenly sounded. 

15. And because that man who knowingly passes over facts appears to bean equally unfaithful historian with him who invents circumstances whichnever happened, we do not deny (what, in fact, is quite undoubted) thatthe safety of Valens had often before been attacked by secretmachinations, and was now in the greatest possible danger. And that asword, as one may say, was presented to his throat by the officers ofthe army, and only averted by Fate, which was reserving him forlamentable misfortunes in Thrace. 

16. For one day as he was taking a gentle nap in the afternoon, in ashady spot between Antioch and Seleucia, he was attacked by Sallust, atthat time an officer of the Scutarii; and on various other occasions hewas plotted against by many other persons, from whose treacherousdesigns he only escaped because the precise moment of his death had beendetermined at his birth by Destiny. 

17. As sometimes happened in the times of the emperors Commodus andSeverus, whose safety was continually assailed with extreme violence, sothat after many various dangers at the hands of their countrymen, theone was dangerously wounded by a dagger in the amphitheatre, as heentered it for the purpose of witnessing an entertainment, by a senatornamed Quintianus, a man of wicked ambition. The other, when extremelyold, was assailed as he was lying in his bedchamber, by a centurion ofthe name of Saturninus, who was instigated to the act by Plautian theprefect, and would have been killed if his youthful son had not come tohis assistance. 

18. Valens, therefore, was to be excused for taking every precaution todefend his life, which traitors were endeavouring to take. But it was anunpardonable fault in him that, through tyrannical pride, he, with hasteand with inconsiderate and malicious persecution, inflicted the sameseverities on the innocent as on the guilty, making no distinctionbetween their deserts; so that while the judges were still doubtingabout their guilt, the emperor had made up his mind about theirpunishment, and men learnt that they were condemned before they knewthat they were suspected. 

19. But his obstinate resolution was strengthened since it received aspur from his own avarice, and that also of those who at that time wereabout the palace, and were constantly seeking new sources of gain; whileif on any rare occasion any mention was made of humanity, they styled itslackness; and by their bloodthirsty flatteries perverted theresolution of a man who bore men's lives on the tip of his tongue, guiding it in the worst direction, and assailing everything withunseemly confusion, while seeking to accomplish the total ruin of themost opulent houses. 

20. For Valens was a man who was especially exposed and open to theapproaches of treacherous advisers, being tainted with two vices of amost mischievous character: one, that when he was ashamed of beingangry, that very shame only rendered him the more intolerably furious;and secondly, that the stories which, with the easiness of access of aprivate individual, he heard in secret whispers, he took at once to betrue and certain, because his haughty idea of the imperial dignity didnot permit him to examine whether they were true or not. 

21. The consequence was that, under an appearance of clemency, numbersof innocent men were driven from their homes, and sent into exile: andtheir property was confiscated to the public treasury, and then seizedby himself for his private uses; so that the owners, after theircondemnation, had no means of subsistence but such as they could beg;and were worn out with the distresses of the most miserable poverty. Forfear of which that wise old poet Theognis advises a man to rush eveninto the sea. [177]

22. And even if any one should grant that these sentences were in someinstances right, yet it surely was an odious severity; and from thisconduct of his it was remarked that the maxim was sound which says, "that there is no sentence more cruel than that which, while seeming tospare, is still harsh. "

23. Therefore all the chief magistrates and the prefect of theprætorium, to whom the conduct of these investigations was committed, having been assembled together, the racks were got ready, and theweights, and lead, and scourges, and other engines of torture. And allplaces resounded with the horrors of the cruel voice of theexecutioners, and the cries uttered amid the clanking of chains: "Holdhim!" "Shut him up!" "Squeeze him!" "Hide him!" and other yells utteredby the ministers of those hateful duties. 

24. And since we saw numbers condemned to death after having enduredcruel torture, everything being thrown into complete confusion as if inperfect darkness, because the complete recollection of everything whichthen took place has in some degree escaped me, I will mention brieflywhat I do remember. 

25. Among the first who were summoned before the bench, was Pergamius, who, as we have already mentioned, was betrayed by Palladius, whoaccused him of having arrived at a foreknowledge of certain eventsthrough wicked incantations. As he was a man of exceeding eloquence, andvery likely to say dangerous things, and after some very trivialinterrogatories had been put to him, seeing that the judges werehesitating what questions to put first and what last, he began himselfto harangue them boldly, and shouting out the names with a loud voiceand without any cessation, he named several thousand persons asaccomplices with himself, demanding that people should be broughtforward to be accused of great crimes from every part of the empire, upto the very shores of the great Atlantic. The task that he thus seemedto be putting together for them was too arduous; so they condemned himto death; and afterwards put whole troops of others to death, till theycame to the case of Theodorus, which was regarded, after the manner ofthe Olympian games, as a crowning of the whole. 

26. The same day, among other circumstances, this melancholy event tookplace, that Salia, who a little while before had been the chieftreasurer in Thrace, when he was about to be brought out of his prisonto have his cause heard, and was putting on his shoes, as if suddenlyoverwhelmed by the dread of his impending destruction, died in the handsof his gaolers. 

27. So when the court was opened, and when the judges exhibited thedecrees of the law, though, in accordance with the desire of theemperor, they moderated the severity of the charges brought before them, one general alarm seized all people. For Valens had now so whollydeparted from justice, and had become so accomplished in the inflictionof injury, that he was like a wild beast in an amphitheatre; and if anyone who had been brought before the court escaped, he grew furiousbeyond all restraint. 

28. Presently Patricius and Hilarius were brought before the court, andwere ordered to enumerate the whole series of their actions: and as theydiffered a little at the beginning of their statement, they were bothput to the torture, and presently the tripod which they had used wasbrought in;[178] and they, being reduced now to the greatest extremity, gave a true account of the whole affair from the very beginning. Andfirst Hilarius spoke as follows:--

29. "We did construct, most noble judges, under most unhappy auspices, this little unfortunate tripod which you see, in the likeness of that atDelphi, making it of laurel twigs: and having consecrated it withimprecations of mysterious verses, and with many decorations andrepeated ceremonies, in all proper order, we at last moved it; and themanner in which we moved it as often as we consulted it upon any secretaffair, was as follows:--

30. "It was placed in the middle of a building, carefully purified onall sides by Arabian perfumes; and a plain round dish was placed uponit, made of different metals. On the outer side of which thefour-and-twenty letters of the alphabet were engraved with great skill, being separated from one another by distances measured with greatprecision. 

31. "Then a person clothed in linen garments, and shod with slippers oflinen, with a small linen cap on his head, bearing in his hand sprigs ofvervain as a plant of good omen, in set verses, propitiated the deitywho presides over foreknowledge, and thus took his station by this dish, according to all the rules of the ceremony. Then over the tripod hebalanced a ring which he held suspended by a flaxen thread of extremefineness, and which had also been consecrated with mystic ceremonies. And as this ring touched and bounded off from the different letterswhich still preserved their distances distinct, he made with theseletters, by the order in which he touched them, verses in the heroicmetre, corresponding to the questions which we had asked; the versesbeing also perfect in metre and rhythm; like the answers of the Pythiawhich are so celebrated, or those given by the oracles of the Branchidæ. 

32. "Then, when we asked who should succeed the present emperor, sinceit was said that it would be a person of universal accomplishments, thering bounded up, and touched the two syllables ΘΕΟ; and thenas it added another letter, some one of the bystanders exclaimed thatTheodorus was pointed out by the inevitable decrees of Fate. We asked nofurther questions concerning the matter: for it seemed quite plain to usthat he was the man who was intended. "

33. And when he had with this exactness laid the knowledge of thisaffair open to the eyes of the judges, he added with great benevolence, that Theodorus knew nothing of the matter. When after this they wereasked whether the oracles which they had consulted had given them anyforeknowledge of their present sufferings, they repeated thesewell-known verses which clearly pronounce that this employment ofinvestigating those high secrets would cost them their lives. Nevertheless, they added, that the Furies equally threatened the judgesthemselves, and also the emperor, breathing only slaughter andconflagration against them. It will be enough to quote the three finalverses. 

 "Οὐ μὰν νηποινίγε σὸν ἔσσεται αἷμα, καὶ αὐτοῖς Τισφόνη βαρύμηνις ἐφοπλίζει κανιὸν οῖτον Ἔν πεδίοισι Μίμαντος ἀλαλεμένοισιν ἄρηα. "

 "Thy blood shall not fall unaveng'd on earth: The fierce Tisiphone still keeps her eye Fixed on thy slayers; arming evil fate Against them when arrayed on Mima's plain They seek to stem the tide of horrid war. "

When he had read these verses they were both tortured with greatseverity, and carried away dead. 

34. Afterwards, that the whole workshop where the wickedness had beenwrought might be disclosed to the world, a great number of men of rankwere brought in, among whom were some of the original promoters of thewhole business. And when each, regarding nothing but his own personalsafety, sought to turn the destruction which menaced himself in someother quarter, by the permission of the judges, Theodorus began toaddress them. First of all, he humbled himself with entreaties forpardon; then being compelled to answer more precisely to the chargesalleged, he proved that he, after having been informed of the wholeaffair by Eucærius, was prevented by him from repeating it to theemperor, as he had often attempted to do: since Eucærius affirmed thatwhat did not spring from a lawless desire of reigning, but from somefixed law of inevitable fate, would surely come to pass. 

35. Eucærius, when cruelly tortured, confirmed this statement by his ownconfession. His own letters were employed to convict Theodorus, letterswhich he had written to Hilarius full of indirect hints, which showedthat he had conceived a sure hope of such events from the prophecies ofthe soothsayers; and was not inclined to delay, but was looking for anopportunity of attaining the object of his desires. 

36. After the establishment of these facts, the prisoners were removed;and Eutropius, who at that time was governing Asia with the rank ofproconsul, having been involved in the accusation as having been apartisan of theirs, was nevertheless acquitted; being exculpated byPasiphilus the philosopher, who, though cruelly tortured to make himimplicate Eutropius by a wicked lie, could not be moved from hisvigorous resolution and fortitude. 

37. To that was added the philosopher Simonides, a young man, but themost rigidly virtuous of all men in our time. An information had beenlaid against him as having been made aware of what was going on byFidustius, as he saw that his cause depended, not on its truth, but onthe will of one man, avowed that he had known all that was alleged, buthad forborne to mention it out of regard for his character forconstancy. 

38. When all these matters had been minutely inquired into, the emperor, in answer to the question addressed to him by the judges, ordered themall to be condemned and at once executed: and it was not withoutshuddering that the vast populace beheld the mournful spectacle; fillingthe whole air with lamentations (since they looked on the misery of eachindividual as threatening the whole community with a similar fate) whenthe whole number of accused persons, except Simonides, were executed ina melancholy manner. Simonides being reserved to be burnt alive by theexpress command of the savage judge, who was enraged at his dignifiedconstancy. 

39. And he, abandoning life as an imperious mistress, and defying thesudden destruction thus coming on him, was burnt without giving any signof shrinking; imitating, in his death, the philosopher Peregrinus, surnamed Proteus, who having determined to quit the world, at thequinquennial games of Olympia, in the sight of all Greece, mounted afuneral pile which he had built himself, and was there burnt alive. 

40. After his death, on the ensuing days a vast multitude of almost allranks, whose names it would be too arduous a task to enumerate, beingconvicted by calumnious accusations, were despatched by theexecutioners, after having been first exhausted by every description oftorture. Some were put to death without a moment's breathing-time ordelay, while the question was still being asked whether they deserved tobe punished at all; in fact, men were slaughtered like sheep in alldirections. 

41. After this, innumerable quantities of papers, and many heaps ofvolumes were collected, and burnt under the eyes of the judges, havingbeen taken out of various houses as unlawful books; in order to lessenthe unpopularity arising from so many executions, though in fact, thegreater part of them were books teaching various kinds of liberalaccomplishments, or books of law. 

42. Not long afterwards, Maximus, the celebrated philosopher, a man ofvast reputation for learning, from whose eloquent discourses the emperorJulian derived his great learning and wisdom, being accused of havingbeen acquainted with the verses of the oracle mentioned above, andconfessing that he had known something of them, but that he had notdivulged what he knew, as being bound to keep silence out ofconsideration for his promise; but adding that he had of his own accordpredicted that those who had consulted the oracle would perish by publicexecution, was conducted to Ephesus, his native place, and therebeheaded. And thus by his own forfeiture of life, he found that theinjustice of a judge is the worst of all crimes. 

43. Diogenes, too, a man of noble family, great forensic eloquence andpre-eminent courtesy, who had some time before been governor ofBithynia, being entangled in the toils of wicked falsehood, was put todeath in order to afford a pretext for seizing on his ample patrimony. 

44. Alypius also, who had been governor of Britain, a man of mostdelightful mildness of temper, and who had lived a tranquil and retiredlife (since even against such as him did Injustice stretch forth herhands), was involved in the greatest misfortune; and was accused withHierocles his son, a youth of most amiable disposition of having beenguilty of poisoning, on the unsupported information of a low fellownamed Diogenes, who had been tortured with extreme severity to force himto make confessions which might please the emperor, or rather, whichmight please his accuser. When his limbs could no longer endure theirpunishment, he was burnt alive; and Alypius, after having had hisproperty confiscated, was condemned to banishment, though by anextraordinary piece of good fortune he received back his son after hehad been condemned, and had actually been led out to suffer a miserabledeath. 

II. 

§ 1. During all this time, Palladius, the original cause of thesemiseries, whom we have already spoken of as having been arrested byFortunatianus, being, from the lowness of his original condition, a manready to fall into every kind of wickedness, by heaping one murder onanother diffused mourning and lamentation over the whole empire. 

2. For being allowed to name any persons he chose, without distinctionof rank, as men contaminated by the practice of forbidden arts, like ahuntsman who has learnt to mark the secret tracks of wild beasts, heenclosed many victims within his wretched toils, some as being pollutedwith a knowledge of poisonings, others as accomplices of those who wereguilty of treason. 

3. And that wives too might not have leisure to weep over the miseriesof their husbands, officers were sent at once to seal up the house ofany one who was condemned, and who, while examining all the furniture, slipped in among it old women's incantations, or ridiculous love-tokens, contrived to bring destruction on the innocent; and then, when thesethings were mentioned before the bench, where neither law, nor religion, nor equity were present to separate truth from falsehood, those whomthey thus accused, though utterly void of offence, without anydistinction, youths, and decrepit old men, without being heard in theirdefence, found their property confiscated, and were hurried off toexecution in litters. 

4. One of the consequences in the eastern provinces was, that from fearof similar treatment, people burnt all their libraries; so great was theterror which seized upon all ranks. For, to cut my story short, at thattime all of us crawled about as if in Cimmerian darkness, in the samekind of dread as the guest of Dionysius of Sicily; who, while feastingat a banquet more irksome than famine itself, saw a sword suspended overhis head by a single horsehair. 

5. There was a man named Bassianus, of most noble family, a secretary, and eminently distinguished for his military services, who, on a chargeof having entertained ambitious projects, and of having sought oraclesconcerning their issue, though he declared he had only consulted theoracles to know the sex of his next child, was saved indeed from deathby the great interest made for him by his relations who protected him;but he was stripped of all his splendid inheritance. 

6. Amid all this destruction and ruin, Heliodorus, that hellishcolleague of Palladius in bringing about these miseries (being what thecommon people call a mathematician), having been admitted into thesecret conferences of the imperial palace, and been tempted by everykind of caress and cajolery to relate all he knew or could invent, wasputting forth his fatal stings. 

7. For he was carefully feasted on the most delicate food, and furnishedwith large sums of money to give to his concubines; and he struttedabout in every direction with a pompous, haughty countenance, and wasuniversally dreaded. Being the more confident and arrogant, because ashe was high chamberlain, he could go constantly and openly to thebrothels, in which, as he desired, he was freely entertained, whilerevealing the edicts of the "parental guardian of the state, " which weredestined to be disastrous to many. 

8. And through his means, as an advocate at the bar, Valens wasinstructed beforehand in what would most contribute to success--what toplace in the first part of his speech, and with what figures, and whatinventions to work up splendid passages. 

9. And as it would take a long time to enumerate all the devices of thatvillain, I will mention this one only, which, in its rash boldness, assailed the very pillars of the patrician dignity. As I have saidbefore, he was raised to exceeding arrogance by being admitted to thesecret conferences of the princes; and being, from the lowness of hisbirth, a man ready for any wickedness, he laid an information againstthat illustrious pair of consuls, the brothers Eusebius and Hypatius, relations of the former emperor Constantius, as having conceived desiresof a higher fortune, and formed projects and entered into enterprisesfor the attainment of supreme power. Adding, in order to procureadditional credit for this falsehood, that Eusebius had had a set ofimperial robes prepared for him. 

10. And when the story had been swallowed willingly, Valens raging andthreatening, a prince who never ought to have had any power at all, because he thought that everything, even injustice, was in his power, was incessantly active in causing the production, even from the mostdistant countries, of all those whom the lawless accuser in profoundsecurity had insisted ought to be produced; and further commanded aprosecution to be instituted on the criminal charge. 

11. And when equity had long been tossed to and fro by knottydifficulties, while that abandoned profligate persisted with unyieldingobstinacy in maintaining the truth of his assertions, while the severesttortures were unable to wring any confession from the prisoners, andwhen every circumstance proved that those eminent men were free from allconsciousness of anything of the kind, still the false accuser wastreated with the same respect as he had previously received. But thoughthe prisoners were sentenced to exile and a heavy fine, a short timeafterwards they were recalled from banishment, restored to their formerrank and dignity, and their fine repaid. 

12. Still after all these shameful transactions, the prince did notproceed with any more moderation or decency than before; neverconsidering that in a wise government it is well not to be too keen inhunting out offences, even as a means of inflicting distress upon one'senemies; and that nothing is so unbecoming as to display a bitterness ofdisposition in connection with supreme authority. 

13. But when Heliodorus died, whether of sickness or through somedeliberate violence is uncertain (I should not like to say, and I wishthat the facts themselves were equally silent), many men of rank inmourning robes, among whom were these two brothers of consular rank, bythe express command of the emperor, attended his funeral when he wasborne to his grave by the undertakers. 

14. At that time, and in that place, the whole vileness and stupidity ofthe ruler of the empire was publicly displayed. When he was entreated toabstain from abandoning himself to inconsolable grief, he remainedobstinately inflexible, as if he had stopped his ears with wax to passthe rocks of the Sirens. 

15. But at last, being overcome by the pertinacious entreaties of hiscourt, he ordered some persons to go on foot, bareheaded, and with theirhands folded, to the burial-place of this wretched gladiator to do himhonour. One shudders now to recollect the decree by which so many men ofhigh rank were humiliated, especially some of consular dignity, afterall their truncheons and robes of honour, and all the worldly parade ofhaving their names recorded in the annals of their nation. 

16. Among them all, our friend Hypatius was most conspicuous, recommended as he was to every one by the beauty of the virtues which hehad practised from his youth; being a man of quiet and gentle wisdom, preserving an undeviating honesty combined with the greatest courtesy ofmanner, so that he conferred a fresh lustre on the glory of hisancestors, and was an ornament to his posterity, by the memorableactions which he performed in the office of prefect, to which he wastwice appointed. 

17. At the same time, this circumstance came to crown the othersplendid actions of Valens, that, while in the case of others he gaveway to such furious violence, that he was even vexed when the severityof their punishment was terminated by death, yet he pardonedPollentianus, the tribune, a man stained with such enormous wickedness, that at that very time he was convicted on his own confession of havingcut out the womb of a living woman and taken from it her child, in orderto summon forth spirits from the shades below, and to consult them abouta change in the empire. He looked on this wretch with the eye offriendship, in spite of the murmurs of the whole bench of senators, anddischarged him in safety, suffering him to retain not only his life, buthis vast riches and full rank in the army. 

18. O most glorious learning, granted by the express gift of heaven tohappy mortals, thou who hast often refined even vicious natures! Howmany faults in the darkness of that age wouldst thou have corrected ifValens had ever been taught by thee that, according to the definition ofwise men, empire is nothing else but the care of the safety of others;and that it is the duty of a good emperor to restrain power, to resistany desire to possess all things, and all implacability of passion, andto know, as the dictator Cæsar used to say, "That the recollection ofcruelty was an instrument to make old age miserable!" And therefore thatit behoves any one who is about to pass a sentence affecting the lifeand existence of a man, who is a portion of the world, and makes up thecomplement of living creatures, to hesitate long and much, and never togive way to intemperate haste in a case in which what is done isirrevocable. According to that example well known to all antiquity. 

19. When Dolabella was proconsul in Asia, a matron at Smyrna confessedthat she had poisoned her son and her husband, because she haddiscovered that they had murdered a son whom she had had by a formerhusband. Her case was adjourned--the council to whom it had beenreferred being in doubt how to draw a line between just revenge andunprovoked crime; and so she was remitted to the judgment of theAreopagus, those severe Athenian judges, who are said to have decideddisputes even among the gods. They, when they had heard the case, ordered the woman and her accuser to appear before them again in ahundred years, to avoid either acquitting a poisoner, or punishing onewho had been the avenger of her kindred. So that is never to be thoughttoo slow which is the last of all things. 

20. After all the acts of various iniquity already mentioned, and aftereven the free persons who were allowed to survive had been thusshamefully branded, the eye of Justice which never sleeps, thatunceasing witness and avenger of events, became more attentive andvigilant. For the avenging Furies of those who had been put to death, working on the everlasting deity with their just complaints, kindled thetorches of war, to confirm the truth of the oracle, which had givenwarning that no crime can be perpetrated with impunity. 

21. While the affairs thus narrated were taking place, Antioch wasexposed to great distress through domestic dissension, though notmolested by any attacks on the side of Parthia. But the horrid troop ofFuries, which after having caused all sorts of miseries there, hadquitted that city, now settled on the neck of the whole of Asia, as willbe seen in what follows. 

22. A certain native of Trent, by name Festus, a man of the lowestobscurity of birth, being a relation of Maximin, and one who had assumedthe manly robe at the same time with himself, was cherished by him as acompanion, and by the will of the Fates had now crossed over to theeast, and having there become governor of Syria, and master of therecords, he set a very good and respectable example of lenity. From thishe was promoted to govern Asia with the rank of proconsul, being thus, as the saying is, borne on with a fair wind to glory. 

23. And hearing that Maximin caused the destruction of every virtuousman, he began from this time to denounce his actions as mischievous anddisgraceful. But when he saw that, in consequence of the removal ofthose persons whom he had impiously put to death, that wicked man hadarrived at the dignity of prefect, he began to be excited to similarconduct and similar hopes. And suddenly changing his character like anactor, he applied himself to the study of doing injury, and went aboutwith fixed and severe eyes, trusting that he also should soon become aprefect, if he only polluted himself with the blood of innocent men. 

24. And although there are many and various instances in which, to putthe best construction on them, he acted with great harshness, still itwill be sufficient to enumerate a few, which are notorious and commonlyspoken of, seeming to be done in rivalry of the deeds which werecommitted at Rome; for the principle of good and bad actions is the sameeverywhere, even if the importance of the circumstances be unequal. 

25. There was a philosopher named Cæranius, a man of no inconsiderablemerit, whom he put to death with the most cruel tortures, and withoutany one coming forward to avenge him, because, when writing familiarlyto his wife, he had put a postscript in Greek, "σὺ δὲ νόει, καὶ στέφε τὴνπύλην. "--"Do you take care and adorn the gate, " which is a commonexpression to let the hearer know that something of importance isto be done. 

26. There was a certain simple old woman who was wont to cureintermittent fever by a gentle incantation, whom he put to death as awitch, after she had been summoned, with his consent, to his daughter, and had cured her. 

27. There was a certain citizen of high respectability, among whosepapers, when they were searched by the officers on some business orother, was found the nativity of some one of the name of Valens. He, when asked on what account he had troubled himself about the star of theemperor, had repelled the accusation by declaring that it was his ownbrother Valens whose nativity was thus found, and when he promised tobring abundant proof that he had long been dead, the judges would notwait for evidence of the truth of his assertion, but put him to thetorture and cruelly slew him. 

28. A young man was seen in the bath to put the fingers of each handalternately against the marble and against his own chest, and then torepeat the names of the seven vowels, fancying that a remedy for a painin the stomach. For this he was brought before the court, put to thetorture, and then beheaded. 

III. 

§ 1. These events, and the account of Gaul to which I am now about toproceed, will cause some interruption to the narration of occurrences inthe metropolis. Among many terrible circumstances, I find that Maximinwas still prefect, who by the wide extent of his power was a cruelprompter to the emperor, who combined the most unrestrained licence withunbounded power. Whoever, therefore, considers what I have related, mustalso reflect on the other facts which have been passed over, and, like aprudent man, he will pardon me if I do not record everything which thewickedness of certain counsels has occasioned by exaggerating everyaccusation?

2. For while severity, the foe of all right principles, increased, Valentinian, being a man of a naturally ferocious disposition, whenMaximin arrived, having no one to give him good advice or to restrainhim, proceeded, as if hurried on by a storm of winds and waves, to allkinds of cruel actions; so that when angry, his voice, his countenance, his gait, and his complexion, were continually changing. And of thispassionate intemperance there are many undoubted instances, of which itwill be sufficient to recount a few. 

3. A certain grown-up youth, of those called pages, having beenappointed to take care of a Spartan hound which had been brought out forhunting, let him loose before the appointed moment, because the animal, in its efforts to escape, leaped upon him and bit him; and for this hewas beaten to death and buried the same day. 

4. The master of a workshop, who had brought the emperor an offering ofa breastplate most exquisitely polished, and who was therefore inexpectation of a reward, was ordered by him to be put to death becausethe steel was of less weight than he considered requisite. . . . There wasa certain native, of Epirus, a priest of the Christian religion. [179]. . . 

5. Constantianus, the master of the stables, having ventured to changea few of the horses, to select which he had been despatched to Sardinia, was, by his order, stoned to death. Athanasius, a very popularcharacter, being suspected by him of some levity in the language he heldamong the common people, was sentenced to be burnt alive if he ever didanything of the kind again; and not long afterwards, being accused ofhaving practised magic, he was actually burnt, no pardon being giveneven to one whose devices had often afforded the emperor greatamusement. 

6. Africanus was an advocate of great diligence, residing in Rome; hehad had the government of one province, and aspired to that of another. But when Theodosius, the commander of the cavalry, supported hispetition for such an office, the emperor answered him somewhat rudely, "Away with you, O count, and change the head of the man who wishes tohave his province changed. " And by this sentence a man of greateloquence perished, only because, like many others, he wished for higherpreferment. 

7. Claudian and Sallust were officers of the Jovian legion, who hadgradually risen to the rank of tribunes; but they were accused by someman of the most despicable baseness of having said something in favourof Procopius when he aimed at the imperial power. And when a diligentinvestigation into this charge had proved ineffectual, the emperor gaveorders to the captains of the cavalry who had been employed in it, tocondemn Claudian to banishment, and to pass sentence of death uponSallust, promising that he would reprieve him as he was being led toexecution. The sentence was passed, as he commanded; but Sallust was notreprieved, nor was Claudian recalled from exile till after the death ofValentinian. . . . After they had been exposed to frequent tortures. 

8. Nevertheless after so many persons had been put to the question, someof whom had even expired under the severity of their tortures, still notraces of the alleged crimes could be discovered. In this affair some ofthe body-guards, who had been sent to arrest certain persons, were, in amost unusual manner, beaten to death. 

9. The mind shudders at the idea of recapitulating all that took place, and, indeed, dreads to do so, lest we should appear to make a businessof pointing out the vices of an emperor who, in other respects, had manygood qualities. But this one circumstance may not be passed over insilence nor suppressed, that he kept two ferocious she-bears who wereused to eat men; and they had names, Golden Camel and Innocence, andthese beasts he took such care of that he had their dens close to hisbedchamber; and appointed over them trusty keepers who were bound totake especial care that the odious fury of these monsters should neverbe checked. At last he had Innocence set free, after he had seen theburial of many corpses which she had torn to pieces, giving her therange of the forests as a reward for her services. [180]

IV. 

§ 1. These actions are the most undeniable proof of his habits and realcharacter; but even the most obstinate disparager of his dispositioncannot deny him the praise of great ability, which never forgot theinterests of the state; especially when it is recollected, that perhapsit is a greater and more beneficial, as well as difficult, task tocontrol the barbarians by means of an army, than to repulse them. Andwhen . . . If any one of the enemy moved, he was seen from thewatch-towers and immediately overwhelmed. 

2. But among many other subjects of anxiety, the first and mostimportant thing of all which was agitated, was to seize alive, either byforce or by trickery, as Julian had formerly taken Vadomarius, Macrianus, the king, who, through all the changes which had taken place, had obtained a considerable increase of power, and was rising up againstour people with full-grown strength: and after all the measures had beentaken which seemed required by the affair itself and the time, and whenit had been learnt by information collected from deserters when theaforesaid monarch could be seized before he expected anything of thekind, the emperor threw a bridge of boats across the Rhine with as muchsecrecy as was possible, lest any one should interpose any obstacle tosuch a work. 

3. Severus, who was the commander of the infantry, led the van of thearmy towards Wiesbaden; and then, reflecting on his scanty numbers, halted in consternation; being afraid lest, as he should be quiteunequal to resist them, he should be overwhelmed by the mass of thehostile army if it attacked him. 

4. And because he suspected that the dealers who brought slaves forsale, whom he found at that place by chance, would be likely to repairwith speed to the king to tell him what they had seen, he stripped themof all their merchandise, and then put them all to death. 

5. Our generals were now encouraged by the arrival of more troops; andspeedily contrived a temporary camp, because none of the baggage-beastshad arrived, nor had any one a proper tent, except the emperor, for whomone was constructed of carpets and tapestry. Then waiting a short timeon account of the darkness of the night, at daybreak the army quittedthe camp and proceeded onwards; being led by guides well acquainted withthe country. The cavalry, under Theodosius, its captain, was appointedto lead the way . . . Was inconvenienced by the great noise made by hismen; whom his repeated commands could not restrain from rapine andincendiarism. For the guards of the enemy being roused by the cracklingof the flames, and suspecting what had happened, put the king on a lightcarriage and carrying him off with great speed, hid him among thedefiles of the neighbouring mountains. 

6. Valentinian being defrauded of the glory of taking him, and thatneither through any fault of his own or of his generals, but through theinsubordination of his soldiers, which was often the cause of greatmisfortunes to the Roman state, laid waste all the enemy's country forfifty miles with fire and sword; and then returned dejected to Treves. 

7. Where like a lion raging for the loss of a deer or a goat andchamping with empty jaws, while fear was breaking and dividing theenemy, he proceeded to command the Bucenobantes, who are a tribe of theAllemanni opposite to Mayence, to elect Fraomarius as their king inplace of Macrianus. And, shortly afterwards, when a fresh invasion hadentirely desolated that canton, he removed him to Britain, where he gavehim the authority of a tribune, and placed a number of the Allemanniunder his command, forming for him a division strong both in itsnumbers and the excellence of its appointments. He also gave two othernobles of the same nation, by name Bitheridus and Hortarius, commands inhis army; of whom Hortarius, being betrayed by the information ofFlorentius, Duke of Germany, who accused him of having written lettersto Macrianus and the chieftains of the barbarians, containing languageunfavourable to the republic, was put to the torture, and having beencompelled to confess the truth, was condemned to be burnt alive. 

V. 

§ 1. After this . . . It seems best to relate these matters in oneconnected narrative, lest the introduction of other affairs whollyunconnected with them, and which took place at a distance, should leadto confusion, and prevent the reader from acquiring a correct knowledgeof these numerous and intricate affairs. 

2. Nubel, who had been the most powerful chieftain among the Mauritaniannations, died, and left several sons, some legitimate, others born ofconcubines, of whom Zamma, a great favourite of the Count Romanus, wasslain by his brother Firmus; and this deed gave rise to civil discords, and wars. For the count being exceedingly eager to avenge his death, made formidable preparations for the destruction of his treacherousenemy. And as continual reports declared, most exceeding pains weretaken in the palace, that the despatches of Romanus, which containedmany most unfavourable statements respecting Firmus, should be receivedand read by the prince; while many circumstances strengthened theircredibility. And, on the other hand, that those documents which Firmusfrequently, for the sake of his own safety, endeavoured to lay beforethe emperor by the agency of his friends, should be kept from his sightas long as possible, Remigius, a friend and relation of Romanus, and whowas at that time master of the offices, availed himself of other moreimportant affairs which claimed the emperor's attention to declare thatFirmus's papers were all unimportant and superfluous, only to be read ata perfectly favourable opportunity. 

3. But when Firmus perceived that these intrigues were going on to keephis defence out of sight, trembling for fear of the worst if all hisexcuses should be passed over, and he himself be condemned asdisaffected and mischievous, and so be put to death, he revolted fromthe emperor's authority, and aided . . . In devastation. [181]

4. Therefore, to prevent an implacable enemy from gaining strength bysuch an increase of force, Theodosius, the commander of the cavalry, wassent with a small body of the emperor's guards to crush him at once. Theodosius was an officer whose virtues and successes were at that timeconspicuous above those of all other men: he resembled those ancientheroes, Domitius Corbulo, and Lusius; the first of whom wasdistinguished by a great number of gallant achievements in the time ofNero, and the latter of equal reputation under Trajan. 

5. Theodosius marched from Arles with favourable auspices, and havingcrossed the sea with the fleet under his command so rapidly that noreport of his approach could arrive before himself, he reached the coastof Mauritania Sitifensis; that portion of the coast being called, by thenatives, Igilgitanum. There, by accident, he met Romanus, and addressinghim kindly, sent him to arrange the stations of the sentries and theoutposts, without reproaching him for any of the matters for which hewas liable to blame. 

6. And when he had gone to the other province, Mauritania Cæsariensis, he sent Gildo, the brother of Firmus and Maximus, to assist Vincentius, who, as the deputy of Romanus, was the partner of his disloyal schemesand thefts. 

7. Accordingly, as soon as his soldiers arrived, who had been delayed bythe length of the sea voyage, he hastened to Sitifis; and gave orders tothe body-guards to keep Romanus and his attendants under surveillance. He himself remained in the city, full of embarrassment and anxiety, working many plans in his mind, while devising by what means orcontrivances he could conduct his soldiers who were accustomed to a coldclimate through a country parched up with heat; or how he could catchan enemy always on the alert and appearing when least expected, and whorelied more on surprises and ambuscades than a pitched battle. 

8. When news of these facts reached Firmus, first through vague reports, and subsequently by precise information, he, terrified at the approachof a general of tried valour, sent envoys and letters to him, confessingall he had done, and imploring pardon; asserting that it was not of hisown accord that he had been driven on to an action which he knew to becriminal, but that he had been goaded on by unjust treatment of aflagitious character, as he undertook to show. 

9. When his letters had been read, and when peace was promised him, andhostages received from him, Theodosius proceeded to the Pancharianstation to review the legions to which the protection of Africa wasintrusted, and who had been ordered to assemble to meet him at thatplace. There he encouraged the hopes of them all by confident yetprudent language; and then returned to Sitifis, having reinforced histroops with some native soldiers; and, not being inclined to admit ofany delay, he hastened to regain his camp. 

10. Among many other admirable qualities which he displayed, hispopularity was immensely increased by an order which he issued, forbidding the army to demand supplies from the inhabitants of theprovince; and asserting, with a captivating confidence, that theharvests and granaries of the enemy were the magazines of the valour ofour soldiers. 

11. Having arranged these matters in a way which caused great joy to thelandowners, he advanced to Tubusuptum, a town near Mons Ferratus, wherehe rejected a second embassy of Firmus, because it had not brought withit the hostages, as had been provided before. From this place, havingmade as careful an examination of everything as the time and placepermitted, he proceeded by rapid marches to the Tyndenses andMassisenses; tribes equipped with light arms, under the command ofMascizel and Dius, brothers of Firmus. 

12. When the enemy, being quick and active in all their movements, camein sight, after a fierce skirmish by a rapid interchange of missiles, both sides engaged in a furious contest; and amid the groans of thewounded and dying were heard also the wailing and lamentations ofbarbarian prisoners. When the battle was over, the territory for a greatdistance was ravaged and wasted by fire. 

13. Among the havoc thus caused, the destruction of the farm of Petra, which was razed to the ground, and which had been originally built bySalmaces, its owner, a brother of Firmus, in such a manner as toresemble a town, was especially remarkable. The conqueror was elated atthis success, and with incredible speed proceeded to occupy the town ofLamforctense, which was situated among the tribes already mentioned;here he caused large stores of provisions to be accumulated, in orderthat if, in his advance into the inland districts, he should find ascarcity of supplies, he might order them to be brought from this town, which would be at no great distance. 

14. In the mean time Mascizel, having recruited his forces byauxiliaries which he had procured from the tribes on the borders, ventured on a pitched battle with our army, in which his men wererouted, and a great portion of them slain, while he himself was withdifficulty saved from death by the speed of his horse. 

15. Firmus, being weakened by the losses he had sustained in twobattles, and in great perplexity, in order to leave no expedientuntried, sent some priests of the Christian religion with the hostages, as ambassadors to implore peace. They were received kindly, and havingpromised supplies of food for our soldiers, as they were commissioned todo, they brought back a propitious answer. And then, sending before hima present, Firmus himself went with confidence to meet the Romangeneral, mounted on a horse fitted for any emergency. When he came nearTheodosius, he was awe-struck at the brilliancy of the standards, andthe terrible countenance of the general himself; and leapt from hishorse, and with neck bowed down almost to the ground, he, with tears, laid all the blame on his own rashness, and entreated pardon and peace. 

16. He was received with a kiss, since such treatment of him appearedadvantageous to the republic; and being now full of joyful hope, hesupplied the army with provisions in abundance; and having left some ofhis own relations as hostages, he departed in order, as he promised, torestore those prisoners whom he had taken at the first beginning ofthese disturbances. And two days afterwards, without any delay, herestored the town of Icosium (of the founders of which we have alreadyspoken), also the military standards, the crown belonging to the priest, and all the other things which he had taken, as he had been commanded todo. 

17. Leaving this place, our general, advancing by long marches, reachedTiposa, where, with great elation, he gave answers to the envoys of theMazices, who had combined with Firmus, and now in a suppliant toneimplored pardon, replying to their entreaties that he would at oncemarch against them as perfidious enemies. 

18. When he had thus cowed them by the fear of impending danger, and hadcommanded them to return to their own country, he proceeded onwards toCæsarea, a city formerly of great wealth and importance, of the originof which we have given a full account in our description of Africa. Whenhe reached it, and saw that nearly the whole of it had been destroyed byextensive conflagrations, and that the flint stones of the streets werecovered with ashes, he ordered the first and second legions to bestationed there for a time, that they might clear away the heaps ofcinders and ashes, and keep guard there to prevent a fresh attack of thebarbarians from repeating this devastation. 

19. When accurate intelligence of these events had arrived, thegovernors of the province and the tribune Vincentius issued forth fromthe places of concealment in which they had been lying, and came withspeed and confidence to the general. He saw and received them with joy, and, while still at Cæsarea, having accurately inquired into everycircumstance, he found that Firmus, while assuming the disguise of anally 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 Cæsarea, and went to the town of Sugabarritanum, which is on the slope of Mount Transcellensis. There he found thecavalry of the fourth cohort of archers, who had revolted to therebels, and in order to show himself content with lenient punishments, he degraded them all to the lowest class of the service, and orderedthem, and a portion of the infantry of the Constantian legion, to cometo Tigaviæ with their tribunes, one of whom was the man who, for want ofa diadem, had placed a neck-chain on the head of Firmus. 

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

22. When this order had been executed, Theodosius himself came forthfrom his camp at daybreak, and on seeing those men surrounded by hisarmy, said, "What, my trusty comrades, do you think ought to be done tothese nefarious traitors?" And then, in compliance with the acclamationsof the whole army, who demanded that their treason should be expiated bytheir blood, he, according to the ancient fashion, handed over those ofthem who had served in the Constantian legion to the soldiers to be putto death by them. The officers of the archers he sentenced to lose theirhands, and the rest he condemned to death, in imitation of Curio, thatmost vigorous and severe general, who by this kind of punishment crushedthe ferocity of the Dardanians, when it was reviving like the Lernæanhydra. 

23. But malignant detractors, though they praise the ancient deed, vituperate this one as terrible and inhuman, affirming that theDardanians[182] were implacable enemies, and therefore justly sufferedthe punishment inflicted on them; but that those soldiers, who belongedto our own standards, ought to have been corrected with more lenity, forfalling into one single error. But we will remind these cavillers, ofwhat perhaps they know already, namely, that this cohort was not only anenemy by its own conduct, but also by the example which it set toothers. 

24. He also commanded Bellenes and Fericius, who have been mentionedabove, and whom Gildo brought with him, to be put to death; and likewiseCurandius, a tribune of the archers, because he had always beenbackward in engaging the enemy himself, and had never been willing toencourage his men to fight. And he did this in recollection of theprinciple laid down by Cicero, that "salutary vigour is better than anempty appearance of clemency. "

25. Leaving Sugabarri, he came to a town called Gallonatis, surroundedby a strong wall, and a secure place of refuge for the Moors, which, assuch, he destroyed with his battering-rams. And having slain all theinhabitants, and levelled the walls, he advanced along the foot of MountAncorarius to the fortress of Tingetanum, where the Mazices were allcollected in one solid body. He at once attacked them, and theyencountered him with arrows and missiles of all kinds as thick as hail. 

26. The battle proceeded for some time vigorously on both sides, till atlast the Mazices, though a hardy and warlike race, being unable towithstand the fury of our men and the shock of their arms, aftersustaining heavy loss, fled in every direction in disgraceful panic; andas they fled they were put to the sword in great numbers, with theexception only of those who, contriving to make their escape, afterwards, by their humble supplications, obtained the pardon which thetimes permitted to be granted to them. 

27. Their leader Suggena, who succeeded Romanus, was sent intoMauritania Sitifensis to establish other garrisons necessary to preventthat province from being overrun; and he himself, elated by his recentachievements, marched against the nation of the Musones, who, from aconsciousness of the ravages and murders of which they had been guilty, had joined the party of Firmus, hoping that he would soon obtain thechief authority. 

28. Having advanced some distance, he found, near the town of Addense, that a number of tribes, who, though differing from each other inmanners and language, were all animated with one feeling, in fomentingthe outbreaks of terrible wars, being urged on and encouraged by thehope of great rewards from a sister of Firmus, named Cyria; who beingvery rich, and full of feminine resolution, was resolved to make a greateffort to help her brother. 

29. Therefore Theodosius, fearing to become involved in a war to whichhis forces were unequal, and that if he with his small force (for he hadbut three thousand five hundred men) should engage with an immensemultitude, he should lose his whole army, at first hesitating betweenthe shame of retreating and his wish to fight, gradually fell back alittle; but presently was compelled by the overpowering mass of thebarbarians to retire altogether. 

30. The barbarians were exceedingly elated at this event, and pursuedhim with great obstinacy. . . . Being compelled by necessity to fight, hewould have lost all his army and his own life, had not these tumultuoustribes, the moment they saw a troop of the Mazican auxiliaries, with afew Roman soldiers in their front, fancied that a numerous division wasadvancing to charge them, and in consequence taking to flight, opened toour men a way of escape which was previously shut against them. 

31. Theodosius now drew off his army in safety; and when he had reacheda town called Mazucanum, he found there a number of deserters, some ofwhom he burnt alive, and others he mutilated after the fashion of thearchers whose hands had been cut off. He then proceeded towards Tipata, which he reached in the course of February. 

32. There he stayed some time deliberating, like that old delayer, Fabius, on the circumstances around him, desiring to subdue the enemy, who was not only warlike, but so active as usually to keep out ofbowshot, rather by manoeuvres and skill than by hazardous engagements. 

33. Still he from time to time sent out envoys, skilled in the arts ofpersuasion, to the surrounding tribes, the Basuræ, the Cautauriani, theAnastomates, the Cafaves, the Davares, and other people in theirneighbourhood, trying to bring them over to our alliance, either bypresents, threats, or by promises of pardon for past violence . . . Seeking by delays and intrigues to crush an enemy who offered so stout aresistance to his attacks, just as Pompey in times past had subduedMithridates. 

34. On this account Firmus, avoiding immediate destruction, although hewas strengthened by a large body of troops, abandoned the army which hehad collected by a lavish expenditure of money, and as the darkness ofnight afforded a chance of concealment, he fled to the Caprarianmountains, which were at a great distance, and from their precipitouscharacter inaccessible. 

35. On his clandestine departure, his army also dispersed, being brokenup into small detachments without any leader, and thus afforded our menan opportunity of attacking their camp. That was soon plundered, and allwho resisted were put to the sword, or else taken prisoners; and then, having devastated the greater portion of the country, our wise generalappointed prefects of tried loyalty as governors of the different tribesthrough which he passed. 

36. The traitor was thrown into consternation by the unexpected boldnessof his pursuit, and with the escort of only a few servants, hoping tosecure his safety by the rapidity of his movements, in order to havenothing to impede his flight, threw away all the valuable baggage whichhe had taken with him. His wife, exhausted with continual toil. . . . 

37. Theodosius . . . Showing mercy to none of them, having refreshed hissoldiers by a supply of better food, and gratified them by adistribution of pay, defeated the Capracienses and Abanni, who were thenext tribes to them, in some unimportant skirmishes, and then advancedwith great speed to the town of . . . And having received certainintelligence that the barbarians had already occupied the hills, andwere spread over the precipitous and broken ground to a great height, sothat they were quite inaccessible to any but natives who were intimatelyacquainted with the whole country, he retired, giving the enemy anopportunity by a truce, short as it was, to receive an importantreinforcement from the Ethiopians in the neighbourhood. 

38. Then having assembled all their united forces, they rushed on tobattle with threatening shouts, and an utter disregard of theirindividual safety, compelling him to retreat, full of consternation atthe apparently countless numbers of their army. But soon the courage ofhis men revived, and he returned, bringing with him vast supplies, andwith his troops in a dense column, and brandishing their shields withformidable gestures, he again engaged the enemy in close combat. 

39. The barbarians rattled their arms in a savage manner, and ourbattalions, with equal rage, pushed on, they also rattling their shieldsagainst their knees. Still the general, like a cautious and prudentwarrior, aware of the scantiness of his numbers, advanced boldly withhis army in battle array, till he came to a point, at which he turnedoff, though still preserving an undaunted front, towards the city ofContensis, where Firmus had placed the prisoners whom he had taken fromus, as in a remote and safe fortress. He recovered them all, andinflicted severe punishment, according to his custom, on the traitorsamong the prisoners, and also on the guards of Firmus. 

40. While he was thus successful, through the protection of the SupremeDeity, he received correct intelligence from one of his scouts thatFirmus had fled to the tribe of the Isaflenses. He at once entered theirterritory to require that he should be given up, with his brotherMazuca, and the rest of his relations: and on being refused, he declaredwar against the nation. 

41. And after a fierce battle, in which the barbarians displayedextraordinary courage and ferocity, he threw his army into a solidcircle; and then the Isaflenses were so completely overpowered by theweight of our battalions pressing on them that numbers were slain; andFirmus himself, gallantly as he behaved, after exposing himself toimminent danger by the rashness of his courage, put spurs to his horse, and fled; his horse being accustomed to make his way with great speedover the most rocky and precipitous paths. But his brother Mazuca wastaken prisoner, mortally wounded. 

42. It was intended to send him to Cæsarea, where he had left behind himmany records of his atrocious cruelties; but his wounds reopened, and hedied. So his head was cut off, and (his body being left behind) wasconveyed to that city, where it was received with great joy by all whosaw it. 

43. After this our noble general inflicted most severe punishment, asjustice required, on the whole nation of the Isaflenses, which hadresisted till it was thus subdued in war. And he burnt alive one of themost influential of the citizens, named Evasius, and his son Florus, andseveral others, who were convicted on undeniable evidence of havingaided the great disturber of tranquillity by their secret counsels. 

44. From thence Theodosius proceeded into the interior, and with greatresolution attacked the tribe of the Jubileni, to which he heard thatNubel, the father of Firmus, belonged; but presently he halted, beingchecked by the height of the mountains, and their winding defiles. Andthough he had once attacked the enemy, and opened himself a further roadby slaying a great number of them, still, fearing the high precipices asplaces pre-eminently adapted for ambuscades, he withdrew, and led backhis army in safety to a fortress called Audiense, where the Jesalenses, a warlike tribe, came over to him, voluntarily promising to furnish himwith reinforcements and provisions. 

45. Our noble general, exulting in this and similarly gloriousachievements, now made the greatest efforts to overtake the originaldisturber of tranquillity himself, and therefore having halted for sometime near a fortress named Medianum, he planned various schemes throughwhich he hoped to procure that Firmus should be given up to him. 

46. And while he was directing anxious thoughts and deep sagacity tothis object, he heard that he had again gone back to the Isaflenses; onwhich, as before, without any delay, he marched against them with allpossible speed. Their king, whose name was Igmazen, a man of greatreputation in that country, and celebrated also for his riches, advancedwith boldness to meet him, and addressed him thus, "To what country doyou belong, and with what object have you come hither? Answer me. "Theodosius, with firm mind and stern looks, replied, "I am a lieutenantof Valentinian, the master of the whole world, sent hither to destroy amurderous robber; and unless you at once surrender him, as theinvincible emperor has commanded, you also, and the nation of which youare king, will be entirely destroyed. " Igmazen, on receiving thisanswer, heaped a number of insulting epithets on our general, and thenretired full of rage and indignation. 

47. And the next morning at daybreak the two armies, breathing terriblethreats against each other, advanced to engage in battle: nearly twentythousand barbarians constituted the front of their army, with very largereserves posted behind, out of sight, with the intention that theyshould steal forward gradually, and hem in our battalions with theirvast and unexpected numbers. These were also supported by a great numberof auxiliaries of the Jesalenian tribes, whom we have mentioned ashaving promised reinforcements and supplies to ourselves. 

48. On the other side, the Roman army, though scanty in numbers, nevertheless being full of natural courage, and elated by their pastvictories, formed into dense columns, and joining their shields firmlytogether, in the fashion of a testudo, planted their feet firmly insteady resistance; and from sunrise to the close of day the battle wasprotracted. A little before evening Firmus was seen mounted on a tallhorse, expanding his scarlet cloak in order to attract the notice of hissoldiers, whom he was exciting with a loud voice at once to deliver upTheodosius, calling him a ferocious and cruel man--an inventor ofmerciless punishments--as the only means of delivering themselves fromthe miseries which he was causing them. 

49. This unexpected address only provoked some of our men to fight withmore vigour than ever, but there were others whom it seduced to desertour ranks. Therefore when the stillness of night arrived, and thecountry became enveloped in thick darkness, Theodosius returned to thefortress of Duodiense, and, recognizing those soldiers who had beenpersuaded by fear and Firmus's speech to quit the fight, he put them allto death by different modes of execution; of some he cut off the righthands, others he burnt alive. 

50. And conducting himself with ceaseless care and vigilance, he routeda division of the barbarians who, though afraid to show themselves byday, ventured, after the moon had set, to make an attempt upon his camp:some of those who advanced further than their comrades he tookprisoners. Departing from this place, he made a forced march throughby-roads to attack the Jesalensians, who had shown themselves disloyaland unfaithful. He could not obtain any supplies from their country, buthe ravaged it, and reduced it to complete desolation. Then he passedthrough the towns of Mauritania and Cæsarensis, and returned to Sitifis, where he put to the torture Castor and Martinianus, who had been theaccomplices of Romanus in his rapine and other crimes, and afterwardsburnt them. 

51. After this the war with the Isaflenses was renewed; and in thefirst conflict, after the barbarians had been routed with heavy loss, their king Igmazen, who had hitherto been accustomed to be victorious, agitated by fears of the present calamity, and thinking that all hisalliances would be destroyed, and that he should have no hope left inlife if he continued to resist, with all the cunning and secrecy that hecould, fled by himself from the battle; and reaching Theodosius, besought him in a suppliant manner to desire Masilla, the chiefmagistrate of the Mazices, to come to him. 

52. When that noble had been sent to him as he requested, he employedhim as his agent to advise the general, as a man by nature constant andresolute in his plans, that the way to accomplish his purpose would beto press his countrymen with great vigour, and, by incessant fighting, strike terror into them; as, though they were keen partisans of Firmus, they were nevertheless wearied out by repeated disasters. 

53. Theodosius adopted this advice, and, by battle after battle, socompletely broke the spirits of the Isaflenses, that they fell away likesheep, and Firmus again secretly escaped, and hiding himself for a longtime in out-of-the-way places and retreats, till at last, whiledeliberating on a further flight, he was seized by Igmazen, and put inconfinement. 

54. And since he had learnt from Masilla the plans which had beenagitated in secret, he at last came to reflect that in so extreme anecessity there was but one remedy remaining, and he determined totrample under foot the love of life by a voluntary death; and havingdesignedly filled himself with wine till he became stupefied, when, inthe silence of the night, his keepers were sunk in profound slumber, he, fully awake from dread of the misfortune impending over him, left hisbed with noiseless steps, and crawling on his hands and feet, conveyedhimself to a distance, and then, having found a rope which chanceprovided for the end of his life, he fastened it to a nail which wasfixed in the wall, and hanging himself, escaped the protractedsufferings of torture. 

55. Igmazen was vexed at this, lamenting that he was thus robbed of hisglory, because it had not been granted to him to conduct this rebelalive to the Roman camp; and so, having received a pledge of the statefor his own safety, through the intervention of Masilla, he placed thebody of the dead man on a camel, and when he arrived at the camp of theRoman army, which was pitched near the fortress of Subicarense, hetransferred it to a pack-horse, and offered it to Theodosius, whoreceived it with exultation. 

56. And Theodosius having assembled a crowd of soldiers and citizens, and having asked them whether they recognized the face of the corpse, learnt by their answers that there was no question at all that it wasthe man; after this he stayed there a short time, and then returned toSitifis in great triumph, where he was received with joyful acclamationsof the people of every age and rank. 

VI. 

§ 1. While Theodosius was thus exerting himself, and toiling inMauritania and Africa, the nation of the Quadi was roused to make asudden movement. It was a nation now not very formidable, but one whichhad formerly enjoyed vast renown for its warlike genius and power, asits achievements prove, some of which were distinguished for therapidity, as well as for the greatness, of their success; instancesare:--Aquileia, which was besieged by them and the Marcomanni;Opitergium, which was destroyed by them, and many other bloody successeswhich were gained in that rapid campaign when the Julian Alps werepassed, and that illustrious emperor Marcus, of whom we have alreadyspoken, was hardly able to offer them any resistance. And indeed theyhad, for barbarians, just ground of complaint. 

2. For Valentinian, who from the beginning of his reign had been full ofa resolution to fortify his frontier, which was a glorious decision, butone carried too far in this case, ordered a fortress capable ofcontaining a strong garrison to be constructed on the south side of theriver Danube, in the very territories of the Quadi, as if they weresubject to the Roman authority. The natives, being very indignant atthis, and anxious for their own rights and safety, at first contentedthemselves with trying to avert the evil by an embassy andexpostulations. 

3. But Maximin, always eager for any wickedness, and unable to bridlehis natural arrogance, which was now increased by the pride which hefelt in his rank as prefect, reproached Equitius, who at that time wasthe commander of the forces in Illyricum, as careless and inactive, because the work, which it was ordered should be carried on with allspeed, was not yet finished. And he added, as a man guided only by zealfor the common good, that if the rank of Duke of Valeria were onlyconferred on his own little son, Marcellianus, the fortification wouldbe soon completed without any more pretexts for delay. Both his wisheswere presently granted. 

4. Marcellianus received the promotion thus suggested, and set out totake possession of his government; and when he reached it, being full ofuntimely arrogance, as might be expected from the son of such a father, without attempting to conciliate those whom false dreams of gain hadcaused to quit their native land, he applied himself to the work whichhad been recently begun, and had only been suspended to afford anopportunity for the inhabitants to present petitions against it. 

5. Lastly, when their king Gabinius requested, in a most moderate tone, that no innovations might be made, he as if intending to assent to hispetition, with feigned courtesy invited him and some other persons to abanquet; and then as he was departing after the entertainment, unsuspicious of treachery, he caused him, in infamous violation of thesacred rights of hospitality, to be murdered. 

6. The report of so atrocious an act was speedily spread abroad, androused the indignation of the Quadi and other surrounding tribes, who, bewailing the death of the king, collected together and sent forthpredatory bands, which crossed the Danube; and when no hostilities werelooked for, attacked the people who were occupied in the fields aboutthe harvest; and having slain the greater portion of them, carried offall the survivors to their own country with a great booty of differentkinds of cattle. 

7. And at that time an inexpiable atrocity was very near beingcommitted, which would have been reckoned among the most disgracefuldisasters which ever happened to the Roman state, for the daughter ofConstantius had a narrow escape of being taken prisoner as she was atdinner in a hotel called the Pistrensian, when on her way to be marriedto Gratian: and she was only saved by the promptitude of Messala thegovernor of the province, who, aided by the favour of the propitiousDeity, placed her in a carriage belonging to him as governor, andconducted her back with all possible speed to Sirmium, a distance ofabout twenty-six miles. 

8. By this fortunate chance the royal virgin was delivered from theperil of miserable slavery; and if she had been taken and her captorshad refused to ransom her, it would have been the cause of terribledisasters to the republic. After this the Quadi in conjunction with theSarmatians, extended their ravages further (since both these tribes wereaddicted beyond measure to plunder and robbery), carrying off, men, women, and cattle, and exulting in the ashes of burnt villas, and in themisery of the murdered inhabitants, whom they fell upon unexpectedly andslaughtered without mercy. 

9. All the neighbouring districts were filled with apprehension ofsimilar evils, and Probus, the prefect of the prætorium, who was at thattime at Sirmium, a man wholly unexperienced in war, being panic-struckwith the calamitous appearance of these new occurrences, and scarcelyable to raise his eyes for fear, was for a long time wavering in doubtwhat to do. At first he prepared some swift horses and resolved to flythe next night; but afterwards, taking advice from some one who gave himsafer counsel, he stayed where he was, but without doing anything. 

10. For he had been assured that all those who were within the walls ofthe city would immediately follow him, with the intention of concealingthemselves in suitable hiding-places; and if that had been done, thecity, left without defenders, would have fallen into the hands of theenemy. 

11. Presently, after his terror had been a little moderated, he appliedhimself with some activity to do what was most pressing; he cleared outthe fosses which were choked up with ruins; he repaired the greaterportion of the walls which, through the security engendered by a longpeace, had been neglected, and had fallen into decay, and raised themagain to the height of lofty towers, devoting himself zealously to thework of building. In this way the work was speedily completed, becausehe found that the sums which some time before had been collected for theerection of a theatre were sufficient for the purpose he was nowpressing forward. And to this prudent measure he added another of likeprecaution, in summoning a cohort of archer cavalry from the neareststation, that it might be at hand to resist a siege should any takeplace. 

12. By these barriers, as they may be called, the barbarians were forcedto abandon their design of besieging the city, since they were notskilful in contests of this kind, and were also hampered by the burdenof their booty; accordingly they turned aside to pursue Equitius. Andwhen, from the information given them by their prisoners, they learntthat he had retired to the most remote part of Valeria, they hastenedthither by forced marches, gnashing their teeth, and determined on hisdeath, because they believed that it was through his means theirinnocent king had been circumvented. 

13. And as they were hastening onwards with impetuous and vengefulspeed, they were met by two legions, the Pannonian and the Moesian, both of approved valour, who, if they had acted in harmony, mustunquestionably have come off victorious. But while they were hasteningonward to attack the barbarians separately, a quarrel arose between themon the subject of their honour and dignity, which impeded all theiroperations. 

14. And when intelligence of this dissension reached the Sarmatians, whoare a most sagacious people, they, without waiting for any regularsignal of battle, attacked the Moesians first; and while the soldiers, being surprised and in disorder, were slowly making ready their arms, many of them were killed; on which the barbarians with increasedconfidence attacked the Pannonians, and broke their line also; and whenthe line of battle was once disordered, they redoubled their efforts, and would have destroyed almost all of them, if some had not savedthemselves from the danger of death by a precipitate flight. 

15. Amid these calamitous inflictions of adverse fortune, Theodosius theyounger, Duke of Moesia, then in the first bloom of youth, butafterwards a prince of the highest reputation, in many encountersdefeated and vanquished the Free Sarmatians (so called to distinguishthem from their rebellious slaves), who had invaded our frontier on theother side, till he exhausted them by his repeated victories; and withsuch vigour did he crush the assembled crowds combined to resist hisarms, that he glutted the very birds and beasts with the blood of thevast numbers justly slain. 

16. Those who remained having lost all their pride and spirit, fearinglest a general of such evident promptitude and courage should rout ordestroy these invading battalions on the very edge of his frontier, orlay ambuscades for them in the recesses of the woods, made from time totime many vain attempts to escape, and at last, discarding allconfidence in battle, they begged indulgence and pardon for their pasthostility. And being thoroughly subdued, they did nothing for some timecontrary to the treaty of peace, being more especially terrified becausea strong force of Gallic soldiers had come to the defence of Illyricum. 

17. While these events were agitating the empire, and while Claudius wasprefect of the Eternal City, the Tiber, which intersects its walls, andwhich, after receiving the waters of many drains and copious streams, falls into the Tyrrhenian Sea, overflowed its banks, in consequence ofan abundance of rain, and extending to a size beyond that of a river, overwhelmed almost everything with its flood. 

18. All those parts of the city which lie in the plain were under water, and nothing reared its head above but the hills and other spots ofrising ground, which seemed like islands, out of the reach of presentdanger. And, as the vastness of the inundation permitted of no departurein any direction to save the multitude from dying of famine, greatquantities of provisions were brought in barges and boats. But when thebad weather abated, and the river which had burst its bounds returned toits accustomed channel, the citizens discarded all fear, and apprehendedno inconvenience for the future. 

19. Claudius, as a prefect, conducted himself very quietly, nor was anysedition in his time provoked by any real grievance. He also repairedmany ancient buildings; and among his improvements he built a largecolonnade contiguous to the bath of Agrippa, and gave it the name of TheColonnade of Success, because a temple bearing that title is close toit. 

[176] For an account of this incantation, see Gibbon, Bohn's editionvol. Iii. , p. 75, note. 

[177] The lines of Theognis are--

 "Ἄνδρ’ ὀγαθον πενίη πάντων δάμνησι μάλιστα Καὶ γήρως πολιοῦ, Κύρνε, καὶ ἠπιάλου Ἣν δὴ χρὴ φεύγοντα καὶ ες μεγακήτεα ποντον Ῥίπτειν, καὶ πετρῶν Κύρνε, κατ’ ἠλιβάτων. "

Which may be thus translated:--

 "Want crushes a brave man far worse than age, O Cyrnus! or than fever's fiery rage; Flee, should thy flight beneath the greedy wave, Or from steep rocks but ope a milder grave. "

[178] For the purposes of divination. 

[179] This sentence is so mutilated as to be unintelligible, but isfilled up by conjecture, founded on a knowledge of the facts, thus: "whowas executed because he had not given up Octavian, who had been formerlyproconsul of Africa, and who had taken refuge in his house when accusedof some crime. "

[180] The end of this chapter also is lost, as are one or two passagesin the beginning of Chapter IV. 

[181] Manuscript imperfect. 

[182] The Dardanians were a Thracian tribe. 

BOOK XXX. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. Para, king of Armenia, being summoned by Valens to Tarsus, and being detained there under pretence of doing him honour, escapes with three hundred of his countrymen; and having baffled the sentinels on the roads, he regains his kingdom on horseback; but not long afterwards he is slain by Duke Trajan at an entertainment. --II. The embassies of the Emperor Valens and Sapor, king of Persia, who are at variance about the kingdoms of Armenia and Hiberia. --III. Valentinian, after having ravaged several districts of the Allemanni, has a conference with their king Macrianus, and makes peace with him. --IV. Modestus, the prefect of the prætorium, diverts Valens from his purpose of sitting as a judge--A statement of the condition of the bar, of counsel learned in the law, and the different classes of advocates. --V. Valentinian, intending to wage war against the Sarmatians and the Quadi, who had been devastating Pannonia, marches into Illyricum, and having crossed the Danube, he ravages the territories of the Quadi, burns their villages, and slaughters the inhabitants, without regard to age. --VI. Valentinian, while giving answer, in a great passion, to the ambassadors of the Quadi, who are trying to excuse their countrymen, bursts a blood-vessel, and dies. --VII. Who his father was, and what was his conduct as emperor. --VIII. His cruelty, avarice, envy, and cowardice. --IX. His virtues. --X. Valentinian the younger, the son of Valentinian, is saluted as emperor in the camp at Bregetio. 

I. 

A. D. 374. 

§ 1. While all these difficulties and disturbances had been caused bythe perfidy of the Duke Marcellianus, in treacherously murdering theking of the Quadi, a terrible crime was committed in the East, wherePara, king of Armenia was also murdered by secret treachery; theoriginal cause of which wicked action we have ascertained to be this:--

2. Some men of perverse temperament, who delighted in public misfortune, had concocted a number of accusations against this prince for acts whichthey imputed to him even when scarcely grown up, and had exaggeratedthem to Valens. Among these men was the Duke Terentius, a man who alwayswalked about with a downcast melancholy look, and throughout his lifewas an unwearied sower of discord. 

3. He, having formed a combination with a few people of Para's nation, whom a consciousness of their own crimes had filled with fear, wascontinually harping in his letters to the court on the deaths of Cylaxand Artabannes; adding also that this same young king was full ofhaughtiness in all his conduct, and that he behaved with excessivecruelty to his subjects. 

4. In consequence of these letters, Para, as if it were intended that heshould become a partaker in a treaty of which existing circumstancesrequired ratification, was invited to court with all the ceremony towhich he was entitled as a king, and then was detained at Tarsus inCilicia, with a show of honour, without being able to procure permissionto approach the emperor's camp, or to learn why his arrival had been soeagerly pressed; since on this point all around him preserved a rigidsilence. At last, however, by means of private information, he learntthat Terentius was endeavouring by letter to persuade the Romansovereign to send without delay another king to Armenia; lest, out ofhatred to Para, and a knowledge of what they had to expect if hereturned among them, his nation, which at present was friendly to us, should revolt to the Persians, who had long been eager to reduce themunder their power either by violence, fear, or flattery. 

5. Para, reflecting on this warning, foreboded grievous mischief forhimself; and being a man of forethought and contrivance, as he could notperceive any means of safety, except by a speedy departure, by theadvice of his most trusty friends he collected a body of 300 persons whohad accompanied him from his own country, and with horses selected forespecial speed, acting as men are wont to do under the pressure ofgreat terror and perplexity, that is to say, with more boldness thanprudence; late one afternoon he started boldly forth at the head of hisescort, formed in one solid body. 

6. And when the governor of the province, having received informationfrom the officer who kept the gate, came with prompt energy and foundhim in the suburb, he earnestly entreated him to remain; but findingthat he could not prevail upon him, he quitted him, for fear of his ownlife. 

7. And not long afterwards Para, with his escort, turned back upon thelegion which was pursuing him and on the point of overtaking him, andpouring arrows upon them as thick as sparks of fire, though designedlymissing them, he put them to flight, filling them, tribune and all, withcomplete consternation, so that they returned to the city with greaterspeed than they left it. 

8. After this, Para being released from all fear, continued hislaborious and rapid journey for two days and two nights, till he reachedthe Euphrates; where, for want of boats, he was unable to pass theriver, which at that place is full of strong currents and too deep to beforded. His men, not being skilful swimmers, were afraid to trustthemselves to the stream, and he himself showed more hesitation than anyof them; indeed he would have halted there altogether, if while everyone was suggesting one plan or another, he had not at last hit upon thefollowing expedient, which seemed the safest in this emergency. 

9. They took a number of little beds which they found in theneighbouring houses, and supported them each on two bladders, of whichthere were plenty at hand in the vineyards. And then he and his noblesplaced themselves each on a bed, leading their horses after them, and sofloated down and across the stream; by which contrivance, after extremedanger, they at last reached the opposite bank. 

10. All the rest swam their horses, and though they were terribly tossedabout and often almost sunk by the eddying stream, still, though muchexhausted by their wetting, they also reached the opposite bank; whenhaving rested for a short time and refreshed themselves, they proceededon their way, travelling further than on the previous days. 

11. When this transaction became known, the emperor being greatly movedat the king's flight, fearing he would break off his alliance, sentDaniel and Barzimeres to bring him back; the one being a count, theother the tribune of the Scutarii, and he placed under their command athousand archers prepared for a rapid march by the lightness of theirequipment. 

12. These officers, trusting to their acquaintance with the country, andfeeling sure that Para, as a stranger who was not accustomed to it, would take a roundabout way, sought to cut him off by marking a shortcut through some valleys; and having divided their forces, theyblockaded the two nearest roads, which were three miles from oneanother, in order that whichever Para took he might be caught before heexpected it. But he escaped their manoeuvre in this way:--

13. A traveller who happened to be hastening towards the western bank ofthe river, saw that the two roads were filled with armed soldiers, andaccordingly quitted this road in order to avoid them, and made his wayby an almost invisible path, which lay between them, overgrown withbushes and brambles, and fell in with the Armenians, who were by thistime greatly fatigued. He was brought before the king, and, beingadmitted by him to a private conference, related to him secretly what hehad seen, and was detained in safety. 

14. And presently, without anything being done to give an idea that theywere alarmed, a horseman was sent secretly to the road on the right sideto prepare a resting-place and some food. And when he had been gone alittle time, another was sent to the left with directions to move withgreat rapidity, and do the same thing; neither horseman being aware thatthe other had been sent in a different direction. 

15. And after this arrangement had been thus cleverly made, the kinghimself, with his escort, retraced his steps through the jungle by whichthe traveller had come, taking him for his guide, and passing throughthis overgrown path, which was almost too narrow for a loaded horse, heleft the Roman soldiers behind him and so escaped. Meanwhile ourtroops, who had made prisoners of the soldiers who had been thus sentout to impose upon them, waited a long time, while watching for theking, and stretching out their hands, as one may say, to seize the gamewhich they expected would rush into them. And while they were thuswaiting for the arrival of Para, he reached his kingdom in safety, wherehe was received with great joy by his countrymen, and still remainedunshaken in his fidelity to us, burying in silence the injuries which hehad received. 

16. After this, Daniel and Barzimeres, having been thus balked of theirprey, returned to Tarsus, and were loaded with bitter reproaches asinactive and blundering officers. But like venomous serpents whose firstspring has failed, they only whetted their deadly fangs, in order at thefirst opportunity to inflict all the injury in their power on the kingwho had thus escaped them. 

17. And, with a view to palliate the effect of their own mistake, orrather of the defeat their hopes, which the deeper sagacity of the kinghad contrived, they began to fill the emperor's ears, which were at alltimes most ready to receive all kinds of reports with false accusationsagainst Para; pretending that he was skilled in Circean incantations, soas to be able to transform people, or to afflict them with sickness in amarvellous manner, adding, moreover, that it was by means of arts ofthis kind that he had rendered himself invisible, and that if allowed tocontinue changing his shape, he would cause them great trouble, ifpermitted to live to boast of having deceived them. 

18. In this manner the hatred which Valens had conceived against him wasincreased to an incredible degree; and plan after plan was laid to takehis life, either by force or stratagem; and orders to that effect weretransmitted by secret letters to Trajan, who at that time was inArmenia, in chief command of the forces in that kingdom. 

19. Trajan, accordingly, began to surround Para with treacherousblandishments--at one time showing him some letters of Valens, whichappeared to indicate that he was favourably disposed towards theking--at another, partaking cheerfully of his entertainments, he atlast, with great apparent respect (but in pursuance of a deliberateplot), invited him to supper. Para, fearing no hostility, came, and wasplaced in the seat of honour at the feast. 

20. Exquisite delicacies were set before him, and the splendid palaceresounded with the music of lyres and lutes. Presently, when the winehad circulated freely, the master of the feast quitted it for a moment, under pretence of some natural want, and immediately a ferociousbarbarian of the troop they call Supræ[183] was sent in, brandishing adrawn sword, and with a terribly ferocious countenance, to murder theyouth, against whose escape ample precautions had now been taken. 

21. As soon as he saw him, the king, who as it happened was on thefurther side of the couch, jumped up and drew his dagger to defend hislife by every means in his power, but was stabbed in the breast, andfell like a miserable victim, being shamefully cut to pieces withrepeated blows. 

22. By this foul contrivance was his credulity shamefully deceived at afeast which is respected even on the coast of the Euxine Sea, under theeye of the Deity of Hospitality; and the blood of a stranger and a guestwas sprinkled on the splendid tablecloths, and, by its foaming gore, filled the guests with loathing, who at once dispersed in great horror. If the dead can feel sorrow or indignation, then let that illustriousFabricius Luscinus groan at the evidence of this deed, knowing with whatgreatness of mind he himself repelled Demochares (or, as some call him, Nicias), the king's servant, who in a secret conference offered topoison Pyrrhus, at that time desolating Italy with cruel wars, and wroteto the king, bidding him beware of his immediate attendants: such greatreverence in the first ages of antiquity was there for the rights ofhospitality even when claimed by an enemy. 

23. But this modern, strange, and shameful act was excused by theprecedent afforded by the death of Sertorius; though the emperor'sflatterers were perhaps ignorant that, as Demosthenes--the everlastingglory of Greece--affirms, an unlawful and wicked action cannot bedefended by its resemblance to another crime, or by the fact that thatcrime met with impunity. 

II. 

§ 1. These are the transactions which especially attracted notice inArmenia; but Sapor, after the last defeat which his troops hadexperienced, having heard of the death of Para, whom he had beenearnestly labouring to win to his own alliance, was terribly grieved;and, as the activity of our army increased his apprehensions, he beganto dread still greater disasters to himself. 

2. He therefore sent Arsaces as his ambassador to the emperor, to advisehim utterly to destroy Armenia as a perpetual cause of trouble; or, ifthat plan should be decided against, asking that an end might be put tothe division of Hiberia into two provinces, that the Roman garrisonmight be withdrawn, and that Aspacuras, whom he himself had made thesovereign of the nation, might be permitted to reign with undividedauthority. 

3. To this proposal, Valens replied, that he could not change theresolutions which had been agreed to by both of them; and, indeed, thathe should maintain them with zealous care. Towards the end of thewinter, letters were received from the king of a tenor very contrary tothis noble determination of Valens, full of vain and arrogant boasting. For in them Sapor affirmed that it was impossible for the seeds ofdiscord to be radically extirpated, unless those who had been witnessesof the peace which had been made with Julian were all collected, some ofwhom he knew to be already dead. 

4. After this, the matter becoming a source of greater anxiety, theemperor, who was more skilful in choosing between different plans thanin devising them himself, thinking that it would be beneficial to thestate in general, ordered Victor, the commander of the cavalry, andUrbicius, the Duke of Mesopotamia, to march with all speed to Persia, bearing a positive and plain answer to the proposals of Sapor: namely, that he, who boasted of being a just man, and one contented with hisown, was acting wickedly in coveting Armenia, after a promise had beenmade to its inhabitants, that they should be allowed to live accordingto their own laws. And unless the soldiers who had been left asauxiliaries to Sauromaces returned without hindrance at the beginning ofthe ensuing year, as had been agreed, he would compel Sapor by force toperform what he might at present do with a good grace. 

5. And this embassy would in all respects have been a just andhonourable one, if the ambassadors had not, contrary to theirinstructions, accepted some small districts in this same Armenia whichwere offered them. When the ambassadors returned, the Surena (themagistrate who enjoys an authority second only to that of the king) camewith them, offering the said districts to the emperor which ourambassadors had ventured to take. 

6. He was received with liberality and magnificence; but dismissedwithout obtaining what he requested. And then, great preparations weremade for war, in order that, as soon as the severity of the winter wasover, the emperor might invade Persia with three armies; and with thisobject he began with all speed to bargain for the services of someScythian auxiliaries. 

7. Sapor not having succeeded in obtaining what his vain hopes had ledhim to reckon on, and being exasperated in an extraordinary degree, because he had learnt that our emperor was preparing for an expedition, nevertheless stifled his wrath, and gave the Surena a commission toendeavour to recover by force of arms (if any one should resist him) theterritories which Count Victor and Urbicius had accepted, and to presshostilities with the utmost rigour against those soldiers who had beendestined to aid Sauromaces. 

8. His orders were at once carried out. Nor was it found possible toprevent or resist their execution, because a new cause of alarm suddenlycame on the republic; as the entire nation of the Goths suddenly burstinto Thrace. The calamities which we experienced from that event shallbe related succinctly in their proper places. 

9. These were the occurrences which took place in the East. And whilethey were proceeding, as has been related, the unfailing arm of justiceavenged the losses we had sustained in Africa, and the slaughter of theambassadors of Tripoli, whose shades were still wandering aboutunavenged. For Justice, though a late, is yet a scrupulous and unerringdiscriminator between right and wrong. 

10. Remigius, whom we have already spoken of as favouring Count Romanus, who had laid waste these provinces after Leo had succeeded him as masterof the offices, retired from office and from public life, and devotedhimself to rural pursuits in his own native district near Mayence. 

11. And while he was living there in security, Maximin, the prefect ofthe prætorium, despising him because of his return to a tranquil life, as he was accustomed to attack everything like a terrible pestilence, set to work to do him injury by every means in his power. And, in orderto hunt out all his secrets, he seized Cæsarius who had formerly been aservant of his, and afterwards had become a secretary of the emperor, and put him to the question, torturing him with great severity to learnfrom him what Remigius had done, and how much he had received to inducehim to countenance the wicked actions of Romanus. 

12. But when Remigius heard this in his retreat, to which, as has beensaid, he had retired; being oppressed by the consciousness of his acts, or perhaps letting the dread of false accusation overpower his reason, he hanged himself. 

III. 

§ 1. The next year Gratian took Equitius as his colleague in theconsulship; and Valentinian, after desolating some cantons of theAllemanni, was building a fortress near Basle, which the natives of thecountry call Robur, when a report was brought to him from the prefectProbus with an account of the disasters which had taken place inIllyricum. 

2. He read them with a very careful examination, as became a prudentgeneral; and then being filled with anxious thoughts, he sent hissecretary, Paternianus, to that country, to inquire minutely into thewhole details of the affair. And, as he soon received from him a trueaccount of all that had taken place, he prepared to repair thitherhimself with all speed, in order to overwhelm with the first crash ofhis arms (such was his idea) the barbarians who had dared to pollute ourfrontier. 

3. But, because, as it was now the end of autumn, there were manyserious difficulties in the way, all the nobles in the palace pressedhim earnestly to allow the time between that and the beginning of springto be spent in embassies and conferences. Reminding him, in the firstplace, that the roads were all impassable through frost--that it wasimpossible to find herbage to feed the cattle, or anything else thatwould be useful. In the next place, they dwelt on the ferocity of thechieftains who lay nearest to Gaul, and especially of Macrianus whomthey greatly dreaded, as it was quite certain that he was no friend tous, and was inclined to attack even the fortified cities. 

4. By recapitulating these arguments, and adding others of great weight, they brought the emperor to adopt a wiser plan; and immediately (as wasbest for the commonwealth) King Macrianus was invited in courteous termsto come to Mayence; and the event proved that he also was well inclinedto make a treaty. When he arrived, however, it was marvellous how proudand arrogant he was, as if he were to be the supreme arbiter of thepeace. And on a day appointed for a conference he came, carrying himselfvery loftily, to the very brink of the Rhine, and escorted by a numberof his countrymen, who made a great clang with their shields. 

5. On the other hand, the emperor, having embarked in a boat, such as isused on that river, and likewise escorted by a strong force, came withgreat confidence up to the eastern bank, being conspicuous through thebrilliancy of his glittering standards; and when the frantic gesturesand murmurs of the barbarians had been quieted, a long discussion tookplace on both sides, and at last a firm friendship was agreed on, andratified with an oath. 

6. When this was over, the king, who had been the cause of all thesetroubles, retired, quite pacified, and destined to prove an ally to usfor the future; indeed, he afterwards, to the very end of his life, gaveproof of his constancy and resolution to preserve his agreement withus, by many noble and gallant actions. 

7. But subsequently he died in the country of the Franks, which he hadinvaded and ravaged in a most destructive manner, till at last he wascut off by the manoeuvres of Mellobaudes, the warlike king of thatnation, and slain. After the treaty had thus been solemnly ratified, Valentinian retired into winter quarters, at Treves. 

IV. 

§ 1. These were the events which took place in Gaul and the northerncountries. But in the east, while all our foreign affairs were quiet, great domestic evils were increasing in consequence of the conduct ofthe friends and relations of Valens, who had more regard to expediencythan honesty; for they laboured with the utmost diligence to bring aboutthe recall from his post a judge of rigid probity, who was fond ofdeciding lawsuits equitably, out of a fear lest, as in the times ofJulian, when Innocence was allowed a fair opportunity of defendingitself, the pride of the powerful nobles, which was accustomed to roamat large with unrestrained licence, might again be broken down. 

2. With these and similar objects a great number of persons conspiredtogether, being led by Modestus, the prefect of the prætorium, who was acomplete slave to the wishes of the emperor's eunuchs, and who, under aspecious countenance, concealed a rough disposition which had never beenpolished by any study of ancient virtue or literature, and who wascontinually asserting that to look into the minute details of privateactions was beneath the dignity of the emperor. He thinking, as he said, that the examination of such matters had been imposed on the nobles tolower their dignity, abstained from all such matters himself, and openedthe doors to plunder; which doors are now daily more and more opened bythe depravity of the judges and advocates, who are all of the same mind, and who sell the interests of the poor to the military commanders, orthe persons of influence within the palace, by which conduct theythemselves have gained riches and high rank. 

3. This profession of forensic oratory the wisdom of Plato defines to beπολιτικῆς μορίου εἴδωλον, "the shadow of a fraction of the artof government, " or a fourth part of the art of flattery. But Epicuruscalls it κακοτεχνία, reckoning it among the wicked arts. Tisias, who has Gorgias of Leontinum on his side, calls the orator anartist of persuasion. 

4. And while such has been the opinion formed of this art by theancients, the craft of some of the Eastern people has put it forward soas to make it an object of hatred to good men, on which account anorator it is sometimes restricted to a limited time for speaking. [184]Therefore, after saying a few words about its unworthy character, as Ifound by experience while in those countries, I will return to myoriginal subject. 

5. The tribunals, in former times, when good taste prevailed, weregreatly adorned by our advocates, when orators of spiritedeloquence--laborious and accomplished scholars--shone pre-eminent ingenius, honesty, fluency, and every kind of embellishment of language. As Demosthenes, who, as we learn from the Athenian records, whenever hewas going to speak, drew together a vast concourse of people from thewhole of Greece, who assembled for the sake of hearing him; andCallistratus, who, when summing up his noble pleading on the subject ofOropus in Euboea, produced such an impression that that sameDemosthenes quitted the academy, at the time when Plato was at its head, to become his follower. And Hyperides, and Æschines, and Andocides, andDinarchus, and Antiphon the Rhamnusian, who is the first man spoken ofin ancient history as having received a fee for pleading a cause. 

6. And similarly among the Romans, the Rutilii, and Galbæ, and Scauri, men of eminent reputation for purity of life and manners, and forfrugality; and in the succeeding generations, many men of censorian andconsular rank, and even many who had celebrated triumphs, such as theCrassi, the Antonii, the Philipii, the Scævolæ, and numbers of others, after having commanded armies with glory, gained victories, and raisedtrophies, became eminent also for their civil services to the State, andwon fresh laurels by their noble contests at the bar, thus reaping thehighest honour and glory. 

7. And after them Cicero, the most excellent of them all, who repeatedlysaved many who were in distress from the scorching flames of judgment bythe stream of his imperious eloquence, used to affirm "that if men couldnot be defended without their advocate incurring blame, they certainlycould not be carelessly defended without his being guilty of crime. "

8. But now throughout all the regions of the East one may see the mostviolent and rapacious classes of men hovering about the courts of law, and besieging the houses of the rich like Spartan or Cretan hounds, cunningly pursuing different traces, in order to create the occasion ofa lawsuit. 

9. Of these the chief is that tribe of men who, sowing every variety ofstrife and contest in thousands of actions, wear out the doorposts ofwidows and the thresholds of orphans, and create bitter hatred amongfriends, relations, or connections, who have any disagreement, if theycan only find the least pretext for a quarrel. And in these men, theprogress of age does not cool their vices as it does those of others, but only hardens and strengthens them. And amid all their plunder theyare insatiable and yet poor, whetting the edge of their genius in orderby their crafty orations to catch the ear of the judges, though the verytitle of those magistrates is derived from the name of Justice. 

10. In the pertinacity of these men rashness assumes the disguise offreedom--headlong audacity seeks to be taken for constancy, and an emptyfluency of language usurps the name of eloquence--by which perversearts, as Cicero tells us, it is a shame for the holy gravity of a judgebe deceived. For he says, "And as nothing in a republic ought to be soincorruptible as a suffrage or a sentence, I do not understand why theman who corrupts such things with money is to be esteemed worthy ofpunishment, while he who perverts them by eloquence receivescommendation. In fact, the latter appears to me to do the most harm, itbeing worse to corrupt a judge by a speech than by a bribe, inasmuch asno one can corrupt a wise man with a bribe, though it is possible thathe may with eloquence. "

11. There is a second class of those men who, professing the science ofthe law, especially the interpretation of conflicting and obsoletestatutes, as if they had a bridle placed in their mouths, keep aresolute silence, in which they rather resemble their shadows thanthemselves. These, like those men who cast nativities or interpret theoracles of the sibyl, compose their countenances to a sort of gravity, and then make money of their supine drowsiness. 

12. And that they may appear to have a more profound knowledge of thelaws, they speak of Trebatius, [185] and Cascellius, and Alfenus, and ofthe laws of the Aurunci and Sicani, which have long become obsolete, andhave been buried ages ago with the mother of Evander. And if you shouldpretend to have deliberately murdered your mother, they will promise youthat there are many cases recorded in abstruse works which will secureyour acquittal, if you are rich enough to pay for it. 

13. There is a third class of these men, who, to arrive at distinctionin a turbulent profession, sharpen their mercenary mouths to mystify thetruth, and by prostituting their countenances and their vile barking, work their way with the public. These men, whenever the judge isembarrassed and perplexed, entangle the matter before him with furtherdifficulties, and take pains to prevent any arrangement, carefullyinvolving every suit in knotty subtleties. When these courts, however, go on rightly, they are temples of equity; but when they are pervertedthey are hidden and treacherous pitfalls, and if any person falls intothem, he will not escape till after many years have elapsed, and till hehimself has been sucked dry to his very marrow. 

14. There is a fourth and last class, impudent, saucy, and ignorant, consisting of those men who, having left school too early, run aboutthe corners of cities, giving more time to farces than to the study ofactions and defences, wearing out the doors of the rich, and hunting forthe luxuries of banquets and rich food. 

15. And when they have given themselves up to gains, and to the task ofhunting for money by every means, they incite men, on any small pretencewhatever, to go to law; and if they are permitted to defend a cause, which but seldom happens, it is not till they are before the judge, while the pleadings are being recited, that they begin to inquire intothe cause of the client, or even into his name; and then they sooverflow with a heap of unarranged phrases and circumlocutions, thatfrom the noise and jabber of the vile medley you would fancy you werelistening to Thersites. 

16. But when it happens that they have no single allegation they canestablish, they then resort to an unbridled licence of abuse; for whichconduct they are continually brought to trial themselves, and convicted, when they have poured ceaseless abuse upon people of honour; and some ofthese men are so ignorant that they do not appear ever to have read anybooks. 

17. And if in a company of learned men the name of any ancient author isever mentioned, they fancy it to be some foreign name of a fish or othereatable. And if any stranger asks (we will say) for Marcianus, as onewith whom he is as yet unacquainted, they all at once pretend that theirname is Marcianus. 

18. Nor do they pay the slightest attention to what is right; but as ifthey had been sold to and become the property of Avarice, they knownothing but a boundless licence in asking. And if they catch any one intheir toils, they entangle him in a thousand meshes, pretending sicknessby way of protracting the consultations. And to produce an uselessrecital of some well-known law, they prepare seven costly methods ofintroducing it, thus weaving infinite complications and delays. 

19. And when at last days and months and years have been passed in theseproceedings, and the parties to the suit are exhausted, and the wholematter in dispute is worn out with age, then these men, as if they werethe very heads of their profession, often introduce sham advocatesalong with themselves. And when they have arrived within the bar, andthe fortune or safety of some one is at stake, and they ought to labourto ward off the sword of the executioner from some innocent man, orcalamity and ruin, then, with wrinkled brows, and arms thrown about withactor-like gestures, so that they want nothing but the flute of Gracchusat their back, [186] then they keep silence for some time on both sides;and at last, after a scene of premeditated collusion, some plausiblepreamble is pronounced by that one of them who is most confident in hispower of speaking, and who promises an oration which shall rival thebeauties of the oration for Cluentius[187] or for Ctesiphon. [188] Andthen, when all are eager for him to make an end, he concludes hispreamble with a statement that the chief advocates have as yet only hadthree years since the commencement of the suit to prepare themselves toconduct it; and so obtains an adjournment, as if they had to wrestlewith the ancient Antæus, while still they resolutely demand the pay duefor their arduous labours. 

20. And yet, in spite of all these things, advocates are not withoutsome inconveniences, which are hard to be endured by one who would liveuprightly. For being allured by small gains, they quarrel bitterly amongthemselves, and offend numbers by the insane ferocity of their evilspeaking, which they pour forth when they are unable to maintain theweakness of the case intrusted to them by any sound reasoning. 

21. And sometimes the judges prefer persons who have been instructed inthe quibbles of Philistion or Æsop, to those who come from the school ofAristides the Just, or of Cato--men who, having bought public officesfor large sums of money, proceed like troublesome creditors to hunt outevery one's fortune, and so shake booty for themselves out of the lapsof others. 

22. Finally, the profession of a lawyer, besides other things, has in itthis, which is most especially formidable and serious (and this qualityis almost innate in all litigants), namely that when, through one orother out of a thousand accidents, they have lost their action, theyfancy that everything which turned out wrong was owing to the conduct oftheir counsel, and they usually attribute the loss of every suit to him, and are angry, not with the weakness of their case or (as they oftenmight be) with the partiality of the judge, but only with theiradvocate. Let us now return to the affairs from which we have thusdigressed. 

V. 

A. D. 375. 

§ 1. At the beginning of the spring Valentinian quitted Treves, andproceeded by rapid marches along the usual high roads. And as heapproached the districts to which he was hastening, he was met byambassadors from the Sarmatians, who threw themselves at his feet, and, with prayers, breathing no wish but for peace, entreated him to befavourable and merciful to them, assuring him that he would not find anyof their countrymen implicated in or privy to any evil action. 

2. And when they had frequently repeated this assertion, he, aftercareful deliberation, made answer to them, that these matters must bediligently inquired into by an accurate investigation in the districtwhere they were said to have happened, and if they had happened, thenthey must be punished. After this, when he had reached Carnuntum, a cityof the Illyrians, now indeed in a desolate and ruinous state, but stillvery convenient for the general of an army, he from thence sallied outwhenever either chance or skill afforded him an opportunity; and by thepossession of this post in their neighbourhood, he checked the inroadsof the barbarians. 

3. And although he alarmed all people in that district, since it wasexpected that, as a man of active and impetuous feelings, he wouldspeedily command the judges to be condemned through whose perfidy ordesertion the empire had been left undefended on the side of thePannonians, yet when he did arrive he was so lukewarm in the businessthat he neither inquired into the death of the king Gabricius, nor didhe make any accurate investigation into the calamities which therepublic had sustained, with a view to learning through whose misconductor negligence these events had taken place; so that in fact, inproportion as he was severe in punishing his common soldiers, he wasremiss in correcting (even by harsh words) those of higher rank. 

4. The only person whom he pursued with any especial hatred was Probus;whom from the first moment that he saw him he never ceased to threaten, and to whom he never softened; and the causes of this animosity againsthim were not obscure nor trivial. When Probus first obtained the rank ofprefect of the prætorium, the power of which he was continuallylabouring to extend by all kinds of means (I wish I could say by alllawful means), he forgot the lessons which he might have learnt from hisillustrious descent, and devoted himself more to flattery than tomodesty. 

5. For reflecting on the resolution of the emperor, who considerednothing but how he might amass money from all quarters, without anydistinction between just and unjust actions; he never attempted to leadback the misguided prince into the path of equity, as mild and wiserulers often have done; but rather followed his lead through all hiswinding and tortuous paths. 

6. And to this conduct were owing the heavy distresses which afflictedthe emperor's subjects; the ruinous titles, privileges, and exemptions, which alike ate up the fortunes of poor and rich; under differentpretexts which were produced, each more powerful than the other, as thefruit of a long experience in injuring. Lastly, the burdens of alltributes and taxes were augmented in a manifold degree; and drove someof the highest nobles from fear of the worst to emigrate from theirhomes; some also after being drained to the utmost by the cruelty of therevenue officers, as they really had nothing more to give, were throwninto prison, of which they became permanent inmates. And some, becomingweary of life and light, sought a release from their miseries by hangingthemselves. 

7. Unvarying report made known the treacherous and inhuman character ofthese transactions; but Valentinian, as if his ears had been stoppedwith wax, was ignorant of the report, being eager to acquire moneyindiscriminately, even from the most trivial sources, and thinking onlyof what was presented to him; though he would perhaps have spared thePannonian provinces, if he had earlier known of these melancholy sourcesof gain with which he became acquainted when it was too late, owing tothe following occurrence:--

8. Following the example of the inhabitants of other provinces, thepeople of Epirus were compelled by the prefect to send envoys to thankhim, and a certain philosopher named Iphicles, a man of tried courageand magnanimity (who was very unwilling to undertake the commission), was elected to discharge that duty. 

9. And when he saw the emperor, having been recognized by him andquestioned as to the cause of his arrival, he answered in Greek; and, like a philosopher who professed himself a votary of truth, when theprince inquired more precisely, if those who had sent him did reallythink well of the prefect, he replied, that they had sent him againsttheir will, and with bitter groans. 

10. The emperor, stricken by this speech as by an arrow, nowinvestigated his actions like a sagacious beast, inquiring of him, inhis own language, about different persons whom he knew: for instance, where was this man or that man (mentioning some one of high reputationand honour, or some very rich man, or some other person well known ashaving filled some high office). And when he learnt that this man hadbeen hanged, that that one had been banished beyond the seas, and that athird had killed himself or had expired under torture, he becamefuriously angry, while Leo, who was at that time master of the offices, added fuel to his passion--O shameful villany! Leo, it should be bornein mind, was at this very time secretly aiming at the prefecture; andhad he obtained that office and authority, he would undoubtedly havegoverned with such audacity, that the administration of Probus would incomparison have been extolled as a model of justice and humanity. 

11. So the emperor remained at Carnuntum; and during the three summermonths he occupied himself uninterruptedly in preparing arms andmagazines, in the hope that chance might afford him a good opportunityof making use of them; intending to take a favourable season forattacking the Quadi, who had lately caused an atrocious disturbance;since in their chief town, Faustinus, the nephew of Juventius, theprefect of the prætorium, who had attained the rank of militarysecretary, was tortured and then put to death by the executioners, underthe very eyes of Probus; having been accused of slaying an ass in somemagical operation, as his enemies asserted; but he himself said it wasto use for strengthening his hair, which was beginning to fall off. 

12. Another charge was also maliciously brought against him, namely, that when a person of the name of Nigrinus had in jest asked him to makehim a secretary, he replied in ridicule of the man and his petition, "Make me emperor if you wish to obtain that. " And because some gave anunfair interpretation to this jest, Faustinus himself, and Nigrinus, andseveral other persons were put to death. 

13. Accordingly, having sent forward Merobaudes with a strong force ofinfantry under his command, and Sebastian for his colleague, to ravagethe districts of the barbarians with fire and sword, Valentinianspeedily moved his camp to Buda; and having with great rapidity made abridge of boats in order to guard against any sudden mishap, he crossedthe river in another place and entered the territories of the Quadi, whofrom their precipitous mountains were watching for his approach; themain body of their nation, in their perplexity and uncertainty of whatmight happen, had taken refuge with their families in those hills; butwere overwhelmed with consternation when they unexpectedly saw theimperial standards in their country. 

14. Valentinian advanced with as much rapidity as he could, slaughteringevery one of whatever age whom his sudden inroad surprised stragglingabout the country, and after burning all their dwellings, he returnedsafe without having experienced the slightest loss. And then, as autumnwas now on the wane, he stopped awhile at Buda, seeking where best tofix his winter quarters in a region subject to very rigorous frost. Andhe could not find any suitable place except Sabaria, though that townwas at the time in a very bad state of defence, having been ruined byfrequent sieges. 

15. Accordingly when he reached this place, though it was one of greatconsequence to him, he remained there but a very short time; and havingleft it, he marched along the bank of the river, which he strengthenedwith several forts and castles, and manned them with adequate garrisons. He then proceeded to Bregitio; and in that town, after settling downthere in quiet, his Destiny, by numerous prodigies, portended to him hisapproaching fate. 

16. For a very few days before some of those comets, which ever givetoken of the ruins of lofty fortunes, and of which we have alreadyexplained the origin, appeared in the heavens. Also, a short timebefore, a thunderbolt fell at Sirmium, accompanied with a terrific clapof thunder, and set fire to a portion of the palace and senate-house:and much about the same time an owl settled on the top of the royalbaths at Sabaria, and pouring forth a funeral strain, withstood all theattempts to slay it with arrows or stones, however truly aimed, andthough numbers of people shot at it in diligent rivalry. 

17. And again, when the emperor was quitting the city to return to thecamp, he set out to leave it by the same gate by which he had enteredit, with the object of obtaining an augury that he should speedilyreturn to Gaul. But the spot through neglect had become choked up withruins; and when they were cleaning it out they found that the door, which had originally closed the entrance, had fallen down: and a greatmultitude of people, though labouring with all their might, were unableto remove it; so that after waiting the greater part of the day there, he was obliged at last to go out by another gate. 

18. And on the night preceding the day on which he died, he saw in adream, such as often visits a man in his sleep, his absent wife sittingby, with dishevelled hair, and clad in a mourning robe; which somepeople fancied was Fortune, who was about in this sad apparel to takeher leave of him. 

19. After this, when he came forth in the morning, his brow wascontracted, and his countenance somewhat melancholy; and when his horsewas brought to him, it would not let him mount, but reared up itsforefeet over the shoulders of the equerry who was holding it. Valentinian, according to the usual bent of his savage temper, grewimmoderately furious, and ordered the equerry's hand to be cut off, which had, he said, pushed him aside when mounting a horse he was usedto: and the innocent youth would have perished under torture ifCerealis, the principal master of the horse, had not delayed thebarbarous infliction at his own risk. 

VI. 

§ 1. After this event ambassadors arrived from the Quadi, with humblesupplications, entreating peace, and oblivion of the past: and thatthere might be no obstacle to their obtaining this, they promised tofurnish a body of recruits, and some other things which would be of useto the Roman state. 

2. And after they had been received, and had obtained permission toreturn with the grant of an armistice which they had solicited (but intruth, our want of supplies and the unfavourable season of the yearprevented us from harassing them any longer), they were, by theinfluence of Equitius, who became security for their good behaviour, admitted into the council-chamber. When introduced they seemed quiteovercome by fear, bowing down to the ground; and on being ordered tounfold their message, they urged all the customary pretences andexcuses, confirming them by an oath; assuring the council that whateveroffence had been committed against any of our people, had not been doneby the consent of the nobles of the nation, but only by some foreignbanditti who dwelt on the borders of the river; they added further, as afact quite sufficient to establish the truth of their allegations, thatthe fortress which had been begun to be built both unjustly andunreasonably, had inflamed the savage temper of those rude men to agreat pitch of ferocity. 

3. By this speech the emperor was excited to most vehement wrath; and ashe began to reply to it he grew more indignant, reproaching the wholenation in bitter language, as unmindful of kindness, and ungrateful. Butafter a time he became pacified, and inclined to a milder view of thecase, when suddenly, as if he had been stricken from heaven, hisbreathing and his voice ceased, and his countenance appeared bloodshot, and in a moment the blood burst forth, and a deadly sweat broke forthover his whole body; and to save him from falling down in the sight of anumber of low-born persons, he was led by his servants into one of theprivate chambers in the interior of the palace. 

4. When he was placed on his bed, breathing with difficulty, though thevigour of his intellect was not as yet at all diminished, he recognizedthose who stood around, having been collected by the chamberlains withgreat promptitude, to prevent any of them being suspected of havingmurdered him. And as on account of the fever which was racking hisbowels it was necessary to open a vein, yet no surgeon could be found, because he had dispersed them all over different districts to cure thesoldiers among whom a dangerous pestilence was raging. 

5. At last, however, one was procured; but though he punctured a veinover and over again, he could not produce a single drop of blood, whileall the time his bowels were burning with the intensity of his fever; or(as some fancied) because his limbs were wholly dried up in consequenceof some of the passages, which we now call hæmorrhoidal, were closed upand crusted over through the severity of the cold. 

6. The emperor, from the exceeding violence of his agony, felt that themoment of his death was at hand; and attempted to say something, and togive some orders, as was indicated by a sobbing, which shook his wholeframe, a gnashing of the teeth, and a series of violent gestures withhis arms, resembling those of boxers with the cæstus: at last he becameexhausted, and covered all over with livid spots, and after a severestruggle he expired, in the fifty-fifth year of his age, having reignedtwelve years all but a hundred days. 

VII. 

§ 1. This is a seasonable opportunity to do as we have often donebefore, namely, to retrace from the original appearance of the fatherof this emperor down to the time of his own death, all his actions, justtouching on them cursorily with a brief mention, not omitting todistinguish between his vices and his virtues, both of which his loftyposition held up to the world; being a condition which naturally revealsthe inward disposition of every man. 

2. The elder Gratian was born at Cibalæ, a town of Pannonia, of a meanfamily; and from his childhood he received the surname of Funarius, because, while still very young, while he was carrying about a rope(funem) for sale, he resisted the attempt of five soldiers who labouredwith all their might to take it from him: thus rivalling Milo ofCrotona, from whom no amount of strength could ever wrest an apple, whether he held it in his right or his left hand. 

3. Therefore, on account of his exceeding personal strength, and hisskill in wrestling after the military fashion, he became well known tomany persons, was promoted to the rank of an officer of the guard, thento the post of tribune: after this he was made count, and sent tocommand the forces in Africa: but there he was suspected of theft; andhaving quitted that province, he was some time afterwards sent tocommand the army in Britain, with the same authority which he hadenjoyed in Africa. At length he received an honourable discharge frommilitary service, and returned home; and while living there in quiet, hesuddenly had all his property confiscated by Constantius, on the groundthat, when the civil discord was at its height, he was said to havereceived Magnentius as a guest when passing through his land to carryhis designs into execution. 

4. The merits of Gratian brought Valentinian into notice from his earlyyouth; and, indeed, he was further aided by his own eminent qualities;so that he received the ornaments of the imperial majesty at Nicæa; whenhe also made his brother Valens his colleague, as one bound to him notonly by his relationship as a brother, but also by the most perfectagreement--Valens, as we shall show at a suitable time, being made upalmost equally of vices and of virtues. 

5. Therefore Valentinian, after having experienced many dangers and muchdistress as a private individual, as soon as he began to reign went tovisit the towns and cities which were situated on the rivers; andrepaired to Gaul, which was exposed to the inroads of the Allemanni, whohad begun to recover their courage and to reassume an imposing attitudesince they had heard of the death of the Emperor Julian--the only princewhom they had feared since the time of Constans. 

6. And Valentinian was deservedly dreaded by them because he took careto keep up the numbers of his army by strong reinforcements, and becausealso he fortified both banks of the Rhine with lofty fortresses andcastles, to prevent the enemy from ever passing over into our territorywithout being perceived. 

7. We may pass over many circumstances, and many acts which he performedwith the authority of an emperor whose power was fully established, andmany of the reforms which he either effected himself, or caused to becarried out by his vigorous lieutenants. But we must record how, afterhe had raised his son Gratian to a partnership in the imperialauthority, he contrived the secret murder of Vithigabius, the king ofthe Allemanni, and the son of Vadomarius, a young man in the flower ofyouth, who was actively stirring up the surrounding nations to tumultsand wars; doing this because he found it impossible to procure his deathopenly. How also he fought a battle against the Allemanni nearSolicinium, where he was nearly circumvented and slain by themanoeuvres of the enemy; but where at last he utterly destroyed theirwhole army with the exception of a few who saved themselves by the aidof the darkness which assisted the rapidity of their flight. 

8. Amid all these prudent actions he also turned his attention to theSaxons who had lately broken out with extreme ferocity, making attacksin every direction where they were least expected, and had nowpenetrated into the inland districts, from which they were returningenriched by a vast booty. He destroyed them utterly by a device whichwas indeed treacherous, but most advantageous; and he recovered by forceall the booty which the defeated robbers were carrying off. 

9. Nor did he disregard the condition of the Britons, who were unable tomake head against the vast hosts of their enemies, who were overrunningtheir country; he revived their hopes of better fortune, andre-established liberty and steady tranquillity among them; routing theirinvaders so completely that scarcely any of them returned to their owncountry. 

10. With similar vigour he crushed Valentinus the Pannonian exile (whowas labouring to disturb the general tranquillity in that province), before his enterprise could become dangerous. He also delivered Africafrom great dangers at a time when it was thrown into confusion by anunexpected disaster: when Firmus, unable to bear the greediness andarrogance of the soldiers, was exciting the people of Mauritania toevery kind of discord and disturbance. With similar resolution would hehave avenged the disasters sustained in Illyricum, had he not left thatimportant duty uncompleted, in consequence of being thus cut off by apremature death. 

11. And although these various achievements, which we have hererecorded, were consummated by the assistance of his admirable generals, yet it is very notorious that he himself also performed manyconsiderable exploits; being a man fertile in resources, and of longexperience and great skill in military affairs: and certainly it wouldhave been an admirable crown to his great actions if he had been able totake King Macrianus alive, who at that time was a very formidablesovereign; nevertheless he exerted great energy in attempting to do so, after he heard that he had escaped from the Burgundians, whom he himselfhad led against the Allemanni; and the certainty of his escape was tohim a cause of great sorrow and indignation. 

VIII. 

§ 1. Thus have I rapidly run over the different actions of this prince. Now, relying on the certainty that posterity, inasmuch as it is freeboth from fear and from base flattery, is usually an honest judge of allpast transactions, I will rapidly run over his vices, intendingafterwards to relate his good qualities. 

2. Sometimes he put on an affectation of clemency, though the bent ofhis natural disposition inclined him more to cruelty: forgetfulforsooth, that by a man who governs a vast empire extremes of everykind are to be avoided as rocks by a mariner. 

3. Nor indeed was he ever found to be contented with moderatepunishments, but was continually commanding cruel tortures to bemultiplied; so that many, after undergoing this murderous kind ofexamination, were brought to death's door. And he was so eager toinflict injury, that he never once saved any one who had been condemnedto death, by a milder sentence, though even the most inhuman of emperorshave sometimes done so. 

4. And yet he might have reflected on many examples in former ages; andhe might have imitated the many models of humanity and of piety which hecould have found both among natives of the empire and among those offoreign extraction (and humanity and piety are defined by philosophersto be qualities nearly akin). Of such instances it will suffice toenumerate these which follow:--Artaxerxes, that very powerful king ofPersia, to whom the great length of one of his limbs caused the name ofLonghand to be given, wishing, through the natural lenity of hisdisposition, to reprove the varieties of punishment in which his nation, always cruel, had hitherto delighted, punished some criminals by takingoff their turbans instead of their heads: and instead of the old royalfashion of cutting off people's ears for their offences, he used to cutthe tassels which hang from their caps. And this moderation and lenitymade him so popular and respected that all the Grecian writers vie witheach other in celebrating his many admirable actions. 

5. Again, when Prænestinus was prætor, and was brought before the courtof justice, because, in the Samnite war, when ordered to march with allspeed to reinforce the army, he had been very dilatory in his movements, Papirius Cursor, who at that time was dictator, ordered the lictor toget ready his axe; and when the prætor, having discarded all hope ofbeing able to clear himself, seemed utterly stupefied at the order, hecommanded the lictor to cut down a shrub close by; and having in thisjocular manner reproved him, he let him go: without himself incurringany disrespect by so doing, since all knew him for a man who, by his ownunassisted vigour, had brought long and dangerous wars to a happytermination; and had been the only man reckoned able to resistAlexander the Great if that prince had invaded Italy. 

6. Valentinian, perhaps, was ignorant of these models; and as he neverconsidered that the mercy of the emperor is always the best comfort ofpersons in distress, he increased all punishments by his free use ofboth fire and sword: punishments which the merciful disposition of ourancestors looked upon as the very last resource in the most imminentdangers--as we may learn from the beautiful sentiment of Isocrates, whocontinually insists that we ought rather to pardon a king who issometimes defeated in war, than one who is ignorant of justice. 

7. And it was under the influence of this saying of his that I imagineCicero uttered that admirable sentence, in his defence of Oppius: "Thatindeed to have greatly contributed to the safety of one other person wasan honour to many; but that to have had no share in injuring others hadnever been thought discreditable to any one. "

8. A desire of increasing his riches without any regard to right andwrong, and of hunting out every kind of source of gain, even at the costof other people's lives, raged in this emperor to a most excessivedegree, and never flagged. Some, indeed, attempted to excuse it bypleading the example of the Emperor Aurelian; affirming that as he, after the death of Gallienus and the lamentable disasters which therepublic suffered at that time, finding his treasury totally exhausted, fell upon the rich like a torrent, so Valentinian also, after the losseswhich he sustained in his Parthian campaign, being reduced to want bythe greatness of his expenses, in order to procure reinforcements forhis army and pay for his troops, mingled with his severity a desire ofcollecting excessive wealth. Pretending not to know that there are somethings which, although strictly speaking lawful, still ought not to bedone. In this he was very unlike the celebrated Themistocles of oldtimes, who, when strolling carelessly about after he had destroyed thePersian host in the battle of Salamis, and seeing a number of goldenarmlets and chains lying on the ground, said to one of his companionswho was by--"You may take up these things because you are notThemistocles, " thinking it became a magnanimous general to spurn anyidea of personal gain. 

9. Many examples of similar moderation abound in the Roman generals;and without stopping to enumerate them, since such acts are notindications of perfect virtue (for indeed it is no great glory toabstain from carrying off other persons' property), I will just mentionone single instance of the forbearance of people in general in thisrespect in ancient times:--When Marius and Cinna had given the Romanpopulace leave to plunder the wealthy houses of certain persons whomthey had proscribed, the minds of the mob, who, however uncivilized theymight be, were accustomed to respect the rights of men, refused to touchthe produce of other men's labours; so that in fact no one could befound so needy or so base as to be willing to profit by the miseries ofthe state. 

10. Besides these things the aforesaid emperor was a prey in his inmostheart to a devouring envy; and as he knew that most vices put on asemblance of virtue, he used to be fond of repeating, that severity isthe inseparable companion of lawful power. And as magistrates of thehighest rank are in the habit of thinking everything permitted to them, and are always inclined to depress those who oppose them, and tohumiliate those who are above them, so he hated all who were welldressed, or learned, or opulent, or high born; and he was alwaysdisparaging the brave, that he might appear to be the only personeminent for virtue. And this is a vice which, as we read, was veryflagrant in the Emperor Hadrian. 

11. This same emperor used to be continually abusing the timid, callingthem sordid and base, and people who deserved to be depressed below thevery lowest of the low; and yet he himself often grew pale, in the mostabject manner, with groundless fears, and often from the bottom of hissoul was terrified at things which had no existence at all. 

12. Remigius, the master of the ceremonies, knowing this, and also thatValentinian was used to get into furious passions at every triflingincident, spread a report, among other things, that some of thebarbarians were in motion; and the emperor, when he heard this, becameat once so broken-spirited through fear that he became as gentle andmerciful as Antoninus Pius. 

13. He never intentionally appointed unjust judges but if he learnedthat those whom he had once promoted were acting cruelly, he boastedthat he had discovered new Lycurguses and Cassiuses, those ancientpillars of justice; and he used to be continually exhorting them by hisletters severely to chastise even the slightest errors. 

14. Nor had those who were under accusations, if any misfortune fellupon them, any refuge in the kindness of the prince; which ought to be, as it were, a desirable haven to those tossed about in a stormy sea. For, as wise men teach us, "The advantage and safety of the subject isthe true end of just government. "

IX. 

§ 1. It is natural for us, after discussing these topics, if we wouldact fairly, now to come to his virtuous and laudable actions; since ifhe had tempered his vices fairly with them he would have been a secondTrajan or Marcus Aurelius. Towards the people of the provinces he wasvery considerate, lightening the burden of their tributes throughout theempire. He also exerted himself in a very beneficial manner in buildingtowns and strengthening the frontiers. He was a strict observer ofmilitary discipline, erring only in this respect, that while he punishedeven slight misconduct on the part of the common soldiers, he allowedthe crimes of the officers of rank and of the generals to proceed togreater and greater lengths, and shut his ears against every complaintthat was uttered against them. And this partiality of his was the causeof the murmurs in Britain, and the disasters in Africa, and thedevastation of Illyricum. 

2. He was, both at home and abroad, a strict observer of modesty andchastity, keeping his conscience wholly free from all taint of impurityor obscenity, and in consequence he bridled the wantonness of theimperial court as with a strong rein; and he was the more easily able todo this because he had never shown any indulgence to his own relations, whom he either kept in obscurity, or (if he promoted them at all) raisedto a very moderate rank, with the exception of his brother, whom, indeference to the necessities of the times, he made his partner in theimperial dignity. 

3. He was very scrupulous in giving high rank to any one; nor, as longas he was emperor, did any one of the moneyed interest become ruler ofa province, nor was any government sold, unless it was at the beginningof his reign, when wicked actions were sometimes committed in the hopethat the new prince would be too much occupied to punish them. 

4. In waging war, and in defending himself from attacks, he was prudentand very skilful, like a veteran of great experience in militaryaffairs. He was a very wise admirer of all that was good, and dissuaderfrom all that was bad; and a very accurate observer of all the detailsof military service. He wrote with elegance, and described everythingwith great neatness and skill in composition. He was an inventor of newarms. He had an excellent memory, and a fluent, easy style of speaking, which at times bordered closely upon eloquence. He was a lover ofelegant simplicity, and was fond, not so much of profuse banquets, as ofentertainments directed by good taste. 

5. Lastly, he was especially remarkable during his reign for hismoderation in this particular, that he kept a middle course between thedifferent sects of religion; and never troubled any one, nor issued anyorders in favour of one kind of worship or another; nor did hepromulgate any threatening edicts to bow down the necks of his subjectsto the form of worship to which he himself was inclined; but he leftthese parties just as he found them, without making any alterations. 

6. His body was muscular and strong: the brightness of his hair--thebrilliancy of his complexion, with his blue eyes, which always lookedaskance with a stern aspect--the beauty of his figure--his loftystature, and the admirable harmony of all his features--filled up thedignity and beauty of an appearance which bespoke a monarch. 

X. 

§ 1. After the last honours had been paid to the emperor, and his bodyhad been prepared for burial, in order to be sent to Constantinople tobe there entombed among the remains of former emperors, the campaignwhich was in preparation was suspended, and people began to be anxiousas to what part would be taken by the Gallic cohorts, who were notalways steady in loyalty to the lawful emperor, but looked uponthemselves as the disposers of power, and were regarded by others asvery likely to venture on some new enterprise at so favourable a moment. This circumstance also was likely to aid any attempt that might be madeat a revolution, that Gratian, who knew nothing of what had taken place, was still at Treves, where his father, when about to set out on his ownexpedition, had desired him to wait. 

2. While affairs were in this state of uncertainty, and when every oneshared the same fears, looking on themselves as all in the same boat, and sure to be partners in danger, if danger should arise, at last itwas decided by the advice of the principal nobles to take up the bridgewhich had been necessarily made when they meditated invading theterritories of the enemy, in order that, in compliance with the commandsgiven by Valentinian while alive, Merobaudes might be at once summonedto the camp. 

3. He, being a man of great cunning and penetration, divined what hadhappened (perhaps indeed he had been informed of it by the messenger whobrought him his summons), and suspecting that the Gallic troops werelikely to break the existing concord, he pretended that a token whichhad been agreed upon had been sent to him that he was to return with themessenger to watch the banks of the Rhine; since the fury of thebarbarians was again menacing hostilities, and (in compliance with asecret injunction which he received, at the same time) he removed to adistance. Sebastian also as yet was ignorant of the death of theemperor; and he being an orderly and quietly disposed man, but verypopular among the soldiers, required on that account to be strictlywatched. 

4. Accordingly when Merobaudes had returned, the chief men took carefulcounsel as to what was to be done; and at last it was arranged that thechild Valentinian, the son of the deceased emperor, at that time a boyof four years old, should be associated in the imperial power. He was atpresent a hundred miles off, living with his mother, Justina, in a smalltown called Murocincta. 

5. This decision was ratified by the unanimous consent of all parties;and Cerealis, his uncle, was sent with speed to Murocincta, where heplaced the royal child on a litter, and so conducted him to the camp. On the sixth day after his father's death, he was declared lawfulemperor, and saluted as Augustus with the usual solemnities. 

6. And although at the time many persons thought that Gratian would beindignant that any one else had been appointed emperor without hispermission, yet afterwards, when all fear and anxiety was removed, theylived in greater security, because he, wise and kindhearted man as hewas, loved his young relative with exceeding affection, and brought himup with great care. 

[183] No one has succeeded in explaining this word. Some editors wish toread Suræ, explaining that as "men picked out for their great strength, "by a reference to Juvenal, xvi. 14--Grandes magna adsubsellia Suræ. Wagner proposes to read Scurræ, a name sometimes given to the guards inthis age. 

[184] As at Athens, where the orators were only allowed to speak as longas an hour-glass, filled with water, was running down. 

[185] All these men are spoken of by Horace as distinguished lawyers inhis time. 

[186] See Cicero, de Oratore iii. 60. 

[187] The Speech of Cicero pro Coelio Cluentio. 

[188] The celebrated speech of Demosthenes, more usually known as thatof De Coronâ. 

BOOK XXXI. 

ARGUMENT. 

 I. Omens announcing the death of the Emperor Valens, and a disaster to be inflicted by the Gauls. --II. A description of the abodes and customs of the Huns, the Alani, and other tribes, natives of Asiatic Scythia. --III. The Huns, either by arms or by treaties, unite the Alani on the Don to themselves; invade the Goths, and drive them from their country. --IV. The chief division of the Goths, surnamed the Thuringians, having been expelled from their homes, by permission of Valens are conducted by the Romans into Thrace, on condition of promising obedience and a supply of auxiliary troops. The Gruthungi also, who form the other division of the Goths, secretly cross the Danube by a bridge of boats. --V. The Thuringians being in great distress from hunger and the want of supplies, under the command of their generals Alavivus and Fritigern, revolt from Valens, and defeat Lupicinus and his army. --VI. Why Sueridus and Colias, nobles of the Gothic nation, after having been received in a friendly manner, revolted; and after slaying the people of Hadrianopolis, united themselves to Fritigern, and then turned to ravage Thrace. --VII. Profuturus, Trajan, and Richomeres fought a drawn battle against the Goths. --VIII. The Goths being hemmed in among the defiles at the bottom of the Balkan, after the Romans by returning had let them escape, invaded Thrace, plundering, massacring, ravishing, and burning, and slay Barzimeres, the tribune of the Scutarii. --IX. Frigeridus, Gratian's general, routs Farnobius at the head of a large body of Goths and Taifalæ; sparing the rest, and giving them some lands around the Po. --X. The Lentiensian Alemanni are defeated in battle by the generals of the emperor Gratian, and their king Priamis is slain. Afterwards, having yielded and furnished Gratian with a body of recruits, they are allowed to return to their own country. --XI. Sebastian surprises the Goths at Beræa as they are returning home loaded with plunder, and defeats them with great slaughter; a few saved themselves by flight. Gratian hastens to his uncle Valens, to carry him aid against the Goths. --XII. Valens, before the arrival of Gratian resolves to fight the Goths. --XIII. All the Goths unite together, that is to say, the Thuringians, under their king Fritigern. The Gruthungi, under their dukes Alatheus and Salaces, encounter the Romans in a pitched battle, rout their cavalry, and then falling on the infantry when deprived of the support of their horse, and huddled together in a dense body, they defeat them with enormous loss, and put them to flight. Valens is slain, but his body cannot be found. --XIV. The virtues and vices of Valens. --XV. The victorious Goths besiege Hadrianopolis, where Valens had left his treasures and his insignia of imperial rank, with the prefect and the members of his council; but after trying every means to take the city, without success, they at last retire. --XVI. The Goths, having by bribes won over the forces of the Huns and of the Alani to join them, make an attack upon Constantinople without success. The device by which Julius, the commander of the forces beyond Mount Taurus, delivered the eastern provinces from the Goths. 

I. 

A. D. 375. 

§ 1. In the mean time the swift wheel of Fortune, which continuallyalternates adversity with prosperity, was giving Bellona the Furies forher allies, and arming her for war; and now transferred our disasters tothe East, as many presages and portents foreshowed by undoubted signs. 

2. For after many true prophecies uttered by diviners and augurs, dogswere seen to recoil from howling wolves, and the birds of nightconstantly uttered querulous and mournful cries; and lurid sunrises madethe mornings dark. Also, at Antioch, among the tumults and squabbles ofthe populace, it had come to be a custom for any one who fancied himselfill treated to cry out in a licentious manner, "May Valens be burntalive!" And the voices of the criers were constantly heard ordering woodto be carried to warm the baths of Valens, which had been built underthe supertendence of the emperor himself. 

3. All which circumstances all but pointed out in express words that theend of the emperor's life was at hand. Besides all these things, theghost of the king of Armenia, and the miserable shades of those who hadlately been put to death in the affair of Theodorus, agitated numbers ofpeople with terrible alarms, appearing to them in their sleep, andshrieking out verses of horrible import. [189]

4. . . . And its death indicated an extensive and general calamity arisingfrom public losses and deaths. Last of all, when the ancient walls ofChalcedon were thrown down in order to build a bath at Constantinople, and the stones were torn asunder, on one squared stone which was hiddenin the very centre of the walls these Greek verses were found engraved, which gave a full revelation of what was to happen:--

 "Ἀλλ’ ὅποταν νύμφαι δροσερῇ κατὰ ἄστυ χορείῃ Τεπόμεναι στρέψωνται εΰστεέφας κατ’ ἀγυιὰς Καὶ τεῖχος λούτροιο πολύστονον ἔσσεται ἄλκαὶ Δὴ τότε μύρια φῦλα πολυσπερέων ἀνθρώπων Ἴστρου καλλιρόοιο πόρον περάοντα σὺν αἰχμῇ Καὶ Σκυθικὴν ὀλέσει χώῃην καὶ Μυσίδα γαῖαν Παιονίης δ’ ἐπιβάντα σὺν σὺν ἐλπίσι μαινομένῃσιν Αὐτὁου καὶ βιότο ο τέλος καὶ δῆρις εφεξει. "

 TRANSLATION. 

 "But when young wives and damsels blithe, in dances that delight, Shall glide along the city streets, with garlands gaily bright; And when these walls, with sad regrets, shall fall to raise a bath, Then shall the Huns in multitude break forth with might and wrath. By force of arms the barrier-stream of Ister they shall cross, O'er Scythic ground and Moesian lands spreading dismay and loss: They shall Pannonian horsemen brave, and Gallic soldiers slay, And nought but loss of life and breath their course shall ever stay. "

II. 

§ 1. The following circumstances were the original cause of all thedestruction and various calamities which the fury of Mars roused up, throwing everything into confusion by his usual ruinous violence: thepeople called Huns, slightly mentioned in the ancient records, livebeyond the Sea of Azov, on the border of the Frozen Ocean, and are arace savage beyond all parallel. 

2. At the very moment of their birth the cheeks of their infant childrenare deeply marked by an iron, in order that the usual vigour of theirhair, instead of growing at the proper season, may be withered by thewrinkled scars; and accordingly they grow up without beards, andconsequently without any beauty, like eunuchs, though they all haveclosely-knit and strong limbs, and plump necks; they are of great size, and low legged, so that you might fancy them two-legged beasts, or thestout figures which are hewn out in a rude manner with an axe on theposts at the end of bridges. 

3. They are certainly in the shape of men, however uncouth, but are sohardy that they neither require fire nor well-flavoured food, but liveon the roots of such herbs as they get in the fields, or on the half-rawflesh of any animal, which they merely warm rapidly by placing itbetween their own thighs and the backs of their horses. 

4. They never shelter themselves under roofed houses, but avoid them aspeople ordinarily avoid sepulchres as things not fitted for common use. Nor is there even to be found among them a cabin thatched with reed; butthey wander about, roaming over the mountains and the woods and accustomthemselves to bear frost and hunger and thirst from their very cradles. And even when abroad they never enter a house unless under thecompulsion of some extreme necessity; nor, indeed, do they think peopleunder roofs as safe as others. 

5. They wear linen clothes, or else garments made of the skins offield-mice: nor do they wear a different dress out of doors from thatwhich they wear at home; but after a tunic is once put round theirnecks, however it becomes worn, it is never taken off or changed till, from long decay, it becomes actually so ragged as to fall to pieces. 

6. They cover their heads with round caps, and their shaggy legs withthe skins of kids; their shoes are not made on any lasts, but are sounshapely as to hinder them from walking with a free gait. And for thisreason they are not well suited to infantry battles, but are nearlyalways on horseback, their horses being ill-shaped, but hardy; andsometimes they even sit upon them like women if they want to do anythingmore conveniently. There is not a person in the whole nation who cannotremain on his horse day and night. On horseback they buy and sell, theytake their meat and drink, and there they recline on the narrow neck oftheir steed, and yield to sleep so deep as to indulge in every varietyof dream. 

7. And when any deliberation is to take place on any weighty matter, they all hold their common council on horseback. They are not under theauthority of a king, but are contented with the irregular government oftheir nobles, and under their lead they force their way through allobstacles. 

8. Sometimes when provoked, they fight; and when they go into battle, they form in a solid body, and utter all kinds of terrific yells. Theyare very quick in their operations, of exceeding speed, and fond ofsurprising their enemies. With a view to this, they suddenly disperse, then reunite, and again, after having inflicted vast loss upon theenemy, scatter themselves over the whole plain in irregular formations:always avoiding a fort or an entrenchment. 

9. And in one respect you may pronounce them the most formidable of allwarriors, for when at a distance they use missiles of various kindstipped with sharpened bones instead of the usual points of javelins, andthese bones are admirably fastened into the shaft of the javelin orarrow; but when they are at close quarters they fight with the sword, without any regard for their own safety; and often while theirantagonists are warding off their blows they entangle them with twistedcords, so that, their hands being fettered, they lose all power ofeither riding or walking. 

10. None of them plough, or even touch a plough-handle: for they have nosettled abode, but are homeless and lawless, perpetually wandering withtheir waggons, which they make their homes; in fact they seem to bepeople always in flight. Their wives live in these waggons, and thereweave their miserable garments; and here too they sleep with theirhusbands, and bring up their children till they reach the age ofpuberty; nor, if asked, can any one of them tell you where he was born, as he was conceived in one place, born in another at a great distance, and brought up in another still more remote. 

11. In truces they are treacherous and inconstant, being liable tochange their minds at every breeze of every fresh hope which presentsitself, giving themselves up wholly to the impulse and inclination ofthe moment; and, like brute beasts, they are utterly ignorant of thedistinction between right and wrong. They express themselves with greatambiguity and obscurity; have no respect for any religion orsuperstition whatever; are immoderately covetous of gold; and are sofickle and irascible, that they very often on the same day that theyquarrel with their companions without any provocation, again becomereconciled to them without any mediator. 

12. This active and indomitable race, being excited by an unrestrainabledesire of plundering the possessions of others, went on ravaging andslaughtering all the nations in their neighbourhood till they reachedthe Alani, who were formerly called the Massagetæ; and from what countrythese Alani come, or what territories they inhabit (since my subject hasled me thus far), it is expedient now to explain: after showing theconfusion existing in the accounts of the geographers, who . . . At lasthave found out . . . Of truth. 

13. The Danube, which is greatly increased by other rivers falling intoit, passes through the territory of the Sauromatæ, which extends as faras the river Don, the boundary between Asia and Europe. On the otherside of this river the Alani inhabit the enormous deserts of Scythia, deriving their own name from the mountains around; and they, like thePersians, having gradually subdued all the bordering nations by repeatedvictories, have united them to themselves, and comprehended them undertheir own name. Of these other tribes the Neuri inhabit the inlanddistricts, being near the highest mountain chains, which are bothprecipitous and covered with the everlasting frost of the north. Next tothem are the Budini and the Geloni, a race of exceeding ferocity, whoflay the enemies they have slain in battle, and make of their skinsclothes for themselves and trappings for their horses. Next to theGeloni are the Agathyrsi, who dye both their bodies and their hair of ablue colour, the lower classes using spots few in number and small--thenobles broad spots, close and thick, and of a deeper hue. 

15. Next to these are the Melanchænæ and the Anthropophagi, who roamabout upon different tracts of land and live on human flesh. And thesemen are so avoided on account of their horrid food, that all the tribeswhich were their neighbours have removed to a distance from them. And inthis way the whole of that region to the north-east, till you come tothe Chinese, is uninhabited. 

16. On the other side the Alani again extend to the east, near theterritories of the Amazons, and are scattered among many populous andwealthy nations, stretching to the parts of Asia which, as I am told, extend up to the Ganges, a river which passes through the country of theIndians, and falls into the Southern Ocean. 

17. Then the Alani, being thus divided among the two quarters of theglobe (the various tribes which make up the whole nation it is not worthwhile to enumerate), although widely separated, wander, like theNomades, over enormous districts. But in the progress of time all thesetribes came to be united under one generic appellation, and are calledAlani. . . . 

18. They have no cottages, and never use the plough, but live solely onmeat and plenty of milk, mounted on their waggons, which they cover witha curved awning made of the bark of trees, and then drive them throughtheir boundless deserts. And when they come to any pasture-land, theypitch their waggons in a circle, and live like a herd of beasts, eatingup all the forage--carrying, as it were, their cities with them in theirwaggons. In them the husbands sleep with their wives--in them theirchildren are born and brought up; these waggons, in short, are theirperpetual habitation, and wherever they fix them, that place they lookupon as their home. 

19. They drive before them their flocks and herds to their pasturage;and, above all other cattle, they are especially careful of theirhorses. The fields in that country are always green, and areinterspersed with patches of fruit trees, so that, wherever they go, there is no dearth either of food for themselves or fodder for theircattle. And this is caused by the moisture of the soil, and the numberof the rivers which flow through these districts. 

20. All their old people, and especially all the weaker sex, keep closeto the waggons, and occupy themselves in the lighter employments. Butthe young men, who from their earliest childhood are trained to the useof horses, think it beneath them to walk. They are also all trained bycareful discipline of various sorts to become skilful warriors. And thisis the reason why the Persians, who are originally of Scythianextraction, are very skilful in war. 

21. Nearly all the Alani are men of great stature and beauty; their hairis somewhat yellow, their eyes are terribly fierce; the lightness oftheir armour renders them rapid in their movements; and they are inevery respect equal to the Huns, only more civilized in their food andtheir manner of life. They plunder and hunt as far as the Sea of Azovand the Cimmerian Bosphorus, ravaging also Armenia and Media. 

22. And as ease is a delightful thing to men of a quiet and placiddisposition, so danger and war are a pleasure to the Alani, and amongthem that man is called happy who has lost his life in battle. For thosewho grow old, or who go out of the world from accidental sicknesses, they pursue with bitter reproaches as degenerate and cowardly. Nor isthere anything of which they boast with more pride than of having killeda man: and the most glorious spoils they esteem the scalps which theyhave torn from the heads of those whom they have slain, which they putas trappings and ornaments on their war horses. 

23. Not is there any temple or shrine seen in their country, nor evenany cabin thatched with straw, their only idea of religion being toplunge a naked sword into the ground with barbaric ceremonies, and thenthey worship that with great respect, as Mars, the presiding deity ofthe regions over which they wander. 

24. They presage the future in a most remarkable manner; for theycollect a number of straight twigs of osier, then with certain secretincantations they separate them from one another on particular days; andfrom them they learn clearly what is about to happen. 

25. They have no idea of slavery, inasmuch as they themselves are allborn of noble families; and those whom even now they appoint to bejudges are always men of proved experience and skill in war. But now letus return to the subject which we proposed to ourselves. 

III. 

§ 1. Therefore the Huns, after having traversed the territories of theAlani, and especially of that tribe of them who border on the Gruthungi, and who are called Tanaitæ, and having slain many of them and acquiredmuch plunder, they made a treaty of friendship and alliance with thosewho remained. And when they had united them to themselves, withincreased boldness they made a sudden incursion into the extensive andfertile districts of Ermenrichus, a very warlike prince, and one whomhis numerous gallant actions of every kind had rendered formidable toall the neighbouring nations. 

2. He was astonished at the violence of this sudden tempest, andalthough, like a prince whose power was well established he longattempted to hold his ground, he was at last overpowered by a dread ofthe evils impending over his country, which were exaggerated by commonreport, till he terminated his fear of great danger by a voluntarydeath. 

3. After his death Vithimiris was made king. He for some time maintaineda resistance to the Alani, relying on the aid of other tribes of theHuns, whom by large promises of pay he had won over to his party; but, after having suffered many losses, he was defeated by superior numbersand slain in battle. He left an infant son named Viderichus, of whomAlatheus and Saphrax undertook the guardianship, both generals of greatexperience and proved courage. And when they, yielding to thedifficulties of the crisis, had given up all hope of being able to makean effectual resistance, they retired with caution till they came to theriver Dniester, which lies between the Danube and the Dnieper, and flowsthrough a vast extent of country. 

4. When Athanaric, the chief magistrate of the Thuringians (againstwhom, as I have already mentioned, Valens had begun to wage war, topunish him for having sent assistance to Procopius), had become informedof these unexpected occurrences, he prepared to maintain his ground, with a resolution to rise up in strength should he be assailed as theothers had been. 

5. At last he pitched his camp at a distance in a very favourable spotnear the banks of the Dniester and the valleys of the Gruthungi, andsent Muderic, who afterwards became Duke of the Arabian frontier, withLagarimanus and others of the nobles, with orders to advance for twentymiles, to reconnoitre the approach of the enemy while in the mean timehe himself, without delay, marshalled his troops in line of battle. 

6. However, things turned out in a manner very contrary to hisexpectations. For the Huns (being very sagacious in conjectures)suspecting that there must be a considerable multitude further off, contrived to pass beyond those they had seen, and arranged themselves totake their rest where there was nothing at hand to disturb them; andthen, when the moon dispelled the darkness of night, they forded theriver, which was the best plan that presented itself, and fearing lestthe piquets at the outposts might give the alarm to the distant camp, they made all possible speed and advanced with the hope of surprisingAthanaric himself. 

7. He was stupefied at the suddenness of their onset, and after losingmany of his men, was compelled to flee for refuge to the precipitousmountains in the neighbourhood, where, being wholly bewildered with thestrangeness of this occurrence, and the fear of greater evils to come, he began to fortify with lofty walls all the territory between the banksof the river Pruth and the Danube, where it passes through the lands ofthe Taifali, and he completed this line of fortification with greatdiligence, thinking that by this step he should secure his own personalsafety. 

8. While this important work was going on, the Huns kept pressing on histraces with great speed, and they would have overtaken and destroyed himif they had not been forced to abandon the pursuit from being impeded bythe great quantity of their booty. In the mean time a report spreadextensively through the other nations of the Goths, that a race of men, hitherto unknown, had suddenly descended like a whirlwind from the loftymountains, as if they had risen from some secret recess of the earth, and were ravaging and destroying everything which came in their way. Andthen the greater part of the population which, because of their want ofnecessaries had deserted Athanaric, resolved to flee and to seek a homeremote from all knowledge of the barbarians; and after a longdeliberation where to fix their abode, they resolved that a retreat intoThrace was the most suitable for these two reasons: first of all, because it is a district most fertile in grass; and also because, by thegreat breadth of the Danube, it is wholly separated from the barbarians, who were already exposed to the thunderbolts of foreign warfare. And thewhole population of the tribe adopted this resolution unanimously. 

IV. 

A. D. 376. 

§ 1. Accordingly, under the command of their leader Alavivus, theyoccupied the banks of the Danube; and having sent ambassadors to Valens, they humbly entreated to be received by him as his subjects, promisingto live quietly, and to furnish a body of auxiliary troops if anynecessity for such a force should arise. 

2. While these events were passing in foreign countries, a terriblerumour arose that the tribes of the north were planning new andunprecedented attacks upon us: and that over the whole region whichextends from the country of the Marcomanni and Quadi to Pontus, abarbarian host composed of different distant nations, which had suddenlybeen driven by force from their own country, was now, with all theirfamilies, wandering about in different directions on the banks of theriver Danube. 

3. At first this intelligence was lightly treated by our people, becausethey were not in the habit of hearing of any wars in those remotedistricts till they were terminated either by victory or by treaty. 

4. But presently, as the belief in these occurrences grew stronger, being confirmed, too, by the arrival of the foreign ambassadors, who, with prayers and earnest entreaties, begged that the people thus drivenfrom their homes and now encamped on the other side of the river, mightbe kindly received by us, the affair seemed a cause of joy rather thanof fear, according to the skilful flatterers who were always extollingand exaggerating the good fortune of the emperor; congratulating himthat an embassy had come from the furthest corners of the earthunexpectedly, offering him a large body of recruits; and that, bycombining the strength of his own nation with these foreign forces, hewould have an army absolutely invincible; observing further that, by theyearly payment for military reinforcements which came in every year fromthe provinces, a vast treasure of gold might be accumulated in hiscoffers. 

5. Full of this hope he sent forth several officers to bring thisferocious people and their waggons into our territory. And such greatpains were taken to gratify this nation which was destined to overthrowthe empire of Rome, that not one was left behind, not even of those whowere stricken with mortal disease. Moreover, having obtained permissionof the emperor to cross the Danube and to cultivate some districts inThrace, they crossed the stream day and night, without ceasing, embarking in troops on board ships and rafts, and canoes made of thehollow trunks of trees, in which enterprise, as the Danube is the mostdifficult of all rivers to navigate, and was at that time swollen withcontinual rains, a great many were drowned, who, because they were toonumerous for the vessels, tried to swim across, and in spite of alltheir exertions were swept away by the stream. 

6. In this way, through the turbulent zeal of violent people, the ruinof the Roman empire was brought on. This, at all events, is neitherobscure nor uncertain, that the unhappy officers who were intrusted withthe charge of conducting the multitude of the barbarians across theriver, though they repeatedly endeavoured to calculate their numbers, atlast abandoned the attempt as hopeless: and the man who would wish toascertain the number might as well (as the most illustrious ofpoets[190] says) attempt to count the waves in the African sea, or thegrains of sand tossed about by the zephyr. 

7. Let, however, the ancient annals be accredited which record that thePersian host which was led into Greece, was, while encamped on theshores of the Hellespont, and making a new and artificial sea, [191]numbered in battalions at Doriscus; a computation which has beenunanimously regarded by all posterity as fabulous. 

8. But after the innumerable multitudes of different nations, diffusedover all our provinces, and spreading themselves over the vast expanseof our plains, who filled all the champaign country and all the mountainranges, are considered, the credibility of the ancient accounts isconfirmed by this modern instance. And first of all Fritigern wasreceived with Alavivus; and the emperor assigned them a temporaryprovision for their immediate support, and ordered lands to be assignedthem to cultivate. 

9. At that time the defences of our provinces were much exposed, and thearmies of barbarians spread over them like the lava of Mount Etna. Theimminence of our danger manifestly called for generals alreadyillustrious for their past achievements in war: but nevertheless, as ifsome unpropitious deity had made the selection, the men who were soughtout for the chief military appointments were of tainted character. Thechief among them were Lupicinus and Maximus, the one being Count ofThrace, the other a leader notoriously wicked--and both men of greatignorance and rashness. 

10. And their treacherous covetousness was the cause of all ourdisasters. For (to pass over other matters in which the officersaforesaid, or others with their unblushing connivance, displayed thegreatest profligacy in their injurious treatment of the foreignersdwelling in our territory, against whom no crime could be alleged) thisone melancholy and unprecedented piece of conduct (which, even if theywere to choose their own judges, must appear wholly unpardonable) mustbe mentioned. 

11. When the barbarians who had been conducted across the river were ingreat distress from want of provisions, those detested generalsconceived the idea of a most disgraceful traffic: and having collectedhounds from all quarters with the most insatiable rapacity, theyexchanged them for an equal number of slaves, among whom were severalsons of men of noble birth. 

12. About this time also, Vitheric, the king of the Gruthungi, withAlatheus and Saphrax, by whose influence he was mainly guided, and alsowith Farnobius, approached the bank of the Danube, and sent envoys tothe emperor to entreat that he also might be received with the samekindness that Alavivus and Fritigern had experienced. 

13. But when, as seemed best for the interests of the state, theseambassadors had been rejected, and were in great anxiety as to what theyshould do, Athanaric, fearing similar treatment, departed; recollectingthat long ago when he was discussing a treaty of alliance with Valens, he had treated that emperor with contempt, in affirming that he wasbound by a religious obligation never to set his foot on the Romanterritory; and that by this excuse he had compelled the emperor toconclude a peace in the middle of the war. And he, fearing that thegrudge which Valens bore him for this conduct was still lasting, withdrew with all his forces to Caucalandes, a place which, from theheight of its mountains and the thickness of its woods, is completelyinaccessible; and from which he had lately driven out the Sarmatians. 

V. 

§ 1. But the Thuringians, though they had some time since receivedpermission to cross the river, were still wandering up and down thebanks, being hindered by a twofold obstacle; first, that in consequenceof the mischievous dissimulation of the said generals they were notsupplied with the necessary provisions; and also because they weredesignedly detained that they might the more easily be plundered underthe wicked semblance of traffic. 

2. And when they ascertained these facts, they began to grumble, andproposed to resist the evils which they apprehended from the treacheryof these men by open force; and Lupicinus, who feared that they wouldresist, brought up his troops close to them, in order to compel them tobe gone with all possible rapidity. 

3. The Gruthungi seized this as a favourable opportunity, and seeingthat the Roman soldiers were occupied in another quarter, and that thevessels which used to go up and down, to prevent them from crossing, were now stationary, crossed the river on roughly-made rafts, andpitched their camp at a great distance from Fritigern. 

4. But he, by his innate foresight, provided against everything thatcould happen, and marching on slowly as well in obedience to thecommands he had received as to allow time for other powerful kings tojoin him, came by slow marches to Marcianopolis, arriving later than hewas expected. And here another atrocious occurrence took place, whichkindled the torches of the Furies for general calamity. 

5. Alavivus and Fritigern were invited to a banquet; while Lupicinusdrew up his soldiers against the chief host of the barbarians, and sokept them at a distance from the walls of the town; though they withhumble perseverance implored admission in order so to procure necessaryprovisions, professing themselves loyal and obedient subjects. At last aserious strife arose between the citizens and the strangers who werethus refused admittance, which gradually led to a regular battle. Andthe barbarians, being excited to an unusual pitch of ferocity when theysaw their relations treated as enemies, began to plunder the soldierswhom they had slain. 

6. But when Lupicinus, of whom we have already spoken, learnt by secretintelligence that this was taking place, while he was engaged in anextravagant entertainment, surrounded by buffoons, and almost overcomeby wine and sleep, he, fearing the issue, put to death all the guardswho, partly as a compliment and partly as a guard to the chiefs, were onduty before the general's tent. 

7. The people who were still around the walls heard of this with greatindignation, and rising up by degrees into a resolution to avenge theirkings, who, as they fancied, were being detained as prisoners, broke outwith furious threats. And Fritigern, being a man of great readiness ofresource, and fearing that perhaps he might be detained with the rest asa hostage, exclaimed that there would be a terrible and destructiveconflict if he were not allowed to go forth with his companions in orderto pacify the multitude, who he said had broken out in this tumult frombelieving that their leaders had been trepanned and murdered under showof courtesy. Having obtained permission, they all went forth, and werereceived with cheers and great delight; they then mounted their horsesand fled, in order to kindle wars in many quarters. 

8. When Fame, ever the malignant nurse of bad news, bruited thisabroad, the whole nation of the Thuringians became suddenly inflamedwith a desire for war; and among many preparations which seemed tobetoken danger, the standards of war were raised according to custom, and the trumpets poured forth sounds of evil omen; while the predatorybands collected in troops plundering and burning villages, and throwingeverything that came in their way into alarm by their fearfuldevastations. 

9. Against these hosts, Lupicinus, having collected his forces with thegreatest possible rapidity, advanced with more rashness than prudence, and halted in battle array nine miles from the city. The barbarians, perceiving this, charged our battalions before we expected them, anddashing upon the shields with which they covered their bodies, they cutdown all who fell in their way with their swords and spears; and urgedon by their bloodthirsty fury, they continued the slaughter, till theyhad taken our standards, and the tribunes and the greater part of thesoldiers had fallen, with the exception of the unhappy general, whocould find nothing to do but, while all the rest were fighting, tobetake himself to flight, and return full gallop to the city. And thenthe enemies, clothing themselves in the arms of the Romans whom they hadslain, pushed on their devastating march without hindrance. 

10. And since, after recounting various other exploits, we have now cometo this portion of our subject, we call upon our readers (if we shallever have any) not to expect a minute detail of everything that tookplace, or of the number of the slain, which indeed it would be utterlyimpossible to give. It will be sufficient to abstain from concealing anypart of the truth by a lie, and to give the general outline of what tookplace: since a faithful honesty of narration is always proper if onewould hand events down to the recollection of posterity. 

11. Those who are ignorant of antiquity declare that the republic wasnever so overwhelmed with the darkness of adverse fortune; but they aredeceived in consequence of the stupor into which they are thrown bythese calamities, which are still fresh in their memory. For if theevents of former ages, or even of those immediately preceding our owntimes are considered, it will be plain that such melancholy events haveoften happened, of which I will bring to mind several instances. 

12. The Teutones and the Cimbri came suddenly from the remote shores ofthe ocean, and overran Italy; but, after having inflicted enormousdisasters on the Roman republic, they were at last overcome by ourillustrious generals, and being wholly vanquished, learnt by theirultimate destruction what martial valour, combined with skill, caneffect. 

13. Again, in the reign of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the insane furyof a number of different nations combined together, after fearful wars. . . Would have left but a small part of them. 

14. But, soon after these calamitous losses, the state wasre-established in all its former strength and prosperity; because thesoberness of our ancestry had not yet become infected with the luxuryand softness of a more effeminate way of life, and had not learnt toindulge in splendid banquets, or the criminal acquisition of riches. Butboth the highest classes and the lowest living in harmony, and imbuedwith one unanimous spirit, eagerly embraced a glorious death in thecause of the republic as a tranquil and quiet haven. 

15. The great multitudes of the Scythian nations, having burst throughthe Bosphorus, and made their way to the shores of the Sea of Azov with2000 ships, inflicted fearful losses on us by land and sea; but alsolost a great portion of their own men, and so at last returned to theirown country. 

16. Those great generals, the Decii, father and son, fell fightingagainst the barbarians. The cities of Pamphylia were besieged, manyislands were laid waste; Macedon was ravaged with fire and sword. Anenormous host for a long time blockaded Thessalonica and Cyzicus. Arabiaalso was taken; and so at the same time was Nicopolis, which had beenbuilt by the Emperor Trajan as a monument of his victory over theDacians. 

17. After many fearful losses had been both sustained and inflictedPhilippopolis was destroyed, and, unless our annals speak falsely, 100, 000 men were slaughtered within its walls. Foreign enemies rovedunrestrained over Epirus, and Thessaly, and the whole of Greece; butafter that glorious general Claudius had been taken as a colleague inthe empire (though again lost to us by an honourable death), the enemywas routed by Aurelian, an untiring leader, and a severe avenger ofinjuries; and after that they remained quiet for a long time withoutattempting anything, except that some bands of robbers now and thenranged the districts in their own neighbourhood, always, however, totheir own injury. And now I will return to the main history from which Ihave digressed. 

VI. 

§ 1. When this series of occurrences had been made generally known byfrequent messengers, Sueridus and Colias, two nobles of the Goths, whohad some time before been friendly received with their people, and hadbeen sent to Hadrianople to pass the winter in that city, thinking theirown safety the most important of all objects, looked on all the eventswhich were taking place with great indifference. 

2. But, on a sudden, letters having arrived from the emperor, in whichthey were ordered to cross over to the province of the Hellespont, theyasked, in a very modest manner, to be provided with money to defray theexpenses of their march, as well as provisions, and to be allowed arespite of two days. But the chief magistrate of the city was indignantat this request, being also out of humour with them on account of someinjury which had been done to property of his own in the suburbs, andcollected a great mob of the lowest of the people, with a body ofarmourers, of whom there is a great number in that place, and led themforth armed to hasten the departure of the Goths. And ordering thetrumpeters to sound an alarm, he menaced them with destruction unlessthey at once departed with all speed, as they had been ordered. 

3. The Goths, bewildered by this unexpected calamity, and alarmed atthis outbreak of the citizens, which looked more as if caused by asudden impulse than by any deliberate purpose, stood without moving. Andbeing assailed beyond all endurance by reproaches and manifestations ofill will, and also by occasional missiles, they at last broke out intoopen revolt; having slain several of those who had at first attackedthem with too much petulance, and having put the rest to flight, andwounded many with all kinds of weapons, they stripped their corpses andarmed themselves with the spoils in the Roman fashion; and then, seeingFritigern near them, they united themselves to him as obedient allies, and blockaded the city. They remained some time, maintaining thisdifficult position and making promiscuous attacks, during which theylost some of their number by their own audacity, without being able toavenge them; while many were slain by arrows and large stones hurledfrom slings. 

4. Then Fritigern, perceiving that his men, who were unaccustomed tosieges, were struggling in vain, and sustaining heavy losses, advisedhis army to leave a force sufficient to maintain the blockade, and todepart with the rest, acknowledging their failure, and saying that "Hedid not war with stone walls. " Advising them also to lay waste all thefertile regions around without any distinction, and to plunder thoseplaces which were not defended by any garrisons. 

5. His counsel was approved, as his troops knew that he was always avery able commander in bringing their plans to success; and then theydispersed over the whole district of Thrace, advancing cautiously; whilethose who came of their own accord to surrender, or those whom they hadtaken prisoners, pointed out to them the richest towns, and especiallythose where it was said that supplies of provisions could be found. Andin addition to their natural confidence they were greatly encouraged bythis circumstance, that a multitude of that nation came in daily to jointhem who had formerly been sold as slaves by the merchants, with manyothers whom, when at their first passage of the river they weresuffering from severe want, they had bartered for a little bad wine ormorsels of bread. 

6. To these were added no inconsiderable number of men skilled intracing out veins of gold, but who were unable to endure the heavyburden of their taxes; and who, having been received with the cheerfulconsent of all, they were of great use to them while traversing strangedistricts--showing them the secret stores of grain, the retreats of men, and other hiding-places of divers kinds. 

7. Nor while these men led them on as their guides did anything remainuntouched by them, except what was inaccessible or wholly out of theway; for without any distinction of age or sex they went forwarddestroying everything in one vast slaughter and conflagration: tearinginfants even from their mother's breast and slaying them; ravishingtheir mothers; slaughtering women's husbands before the eyes of thosewhom they thus made widows; while boys of tender and of adult age weredragged over the corpses of their parents. 

8. Lastly, numbers of old men, crying out that they had lived longenough, having lost all their wealth, together with beautiful women, hadtheir hands bound behind their back, and were driven into banishment, bewailing the ashes of their native homes. 

VII. 

A. D. 377. 

§ 1. This news from Thrace was received with great sorrow, and causedthe Emperor Valens much anxiety. [192] He instantly sent Victor, thecommander of the cavalry, into Persia, to make such arrangements inArmenia as were required by the impending danger. While he himselfprepared at once to quit Antioch and go to Constantinople, sendingbefore him Profuturus and Trajan, both officers of rank and ambition, but of no great skill in war. 

2. When they arrived at the place where it seemed most expedient tocombat this hostile multitude in detail and by ambuscades and surprises, they very injudiciously adopted the ill-considered plan of opposing thelegions which had arrived from Armenia to barbarians who were stillraging like madmen. Though the legions had repeatedly proved equal tothe dangers of a pitched battle and regular warfare, they were notsuited to encounter an innumerable host which occupied all the chains ofthe lofty hills, and also all the plains. 

3. Our men had never yet experienced what can be effected byindomitable rage united with despair, and so having driven back theenemy beyond the abrupt precipices of the Balkan, they seized upon therugged defiles in order to hem in the barbarians on ground from whichthey would be unable to find any exit, and where it seemed they might beovercome by famine. They themselves intended to await the arrival ofFrigeridus, the duke, who was hastening towards them with theauxiliaries from Pannonia and other countries, and whom, at the requestof Valens, Gratian had commanded to march to the camp to aid those whowere menaced with total destruction. 

4. After him, Richomeres, at that time count of the domestics, who also, by the command of Gratian, had moved forwards from Gaul, hastenedtowards Thrace, [193] bringing with him some cohorts, which were cohortsin name, though the greater portion of them had already deserted (if wewould believe some people), by the persuasion of Merobaudes, fearinglest Gaul, now divested of all the troops, would be ravaged withoutcheck after the barbarians had forced the passage of the Rhine. 

5. But Frigeridus was prevented from moving by the gout, or at allevents (as some of his malicious detractors represented it), he pleadedsickness as an excuse for not being present in the struggles which wereexpected, and so Richomeres, being unanimously called to the chiefcommand, with Profuturus and Trajan for his colleagues, advanced towardsthe town of Salices--at no great distance from which was a countlesshost of barbarians, arranged in a circle, with a great multitude ofwaggons for a rampart around them, behind which, as if protected by aspacious wall, they enjoyed ease and an abundance of booty. 

6. Filled with hopes of success, the Roman generals--resolved on somegallant enterprise should fortune afford them an opportunity--werecarefully watching the movements of the Goths! having formed thedesign--if they moved their camp in any other direction, which they werevery much in the habit of doing--to fall upon their rear, making nodoubt that they should slay many of them, and recover a great portion oftheir spoil. 

7. When the barbarians learnt this, probably through the information ofsome deserter, from whom they obtained a knowledge of our operations, they remained for some time in the same place; but at last, beinginfluenced by fear of the opposing army, and of the reinforcements whichmight be expected to throng to them, they assembled, by a preconcertedsignal, the predatory bands dispersed in different districts, and which, the moment they received the orders of their leaders, returned likefirebrands, with the swiftness of birds, to their "encampment ofchariots" (as they call it), and thus gave their countrymen confidenceto attempt greater enterprises. 

8. After this there was no cessation of hostilities between the twoparties except what was afforded by a few short truces; for after thosemen had returned to the camp whom necessity had forced to quit it, thewhole body which was crowded within the circuit of the encampment, beingfull of fierce discontent, excitement, and a most ferocious spirit, andnow reduced to the greatest extremities, were eager for bloodshed: nordid their chiefs, who were present with them, resist their desire; andas the resolution to give battle was taken when the sun was sinking, andwhen the approach of night invited the sullen and discontented troops torest, they took some food quietly, but remained all night sleepless. 

9. On the other hand the Romans, knowing what was going on, keptthemselves also awake, fearing the enemy and their insane leaders as somany furious wild beasts: nevertheless, with fearless minds they awaitedthe result, which, though they acknowledged it to be doubtful in respectof their inferiority in number, they still trusted would be propitiousbecause of the superior justice of their cause. 

10. Therefore the next day, as soon as it was light, the signal fortaking arms having been given by the trumpets on both sides, thebarbarians, after having, in accordance with their usual custom, takenan oath to remain faithful to their standards, attempted to gain thehigher ground, in order that from it they might descend down the steeplike wheels, overwhelming their enemy by the vigour of their attack. When this was seen, our soldiers all flocked to their proper regiments, and then stood firm, neither turning aside nor in any instance evenleaving their ranks to rush forward. 

11. Therefore when the armies on both sides, advancing more cautiously, at last halted and stood immovable, the warriors, with mutual sternness, surveying each other with fierce looks. The Romans in every part oftheir line sang warlike songs, with a voice rising from a lower to ahigher key, which they call barritus, [194] and so encouraged themselvesto gallant exertions. But the barbarians, with dissonant clamour, shouted out the praises of their ancestors, and amid their variousdiscordant cries, tried occasional light skirmishes. 

12. And now each army began to assail the other with javelins and othersimilar missiles; and then with threatening shouts rushed on to closecombat, and packing their shields together like a testudo, they camefoot to foot with their foes. The barbarians, active, and easilyrallied, hurled huge bludgeons, burnt at one end, against our men, andvigorously thrust their swords against the opposing breasts of theRomans, till they broke our left wing; but as it recoiled, it fell backon a strong body of reserve which was vigorously brought up on theirflank, and supported them just as they were on the very point ofdestruction. 

13. Therefore, while the battle raged with vast slaughter, eachindividual soldier rushing fiercely on the dense ranks of the enemy, thearrows and javelins flew like hail; the blows of swords were equallyrapid; while the cavalry, too, pressed on, cutting down all who fledwith terrible and mighty wounds on their backs; as also on both sidesdid the infantry, slaughtering and hamstringing those who had fallendown, and through fear were unable to fly. 

14. And when the whole place was filled with corpses, some also layamong them still half alive, vainly cherishing a hope of life, some ofthem having been pierced with bullets hurled from slings, others witharrows barbed with iron. Some again had their heads cloven in half withblows of swords, so that one side of their heads hung down on eachshoulder in a most horrible manner. 

15. Meanwhile, stubborn as the conflict was, neither party was wearied, but they still fought on with equal valour and equal fortune, nor didany one relax in his sternness as long as his courage could give himstrength for exertion. But at last the day yielded to the evening, andput an end to the deadly contest: the barbarians all withdrew, in noorder, each taking his own path, and our men returned sorrowfully totheir tents. 

16. Then having paid the honours of burial to some among the dead, aswell as the time and place permitted, the rest of the corpses were leftas a banquet to the ill-omened birds, which at that time were accustomedto feed on carcases--as is even now shown by the places which are stillwhite with bones. It is quite certain that the Romans, who werecomparatively few, and contending with vastly superior numbers, sufferedserious losses, while at the same time the barbarians did not escapewithout much lamentable slaughter. 

VIII. 

§ 1. Upon the melancholy termination of this battle, our men sought aretreat in the neighbouring city of Marcianopolis. The Goths, of theirown accord, fell back behind the ramparts formed by their waggons, andfor seven days they never once ventured to come forth or showthemselves. So our soldiers, seizing the opportunity, raised a barrier, and shut in some other vast multitudes of the barbarians among thedefiles of the Balkan, in hope, forsooth, that this destructive hostbeing thus hemmed in between the Danube and the desert, and having noroad by which to escape, must perish by famine, since everything whichcould serve to sustain life had been conveyed into the fortified cities, and these cities were safe from any attempt of the barbarians to besiegethem, since they were wholly ignorant of the use of warlike engines. 

2. After this Richomeres returned to Gaul, to convey reinforcements tothat country, where a fresh war of greater importance than ever, wasanticipated. These events took place in the fourth consulship ofGratian, and the first of Merobaudes, towards the autumn of the year. 

3. In the mean time Valens, having heard of the miserable result ofthese wars and devastations, gave Saturninus the command of thecavalry, and sent him to carry aid to Trajan and Profuturus. 

4. At that time, throughout the whole countries of Scythia and Moesia, everything which could be eaten had been consumed; and so, urged equallyby their natural ferocity and by hunger, the barbarians made desperateefforts to force their way out of the position in which they wereenclosed but though they made frequent attempts, they were constantlyoverwhelmed by the vigour of our men, who made an effectual resistanceby the aid of the rugged ground which they occupied; and at last, beingreduced to the extremity of distress, they allured some of the Huns andAlani to their alliance by the hope of extensive plunder. 

5. When this was known, Saturninus (for by this time he had arrived andwas busy in arranging the outposts and military stations in the country)gradually collected his men, and was preparing to retreat, in pursuanceof a sufficiently well-devised plan, lest the multitude of barbarians bysome sudden movement (like a river which had burst its barriers by theviolence of a flood) should easily overthrow his whole force, which hadnow been for some time watching the place from which danger wassuspected. 

6. The moment that, by the seasonable retreat of our men, the passage ofthese defiles was opened, the barbarians, in no regular order, butwherever each individual could find a passage, rushed forth withouthindrance to spread confusion among us; and raging with a desire fordevastation and plunder, spread themselves with impunity over the wholeregion of Thrace, from the districts watered by the Danube, to MountRhodope and the strait which separates the Ægean from the Black Sea, spreading ravage, slaughter, bloodshed, and conflagration, and throwingeverything into the foulest disorder by all sorts of acts of violencecommitted even on the free-born. 

7. Then one might see, with grief, actions equally horrible to beholdand to speak of: women panic-stricken, beaten with cracking scourges;some even in pregnancy, whose very offspring, before they were born, hadto endure countless horrors: here were seen children twining round theirmothers; there one might hear the lamentations of noble youths andmaidens all seized and doomed to captivity. 

8. Again, grown-up virgins and chaste matrons were dragged along withcountenances disfigured by bitter weeping, wishing to avoid theviolation of their modesty by any death however agonizing. Here somewealthy nobleman was dragged along like a wild beast, complaining, offortune as merciless and blind, who in a brief moment had stripped himof his riches, of his beloved relations, and his home; had made him seehis house reduced to ashes, and had reduced him to expect either to betorn limb from limb himself, or else to be exposed to scourging andtorture, as the slave of a ferocious conqueror. 

9. But the barbarians, like beasts who had broken loose from theircages, pouring unrestrainedly over the vast extent of country, marchedupon a town called Dibaltum, where they found Barzimeres, a tribune ofthe Scutarii, with his battalion, and some of the Cornuti legion, andseveral other bodies of infantry pitching a camp, like a veteran generalof great experience as he was. 

10. Instantly (as the only means of avoiding immediate destruction) heordered the trumpet to give the signal for battle; and strengthening hisflanks, rushed forward with his little army in perfect order. And hemade so gallant a struggle, that the barbarians would have obtained noadvantage over him, if a strong body of cavalry had not come round uponhim from behind, while his men were panting and weary with theirexertions: so at last he fell, but not without having inflicted greatslaughter on the barbarians, though the vastness of their numbers madetheir losses less observed. 

IX. 

§ 1. After this affair had terminated, the Goths, being uncertain whatnext to do, went in quest of Frigeridus, with the resolution to destroyhim wherever they could find him, as a formidable obstacle to theirsuccess; and having rested for a while to refresh themselves with sleepand better food than usual, they then pursued him like so many wildbeasts, having learnt that by Gratian's order he had returned intoThrace, and had pitched his camp near Beræa, intending to wait there tosee how affairs would turn out. 

2. They hastened accordingly, that by a rapid march they might carryout their proposed plan; but Frigeridus, who knew as well how to commandas to preserve his troops, either suspected their plans, or elseobtained accurate information respecting them from the scouts whom hehad sent out; and therefore returned over the mountains and through thethick forests into Illyricum; being full of joy at the success which anunexpected chance threw in his way. 

3. For as he was retreating, and moving on steadily with his force in asolid column, he came upon Farnobius, one of the chieftains of theGoths, who was roaming about at random with a large predatory band, anda body of the Taifali, with whom he had lately made an alliance, and who(if it is worth mentioning), when our soldiers were all dispersed forfear of the strange nations which were threatening them, had takenadvantage of their dispersion to cross the river, in order to plunderthe country thus left without defenders. 

4. When their troops thus suddenly came in sight, our general with greatprudence prepared to bring on a battle at close quarters, and, in spiteof their ferocious threats, at once attacked the combined leaders of thetwo nations; and would have slain them all, not leaving a single one ofthem to convey news of their disaster, if, after Farnobius, hitherto themuch-dreaded cause of all these troubles, had been slain, with a greatnumber of his men, he had not voluntarily spared the rest on their ownearnest supplication; and then he distributed those to whom he had thusgranted their lives in the districts around the Italian towns of Modena, Reggio, and Parma, which he allotted to them to cultivate. 

5. It is said that this nation of the Taifali was so profligate, and soimmersed in the foulest obscenities of life, that they indulged in allkinds of unnatural lusts, exhausting the vigour both of youth andmanhood in the most polluted defilements of debauchery. But if any adultcaught a boar or slew a bear single-handed, he was then exempted fromall compulsion of submitting to such ignominious pollution. 

X. 

§ 1. It was when autumn was passing into winter that terrible whirlwindsswept over Thrace; and as if the Furies were throwing everything intoconfusion, awful storms extended even into distant regions. 

2. And now the people of the Allemanni, belonging to the district ofLintz, who border on the Tyrol, having by treacherous incursionsviolated the treaty which had been made with them some time before, began to make attempts upon our frontier; and this calamity had thefollowing lamentable beginning. 

3. One of this nation who was serving among the guards of the emperor, returned home at the call of some private business of his own; and beinga very talkative person, when he was continually asked what was doing inthe palace, he told them that Valens, his uncle, had sent for Gratian toconduct the campaign in the East, in order that by their combined forcesthey might drive back the inhabitants of the countries on our easternfrontier, who had all conspired for the overthrow of the Roman state. 

4. The people of Lintz greedily swallowed this intelligence, looking onit as if it concerned themselves also as neighbours, being so rapid andactive in their movements; and so they assembled, in predatory bands, and when the Rhine was sufficiently frozen over to be passable, in themonth of February. . . . The Celtæ, with the Petulantes legion, repulsedthem, but not without considerable loss. 

5. These Germans, though thus compelled to retreat, being aware that thegreater part of our army had been despatched into Illyricum, where theemperor was about to follow to assume the command, became more bold thanever, and conceived the idea of greater enterprises. Having collectedthe inhabitants of all the adjacent countries into one body, and with40, 000 armed men, or 70, 000, as some, who seek to enhance the renown ofthe emperor, have boasted, they with great arrogance and confidenceburst into our territories. 

6. Gratian, when he heard of this event, was greatly alarmed, andrecalling the cohorts which he had sent on before into Pannonia, andcollecting others whom he had prudently retained in Gaul, he committedthe affair to the conduct of Nannienus, a leader of great prudence andskill, joining with him as his colleague with equal power, Mellobaudes, the count-commander of the domestics and king of the Franks, a man ofgreat courage and renown in war. [195]

7. Nannienus took into his consideration the variable chances offortune, and therefore voted for acting slowly and with caution, whileMellobaudes, hurried away by a fierce desire for fighting, according tohis usual custom, was eager at once to march against the enemy; andwould not brook delay. 

8. Presently a horrid shout was raised by the enemy, and the trumpeterson our side also gave the signal for battle, upon which a fierceengagement began near Colmar. On both sides numbers fell beneath theblows of arrows and hurled javelins. 

9. But while the battle was raging, the multitude of the enemy appearedso countless, that our soldiers, avoiding a conflict with them on theopen field, dispersed as best they could among the different narrowpaths overgrown with trees; but they afterwards stood their groundfirmly, and by the boldness of their carriage and the dazzling splendourof their arms, when seen from a distance, made the barbarians fear thatthe emperor himself was at hand. 

10. And they suddenly turned their backs, still offering occasionalresistance, to leave no chance for safety untried; but at last they wererouted with such slaughter that of their whole number not above 9, 000, as was reckoned, escaped, and these owed their safety to the thicknessof the woods. Among the many bold and gallant men who perished was theirking, Priarius, who had been the principal cause of this ruinous war. 

11. Gratian was greatly delighted and encouraged by this success; andintending now to proceed to the East, he secretly crossed the Rhine, andturned his march to the left, being full of sanguine hopes, andresolving, if fortune should only favour his enterprise, to destroy thewhole of this treacherous and turbulent nation. 

12. And as intelligence of this design was conveyed to the people ofLintz by repeated messengers, they, who had already been reduced togreat weakness by the almost entire destruction of their forces, andwere now greatly alarmed at the expected approach of the emperor, hesitated what to do, and as neither by resistance, nor by anythingwhich they could do or devise, did they perceive any possibility ofobtaining ever so brief a respite, they withdrew with speed to theirhills, which were almost inaccessible from the steepness of theirprecipices, and reaching the most inaccessible rocks by a winding path, they conveyed thither their riches and their families, and prepared todefend them with all their might. 

13. Having deliberated on this difficulty, our general selected 500 menof proved experience in war out of each legion, to station opposite tothe entrances to this wall of rock. And they, being further encouragedby the fact that the emperor himself was continually seen activelyemployed among the front rank, endeavoured to scale the precipices, notdoubting but that if they could once set foot upon the rocks they shouldinstantly catch the barbarians, like so much game, without any conflict;and so an engagement was commenced towards the approach of noon, andlasted even to the darkness of night. 

14. Both sides experienced heavy losses. Our men slew numbers, and fellin numbers; and the armour of the emperor's body-guard, glittering withgold and brilliant colours, was crushed beneath the weight of the heavymissiles hurled upon them. 

15. Gratian held a long deliberation with his chief officers; and itseemed to them fruitless and mischievous to contend with unreasonableobstinacy against these rugged and overhanging rocks; at last (as isusual in such affairs), after various opinions had been delivered, itwas determined, without making any more active efforts, to blockade thebarbarians and reduce them by famine; since against all activeenterprises the character of the ground which they occupied was asufficient defence. 

16. But the Germans still held out with unflinching obstinacy, and beingthoroughly acquainted with the country, retreated to other mountainsstill more lofty than those which they occupied at first. Thither alsothe emperor turned with his army, with the same energy as before, seeking for a path which might lead him to the heights. 

17. And when the barbarians saw him thus with unwearied perseveranceintent upon their destruction, they surrendered; and having by humblesupplication obtained mercy, they furnished a reinforcement of theflower of their youth to be mingled with our recruits, and werepermitted to retire in safety to their native land. 

18. It is beyond all belief how much vigour and rapidity of actionGratian, by the favour of the eternal Deity, displayed in gaining thisseasonable and beneficial victory, which broke the power of the Westerntribes at a time when he was preparing to hasten in another direction. He was indeed a young prince of admirable disposition, eloquent, moderate, warlike, and merciful, rivalling the most admirable of hispredecessors, even while the down of youth was still upon his cheeks;the only drawback to his character being that he was sometimes drawninto ridiculous actions, when, in consequence of temptations held out byhis minions and favourites, he imitated the vain pursuits of CæsarCommodus; but he was never bloodthirsty. 

19. For as that prince, because he had been accustomed to slay numbersof wild beasts with his javelins in the sight of the people, and pridedhimself beyond measure on the skill with which he slew a hundred lionslet loose at the same time in the amphitheatre with different missiles, and without ever having to repeat his shot; so Gratian, in theenclosures called preserves, slew wild beasts with his arrows, neglecting much serious business for this amusement, and this at a timewhen if Marcus Antoninus had resumed the empire he would have found ithard, without colleagues of equal genius to his own, and without themost serious deliberation of counsel, to remedy the grievous disastersof the republic. 

20. Therefore having made all the arrangements which the time wouldpermit for the affairs of Gaul, and having punished the traitor of theScutarii who had betrayed to the barbarians the intelligence that theemperor was about to depart with all speed for Illyricum, Gratianusquitted the army, and passing through the fortress known as that ofArbor Felix, he proceeded by forced marches to carry his assistance tothose who needed it. 

21. About this time, while Frigeridus was with great wisdom devisingmany schemes likely to prove of advantage to the general safety, and waspreparing to fortify the defiles of the Succi, to prevent the enemy(who, by the rapidity of their movements and their fondness for sallies, were always threatening the northern provinces like a torrent) fromextending their inroads any further he was superseded by a count namedMaurus, a man cruel, ferocious, fickle, and untrustworthy. This man, aswe have related in our account of preceding transactions being one ofJulian's body-guard to whom the defence of the palace was expresslycommitted, while that prince was doubting about accepting the imperialauthority, took the chain from his own neck and offered it to him for adiadem. 

22. Thus, in the most critical aspect of our difficulties, a cautiousand energetic general was removed, when, even if he had previouslyretired into private life, he ought, from the greatness of the affairswhich required his superintendence, to have been brought back again tothe camp. 

XI. 

A. D. 378. 

§ 1. About the same time Valens quitted Antioch, and, after a longjourney, came to Constantinople, where he stayed a few days, being madeanxious by a trifling sedition among the citizens. He intrusted thecommand of the infantry, which had previously been committed to Trajan, to Sebastian, who at his request had been lately sent to him from Italy, being a general of well-known vigilance; and he himself went toMelanthias, a country palace belonging to the emperors, where heconciliated the soldiers by giving them their pay, furnishing them withprovisions, and frequently addressing them in courteous speeches. 

2. Having left this place, he proceeded according to the stages he hadmarked out, and came to a station named Nice, where he learnt fromintelligence brought by his scouts, that the barbarians, who hadcollected a rich booty, were returning loaded with it from the districtsabout Mount Rhodope, and were now near Hadrianople. They, hearing ofthe approach of the emperor with a numerous force, were hastening tojoin their countrymen, who were in strong positions around Beræa andNicopolis; and immediately (as the ripeness of the opportunity thusthrown in his way required) the emperor ordered Sebastian to hasten onwith three hundred picked soldiers of each legion, to do something (ashe promised) of signal advantage to the commonweal. 

3. Sebastian pushed on by forced marches, and came in sight of the enemynear Hadrianople; but as the gates were barred against him, he wasunable to approach nearer, since the garrison feared that he had beentaken prisoner by the enemy, and won over by them: so that something tothe injury of the city might happen, like what had formerly taken placein the case of Count Actus, who had been cunningly taken prisoner by thesoldiers of Magnentius, and who thus caused the opening of the passes ofthe Julian Alps. 

4. At last, though late, they recognized Sebastian, and allowed him toenter the city. He, then, as well as he could, refreshed the troopsunder his command with food and rest, and next morning secretly issuedforth, and towards evening, being partially concealed by the risingground and some trees, he suddenly caught sight of the predatory bandsof the Goths near the river Maritza, where, favoured by the darkness ofnight, he charged them while in disorder and unprepared, routing them socompletely that, with the exception of a few whom swiftness of footsaved from death, the whole body were slain, and he recovered such anenormous quantity of booty, that neither the city, nor the extensiveplains around could contain it. 

5. Fritigern was greatly alarmed; and fearing lest this general, who aswe have often heard succeeded in all his undertakings, should surpriseand utterly destroy his different detachments, which were scattered atrandom over the country, intent only on plunder, he called in all hismen near the town of Cabyle, and at once made off, in order to gain theopen country, where he would not be liable to be straitened for want ofprovisions, or harassed by secret ambuscades. 

6. While these events were proceeding in Thrace, Gratian having sentletters to inform his uncle of the energy with which he had overcome theAllemanni, and forwarded his baggage by land, himself, with a pickedband of his quickest troops, crossed the Danube, reached Bononia, andafterwards Sirmium, where he halted four days. He then descended theriver to the Camp of Mars, where he was laid up by an intermittentfever, and, being suddenly assailed by the Alani, lost a few of hisfollowers. 

XII. 

§ 1. At this time Valens was disturbed by a twofold anxiety, havinglearned that the people of Lintz had been defeated, and also becauseSebastian, in the letters which he sent from time to time, exaggeratedwhat had taken place by his pompous language. Therefore he advanced fromMelanthias, being eager by some glorious exploit to equal his youthfulnephew, by whose virtue he was greatly excited. He was at the head of anumerous force, neither unwarlike nor contemptible, and had united withthem many veteran bands, among whom were several officers of high rank, especially Trajan, who a little while before had been commander of theforces. 

2. And as by means of spies and observation it was ascertained that theenemy were intending to blockade the different roads by which thenecessary supplies must come, with strong divisions, he sent asufficient force to prevent this, despatching a body of the archers ofthe infantry and a squadron of cavalry, with all speed, to occupy thenarrow passes in the neighbourhood. 

3. Three days afterwards, when the barbarians, who were advancingslowly, because they feared an attack in the unfavourable ground whichthey were traversing, arrived within fifteen miles from the station ofNice, which was the aim of their march, the emperor, with wantonimpetuosity, resolved on attacking them instantly, because those who hadbeen sent forward to reconnoitre (what led to such a mistake is unknown)affirmed that their entire body did not exceed ten thousand men. 

4. Marching on with his army in battle array, he came near the suburbof Hadrianople, where he pitched his camp, strengthening it with arampart of palisades, and then impatiently waited for Gratian. Whilehere, Richomeres, Count of the Domestici, arrived, who had been sent onby that emperor with letters announcing his immediate approach. 

5. And imploring Valens to wait a little while for him that he mightshare his danger, and not rashly face the danger before him singlehanded, he took counsel with his officers as to what was best to bedone. 

6. Some, following the advice of Sebastian, recommended with urgencythat he should at once go forth to battle; while Victor, master-generalof the cavalry, a Sarmatian by birth, but a man of slow and cautioustemper, recommended him to wait for his imperial colleague, and thisadvice was supported by several other officers, who suggested that thereinforcement of the Gallic army would be likely to awe the fieryarrogance of the barbarians. 

7. However, the fatal obstinacy of the emperor prevailed, fortified bythe flattery of some of the princes, who advised him to hasten with allspeed, so that Gratian might have no share in a victory which, as theyfancied, was already almost gained. 

8. And while all necessary preparations were being made for the battle, a presbyter of the Christian religion (as he called himself), havingbeen sent by Fritigern as his ambassador, came, with some colleagues oflow rank, to the emperor's camp; and having been received with courtesy, he presented a letter from that chieftain, openly requesting that theemperor would grant to him and to his followers, who were now exilesfrom their native homes, from which they had been driven by the rapidinvasions of savage nations, Thrace, with all its flocks and all itscrops, for a habitation. And if Valens would consent to this, Fritigernwould agree to a perpetual peace. 

9. In addition to this message, the same Christian, as one acquaintedwith his commander's secrets, and well trusted, produced other secretletters from his chieftain who, being full of craft and every resourceof deceit, informed Valens, as one who was hereafter to be his friendand ally, that he had no other means to appease the ferocity of hiscountrymen, or to induce them to accept conditions advantageous to theRoman state, unless from time to time he showed them an army under armsclose at hand, and by frightening them with the name of the emperor, recalled them from their mischievous eagerness for fighting. Theambassadors retired unsuccessful, having been looked on as suspiciouscharacters by the emperor. 

10. When the day broke which the annals mark as the fifth of the Ides ofAugust, the Roman standards were advanced with haste, the baggage havingbeen placed close to the walls of Hadrianople, under a sufficient guardof soldiers of the legions; the treasures and the chief insignia of theemperor's rank were within the walls, with the prefect and the principalmembers of the council. 

11. Then, having traversed the broken ground which divided the twoarmies, as the burning day was progressing towards noon, at last, aftermarching eight miles, our men came in sight of the waggons of the enemy, which had been stated by the scouts to be all arranged in a circle. According to their custom, the barbarian host raised a fierce andhideous yell, while the Roman generals marshalled their line of battle. The right wing of the cavalry was placed in front; the chief portion ofthe infantry was kept in reserve. 

12. But the left wing of the cavalry, of which a considerable numberwere still straggling on the road, were advancing with speed, thoughwith great difficulty; and while this wing was deploying, not as yetmeeting with any obstacle, the barbarians being alarmed at the terribleclang of their arms and the threatening crash of their shields (since alarge portion of their own army was still at a distance, under Alatheusand Saphrax, and, though sent for, had not yet arrived), again sentambassadors to ask for peace. 

13. The emperor was offended at the lowness of their rank, and replied, that if they wished to make a lasting treaty, they must send him noblesof sufficient dignity. They designedly delayed, in order by thefallacious truce which subsisted during the negotiation to give time fortheir cavalry to return, whom they looked upon as close at hand; and forour soldiers, already suffering from the summer heat, to become parchedand exhausted by the conflagration of the vast plain; as the enemy had, with this object, set fire to the crops by means of burning faggots andfuel. To this evil another was added, that both men and cattle weresuffering from extreme hunger. 

14. In the meantime Fritigern, being skilful in divining the future, andfearing a doubtful struggle, of his own head sent one of his men as aherald, requesting that some nobles and picked men should at once besent to him as hostages for his safety, when he himself would fearlesslybring us both military aid and supplies. 

15. The proposition of this formidable chief was received with praiseand approbation, and the tribune Equitius, a relation of Valens, who wasat that time high steward of the palace, was appointed, with generalconsent, to go with all speed to the barbarians as a hostage. But herefused, because he had once been taken prisoner by the enemy, and hadescaped from Dibaltum, so that he feared their vengeful anger; upon thisRichomeres voluntarily offered himself, and willingly undertook to go, thinking it a bold action, and one becoming a brave man; and so he setout, bearing vouchers of his rank and high birth. 

16. And as he was on his way towards the enemy's camp, the accompanyingarchers and Scutarii, who on that occasion were under the command ofBacurius, a native of Iberia, and of Cassio, yielded, while on theirmarch, to an indiscreet impetuosity, and on approaching the enemy, firstattacked them rashly, and then by a cowardly flight disgraced thebeginning of the campaign. 

17. This ill-timed attack frustrated the willing services of Richomeres, as he was not permitted to proceed; in the mean time the cavalry of theGoths had returned with Alatheus and Saphrax, and with them a battalionof Alani; these descending from the mountains like a thunderbolt, spreadconfusion and slaughter among all whom in their rapid charge they cameacross. 

XIII. 

§ 1. And while arms and missiles of all kinds were meeting in fierceconflict, and Bellona, blowing her mournful trumpet, was raging morefiercely than usual, to inflict disaster on the Romans, our men began toretreat; but presently, roused by the reproaches of their officers, theymade a fresh stand, and the battle increased like a conflagration, terrifying our soldiers, numbers of whom were pierced by strokes fromthe javelins hurled at them, and from arrows. 

2. Then the two lines of battle dashed against each other, like thebeaks (or rams) of ships, and thrusting with all their might, weretossed to and fro, like the waves of the sea. Our left wing had advancedactually up to the waggons, with the intent to push on still further ifthey were properly supported; but they were deserted by the rest of thecavalry, and so pressed upon by the superior numbers of the enemy, thatthey were overwhelmed and beaten down, like the ruin of a vast rampart. Presently our infantry also was left unsupported, while the differentcompanies became so huddled together that a soldier could hardly drawhis sword, or withdraw his hand after he had once stretched it out. Andby this time such clouds of dust arose that it was scarcely possible tosee the sky, which resounded with horrible cries; and in consequence, the darts, which were bearing death on every side, reached their mark, and fell with deadly effect, because no one could see them beforehand soas to guard against them. 

3. But when the barbarians, rushing on with their enormous host, beatdown our horses and men, and left no spot to which our ranks could fallback to deploy, while they were so closely packed that it was impossibleto escape by forcing a way through them, our men at last began todespise death, and again took to their swords and slew all theyencountered, while with mutual blows of battle-axes, helmets andbreastplates were dashed in pieces. 

4. Then you might see the barbarian towering in his fierceness, hissingor shouting, fall with his legs pierced through, or his right hand cutoff, sword and all, or his side transfixed, and still, in the last gaspof life, casting round him defiant glances. The plain was covered withcarcases, strewing the mutual ruin of the combatants; while the groansof the dying, or of men fearfully wounded, were intense, and causedgreat dismay all around. 

5. Amidst all this great tumult and confusion, our infantry wereexhausted by toil and danger, till at last they had neither strengthleft to fight, nor spirits to plan anything; their spears were broken bythe frequent collisions, so that they were forced to content themselveswith their drawn swords, which they thrust into the dense battalions ofthe enemy, disregarding their own safety, and seeing that everypossibility of escape was cut off from them. 

6. The ground, covered with streams of blood, made their feet slip, sothat all that they endeavoured to do was to sell their lives as dearlyas possible; and with such vehemence did they resist their enemies whopressed on them, that some were even killed by their own weapons. Atlast one black pool of blood disfigured everything, and wherever the eyeturned, it could see nothing but piled-up heaps of dead, and lifelesscorpses trampled on without mercy. 

7. The sun being now high in the heavens, having traversed the sign ofLeo, and reached the abode of the heavenly Virgo, scorched the Romans, who were emaciated by hunger, worn out with toil, and scarcely able tosupport even the weight of their armour. At last our columns wereentirely beaten back by the overpowering weight of the barbarians, andso they took to disorderly flight, which is the only resource inextremity, each man trying to save himself as well as he could. 

8. While they were all flying and scattering themselves over roads withwhich they were unacquainted, the emperor, bewildered with terriblefear, made his way over heaps of dead, and fled to the battalions of theLancearii and the Mattiarii, who, till the superior numbers of the enemybecame wholly irresistible, stood firm and immovable. As soon as he sawhim. Trajan exclaimed that all hope was lost, unless the emperor, thusdeserted by his guards, could be protected by the aid of his foreignallies. 

9. When this exclamation was heard, a count named Victor hastened tobring up with all speed the Batavians, who were placed in the reserve, and who ought to have been near at hand, to the emperor's assistance;but as none of them could be found, he too retreated, and in a similarmanner Richomeres and Saturninus saved themselves from danger. 

10. So now, with rage flashing in their eyes, the barbarians pursued ourmen, who were in a state of torpor, the warmth of their veins havingdeserted them. Many were slain without knowing who smote them; some wereoverwhelmed by the mere weight of the crowd which pressed upon them; andsome were slain by wounds inflicted by their own comrades. Thebarbarians spared neither those who yielded nor those who resisted. 

11. Besides these, many half slain lay blocking up the roads, unable toendure the torture of their wounds; and heaps of dead horses were piledup and filled the plain with their carcases. At last a dark moonlessnight put an end to the irremediable disaster which cost the Roman stateso dear. 

12. Just when it first became dark, the emperor being among a crowd ofcommon soldiers, as it was believed--for no one said either that he hadseen him, or been near him--was mortally wounded with an arrow, and, very shortly after, died, though his body was never found. For as someof the enemy loitered for a long time about the field in order toplunder the dead, none of the defeated army or of the inhabitantsventured to go to them. 

13. A similar fate befell the Cæsar Decius, when fighting vigorouslyagainst the barbarians; for he was thrown by his horse falling, which hehad been unable to hold, and was plunged into a swamp, out of which hecould never emerge, nor could his body be found. 

14. Others report that Valens did not die immediately, but that he wasborne by a small body of picked soldiers and eunuchs to a cabin in theneighbourhood, which was strongly built, with two stories; and thatwhile these unskilful hands were tending his wounds, the cottage wassurrounded by the enemy, though they did not know who was in it; still, however, he was saved from the disgrace of being made a prisoner. 

15. For when his pursuers, while vainly attempting to force the barreddoors, were assailed with arrows from the roof, they, not to lose by soinconvenient a delay the opportunity of collecting plunder, gatheredsome faggots and stubble, and setting fire to them, burnt down thebuilding, with those who were in it. 

16. But one of the soldiers dropped from the windows, and, being takenprisoner by the barbarians, revealed to them what had taken place, whichcaused them great concern, because they looked upon themselves asdefrauded of great glory in not having taken the ruler of the Romanstate alive. This same young man afterwards secretly returned to ourpeople, and gave this account of the affair. 

17. When Spain had been recovered after a similar disaster, we are toldthat one of the Scipios was lost in a fire, the tower in which he hadtaken refuge having been burnt. At all events it is certain that neitherScipio nor Valens enjoyed that last honour of the dead--a regularfuneral. 

18. Many illustrious men fell in this disastrous defeat, and among themone of the most remarkable was Trajan, and another was Sebastian; thereperished also thirty-five tribunes who had no particular command, manycaptains of battalions, and Valerianus and Equitius, one of whom wasmaster of the horse and the other high steward. Potentius, too, tribuneof the promoted officers, fell in the flower of his age, a man respectedby all persons of virtue, and recommended by the merits of his father, Ursicinus, who had formerly been commander of the forces, as well as byhis own. Scarcely one-third of the whole army escaped. 

19. Nor, except the battle of Cannæ, is so destructive a slaughterrecorded in our annals; though, even in the times of their prosperity, the Romans have more than once had to deplore the uncertainty of war, and have for a time succumbed to evil Fortune; while the well-knowndirges of the Greeks have bewailed many disastrous battles. 

XIV. 

§ 1. Such was the death of Valens, when he was about fifty years old, and had reigned rather less than fourteen years. We will now describehis virtues, which were known to many, and his vices. 

2. He was a faithful and steady friend--a severe chastiser ofambition--a rigid upholder of both military and civil discipline--alwayscareful that no one should assume importance on account of anyrelationship to himself; slow both in conferring office, and in takingit away; a very just ruler of the provinces, all of which he protectedfrom injury, as if each had been his own house; devoting singular careto the lessening the burdens of the state, and never permitting anyincrease of taxation. He was very moderate in the exaction of debts dueto the state, but a vehement and implacable foe to all thieves, and toevery one convicted of peculations; nor in affairs of this kind was theEast, by its own confession, ever better treated under any otheremperor. 

3. Besides all this, he was liberal with due regard to moderation, ofwhich quality there are many examples, one of which it will besufficient to mention here:--As in palaces there are always some personscovetous of the possessions of others, if any one petitioned for lapsedproperty, or anything else which it was usual to apply for, he made aproper distinction between just and unjust claims, and when he gave itto the petitioner, while reserving full liberty to any one to raiseobjections, he often associated the successful candidate with three orfour partners, in order that those covetous suitors might conductthemselves with more moderation, when they saw the profits for whichthey were so eager diminished by this device. 

4. Of the edifices, which in the different cities and towns he eitherrepaired or built from their foundations, I will say nothing (to avoidprolixity), allowing those things to speak for themselves. Thesequalities, in my opinion, deserve the imitation of all good men. Now letus enumerate his vices. 

5. He was an immoderate coveter of great wealth; impatient of labour, heaffected an extreme severity, and was too much inclined to cruelty; hisbehaviour was rude and rough; and he was little imbued with skill eitherin war or in the liberal arts. He willingly sought profit and advantagein the miseries of others, and was more than ever intolerable instraining ordinary offences into sedition or treason; he cruellyencompassed the death or ruin of wealthy nobles. 

6. This also was unendurable, that while he wished to have it appearthat all actions and suits were decided according to the law, and whilethe investigation of such affairs was delegated to judges especiallyselected as the most proper to decide them, he still would not allow anydecision to be given which was contrary to his own pleasure. He was alsoinsulting, passionate, and always willing to listen to all informers, without the least distinction as to whether the charges which theyadvanced were true or false. And this vice is one very much to bedreaded, even in private affairs of everyday occurrence. 

7. He was dilatory and sluggish; of a swarthy complexion; had a cast inone eye, a blemish, however, which was not visible at a distance; hislimbs were well set; his figure was neither tall nor short; he wasknock-kneed, and rather pot-bellied. 

8. This is enough to say about Valens: and the recollection of hiscontemporaries will fully testify that this account is a true one. Butwe must not omit to mention that when he had learnt that the oracle ofthe tripod, which we have related to have been moved by Patricius andHilanus, contained those three prophetic lines, the last of which is, --

 "Ἐν πεδίοισι Μίμαντος ἀλαλκομένοισιν ἄρηα. "

 "Repelling murd'rous war in Mimas' plain;"

--he, being void of accomplishments and illiterate, despised them atfirst; but as his calamities increased, he became filled with abjectfear, and, from a recollection of this same prophecy, began to dread thevery name of Asia, where he had been informed by learned men that bothHomer and Cicero had spoken of the Mountain of Mimas over the town ofErythræ. 

9. Lastly, --after his death, and the departure of the enemy, it is saidthat a monument was found near the spot where he is believed to havedied, with a stone fixed into it inscribed with Greek characters, indicating that some ancient noble of the name of Mimas was buriedthere. 

XV. 

§ 1. After this disastrous battle, when night had veiled the earth indarkness, those who survived fled, some to the right, some to the left, or wherever fear guided them, each man seeking refuge among hisrelations, as no one could think of anything but himself, while allfancied the lances of the enemy sticking in their backs. And far offwere heard the miserable wailings of those who were left behind--thesobs of the dying, and the agonizing groans of the wounded. 

2. But when daylight returned, the conquerors, like wild beasts renderedstill more savage by the blood they had tasted, and allured by thetemptations of groundless hope, marched in a dense column uponHadrianople, resolved to run any risk in order to take it, having beeninformed by traitors and deserters that the principal officers of State, the insignia of the imperial authority, and the treasures of Valens hadall been placed there for safety, as in an impregnable fortress. 

3. And to prevent the ardour of the soldiers from being cooled by delay, the whole city was blockaded by the fourth hour; and the siege from thattime was carried on with great vigour, the besiegers, from their innateferocity, pressing in to complete its destruction, while, on the otherhand, the garrison was stimulated to great exertions by their naturalcourage. 

4. And while the vast number of soldiers and grooms, who were prohibitedfrom entering the city with their beasts, kept close to the walls and tothe houses which joined them, and fought gallantly, considering thedisadvantages under which they laboured from the lowness of the groundwhich they occupied, and baffled the rage of their assailants till theninth hour of the day, on a sudden three hundred of our infantry, ofthose who were nearest the battlements, formed themselves into a solidbody, and deserted to the barbarians, who seized upon them with avidity, and (it is not known on what account) at once slaughtered them all. Andfrom that time forth it was remarked that no one, even in the extremityof despair, adopted any similar conduct. 

5. Now while all these misfortunes were at their height, suddenly therecame a violent thunderstorm, and rain pouring down from the black cloudsdispersed the bands of soldiers who were raging around; and theyreturned to their camp, which was measured out in a circle by theirwaggons; and being more elated and haughty than ever, they sentthreatening letters to our men . . . And an ambassador . . . On condition ofsafety to him. 

6. But as the messenger did not dare to enter the city, the letters wereat last brought in by a certain Christian; and when they had been readand considered with all proper attention, the rest of the day and thewhole of the night was devoted to preparing for defence. For inside thecity the gates were blocked up with huge stones; the weak parts of thewalls were strengthened, and engines to hurl javelins or stones werefixed on all convenient places, and a sufficient supply of water wasalso provided; for the day before some of the combatants had beendistressed almost to death by thirst. 

7. On the other hand the Goths, considering the difficulty anduncertainty of all warlike transactions, and becoming anxious at seeingtheir bravest warriors wounded and slain, and their strength graduallydiminished, devised and adopted a crafty counsel, which, however, wasrevealed to us by Justice herself. 

8. They seduced some picked soldiers of our army, who had revolted tothem the day before, to pretend to escape back to their former comrades, and thus gain admittance within the walls; and after they had effectedtheir entrance, they were secretly to set fire to some part of the city, so that the conflagration might serve as a secret signal, and while thegarrison and citizens were occupied in extinguishing it, the walls mightbe left undefended, and so be easily stormed. 

9. The traitors did as they were commanded; and when they came near theditch they stretched out their hands, and with entreaties requested tobe admitted into the city as Romans. When they were admitted, however(since no suspicion existed to hinder their admission), and werequestioned as to the plans of the enemy, they varied in their tale: andin consequence they were put to the torture, and having formallyconfessed what they had undertaken to do, they were all beheaded. 

10. Accordingly, every resource of war having been prepared, thebarbarians, at the third watch discarding all fear from past failures, rushed in enormous numbers against the blocked-up entrances of the city, their officers urging them with great obstinacy. But the provincials andimperial guards, with the rest of the garrison, rose with fearlesscourage to repel them, and their missiles of every kind, even when shotat random among so vast a crowd, could not fall harmless. Our menperceived that the barbarians were using the same weapons which weourselves had shot at them: and accordingly an order was given that thestrings which fastened the iron points to the javelins and arrows shouldbe cut before they were hurled or shot; so that while flying they shouldpreserve their efficacy, but when they pierced a body or fell on theground they should come asunder. 

11. While affairs were in this critical state an unexpected accident hada considerable influence on the result. A scorpion, a military enginewhich in ordinary language is also known as the wild-ass, beingstationed opposite the dense array of the enemy, hurled forth a hugestone, which, although it fell harmless on the ground, yet by the meresight of it terrified them so greatly, that in alarm at the strangespectacle they all fell back and endeavoured to retreat. 

12. But their officers ordering the trumpets to sound a charge, thebattle was renewed; and the Romans, as before, got the advantage, not asingle javelin or bullet hurled by a slinger failing of its effect. Forthe troops of the generals who led the vanguard, and who were inflamedby the desire of possessing themselves of the treasures which Valens hadso wickedly acquired, were followed closely by others who were vain ofexposing themselves to as much danger as those of greater renown. Andsome were wounded almost to death: others were struck down, crushed byhuge weights, or pierced through their breasts with javelins; some whocarried ladders and attempted to scale the walls on different sides wereburied under their own burthens, being beaten down by stones which werehurled upon them, and by fragments of pillars and cylinders. 

13. And yet, horrible as the sight of this bloodshed was, so great wastheir ardour that no one relaxed in his gallant exertions till theevening, being encouraged by seeing many of the garrison also fall byvarious wounds. So, without rest or relaxation, both the besiegers andthe besieged fought with unwearied courage. 

14. And now no kind of order was observed by the enemy, but they foughtin detached bands and in skirmishes (which is the sign of the extremityof despair); and at last, when evening came on, they all returned totheir tents, sorrowfully, each man accusing his neighbour ofinconsiderate rashness, because they had not taken the advice ofFritigern, and avoided the labours and dangers of a siege. 

XVI. 

§ 1. After the battle, the soldiers devoted the whole night (which, asit was summer, was not long) to tending the wounded with all theremedies known to their nations, and when daylight returned they beganto discuss various plans, doubting what to do. And after many plans hadbeen proposed and objected to, they at last decided to occupy Perinthus, and then, every place where they could hear that any treasures werestored up, the deserters and fugitives having given them all theinformation they required, so that they learnt what was in every house, to say nothing of what was in every city. Adopting this resolutionunanimously, which they thought the best, they advanced by slow marches, ravaging and burning everything as they passed. 

2. But those who had been besieged in Hadrianople, after the barbarianshad departed, as soon as scouts of approved fidelity had reported thatthe whole place was free from enemies, issued forth at midnight, andavoiding the public causeways, took out-of-way roads through the woods, and withdrew, some to Philippopolis, and from thence to Serdica, othersto Macedonia; with all the wealth which they had saved undiminished, andpressing on with the greatest exertion and celerity, as if they werelikely to find Valens in those regions, since they were wholly ignorantthat he had perished in battle, or else certainly (as is ratherbelieved) burnt to death in the cottage. 

3. Meanwhile the Goths, combining with the Huns and Alani, both braveand warlike tribes, and inured to toil and hardship, whom Fritigern hadwith great ability won over to his side by the temptation of greatrewards--fixed their camp near Perinthus; but recollecting theirprevious losses, they did not venture to come close to the city, or makeany attempt to take it; they, however, devastated and entirely strippedthe fertile territory surrounding it, slaying or making prisoners of theinhabitants. 

4. From hence they marched with speed to Constantinople in battle array, from fear of ambuscades; being eager to make themselves masters of itsample riches, and resolved to try every means to take that illustriouscity. But while giving way to extravagant pride, and beating almostagainst the barriers of the gates, they were repulsed in this instanceby the Deity. 

5. A body of Saracens (a nation of whose origin and manners we havealready given a full account in several places), being more suited forsallies and skirmishes than for pitched battles, had been latelyintroduced into the city; and, as soon as they saw the barbarian host, they sallied out boldly from the city to attack it. There was a stubbornfight for some time; and at last both armies parted on equal terms. 

6. But a strange and unprecedented incident gave the final advantage tothe eastern warriors; for one of them with long hair, naked--with theexception of a covering round his waist--shouting a hoarse andmelancholy cry, drew his dagger and plunged into the middle of theGothic host, and after he had slain an enemy, put his lips to histhroat, and sucked his blood. The barbarians were terrified at thismarvellous prodigy, and from that time forth, when they proceeded on anyenterprise, displayed none of their former and usual ferocity, butadvanced with hesitating steps. 

7. As time went on their ardour damped, and they began to take intoconsideration the vast circuit of the walls (which was the greater onaccount of the large space occupied by mansions with gardens within it), the inaccessible beauties of the city, and the immensity of itspopulation; also the vicinity of the strait which divides the Black Seafrom the Ægean. Then after destroying the works which they hadconstructed, having sustained greater losses than they had inflicted, they raised the siege, and roamed at random over the northern provinces, which they traversed without restraint as far as the Julian Alps, whichthe ancients used to call the Venetian Alps. 

8. At this time the energy and promptitude of Julius, the commander ofthe forces on the other side of Mount Taurus, was particularlydistinguished; for when he learnt what had happened in Thrace, he sentsecret letters to all the governors of the different cities and forts, who were all Romans (which at this time is not very common), requestingthem, on one and the same day, as at a concerted signal, to put to deathall the Goths who had previously been admitted into the places undertheir charge; first luring them into the suburbs, in expectation ofreceiving the pay which had been promised to them. This wise plan wascarried out without any disturbance or any delay; and thus the Easternprovinces were delivered from great dangers. 

9. Thus have I, a Greek by birth, and formerly a soldier, related allthe events from the accession of Nerva to the death of Valens, to thebest of my abilities; professing above all things to tell the truth, which, as I believe, I have never knowingly perverted, either by silenceor by falsehood. Let better men in the flower of their age, and ofeminent accomplishments, relate the subsequent events. But if it shouldplease them to undertake the task, I warn them to sharpen their tonguesto a loftier style. 

[189] The text is unusually mutilated here. It has been proposed toinsert: "A little goat with its throat cut was found dead in thestreet. "

[190] Virg. Georg. , II. 106. 

[191] Ammianus here alludes to the canal out through Mount Athos. 

[192] See Gibbon, vol. Ii. , p. 215 (Bohn's edition). 

[193] See Gibbon, vol. Iii. , p. 229 (Bohn). 

[194] Barritus is the word used for the trumpeting of an elephant. 

[195] See Gibbon, vol. Iii. , p. 181 (Bohn). 

INDEX. 

A. 

Abanni, a people of Africa, 533

Abarne, a town in Mesopotamia, noted for its hot springs, 182

Abdera, the birthplace of Protagoras and Democritus, 286

Abdigidus, a tribune, 173

Abienus, a senator, 477, 478

Abii, a people of Persia, 339

Abladius, prefect of the prætorium, 236

Abora, or Chaboras, a river in Mesopotamia, 111

Abydos, 287

Abydum, a town in Thebais, 208

Achæi, a Caspian tribe, 290

Achaiacala, a fort on an island in the Euphrates, 350

Acheron, the river, 289

Acherusian, the cave, 289

Acilius Glabrio, the first Roman to whom a statue was erected, 16

Acimincum, a town in Hungary, 205

Acone, a port on the Euxine Sea, 289

Acontiæ, a species of serpent in Egypt, 311

Acontisma, a narrow defile between Thrace and Macedonia, 443

Acrapatena, a province of Media, 335

Adaces, a Persian Satrap, killed, 374

Addense, 531

Adelphius, prefect of Rome, 92

Adiabas, a river in Assyria, 334

Adiabene, a province of Assyria, 176, 320, 333

Adonis, 186

Adrastea, the goddess of retribution, called also Nemesis, 42, 281

Adrastus, king of the Argives, 41

Ædesius, keeper of the records, 56, 58

Ægean Sea, 286

Ælian, Count, 182, 183; crucified by the Persians, 200

Ænus, a city of Thrace, 286, 444

Africanus, Governor of the second Pannonia, 50, 95

Agabana, a fortress in Persia, 463

Agathocles, king of Sicily, 44

Agathyrsi, a tribe near the Palus Mæotis, 291

Agazaca, a city of the Paropanisatæ, 342

Agenarichus, king of the Allemanni, 113

Agilimundus, a chieftain of the Quadi, 151

Agilo, an equerry, 34, 266; promoted to the prefecture by Julian, 279; recalled to military service by Procopius, 422; intercedes for his father-in-law Araxius, 432

Aginatius put to death by Maximin, 474

Aiadalthes, a tribune, 181

Alani, a Scythian tribe, 291, 328, 580, 581, 599, 611

Alatheus, 583, 587, 611

Alavivus, a general of the Goths, 585, 587

Albani, allies of the Persians, 176, 187, 332

Albinus of Etruria, 56

Alexander the Great, 41, 46, 89

Alexander of Heliopolis, 319

Alexandria, a village near Rome, 131

---- in Egypt, 300; described, 313; its temples and library, 314; its schools, 315

---- a city in Arachosia, 343

---- in Ariana, 342

---- in Carmania, 339

---- an island in Persia, 338

---- a town in Sogdiana, 340

Alfenus, a distinguished lawyer, 556

Alicodra, a city in Bactria, 340

Aligildus, a count, 271, 277

Aliso, a tribune, 427

Alitrophagi, a Scythian tribe, 341

Allemanni, or Germans--these names are used promiscuously by Ammianus--defeated at the battle of Strasburg, 118, 247; lay waste Gaul and Rhætia, 413, 414; defeated by Jovinus, 438, 567; make incursions into the Roman territory, 602; are defeated, 604

Allobroges, a nation of Gaul, 81

Alpheus, a river rising in Arcadia, 53

Alps, the Cottian, 75; the Julian, 259; the Grecian, 76; the Penine, 76; Hannibal's passage of the, 77

Alypius of Antioch, 317, 514

---- a Roman noble, 471

Amantius, a soothsayer, 472

Amanus, a mountain range in Cilicia, 27

Amardus, a river in Media, 337

Amastris, a city in Paphlagonia, 289

Amazons, one of the Caspian tribes, 291; defeated by the Athenians, 289

Amida, a city of Mesopotamia, 174; besieged by Sapor, 185; betrayed by a deserter, 192; courage of the garrison, 195; a sortie of the Gallic troops, from, 195, 236

Amiens (Ambians), a city in Belgium, 79, 453

Aminias, a Persian general, 369

Amisus, a city in Pontus, 289

Ammianus, his noble birth, 199; placed under Ursicinus, governor of Nisibis, by the Emperor Constantius, 30; returns to Italy, 37; his industry, 45; sent into Gaul, 60; sent back to the East, 103; visits Thebes, 130; recalled, 171; escapes from Nisibis, 173; sent to Jovinianus, satrap of Corduena, 175; narrow escape of, 181; arrives at Antioch, 200; accompanies Julian in his expedition against the Persians, 326; returns with Jovian, 402; his advice to future historians, 623

Ampelius, prefect of Otricoli, 472

Amphiaraus, an ancient seer, 4

Amphilochius, a Paphlagonian, 252

Amphisbæna, a serpent, 311

Amphitheatre at Rome, 102, 411

Amphitus, a Spartan, the charioteer of Castor and Pollux, 290

Amudis, a fort in Mesopotamia, 173

Amycus, king of the Bebrycii, 288

Anaphe, an island in the Ægean Sea, 139

Anatha, a fortress in Mesopotamia, 347

Anatolius, prefect of Illyricum, 204; master of the offices, 234; his death, 253; an officer of the palace, 504

Anaxagoras the philosopher, 287; predicted the fall of stones and earthquakes, 315

Anaximander, a Milesian philosopher, 139

Anazarbus, a city of Cilicia, 27

Anchialos, a city of Thrace, 293, 444

Ancorarius, a mountain of Mauritania, 531

Ancyra, a city of Galatia, 296, 403, 426

Andernach (Antumacum), 161

Andocides, a Grecian orator, 554

Andriscus of Adramyttium, 44, 421

Andronicus, a poet, 209

Anepsia, wife of Victorinus, 475, 478

Anicenses, a Sarmatian tribe, 154

Anicii, the, a noble family at Rome, 98

Annib, a mountain in Scythia, 341

Anthemusia, a province of Mesopotamia, 10

Anthropophagi, a Scythian tribe, 580

Antibes (Antipolis), a town in Gaul, 79

Antinopolis, a town in Mesopotamia, built by Constantius, 182

Antinous, a city in Egypt, 312

Antioch in Syria, 28; visited by the Emperor Julian, 297; by Jovian, 401

Antiochia, in Persia, 339

Antiphon, a Greek orator, 554

Antoninus, a wealthy merchant, afterwards one of the protectors, 168; his treachery, 169

Antonius, a tribune, 415

Anzaba, a river in Mesopotamia, 175

Apamia, a city in Assyria, 334, 338

---- a city in Thrace, 287

Apamia, a city in Syria, 28

Apis, the sacred Egyptian bull, 306

Apodemius, the secretary for the provinces, 41, 46; sentenced to be burnt alive, 280

Apollinarii, father and son, the former governor of Phoenicia, the latter steward of the palace, 26

Apollo, the Cumæan, 334; of Daphne, 303; the Palatine, 320; the Sminthius, 286

Apollonia, a city of Thrace, 293

---- in Assyria, 334

Apollonius of Tyana, 270

Apronianus, prefect of Rome, 317; suppresses the magicians, 411

Aprunculus Gallus, an orator and soothsayer, afterwards governor of Narbonne, 277

Aquileia, the capital of Venetia, 261; besieged by Julian, 261; surrenders, 264

Aquitani, a nation of Gaul, 78

Arabia reduced to a Roman province by the Emperor Trajan, 29; Arabia Felix, 338

Arabis, a river in the country of the Drangiani, 342

Aracha, a town in Susiana, 335, 337

Arachosia, a Persian province, 342

Arachotoscrene, a marsh in Arachosia, 343

Aradius, count of the east, 317

Araharius, a Sarmatian chief, 149

Arar, a river in Gaul (the Saône), 80

Arator, duke, 481

Aratus the poet, 299, 386

Araxates, a river in Sogdiana, 340

Araxius, prefect of the prætorium, 422

Arbaca, a city in Arachosia, 343

Arbela, a city in Adiabene, 334

Arbetio, 36, 47, 92; made consul, 71, 213

Arboreus, high chamberlain, 49

Arbor Felix, fortress of, 605

Arcadius, a river of the Euxine, 289

Archelaus, a general of King Mithridates, 116

Archimedes the mathematician, 407

Ardea, a town in Persia, 338

Areans, a sect, 485

Areopagus, 518

Arethusa, a town in Thrace, the burial-place of Euripides, 443

Argæus, a mountain in Cappadocia, 233

Argonauts, the, 27

Ariana, a province of Persia, 342

Arias, a river in Arcana, 342

Ariaspe, a town in the province of Drangiana, 342

Arimaspi, a fierce one-eyed nation bordering on Persia, 332

Arimphæi, a nation bordering on the Euxine, 292

Arinchi, a savage tribe near the Euxine, 291

Arintheus, a tribune, 54; commands the left wing of the army under Julian, 347; ambassador to the Persians, 393, 446

Aristænetus, prefect of Bithynia, lost his life in an earthquake, 138

Aristarchus the grammarian, 314

Aristides, 558

Aristobulus consul with Diocletian, 317

Arles (Arelate), a town on the Rhone, 79

Armenia conquered by Galerius, 134; its restoration to the Persians demanded by Sapor, 135; abandoned by Jovian in the treaty of Dura, 394, 549

Armonius, a mountain in Asia Minor, 289

Arsaces, the first king of the Parthians, 330

---- king of Armenia, an ally of Constantius, 235; of Julian, 318; taken prisoner by the Persians, 394; put to death, 463

Arsacia, a city of Media, 337

Arsiana, a city of Susiana, 335

Arsinoë, a city of Cyrene, anciently called Tauchira, and now Tochira, 312

Artabannes, a Persian satrap, 463

Artabius, a river in Gedrosia, a district of Persia, 343

Artacana, a city of Parthia, 338

Artemis, a river in Bactria, 340

Artemisia, queen of Caria, 487

Artemius, deputy-governor of Rome, 146

---- duke of Egypt, 300

Artogerassa, a city of Armenia, 464

Arzanena, a province of Mesopotamia, 393

Ascalon, a city of Palestine, 29

Ascanimia, a mountain in Scythia, 340

Asclepiades the philosopher, 304

Asclepiodotus, count, 65

Asia Minor, description of, 289

Asmira, a mountain in Serica, 341

Asp, the largest species of serpent in Egypt, 311

Aspabota, a city of Scythia, 341

Aspacaræ, a tribe of the Seres, 341

Aspacuras, a Persian satrap, 466

Asparata, a city of the Betæ, 341

Assanite Saracens, 350

Assyria, the wife of Barbatio, 165

---- a province of Persia, in the time of Ammianus called Adiabene, 333

Astacea, a city of Bactria, 340

Astacus, a city in Bithynia, also called Nicomedia, 287

Atacotti harass the Britons, 413

Athagoræ, a Scythian tribe, 341

Athanaric, a Gothic chief, 447, 583

Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, his character, 67

Athos, a mountain in Macedonia, 286

Athribis, a city of Egypt, 313

Athyras, a port in the Propontis, 287

Ati, a people near the cataracts of the Nile, 308

Atlas, a mountain in Africa, 50

Attuarii, a tribe of Franks, 235

Auch (Ausci), a town in Aquitania, 79

Augury, modes of, 245

Augusta (Londinium), the capital of Roman Britain, 483

Augustamnica, a province of Egypt, 312

Augustus, Emperor, his correction of the calendar, 408

Aulon, a cave near the Euxine, 290

Aurelian, the Emperor, 570

Aureolus, a conspirator against Constantius, 274

Austoriani, a people of Mauritania, 413

Autun (Augustodunum), the chief town of the Ædui, 79

Auxerre (Autosidorum), a city in Gaul, 85

Avenche (Aventicum), the capital of the Helvetii, 79

Avernus, a lake in Campania, 489

Avitianus, deputy-governor of Africa, 451

Axius, a river of Macedonia, 258

Azmorna, a city of Hyrcania, 339

Azov, sea of (Palus Mæotis), 288, 577, 582

B. 

Babylon, 334

Bacchus, 290

Bacchylides, the lyric poet, 383

Bactra, a river in Bactria, 340

Bactrians, 339

Bætica, a consular province of Spain, 473

Bagrada, a river in Persia, 337

Bainobaudes, a tribune of the Scutarii, 39, 105; (2) a tribune of the Cornuti, 106; killed in the battle of Strasburg, 121

Balista, a military engine for discharging stones, described, 322

Bappo, a tribune, commander of the Promoti, 54

Baraba, a town in Arabia Felix, 338

Barbatio, count of the domestics, 40; promoted to the command of the infantry, 104, 136; a swarm of bees on his house regarded as a bad omen, 165; an arrogant and treacherous man, 166; beheaded, 166

Barbitani, mountains in Persia lying towards India, 343

Barchalbas, a tribune, 430

Bards, the poets of Gaul, 74

Barzala, a fort in Mesopotamia, 179

Barzimeres, tribune of the Scutarii, 546

Basilica of Sicininus in Rome, probably the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, 441

Basilina, mother of the Emperor Julian, 383

Basilisk, a kind of Egyptian serpent, 311

Bassianus, a Roman of noble family, 515

Bassus, prefect of Rome, 146

Batne, a town near the Euphrates, where an annual fair was held, 10

Battus, a Spartan, the founder of Cyrene, 312

Bautis, a river in Serica, 341

Bazas (Vasatæ), a town in Gaul, 79

Bebase, a town in Mesopotamia, 178

Bebrycia, a district in Bithynia, 288

Belgæ, the most warlike people of Gaul, 78

Belias, a river of Mesopotamia which falls into the Euphrates, 321

Bellovædius, a tribune given as a hostage to the Persians, 394

Beræa, a city of Thrace, 444

Berenice, also called Hesperides, a town in Libya, 312

Berytus, a city of Phoenicia (the modern Beirut), 28

Besa, the name of an Egyptian deity, 208

Besançon, a city of the Sequani, 79, 253

Besbicus, an island in the Propontis, 287

Bessi, a Thracian tribe, 444

Betæ, a people in Serica, 341

Bezabde, a town on the Tigris formerly called Phoenice, 225, 266; captured by Sapor, 227; unsuccessfully besieged by Constantius, 237-239

Bineses, a Persian satrap, 394

Bingen (Bingium), a town in Germany, 161

Bisula, a river (the Weichsel), 292

Bitaxa, a town of the Ariani, 342

Bitheridus, a German noble, 525

Bithynia, 288

Bizes, a river of the Euxine, 288

Blemmyæ, a people near the cataracts of the Nile, 11

Boæ, an island on the coast of Dalmatia, 279

Bonitus, a Frank, the father of Silvanus, 63

Bonmunster (Bononia), a town in Pannonia, 257

Bonn (Bonna), a town in Germany, 161

Bordeaux (Burdegala), a city in Aquitania, 79

Borion, a promontory in Egypt, 307

Bosporus, the Thracian (the Straits of Constantinople), 288

---- the Cimmerian (Straits of Yene-Kali), 70

Bostra, a city of Arabia, 29

Boulogne (Bononia), a town in Gaul, 212

Brahmans, 336, 470

Branchidæ, an oracle in the Milesian territory, 511

Briançon (Virgantia), 76

Brigantia (the lake of Constance), 52

Brisoana, a Persian river, 337

Britain, corn exported to Rome, 161; pearls found in the British sea, 345; suffers from the incursions of the Picts and Sects, 212, 453; invaded by the Saxons, 413; distress of, 453; Theodosius goes to assist, 483

Bruchion, a quarter in Alexandria, inhabited by opulent persons, 314

Brumat (Brocomagus), a city of Germany, 86

Bucenobantes, a tribe of the Allemanni, 524

Buffaloes in Egypt, 309

Bura, a town destroyed by an earthquake, 140

Burgundians, 495; their kings called Hendinos, 495; their chief priest called the Sinistus, 496

Busan, a fort in Mesopotamia, 183

Byzantium (Constantinople), 287

Byzares, a people near the Euxine, 290

C. 

Cabillonum (Châlons sur Marne), 98, 436

Cabyle, a town in Thrace, 607

Cadusii, a tribe on the Caspian Sea, 332

Cæni Gallici, a station in Bithynia, 38

Cæla, a town near the Hellespont, 287

Cæranius, a philosopher, 520

Cæsarea, formerly Mazaca, a town in Cappadocia, 233

---- a town in Mauritania, 534

---- a town in Palestine, 29

Cæsariensis, a province of Mauritania, 526

Cæsarius, prefect of Constantinople, 422

---- secretary of the Emperor, 551

Cæsias, treasurer of the commander of the cavalry, 200

Cafaves, a people of Africa, 532

Calatis, a town in European Scythia, 444

Calicadnus, a river in Isauria, 9

Callichorus, a river near the Euxine Sea, 290

Callimachus, an ancient Grecian general, 369

Callipolis, a city at the head of the Hellespont, 287

Callisthenes, a pupil of Aristotle, 166

Callistratus, an ancient orator, 554

Camaritæ, a tribe near the Euxine Sea, 290

Cambyses, king of Persia, 129

---- a river in Media, 337

Camels first seen by the Romans at the siege of Cyzicus, 340

Camenius, a Roman senator, 473

Camp of Hercules (Castra Herculis), a town in Germany, 161

Camp of Mars, a town in Dacia, 608

Camp of the Moors, a town or fortress in Mesopotamia, 173, 393

Canini, a people on the borders of Rhætia, 52

Canopus, a city of Egypt, 314

Cantichus, a gulf in Armenia, 332

Capellatum, a district on the borders of the Burgundians, 164

Capersana, a town in Syria, 179; called also Capessana, 255

Caphareus, a promontory of Euboea, 286

Carambis, a promontory in Paphlagonia (now Cape Kerempe), 289

Carcinites, a river and bay on the Euxine Sea, 292

Carmania, a province of Persia, 338

Carnuntum, a city of Illyria, 559

Carpi, a people on the Danube, 446, 468

Carræ, a town of Mesopotamia, 177, 237, 320

Cascellius, a Roman lawyer, 556

Caspian, tribes of the, 291

Cassianus, Duke of Mesopotamia, 98, 176, 201, 396

Cassium, a town in Egypt, 312

Cassius, a mountain in Syria, 28; Julian sacrifices to Jupiter upon it, 305

Castalia, a fountain in Phocis, at the base of Mount Parnassus, 303

Castucius, Count of Isauria, 8

Catadupi, the cataracts of the Nile, or the people who live near them, 307

Catalauni (Châlons sur Marne), 436

Cato, the censor, 16, 81, 88

Catulus, the ædile, 20

Caucalandes, a town in Sarmatia, 588

Cella, a tribune of the Scutarii, 105

Celse, a town in Phoenicia, 23

Cephalonesus, a town on the Borysthenes, 293

Ceras, a cape on the Propontis, 287

Cerasus, a town in Pontus, 289

Cercetæ, a tribe near the Euxine Sea, 291

Cercius, the charioteer of Castor and Pollux, 290

Cerealis, uncle of Gallus, 43; (2) a master of the horse, 482, 564

Cethegus, a senator, beheaded, 471

Chærecla, a town in Libya, 313

Chalcedon, a town in Bithynia, 287; inscription found on a stone in the walls of, 577

Chalcenterus, an author, 314

Chaldæa, 335

Chalites, a gulf in Armenia, 332

Chalybes, a tribe near the Caspian Sea, 290

Chamavi, a German tribe, 141

Charax, a town in Parthia, 338

Charcha, a town on the Tigris, 183

Chardi, a Scythian tribe, 341

Charietto, count of Germany, 144, 436

Charinda, a river in Media, 337

Charte and Chartra, towns in Bactria, 340

Chasmatiæ, a kind of earthquake, 139

Chauriana, a town in Scythia, 341

Chiliocomus, a district of Media, 321

Chilo, a Roman deputy, 469

Chionitæ, a tribe bordering on Persia, 99, 134, 176

Chnodomarius, a king of the Allemanni, 107, 112, 120; taken prisoner and sent to Rome, 121; his death, 121

Choaspa, a town in Arachosia, 343

Choaspes, a river in Media, 337

Choatres, a river in Parthia, 338

Chronius, a river of the Euxine Sea, 292

Chrysopolis, a city on the Propontis, 287

Cibalæ, a town in Pannonia, 566

Cicero, 5, 49, 61, 81, 84, 210, 245, 274, 284, 310, 406, 433, 443, 457, 462, 476, 491, 531, 555, 570, 617

Cilicia, description of, 27

Ciminian, a district in Italy, 140

Cimon, son of Miltiades, 145

Cineas, the ambassador of Pyrrhus, 100

Circesium, a town of Mesopotamia, described, 324, 325

Cius, a town on the Propontis, 287

Civilis, prefect of Britain, 455

Claritas, a Roman matron, 474

Claros, in Lydia, seat of a temple and oracle of Apollo, 210

Claudiopolis, a city in Isauria, 27

Claudius, prefect of Rome, 439, 542

Cleander, a prefect under the Emperor Commodus, 418

Clematius, a citizen of Alexandria, 2

Cleopatra, 313

Coche, a town in Persia, 363

Colchi, a tribe of Egyptian origin, 290

Colias, a Gothic noble, revolts, 592

Cologne (Colonia Agrippina), 86

Comedus, a mountain in the country of the Sacæ, 340

Comets, their nature, 401

Commagena, a province of Syria, 334

Commodus, the Roman Emperor, 507, 605

Como (Comum), a town in Italy, 48

Constans, son of Constantine, 2, 94

Constantia, daughter of Constantius, 423, 539

Constantianus, a tribune, 322, 482, 522

Constantina, daughter of Constantine the Great, 2, 37, 244, 245

---- a town in Mesopotamia, 178

Constantine the Great, 60, 81, 93, 97, 131, 419

Constantinople, 287; threatened siege of, by the Goths, 622

Constantius the Emperor, his cruelty, 13; summons Gallus to Italy, 23; makes war on the Allemanni, 32; his speech, 34-36; retires to Milan, 36; his jealousy, 37; his severe treatment of Gallus's friend, 51; invests Julian with the title of Cæsar, 70; his weakness, 99; his triumphal procession to Rome, 100; his arrogance, 101; erects an obelisk, 130; reply to Sapor, 135; receives the title of Sarmaticus, 156; marches against the Limigantes, 204; jealousy of Julian, 216; besieges Bezabde, 237; marries Faustina after the death of Eusebia, 253; crosses the Euphrates, 255; his speech to his army, 267; unfavourable dreams and omens, 269; his death, 271; virtues and vices, 272; buried at Constantinople, 276

Contensis, a town in Africa, 534

Coptos, a town in the Thebais, 312; story of his wife, 291

Corax, a river flowing into the Euxine, 291

Corduena, a province belonging to the Persians, 175, 321, 393

Cornelius Gallus, procurator of Egypt, 129

Cornelius, a senator, 474

Coronus, a mountain in Media, 335

Costoboci, a Scythian tribe, 293

Cottius, a king on the Alps, 75

Craugasius, a noble of Nisibis, 200; story of his wife, 201

Crescens, deputy-governor of Africa, 501

Cretio, count of Africa, 254

Crispus, son of Constantine the Great, 41

Crissæan Gulf in Western Locris, 140

Criu-Metopon, a promontory of Thrace, 289

Crocodiles in Egypt, 309

Croesus, 64

Ctesiphon, the winter residence of the Parthian kings, 334

Curandius, a tribune of the archers, 530

Curio, a Roman general, 530

Cybele, festival in honour of, 321

Cyclades, 286

Cydnus, a river in Cilicia, 27

Cylaces, a Persian eunuch, 463

Cynægirus, a Grecian general, 369

Cynossema, a promontory in Caria, now Cape Volpo, 287

Cyprus, 29

Cyrene, a city in Libya, 312

Cyreschata, a town in Sogdiana, 340

Cyria, a Mauritanian princess, 531

Cyrinus, 280

Cyropolis, a town in Media, 337

Cyrus, 90, 331

Cyzicus, 287; besieged and taken by Procopius, 426; taken by the Scythians, 591

D. 

Dacia, 423

Dadastana, a town on the borders of Bithynia, 403

Dagalaiphus, captain of the domestics, 255, 347, 359, 388, 407; sent by Valentinian to oppose the Allemanni, 415; made consul, 428

Dahæ, a Scythian tribe, 290

Damascus, 28

Damasus, bishop of Rome, 441

Dames, 95

Dandaca, a town in the Tauric Chersonese, 292

Daniel, a Roman count, 546

Danube, description of the, 293

Daphne, a suburb of Antioch, 210; (2) a town in Moesia, 445

Dardanus, a town in the Hellespont, 287

Darius, 331, 428

Darnis, a town in Libya, 312

Datianus, a Roman consul, 133

Davana, a town in Mesopotamia, 321

Davares, a people of Africa, 532

Decem Pagi (Dieuse), 86

Decentius, a tribune, 216

Decius (the Cæsar), 614

Delos, 139, 303

Delphidius, an orator, 160

Delta in Egypt, 309

Demetrius Chytras, a philosopher of Alexandria, 209

Democritus, 46, 88, 286

Demosthenes, 549, 554

Diabas, a river of Assyria, 334

Dibaltum, a city of Thrace, 600

Dicalidones, a tribe of Picts, 453

Didius, a Roman general, 443

Didymus, surnamed Chalcenterus, 314

Dieuse (Decem Pagi), 86

Dinarchus, a Grecian orator, 554

Dindyma, a mountain of Mysia, 287

Dinocrates, an architect, 313

Diocles, treasurer of Illyricum, 451

Diocletian, 59, 317

Diodorus, a count, 301

Diogenes, governor of Bithynia, 514

Diogmitæ, a kind of light-armed troops, 456

Dionysiopolis, 444

Dionysius, king of Sicily, 44, 64, 97

Dioscurias, a city on the Euxine, 290

Dipsades, a species of Egyptian serpent, 311

Discenes, a tribune, 202

Dius, a Mauritanian chief, 527

Divitenses, a German tribe, 424, 436

Domitian, the emperor, 168

Domitianus, prefect of the East, 23, 49

Domitius Corbulo, 48

Dorians, 73

Doriscus, a town in Thrace, 176

Dorostorus, a city of Thrace, 444

Dorus, a surgeon of the Scutari, 92

Dracontius, master of the mint, 301

Drangiana, a province of Persia, 342

Drepanum, a town in Bithynia, 425

Drepsa, a town in Sogdiana, 340

Druentia (the Durance), a river in Gaul, 77

Druids, 73, 74

Drusus, a Roman general, 443

Drypetina, daughter of King Mithridates, 95

Dulcitius, a Roman general, 455

Duodiense, a fort in Mauritania, 536

Dura, a town beyond the Tigris, in Mesopotamia, 326, 347, 391

Dymas, a river in Sogdiana, 340

Dynamius, 55

E. 

Earthquakes in Africa, 137; the supposed causes, 138

Ecbatana, an Assyrian town, 334

Eclipses, causes of, 214

Edessa, 236, 255

Elephantine, a city of Ethiopia, 307

Elephants, 376

Eleusis, 139

Eleutheropolis, a town in Palestine, 29

Emissa, a town of Syria, 23

Emodon, a mountain in Scythia, 341

Emona, 477

Engines, warlike, 323

Epicurus, 554

Epigonius, a philosopher, 25, 31

Epimenides, 486

Epiphania, a town in Cilicia, 300

Equitius, tribune of the Scutarii, 406; made general and count, 414, 539; his son Equitius a tribune, 611

Eratosthenes, 287

Erectheus, 84

Ermenrichus, king of the Ostrogoths, 583

Erythræ, a city in Ionia, 617

Esaias, a Roman noble, 477

Essedones and Essedon, a people and town of the Seres, 341

Eubulus, a citizen of Antioch, 22

Eucærius, proprefect of Asia, 506

Euctemon, an ancient astronomer, 407

Eumenius, 477

Eumolpias (Philippopolis), 278

Eupatoria, a city of the Tauri, 292

Euphrasius, master of the offices, 422

Euphrates, 199, 335

Euphronius, governor of Mesopotamia, 176

Eupraxius, master of the records, 450

Euripides, his tomb at Arethusa, 443

Europos, a city of Persia, 337

Eusebia, wife of the Emperor Constantius, 48; her plots against Helena, 103, 253

Eusebius, an orator, surnamed Pittacos, 23, 31; (ii. ) High Chamberlain, 33, 36, 167, 281; (iii. ) surnamed Mattyocopa, 55; (iv. ) brother of Eusebia and Hypatius, 160, 253, 516; (v. ) Bishop of Nicomedia, 295

Euseni, an eastern people, near Persia, 29

Euses, a town in Gaul, 79

Eustathius, a philosopher, 136

Eutherius, prefect of the bedchamber, 93, 232

Eutropius, proconsul of Asia, 512

Evagrius, one of the emperor's household, 280

Exsuperius, one of the Victorian Legion, 361

F. 

Fabius Maximus, 81

Fabricius Luscinus, 548

Fara, an island on the coast of Persia, 338

Farnobius, 587, 601

Faustina, the second wife of the Emperor Constantius, 253, 271, 423

Faustinus, a military secretary, 562

Felix, master of the offices, 233, 317

Fericius, a Mauritanian chief, 530

Ferratus, a mountain in Mauritania, 527

Festus, governor of Syria, 519; his cruelties, 528

Fidustius, accused of magic, 505

Firmus, a Mauritanian chief, 525; his flight, 533; commits suicide, 537

Flavian, a Roman citizen, 502

Florentius, (i. ) prefect of the Prætorian Guard, 110, 128, 216, 232, 253, 270; (ii. ) the son of Nigridianus, 58, 213, 279; (iii. ) the prefect of Gaul under Valentinian, 452; (iv. ) a tribune, 430; (v. ) Duke of Germany, 525

Fortunatianus, a count, 504

Forum of Trajan, 102

Fragiledus, a Sarmatian chief, 148

Franks, 58, 141, 235

Fraomarius, king of the Bucenobantes, a German tribe, 524

Frigeridus, a Roman general, 595, 600

Fritigern, general of the Goths, 587, 593, 607, 609

Frontinus, 472

Fullofaudes, military duke in Britain, 453

Fulvius, a Roman general, 81

G. 

Gabinius, king of the Quadi, 539, 559

Galactophagi, a Scythian tribe, 341

Galatæ, the Gauls, 73

Galerius, 38

Galla, the mother of Gallus, 43

Gallienus, 4

Gallonatis, a fort in Mauritania, 531

Gallus, nephew of Constantine the Great, 1; his atrocities, 2; puts the principal persons at Antioch to death, 21; summoned by the emperor, 37; leaves Antioch and arrives at Constantinople, 39; is sent to Istria, 41; put to death, 42; his personal appearance and character, 43

Gallus, a river in Bithynia, 426

Garamantes, an African tribe, 307

Garumna (the Garonne), 78

Gaudentius, 51, 95, 143, 254, 300

Gaugamela, a city in Adiabene, 334

Gaul, description of, 73; its provinces, 79; its inhabitants, 80; produce, 81

Gaza (now Ghuzzeh), a city of Palestine, 29

Gazaca, a town in Media, 337

Geapolis, a town in Arabia, 338

Gedrosia, a province of Persia, 343

Gelani, a people of the East, near Persia, 134

Geloni, a tribe near the Caspian, 291

Genonia, a town in Parthia, 338

Genua (Genoa), chief town of the Ligures, 77

George, bishop of Alexandria, 300, 301

Gerasa, a town in Arabia, 29

Gerasus (the Pruth), 584

Germanianus, 255

Germanicopolis, in Bithynia, 456

Germanicus, 306

Germany, 78

Gerontius, tortured by Constantius, 12

Gildo, a Mauritanian chief, 526

Glabrio, Acilius, 17

Gomoarius, or Gumoharius, 233, 255, 269, 422, 429

Gordian, the elder, 421; (ii. ) the younger, 326

Gorgias of Leontinum, 554

Gorgonius, Cæsar's chamberlain, 48

Goths, 442, 445, 585; invade Thrace, 599; defeated by Frigeridus, 601; massacre of the, 623

Gratian, the elder, 566; (ii. ) son of Valentinian, 448; takes Equitius as his colleague, 551, 602, 605; surprised by Sebastian, 607

Grumbates, king of the Chionitæ, 176, 185

Gruthungi, a tribe of Ostrogoths, 446, 583

Gundomadus, king of the Allemanni, 32, 111

Gynæcon, a town in the Persian province of Gedrosia, 343

Gyndes, a Persian river, 337

H. 

Hadrian, 386, 571

Hadrianople, battle of, 610-615; siege of by the Goths, 619; raised, 620

Hadrianopolis, 39, 444, 607

Hannibal, 77; buried at Libyssa, 295

Harax, a river in Susiana, 335

Hariobaudes, a tribune, 161, 162

Hariobaudus, a king of the Allemanni, 164

Harmozon, a promontory in Carmania, 332

Harpalus, one of Cyrus's lieutenants, 74

Hasdrubal, a Carthaginian general, 77

Hatra, an ancient town in Mesopotamia, 395

Hebrus (Maritza), a river in Thrace, 172

Hecatæus, an ancient geographer, 287

Hecatompylos, a town in Parthia, 338

Helen, wife of Julian, 71; her death and burial, 244

Helenopolis (Frankfort-on-the-Maine), 425

Helepolis, a military engine used in sieges, 324

Helice, a town in Achaia, destroyed by an earthquake, 140

Heliodorus, a seer, 504; his atrocities, 515; death of, 517

Heliogabalus, 421

Heliopolis, a town of Syria, 131

Helpidius, prefect of the East, 253

Hendinos, a title given to the Burgundian kings, 495

Heniochi, a tribe near the Euxine, 290

Heraclea, a city of Thrace, called also Perinthus, 278

Heraclitus, the philosopher of Ephesus, 274

Herculanus, officer of the guard, 33

Hercules, 73

Hermapion, 132

Hermes Trismegistus, 270

Hermogenes, master of the horse, 33, (ii. ) of Pontus, prefect of the prætorium, 208, 253; (iii. ) a Roman general in Germany, 481

Hermonassa, an island in the Palus Mæotis, 291

Hermopolis, a city in the Thebais, 312

Herod, 29

Herodianus, 314

Herodotus, 311

Hesiod, 16

Hesperus, proconsul of Africa, 502

Hesychia, a Roman matron, 477

Hiaspis, a district on the Tigris, 169

Hiberia, a country in Asia, near Colchis, 463; is divided between the Persians and Romans, 466, 549

Hibita, a station in Mesopotamia, 399

Hiera, an island on the coast of Sicily, one of the Ægates, 139

Hierapolis, a city in Commagena, 28, 267, 319; (ii. ) a city in Phrygia, 333

Hierocles, son of Alypius, governor of Britain, 514

Hieroglyphics of the Egyptians, 130

Hilarinus, a charioteer, 411

Hilarius, 505

Hileia, a town in Mesopotamia, 170

Hipparchus, the philosopher, 407

Hippias of Elis, 90

Hippocephalus, a suburb of Antioch, 270

Hippopotamus of Egypt, 310

Histros, a city of Thrace, 293

Homer, 20, 71, 170, 191, 270, 341, 442, 453, 479, 617

Honoratus, Count of the East, 3, 21

Hormisdas, a Persian prince, 102; (ii. ) a general of the emperor Julian, 347; (iii. ) son of the preceding, 427

Horre, a town in Mesopotamia, 183

Hortarius, king of the Allemanni, 107, 144, 161; (ii. ) a German noble, 525

Hucumbra, 374

Huns, 577-582

Hydriacus, a river in Carmania, 339

Hydrus, the, 310

Hymetius, proconsul of Africa, 471; banished to Boæ, a town in Dalmatia, 472

Hypanis (the Bog), a river of Sarmatia, 291

Hypatius, a consul, brother of Eusebius, 160, 253, 516

Hyperechius, 426

Hyperides, a Grecian orator, 554

Hyrcania, a northern province of Persia, 339

Hystaspes, father of Darius, 336

I. 

Ibis, the sacred bird of the Egyptians, 311

Ichneumon, an Egyptian reptile, 310

Iconium, a town in Pisidia, 5

Icosium, a town in Mauritania, 529

Idmon, an augur, 290

Igilgitanum, part of the coast of Mauritania, so called from the town Igilgili (Iijeli), 526

Igmazen, king of Mauritania, 535

Ilus, son of Troas, 296

Imbros, an island off the coast of Thrace, 286

Immo, a Roman count, 261

Ingenuus, a rebel, 274

Innocentius, 121

Iphicles, a philosopher, envoy from Epirus, 561

Iris, a river flowing into the Euxine, 289

Isaflenses, a people of Africa, 534

Isauria, a province of Asia Minor, 6

Isaurians, rebellion of the, 5; they besiege Seleucia, 8; compelled by Nebridius to disperse, 10

Isocrates, 570

Izala, a mountain in Mesopotamia, 173

J. 

Jacobus, treasurer of the commander of the cavalry, 200

Januarius, a relation of the Emperor Julian, 406

Jasonium, a mountain in Media, 339

Jaxamatæ, a Scythian tribe, 291

Jaxartæ and Jaxartes, a people and river of Scythia, 341

Jazyges, a people on the Palus Mæotis, 291

Jerusalem, the temple of, 317

Jews, 283

Jovian, chief officer of the guard, 276; son of Varronianus, 388; elected emperor after Julian, 388; his treaty with Sapor, 393; advances to Hatra, 395; his severity, 399; visits Tarsus, 402; dies suddenly at Dadastana, 403; his character, 405; his body brought to Constantinople, 406

Jovianus, a secretary, 361, 398, 417

Jovinianus, a Persian satrap, 175

Jovinus, master of the horse, 256, 261, 279, 396; commander of the forces in Gaul, 414; his vigour, 436; defeats the Germans, 458; his execution, 501

Jovius, a quæstor, 256, 294

Juba, king of Mauritania, 308

Jubileni, an African tribe, 535

Julian, son of Constantius and Basilina, 383; born at Constantinople, 295; educated by Eusebius, bishop of Nicomedia, 295; protected by Queen Eusebia, 48; is invested with the title of Cæsar, 69; married to Helena, 71; made consul, 83; marches against the Allemanni, 85; temperate habits, 89; his moderation, 91; plots against, 93; second consulship, 104; his first campaign, 105; his prudence, 107; his speech to his soldiers, 109; the Allemanni sue for peace, 126; fixes his winter residence at Paris, 128; attacks the Chamavi, 141; military sedition, 142; he crosses the Rhine, 163; Constantius grows jealous of him, 216; saluted as emperor, 219; his dream, 223; his letters to Constantius, 229; elected emperor by the army, 234; crosses the Rhine, and attacks the Attuarii, 235; death of his wife Helena, 244; pretended adherence to Christianity, 246; defeats the Allemanni, 249; speech to his soldiers, 250; enters Sirmium, 257; his letter to the senate, 259; besieges Aquileia, 261; his march through France, 267; hears of the death of Constantius, and enters Constantinople, 278; his severities, 279; reforms the imperial palace, 281; openly professes paganism, 283; sets out for Antioch, 295; visits the ancient temple of Cybele at Pessinus, and offers sacrifices, 296; winters at Antioch, 298; forbids the masters of rhetoric to instruct Christians, 299; prepares for an expedition against the Persians, 302; orders the church at Antioch to be closed, 304; writes his 'Misopogon, ' 305; marches into Mesopotamia, and arrives at Carrhæ, 320; addresses his army, 328; invades Assyria, 347; captures and burns Pirisabora, 353; addresses the army, 354; his continence, 368; his sacrifice to Mars, 369; storms Maogamalcha, 357-362; burns all his ships except twelve, 370; his self-denial, 377; alarmed by prodigies, 377; wounded in fighting with the Persians, 379; his dying speech, 381; death, 383; his character, 383-386; his personal appearance, 387

Julian, uncle of the emperor, 317

Juliers (Juliacum Francorum), 127

Julius, a count commanding the army in Thrace, 422, 623

Justina, wife of Valentinian, 575; sister of Cerealis, 482

Juvenal, 488

Juventius Siscianus, the quæstor, 413; made prefect of the city, 441

K. 

Kellen (Triæsinæ), a town in Germany, 161

L. 

Lacotene, a town in Armenia, 236

Lagarimanus, a general of the Goths, 584

Laipso, a tribune, 121

Lamforctense, a town in Mauritania, 528

Lampadius, prefect of the prætorian guard, 55; made prefect of the city, 440

Lampsacus, a city of Mysia, 287

Laniogaisus, a Frank and tribune, 59

Laodicea, a town of Syria, 28

Laranda, a town in Isauria, 8

Latinus, count of the domestics, 34

Laudias, a fort in Mesopotamia, 179

Laumellum, a town in Italy, 72

Lauricius, sent as governor to Isauria, 211

Lawyers, Roman, described, 555

Lazica, a province of Scythia, 465

Leap-year explained, 407

Leman (the Lake Leman), 79

Lemnos, an island off the coast of Thrace, 286

Lentia (Lintz), 52, 602

Lentienses, incursions of the, 53

Leo, a Pannonian, 407, 470, 551, 561

Leonas, quæstor of Constantius, 233

Leontius, prefect of Rome, 65

Leptis, a town in Africa, distress of, 497; implores the emperor's aid, 499

Lesbos, an island on the Ægean Sea, 286

Letian, a German tribe, 231

Leuce, an island in the Black Sea, 292

Liberius, bishop of Rome, banished by Constantius for refusing to concur in the deposition of Athanasius, 67

Libino, a count, sent by Julian against the Allemanni and slain, 247

Libya, 312

Libyssa, a town in Bithynia, 295

Limigantes, slaves of the Sarmatians, 151, 203; their treachery, 151, 203, 205; defeated, 207

Lions in Mesopotamia, 177

Londinium (London), 212, 454, 483

Lorne, a fort in Mesopotamia, 201

Lotophagi, mentioned by Homer, 20

Lucillianus, count of the domestics, and father-in-law of Jovian, 39, 159, 175, 257, 322, 396, 402

Lucullus, a Roman general who defeated the Thracians, 444

Lugdunum (Lyons), 79

Lupicinus, master of the horse, 163; sent against the Picts, 212, 233; (ii. ) count of Thrace, 587, 589; (iii. ) one of the Gentiles, 460

Luscinus, 361, 548

Luscus, governor of Antioch, burnt to death, 25

Lusius, an officer under Trajan, 526

Lutetia (Paris), the capital of the Parisii, 78

Luto, count, 65

Lycaonia, part of Asia Minor, 7

Lycurgus, the Spartan lawgiver, 88, 296, 572

Lyons (Lugdunum), 79

---- gulf of (Adgradus), 80

Lysimachia, 287

M. 

Macellum, in Cappadocia, 48

Macepracta, a town in Assyria, 351

Maces, a promontory in the Persian Gulf, 332

Machamæus, a Roman general, killed, 374

Macrianus, a king of the Allemanni, 164, 494, 523, 552

Macrones, a people near the Euxine, 290

Mæotis Palus (the Sea of Azov), 291

Magi, 336

Maharbal, 170

Malarichus, commander of the Gentiles, 56, 57; appointed by Jovian commander of the forces in Gaul, 396

Malechus Podosaces, 350

Mallobaudes, or Mellobaudes, 41, 56, 553, 603

Mamersides, 353, 363

Mamertinus, 255, 259, 279; made prefect of Italy, with Africa and Illyricum, 414; accused of peculation, 451

Mancinus, C. Hostilius, a Roman consul, 44

Manlius Priscus, a lieutenant of Pompey, 95

Maogamalcha, a city in Persia, 357

Maræccus, a river near the Caspian Sea, 291

Maranx, a district in Persia, 375

Maras, a Christian deacon, put to the torture, 32

Maratocupreni, a people in Syria, who lived by plunder, 48

Marcellianus, duke of Valeria, 539

Marcellus, 86; master of the horse, 88; cashiered, 92, 95; (ii. ) a kinsman of Procopius, kills Serenianus, 431; seizes Chalcedon, 431; taken and put to death, 432

Marcianopolis, a city of Thrace, 444, 589

Marcianus, 265; (ii. ) a rhetorician, 557

Marcius, an ancient seer, 4

Marcomanni, 538

Marcus Aurelius, 274, 538, 591

Mareades, 325

Margiani, a Persian tribe, 339

Mariandena, a district in Bithynia, 288

Maride, a fort in Mesopotamia, 201

Marius Maximus, 488

Marinus, a tribune, 51

Maronea, a town in Thrace, 286

Marseilles (Massilia), 79

Marses, a river in Assyria, 335

Martinus, a deputy-governor of Britain, 13; commits suicide, 14

Masaucio, 416

Mascizel, a Mauritanian chief, 527

Masilla, 537

Massagetæ, 292, 328, 580

Massilia (Marseilles), 74, 79

Massisenses, a people of Mauritania, 527

Matrona, an Alpine mountain (Mont Genevre), 76; (ii. ) the Marne, a river in Gaul, 78

Maudio, count, 65

Mauritania, 526

Maurus, a Roman count, 220

Maxentius, a Pannonian, 452

Maxera, a river in Hyrcania, 339

Maximianopolis, a city in Thrace, 444

Maximinus, the Roman emperor, 4

---- prefect of Rome, 468; his ferocity, 469, 470, 473-476

Maximus, prefect of Rome, 265

---- a celebrated philosopher, beheaded at Ephesus, 513

Mayence (Moguntiacus), stormed by Rando, a chief of the Allemanni, 457

Mazaca, a city in Cappadocia, 233

Mazices, a people in Mauritania, 529

Mazuca, a Mauritanian chief, 534

Mederichus, a king of the Allemanni, 113

Medianum, a fortress in Mauritania, 535

Media, 335

Mediolanum (Evreux), 79

Meiacarire, a small town in Mesopotamia, noted for its cool springs, 174

Melanchlænæ, a tribe near the Palus Mæotis, 291

Melanthias, a country palace of the Roman emperors, 606

Melas, a river in Pamphylia, 7

---- a bay (Gulf of Saros) on the coast of Thrace, 286

Melitina, a town in Lesser Armenia, 200, 236

Memoridus, tribune, 396

Memorius, prefect of Cilicia, 319

Memphis, a town of Egypt, 313

Menander, a poet, 270

Menapila, a town in Bactria, 340

Menophilus, the eunuch of king Mithridates, 95

Mephra, a town in Arabia, 338

Mercurius, a notary, nicknamed the Count of Dreams, 50

Merenes, a Persian general, 375

Meribanes, king of Hiberia, 253

Merobaudes, 574, 598

Meroe, a town in Ethiopia, 307, 312

Mesene, a town in Assyria, 334

Meseus, a river in Persia, 335

Mesopotamia, 134

Messala, prefect of Pannonia, 540

Meton, an ancient astronomer, 407

Metrodorus, 387

Metz (Mediomatricum), 79, 99

Midas, king of Phrygia, 296

Milan, 49

Milesiani, Athenian colonists, 291

Miletus, 468

Mimas, mount, 617

Minervius, consular governor, 473

Misopogon, the, 305

Mithridates, 94

Mnevis, 306

Modestus, count of the East, 208; prefect of the prætorium, 506, 553

Moesia, one of the Danubian provinces, 146; (ii. ) a town in Parthia, 333

Moguntiacus (Mayence), 78

Monæcus (Monaco), 76

Montius, a quæstor, 24, 31; his violent death, 25, 40, 49

Mopsucrenæ, a town in Cilicia, 271

Mopsuestia, 27

Mopsus, a celebrated seer, 27

Mosa (the Meuse), 127

Mosynæci, a tribe near the Euxine Sea, 290

Mothone, a town of Laconia, 434

Moxoëne, a province beyond the Tigris, 321, 393

Muderic, a Thuringian noble, 584

Murci, persons exempt from military service, 81

Murocincta, 575

Mursa, battle of, 63

Musones, a people in Mauritania, 531

Musonianus, prefect of the East, 81, 98, 136

Musonius, a rhetorician, afterwards deputy governor of Asia Minor, 456

Mygdonia, part of Bithynia, 288

Mygdus, a town in Phrygia, 424

N. 

Nabathæi, a people of Arabia, 29

Nabdates, 362; burnt alive, 364

Nacolia, a town in Phrygia, 430

Næssus, or Næsus, a town in Illyricum, 259, 414

Nagara, a town in Arabia, 338

Naharmalcha, a canal joining the Euphrates to the Tigris, 366

Nannenus, or Nannienus, Count of Britain, 493; defeats the Allemanni, 603

Napæi, a tribe of the Caspian, 291

Naphtha, 333, 337

Narbona (Narbonne), capital of the following, 79

Narbonne, a province of Gaul, 78

Narses, king of the Persians, 327; (ii. ) a Persian nobleman, 134, 368

Nascon, a town in Arabia, 338

Natiso, a river near Aquileia, 262

Natuspardo, chief of the domestici, 461

Naulibus, 342

Nauplius, 286

Nazavicium, mountain of Scythia, 341

Neapolis (formerly Shechem, now Nablous), a town in Palestine, 29; (ii. ) a town in Africa, 313

Nebridius, count of the East, 10; made quæstor by Julian, 233; refuses to take the oath of allegiance, and retires from public life, 251; made prefect of the prætorium, 422

Nectaridus, prefect of Britain, 453

Nemesis, or Adrastea, 42

Nemetæ (Spiers) a city in Germany, 78

Neo-Cæsarea, a city in Pontus, 465

Neotherius, 416

Nepotianus, 467

Nestica, tribune of the Scutarii, 144

Neuri, a tribe of the Massagetæ, 580

Nevitta, master of the horse, 256, 258, 259, 265, 284, 347, 359

Nicæa in Bithynia, 295

---- in Gaul (Nice), 79

Nice, a town in Thrace, 606

Nicer (the Neckar), 480

Nicomedia, 137, 287, 295, 304

Nicopolis, 444, 591

Nigrinus, 260; burnt alive, 264

Nile, 307; its islands, 309

Nileus, son of Codrus, 288, 468

Nineveh, 176 (Ninus), 28, 334

Ninus, or Nineveh, 28

Niphates, 332

Nisæa, 339

Nisibis, a town in Mesopotamia, 30, 172, 178, 393; its importance, 397

Nobles, Roman, vices of the, 487-491

Nohodares, a Persian noble, 10, 174; killed, 380

Novesium (Nuys), 161

Novidunum (Nivors), 446

Nubel, a Mauritanian chief, 525

Numerius, prefect of Gaul, 160

Nymphæum, a temple in Rome sacred to the nymphs, 66

Nymphæus, a river in Mesopotamia, 183

O. 

Obelisk, Egyptian, inscription upon an, 132

Obroatis, a town in Persia, 338

Ochus, a river in Bactria, 340

Ocricoli (Ocriculum), 100, 472

Octavianus, proconsul of Africa, 317

Odissos, 293, 444

Odrysæans, a people of Thrace, 443

OEa, a Roman colony in the province of Tripoli, 498

OEchardes, a people of Scythia, 341

Olybrius, prefect of the city, 469

Olympias, daughter of Abladius, 236

Ona, a river in Persia, 333

Ophiusa, a name of the Island of Rhodes, 139

Opitergium, a town in Pannonia, 538

Opurocarra, a mountain in Serica, 341

Orchomanes, a river in Bactria, 340

Orfitus, prefect of Rome, 14, 100, 439, 451

Oroates, a river in Persia, 335

Orontes, a river in Syria, 28

---- a mountain in Media, 335

Oropus, a town in Euboea, 554

Ortogordomaris, a river rising in Bactria, 342

Ortopana, a city of the Paropanisatæ, 342

Osdroene, or Osdruena, a province of Mesopotamia, 10, 28, 319, 347

Ostracine, a town in Egypt, 312

Oxian Marsh in Sogdiana, 340

Oxus, a river in Hyrcania, 339

Oxyrynchus, a town in Egypt, 313

Ozogardana, a city in Assyria, 350

P. 

Pacorus, king of Persia, 334

Palea, town in Pamphylia, 8

Palestine, 29

Palladius, master of the offices, 279; (ii. ) a tribune and secretary, 498-502

Palm-tree, 356

Pannonia, 103, 146

Pantheon of Rome, 102

Panticapæum, 291

Paphius, a senator, 474

Paphos, its temple of Venus, 29

Papirius Cursor, 569

Para, son of Arsaces, king of Armenia, 465, 543-549

Parætonium, a town in Libya, 313

Paraxmalcha, a town on the Euphrates, 350

Parion, a town on the Hellespont, 287

Parnasius, prefect of Egypt, 209

Paropanisatæ, a tribe of Persians, 342

Parthenius, a river in Bithynia, 289

Parthia, 338

Parthiscus, a river in Sarmatia, 152

Pasiphilus, a philosopher, 512

Patares, straits between the Palus Mæotis and the Euxine, 291

Paternianus, 551

Patigran, a town in Media, 337

Patræ, a town in Achaia, 209

Patricius, 505, 510

Patruinus, a Roman noble, 67

Paulus, surnamed "The Chain, " 13, 14; his character, 207; despatched as a judge with Modestus to the East, 208; his cruelties, 209, 210, 280

Pelagia, a name given to the Island of Rhodes, 139

Pelusium, a city in Egypt, 312

Pentadius, a notary, 41; made master of the offices, 232, 279

Pentapolis, a province of North Africa, 312

Peregrinus, a philosopher, 513

Pergamius, accused of magical practices, 505

Persepolis, a town of Persia, 338

Persia, described, 331-337; its rivers, 337

Persians, also called Parthians, 216; their sovereigns called brothers of the sun and moon, 330; description of their country, 331-337; deliberate on public affairs at their banquets, 171

Pescennius Niger, 428

Pessinus, a town in Phrygia, 429; its temple of Cybele, 296

Petobio (Pettau), a town in Noricum, 40

Petronius, his influence over Valens, 418

Petrus Valvomeres, 66

Peuce, an island in the Euxine Sea, 293

Phæacians, 170, 453

Phalangius, governor of Boetica, 473

Phanagorus, an island in the Palus Mæotis, 291

Pharos, an island and lighthouse near Alexandria, 313

Phasis, a river and city in Colchis, 290

Philadelphia, a town in Arabia, 29

Philagrius, 248

Philippopolis, a town in Thrace, formerly Eumolpias, now Philippopoli, 258, 278, 431, 444; destroyed by the barbarians, 591

Philistion, 558

Philoromus, a charioteer, 66

Philoxenus, a poet, 64

Philyres, a tribe near the Euxine, 290

Phineus, a soothsayer, 288

Phocæans, 74

Phocus, 312

Phoenicia, 28

---- a town on the Tigris, called also Bezabde, 225

Phronemius, 422; exiled to the Chersonesus, 432

Phrygia, 380

Phrynichus, an Athenian dramatist, 468

Phyllis, a river flowing into the Euxine, 288

Picenses, a Sarmatian tribe, 155

Pictavi (Poictiers), 79

Picts and Scots, 212, 453; harass the Britons, 413

Pigranes, a Persian general, 368

Piri, a mountain in Germany, 481

Pirisabora, a town in Persia, 351; captured and burnt by Julian, 353

Pistoja, a town of Tuscany, ominous occurrence at, 439

Pityus, an island in the Euxine, 289

Plato, 90, 315, 383, 554

Plautian, 418, 507

Plotinus, 270, 314

Podosaces, chief of the Assanite Saracens, 350

Pola, a town in Istria, 41

Polemonium, a town of Pontus, 289

Pollentianus, a tribune, 518

Polybius, the historian, 353

Pompey, 146

Portospana, a town in Carmania, 339

Posthumus, 274

Potentius, a tribune, 615

Prætextatus, 285, 457, 473

Priarius, king of the Allemanni, killed, 603

Priscus, a philosopher, 383

Probus, 461; his cowardice, 540, 551, 560

Proconnesus, an island in the Propontis, 287

Procopius, 159; message from, 175, 320, 401; attempts a revolution in the East, 415; his former career, 417; saluted as emperor, 421; his successes, 424, 425; his death, 431

Profuturus, 594, 599

Prophthasia, capital of Drangiana, 342

Prosper, count, 37, 82, 136

Protagoras, 286

Provertuides, 453

Ptolemais, 312

Ptolemy the geographer, 287

Pylæ, a town on the borders of Cilicia and Cappadocia, 297

Pyramids of Egypt, 311

Pythagoras, 315

Q. 

Quadi, neighbours of the Sarmatians, 103, 146, 148; ravage Pannonia, 413, 538

Quadriburgium, 161

Quintianus, a senator, 507

Quintilii, two Roman brothers, 490

R. 

Rabannæ, a Scythian tribe, 341

Rainbows, causes of, 241

Ramestes, an Egyptian king, 132

Rando, a chief of the Allemanni, 457

Rauracum, a town on the Rhine (Basle) 34, 79, 255

Rebas, a river flowing into the Euxine, 288

Regulus, 17

Rehemena, a province beyond the Tigris, 393

Reman, a Roman fortress in Mesopotamia, 183

Remi (Rheims), 79, 86

Remigius, 64, 455, 497, 525; commits suicide, 551

Remora, a tribune given as a hostage to the Persians, 394

Resaina, battle of, 328

Rha (the Volga), 291

Rhine, its course described, 52

Rhinocolura, a city of Egypt, 312

Rhone, its course described, 79, 80

Rhodes, 139

Rhodope, 258, 287, 443

Rhombites, a river of the Sauromatæ, 291

Richborough (Rutupiæ), 212, 254

Richomeres, count of the domestics, 595, 598

Rigomagum (Rheinmagen), 87

Robur, a Roman fortress near Basle, 551

Roemnus, a river in Persia, 341

Rogomanis, a river in Persia, 337

Romanus, count, 455, 497, 525

Rome, its state of morals described, 15; its buildings, 101, 102; danger of a famine at, 203

Romulus, a senator, 264

Rothomagi (Rouen), 79

Roxolani, a Sarmatian race, 291

Rufina, put to death for adultery, 477

Rufinus, commander of the prætorian guard, 51, 96

---- prefect of the prætorium, 451, 461; his character, 451, 461

---- Aradius, 317

Rumitalca, a tribune, 425

Rumo, a Sarmatian chief, 148

Ruricius, 455, 498, 501

Rusticianus, a priest, 498

Rusticus Julianus, 447

Rutupiæ (Richborough), 212, 454

S. 

Sabaiarius, or beer-drinker; a name given by the inhabitants of Chalcedon to the emperor Valens, 425

Sabaria, a town in Pannonia, 563

Sabastios, 264

Sabinianus, 169, 171, 189

Sacæ, the, 340

Saccumum, a town in Italy, 140

Saga, a town in Scythia, 341

Saganis and Sagareus, rivers in Carmania, 339

Salamis, celebrated for its temple of Jupiter, 29

Salia, his sudden death, 509

Salices, a town in Thrace, 595

Salii, a tribe of Franks, 141

Saliso (Spiers), 86

Sallust, the historian, 81

Sallustius (i. ), prefect of Gaul, 255; consul with Julian, 317; opposes the Persian war, 325; (ii. ) prefect of the East, 381; refuses the imperial dignity after Julian's death, 388; ambassador to the Persians, 393; succeeded in the prefecture by Nebridius, 422

Salmaces, a Mauritanian chief, 528

Samosata, a town of Syria, 28, 168, 236

Sanctio (Seckingen), 247

Sangarius, a river flowing into the Euxine, 288

Santones (Saintes), 79

Sapaudia (Savoy), 80

Saphrax, a general of the Goths, 583, 610

Sapor, king of Persia, 98; letter to Constantius, 134; his designs, 167; wounded at Amida, 185; invades Mesopotamia, and lays siege to Singara, 223; captures it, 224; takes Bezabde, 228; makes peace with the Romans, 393; his treachery, 463; renews the war, 463; invades Armenia, 465; his aggression, 503; his proposals to Valentinian, 549

Saqires, a tribe near the Euxine, 290

Saracens, 11, 307, 322, 332, 350, 391, 622

Saramanna, a town of Hyrcania, 339

Sargetæ, a nation near the Euxine, 292

Sarmatians, 103, 146, 154; ravage Pannonia, 413, 540

Saturninus (i. ), superintendent of the palace, 280; (ii. ) a general against the Goths, 598

Saulieu (Sedelaucum), 85

Sauromaces, 468

Sauromatæ, 291, 580

Saxons, 413, 454; make incursions into the Roman territory, 493, 567

Scævolæ, the, 555

Scipio, P. C. , 17, 77

Sciron, a pirate, 6

Scordisci, formerly inhabitants of Thrace, 442

Scorpion, a military engine, 197; its structure, 322

Scots and Picts, 212, 413, 453

Scudilo, commander of the Scutarii, 34, 42

Scytalæ, a species of Egyptian serpent, 311

Scythia, described, 341

Scythians, 229, 550

Scythopolis (Bethshean), in Palestine, 208

Sebastian, duke of Egypt, 321, 396, 458; surprises the Goths, 607, 615

Seckingen (Sanctio), 247

Secundinus, 347

Sedratyra, a town in Gedrosia, 343

Segestani, a warlike tribe, 187

Seine (Sequana), 78

Sele, a Persian town, 335

Seleucia (Selefkieh), a city in Syria, 28; (ii. ) a town in Persia, also called Coche, 363

Seleucus Nicator, 28

Selymbria, a Megarian colony, 287

Semiramis, 19

Sens (Senones), 79

Sera, capital of Serica, 341

Serapion, king of the Allemanni, 107

Serapis, his temple at Alexandria, 314; also at Turgana, 338

Serdica, a town in Bulgaria, 95

Serenianus, duke of Phoenicia, 22, 41, 414; defends Cyzicus, 427; his death, 431

Sergius, 381, 461

Serica, a country bordering on Scythia, 341

Servilius, the conqueror of Cilicia, 27

Severus (i. ), the Emperor, 395, 507; (ii. ) master of the horse, 103; at the battle of Strasburg, 113, 141, 143; master of the infantry under Valentinian, 447, 493

Sextius Calvinus, 81

Sicani, ancient occupants of Sicily, 556

Sicinius Dentatus, 381, 461

Sidon, a city of Phoenicia, 28

Silvanus, 55; attempts to assume the imperial dignity, 59; is killed in a Christian church, 63

Simonides (i. ), the lyric poet, 16, 90; (ii. ) a philosopher, 512; burnt alive, 513

Simplicius, 209; cruelty of, 477

Sindi, a tribe near the Euxine, 293

Singara, a town in Mesopotamia, 170; besieged and taken by Sapor, 223, 224; given up to the Persians, 393

Sinope, in Paphlagonia, 289

Sintula, tribune of the stable, 217, 221

Sirmium, 257

Sisara, a fort in Mesopotamia, 173

Sitifis, a town in Mauritania, 501, 502

Sizyges, a Scythian tribe, 341

Socrates, 488

Socunda, a town in Hyrcania, 339

Sogdiana, a province of Persia, 340

Sole, a town of Hyrcania, 339

Solicinium, 459

Solon, 64, 88, 315

Sophanes, a general under Xerxes, 369

Sophocles, 383

Sophronius, prefect of Constantinople, 421

Sopianæ, a town in Valeria, a province of Pannonia, 468

Sosingites, a lake in Assyria, 333

Sotera, a town in Persia, 342

Sparti, a Persian regiment, 200

Spectatus, a Roman tribune, 136

Sphinx, 309

Sporades, islands in the Ægean sea, 286

Stagira, the birthplace of Aristotle, 443

Stesichorus, a Greek lyric poet, 488

Sthenelus, his monument, 290

Strasburg, battle of, 113-118

Subicarense, a fortress in Mauritania, 538

Succi, a narrow pass in Mount Hemus, 258, 265, 267, 443

Sueridus, a Gothic chief, revolts, 592

Sugarbarritanum, a town in Mauritania, 529

Suggena, a Mauritanian general, 531

Sumere, a fort on the Tigris, 390

Sunon, a lake in Bithynia, 426

Suomarius, king of the Allemanni, 107; his submission, 143

Supræ, a barbarian troop, 548

Surena, the title of the Persian commander-in-chief, 354, 358; ambassador from Sapor, 393

Susa (Shushan), a city of Persia, 335

Syagrius, 481

Syene, a town of Egypt, 312

Sylla, 88, 116

Symmachus, a senator, 265; prefect of Rome, his character, 439

Symplegades, islands in the Bosporus, 288

Synhorium, a fortress in Armenia, 95

Syria, 28

T. 

Tabiana, an island in the Persian gulf, 338

Tages, a soothsayer, 143, 245

Taifali, a Gothic tribe, 155

Talicus, a Persian river, 341

Tamsapor, a Persian general, 98, 134, 169, 201

Tanais (the Don), 291

Tanaitæ, a tribe of the Alani, 583

Taphra, a town in Arabia, 338

Tapurian mountains in Persia, 340

Tarquitius, a soothsayer, 378

Tarratius Bassus, 473

Tarsus, a town in Cilicia, 27; Julian buried at, 404

Tauri, a tribe near the Euxine, 291

Taurini (Turin), 72

Tauriscus, a conqueror of Spain, 73

Taurus, a quæstor, 39; prefect in Italy, 253

Tenedos, an island in the Ægean sea, 286

Teredon, a city at the mouth of the Euphrates, 332

Terence, 439

Terentius, a Roman general, 465, 544

Tertullus, prefect of Rome, 203, 259

Teuchira, a town in Cyrene, 312

Teutomeres, chief of the Protectores, 51

Teutones, incursions of the, 591

Thalassius (i. ), prefect of the East, 4, 23; (ii. ) an officer in one of the law courts at Rome, 298

Thasos, now Thaso, 286

Thebes, a city in Egypt, 129, 312

Themiscyra forest, inhabited by Amazons, 289

Themistocles, 571

Theodorus, 505, 506, 511

Theodosius (i. ), 453; assists the Britons, 483; his success, 485, 526, 527, 538; (ii. ) the younger, 541

Theodotus, 305

Theognis, a poet, 508

Theolaiphus, count, 271

Theophanes, a river of the Sauromatæ, 291

Theophilus, governor of Syria, 22, 82

Theopompus, 296

Thermodon, a river of Pontus, 289

Thilsaphata, a town in Mesopotamia, 397

Thilutha, a fort on the Euphrates, 349

Thiodamas, 302

Thmuis, a town in Egypt, 313

Thrace, 442; description of the country and the people, 287, 443, 444

Thucydides, 191, 343

Thule, 171

Thuringians, 583; revolt, 588; defeat an army under Lupicinus, 590

Thynia, a district of Bithynia, 288

Tibareni, a people of Pontus, 290

Tiber, 542

Tibris, 289

Ticinum (now Pavia), 72

Tigaviæ, a town of Mauritania, 530

Tigris, 333

Timagenes, a Greek writer, 73

Tingetanum, a fort in Mauritania, 531

Tios, a town of the Euxine, 289

Tipata, a town in Mauritania, 532

Tiphys, the pilot of the Argonauts, 290

Tiposa, a town in Mauritania, 529

Tisias, an ancient Greek orator, 554

Tochari, a Bactrian tribe, 340

Tolosa (Toulouse), 79

Tomi, a city of Thrace, 293

Tomyris, a queen of Scythia, 331

Totordanes, a river of the Sauromatæ, 291

Toxandria, a town built by the Franks, 141

Tragonice, a town of Persia, 338

Trajan (i. ), the Emperor, 29, 102, 395, 440; (ii. ) count of Armenia, 503, 547; his battle with the Goths, 595, 608, 615

Transcellensis, a mountain in Mauritania, 529

Trapezus, a Sinopean colony in Pontus, 289

Trebatius, a lawyer, 556

Treves (Treviri), 79

Tribocci, a tribe on the Upper Rhine, 120

Tricapæ (Troyes), 79

Tricesimæ (Kellen), 161

Tricorii, a people of the Alps, 77

Tripoli, 496, 551

Troglodytæ, a tribe near the Red Sea, 293

Tubusuptum, a town in Mauritania, 527

Tungri (Tongres), 78, 141

Turgana, an Arabian island, 338

Tyana, a town in Cappadocia, 333, 402

Tyndenses, a people of Mauritania, 527

Tyras (the Dniester), 293

Tyre, 28

Tyros, a town on the Euxine, 293

U. 

Ultra, the son of Aspacuras, 466

Ur, a fort in Persia, 396

Urbicius, duke of Mesopotamia, 549

Urius, king of the Allemanni, 107, 164

Ursatius, 413, 415

Ursicinus, king of the Allemanni, 107, 164

---- master of the horse in the East, 30, 36; recalled, 37; danger of, 47; goes to Cologne, 61, 86, 180, 189, 190; charges against, 213

Ursinus, contest with Damasus for the bishopric of Rome, 441

Ursulus, 96, 280

Usafer, a Sarmatian noble, 149

Uscudama, a town in Thrace, 39, 444

V. 

Vadomarius, king of the Allemanni, 32, 247, 248, 425, 503

Vagabanta, a town of Mesopotamia, 504

Valens of Thessalonica, 274

Valens chosen emperor of the East by his brother Valentinian, 413; his alarm at the successes of Procopius, 424; sends Vadomarius to besiege Nicæa, and proceeds himself to Nicomedia, 425; his cruelty, 433; marches against the Goths, 445; attacks the Gruthungi, 446; returns to Constantinople, 447; his suspicious character, 507; reply to Sapor, 549; omens of his death, 576; receives an embassy from the Goths, 585; sends Victor into Persia, 594; leaves Antioch for Constantinople, 606; marches to Hadrianople, 609; his death, 614; his vices, 616

Valentia (Valence), 32, 79

---- a province of Britain, 485

Valentine, a Pannonian, 484, 568

Valentinian, chosen emperor, 406; his conduct, 407; saluted as Augustus, 409; his speech, 409; creates his brother Valens tribune and master of the horse, 412; arrives at Constantinople, 412; takes as his colleague in the imperial dignity his brother Valens, 413; his cruelty, 433; invests his son Gratian with the imperial dignity, 448; sends Theodosius to Britain, 453; marches against the Allemanni and gains a victory, 458; defeats the Goths at Solicinium, and returns to Treves, 461; fortifies the banks of the Rhine, 480; makes overtures of peace to the Burgundians, 495; his cruelties, 521; makes peace with Macrianus, 552; marches against the Quadi, 562; his dream, 563; his death, 564; review of his reign, 567; his character, 569-573

Valentinian II. Chosen emperor, 575

Valentinus, a tribune, 166

Valeria, a province of Pannonia, so named after the daughter of Diocletian, 204, 468

Valerian, officer of the domestics, 461

Valerianus, master of the horse, 615

Valerius Publicola, 17

Vangiones (Worms), 78

Vardanes, the founder of Ctesiphon, 334

Varronianus, the father of Jovian, 388

---- the son of Jovian, 403

Vasatæ (Bazas), 79

Vatrachites, a river of Persia, 337

Vecturiones, a nation of the Picts, 453

Velia, a town in Lucania, 74

Ventidius, lieutenant of Antony, 328

Venustus, 317, 473

Verissimus, count, 92

Verrinianus, 60, 181

Vertæ, allies of the Persians at the siege of Amida, 187, 193

Vestralpus, a king of the Allemanni, 107, 164

Veteranio, 46

Vetranio, captain of the Zianni, 377

Victa, a town in Mesopotamia, 228

Victohali, a Gothic tribe, 150

Victor Aurelius, the historian, 259

Victor, a Sarmatian, 347, 356, 366, 445, 609

---- a tribune given as a hostage to the Persians, 394

Victorinus, 473

Viderichus, son of Vithimiris, 583

Viduarius, king of the Quadi, 151

Vienna (Vienne), 79

Vincentius, tribune of the Scutarii, 300

Virgantia (Briançon), 76

Virgil, 72, 202, 586

Vitalianus, count, 403

Vithicabius, king of the Allemanni, 458

Vithimiris, king of the Eastern Goths, 583

Vitrodorus, son of Viduarius, 151

Vocontii, a people of Gaul, 67

Z. 

Zabdiceni, a people of Mesopotamia, 225, 393

Zagrus, montes, 335

Zamma, son of a Mauritanian chief, 525

Zariaspes, a river in Bactria, 340

Zeno, a celebrated Stoic, 31

Zeugma, a town on the Euphrates, 179

Zianni, an Armenian tribe, 377

Ziata, a fortress in Mesopotamia, 193

Zinafer, a Sarmatian chief, 148

Zizais, son of a king of the Sarmatians, 148

Zombis, a town in Media, 337

Zopyrus, 169

Zoroaster, 336

 THE END. 

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