Fritigern was greatly alarmed by this stroke, and feared lest the general, whom he had always heard to be successful,For this meaning of impetrabilis, cf. xiv. 8, 5, and Plautus, 1162, etc. might make an unexpected attack upon his scattered and heedless bands, which were intent only upon pillage, and utterly destroy them; he therefore recalled all his men to the vicinity of the town of Cabyle and quickly left that neighbourhood, in order that his people, by living in the open plains, might not suffer from famine or from secret attacks.

While this was going on in Thrace, Gratian, having informed his uncle by letter with what energy he had overthrown the Alamanni, sent on ahead by land all his baggage and packs, and descending the Danube with a band of light-armed troops, came to BononiaPtolemy locates this place in Upper Pannonia, the modern Banastar; cf. xxi. 9, 6. and entered Sirmium. Having delayed there for four days, he went on over the same river to the Camp of Mars,A small town in Dacia Ripensis (in Moesia, according to Sozomenus, ix. 5). although attacked by intermittent fevers. In that region the Halani unexpectedly fell upon him, and he lost a few of his followers.