Res Gestae

For Aemilianus had come close up to the gate, and it was protected by an arch of masonry, under which he was safely hidden while the enemy were trying to lift off the masses of stone[*](The projecting arch above the gate.) ; and he broke into the city when it was stripped of its defenders. But Julian attacked an exposed place, and was forced to retreat only when the face of heaven was darkened by fragments of mountains and other missiles showered upon him; and then with difficulty.

These actions went on in haste and confusion, and since it was evident that the construction of mantlet-sheds and mounds was greatly interfered with by other pressing matters, Julian gave orders that the engine called helepolis[*](City-taker, described in xxiii. 4, 10-13.) should quickly be built, by the use of which, as I have said above, King Demetrius overcame many cities and won the name of Poliorcetes.[*](Besieger of cities.)

To this huge mass, which would rise above the battlements of the lofty towers, the defenders turned an attentive eye, and at the same time considering the resolution of the besiegers, they suddenly fell to their prayers, and standing on the towers and battlements, and with outstretched hands imploring the protection of the Romans, they craved pardon and life.

And when they saw that the works were discontinued, and that those who were constructing them were attempting nothing further, which was a sure sign of peace, they asked that an opportunity be given them of conferring with Ormizda.

When this was granted, and Mamersides, commander of the garrison, was let down on a rope and taken to the emperor, he obtained (as he besought) a sure promise of life and impunity for himself and his followers, and was allowed to return. When he reported what he had accomplished, all the people of both sexes, since everything that they desired had been accepted, made peace with trustworthy religious rites. Then the gates were thrown open and they came out, shouting that a potent protecting angel had appeared to them in the person of a Caesar great and merciful.

The prisoners numbered only 2500; for the rest of the population, in anticipation of a siege, had

The day after these events the serious news came to the emperor, while he was quietly at table, that the Persian leader called the Surena[*](See xxiv. 2, 4.) had unexpectedly attacked three squadrons of our scouting cavalry, had killed a very few of them, including one of their tribunes, and carried off a standard.

At once roused to furious anger, Julian hurried forth with an armed force,—his safest course lay in his very speed-and routed the marauders in shameful confusion; he cashiered the two surviving tribunes as inefficient and cowardly, and following the ancient laws, discharged and put to death ten[*](If the reference is to decimation, Ammianus does not express himself clearly.) of the soldiers who had fled from the field.

Then, after the city was burned (as has been told), Julian mounted a tribunal erected for the purpose and thanked the assembled army, urging them all to act in the same way in the future, and promised each man a hundred pieces of silver.[*](I.e. denarii. ) But when he perceived that the smallness of the promised sum

Behold the Persians, said he, abounding in wealth of every kind. The riches of this people can enrich you, if we show ourselves brave men of united purpose. But from endless resources (believe me, pray) the Roman empire has sunk to extremest want through those men who (to enrich themselves) have taught princes to buy peace from the barbarians with gold.[*](This had been done since Domitian’s time by all the emperors of his sort.)

The treasury has been pillaged, cities depopulated, provinces laid waste. I have neither wealth nor family connections (although I am of noble birth), only a heart that knows no fear; and an emperor who finds his sole happiness in the training of his mind will feel no shame in admitting an honourable poverty. For the Fabricii too, though poor in worldly goods, conducted serious wars and were rich in glory.

All this you may possess in abundance, if you fearlessly follow God’s lead and your general’s, who will be careful (so far as human foresight can provide), and if you act with moderation; but if you oppose me and repeat the shameful scenes of former revolts, go to it now!

I alone, as becomes a commander, having reached the end of a career of great deeds, will die standing on my feet, indifferent to a life which one little fever may take from me; or at any rate I will abdicate, since I have not lived such a life that I cannot some time be a private citizen. And I may say with pride and joy that we

By this address of an emperor self-contained amid prosperity and adversity the soldiers were quieted for the time, and, gaining confidence through the anticipation of better days, they promised to be obedient and compliant. With unanimous applause they lauded his leadership and high spirit to the skies; and when such utterances are sincere and come from the heart, it is usually shown by a slight clashing of shields.

After this they retired to their tents and (so far as the circumstances allowed) refreshed themselves with food and sleep. It gave courage to the army besides that Julian constantly took oath, not by those dear to him, but by the great deeds that he planned, saying: As I hope to send the Persians under the yoke; As I hope to restore the shattered Roman world. Just as Trajan is said sometimes to have emphasized a statement by the oaths: As I hope to see Dacia reduced to the form of a province; As I hope to cross the Hister and the Euphrates on bridges; and many other oaths of the same kind.

Next, after a march of fourteen miles, we came to a place where the fields are made fertile by an abundance of water; but the Persians, having learned in advance that we should take that route, had broken the dykes and allowed the water to flow everywhere without restraint.

Therefore, as the ground was covered far and wide with standing pools, the emperor gave the soldiers another day of rest, and went on himself; and after overcoming many dangers, he made such bridges

In these regions there are many fields, planted with vineyards and various kinds of fruits. Here too palm trees are wont to grow, extending over a wide expanse as far as Mesene[*](Apamia, cf. xxiii. 6, 43.) and the great sea,[*](The Caspian.) in mighty groves. And wherever anyone goes, one constantly sees palm branches with and without fruit,[*](See Gellius, ii. 26, 10; iii. 9, 9, palmae termes ex arbore cum fructu spadix dicitur. Ammianus alone uses the form spadicum (n.).) and from their yield an abundance of honey and wine is made.[*](Cf. Hdt. i. 193.) The palms themselves are said to couple, and the sexes may easily be distinguished.[*](Cf. Pliny, N.H. xiii. 34 f. Herodotus, i. 193, thinks that an insect carries the seed from the male to the female tree.)

It is also said that the female trees conceive when smeared with the seeds of the male, and they assert that the trees take pleasure in mutual love, and that this is evident from the fact that they lean towards each other, and cannot be parted even by gales of wind. And if the female tree is not smeared in the usual way with the seed of the male, it suffers abortion and loses its fruit before it is ripe. And if it is not known with what male any female tree is in love, her trunk is smeared with her own perfume,[*](That is, the blossoms of the female tree.) and the other tree by a law of nature is attracted by the sweet odour.[*](The tree to which the female tree is attracted is drawn to her by the perfume of her blossoms. The perfume was carried by insects; cf. Hdt. i. 193.) It is from these signs that the belief in a kind of copulation is created.

Abundantly supplied with food of that kind, our army passed by several islands, and where formerly there was dread of scarcity there was now serious danger of over-eating. Finally, they were assailed by a hidden attack of the enemy’s archers, but not unavenged; and came to a place where the main body of the Euphrates is divided into many small streams.