Res Gestae

This is what was happening in Britain. But[*](364–8 A.D.) Africa from the very beginning of Valentinian’s reign was sore distressed by the madness of the savages, who made daring forays, and were eager for wholesale bloodshed and robbery. This evil was increased by the slackness of the army and its greed for seizing the property of others; and especially by the conduct of the governor, Romanus by name.

He, having an eye to the future and being an adept in shifting odium to others, was hated by many because of his savage disposition, but especially for his haste to outdo the enemy in devastating the provinces. He relied especially on his relationship with Remigius, then chief marshal of the court, who sent in false and contradictory reports; hence the emperor, in spite of the great caution which in his own opinion he exhibited, for a long time remained unaware of the lamentable losses of the people of Africa.

The complete series of events in those regions, the death of the governor Ruricius and of the ambassadors and the other mournful occurrences I shall set forth carefully when my plan calls for it.

But since I have a free opportunity of saying what I think, I shall declare openly that Valentinian was the first of all emperors to increase the arrogance of the military,[*](I.e., of the officers.) to the injury of the commonwealth, by raising their rank and power to excess; moreover (a thing equally to be deplored, both publicly and privately), he punished the peccadilloes of the common soldiers with unbending severity, while sparing those of higher rank; so that these assumed that they had complete licence for their sins, and were aroused to shameful and monstrous crimes. In consequence, they are so arrogant as to believe that the fortunes of all without distinction are dependent on their nod.

In order to diminish their bluster and self-importance, the lawgivers of old were of the opinion that sometimes even some innocent persons should be punished with death. And this often happens when, because of the wrongdoings of any multitude, through the injustice of fate, some guiltless persons suffer; for that sometimes has applied to the trials of private citizens.

Now in Isauria bands of brigands were over-[*](368 A.D.) running the neighbouring places,[*](Cf. xiv. 2, 1 ff.; xix. 13, 1.) harassing towns and rich villas with unrestrained pillage, and inflicting great losses on Pamphylia and the Cilicians.[*](Cf. Zos. iv. 20.) Musonius, the deputy-governor[*](The lieutenant-governor was a subordinate of the pretorian prefect. In so far as the latter could not himself administer all the parts (dioceses) of his province, the vicarius took his place.) of Asia at that time, who had formerly been a teacher of rhetoric in Attic Athens, perceived that, since no one resisted them, they were devastating everything with utter destruction; so at last, finding the situation deplorable and that the luxury of the soldiers made their aid

When the brigands, highly elated by this success, with greater confidence extended their raids in various directions, at last our troops were called out and after killing some of them drove the rest to the rocky retreats in the mountains where they live. Then, since no opportunity was revealed there for taking rest or finding anything fit for food, they called a truce and asked that peace be granted them, following the advice of the Germanicopolitani,[*](Germanicopolis was the principal city of the free Isaurians; Seleucia, of Roman Isauria.) whose opinions were always decisive with them, as if they were those of the standard-bearers in battle. Then they gave the hostages that were demanded, and remained quiet for a long time, without venturing on any hostile act.

Meanwhile Praetextatus, who with high distinction acted as prefect of the city of[*](367–8 A.D.) Rome,[*](In A.D. 367; he was formerly proconsular governor in Achaia; cf. xxii. 7, 6.) through repeated acts of honesty and uprightness, for which he was famous from early youth, attained what rarely falls to a man’s lot; for although he was feared by his fellow-citizens, he did not lose their love, which as a rule is apt to be less strong towards officials who are dreaded.

Through his authority and his decisions based upon justice and truth the outbreak which was stirred up by the quarrels of the Christians[*](Cf. 3, 11 f.) was quelled, and after the banishment of Ursinus profound quiet reigned, which

For he removed all the Maeniana,[*](Balconies on houses, or colonnades, at first constructed for viewing the games in the Forum by a certain Maenius, and named from him; cf. Pseud.-Asconius on Cic. in Caecilium, 16, 50.) the building of which in Rome was forbidden by early laws also, and he separated from the sacred buildings the walls of private houses, which had been irreverently built against them. He established standard weights in every quarter of the city, since otherwise the greed of many, who rigged up their balances after their own inclination, could not be dealt with. And in the examination of legal cases he deserved above all others the distinction which Cicero mentions in the commendation of Brutus,[*](Orat. 10, 34.) that although he did nothing to gain favour, yet everything that he did was looked upon with favour.