Res Gestae

Moreover, since ten bushels had been sold to the needy for one gold-piece, while he himself now bought thirty,[*](For the same amount; i.e., one gold-piece.) he sent the profit from the difference in price to the emperor’s treasury.[*](I.e., to the treasury in charge of the praetorian prefect, who had general supervision of the grain-supply; see Introd., Vol. I, pp. xxxi.-xxxii.) And so Valentinian, suspecting that he had sent less than he should have sent as the result of his trafficking, punished him with a fine of a part of his property.

To add to his calamity, this also had happened at that same time, which was not less fatal. The soothsayer Amantius, at that time especially notorious, was betrayed on secret evidence of having been employed by the said Hymetius, for the purpose of committing certain criminal acts, to perform a sacrifice; but when brought to trial, although he stood bent double upon the rack,[*](Tortured until he was permanently disfigured. For sub eculeo see xxvi. 10, 13, note.) he denied it with obstinate insistence.

Upon his denial, his secret papers were brought from his house and a memorandum in the handwriting of Hymetius was found, begging him that by carrying out a solemn sacrifice he should prevail upon the deity to make the

When the emperor learned this from the report of the judges, who gave what had been done a harsh interpretation, he issued orders that the affair should be investigated with excessive strictness. And since Frontinus, an adviser[*](For consiliarius = minister, cf. Suet., Tib. 55; Claud. 12, 2. He was one of the governor’s assistants, appointed to aid him in making judicial decisions, and corresponding to the members of the emperor’s consistorium; see Index II, Vol. I, s.v. consiliarius. ) of the said Hymetius, was charged with having drawn up the form of prayer that was made, he was mangled with rods, and having confessed his guilt, was exiled to Britain; but Amantius was later found guilty of a capital crime and executed.

After this course of events Hymetius was taken to the town of Ocriculum,[*](Modern Otricoli.) to be heard by Ampelius, prefect of the city,[*](He was city prefect in 371 and 372. Ammianus includes the whole time of the investigation.) and Maximinus, the deputy-prefect; and when it was evident that he would immediately be condemned to death, he boldly appealed to the emperor’s protection, when the opportunity was given him, and, defended under the refuge of that name, saved his life.

When the emperor was consulted[*](368 ff. A.D.) about this matter, he referred the business to the senate. And when they had weighed the case in the scales of justice and learned the truth and had exiled the accused to Boae,[*](An island on the Dalmatian Coast.) a place in Dalmatia, they could hardly bear the wrath of the emperor, who was greatly incensed on learning that a man whom he had intended to be condemned to death had been punished with a milder sentence.

On account of this occurrence and many others of the same kind, the fate which was seen to overtake a few persons began to be feared by all. And lest, by so many evils that were ignored, and gradually creeping on, the mass of troubles should be increased, by resolution of the nobles envoys were sent to the emperor. These were Praetextatus,[*](Cf. xxvii. 9, 8.) former prefect of the city, Venustus, a one-time deputy-prefect,[*](Cf. xxiii. 1, 4.) and Minervius, who had been a consular governor. They were to ask that punishments should be inflicted that were not too severe for the offences,[*](The punishment should fit the crime. According to Capitolinus, 24, 1, Marcus Aurelius punished all offences with a milder penalty than the laws allowed.) and that no senator should, in a fashion neither practised nor permitted, be subjected to torture.

When the deputation had been admitted to the council-chamber and had presented their request, Valentinian said that he had never made such a decree, and cried out that he was the victim of calumny. But the quaestor Eupraxius[*](Cf. xxvii. 6, 14.) mildly contradicted him, and through his freedom of speech the cruel order, which surpassed all examples of harshness, was rescinded.

At about that same time Lollianus, a youth just growing his first beard, son of the ex-prefect Lampadius,[*](Cf. xxvii. 3, 5.) as the result of a strict examination by Maximinus, was convicted of having written a book on destructive magic arts, when adult age had not yet endowed him with sound judgment. And when it was feared that he would be exiled, by his father’s advice he appealed to the emperor and was ordered to be taken to his court; but he went from the smoke (as the saying is)[*](Cf. from the frying-pan into the fire and xiv. 11, 12.) into the fire; for he was handed over to Phalangius, consular governor