Res Gestae

Ammianus Marcellinus

Ammianus Marcellinus. Ammianus Marcellinus, with an English translation, Vols. I-III. Rolfe, John C., translator. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; W. Heinemann, 1935-1940 (printing).

His strong and muscular body, the gleam of his hair, his brilliant complexion, his grey eyes, with a gaze that was always sidelong and stern, his fine stature, and his regular features[*](Cf. membrorum recta compage, xiv. 11, 28.) completed a figure of regal charm and majesty.

After the last invocation of the emperor[*](The conclamatio, or last call to the dead, to see wheather any life remained. Or it may mean, after the public lamentations for his death, the completion of his funerals rites.) his[*](375 A.D.) body was prepared for burial, in order to be sent to Constantinople and interred among the remains of the deified rulers. Meanwhile the campaign that was approaching was suspended, and an uncertain outcome of the situation was feared, because of the cohorts serving in Gaul, which were not always of devoted loyalty to legitimate emperors, and regarded themselves as arbiters of the imperial power;[*](Cf. Vopiscus, Saturninus, 7, 1: Gallus, ex gents hominum inquietissima et avida semper vel faciendi principis vel imperil.) and it was suspected that they might take the opportunity to venture on some new step; and this fact added some hopes of attempting a revolution—that Gratianus was still at Trier (where his father, when he was on the point of beginning his march, had arranged for him to stay) and even then knew nothing of what had happened.

When affairs were in this critical state, and all

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were equally in dread, and likely to share in whatever dangers that might arise, as if in the same boat,[*](A common proverb; cf. Cic., Ad Fam. ii. 5, 1; Livy, xliv. 22, 12.) it was agreed[*](For this meaning of sedit, cf. xiv. 1, 5; xix. 7, 6, sedit consilium.) in accordance with the advice of the highest officers, after having torn down the bridge, which they had previously built under necessity when invading the enemy’s territory, that Merobaudes at once[*](Cf. 5, 13.) should be summoned by order of Valentinian when he was still alive.