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).

Swarms of the Scythian peoples with two thousand ships[*](Treb. Poll., Claud. 8, 2, gives this figure: Zos. i. 42, 6000.) broke through the Bosporus and the shores of the Propontis, and after crossing inflicted bitter losses by land and sea; but they lost the greater part of their number and were obliged to retreat.

Emperor Decius and Decius his son

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fell in battle with the barbarians.[*](The chronology is at fault; cf. Aur. Vict., Caes. 29, 5.) The cities of Pamphylia were beleaguered,[*](Cf. Treb. Poll., Gallienus, 13, 6.) very many islands laid waste,[*](Crete, Cyprus, and Rhodes; cf. Treb. Poll., Claud. 12, 1; Zos. i. 46.) all Macedonia was given to the flames; for a long time the horde laid siege to Thessalonica[*](Under Valerian and Claudius; see note 1, above.) and to Cyzicus as well. Anchialos was taken, and at the same time Nicopolis, which the emperor Trajan founded to commemorate his victory over the Dacians.

After many disasters had been suffered and many cruel calamities had been inflicted, Philippopolis was destroyed[*](In the time of Decius; Zos. i. 24.) and a hundred thousand people (unless the histories are false) were butchered within her walls. Foreign foes roamed at will over Epirus, Thessaly and the whole of Greece; but after the illustrious general Claudius became emperor and after he had been snatched from us by a noble death,[*](According to Pseud.-Aur. Vict., Epit. 34, 3, he sacrificed himself in battle. Others say that he died a natural death.) they were driven out by Aurelian,[*](Cf. Rufius Festus, 8.) a vigorous man and a severe avenger of their sins, and remained quiet for long ages, except that afterwards single bands of robbers made raids into the neighbouring regions, but very rarely and to their own destruction. But let me go on with the narrative from which I digressed.

When this series of events was noised abroad by one message coming after another, Sueridus and Colias, Gothic chieftains, who had long since been received

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with their peoples and assigned to keep winter quarters[*](Cf. hiberna curantem, xix. 11, 1.) at Hadrianopolis, considering their own welfare the most important thing of all, looked with indifference on all that took place.