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).

Against them Lupicinus mustered all his soldiers in tumultuous speed, and advancing with more haste than discretion, halted nine miles from the city, ready to join battle. On seeing this the

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barbarians rushed recklessly[*](incauti seems to mean without regard for their lives; incautos, off their guard (see crit. note) would apparently contradict paratus ad decernendum, in the preceding sentence.) on crowds of our men, dashed their shield’s upon opponents’ bodies,[*](The exact meaning is perhaps not clear; it seems to mean that the barbarians dashed the Romans’ shields against their bodies, so that they could not use them, and then slew them. Wagner refers it to the shields of the barbarians, which they pressed close to their own bodies, but this does not seem to suit illidendo. ) and with lance and sword ran through those who opposed them. And in the press of mad and bloody strife the tribunes and the greater part of the army perished, with the loss of their standards, except for their ill-omened leader, who, intent only upon saving himself by flight while the others were fighting, made for the town in hot haste. After this the enemy put on the Romans’ arms and ranged about, devastating sundry places without opposition.

And since after many events the narrative has reached this point, I earnestly entreat my readers (if I ever have any) not to demand of me a strictly accurate account of what happened or the exact number of the slain, which there was no way of finding out. For it will be enough to describe simply the main points of events, without concealing the truth through any false statement, since faithful honesty is ever a requisite in giving an historical account.

Those who are unacquainted with ancient records say that the state was never before overspread by such a dark cloud of misfortune, but they are deceived by the horror of the recent ills which have overwhelmed them. For if they study earlier times or those which have recently passed, these will show that such dire disturbances have often happened.

The[*](§§ 12–17 are a digression on great disasters which Rome had suffered from invading barbarians.) Teutones with the Cimbri, coming from unknown parts

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of the ocean, suddenly overflowed Italy, but after inflicting enormous disasters on our country, in the final battles they were overcome by our great generals, and being destroyed root and branch, they learned from the uttermost perils what warlike might combined with prudent discipline can accomplish.

Again, when Marcus was ruling the empire, the united madness of different tribes, after endless alarms of war, after the woes of captured and plundered cities, after the destruction of forces shaken by the death of their able leader,[*](Macrinus Vindex, praetorian prefect of Marcus Aurelius; see Dio, lxxi. 3.) would have left only a small part of them unscathed.[*](Text and exact meaning are uncertain; for the events referred to, see Dio, lxxi. ff.; Eutrop. viii. 13; Orosius, vii. 15, 6 ff.)

But after calamitous losses the state was presently restored to its former condition, because the temperance of old times was not yet infected by the effeminacy of a more licentious mode of life, and did not crave extravagant feasts or shameful gains; but high and low alike with united ardour and in agreement hastened to a noble death for their country, as if to some quiet and peaceful haven.