The Roman historie containing such acts and occurrents as passed under Constantius, Iulianus, Iovianus, Valentinianus, and Valens, emperours. Digested into 18. bookes, the remains of 31. and written first in Latine by Ammianus Marcellinus: now translated newly into English. Wherunto is annexed the chronologie, serving in stead of a briefe supplement of those former 13. bookes, which by the iniurie of time are lost: together with compendious annotations and coniectures upon such hard places as occurre in the said historie. Done by Philemon Holland of the citie of Coventrie, Doctor in Physicke.

CHAP. X. After the ships were delivered out of extreame danger, the armies on both sides were put in ordinance of battaile, whereupon ensued a sharpe conflict here de∣scribed, whereby the Persians were chased as farre as the walls of Ctesiphon, when they had lost 2500 of their men.

THe Emperour therefore, after so good speed in all affaires atchieved to his hearts desire, holding now a more loftie and stately pace against all difficulties whatsoever, and grounding so great hopes now upon his fortune, which yet was never foyled, that oftentimes he did set in hand with many adventures which savoured strong of rashnesse, caused the tallest vessels of those that caried victuals and engines to be discharged of their fraight, and man∣ned them with 80 armed souldiors: and keeping still with himselfe the better strength of his navie, which he had divided into three parts, the one of them he ap∣pointed to be sent out with Victor the Comes in the beginning of night to the end that having crossed the river hastily, he might possesse himselfe of the banks on the enemies ground. Which when the captaines, as sore afraid, joyned altogether by prayer and entreatie to assay if they might hinder, and yet could not alter the reso∣lute purpose of the prince, behold all on a suddaine five ships with flag set up aloft, as commandement was given, launched forth, and soone went out of sight: and when they approched once the banke, they were so assailed with firebrands and all kind of fewell apt to catch fire continually flung among them, that they and the souldiors within had presently beene burnt, but that the Emperour started with a cold swawme of feare that quickly came over his heart, and crying with a lowd voice, that our men, as they were commaunded, had erected the signall given un∣to them, and were upon the point to land, caused all the Armada to make hast and row apace after them: whereby both the foresaid shippes were recovered safe and sound, and the rest of the souldiors also (pelted though they were with stones and casting-weapons of divers sorts from above) after a most sharpe skirmish gained the passing high and difficult bankes, and firmely kept their standing. And now do Histories (forsooth) make a wonder of Sertorius, who keeping about him his wea∣pons and corselet, swam over the river Rhodanus; when as at this very instant certaine souldiors much troubled, and fearing to stay behind after the marke or sig∣nal was set up, bearing close and fast with their breasts groveling upon their shields, which were broad and bending, welding also the same, though unskilfully, made shift through that river, so full of whirlepits, to make way and keepe swift pace in companie with the ships. Against these forces the Persians opposed the troupes embattailed of their horsemen, armed at all peeces, and those raunged so thicke and close together, that their bodies which way soever they turned fitted with plates, dazzeled with the brightnesse thereof all that looked full against them, whose hor∣ses also (whereof they had a number) were defended all over with leather, armour, and furniture: behind whome, the companies of footmen placed in supplie, and fenced with long and crooked shields, which they carie before them made of plat∣ted oysiers and ••aw leather, advaunced forward in thicke rankes. After these, the

Elephants making a shew like so many hils marching together, and mooving their monstrous bodies, threatened death to those that came neere unto them, as which, by proofe and experiment made in former times, were very dreadfull. Hereupon the Emperour appointed the middle ward betweene the two battailes for the strong bands of footmen, according to the ordinance of embattailing that Homer describeth; least if they being placed afront in the vaward, and happening to re∣cule, should shamefully turne all the rest backe with them: or againe, if they were cast behind all in the rereward, might have more libertie to run away, whiles none were to stay them; and himselfe with the light armed auxiliaries traversed to and fro betweene the formost and hindmost. When as then the Romanes saw on the one side and the other the armies in battaile-ray neere adjoyning, they glittering in their crested helmets, and shaking their shields, advanced gently forward, as if they footed the measures of the metricall foot Anapaestus, and with the launcing of sharpe-headed darts & other casting-weapons, wherewith the skirmishers running forth, gave the first essay of battaile, the dust was raised on every side, and caried with the swift whirling of the wind. Now, when there was a shout and outcrie made on every hand, as the usuall maner is, and the trumpets sounding battaile, gave an edge to the courage of the souldiors, they joyned the medley with javelins and drawne swords on both parts, and fought close and neere at hand: and verily our souldiors, the more hast they made to get within, the better were they secured from the dan∣ger of arrow-shot. Meane while Iulianus doing the part, as it were, of a common souldior and commaunder both, made hast to uphold those that were sore layed at with fresh supplies, yea, and to stirre up and incite such as made slow hast. The vantguard therefore of the Persians brake their array, and giving backe with a gen∣tle and soft pace, in their hote armour went toward the citie that was hard by: after whom followed our souldiors, wearied likewise in fighting from the morning be∣times to the evening in the scorching hot fields, and preassing hard upon their hind∣parts and neckes, drave them all headlong, together with Tigranes, Surena, and Nar∣ses, the principall chiefetaines, as farre as to the wals of Ctesiphon, laying upon the hams of their legs and on their backes as they ran before them. And intermingled in the very companies of them that thus slipped away and fled, they had broken through within the entrie of the citie, but that Marquesse Victor with lifting up as well his hands as voice, forbad them, being himselfe slightly shot into the arme with an arrow, and fearing least these hastie souldiors, found inconsideratly within the circuit of the wall, and not meeting with any way out again, might be enclosed with maine multitudes. Let the old Poets sound out the battails that Hector fought, and extoll withall the fortitude of that Thessalian captaine Achilles: Let the poste∣ritie long time after, talke of Sophanes, Aminias, Callimachus, and ⁿ Cynegirus, those famous thunderbolts that shooke the Medes warre in Greece; evident it is by all mens confession, that some of our men behaved themselves as valiantly that day as ever those did.

Notes

• Octogenis This place, no doub, is corrupt: read ther∣fore Oct••ngent••. that 15, 800. or else exposid [octogenis] distribut•• veli, i. 80 apeece.
• Rhosne.
• the vauntg••ard and re••eward.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉