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. III. The next day Iulianus raised and stirred with the foile and overthrow of his owne men, whiles forgetting his Brigandine, and catching up his shield he hasteneth to the bat∣taile, chaunced by a horsemans staffe or speare to be run into the ribs; but whiles he assaieth to pluckeforth the head, hee fell from his horse, and out of the battaile, which was to both parts lamentable, was brought backe into the campe.

NO sooner were we departed hence, but the Persians, who greatly feared the steedie fight of footmen, as having beene oftentimes beaten ther∣with, laid their amhushes, and closely accompanied us, avoyding our battailons on either side, and lying in espiall to view our march from the tops of the high hills, so, that our men suspecting so much, all the live-long day might neither cast up a rampier, nor fortifie themselves with a pallaisadoe. Thus verily whiles we firmely guard our sides, and the armie according to the site and position of the ground, marcheth in six square battailons displayed at large with thin rankes, word was brought unto the prince, being as yet unarmed, and gone forth forward to discover the quarters before, That sodainly those who behind were gathering up their armour and weapons together, had a charge given them at their backes. At which accident he was much troubled, and catching up hastily in this tumult his shield, but forgetting his corslet, and making hast to helpe those in the rereward, was called backe againe with another new alarme, whereby adverti∣sed he was, that the avant-guard also, from whence he was lately departed, felt the like distresse. Which, whiles without any regard at all of his owne perill, hec haste∣neth to recover and set upright in order againe: from another part a companie of Parthyans in couplet harneis setteth upon the centuries in the mids, and spred∣ding themselves fiercely all over the left wing, which began alreadie to shrinke (whiles our men could not with patience abide the strong strength and braying noyse of the Elephants) fought with pikes and casting weapons, which they dis∣charged thicke. But as the Prince setting spurres to his horse, rode with full carrier among the most dangerous skirmishes, out went our light armed companies, and charging them behind, layd at the houx and backe parts as well of the beasts as the Persians themselves, and all to cut and hacked them. Whom, when Iulianus (for∣getting to looke to himselfe) by lifting up his hands aloft, and crying alowd, made evident demonstration to be disrayed, and fearefully scattered, and withall stirring up the anger of those that followed in chace, engaged himselfe boldly farre into the battaile, ^d the Gallants his followers, whom feare had disperkled, cryed out unto him on both sides, That he should decline the huge multitude of those that fled, no lesse than the fall of some ill framed and disjoynted loover of an high building: and therewith all on a sodaine an horsemans javelin, whence it came God he knoweth, having slightly rippled the skinne of his [left] arme, pierced within his short ribs, and stucke fast in the neather lappet or fillet of his liver: which whiles he laboureth to plucke forth with his right hand, he perceived, that with the sharpe edge thereof on both sides the sinewes of his fingers were cut through: and thus falling forward over his horse head, and conveied backe into the campe by those that were present, who speedily came running about, by the meanes of Physicke and Chyrurgerie,

he was dressed and cherished accordingly. And soone after, when the paine was a little assuaged, he gave over to feare, and with a great spirit striving against death, called for his horse and armour, to the end, that by revising the battaile againe, hee might repaire the confident hope of his owne men, and seeme in a rechlesse neg∣lect of himselfe, wonderfully possessed with a care for the life and preservation of others. Shewing herein the same vigorous courage, though in a case unlike, that Epaminondas that renowmed captaine did: who being wounded to death at Man∣tinea, and returned out of the battaile, sought carefully for his shield, and when hee saw it neere unto him, died of his wound more joyfully: and he that without feare forwent his life, was afraid to loose his shield. But when Iulianus his strength was not answerable to his will, and that the flux of bloud sore followed him, hee stood still and stirred not: and hereupon grew he afterward past all hope of life, because by inquirie made, he understood, that the place where hee fell was called Phrygia: for he had intelligence given him aforetime by a written answer from the Oracle, that even there he must dye. When the Prince was brought againe into his pavili∣on, a man would not beleeve in what heat the souldiors enchaufed with anger and griefe hastened to revenge, rapping their shields with their speares, fully bent even to dye for it, if the case so required. And although the dust flew upon their eyes, and the weather growing hot hindered the agilitie and bestirring of their limmes, yet, as if with the losse of their leader they had beene discharged of their othe, and freed from all militarie discipline, they ran desperatly without any respect or spare of themselves, upon the pike and swords points. On the other side, the Persians more couragiously shot their arrowes so thick, that the volley and flight therof took away the Sunnes light: opposing their Elephants withall, who going but slowly with their big bodies and terrible crests, affrighted both horse and man. The buck∣ling together therefore of men in their armour, the groning of those that fell to the ground, the blowing and snuffing of the horses, and the ringing noyse of weapons, was heard a great way off; so long untill both sides were wea••ied with wounds good store, and the night now darke parted the fight. Fiftie Potentates and great Lords of the Persians, together with the most part of the common souldior were that day left dead in the field: and in this confused medley Merena and Nohodares, two principall commaunders were slaine. Now let antiquitie in her high and lof∣tie words, stand amazed at the twentie battailes which ^e Marcellus fought in divers places: Tell they besides, with brave speech, how ^f Siccius Dentatus was adorned with a number of militarie crownes: wonder they moreover, at ^g Sergius, who, by report, was three and twentie times wounded in sundry foughten fields, whose no∣ble and glorious praises Cateline, the last of that race, blurred with the blots of ever∣lasting dishonour. Howbeit, there were some heavie occurrents that defaced these joyfull events. For, whiles these brave feats were everie where performed after the decease of the Generall, together with the foyle of the right wing of the armie, and the killing of Anatolius, for the time master of the offices, Sallustius the Praefect was driven headlong into present mischiefe, and by the meanes of an officer of his, res∣cued out of danger; and when he had lost Phosphorius a counsellor, who then assi∣sted him, the armie chanced to escape by flight: certaine souldiors also, through many dangers having put themselves for refuge into a fortresse hard by, could not before three dayes after joyne with the armie.

Notes

• The maine battaile.
• Can••ida••••.
• Mandigna, or Mandi, L••un••l.