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. I. Praesaging signes and prodigious sights in the East, portending hurt unto Valens. The originall cause of his destruction, and of divers calamities. The nation of the Hunnes exactly described.

MEane while the swift wheele of Fortune making at all times an alternative change of prosperitie and adversitie, armed Bello∣na, together with the Furies, her associats continually, and brought over sorrowfull events into the East; against the comming whereof, evident praesages and strange signes gave true warning. For after many other accidents, which by way of Soothsaying the Prophets and Augures foretold, dogges leaped and frisked when the wolves howled, the night-birds also in groning wise sounded foorth a monefull and lamentable note; and the mournefull rising of the Sunne dimmed the cleare light of the morning. Likewise

at Antioch, in every brawle and tumultuous fray among the common sort, a by∣word was usually taken up, that as any thought himselfe to suffer violence or abuse, he would in licentious manner crie out, Vivus ardeat Valens, i. A light fire catch Valens quicke. Besides, the Cryers were heard continually to call and charge, That there should be wood gotten together, for to set on fire the Baine ^a Valentinum, which the prince himselfe with great desire and diligence had built: all which put together, spake out in manner and plainely shewed, That this kind of death was toward him. Over and above, the pale and dreadfull spectre representing the king of Armenia, as also the wofull ghosts of those, who a little before in the matter of Theodorus were put to death, appearing by visions in the night time, and skreaking out certaine horrible and dreadfull verses, disquieted many folke in their sleepe, and put them into terrible frights. A little Goat was seene after the throat thrust through to lye along dead, the death whereof shewed very great and notorious ca∣lamities of publicke funerals. To conclude, as the old walls of Chalcedon were in pulling downe, for to build up a Baine in Constantinople, when the raunge and course of the stone-worke was loosened, upon a foure square stone which lay couched in the middle of the worke, these Greeke verses following were found engraven, opening fully the future events.

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That is,

But when new wives and damsels fresh, in daunces that delight, Shall raunge along the citie-streets, with guirlands gayly dight, And when the wall with many a grone shall downe, to mound a Baine, Then shall the Hunnes by multitudes breake forth with might and maine: By force of armes the winding streame of Ister they shall crosse, To Scythicke ground and Mysian land working much teene and losse, They shall both Paeons horsemen brave, and furious Gaulois stay, Nor but with losse of life and breath, their fight shall ever stay.

Now the seednesse of all mischiefe, and the originall of sundrie calamities, which the furie of Mars, by making a confusion and combustion of all, after his wonted manner, first raised, we find for certaine to have risen upon this cause. The nation of the Hunnes, little or nothing knowne by any auncient records, seated along the frozen sea, beyond the marishes of Maeotis, exceedeth in felnesse and crueltie beyond all measure: where (for that their infants cheekes from their very nativitie are deepely gashed with a knife, that by reason of the rivelled and wrinc∣kled skarres, the yong haire, when it should bud forth in due season, might be chec∣ked and kept downe) they grow untill they be old all of them beardlesse, without any favour or beautie at all, like unto guelded Eunuches. Generally, their lims be well knit and strong, and by reason of their fat chuffe-necks they are monstrously deformed and bending in the backe, that a man would take them for two footed brute beasts; or else resembling those image-like posts, which in the borders and

sides of bridges, are ill favouredly hewed and shaped in forme of men. Sembla∣bly, in their manner of life, they seeme to be so rude and rough, that they need neither fire nor savourie and seasoned meats, but feed upon the rootes of weeds, and the flesh of any cattell halfe raw, which being thrust betweene their owne thighes and their horses backes, they keepe warme, and give a short heat unto. Never come they under any roofe, but all houses they no lesse decline than if they were sepulchres standing out of the way and apart from any common use; for there cannot be found among them so much as a cottage thatched over head with reed. But raunging here and there over the mountaines and the woods, they are enured from their verie cradle to endure both hunger and thirst. When they tra∣vel abroad into other countries they come into no house but upon exceeding great necessitie: For they do not thinke themselves secured and safe under any roofe. They are clad all over in garments made of linnen, or else patched up of wild ^b mice skinnes: neither weare they one kind of apparell at home, and another a∣broad; but come there once over their head a coat of some over-worne colour, it never goes off nor is chaunged, before that with long wearing it be over-rotten and run to ragges and tatters. They cover their heads with hats shooting out and bending forward; and goats skinnes serve for stockings and hose to cover their hai∣rie legges: And their shooes not made fit by any last, hinder them for setting their feet forward at libertie, and going at ease. For which cause they are not well ap∣pointed for service on foot in the warres: but being locked fast (as it were) to their horsebackes, which are tough and hard (I must needs say) but yet mishaped and ill favoured; and otherwhiles sitting upon them sidelong as women do, they fol∣low and performe their ordinarie businesses. The fashion is throughout this nati∣on, for everie one sitting still on horsebacke, all night and all day long to buy and sell, to eat and drinke, yea and leaning forward and couching himselfe upon the narrow necke of his horse, to fall sound asleepe untill he have had a sort of sundrie dreames. And in this manner also sit they all in counsell together, consulting deli∣beratly upon serious affaires proposed. Now, directed they are by no regall au∣thoritie, but contenting themselves with the tumultuarie conduct and leading of their principall Potentates, breake through they do whatsoever stands in their way. Sometime also they maintaine defensive warre, and fight when they be provoked, but they begin battaile by plumps and companies one after another, setting up di∣vers noyses, sounding after an hideous manner. And as they are for quicke dis∣patch of service verie light, and doing all of a sodaine, so also as sodainely for the nonce they disperse themselves and fall a wailing; and then when the battell char∣geth full upon them, they ride all abroad, with committing much slaughter: and so neither entring upon the rampier and trench, nor rifling their enemies tents, for the most part they decide the quarell. And in this respect a man may well say, they fight like most sharpe and eagre warriours: for that a farre off with casting wea∣pons, with sharpe poynted bones in stead of heads, and those fastened and fitted with wonderfull cunning, but neere at hand laid here and there with yron . . . . . . . . and whiles their enemies ward and observe the mischievous venues of their pointed weapons, they entangle and bind them fast within cords that they fling from them, to the end that when their limmes as they make resistance be thus ensnared, they might bereave them of all power either to ride or goe. There is not one among them that eareth the ground, or at any time layeth hand to the plough tayle: For all of them, without any set habitation, without house or home, with∣out

law or setled order wander here and there, like alwayes to those that are in flight, together with their wagons in which they dwell. Wherein also the wives weare garments of hairie wooll, and lye with their husbands. Aske any among them, Where he was borne, there is not one of them can directly answer, as being in one place begotten, borne in another farre off, and brought up yet farther. In truce-time treacherous and unfaithfull, inconstant, upon everie gale of rumor rea∣die to rise, and upon new hopes passing mutable; in one word, putting all upon the issue of most violent furie: Like unto inconsiderat and unreasonable creatures, utterly ignorant of what is honest or unhonest: doubtfull, double, and darke in their speeches. Awed at no time with reverent regard either of religion or super∣stition: burning exceedingly in greedie desire of gold. So variable and prone to anger, that in one and the same day, at severall howers they will many times revolt from their allyes, without any quarell and provocation; and in like sort be pleased, reconciled, and become friends againe without the mediation of any to mitigate their mood. This kind of men so quicke and nimble, so untamed and unreclai∣mable, burning in monstrous desire to rob and spoyle forrainers, after they had by spoyle and slaughter of the neighbour inhabitants made foule worke and havock, went on as farre as to Achaia.

Notes

• 〈…〉〈…〉
• Tragula: or un∣derstand some∣thing left out in the text, and take [Tragula] for a weapon, to this sence, That some woman or living creature of the fe∣male sexe having the throat thrust through with a ca∣sting-dart called Tragula, was seene &c. And this is the conceit of Marcell. Donatus.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 poti••s,
• fort. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• I suppose by Paeons in this place, are meant Pannonians, whō we now tearme Hungarians, who are thought to have taken this name of the Huns. As for Paeonia, which is part of Macedonie, it was farre out of their walke, & not neere the river Domw or ••ster. And I find in Authors. Paeonia and Pan∣nonia confusedly put, one for the other.
• hog-backs.
• or conceived.