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.

Annotations and conjectures upon the 26. Booke.

(a) SIgna.] A place in the campe where the Aegle standerd and other militarie ensignes stood, where the Tribunes and chiefe officers quartered, and souldiors punished.

(b) The odde day which everie fourth yeare arising out of the six excrescent howers in each yeare, maketh the leape yeare, is called Bissextus, which is occasioned hereby: the 2••. of Februarie, is the 6. day before the Kalends of March: Now when this day commeth unto it, and maketh 29. dayes of that moneth, the day following the said foure and twentieth is the 6. day likewise before the Kalends, and therefore they used to reckon that sixt day twice; and the yeare thereupon is called Bissextilis; and Intercalaris of the odde day put betweene.

(c) The imaginarie circle in heaven, through which the Sunne and other Planets runne their race in twelve signes, is called Zodiak, of Zodion in Greeke, a little living creature: be∣cause those twelve signes are represented by certaine creatures, as the Ram, Bull, &c.

(d) Intercalation,] is a putting betweene of a moneth, or dayes, thereby to defer or delay.

(e) Martenses] were a companie of souldiors serving under Dux Armoricani tractus and N••rvicani. Notit. They served in the marches and limits.

(f) Patricij] were the Nobilitie of Rome, and the Senators degree.

(g) Divit••nses,] Souldiors so called of Divitum, or Divetum, a Mediterranean or inland towne in Sicilie. Tungritani, or Tungricani, of Tungri a towne in Secunda Germania.

(h) Pomponius Latus maketh mention of Constantia, a daughter that Constantius Chlorus the father of Constantine had by his wife Theodora. But I read not elsewhere of this Anastasia.

(i) Heliogabolus assumed unto him the firname of Antoninus unworthily, as degenerating from that line and name, which seven Emperours before him bare, and himselfe was the last so stiled. Ael. Lamprid.

(k) How Alexander Severus, with his mother Mam•••••• was killed, see Ae••••ilius Lamprid.

(l) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.] That is to say, a dart or javelin. It seemeth it was a long, narrow, and strait passage.

(m) See a little before at the letter (g.)

(n) To wit, with yron hookes and beasts clawes.

(o) Phalaris,] a most cruell tyrant of the Agrigentines, who devised a brazen bull to tor∣ment condemned persons in, by making a fire under it, causing them to frye within it, and bellow like a bull: But both the artisan Perillus, who made this bull, was for proofe of his han∣diworke, by the tyrants commaundement tortured therein; and Phalaris himselfe also in a commotion of the people worthily put into it, and so ended his tyrannie.

(p) It may be collected, that by [Defensores] are meant here certaine officers or Magistrats in Cities and great Provinciall Townes, called Municipia, which were Protectors of the Commons in them, like as Tribuni Plebis among the Romanes: for here is no mention made of besieging or assaulting this citie. But if the reader will understand it of the defendants up∣on the walls, and generally of the citizens that withstood a siege which here may be implyed, I will not be against him.