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. VIII. Iulianus whiles he maketh his abode in Paris, warreth upon the Alemans. After that the Franci, Salij, and Chamani were defeated and subdued, there fell out a famine, which in the armie caused a tumult and hot mutinie; which being quenched, our soul∣diors passe over Rhene, and lay wast the Alemans territories.

BVt Caesar whiles he wintered in Paris, hastened with all diligence possible to prevent the Alemans, who as yet were not assembled together; but now after the battaile of Argentoratum become all audacious & cruell beyond all measure, and waiting still for the moneth Iuly, whence they of Gaule use to begin their warre-service and to come into the field, he was much troubled a long time in his mind: For go forth he could not before that corne was brought out of Acquitaine, upon the breaking of the cold weather and frosts, by reason of the mild Summer season. But, as diligent and considerate regard is the conqueresse in manner of all difficulties, casting many and sundry things in his head, this was the only way he found, namely, without expecting the full season of the yeare, to encounter the Barbarians before he was looked for. And in this setled resolution he tooke corne for twentie daies (out of that store which was provided to be spent in the standing place of abode) baked throughly, for to last, into bisket bread, such as commonly they call Buccellatum, and layed it upon his willing soul∣diors shoulders: and so, confident of this helpe, in a good houre, as before, hee tooke his journey, thinking that within five or sixe moneths two urgent and neces∣sarie expeditions might be performed. Which things being put in a readinesse, first of all others he marcheth against the Frankes; those I meane who commonly are tearmed Salij, and who in old time durst in the Romane ground, at a place called * 1.1 Toxiandria, very boldly place and plant themselves. Now when hee was come to * 1.2 Tungri, an embassage of the foresaid people meeteth him, supposing the Em∣perour was to be found still in his Wintering harbour, pretending peace upon this condition, That no man might eyther provoke or molest them, whiles they re∣mained quiet as in their owne territories. These embassadours, after hee had ful∣ly digested and disposed his affaire, and opposed certaine ambiguous and doubtfull conditions, as if he meant to stay in those tracts untill their returne, he sent away rewarded. No sooner were they in their way homeward, but he fol∣lowed hard upon them, sending out the Generall Severus, and suddainely ha∣ving set upon them all along the rivage, he smote them, as it had beene a whit∣ling thunderbolt, or flash of lightening: And now when they fell to entreatie,

rather than to make resistance, turning the effect of victorie to a commodious course of clemencie, upon the yeelding of themselves, their riches, and children, he tooke them to mercie. The Chamavi likewise, who had given semblable attempts, he set upon, and with the same celeritie partly he put to the sword, and partly, when they stoutly resisted and were taken alive, he hung yrons upon; others, that tooke them to their heeles, and fearefully in all hast fled, he permitted for the while, to get away without hurt: unto whose embassadours, sent afterward to make supplicati∣on and to provide for their estates, lying humbly prostrate upon the ground before his face and under his very eye, he graunted peace with this capitulation, to returne in safetie to their owne home. Thus when all things succeeded according to his hearts desire, hastening with most vigilant care to found by all means possible the good of the provinces, he thought (as the time would permit) to repaire three skonces or forts, situate directly in a rew upon the banke of the river Mosa, which lately had beene overthrowne by the obstinate selfe-willed Barbarians: and forth∣with, omitting the warres for a small time, reedified they were. And to the end, that the policie wisely begun he might by quicke dispatch make safe, out of the se∣venteene daies provision of corne which the souldiors as they marched forward in their expedition carried on their neckes, he defalked a portion, and layed up in the same holds; hoping, that so much as was taken from it might bee supplied out of the Chamavians corne fields. But it fell out farre otherwise: for, by reason that the standing corne was not yet ripe, the souldiors having spent what they carried, and finding food in no place, fell to threatening tearmes in the highest degree, pro∣voked Iulian with foule names and opprobrious language, calling him a vaine Gre∣cian of Asia, and a deceitfull, yea, and one that, under the shew of wisedome and learning, was a very lob and foole: and, as usually there be some found even among armed souldiors, that have readie and rolling tongues of their owne above their fel∣lowes, they stucke not to mumble many of these and such like speeches: Whither are we drawne without all hope of better? in times past verily we endured hard travaile and most irkesome to be abidden even through snowes and the pinching cold of bitter frosts: but now, ô shamefull indignitie, when we are upon the point finally to vanquish and defeat our enemies, readie we be to pine away and consume for very famine, the most inglorious and base kind of death that is. And that no man may thinke us to be mutineus and given to raise commotions, we protest, that it is for our life onely that we speake, cra∣ving neither gold nor silver, which long agoe we might not have, nor so much as once see; so denied it was us, as if we had been convicted to have undertaken so many toilefull paines and perils even against the State and Commonweale. And to say a truth, good reason they had thus to complaine: For among so many courses of probable or allowable matters, and doubtfull points of necessitie, the souldiors out-toyled and spent with the painefull services of Gaule, had gotten neither ^e donative nor wages, since time that Iulian was thither sent: for that neither himselfe could come by aught to give, nor Constantius after the wonted manner permitted any such allow∣ance to be bestowed. And hence it appeared plainely, that this was done upon fraudulent malice rather than nigardize; because, when the said Caesar had given a small matter of no value to a certaine common souldior, asking somewhat accor∣ding to his need to goe unto the barber for to be trimmed, he was for it with con∣tumelious tearmes traduced and backbitten by Gaudentius then Notarie, who had abode long in Gaule to spie into his proceedings; whom afterwards himselfe com∣maunded to be put to death, as shall be shewed in place convenient. At length, af∣ter

the mutinie was appeased, not without sundrie sorts of faire words and plea∣sing speeches; and when by meanes of a bridge made of ships joyned together, he had passed over the Rhene, and set foot in the Alemans countries, Severus Ge∣nerall of the horsemen, who aforetime had beene a warlike and industrious cap∣taine, all on a suddaine became lither and heartlesse. And he that oftentimes en∣couraged both all and some to fight courageously, now seemed a contemptible and timorous dissuader of battaile, haply for feare of death so neere at hand: like as we read in the bookes of Tages the Tuscane, that they who are within a while to be smitten with the lightening of Veiovis ^f, are so dulled in their sences, that they can heare neither thunder nor any great noise whatsoever. And contrarie to his wonted manner, hee marched in his journey lazily, insomuch as hee terrified, by threatening death, the guides that led the way apace and lustily before, unlesse they all with one accord would agree and avouch, that they were altogether ignorant of the waies: who fearing the authoritie of this prohibition, went no where, after that, one foot forward.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Weser.
• * 1.2

  Tongeren.