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 that Mesopotamia was by the Romanes wasted, the fields fiered, and the places fortified to endure the first brunts of warre, Sabinianus ridiculously ta∣keth his pleasure, and maketh much of himselfe.

INcontinently therefore were swift horsemen sent out to Cassianus, * 1.1 Marquesse of Mesopotamia, and to Euphronius, ruler for the time of the province, with commission to compell the countrey peasants with all their families and cattell to remoove into places of more safetie; and that the towne * 1.2 Canhae, compassed about with weake wals, should quickly be a∣bandoned, presently hereupon all the fields to be set on fire, that there might be no store of forage. And thus, when the said commission was without delay perfor∣med accordingly, no sooner was the fire made and kindled, but the mightie vio∣lence of that raging element consumed all the corne, when as it was swolne full, and the straw thereof now turned yellow, yea, and the ripe grasse, in such sort, as that from the very brims of Tigris banke, as farre as to Euphrates, there was no greene thing left. At the same time were many wild beasts burnt up, and Lyons especially so fell and furious in those parts, which were wont wonderfully to pe∣rish, or bee blinded by little and little after this sort. Betweene the Reed-plots of the rivers of Mesopotamia, and the bushie or shrubbie grounds, there raunge a∣broad an infinite number of Lyons, which so long as the mild Winters last (and those are alwaies there most gentle) take no hurt: but when the season of the yeare by reason of the Sunne-beames is become exceeding hote in those countries, so scorched with frying and parching heat, what with the sultrie breath of the sayd planet, and what with the great gnats that swarme exceedingly in every corner of those lands, they are sore troubled and set a madding. And for that the said flyes make at their eyes, as being moist and shining members, whiles they settle upon their eye-lids, and fall to biting; the same Lyons, after they have abidden painefull torments a long time, either are drowned and swallowed up of the rivers, whereto they flye for remedie, or else for the losse of their eyes (which with their clawes they often scratch, teare, and plucke out of their owne heads) they become much more wood: and were it not for that, all the East parts throughout should be exceeding

full of such beasts. Whiles the fields were a burning, as hath beene said, the Tri∣bunes that were sent out with the Protectores, fortified the hither bankes of Eu∣phrates with skonces and stakes sharpe pointed before, and with all kind of defen∣sive munition, planting in convenient places their artillerie and shot, where the ri∣ver was not full of gulfes and swallowing deepe pits. Whiles these matters are speedily put in execution, Sabinianus a most * 1.3 excellent captaine and manager of a mortall warre, when all occasions and advantages were to be caught, as well to set as to avoid dangers, among the sepulchres of Edessa, as if he had made a grounded peace with the dead, casting no perils, and fearing nought, but carrying himselfe ve∣ry loosely, as one that lived a carelesse life, what with militarie dancing in armour, and what with sound of musicall instruments, in lieu of histrionicall actours and players, tooke his delight and pleasure in the greatest repose and silence that might be: a thing, I assure you, both for the enterprise and the place, very ominous: whereas we may learne by the course of the world and processe of times, That every person of excellencie ought to avoid these and such like, which both in word and deed carrying a fearefull and heavie praesage, pronounce and portend future troubles.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ducem.
• * 1.2

  Heren. Nig.
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.