Gallicanarum legionum eruptio Persis exitiabilis.

[1] Adspiravit auram quandam salutis fortuna, innoxio die cum hostili clade emenso, cuius reliquo tempore ad quietem reficiendis corporibus dato, posterae lucis initio ex arce innumeram cernimus plebem, quae Ziata capto castello, ad hosticum ducebatur, quem in locum ut capacissimum et munitum—spatio quippe decem stadiorum ambitur —promiscua confugerat multitudo.

[2] Nam etiam alia munimenta eisdem diebus rapta sunt et incensa, unde hominum milia extracta complura, servituri sequebantur, inter quos multi senecta infirmi, et mulieres iam grandaevae, cum ex variis deficerent causis, itineris longinquitate offensae, abiecta vivendi cupiditate, suris vel suffraginibus relinquebantur exsectis.

[3] Has miserabiles turmas Galli milites contuentes, rationabili quidem sed intempestivo motu, conferendae cum hostibus manus copiam sibi dari poscebant, mortem tribunis vetantibus, primisque ordinibus minitantes, si deinceps prohiberent.

[4] Utque dentatae¹ in caveis bestiae, taetro paedore acerbius efferatae, evadendi spe repagulis versabilibus illiduntur, ita gladiis portas caedebant, quas supra diximus obseratas, admodum anxii, ne urbe excisa ipsi quoque sine ullo specioso facinore deleantur, aut exuta periculis, nihil egisse operae pretium pro magnanimitate Gallica memorentur, licet antea saepe egressi, structoresque aggerum confossis² quibusdam impedire conati, paria pertulerunt.

[5] Inopes nos consilii, et quid opponi deberet saevientibus ambigentes, id potissimum aegre eisdem assentientibus, tandem elegimus, ut quoniam ultra ferri non poterant, paulisper morati, custodias aggredi permitterentur hostiles, quae non procul erant a coniectu locatae telorum, ut eis perruptis, pergerent prorsus. Apparebat enim eos (si impetrassent) strages maximas edituros.

[6] Quae dum parantur, per varia certaminum genera defensabantur acriter muri, laboribus et vigiliis, et tormentis, ad emittenda undique saxa telaque dispositis. Duo tamen aggeres celsi Persarum peditum manu, e regione et ex pugnaculo³ civitatis, struebantur⁴ operibus lentis, contra quos nostrorum quoque impensiore cura moles excitabantur altissimae, fastigio adversae celsitudinis aequatae, propugnatorum vel nimia pondera duraturae.

[7] Inter haec Galli morarum impatientes, securibus gladiisque succincti, patefacta sunt egressi postica, observata nocte squalida et inluni,⁵ orantes caeleste praesidium, ut propitium adesset et libens. Atque ipsum spiritum reprimentes, cum prope venissent, conferti valido cursu, quibusdam stationariis interfectis, exteriores castrorum vigiles (ut in nullo tali metu) sopitos obtruncant, et⁶ supervenire ipsi regiae (si prosperior iuvisset eventus) occulte meditabantur.

[8] Verum audito licet levi reptantium⁷ sonitu, gemituque caesorum, discusso somno excitatis multis et ad arma pro se quoque clamitante, steterunt milites vestigiis fixis, progredi ultra non ausi; nec enim cautum deinde videbatur,⁸ expergefactis quos petebant insidiae, in apertum properare discrimen, cum iam undique frendentium catervae Persarum in proelia venirent accensae.

[9] Contra Galli corporum robore, audaciaque quoad poterant inconcussi, gladiis secantes adversos, parte suorum strata vel sagittarum undique volantium crebritate confixa, cum unum in locum totam periculi molem conversam, et concurrentium hostium agmina advertissent, nullo terga vertente, evadere festinabant, et velut repedantes sub modulis, sensim extra vallum protrusi, cum manipulos confertius invadentes sustinere non possent, tubarum perciti clangore castrensium, discedebant.

[10] Et resultantibus e civitate lituis multis, portae panduntur, recepturae nostros si pervenire illuc usque valuissent, tormentorumque machinae stridebant sine iaculatione ulla telorum, ut stationibus praesidentes, post interemptos socios, quae pone⁹ agerentur ignari, urbis oppositi moenibus nudarent intuta¹⁰ et porta¹¹ viri fortes susciperentur innoxii.

[11] Hacque arte Galli portam prope confinia lucis introiere minuto, numero quidam perniciose, pars leviter vulnerati, quadringentis ea nocte desideratis, qui non Rhesum nec cubitantes pro muris Iliacis Thracas, sed Persarum regem armatorum centum milibus circumsaeptum, ni obstitisset violentior casus, in ipsis tentoriis obtruncarant.

[12] Horum campiductoribus,¹² ut fortium factorum antesignanis, post civitatis excidium, armatas statuas apud Edessam in regione celebri locari iusserat imperator, quae ad praesens servantur intactae.

[13] Retectis sequenti luce funeribus, cum inter caesorum cadavera optimates invenirentur, et satrapae, clamoresque dissoni fortunam aliam alibi cum lacrimis indicabant, luctus ubique et indignatio regum audiebatur, arbitrantium per stationes muris obiectas irrupisse Romanos indutiisque ob haec tridui datis assensu communi, nos quoque spatium ad respirandum accepimus.

Res Gestae. Ammianus Marcellinus. John C. Rolfe (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1935-1940.

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Current edition Perseus

Res Gestae (Ammianus Marcellinus. Ammianus Marcellinus, with an English translation, Vols. I-III. Rolfe, John C., editor. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; W. Heinemann, 1935-1940 (printing).)

Translations (1)

History Perseus (Ammianus Marcellinus. Ammianus Marcellinus, with an English translation, Vols. I-III. Rolfe, John C., translator. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; W. Heinemann, 1935-1940 (printing).) — 19.6 focus

[1] Fortune thus breathed upon us some hope of safety, since a day had passed without harm to us and with disaster to the enemy; so the remainder of that day was devoted to rest, for refreshing our bodies. But at the arrival of the following dawn we saw from the citadel a countless throng which after the capture of the fortress of Ziata was being taken to the enemy’s camp; for in that stronghold, which was both capacious and well fortified (it has a circuit of ten stadia) a multitude of people of all sorts had taken refuge.

[2] For other fortifications also were seized and burned during those same days, and from them many thousands of men had been dragged, and were following into slavery, among them many feeble old men, and women already advanced in years, who, when they gave out for various reasons, discouraged by the long march and abandoning the desire to live, were left behind with their calves or hams cut out.

[3] The Gallic soldiers, seeing these throngs of wretches, with a reasonable, but untimely, impulse demanded that the opportunity be given them of encountering the enemy, threatening death to the tribunes who forbade them, and to the higher officers, if they in their turn prevented them.

[4] And just as ravening beasts in cages, roused to greater fierceness by the odour of carrion, in hope of getting out dash against the revolving bars,¹ so did they hew with swords at the gates, which (as I said above) were locked, being exceedingly anxious lest, if the city should be destroyed, they also might perish without any glorious action, or if it were saved from peril, they should be said to have done nothing worth while, as Gallic greatness of heart demanded; and yet before this they had made frequent sallies and attempted to interfere with the builders of mounds, had killed some, and had suffered the like themselves.

[5] We, at our wit’s end and in doubt what opposition ought to be made to the raging Gauls, at last chose this course as the best, to which they reluctantly consented: that since they could no longer be restrained, they should wait for a while and then be allowed to attack the enemy’s outposts, which were stationed not much farther than a bowshot away, with the understanding that if they broke through them, they might keep right on. For it was apparent that, if their request were granted, they would deal immense slaughter.

[6] While preparations for this were going on, the walls were being vigorously defended by various kinds of effort: by toil and watchfulness and by placing engines so as to scatter stones and darts in all directions. However, two lofty mounds were constructed by a troop of Persian infantry, and the storming of the city was being prepared with slowly built siege-works; and in opposition to these troops our soldiers also with extreme care were rearing earthworks of great height, equal in elevation to those of the enemy and capable of supporting the greatest possible weight of fighting men.

[7] Meanwhile the Gauls, impatient of delay, armed with axes and swords rushed out through an opened postem gate, taking advantage of a gloomy, moonless night and praying for the protection of heaven, that it might propitiously and willingly aid them. And holding their very breath when they had come near the enemy, they rushed violently upon them in close order, and having slain some of the outposts, they butchered the outer guards of the camp in their sleep (since they feared nothing of the kind), and secretly thought of a surprise attack even on the king’s quarters, if a favourable fortune smiled on them.

[8] But the sound of their cautious advance, slight though it was, and the groans of the dying were heard, and many of the enemy were roused from sleep and sprang up, while each for himself raised the call to arms. Our soldiers stood rooted to the spot, not daring to advance farther; for it no longer seemed prudent, when those against whom the surprise was directed were aroused, to rush into open danger, since now throngs of raging Persians were coming to battle from every side, fired with fury.

[9] But the Gauls faced them, relying on their strength of body and keeping their courage unshaken as long as they could, cut down their opponents with the sword, while a part of their own number were slain or wounded by the cloud of arrows flying from every side. But when they saw that the whole weight of peril and all the troops of the enemy were turned against one spot, although not one of them turned his back, they made haste to get away; and as if retreating to music, they were gradually forced out beyond the rampart, and being now unable to withstand the bands of foemen rushing upon them in close order, and excited by the blare of trumpets from the camp, they withdrew.

[10] And while many clarions sounded from the city, the gates were thrown open to admit our men, if they could succeed in getting so far, and the hurling-engines roared constantly, but without discharging any missiles, in order that since those in command of the outposts, after the death of their comrades were unaware of what was going on behind them, the men stationed before the walls of the city might abandon their unsafe position, and the brave men might be admitted through the gate without harm.²

[11] By this device the Gauls entered the gate about daybreak in diminished numbers, a part severely others slightly wounded (the losses of that night were four hundred); and if a mightier fate had not prevented, they would have slain, not Rhesus nor the Thracians encamped before the walls of Troy,³ but the king of the Persians in his own tent, protected by a hundred thousand armed men.

[12] In honour of their officers, as leaders in these brave deeds, after the destruction of the city the emperor ordered statues in full armour to be made and set up in a frequented spot at Edessa, and they are preserved intact to the present time.

[13] When on the following day the slaughter was revealed, and among the corpses of the slain there were found grandees and satraps, and dissonant ories and tears bore witness to the disasters in this or that place, everywhere mourning was heard and the indignation of the kings at the thought that the Romans had forced their way in through the guards posted before the walls. And as because of this event a truce of three days was granted by common consent, we also gained time to take breath.

Notes on the current edition

Res Gestae

1. dentatae, G; tentate, V ( tentatae, def. Val.); ut retentatae, Bentley.

2. confossis, Lind.; confusis, VG.

3. e regione et ex pugnaculo, Her.; erecti et expugnatio, V.

4. struebantur, Clark; struebatur, V.

5. inluni, edd. before Lind.; interlunio, Corn.; interluni, V.

6. obtruncant et, Her.; obstrunccatis, V. 2

7. leui reptantium, Haupt; reue temp dentium, V.

8. videbatur, added by Clark.

9. quae, added by Her., Novák.

10. intuta et, added by Novak.

11. porta, Clark; in aperta, Novák; mizperta, V.

12. campiductoribus, V; campidoctoribus, Cornelissen (see Val. ad loc.).

Ammianus Marcellinus Res Gestae 19.6

John C. Rolfe (Translator)

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