Iulianus A. Viennae Christianum se simulat illiciendae multitudinis causa: et die festo in Ecclesia inter Christianos Deum precatur.

[1] Cum apud Parisios adhuc Caesar Iulianus quatiens scutum variis motibus exerceretur in campo, axiculis, quibus¹ orbis erat compaginatus, in vanum excussis, ampla² remanserat sola, quam retinens valida manu stringebat.

[2] Territisque ut omine diro praesentibus cunctis, Nemo inquit vereatur: habeo firmiter quod tenebam. Item cum apud Viennam postea quiesceret sobrius, horrore medio noctis, imago quaedam visa splendidior, hos ei versus heroes modo non vigilanti aperte edixit,³ eadem saepius replicando, quibus fretus nihil asperum sibi superesse existimabat

Ζεὺς ὅταν εἰς πλατὺ τέρμα μόλῃ κλυτοῦ ὑδροχόοιο,

Παρθενικῆς δὲ Κρόνος μοίρῃ βαίνῃ ἐπὶ πέμπτῃ

εἰκοστῇ, βασιλεὺς Κωνστάντιος Ἀσίδος αἴης

τέρμα φίλου βιοτοῦ στυγερὸν καὶ ἐπώδυνον ἕξει.

[3] Agebat itaque nihil interim de statu rerum praesentium mutans, sed animo tranquillo et quieto incidentia cuncta disponens, paulatimque sese corroborans, ut dignitatis augmento, virium quoque congruerent incrementa.

[4] Utque omnes nullo impediente, ad sui favorem illiceret, adhaerere cultui Christiano Christano fingebat, a quo iam pridem occulte desciverat, arcanorum participibus paucis, haruspicinae auguriisque intentus, et ceteris quae deorum semper fecere cultores.

[5] Et ut haec interim celarentur, feriarum die, quem celebrantes mense Ianuario Christiani Epiphania dictitant, progressus in eorum ecclesiam, sollemniter numine orato discessit.

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).) — 21.2 focus

[1] At Paris, when Julian, still a Caesar, was shaking his shield while engaged in various exercises in the field,¹ the sections of which the orb of the shield was fashioned fell apart and only the handle remained, which he held in the grasp of a strong hand.

[2] And when all who were present were terrified by what seemed a direful omen, he said: Let no man be afraid; I hold firmly what I was holding.² Again at Vienne at a later time, when he went to sleep with a clear head, at night’s dread mid a gleaming form appeared and recited to him plainly, as he lay almost awake, the following heroic verses, repeating them several times; and trusting to these, be believed that no difficulty remained to trouble him:

When Zeus the noble Aquarius’ bound shall reach, And Saturn come to Virgo’s twenty-fifth degree, Then shall Constantius, king of Asia, of this life So sweet the end attain with heaviness and grief.³

[3] Accordingly, he continued to make no change in his present condition, merely with calm and tranquil mind attending to everything that came up and gradually strengthening his position, to the end that his increase in rank might be attended also with a growth in power.

[4] And in order to win the favour of all men and have opposition from none, he pretended to be an adherent of the Christian religion, from which he had long since secretly revolted; and making a few men sharers in his secrets, he was given up to soothsaying and auguries, and to other practises which the worshippers of the pagan gods have always followed.

[5] And in order temporarily to conceal this, on the day of the festival which the Christians celebrate in the month of January and call the Epiphany,⁴ he went to their church, and departed after offering a prayer to their deity in the usual manner.

Notes on the current edition

Res Gestae

1. quibus, N, Novák; quis, BG; quid, V.

2. ansa, G; ample, V.

3. edixit, Clark, c.c.; dixit, V.

Ammianus Marcellinus Res Gestae 21.2

John C. Rolfe (Translator)

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Iulianus A. Viennae Christianum se simulat illiciendae multitudinis causa: et die festo in Ecclesia inter Christianos Deum precatur.

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