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Romanos ex Perside redire properantes, procedentesque, crebris proeliis lacessunt Persae et Saraceni, ac magno cum detrimento repelluntur.

[1] Quae dum ultro citroque ordinantur, hostiis pro Ioviano caesis,¹ extisque inspectis, pronuntiatum est eum omnia perditurum, si intra vallum remansisset (ut cogitabat), superiorem vero fore profectum.

[2] Proinde egredi iam coeptantes, adoriuntur nos elephantis praeviis Persae, ad quorum fremitum faetorem² inaccessum terribilemque,³ equis inter initia turbatis et viris, Ioviani et Herculiani, occisis beluis paucis, cataphractis equitibus acriter resistebant.⁴

[3] Dein legiones Ioviorum atque Victorum, laborantibus suis ferentes auxilium, elephantos duo straverunt cum hostium plebe non parva, et in laevo proelio viri periere fortissimi, Iulianus et Macrobius et Maximus, legionum tribuni, quae tunc tune primas exercitus obtinebant.

[4] Hisque sepultis, ut rerum angustiae permiserunt, prope confinia noctis, cum ad castellum Sumere nomine, citis passibus tenderemus, iacens Anatolii corpus est agnitum quod tumultuaria opera terrae mandatum est. Hic et milites sexaginta cum palatinis recepimus, quos in munimentum vacuum⁵ confugisse⁶ rettulimus.

[5] Secuto deinde die, pro captu locorum, reperta est in valle lata planities, in qua⁷ castra ponuntur, velut murali ambitu circumclausa, praeter unum exitum eundemque patentem, undique in modum mucronum praeacutis sudibus fixis.

[6] Hocque viso, e saltibus nos hostes diversitate telorum et verbis turpibus incessebant, ut perfidos, et lectissimi principis peremptores: audierant enim ipsi quoque referentibus transfugis, rumore iactato incerto, Iulianum telo cecidisse Romano.

[7] Ausi denique inter haec equitum cunei, porta perrupta praetoria, prope ipsum tabernaculum principis advenire, occisis multis suorum et vulneratis, vi repulsi sunt magna.

[8] Egressi exinde proxima nocte, Charcham occupavimus locum, ideo tuti, quod riparum aggeribus humana manu instructis,⁸ ne Saraceni deinceps Assyriam persultarent, nostrorum agmina nullus ut ante vexabat.

[9] Cumque hinc⁹ Kalendis Iuliis stadiis triginta confectis, civitatem nomine Duram adventaremus, fatigatis iumentis, vectores eorum novissimi pedibus incedentes, a Saracena multitudine circumsaepti, protinus interissent, ni expeditiores turmae nostrorum opem laborantibus attulissent.

[10] Hos autem Saracenos ideo patiebamur infestos, quod salaria muneraque plurima a Iuliano, ad similitudinem praeteriti temporis, accipere vetiti, questique apud eum, solum audierant, imperatorem bellicosum et vigilantem ferrum habere, non aurum.

[11] In hoc loco Persarum obstinatione tritum est quadriduum. Nam progredientes nos sequebantur, crebris lacessitionibus retrahentes; cum staremus ut pugnaturi, gradum sensim referentes moris diuturnis excruciabant. Iamque (ut solent extrema metuentibus etiam ficta placere), fama circumlata fines haud procul limitum esse nostrorum, exercitus vociferans immodeste, dari sibi copiam transeundi Tigridis flagitabat.

[12] Quibus oppositus cum rectoribus imperator, tumentemque iam canis exortu sideris amnem ostendens, ne se periculosis committerent gurgitibus exorabat, nandi imperitos asserens esse complures, simulque adiciens, hostiles manus hinc inde margines superfusi fluminis occupasse.

[13] Sed cum haec saepe congeminando, refragaretur in cassum, milesque conclamans magno contentionis fragore, minaretur extrema, id impetratur¹⁰ aegerrime, ut mixti cum arctois Germanis, Galli amnem primi omnium penetrarent, ut his magnitudine fluentorum abreptis residuorum pertinacia frangeretur, aut si id perfecissent innocui, transitus fidentior temptaretur.

[14] Electique sunt ad id negotium habiles, qui maxima prae ceteris flumina transmeare in regionibus genuinis a prima pueritia sunt instituti, et cum latendi copiam nocturna quies daret, tamquam e transenna simul emissi, spe citius ripas occupavere contrarias, Persarumque conculcatis pluribus et truncatis, quos loca servare dispositos, securitas placido vinxerat somno, efficacis audaciae signum, elatis manibus contortisque sagulis, ostendebant.

[15] Hoc longe conspecto, ardens ad transitum miles ea mora tantummodo tenebatur quod utribus e¹¹ caesorum animalium coriis, coagmentare pontes architecti promittebant.

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

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by Tufts University.

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).) — 25.6 focus

[1] While these arrangements were being made on both sides, in Jovian’s behalf¹ victims were killed, and when the entrails were inspected it was announced that he would ruin everything, if he remained within the rampart of his camp (as he thought of doing), but would be victor if he marched out.

[2] But when we accordingly were just beginning to leave, the Persians attacked us, with the elephants in front. By the unapproachable and frightful stench of these brutes horses and men were at first thrown into confusion, but the Joviani and Herculiani,² after killing a few of the beasts, bravely resisted the mail clad horsemen.

[3] Then the legions of the Jovii and the Victores came to the aid of their struggling companions and slew two elephants, along with a considerable number of the enemy. On our left wing some valiant warriors fell, Julianus, Macrobius and Maximus, tribunes of the legions which then held first place in our army.

[4] Having buried these men as well as the pressing conditions allowed, when towards nightfall we were coming at rapid pace to a fortress called Sumere, we recognized the corpse of Anatolius³ lying in the road, and it was hastily committed to the earth. Here, too, we recovered sixty soldiers with some court officials, who (as I have related above)⁴ bad taken refuge in a deserted stronghold.

[5] On the next day we pitched our camp in the best place we could find, a broad plain in a valley; it was surrounded as if by a natural wall, and had only one exit, which was a wide one, and all about it we set stakes with sharp ends like the points of swords.

[6] On seeing this, the enemy from the wooded heights assailed us with weapons of all kinds and with insulting language, as traitors and murderers of an excellent prince. For they also had heard from the mouths of deserters, in consequence of an unfounded rumour, that Julian had been killed by a Roman weapon.⁵

[7] Finally, some troops of horsemen meanwhile ventured to break through the praetorian gate and to come near the very tent of the emperor, but with the loss of many killed and wounded they were vigorously driven back.

[8] Then we set out on the following night and took possession of the place called Charcha;⁶ here we were safe because there were mounds along the banks, constructed by men’s hands to prevent the Saracens from continually making raids on Assyria, and no one harassed our lines, as had been done before this.

[9] And from here, having completed a march of thirty stadia, on the first of July we reached a city called Dura.⁷ Our horses were tired, and their riders, who marched on foot and fell to the rear, were surrounded by a throng of Saracens, and would at once have perished, had not some squadrons of our light-armed cavalry brought help to them in their distress.

[10] We found these Saracens hostile for the reason that they had been prevented by Julian’s order from receiving pay and numerous gifts,⁸ as in times past, and when they complained to him, had received the simple reply that a warlike and watchful emperor had steel and not gold.

[11] In this place the persistence of the Persians delayed us for four days. For when we began to march, they followed us, and by frequent onsets forced us to turn back; if we halted to do battle with them, they little by little retired and harassed us by continual delays. But now (since to those who are in fear of the worst even false reports are commonly welcome) the rumour was circulated that the frontiers of our possessions were not far distant; whereupon the army, with mutinous bluster, demanded that they be allowed to cross the Tigris.

[12] The emperor, as well as the generals, opposed them, and pointing to the river, which was in flood, since the dog-star had already risen, begged them not to trust themselves to the dangerous currents, declaring that very many could not swim, and adding that scattered bands of the enemy had beset the banks of the swollen stream in various places.

[13] But when these warnings, though several times repeated, had no effect, and the loud shouts of the excited soldiers threatened violence, Jovian reluctantly consented that the Gauls, mingled with the northern Germans, should enter the river first of all, to the end that if these were swept away by the force of the stream, the obstinacy of the rest might be broken down; or if they accomplished their purpose without harm, the rest might try to cross with greater confidence.

[14] For this attempt the most skilful men were chosen, who from early childhood were taught in their native lands to cross the greatest of all rivers. and as soon as the quiet of night gave an opportunity for concealment, as if starting all together in a race,⁹ they gained the opposite bank more quickly than could have been expected, and after trampling under foot and killing a great number of the Persians, who had been posted to guard the places, but from a feeling of security were buried in quiet sleep, they raised their hands and waved their mantles, to show that their bold attempt had succeeded.

[15] When this was seen from afar, the soldiers, now eager to cross, were delayed only by the promise of the pontoon builders to make bridges of bladders from the hides of slain animals.¹⁰

Notes on the current edition

Res Gestae

1. caesis, added by Corn.; V omits.

2. faetorem, Giinther; fremitum, EBG; fraetum, V.

3. -que, tr. by Her., Clark; inaccessumque, V ( inaccessum, restored by Her.; accessumque, E 2; incessumque, PB).

4. resistebant, Clark; restiterunt, EBGV 3, from resisterunt (-ant?), V 2.

5. vacuum, Kellerbauer; vaccatum, BGV; vacuatum, Pet.; cautum, Her.

6. confugisse, added by G, after rettulimus, Her.; V omits.

7. lata planities, in qua, added by Novák.

8. instructis, Clark; structis, Haupt; humanam andi structis, V.

9. hinc, Pet.; ipsis, Momm.; his, V.

10. impetratur, Kellerbauer; imperator, V.

11. e, added by G, et by Pet.; V omits.

Ammianus Marcellinus Res Gestae 25.6

John C. Rolfe (Translator)

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Romanos ex Perside redire properantes, procedentesque, crebris proeliis lacessunt Persae et Saraceni, ac magno cum detrimento repelluntur.

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