Ammianus Marcellinus, Res Gestae, John C. Rolfe (Translator), val2.13

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[74] Eodem itaque tempore habebat Anastasius imperator tres nepotes, id est Pompeium, Probum et Hypatium; cogitans quem de ipsis faceret post se imperatorem, quodam die iussit eos secum prandere, et intra palatium post prandium meridiari, et singula lecta eis sterni. Et in uno lecto iussit ad capitem¹ regium insigne² poni, et quis de ipsis in eodem lecto elegisset dormire, in hoc se debere cognoscere cui regnum postea traderet. Unus quidem in uno lecto se iactavit, duo enim in alio, amore fraterno, se collocaverunt. Et ita contigit, ut in illo lecto ubi regium insigne³ positum erat nullus eorum dormiret.

[75] Dum haec vidisset, coepit cogitare intra se, et discens⁴ eo quod nullus eorum regnaret coepit orare deum, ut illi revelatio fieret, ut scire possit, dum adviveret, quis post occasum eius regnum susciperet. Haec eodem cogitante et orante cum ieiunio, quadam noctu vidit hominem, qui ita eum admonuit: Crastinus qui tibi primus intra cubiculum nuntiatus fuerit, ipse accipiet post te regnum tuum.

[76] Ita factum est ut lustinus, qui comes erat excubitorum, dum advenisset, ubi directus fuerat ab imperatore, renuntiaretur ipse ei primus⁵ per praepositum cubiculi. Cumque haec cognovisset, coepit gratias deo referre, qui ei dignatus est revelare successorem.

[77] Cumque haec apud se tacite habuisset, quadam die procedens imperator, dum festinus Iustinus⁶ vellet a latere imperatoris transire, obsequium ordinare vellens, calcavit chlamydem imperatoris.

[78] Cui imperator hoc tantum dixit, quid festinas? Nam ultima vita regni sui temptans eum diabolus, vellens⁷ sectam Eunomianam sequi; quem populus fidelis repressit, ita ut ei in ecclesia clamaretur: In trinitatem lanceolam non mittes.⁸ Non post multum temporis in lecto suo intra urbem Constantinopolim morbo tentus extremam clausit diem.

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).) — val2.13 focus

[74] Now at that same time the emperor Anastasius had three grandsons, namely, Pompeius, Probus, and Hypatius. Considering which one of them he should make his successor, he invited them to have luncheon with him one day, and after luncheon to take their midday siesta within the palace, where he had a couch prepared for each of them. Under the pillow on one couch he ordered the symbol of royalty to be put, and decided that whichever of them chose that couch for his nap, in him he ought to recognise the one to whom he should later turn over the rule. One of the grandsons threw himself down on one couch, but the other two, from brotherly affection, took their places together on another, and so it happened that none of them slept on the couch where the emblem of royalty had been placed.

[75] When Anastasius saw this, he began to ponder, and learning from it that none of them should rule, he began to pray to God that He would show him a sign, so that while he still lived he might know who should receive the royal power after his death. While he was considering the question with fasting and prayer, one night in a dream he saw a man, who advised him as follows: The person whose arrival shall first be announced to you tomorrow in your bedroom will be the one to receive your throne after you.

[76] Now it chanced that Justinus, who was commander of the watch, on coming to a place whither he had been directed to go¹ by the emperor, was the first to be announced to him by his head-chamberlain. And when the king knew this, he began to thank God for having deigned to reveal to him who his successor should be.

[77] These words² he kept to himself, but one day, when the emperor was in a procession, and Justinus wished to pass along quickly on one side of the emperor, in order to put his followers in line, he trod on the emperor’s cloak.

[78] But the emperor only said to him: What is your hurry?³ Then in the last days of his reign the devil tempted him, wishing him to follow the Eunomian sect;⁴ but the people of the faith checked him and even cried out to him in the church: You shall not hurl your puny lance against the Trinity. Not long afterwards Anastasius was taken ill and confined to his bed in the city of Constantinople, and ended his last day.

Notes on the current edition

Res Gestae

1. capitem]; capite, B; caput, P.

2. regium insigne, Hirschfeld; regnum] BP; perhaps signum, Momm.

3. Cf. note 5, above.

4. discens, Momm. doubtfully; dicere, BP.

5. renuntiaretur ipse ei primus]; renuntiaret ipse ei nuntiatus est primus, PB.

6. festinus lustinus, Momm.; Iustinus, Wagner; festinus, BP.

7. uellens] B 2; uolens, B 2 (emend.) P.

8. mittes, scripsi; mittis] B.

Ammianus Marcellinus Res Gestae val2.13

John C. Rolfe (Translator)

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