Res Gestae

When this had been reported and much had been added in a malicious light, Constantius was angered beyond measure; and without sifting the matter or allowing the details of which he was ignorant to be explained, he ordered the victim of the calumnies to give up his command in the army and go into retirement. And by an extraordinary advancement Agilo, a former tribune of the household troops and of the targeteers,[*](See xiv. 7, 9, note 3.) was promoted to his place.

At that same time, throughout the regions of the East the heaven was seen to be overcast with

This phenomenon never takes place so clearly as when the moon, after its shifting courses,[*](See note 2, p. 10, § 4, below.) brings back its monthly journey to the same starting-point after fixed intervals of time; that is to say, when the entire moon,[*](I.e. the full moon; cf. § 7, below.) in the abode of the same sign of the zodiac, is found in a perfectly straight line directly under the sun, and for a brief time stands still in the minute points which the science of geometry calls parts of parts.[*](I.e. parts of degrees, or minutes; cf. Pliny, N.H. ii. 48, scripulis partium. )

And although the revolutions and movements of both heavenly bodies, as the searchers[*](The natural philosophers.) for intelligible causes had observed, after the course of the moon is completed,[*](At the end of each lunar month.) meet at one and the same point always at the same distance from each other,[*](I.e. are in conjunction.) yet the sun is not always eclipsed at such times, but only when the moon (by a kind of fiery plumb-line)[*](According to Clark’s punctuation, based upon metrical clausulae (Introd., p. xxii); but igneo seems to be more naturally taken with orbi. ) is directly opposite the sun and interposed between its orb and our vision.

In short, the sun is hidden and his brightness suppressed, when he himself and the orb of the moon, the lowest of all the heavenly bodies, accompanying

If, on the other hand, they stand in the nodes themselves which closely unite the ascent and the descent, the heaven will be overcast with thicker darkness, so that because of the density of the air we cannot see even objects which are near and close at hand.

Now it is thought that two suns are seen, if a cloud, raised higher than common and shining brightly from its nearness to the eternal fires,[*](I.e. the sun.) reflects a second brilliant orb, as if from a very clear mirror.

Let us now turn to the moon. Then only does she suffer a clear and evident eclipse, when, rounded out with her full light and opposite the sun, she is distant from its orb by 180 degrees (i.e. is in the seventh sign).[*](Of the Zodiac.) But although this happens at every full moon, yet there is not always an eclipse.

But since the moon is situated near the movement of the earth, and is the most remote from heaven of all that celestial beauty,[*](I.e. is nearer the earth than the other heavenly bodies.) she sometimes puts herself directly under the disc[*](The sun.) that strikes upon her, and

And when under the same sign she meets the sun in a straight line, she is obscured (as was said) and her brightness is wholly dimmed; and this in Greek is called the moon’s σύνοδος.[*](Conjunction; cf. Plut., Quaest. Rom. 12, σύνοδος ἐκλειπτικὴ σελήνης πρὸς ἥλιον. That is, the time between two new moons; really, the last appearance of the waning moon, and the first of the actual new moon.)

Now she is thought to be born,[*](I.e. it is new moon. ) when she has the sun above her with a slight deviation from the plumbline, so to speak. But her rising, which is still very slender, first appears to mortals when she has left the sun and advanced to the second sign. Then having progressed farther and now having abundant light, she appears with horns and is called μηνοειδής.[*](The crescent moon; μηνοειδής means in the form of a crescent; cf. Hdt. viii. 15.) But when she begins to be separated from the sun by a long distance and has arrived at the fourth sign and the sun’s rays are turned towards her, she gains greater brilliance, and is called in the Greek tongue διχόμηνις,[*](The half-moon; διχόμηνις means dividing the month cf. Lat. Idus, to which some give that derivation, wrongly.) a form which shows a half-circle

Then, proceeding to the greatest distance and attaining the fifth sign, she shows the figure called

But when we said that the sun had its course now in the ether and now in the world below,[*](That is, below our horizon and on the other side of the world.) it must be understood that the heavenly bodies (so far as the universe is concerned) neither set nor rise, but that they seem to do so to an eyesight whose fixed situation is on the earth; this is kept hanging in space by some inner force and in its relation to the universe is like a tiny point; and that now we seem to see the stars, whose order is eternal, fixed in the sky, and often through the imperfection of human vision we think that they leave their places. But let us now return to our subject.

When Constantius was hastening to lend aid to the Orient, which was likely soon to be disturbed by the inroads of the Persians, as deserters reported in agreement with our scouts, he was tormented[*](Cf. Hor., Epist. ii. 1, 13, urit enim fulgore suo qui praegravat artes infra se positas.) by the valorous deeds of Julian, which increasingly frequent report was spreading abroad through the mouths of divers nations, carrying the great glory[*](Adorea originally meant grain distributed to the soldiers as a reward for a victory; then victory, glory; cf. Hor., Odes, iv. 4, 41, dies . . .qui primus alma risit adorea.) of his mighty toils and achievements after the overthrow of several kingdoms of the Alamanni, and the recovery of the Gallic towns, which before had been destroyed and plundered by the savages whom he himself had made tributaries and subjects.

Excited by these and similar exploits, and fearing that their fame would grow greater, urged on besides, as was reported, by the prefect Florentius,[*](Praetorian prefect in Gaul; cf. xvi. 12, 14; xvii. 3, 2, etc.; not the same as the Florentius of xx. 2, 2.) he sent Decentius, the tribune and secretary, at once to take from Julian his auxiliaries, namely, the Aeruli and Batavi[*](See i. 3, note 2.) and the Celts with the Petulantes,[*](Mentioned together also in xx. 5, 9; the latter probably got their name from some act of lawlessness, as per contra legions were called Pia, Fidelis, etc.) as well as three hundred picked men from each of the other divisions[*](On numeris see Index of Officials, vol. i.) of the army; and he ordered him to hasten their march under the pretext that they might be able to be on hand for an attack on the Parthians early in the spring.[*](This would hardly have been possible; of. adulta hieme, in 1, 3.)

for speeding the departure of the auxiliaries and the divisions of three hundred Lupicinus alone was called upon (for that he had crossed over to Britain was not yet known at court); but the order to select the most active of the targeteers and the gentiles[*](See xiv. 7, 9, note 3.) and personally lead them to the emperor was given to Sintula, then Julian’s chief stable-master.

Julian kept silence and submitted to this, leaving everything to the will of his more powerful associate. One thing, however, he could neither overlook nor pass over in silence, namely, that those men should suffer no inconvenience who had left their abodes beyond the Rhine and come to him under promise that they should never be led to regions beyond the Alps; for he declared that it was to be feared that the barbarian volunteer soldiers, who were often accustomed to come over to our side under conditions of that kind, might on having knowledge of this thereafter be kept from so doing. But his words were to no purpose.

For the tribune, considering Caesar’s remonstrances of little moment, carried out the orders of Augustus, chose the strongest and most active of the light-armed troops, and made off with them, while they were filled with hope of better fortunes.[*](I.e. of opportunities for promotion and other rewards for active service; cf. § 12, below.)