Res Gestae

Next, after a march of fourteen miles, we came to a place where the fields are made fertile by an abundance of water; but the Persians, having learned in advance that we should take that route, had broken the dykes and allowed the water to flow everywhere without restraint.

Therefore, as the ground was covered far and wide with standing pools, the emperor gave the soldiers another day of rest, and went on himself; and after overcoming many dangers, he made such bridges

In these regions there are many fields, planted with vineyards and various kinds of fruits. Here too palm trees are wont to grow, extending over a wide expanse as far as Mesene[*](Apamia, cf. xxiii. 6, 43.) and the great sea,[*](The Caspian.) in mighty groves. And wherever anyone goes, one constantly sees palm branches with and without fruit,[*](See Gellius, ii. 26, 10; iii. 9, 9, palmae termes ex arbore cum fructu spadix dicitur. Ammianus alone uses the form spadicum (n.).) and from their yield an abundance of honey and wine is made.[*](Cf. Hdt. i. 193.) The palms themselves are said to couple, and the sexes may easily be distinguished.[*](Cf. Pliny, N.H. xiii. 34 f. Herodotus, i. 193, thinks that an insect carries the seed from the male to the female tree.)

It is also said that the female trees conceive when smeared with the seeds of the male, and they assert that the trees take pleasure in mutual love, and that this is evident from the fact that they lean towards each other, and cannot be parted even by gales of wind. And if the female tree is not smeared in the usual way with the seed of the male, it suffers abortion and loses its fruit before it is ripe. And if it is not known with what male any female tree is in love, her trunk is smeared with her own perfume,[*](That is, the blossoms of the female tree.) and the other tree by a law of nature is attracted by the sweet odour.[*](The tree to which the female tree is attracted is drawn to her by the perfume of her blossoms. The perfume was carried by insects; cf. Hdt. i. 193.) It is from these signs that the belief in a kind of copulation is created.

Abundantly supplied with food of that kind, our army passed by several islands, and where formerly there was dread of scarcity there was now serious danger of over-eating. Finally, they were assailed by a hidden attack of the enemy’s archers, but not unavenged; and came to a place where the main body of the Euphrates is divided into many small streams.

In this tract a city which, because of its low walls, had been abandoned by its Jewish inhabitants, was burned by the hands of the angry soldiers. This done, the emperor went on farther, still more hopeful because of the gracious aid of the deity, as he interpreted it.

And when he had come to Maiozamalcha, a great city surrounded by strong walls, he pitched his tents and took anxious precautions that the camp might not be disturbed by a sudden onset of the Persian cavalry, whose valour in the open field was enormously feared by all peoples.

After making this provision, attended by a few light-armed soldiers and himself also marching on foot, Julian planned to make a careful examination of the position of the city; but he fell into a dangerous ambuscade, from which he escaped only with difficulty and at the risk of his life.

For through a secret gate of the town ten armed Persians came out, and after crossing the lower slopes on bended knees made a sudden onslaught on our men. Two with drawn swords

Torquatus[*](T. Manlius Torquatus; see Gellius, ix. 13.) once took from a prostrate foe his golden neck-chain; Valerius,[*](M. Valerius Maximus Corvinus; see Gellius, ix. 11.) afterwards surnamed Corvinus, laid low a bold and bragging Gaul with the aid of a crow, and by these glorious deeds they gained fame with posterity. We do not begrudge the praise; let this fine exploit also be added to the records of the past.

On the following day bridges were built and the army led across, and a camp was measured off in another and more advantageous place and girt by a double palisade, since (as I have said) Julian feared the open plains. Then he began the siege of the town, thinking that it would be dangerous to advance farther, and leave behind him an enemy whom he feared.

While great preparations were being made for the siege, the Surena, who was in command of the enemy, made an attack on the pack-animals, which were grazing in the palm-groves; but he was met by our scouting-cohorts, and after loss of a few of the men, was baffled by our forces and withdrew.