Res Gestae

And in the heat of the combat that followed, the clash of shields, the shouts of the men, and the doleful sound of the whirring arrows continued without intermission. The plains were covered with blood and dead bodies, but the Persian losses were greater; for they often lacked endurance in battle and could with difficulty maintain a close contest man to man, since they were accustomed to fight bravely at long range,

In this battle (as was said) the loss of the Persians was clearly the greater, while that of our men was very slight. But noteworthy among the various calamities of the combats was the death of Vetranio,[*](osimus,, iii. 28, calls him Brettanio. The Zianni were probablya Thracian tribe; see Index II.) a valiant fighter, who commanded the legion of the Zianni.

After this three days were devoted to a truce, while each man gave attention to his own wound or his neighbour’s, but since we were without supplies we were tormented by hunger that was already unendurable; and because grain and fodder had everywhere been burned, and both men and animals experienced extreme danger, a great part of the food which the pack-animals of the tribunes and generals carried was distributed even to the lowest soldiers, who were in dire want.

And the emperor, who had no dainties awaiting him, after the manner of princes, but a scant portion of porridge under the low poles of a humble tent—a meal which would have been scorned even by one who served as a common

Moreover, when he was forced for a time to indulge in an anxious and restless sleep, he threw it off in his usual manner, and, following the example of Julius Caesar, did some writing in his tent. Once when in the darkness of night he was intent upon the lofty thought of some philosopher, he saw somewhat dimly, as he admitted to his intimates, that form of the protecting deity of the state which he had seen in Gaul when he was rising to Augustan dignity,[*](Cf. xx. 5, 10) but now with veil over both head and horn of plenty, sorrowfully passing out through the curtains of his tent.

And although for a moment he remained sunk in stupefaction, yet rising above all fear, he commended his future fate to the decrees of heaven, and now fully awake, the night being now far advanced, he left his bed, which was spread on the ground, and prayed to the gods with rites designed to avert their displeasure. Then he thought he saw a blazing torch of fire, like a falling star, which furrowed part of the air and disappeared. And he was filled with fear lest the threatening star of Mars had thus visibly shown itself.[*](Cf. xxiv. 6, 17.)

That fiery brilliance was of the kind that we call διάσσων,[*](ἀστὴρ διαίσσων,a shooting star; of. Iliad, iv. 75-77.) which never falls anywhere or touches the earth; for anyone who believes that bodies can fall from heaven is rightly considered a layman,[*](I.e. not versed in astronomy.) or a fool. But this sort of thing happens in many ways, and it will be enough to explain a few of them.

Some believe that sparks glowing from