Res Gestae

While the fear of impending disasters oppressed us, we learned from the report of our scouting cavalry, that the Persians, too far off to be seen, were making a bridge, in order that when all hostilities should cease after the conclusion of the treaty of peace, and our men were marching carelessly, they might attack the sick and the animals which had long been exhausted; but when they found that they were discovered, they gave up their wicked design.

Relieved now from this anxiety and hastening on by forced marches, we approached Hatra, an old city lying in the midst of a desert and long since abandoned. The warlike emperors Trajan[*](Dio. lxviii. 31, 2.) and Severus tried at various times to destroy it, but almost perished with their armies; I have related these acts also in telling of their careers.

Here we learned that on a plain extending for seventy miles through dry regions only water that was salt and ill-smelling could be found, and nothing to eat except southernwood, wormwood, dragonwort and other plants of

And after completing a march of six days and finding not even grass as the solace of their extreme necessity, Cassianus, the duke[*](Duces were usually military commanders, but some- times governors; see Index II., vol. i. s.v.) commanding the army in Mesopotamia,[*](Ur of the Chaldeans, mentioned also in the books of Moses.) and the tribune Mauricius (who had been sent long before for the purpose) came to a Persian stronghold called Ur[*](Duces were usually military commanders, but some- times governors; see Index II., vol. i. s.v.) and brought food from the supplies which the army left with Procopius and Sebastianus had saved by frugal living.

From here another Procopius, a state-secretary, and the military tribune Memoridus were sent to the lands of Illyricum and Gaul, to announce the death of Julian, and the elevation of Jovian (after Julian’s decease) to Augustan rank.

To them the emperor had also given instructions to hand his father-in-law Lucillianus,[*](Jovian’s wife was a daughter of Lucillianus;her name was Charito.) who after his dismissal from the army had retired to a life of leisure and was then living at Sirmium, the commission as commander of the cavalry and infantry which he had delivered to them, and urge him to hasten to Milan, in order to attend to any difficulties there, or if (as was now rather to be feared) any new dangers should arise, to resist them.

To these instructions the emperor had added a secret letter, in which he also directed Lucillianus to take with him some

And he took the prudent step of appointing Malarichus, who also was even then living in Italy in a private capacity, as successor to Jovinus, commander of the cavalry in Gaul, sending him the insignia of that rank. Thereby he aimed at a double advantage: first, in getting rid of a general of distinguished service and therefore an object of suspicion; and, second, the hope that a man of slight expectations, when raised to a high rank, might show great zeal in supporting the position of his benefactor, which was still uncertain.