Res Gestae

Ammianus Marcellinus

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).

But what grieved the very heart of every patriotic citizen was this, that fearful of a rival to his power and

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bearing in mind that it was in Gaul and Illyricum that many men had taken the first steps to loftier power, in his haste to outstrip the report of his coming, under pretext of avoiding perjury he committed an act unworthy of an emperor, betraying Nisibis, which ever since the time of King Mithridates’ reign had resisted with all its might the occupation of the Orient by the Persians.[*](See Dio. xxxvi. 6, 1 ff.)

For never (I think) since the founding of our city can it be found by a reader of history that any part of our territory has been yielded to an enemy by an emperor or a consul; but that not even the recovery of anything that had been lost was ever enough for the honour of a triumph, but only the increase of our dominions.

Hence it was that triumphs were refused[*](Cf. Val. Max. ii. 8, 4 an) to Publius Scipio for the recovery of Spain; to Fulvius, when Capua was overcome after long contests, and to Opimius, when, after shifting fortunes of war, the people of Fregellae, at that time our deadly enemies, were forced to surrender.

In fact, the ancient records teach us that treaties made in extreme necessity with shameful conditions, even when both parties had taken oath in set terms, were at once annulled by a renewal of war. For example, when in days of old our legions were sent under the yoke at the Caudine Forks in Samnium[*](Cf. Val. Max. ii. 8, 4 an) ; when Albinus in Numidia devised a shameful peace[*](See Sallust, Jug. 38.) ; and when Mancinus, the author of a disgracefully hasty treaty, was surrendered to the people of Numantia.[*](See xiv. 11, 32; Florus, i. 34, 4 ff.)

So then, after the inhabitants had been withdrawn, and the city had been handed over, the tribune

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Constantius was sent to deliver the strongholds, with the surrounding country, to the Persian grandees. Then Procopius was sent with the remains of Julian, in order to inter him, as he had directed when still alive,[*](Cf. xxiii. 2, 5.) in the suburb of Tarsus.

Procopius set out to fulfil his mission,[*](Or perhaps, on the analogy of exsequiae, on his mournful errand, or for the funeral. ) but immediately after burying the body he disappeared and in spite of the most careful search could not be found anywhere,[*](He perhaps wished to escape the fate of Jovianus; see 8, 18.) until long afterwards he suddenly appeared at Constantinople, clad in the purple.