Julian often holds court in the senate-house at Constantinople, and there, while he is setting in order the affairs of Thrace, he is approached by several deputations from foreign nations.
And so the first of January came, when the consular annals took on the names of Mamertinus and Nevitta; and the emperor showed himself especially condescending by going on foot to their inauguration in company with other high officials, an action which some commended but others criticised as affected and cheap. 1 [2] Then, when Mamertinus gave games in the Circus and the slaves that were to be manumitted were led in by the assistant master of ceremonies, 2 the emperor himself, [p. 209] with too great haste, pronounced the usual formula, that it be done according to law; 3 and on being reminded that the jurisdiction that day belonged to another, 4 he fined himself ten pounds of gold, as guilty of an oversight. [3] Meanwhile, he came frequently into the senate house to give attention to various matters with which the many changes in the state burdened him. And when one day, as he was sitting in judgement there, and it was announced that the philosopher Maximus 5 had come from Asia, he started up in an undignified manner, so far forgetting himself that he ran at full speed to a distance from the vestibule, and after having kissed the philosopher and received him with reverence, brought him back with him. This unseemly ostentation made him appear to be an excessive seeker for empty fame, and to have forgotten that splendid saying of Cicero's, 6 which narrates the following in criticising such folk: [4] “Those very same philosophers inscribe their names on the very books which they write on despising glory, so that even when they express scorn of honour and fame, they wish to be praised and known by name.” [5] Not long after this, two former members of the secret service who were among those who had been discharged approached the emperor confidently and promised to point out the hiding-place of Florentius 7 on condition that their military rank be restored to them. 8 But he rebuked them and called them informers, adding that it was not worthy of an [p. 211] emperor to be led by indirect information to bring back a man who had concealed himself through fear of death, and who perhaps would not be allowed to remain long in hiding without hope of pardon. [6] Present at all these events was Praetextatus, 9 a senator of noble character and old-time dignity, whom Julian had chanced to find engaged in private business at Constantinople and on his own initiative had appointed governor of Achaia with proconsular authority. [7] But, although he was so diligently engaged in reforming civil abuses, he did not on that account neglect military affairs, but put in command of the soldiers men approved by long trial; nay more, he repaired all the cities throughout Thrace as well as the fortifications on the borders, and took particular pains that the troops posted along the banks of the Danube, who, as he heard, were meeting inroads of the savages with watchfulness and valour, should lack neither arms and clothing nor pay and supplies. [8] While he was so arranging these matters, tolerating no slackness in action, his intimates tried to persuade him to attack the neighbouring Goths, who were often deceitful and treacherous; but he replied that he was looking for a better enemy; that for the Goths the Galatian traders were enough, by whom they were offered for sale everywhere without distinction of rank. 10 [9] While he was attending to these and similar affairs he gained a reputation among foreign nations for eminence in bravery, sobriety, and knowledge of military affairs, as well as of all noble qualities; and his fame gradually spread [p. 213] and filled the entire world. [10] Then, since the fear of his coming extended widely over neighbouring and far distant nations, deputations hastened to him from all sides more speedily than usual: on one side, the peoples beyond the Tigris and the Armenians begged for peace; on another, the Indian nations as far as the Divi 11 and the Serendivi vied with one another in sending their leading men with gifts ahead of time; on the south, the Moors offered their services to the Roman state; from the north and the desert regions, through which the Phasis flows to the sea, came embassies from the Bosporani and other hitherto unknown peoples, humbly asking that on payment of their annual tribute 12 they might be allowed to live in peace within the bounds of their native lands.
1 It was, however, usual; cf. Spart., Hadr. ix. 7, praetorum et consulum official frequentavit; Claud. in Eutrop. i. 308; Ansonius, Prec. Consulis (Edyll. viii.), 34.
2 The consuls on entering office gave games lasting three days, and usually freed some slaves in the presence of the people.
3 Manumitting slaves was a legal process, and the enactment was introduced by a formula; cf. Vopiscus, Aurel. 14 (of the adoption of Aurelian), iube lege agatur, fitque Aurelianus heres, etc.
4 Probably to Mamertinus, as the consul giving the games.
5 Letters of a familiar nature from Julian to Maximus have come down to us.
6 Pro Archia, 11, 26.
7 Cf. 3, 6, above.
8 They belonged to the so-called scholar Palatinae; see xiv. 7, 9, note 3.
9 His full name was Vettius Agorius Praetextatus. He pears as prefect of the city in xxvii. 9, 8, and xxviii. 1, 24.
10 Cf. Claudian, In Eutr. i. 59, hinc fora venalis Galata ductore frequentat permutatque domos varias (Eutropius), “next in the train of a Galatian slave-merchant he stands for sale in many a market and knows many diverse houses” (L.C.L., i. p. 143).
11 The Divi, or Diveni, lived on some island off the west coast of India, the Serendivi probably on the island of Ceylon, called Serandib by the Arabs. Gibbon says that these embassies were not due to Julian's widespread fame, since they must have thought that Constantius was still ruling. So also Zonaras, xiii. 12.
12 See xx. 8, 4, note.
Ammianus Marcellinus. With An English Translation. John C. Rolfe, Ph.D., Litt.D. Cambridge. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1935-1940.
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