Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 3 (1897).djvu/113

 OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 93 Barbarians whom he thought it less advisable to provoke. The ordinary speed of the Huns was checked by the weight of bag gage, and the encumbrance of captives ; but their military skill de?e ved, and almost destroyed, the army of Athananc nile the Wdge of the Visigoths defended the banks of the Dniester he wasLcompassed Ind attacked by a numerous detachment of cavllry, who, by the light of the moon, had passed the river in Tfordable place; and it was not without the "J-o^t efforts of courage and conduct that he was able to effect his retreat towarls the hilly country. The undaunted general had already formed a new and judicious plan of defensive war and the sLng lines, which he was preparing to construct between he mounteins, the Pruth, and the Danube, would have secured the "xtensive^nd fertile territory that bears the modem name of Walachia from the destructive inroads of the Huns.^- But the Topes and measures of the judge of the Visigoths were soon disannointed by the tremWing impatience of his dismayed cSrymen ; who were persuaded by their fears that the mter- posL^ of the Danube was the only barrier that could save them from the rapid pursuit and invincible valoui- ot the bar- baSns o" Scythi?. Under the command of Fntigern and Alavivus,63 the body of the nation hastily advanced to the banks of the great river, and implored the protection of the Roman emperof of the East. Athanaric himself sti 1 anxious to ^^^^^^^^^ the guilt of periury, retired with a band of faithful followers nto the mountainous country of Caucaland ; which appears to have been guarded, and^almost concealed, by the impenetrable ^Tf?er VaTenrhldteJmU^^ the Gothic war with some appear- J^e ooth^ ance of glory and success, he made a progress through h>s g-tion o^. dominion! o/ Asia, and at length fixed his -id-ce ^ the^e capital of Syria. The five years'^- which he spent at Antiocn 62 The text of Ammianus seems to be imperfect or con-upt ; but the nature of prmce of the Goths., ^ t a^^ /^» Pf.K,i<; Ortiriq c 2d) describe the