Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 3 (1897).djvu/203

 OF THE EOMAN EMPIRE 183 natural and artificial obstacles that opposed his efforts, the emperor of the East immediately attacked the fortifications [sept. 5] of his rivals, assigned the post of honourable danger to the Goths, and cherished a secret wish that the bloody conflict might diminish the pride and numbers of the conquerors. Ten thousand of those auxiliaries, and Bacurius, general of the Iberians, died bravely on the field of battle. But the victory was not purchased by their blood ; the Gauls maintained their advantage ; and the approach of night protected the disorderly flight, or retreat, of the troops of Theodosius. The emperor retired to the adjacent hills ; where he passed a disconsolate night, without sleep, without provisions, and without hopes ; 122 except that strong assurance which, under the most desperate circumstances, the independent mind may derive from the contempt of fortune and of life. The triumph of Eugenius was celebrated by the insolent and dissolute joy of his camp ; whilst the active and vigilant Arbogastes secretly detached a corisiderable body of troops, to occupy the passes of the moun- tains, and to encompass the rear of the Eastern army. The dawn of day discovered to the eyes of Theodosius the ex-[sept.6] tent and the extremity of his danger : but his apprehensions were soon dispelled by a fi'iendly message from the leaders of those troops, who expressed their inclination to desert the standard of the tyrant. The honourable and lucrative rewards, which they stipulated as the price of their perfidy, were granted without hesitation ; and, as ink and paper could not easily be procured, the emperor subscribed, on his own tablets, the ratification of the treaty. The spirit of his soldiers was revived by this seasonable reinforcement ; and they again marched with confidence, to surprise the camp of a tyrant whose pi'incipal officers appeared to distrust either the justice or the success of his ai-ms. In the heat of the battle, a violent tempest,i23 122 Theodoret afifirms that St. John and St. Philip appeared to the waking, or sleeping, emperor, on horseback, &c. This is the first instaiKe of apostolio chivalry, which afterwards became so popular in Spain and in the Crusades. 12-i Te propter, gelidis Aquilo de monte procellis Obruit adversas acies ; revolutaque tela Vertit in auctores, et turbine reppulit hastas. O nimium dilecte Ueo, cui fundit ab antris ^olus armatas hyemes ; cui militat ^ther, Et conjurati veniunt ad classica venti. These famous lines of Claudian (in iii. Cons. Honor. 93, &c. a.d. 396) are alleged by his contemporaries, Augustin and Orosius ; who suppress the Pagan deity of ^olus ; and add some circumstances from the information of eye-witnesses. With- in four months after the victory, it was compared by Ambrose to the miraculous victories of Moses and Joshua,