History of the Wars, Books III and IV (of 8) eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 285 pages of information about History of the Wars, Books III and IV (of 8).

History of the Wars, Books III and IV (of 8) eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 285 pages of information about History of the Wars, Books III and IV (of 8).

As for Stotzas, he succeeded in this tumult in escaping with a few men.  But Germanus, urging on his men, went straight for the enemy’s camp.  There he was encountered by those of the mutineers who had been stationed to guard the stockade.  A stubborn fight took place around its entrance, and the mutineers came within a little of forcing back their opponents, but Germanus sent some of his followers and bade them make trial of the camp at another point.  These men, since no one was defending the camp at this place, got inside the stockade with little trouble.  And the mutineers, upon seeing them, rushed off in flight, and Germanus with all the rest of the army dashed into the enemy’s camp.  There the soldiers, finding it easy to plunder the goods of the camp, neither took any account of the enemy nor paid any further heed to the exhortations of their general, since booty was at hand.  For this reason Germanus, fearing lest the enemy should get together and come upon them, himself with some few men took his stand at the entrance of the stockade, uttering many laments and urging his unheeding men to return to good order.  And many of the Moors, when the rout had taken place in this way, were now pursuing the mutineers, and, arraying themselves with the emperor’s troops, were plundering the camp of the vanquished.  But Stotzas, at first having confidence in the Moorish army, rode to them in order to renew the battle.  But perceiving what was being done, he fled with a hundred men, and succeeded with difficulty in making his escape.  And once more many gathered about him and attempted to engage with the enemy, but being repulsed no less decisively than before, if not even more so, they all came over to Germanus.  And Stotzas alone with some few Vandals withdrew to Mauretania, and taking to wife the daughter of one of the rulers, remained there.  And this was the conclusion of that mutiny.

XVIII

Now there was among the body-guards of Theodorus, the Cappadocian, a certain Maximinus, an exceedingly base man.  This Maximinus had first got a very large number of the soldiers to join with him in a conspiracy against the government, and was now purposing to attempt a tyranny.  And being eager to associate with himself still more men, he explained the project to others and especially to Asclepiades, a native of Palestine, who was a man of good birth and the first of the personal friends of Theodorus.  Now Asclepiades, after conversing with Theodorus, straightway reported the whole matter to Germanus.  And he, not wishing as yet, while affairs were still unsettled, to begin any other disturbance, decided to get the best of the man by cajoling and flattering him rather than by punishment, and to bind him by oaths to loyalty toward the government.  Accordingly, since it was an old custom among all Romans that no one should become a body-guard of one of the commanders, unless he had previously taken the most dread oaths and given

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History of the Wars, Books III and IV (of 8) from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.