Surviving Works

AMMIANI MARCELLINI XIV, 2.

9. Hastening rapidly, therefore, so that their speed would outpace rumors of their movements, and relying on the vigor and lightness of their bodies, they climbed the winding paths toward the hilltops with some difficulty. And when they had overcome the arduous obstacles and reached the banks of the high and swirling Melas River, which flows around as a wall to protect the inhabitants, they rested briefly while the deepening night increased their terror, awaiting the light. They thought that if they crossed without hindrance, they could devastate everything in their path with a surprise attack. But they labored in vain. 10. For at sunrise, they were kept from crossing by the width of the deep, narrow channel. And while they looked for fishing boats or prepared to swim across on rafts made of tied-together materials, the legions that were wintering at the time near Side rushed to meet them with swift force. Positioning their standards near the bank, the soldiers prepared to engage at close quarters, protecting themselves most skillfully with a dense wall of shields. Those who dared to swim across or attempt to cross the river secretly in hollowed-out tree trunks were easily slaughtered. 11. From there, having tried every artifice to no avail in their ultimate danger, and being driven off by fear and force, they came near the town of Laranda, uncertain where to head. 12. There, refreshed by food and rest, once their fear had passed, they attacked wealthy villages. But with the aid of equestrian cohorts that happened to be nearby, and since they did not try to resist on the open plain, they departed. Retreating, they summoned all the strength of their youth left behind in their settlements. 13. And since they were afflicted by severe hunger, they headed for a place called Paleas, which faces the sea and is strengthened by a sturdy wall; this is where supplies are stored, which are accustomed to be distributed to the soldiers defending the whole side of Isauria. Therefore, they surrounded this fortification for three days and