XIX. CHAP. diers, in this memorable battle of Strasburgh, fo glorious to the Cæfar 76, and fo falutary to the afflicted provinces of Gaul. Six thoufand of the Alemanni were flain in the field, without including those who were drowned in the Rhine, or transfixed with darts whilst they attempted to fwim across the river 77. Chnodomar himself was furrounded and taken prifoner, with three of his brave companions, who have devoted themselves to follow in life or death the fate of their chieftain. Julian received him with military pomp in the council of his officers; and expreffing a generous pity for the fallen ftate, diffembled his inward contempt for the abject humiliation of his captive. Instead of exhibiting the vanquished king of the Alemanni, as a grateful spectacle to the cities of Gaul, he refpectfully laid at the feet of the emperor this fplendid trophy of his victory. Chnodomar experienced an honourable treatment. but the impatient Barbarian could not long 76 Julian himself (ad S. P. Q. Athen. p. 279.) fpeaks of the battle of Strafburgh with the modefty of confcious merit; quaxe σαμην 8κ ακλεως, ισως και εις υμας αφίκετο η τοιαυτη μάχη. Zolimus compares it with the victory of Alexander over Darius, and yet we are at a lofs to difcover any of thofe ftrokes of military genius which fix the attention of ages on the conduct and fuccefs of a fingle day. 77 Ammianus, xvi. 12. Libanius adds 2000 more to the number of the flain (Orat. x. p. 274.). But thefe trifling differences difappear before the 60,000 Barbarians, whom Zofimus has facrificed to the glory of his hero (1. ii. p. 141.) We might attribute this extravagant number to the careleffnefs of tranfcribers, if this credulous or partial hiftorian had not fwelled the army of 5,000 Alemanni to an innumerable multitude of Barbarians, πληθος απειρον βαρβάρων. It is our own fault if this detection does not infpire us with proper diftruft on fimilar occafions. furvive his defeat, his confinement, and his CHAP. exile 78 XIX. Julian fub Franks, After Julian had repulfed the Alemanni from the provinces of the Upper Rhine, he turned his dues the arms against the Franks, who were feated nearer A.D. 358. to the ocean on the confines of Gaul and Germany; and who, from their numbers, and ftill more from their intrepid valour, had ever been esteemed the moft formidable of the Barbarians 29. Although they were ftrongly actuated by the allurements of rapine, they profeffed a difinterested love of war; which they confidered as the fupreme honour and felicity of human nature; and their minds and bodies were fo completely hardened by perpetual action, that, according to the lively expreffion of an orator, the fnows of winter were as pleasant to them as the flowers of fpring. In the month of December, which followed the battle of Strafburg, Julian attacked a body of fix hundred Franks, who had thrown themselves into two castles on the Meufe 9°. In the midst of that severe feason they fuftained, with inflexible conftancy, a fiege of fifty-four days; till at length, exhausted by hunger, and fatisfied that the vigilance of the enemy in breaking the ice of the river, left them no hopes of efcape, the 78 Ammian. xvi. iz. Libanius, Orat. x. p. 275. 80 79 Libanius (Orat. iii. p. 137.) draws a very lively picture of the 80 Ammianus, xvii. 2. Libanius, Orat. x. p. 278. The Greek 2 Franks CHAP. Franks confented, for the firft time, to difpenfe ΧΙΧ. with the ancient law which commanded them to L conquer or to die. The Cæfar immediately fent his captives to the court of Conftantius, who accepting them as a valuable prefent 1, rejoiced in the opportunity of adding fo many heroes to the choiceft troops of his domeftic guards. The obftinate refiftance of this handful of Franks, apprifed Julian of the difficulties of the expedition which he meditated for the enfuing fpring, against the whole body of the nation. His rapid dili gence furprised and aftonifhed the active Barbarians. Ordering his foldiers to provide themfelves with bifcuit for twenty days, he fuddenly pitched his camp near Tongres, while the enemy ftill fuppofed him in his winter quarters of Paris, expecting the flow arrival of his convoys from Aquitain. Without allowing the Franks to unite or to deliberate, he fkilfully fpread his legions from Cologne to the ocean; and by the terror, as well as by the fuccefs of his arms, foon reduced the fuppliant tribes to implore the clemency, and to obey the commands, of their conqueror. The Chamavians fubmiflively retired to their former habitations beyond the Rhine: but the Salians were permitted to poffefs their new establishment of Toxandria, as the fubjects and 81 Julian. ad S. P. Q. Athen. p. 280. Libanius, Orat. x. p. 278. According to the expreffion of Libanius, the emperor duga wroμage, which la Bleterie understands (Vie de Julien, p. 118.) as an honest confeffion, and Valefius (ad Ammian. xvii. 2.) as a mean evafion of the truth. Dom. Bouquet (Hiftoriens de France, tom. i. p. 733.) by fubftituting another word, svoμoe, would fupprefs both the diffi. culty and the fpirit of this paffage. 2 was ratified by folemn oaths; and perpetual in- XIX. refide among the An incident is re spectors were appointed to ઃઃ 82 Ammian. xvii. 8. Zofimus, 1. iii. p. 146- CHAP. XIX. Makes three expeditions Rhine, A.D. 357, "faith which you have fworn, the arms of the. "republic will avenge the perfidy, not on the "innocent, but on the guilty." The Barbarians. withdrew from his prefence, impreffed with the warmeft fentiments of gratitude and admiration 83. It was not enough for Julian to have delivered the provinces of Gaul from the Barbarians of beyond the Germany. He afpired to emulate the glory of the first and moft illuftrious of the emperors; after 358, 359. whofe example he compofed his own commentaries of the Gallic war 84. Cæfar has related, with confcious pride, the manner in which he twice paffed the Rhine. Julian could boaft, that before he affumed the title of Auguftus, he had carried the Roman Eagles beyond that great river in three fuccefsful expeditions 5. The confterna tion of the Germans, after the battle of Strafburg, encouraged him to the first attempt; and the reluctance of the troops foon yielded to the perfuafive eloquence of a leader, who fhared the fatigues and dangers which he impofed on the meaneft of the foldiers. The villages on either 83 This interefting ftory, which Zofimus has abridged, is related by Eunapius (in Excerpt. Legationum, p. 15, 16, 17.) with all the amplifications of Grecian rhetoric but the filence of Libanius, of Ammianus, and of Julian himfelf, renders the truth of it extremely fufpicious. 84 Libanius, the friend of Julian, clearly infinuates (Orat. iv. p. 178.) that his hero had compofed the hiftory of his Gallic campaigns. But Zofimus, (1. iii. p. 140.) feems to have derived his information only from the Orations (2oyos) and the Epiftles of Julian. The difcourfe which is addreffed to the Athenians contains an accurate, though general, account of the war against the Germans. 85 See Ammian. xvii. 1. 10. xviii. 2. and Zofim. 1. iii. p. 1440 Julian. ad S. P. Q. Athen. p. 280. |