Chap. XLV.

Constantine having settled all things at Rome, went to Milan about the beginning of winter. Thither also Licinius came to receive his wife Constantia. When Daia understood that they were busied in solemnizing the nuptials, he moved out of Syria in the depth of a severe winter, and by forced marches he came into Bithynia with an army much impaired; for he lost all his beasts of burden, of whatever kind, in consequence of excessive rains and snow, miry ways, cold and fatigue. Their carcases, scattered about the roads, seemed an emblem of the calamities of the impending war, and the presage of a like destruction that awaited the soldiers. Daia did not halt in his own territories; but immediately crossed the Thracian Bosphorus, and in a hostile manner approached the gates of Byzantium. There was a garrison in the city, established by Licinius to check any invasion that Daia might make. At first Daia attempted to entice the soldiers by the promise of donatives, and then to intimidate them by assault and storm. Yet neither promises nor force availed aught. After eleven days had elapsed, within which time Licinius might have learned the state of the garrison, the soldiers surrendered, not through treachery, but because they were too weak to make a longer resistance. Then Daia moved on to Heraclea (otherwise called Perinthus), and by delays of the like nature before that place lost some days. And now Licinius by expeditious marches had reached Adrianople, but with forces not numerous. Then Daia, having taken Perinthus by capitulation, and remained there for a short space, moved forwards eighteen miles to the first station. Here his progress was stopped; for Licinius had already occupied the second station, at the distance also of eighteen miles. Licinius, having assembled what forces he could from the neighbouring quarters, advanced towards Daia rather indeed to retard his operations than with any purpose of fighting, or hope of victory: for Daia had an army of seventy thousand men, while he himself had scarce thirty thousand; for his soldiers being dispersed in various regions, there was not time, on that sudden emergency, to collect all of them together.  

XLV. Constantinus, rebus in Urbe compositis, hyeme proxima Mediolanum contendit. Eodem Licinius advenit, ut acciperet uxorem. Maximinus ubi eos intellexit 0262B nuptiarum solemnibus occupatos, exercitum movit e Syria, hyeme quam cum maxime saeviente, et mansionibus geminatis, in Bithyniam concurrit, debilitato agmine. Nam maximis imbribus, et nivibus, et luto, et frigore, et labore jumenta omnis generis amissa sunt, quorum miserabilis per viam strages speciem jam futuri belli, et similem cladem militibus nuntiabat. Nec ipse intra fines suos moratus 0263A est: sed transjecto protinus freto, ad Byzantii portas accessit armatus. Erant ibi milites praesidiarii, ad hujusmodi casus a Licinio conlocati. Hos primum muneribus et promissis illicere tentavit: postea vi et oppugnatione terrere; nec tamen quidquam vis aut promissa valuerunt.

Jam consumpti erant dies undecim, per quos fuit spatium nuntios litterasque mittendi ad Imperatorem, cum milites non fide, sed paucitate diffisi, seipsos dederunt. Hinc promovit Heracleam; et illic eadem ratione detentus, aliquot dierum tempus amisit. Et jam Licinius, festinato itinere, cum paucis Adrianopolim venerat, cum ille, accepta in deditione Perintho, aliquanto moratus, processit ad mansionem millia decem et octo. Nec enim poterat ulterius, Licinio jam 0263B secundam mansionem tenente distantem millibus totidem; qui, collectis ex proximo quantis potuit militibus, pergebat obviam Maximino, magis ut eum moraretur, quam proposito dimicandi, aut spe victoriae. Quippe cum ille septuaginta millium armatorum exercitum duceret, ipse vix triginta millium numerum collegisset. Sparsi enim milites per diversas regiones fuerant, et adunari omnes angustiae temporis non sinebant.