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since the cities and villages through which they had come were ruined and had no provisions, he set up prizes for a horse race and seated the soldiers as spectators. 6.1.7 Meanwhile, he ordered the captains of the ships to throw overboard the cargo and the army's rations, so that the soldiers, seeing themselves in danger, as I have learned, from the lack of provisions, might turn to boldness and fight more eagerly against the enemy. After dinner, having called together the generals and the tribunes, he embarked the soldiers on the ships. And they, having sailed the Tigris at night, were already at the 6.1.8 far banks and were disembarking. Some of the Persians, who perceived them, defended themselves and urged one another on, but the Romans came upon those who were still sleeping. And when day broke, they engaged in battle, and having lost and killed many, they crossed the river; and at that time they encamped before Ctesiphon. 6.1.9 But since the emperor decided not to advance further, but to return to his own territory, they burned the ships, since many men were non-combatants due to guarding them, and made their return, keeping the river Tigris on their left. With the prisoners leading the way, at first they enjoyed a country 6.1.10 that was fertile and had all provisions. But after this, a certain old man, choosing to die for the freedom of all the Persians, pretending to be captured on purpose, as if taken unwillingly, is brought before the commander; and having been questioned about the route and seeming to speak the truth, he persuaded them that if they followed him, he would lead the army to the borders of the Romans by the quickest 6.1.11 way; but that the journey would be difficult for only three or four days, and that they must carry provisions for these days, as the land was desert. And the emperor, being led on by the words of the wise old 6.1.12 man, decided to proceed this way. But when, advancing further and after the three days, they entered more desolate places, the old man, the prisoner, being tortured confessed that he had willingly courted death for his people and was ready to endure all things eagerly. While the army was distressed by both the length of the journey and the lack of 6.1.13 provisions, the Persian line of battle attacked them who were already worn out. And when a fierce battle was joined, suddenly a violent wind arose and covered the sky and the sun with clouds, and mixed the dust with the air; and while there was darkness and great gloom, a certain horseman, riding past, bears his spear against the emperor and strikes a mortal blow, and having dismounted from his horse, whoever he was, he departed unnoticed. 6.1.14 Some say that this man was a Persian, others a Saracen. But there are those who maintain that a Roman soldier inflicted the wound upon him, being indignant because through his poor judgment and rashness he had involved the army in so many dangers. But Libanius the Syrian sophist, who had been a most intimate acquaintance and friend of his, writes these things about his killer: 6.1.15 “Who then was the killer, someone longs to hear. His name I do not know, but that the killer was not an enemy is a clear sign, that no enemy was honored for the blow. And yet the Persian through heralds called for a reward for the one who killed him, and it was possible for the one who appeared to receive great things. But nevertheless, not even for the love of the rewards did anyone boast. And great indeed is the credit to the enemy, that they did not take the glory for what they did not do, but allowed us to seek the slayer among 6.1.16 ourselves. For those for whom it was not profitable for him to live (and these were those who were not living according to the laws), had long been plotting and then, when they were able, they did the deed, being compelled by their other injustice, which had no power during his reign, and especially by the honoring of the gods, the opposite of which they sought.” 6.2.1 And Libanius, writing in this way, implies that Julian's slayer was a Christian; and perhaps it is true. For it is not unlikely that one of those then serving in the army called to mind how both Greeks and all men even now praise those who in ancient times became tyrannicides, as

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πόλεων καὶ τῶν κωμῶν δι' ὧν ἦλθον κατηρειμμένων καὶ τὰ ἐπιτήδεια μὴ ἐχουσῶν, κέλησιν ἆθλα προθεὶς ἐπὶ θέαν ἱπποδρομίας τοὺς στρατιώτας 6.1.7 ἐκάθισεν. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ τοὺς προεστῶτας τῶν πλοίων ἐκέλευσεν ἀποβαλεῖν τὰ φορτία καὶ τὸ σιτηρέσιον τῆς στρατιᾶς, ὅπως ἐν κινδύνῳ σφᾶς ἰδόντες οἱ στρατιῶται, ὡς ἐπυθόμην, ἀπορίᾳ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων εἰς θράσος τράπωνται καὶ προθυμότερον τοῖς πολεμίοις μαχέσωνται. συγκαλέσας δὲ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς καὶ τοὺς ταξιάρχους μετὰ τὸ δεῖπνον, ἐνεβίβασε τοὺς στρατιώτας εἰς τὰς ναῦς. οἱ δὲ ἐν νυκτὶ τὸν Τίγρητα πλεύσαντες ἤδη πρὸς ταῖς 6.1.8 πέραν ὄχθαις ἦσαν καὶ ἐξέβαινον. τῶν δὲ Περσῶν οἱ μὲν αἰσθόμενοι ἠμύνοντο καὶ ἀλλήλοις παρεκελεύοντο, τοῖς δὲ ἔτι καθεύδουσιν ἐπέστησαν οἱ ῾Ρωμαῖοι. καὶ ἡμέρας ἐπιγενομένης εἰς μάχην καθίσταντο, πολλούς τε ἀποβαλόντες καὶ κτείναντες διέβησαν τὸν ποταμόν· καὶ τότε μὲν πρὸ τῆς Κτησιφῶντος ἐστρατοπεδεύοντο. 6.1. ∆όξαν δὲ τῷ βασιλεῖ μηκέτι περαιτέρω χωρεῖν, ἀλλ' εἰς τὴν ἀρχομένην ἐπανελθεῖν, τὰς ναῦς ἐμπρήσαντες, ὡς διὰ τὴν φυλακὴν τούτων πολλῶν ἀπομάχων ὄντων, τὴν ἐπάνοδον ἐποιοῦντο ἐν ἀριστερᾷ Τίγρητα τὸν ποταμὸν ἔχοντες. ἡγουμένων δὲ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἀπήλαυον χώρας 6.1.10 εὐφόρου καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ἐχούσης. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πρεσβύτης τις ἑλόμενος ἀποθανεῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς πάντων Περσῶν ἐλευθερίας, ἐπίτηδες ἁλῶναι φανείς, ὡς ἄκων συλληφθεὶς ἄγεται παρὰ τὸν ἡγούμενον· ἀνακριθείς τε τὰ περὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ καὶ δόξας ἀληθῆ λέγειν ἔπεισεν, ἢν αὐτῷ ἕπωνται, τὴν τα6.1.11 χίστην τοῖς ῾Ρωμαίων ὅροις ἐπιστήσειν τὴν στρατιάν· μόνον δὲ τριῶν ἢ τεσσάρων ἡμερῶν χαλεπὴν ἔσεσθαι τὴν πορείαν, καὶ χρῆναι τούτων σιτία φέρεσθαι τῆς γῆς ἐρήμου οὔσης. ὑπαχθείς τε ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ σοφοῦ πρεσ6.1.12 βύτου τοῖς λόγοις ἐδοκίμασε ταύτῃ πορευτέον. ἐπεὶ δὲ προσωτέρω χωροῦντες καὶ μετὰ τὰς τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἐρημοτέροις ἐνέβαλον τόποις, ὁ μὲν γέρων ὁ αἰχμάλωτος βασανιζόμενος ὡμολόγησεν ὑπὲρ τῶν οἰκείων αὐτομολῆσαι πρὸς θάνατον καὶ ἕτοιμος εἶναι πάντα προθύμως ὑπομένειν. ᾿Αλυούσης δὲ τῆς στρατιᾶς τῷ τε μήκει τῆς ὁδοῦ καὶ τῇ ἐνδείᾳ τῶν 6.1.13 ἐπιτηδείων ἤδη τεταλαιπωρηκόσι Περσικὴ παράταξις ἐπέθετο. καρτερᾶς δὲ μάχης συστάσης ἐξαπίνης βίαιος ἀνακινηθεὶς ἄνεμος τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὸν ἥλιον τοῖς νέφεσιν ἐκάλυψεν, τῷ δὲ ἀέρι τὴν κόνιν ἀνέμιξε· σκότους δὲ καὶ πολλῆς ἀχλύος οὔσης παραδραμών τις ἱππεὺς φέρει ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα τὸ δόρυ καὶ παίει καιρίαν, καὶ τοῦ ἵππου καταβαλὼν ὅστις ἦν ἀπῆλθε λα6.1.14 θών· λέγουσι δὲ οἱ μὲν Πέρσην, οἱ δὲ Σαρακηνὸν εἶναι τοῦτον. εἰσὶ δὲ οἳ ῾Ρωμαῖον στρατιώτην ἰσχυρίζονται ἐπενηνοχέναι αὐτῷ τὴν πληγήν, ἀγανακτήσαντα καθότι ἀβουλίᾳ καὶ θρασύτητι τοσούτοις περιέβαλε κινδύνοις τὴν στρατιάν. Λιβάνιος δὲ ὁ Σύρος σοφιστής, τὰ μάλιστα συνήθης καὶ φίλος αὐτῷ γεγονώς, τάδε περὶ τοῦ κτείναντος αὐτὸν γράφει· 6.1.15 «Τίς οὖν ὁ κτείνας, ποθεῖ τις ἀκοῦσαι. τοὔνομα μὲν οὐκ οἶδα, τοῦ "7δὲ μὴ πολέμιον εἶναι τὸν κτείναντα σημεῖον ἐναργὲς τὸ μηδένα πολέμιον "7ἐπὶ τῇ πληγῇ τετιμῆσθαι. καίτοι διὰ κηρύκων ὁ Πέρσης ἐπὶ γέρας ἐκάλει "7τὸν ἀπεκτονότα, καὶ μεγάλων ὑπῆρχε τῷ φανέντι τυχεῖν. ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδ' "7ἔρωτι τῶν γερῶν ἠλαζονεύσατο. καὶ πολλή γε τοῖς πολεμίοις ἡ χάρις, "7ὅτι ὧν οὐκ ἔδρασαν οὐ προσέθεντο τὴν δόξαν, ἀλλ' ἔδοσαν ἡμῖν παρ' ἡμῖν 6.1.16 "7αὐτοῖς τὸν σφαγέα ζητεῖν. οἷς γὰρ οὐκ ἐλυσιτέλει ζῶν (οὗτοι δὲ ἦσαν "7οἱ ζῶντες οὐ κατὰ τοὺς νόμους), πάλαι τε ἐπεβούλευον καὶ τότε δυνηθέντες "7εἰργάσαντο, τῆς τε ἄλλης ἀδικίας ἀναγκαζούσης, οὐκ ἐχούσης ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκεί"7νου βασιλείας ἐξουσίαν, καὶ μάλιστά γε τοῦ τιμᾶσθαι τοὺς θεούς, οὗ τοὐ"7ναντίον ἐζήτουν.» 6.2.1 Καὶ ὁ μὲν Λιβάνιος ὧδέ πῃ γράφων Χριστιανὸν γενέσθαι ὑποδηλοῖ ᾿Ιουλιανοῦ τὸν σφαγέα· ἴσως δὲ καὶ ἀληθές. οὐ γὰρ ἀπεικός τινα τῶν τότε στρατευομένων εἰς νοῦν λαβεῖν, ὡς καὶ ῞Ελληνες καὶ πάντες ἄνθρωποι μέχρι νῦν τοὺς πάλαι τυραννοκτόνους γενομένους ἐπαινοῦσιν, ὡς