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These men, they are not content to live remaining by themselves, but they dared to set foot on the territory ruled by him and they imagine waging war outright against the Romans. 6.36.4 As he was growing very angry and shouting such things, because his internal organs were torn by immoderate tension, both a vein and an artery burst, and as blood was brought up, he ended his life in a certain fortress of Gaul, being about fifty-four years of age, and having spent thirteen 6.36.5 years in the reign very well and most illustriously. On the sixth day after his death, his younger son and namesake was proclaimed emperor by the soldiers. Not long after, both Valens and his brother Gratian ratified his election, even though at first they were angry because the soldiers, before they gave permission, had invested him with the symbols of office. 6.36.6 Meanwhile Valens, residing in Antioch of Syria, was becoming even more hateful toward those who held different opinions from him concerning the divine, and he harshly oppressed and persecuted them, until Themistius the philosopher addressed a speech to him and advised him that he should not be surprised at the disagreement of ecclesiastical dogmas, as it was more moderate and less than that among the Greeks; 6.36.7 for their opinions were much more numerous, and in such a multitude of doctrines, the difference concerning them necessarily creates more contentions and discussions; since perhaps it is also dear to God not to be known easily and to be glorified in different ways, so that each one might be more fearful, since accurate knowledge of him is incomprehensible, considering in his mind, as far as he thinks he can reach, how great and of what sort he is. 6.37.1 From such words of Themistius the emperor was somehow more humanely disposed and did not inflict punishments as harshly as before. However, he did not completely abstain from his anger against the clergy, had not the cares of public affairs 6.37.2 which arose no longer permitted him to be zealous about such things. For the Goths, who previously lived beyond the Ister river and ruled over the other barbarians, having been driven out by those called Huns, crossed over into the 6.37.3 Roman territories. This nation, as they say, was unknown before to the Thracians along the Ister and to the Goths themselves, and they lived near each other unnoticed, because, with a very large lake lying in between, each people thought that their own inhabited world was the end of the dry land, and after that was the sea and boundless water. But it happened that an ox maddened by a gadfly ran across the lake and a herdsman followed, and when he saw the land on the other side, he reported it 6.37.4 to his countrymen. Others say that a stag, fleeing from some Hun hunters, showed them this way, which was superficially covered by water; and that they at that time returned, marveling that the country had a more moderate climate and was suitable for agriculture, and they reported to the ruler of the nation what 6.37.5 they had seen. At first, a few made an attempt against the Goths, but after this, they marched with all their forces, and prevailed in battle, and seized all their land. Those who were pursued crossed the river, and having crossed into Roman territory, sent ambassadors to the emperor, promising that they would be allies for the future, and asking him to allow 6.37.6 them to dwell where he wished. Ulfilas, the bishop of the nation, led this embassy; and since it proceeded according to their wish, they were permitted to settle throughout Thrace. Not long after, they fell into sedition among themselves and were divided in two. Athanaric led one part, and Fritigern the other; and when they warred against each other, Fritigern, having fared badly in the battle, 6.37.7 asked the Romans to help him. The emperor permitted the soldiers in Thrace to be his allies, and engaging again, he was victorious and put Athanaric and his followers to flight. And as if repaying a favor to Valens and proving himself a friend in all things, he shared in his religion and those who followed him

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οὗτοι, οὐκ ἀγαπῶσιν ἐφ' ἑαυτῶν μένοντες ζῆν, ἀλλ' ἐπιβῆναι τῆς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἀρχομένης ἐθάρρησαν καὶ πολεμεῖν ὅλως πρὸς ῾Ρωμαίους 6.36.4 φαντάζονται. ἐπὶ πολὺ δὲ χαλεπαίνοντος καὶ τοιάδε βοῶντος, ὑπὸ ἀμέτρου διατάσεως σπαραχθέντων αὐτῷ τῶν ἔνδον, φλὲψ ἅμα καὶ ἀρτηρία ἐρράγη, καὶ ἀναδοθέντος αἵματος ἐν φρουρίῳ τινὶ τῆς Γαλλίας ἐτελεύτησε τὸν βίον, ἔτη μὲν ἀμφὶ τὰ πεντήκοντα τέσσαρα γεγονώς, τρισκαίδεκα 6.36.5 δὲ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ εὖ μάλα καὶ λίαν ἐπισήμως διαγενόμενος. ἕκτῃ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς αὐτοῦ τελευτῆς ἀναγορεύεται βασιλεὺς ὑπὸ τῶν στρατιωτῶν ὁ νεώτερος καὶ ὁμώνυμος αὐτοῦ παῖς. οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δὲ ἐπεψηφίσαντο τῇ αὐτοῦ χειροτονίᾳ Οὐάλης τε καὶ Γρατιανὸς ὁ αὐτοῦ ἀδελφός, εἰ καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐχαλέπαινον ὡς τῶν στρατιωτῶν, πρὶν αὐτοὺς ἐπιτρέψαι, τὰ σύμβολα τῆς ἀρχῆς αὐτῷ περιθέντων. 6.36.6 ᾿Εν τούτῳ δὲ Οὐάλης ἐν ᾿Αντιοχείᾳ τῆς Συρίας διάγων ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐπεδίδου τοῖς ἑτέρως αὐτῷ περὶ τὸ θεῖον δοξάζουσιν ἀπεχθανόμενος, καὶ χαλεπῶς τούτους ἐπέτριβε καὶ ἤλαυνεν, εἰσότε δὴ λόγον αὐτῷ προσφωνῶν Θεμίστιος ὁ φιλόσοφος παρῄνει μὴ χρῆναι θαυμάζειν τὴν διαφωνίαν τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν δογμάτων, μετριωτέραν καὶ μείω τῶν παρ' ῞Ελλησιν οὖσαν· 6.36.7 πολυπλασίους γὰρ εἶναι τὰς παρ' αὐτοῖς δόξας, καὶ ὡς ἐν πλήθει δογμάτων ἀνάγκῃ τὴν περὶ ταῦτα διαφορὰν πλείους ἔριδας καὶ διαλέξεις ποιεῖν· ἐπεὶ καὶ τῷ θεῷ ἴσως φίλον μὴ ῥᾳδίως γινώσκεσθαι καὶ διαφόρως δοξάζεσθαι, ὅπως ἕκαστος μᾶλλον φοβοῖτο ἀκαταλήπτου οὔσης τῆς ἀκριβοῦς αὐτοῦ γνώσεως, ἀναλογιζόμενος τῷ νῷ, ὅσον ἐφικέσθαι νομίζει, πηλίκος τε καὶ οἷός ἐστιν. 6.37.1 ᾿Εκ δὴ τοιούτων Θεμιστίου λόγων φιλανθρωπότερόν πως διατεθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς οὐ χαλεπῶς οὕτως ὡς πρότερον τὰς τιμωρίας ἐπῆγεν. οὐ μὴν τελείως ἐφείδετο τῆς κατὰ τῶν ἱερωμένων ὀργῆς, εἰ μὴ κοινῶν πραγμάτων 6.37.2 ἐπιγενόμεναι φροντίδες οὐκέτι τοιάδε συνεχώρουν σπουδάζειν. Γότθοι γάρ, οἳ δὴ πέραν τοῦ ῎Ιστρου ποταμοῦ τὸ πρὶν ᾤκουν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων βαρβάρων ἐκράτουν, ἐξελαθέντες παρὰ τῶν καλουμένων Οὔννων εἰς τοὺς 6.37.3 ῾Ρωμαίων ὅρους ἐπεραιώθησαν. τοῦτο δὲ τὸ ἔθνος, ὥς φασιν, ἄγνωστον ἦν πρὸ τοῦ Θρᾳξὶ τοῖς παρὰ τὸν ῎Ιστρον καὶ Γότθοις αὐτοῖς, ἐλάνθανον δὲ προσοικοῦντες ἀλλήλοις, καθότι λίμνης μεγίστης ἐν μέσῳ κειμένης ἕκαστοι τέλος εἶναι ξηρᾶς ᾤοντο τὴν κατ' αὐτοὺς οἰκουμένην, μετὰ τοῦτο δὲ θάλασσαν καὶ ὕδωρ ἀπέραντον. συμβὰν δὲ βοῦν οἰστροπλῆγα διαδραμεῖν τὴν λίμνην ἐπηκολούθησε βουκόλος, καὶ τὴν ἀντιπέραν γῆν θεασάμενος ἤγγειλε 6.37.4 τοῖς ὁμοφύλοις. ἄλλοι δὲ λέγουσιν ὡς ἔλαφος διαφυγοῦσά τισι τῶν Οὔννων θηρῶσιν ἐπέδειξε τήνδε τὴν ὁδόν, ἐξ ἐπιπολῆς καλυπτομένην τοῖς ὕδασι· τοὺς δὲ τότε μὲν ὑποστρέψαι θαυμάσαντας τὴν χώραν ἀέρι μετριωτέρῳ καὶ γεωργίᾳ ἥμερον οὖσαν καὶ τῷ κρατοῦντι τοῦ ἔθνους ἀγγεῖλαι ἃ 6.37.5 ἐθεάσαντο. δι' ὀλίγων δὲ τὰ πρῶτα καταστῆναι εἰς πεῖραν τοῖς Γότθοις, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πασσυδὶ ἐπιστρατεῦσαι καὶ μάχῃ κρατῆσαι καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν αὐτῶν γῆν κατασχεῖν. τοὺς δὲ διωκομένους τὸν ποταμὸν περαιωθῆναι, καὶ εἰς τοὺς ῾Ρωμαίων ὅρους διαβάντας πρέσβεις πέμψαι πρὸς βασιλέα, συμμάχους ἔσεσθαι τοῦ λοιποῦ σφᾶς ὑπισχνουμένους καὶ δεομένους συγχωρεῖν 6.37.6 αὐτοῖς ᾗ βούλεται κατοικεῖν. ταύτης δὲ τῆς πρεσβείας ἄρξαι Οὐλφίλαν τὸν τοῦ ἔθνους ἐπίσκοπον· κατὰ γνώμην δὲ αὐτοῖς προχωρησάσης ἐπιτραπῆναι ἀνὰ τὴν Θρᾴκην οἰκεῖν. οὐ πολλῷ δὲ ὕστερον πρὸς σφᾶς αὐτοὺς στασιάσαντας διχῇ διαιρεθῆναι. ἡγεῖτο δὲ τῶν μὲν ᾿Αθανάριχος, τῶν δὲ Φριτιγέρνης· ἐπεὶ δὲ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐπολέμησαν, κακῶς πράξας ἐν τῇ μάχῃ 6.37.7 Φριτιγέρνης ἐδεῖτο ῾Ρωμαίων βοηθεῖν αὐτῷ. τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως ἐπιτρέψαντος συμμαχεῖν αὐτῷ τοὺς ἐν Θρᾴκῃ στρατιώτας αὖθις συμβαλὼν ἐνίκησε καὶ τοὺς ἀμφὶ ᾿Αθανάριχον εἰς φυγὴν ἔτρεψεν. ὥσπερ δὲ χάριν ἀποδιδοὺς Οὐάλεντι καὶ διὰ πάντων φίλος εἶναι πιστούμενος ἐκοινώνησε τῆς αὐτοῦ θρησκείας καὶ τοὺς πειθομένους αὐτῷ