because he was the only one who
escaped.

10. Meanwhile the wicked fury of bands of robbers raged through Gaul to
the injury of many persons; since they occupied the most frequented
roads, and without any hesitation seized upon everything valuable which
came in their way. Besides many other persons who were the victims of
these treacherous attacks, Constantianus, the tribune of the stable, was
attacked by a secret ambuscade and slain; he was a relation of
Valentinian, and the brother of Cerealis and Justina.

11. In other countries, as if the Furies were stirring up similar evils
to afflict us on every side, the Maratocupreni, those most cruel
banditti, spread their ravages in every direction. They were the natives
of a town of the same name in Syria, near Apamea; very numerous,
marvellously skilful in every kind of deceit, and an object of universal
fear, because, under the character of merchants or soldiers of high
rank, they spread themselves quietly over the country, and then pillaged
all the wealthy houses, villages, and towns which came in their way.

12. Nor could any one guard against their unexpected attacks; since they
fell not upon any previously selected victim, but in places in various
parts, and at great distances, and carried their devastations wherever
the wind led them. For which reason the Saxons were feared beyond all
other enemies, because of the suddenness of their attacks. They then,
in bands of sworn comrades, destroyed the riches of many persons; and
being under the impulse of absolute fury, they committed the most
mournful slaughters, being not less greedy of blood than of booty.
Nevertheless, that I may not, by entering into too minute details,
impede the progress of my history, it will be sufficient to relate one
destructive device of theirs.

13. A body of these wicked men assembled in one place, pretending to be
the retinue of a receiver of the revenue, or of the governor of the
province. In the darkness of the evening they entered the city, while
the crier made a mournful proclamation, and attacked with swords the
house of one of the nobles, as if he had been proscribed and sentenced
to death. They seized all his valuable furniture, because his servants,
being utterly bewildered by the suddenness of the danger, did not defend
the house; they slew several of them, and then before the return of
daylight withdrew with great speed.

14. But being loaded with a great quantity of plunder, s