be plain that such melancholy events have
often happened, of which I will bring to mind several instances.

12. The Teutones and the Cimbri came suddenly from the remote shores of
the ocean, and overran Italy; but, after having inflicted enormous
disasters on the Roman republic, they were at last overcome by our
illustrious generals, and being wholly vanquished, learnt by their
ultimate destruction what martial valour, combined with skill, can
effect.

13. Again, in the reign of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the insane fury
of a number of different nations combined together, after fearful wars
... would have left but a small part of them.

14. But, soon after these calamitous losses, the state was
re-established in all its former strength and prosperity; because the
soberness of our ancestry had not yet become infected with the luxury
and softness of a more effeminate way of life, and had not learnt to
indulge in splendid banquets, or the criminal acquisition of riches. But
both the highest classes and the lowest living in harmony, and imbued
with one unanimous spirit, eagerly embraced a glorious death in the
cause of the republic as a tranquil and quiet haven.

15. The great multitudes of the Scythian nations, having burst through
the Bosphorus, and made their way to the shores of the Sea of Azov with
2000 ships, inflicted fearful losses on us by land and sea; but also
lost a great portion of their own men, and so at last returned to their
own country.

16. Those great generals, the Decii, father and son, fell fighting
against the barbarians. The cities of Pamphylia were besieged, many
islands were laid waste; Macedon was ravaged with fire and sword. An
enormous host for a long time blockaded Thessalonica and Cyzicus. Arabia
also was taken; and so at the same time was Nicopolis, which had been
built by the Emperor Trajan as a monument of his victory over the
Dacians.

17. After many fearful losses had been both sustained and inflicted
Philippopolis was destroyed, and, unless our annals speak falsely,
100,000 men were slaughtered within its walls. Foreign enemies roved
unrestrained over Epirus, and Thessaly, and the whole of Greece; but
after that glorious general Claudius had been taken as a colleague in
the empire (though again lost to us by an honourable death), the enemy
was routed by Aurelian, an untiring leader, and a severe avenger of
injuries; and after that they remained quiet for a long time without
at