Trajan and Profuturus.

4. At that time, throughout the whole countries of Scythia and Moesia,
everything which could be eaten had been consumed; and so, urged equally
by their natural ferocity and by hunger, the barbarians made desperate
efforts to force their way out of the position in which they were
enclosed but though they made frequent attempts, they were constantly
overwhelmed by the vigour of our men, who made an effectual resistance
by the aid of the rugged ground which they occupied; and at last, being
reduced to the extremity of distress, they allured some of the Huns and
Alani to their alliance by the hope of extensive plunder.

5. When this was known, Saturninus (for by this time he had arrived and
was busy in arranging the outposts and military stations in the country)
gradually collected his men, and was preparing to retreat, in pursuance
of a sufficiently well-devised plan, lest the multitude of barbarians by
some sudden movement (like a river which had burst its barriers by the
violence of a flood) should easily overthrow his whole force, which had
now been for some time watching the place from which danger was
suspected.

6. The moment that, by the seasonable retreat of our men, the passage of
these defiles was opened, the barbarians, in no regular order, but
wherever each individual could find a passage, rushed forth without
hindrance to spread confusion among us; and raging with a desire for
devastation and plunder, spread themselves with impunity over the whole
region of Thrace, from the districts watered by the Danube, to Mount
Rhodope and the strait which separates the AEgean from the Black Sea,
spreading ravage, slaughter, bloodshed, and conflagration, and throwing
everything into the foulest disorder by all sorts of acts of violence
committed even on the free-born.

7. Then one might see, with grief, actions equally horrible to behold
and to speak of: women panic-stricken, beaten with cracking scourges;
some even in pregnancy, whose very offspring, before they were born, had
to endure countless horrors: here were seen children twining round their
mothers; there one might hear the lamentations of noble youths and
maidens all seized and doomed to captivity.

8. Again, grown-up virgins and chaste matrons were dragged along with
countenances disfigured by bitter weeping, wishing to avoid the
violation of their modesty by any death however agonizing. Here some
wealthy nobleman was dragged along