countries on our eastern
frontier, who had all conspired for the overthrow of the Roman state.

4. The people of Lintz greedily swallowed this intelligence, looking on
it as if it concerned themselves also as neighbours, being so rapid and
active in their movements; and so they assembled, in predatory bands,
and when the Rhine was sufficiently frozen over to be passable, in the
month of February.... The Celtae, with the Petulantes legion, repulsed
them, but not without considerable loss.

5. These Germans, though thus compelled to retreat, being aware that the
greater part of our army had been despatched into Illyricum, where the
emperor was about to follow to assume the command, became more bold than
ever, and conceived the idea of greater enterprises. Having collected
the inhabitants of all the adjacent countries into one body, and with
40,000 armed men, or 70,000, as some, who seek to enhance the renown of
the emperor, have boasted, they with great arrogance and confidence
burst into our territories.

6. Gratian, when he heard of this event, was greatly alarmed, and
recalling the cohorts which he had sent on before into Pannonia, and
collecting others whom he had prudently retained in Gaul, he committed
the affair to the conduct of Nannienus, a leader of great prudence and
skill, joining with him as his colleague with equal power, Mellobaudes,
the count-commander of the domestics and king of the Franks, a man of
great courage and renown in war.[195]

7. Nannienus took into his consideration the variable chances of
fortune, and therefore voted for acting slowly and with caution, while
Mellobaudes, hurried away by a fierce desire for fighting, according to
his usual custom, was eager at once to march against the enemy; and
would not brook delay.

8. Presently a horrid shout was raised by the enemy, and the trumpeters
on our side also gave the signal for battle, upon which a fierce
engagement began near Colmar. On both sides numbers fell beneath the
blows of arrows and hurled javelins.

9. But while the battle was raging, the multitude of the enemy appeared
so countless, that our soldiers, avoiding a conflict with them on the
open field, dispersed as best they could among the different narrow
paths overgrown with trees; but they afterwards stood their ground
firmly, and by the boldness of their carriage and the dazzling splendour
of their arms, when seen from a distance, made the barbarians fear that
the emperor