ven the sound
of arms.

14. While the works of the camp were steadily rising, and while a
portion of the army was being distributed among the stations in the
country districts, Julian occupied himself in other quarters with
collecting supplies, operating with great caution, from the fear of
ambuscades. And in the mean time, a vast host of the barbarians,
outstripping all report of their approach by the celerity of their
movements, came down with a sudden attack upon Barbatio, and the army
which (as I have already mentioned) he had under his command, separated
from the Gallic army of Severus only by a rampart; and having put him to
flight, pursued him as far as Augst, and beyond that town too, as far as
they could; and, having made booty of the greater part of his baggage
and beasts of burden, and having carried off many of the sutlers as
prisoners, they returned to their main army.

15. And Barbatio, as if he had brought his expectations to a prosperous
issue, now distributed his soldiers into winter quarters, and returned
to the emperor's court, to forge new accusations against the Caesar,
according to his custom.

XII.

Sec. 1. When this disgraceful disaster had become known, Chnodomarius and
Vestralpus, the kings of the Allemanni, and Urius and Ursicinus, with
Serapion, and Suomarius, and Hortarius, having collected all their
forces into one body, encamped near the city of Strasburg, thinking that
the Caesar, from fear of imminent danger, had retreated at the very time
that he was wholly occupied with completing a fortress to enable him to
make a permanent stand.

2. Their confidence and assurance of success was increased by one of the
Scutarii who deserted to them, who fearing punishment for some offence
which he had committed, crossed over to them after the departure of
Barbatio, and assured them that Julian had now only 13,000 men remaining
with him. For that was the number of troops that he had now with him,
while the ferocious barbarians were stirring up attacks upon him from
all sides.

3. And as he constantly adhered to the same story, they were excited to
more haughty attempts by the confidence with which he inspired them, and
sent ambassadors in an imperious tone to Caesar, demanding that he should
retire from the territory which they had acquired by their own valour in
arms. But he, a stranger to fear, and not liable to be swayed either by
anger or by disappointment, despised the arrogance of the