He set forth towards the end of autumn; and when he reached the
suburb called Hippocephalus, which is about three miles from the town,
as soon as it was daylight he saw on his right the corpse of a man who
had been murdered, lying with his head torn off from the body, stretched
out towards the west--and though alarmed at the omen, which seemed as if
the Fates were preparing his end, he went on more resolutely, and came
to Tarsus, where he caught a slight fever; and thinking that the motion
of his journey would remove the distemper, he went on by bad roads;
directing his course by Mopsucrenae, the farthest station in Cilicia for
those who travel from hence, at the foot of Mount Taurus.
3. But when he attempted to proceed the next day he was prevented by the
increasing violence of his disorder, and the fever began gradually to
inflame his veins, so that his body felt like a little fire, and could
scarcely be touched; and as all remedies failed, he began in the last
extremity to bewail his death; and while his mental faculties were still
entire, he is said to have indicated Julian as the successor to his
power. Presently the last struggle of death came on, and he lost the
power of speech. And after long and painful agony he died on the fifth
of October, having lived and reigned forty years and a few months.
4. After bewailing his death with groans, lamentations, and mourning,
those of the highest rank in the royal palace deliberated what to do or
to attempt; and having secretly consulted a few persons about the
election of an emperor, at the instigation, as it is said, of Eusebius,
who was stimulated by his consciousness of guilt (since Julian was
approaching who was prepared to oppose his attempts at innovation), they
sent Theolaiphus and Aligildus, who at that time were counts, to him, to
announce the death of his kinsman; and to entreat him to lay aside all
delay and hasten to take possession of the East, which was prepared to
obey him.
5. But fame and an uncertain report whispered that Constantius had left
a will, in which, as we have already mentioned, he had named Julian as
his heir; and had given commissions and legacies to his friends. But he
left his wife in the family way, who subsequently had a daughter, who
received the same name, and was afterwards married to Gratianus.
XVI.
Sec. 1. In accurately distinguishing the virtues and vices of Constantius,
it will be well to take the virtues first. Always
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