ried out as he arranged, he was alarmed by
an omen which, as the result showed, indicated an event immediately at
hand. Felix, the principal treasurer, having died suddenly of a
hemorrhage, and Count Julian having followed him, the populace, looking
on their public titles, hailed Julian as Felix and Augustus.

6. Another bad omen had preceded this, for, on the very first day of the
year, as the emperor was mounting the steps of the temple of the Genius,
one of the priests, the eldest of all, fell without any one striking him
and suddenly expired; an event which the bystanders, either out of
ignorance or a desire to flatter, affirmed was an omen affecting
Sallustius, as the elder consul; but it was soon seen that the death it
portended was not to the elder man, but to the higher authority.

7. Besides these several other lesser signs from time to time indicated
what was about to happen; for, at the very beginning of the arrangements
for the Parthian campaign, news came that there had been an earthquake
at Constantinople, which those skilful in divination declared to be an
unfavourable omen to a ruler about to invade a foreign country; and
therefore advised Julian to abandon his unreasonable enterprise,
affirming that these and similar signs can only be disregarded with
propriety when one's country is invaded by foreign armies, as then there
is one everlasting and invariable law, to defend its safety by every
possible means, allowing no relaxation nor delay. News also came by
letter that at Rome the Sibylline volumes had been consulted on the
subject of the war by Julian's order, and that they had in plain terms
warned him not to quit his own territories that year.

II.

Sec. 1. But in the mean time embassies arrived from several nations
promising aid, and they were liberally received and dismissed; the
emperor with plausible confidence replying that it by no means became
the power of Rome to rely on foreign aid to avenge itself, as it was
rather fitting that Rome should give support to its friends and allies
if necessity drove them to ask it.

2. He only warned Arsaces, king of Armenia, to collect a strong force,
and wait for his orders, as he should soon know which way to march, and
what to do. Then, as soon as prudence afforded him an opportunity,
hastening to anticipate every rumour of his approach by the occupation
of the enemy's country, before spring had well set in, he sent the
signal for the advance to all