ith a heavy heart, he marched with great speed,
and arrived at Carrhae, an ancient town notorious for the disasters of
Crassus and the Roman army. From this town two royal roads branch off,
both leading into Persia; that on the left hand through Adiabene and
along the Tigris, that on the right through the Assyrians and along the
Euphrates.

2. There he stayed some days, preparing necessary supplies; and
according to the custom of the district he offered sacrifices to the
moon, which is religiously worshipped in that region; and it is said
that while before the altar, no witness to the action being admitted, he
secretly gave his own purple robe to Procopius, and bade him boldly
assume the sovereignty if he should hear that he had died among the
Parthians.

3. Here while asleep his mind was agitated with dreams, and foresaw some
sad event about to happen; on which account he and the interpreters of
dreams considering the omens which presented themselves, pronounced that
the next day, which was the nineteenth of March, ought to be solemnly
observed. But, as was ascertained subsequently, that very same night,
while Apronianus was prefect of Rome, the temple of the Palatine Apollo
was burnt in the Eternal City; and if aid from all quarters had not come
to the rescue the violence of the conflagration would have destroyed
even the prophetic volumes of the Sibyl.

4. After these things had happened in this manner, and while Julian was
settling his line of march, and making arrangements for supplies of all
kinds, his scouts come panting in, and bring him word that some
squadrons of the enemy's cavalry have suddenly passed the frontier in
the neighbourhood of the camp, and have driven off a large booty.

5. Indignant at such atrocity and at such an insult, he immediately (as
indeed he had previously contemplated) put thirty thousand chosen men
under the orders of Procopius, who has been already mentioned, uniting
with him in this command Count Sebastian, formerly Duke of Egypt; and he
ordered them to act on this side of the Tigris, observing everything
vigilantly, so that no danger might arise on any side where it was not
expected, for such things had frequently happened. He charged them
further, if it could be done, to join King Arsaces; and march with him
suddenly through Corduena and Moxoene, ravaging Chiliocomus, a very
fertile district of Media, and other places; and then to rejoin him
while still in Assyria, in order to