History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 3Gibbon, Edward
History
History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 3
Gibbon, Edward
Byzantine Empire -- History -- To 527; Rome -- History -- Empire, 30 B.C.-476 A.D.
generations; and posterity might erect a common trophy to the
memory of the two most illustrious generals, who had vanquished,
on the same memorable ground, the two most formidable enemies of
Rome. 48
43 (return) [ Orosius (l. vii. c. 37) is shocked at the impiety
of the Romans, who attacked, on Easter Sunday, such pious
Christians. Yet, at the same time, public prayers were offered at
the shrine of St. Thomas of Edessa, for the destruction of the
Arian robber. See Tillemont (Hist des Emp. tom. v. p. 529) who
quotes a homily, which has been erroneously ascribed to St.
Chrysostom.]
44 (return) [ The vestiges of Pollentia are twenty-five miles to
the south-east of Turin. Urbs, in the same neighborhood, was a
royal chase of the kings of Lombardy, and a small river, which
excused the prediction, “penetrabis ad urbem,” (Cluver. Ital.
Antiq tom. i. p. 83-85.)]
45 (return) [ Orosius wishes, in doubtful words, to insinuate the
defeat of the Romans. “Pugnantes vicimus, victores victi sumus.”
Prosper (in Chron.) makes it an equal and bloody battle, but the
Gothic writers Cassiodorus (in Chron.) and Jornandes (de Reb.
Get. c. 29) claim a decisive victory.]
46 (return) [ Demens Ausonidum gemmata monilia matrum, Romanasque
alta famulas cervice petebat. De Bell. Get. 627.]
47 (return) [ Claudian (de Bell. Get. 580-647) and Prudentius (in
Symmach. n. 694-719) celebrate, without ambiguity, the Roman
victory of Pollentia. They are poetical and party writers; yet
some credit is due to the most suspicious witnesses, who are
checked by the recent notoriety of facts.]
48 (return) [ Claudian’s peroration is strong and elegant; but
the identity of the Cimbric and Gothic fields must be understood
(like Virgil’s Philippi, Georgic i. 490) according to the loose
geography of a poet. Verselle and Pollentia are sixty miles from
each other; and the latitude is still greater, if the Cimbri were
defeated in the wide and barren plain of Verona, (Maffei, Verona
Illustrata, P. i. p. 54-62.)]
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