debellatorque Britanni Litoris ac pariter Boreae uastator et Austri. Quid rigor aeternus, caeli quid frigora prosunt Ignotumque fretum? maduerunt Saxone fuso Orcades; incaluit Pictorum sanguine Thyle; Scottorum cumulos fleuit glacialis Hiuerne. The first of these passages suggests that Theodosius pursued the Scots across the sea, or at least made a naval demonstration in the Irish Channel, and this is perhaps supported by the passage in Pacatus, _Panegyric_, c. 5: attritam pedestribus praeliis Britanniam referam? Saxo consumptus bellis naualibus offeretur. redactum ad paludes suas Scotum loquar? (2) Troubles brought on Britain through the revolt of Maximus, and pacification by Stilicho. Zosimus (source: doubtless Eunapius), 4, 35: the soldiers, having crowned Maximus, παραχρῆμα τὸν Ὠκεανὸν ναυσὶ διαβάντες landed at the mouth of the Rhine. Cp. Orosius 7, 34, 9. (While Zosimus imputes the blame of the insurrection to Maximus, Orosius says that he was created Emperor _inuitus propemodum_.) The rebellion was brought to an end by the death of Maximus in A.D. 388 (Idatius and Prosper Tiro, _ad ann._), so that it cannot have been before that year that the Britannic legions returned to Britain. Now the only contemporary evidence as to the fortunes of Britain during the fifteen years which followed the revolt of Maximus consists of two passages of Claudian: (1) _In Eutropium_, i. 393 (composed A.D. 399, June to Sept.)— fracto secura Britannia Picto, where the context implies that this was accomplished during the reign of Honorius (_te principe_, 391); (2) _De Consulatu Stilichonis_, ii. 247 _sqq._ (composed end of A.D. 399):— Inde Caledonio uelata Britannia monstro, Ferro picta genas, cuius uestigia uerrit Caerulus Oceanique aestum mentitur amictus: “Me quoque uicinis pereuntem gentibus” inquit “Muniuit Stilicho, totam cum Scottus Hiuernen Mouit et infesto spumauit remige Tethys. Illius effectum curis ne tela timerem Scottica, ne Pictum tremerem, ne litore toto Prospicerem dubiis uenturum Saxona uentis.” The second passage evidently suits the situation in which Britain would have almost inevitably found herself on the departure of Maximus with the legions. Two questions arise. In what year did Stilicho take measures for the defence of Britain? and did he visit the island in person? Keller supposes that the date was A.D. 385 and denies that he went to Britain (_Stilicho_, p. 17). As to the latter point it is possible that Keller may be right. The phrase _illius effectum curis_ suggests this conclusion; if Stilicho had visited Britain and provided for its security on the spot, Claudian would perhaps have used some more vivid and graphic phrase, leaving the reader in no doubt that his hero had appeared on the scene of danger.