7. Therefore amid all these doubtful opinions, the trumpets sounded a halt, in order to guard against any reverse, and we halted in a grassy valley near a stream, where, packing our shields in close order and in a circular figure, we pitched our camp and rested in safety. Nor, so dark did it continue till evening, could we distinguish what it was that had so long obscured the view. [149] Small boats made of wicker and covered with hide; still used in Wales, where they are also called thorricle, truckle, or cobble. [150] See Il. iv. 297:-- Ἰππῆας μὲν πρῶπα σὺν ἵπποισιν καὶ ὄχέσφιν πεζοὺς δ’ εξόπιθεν στῆσεν πολέας τε καὶ ἐσθλούς ἔρκος ἔμεν πολέμοιο, κακοὺς δ’ εἰς μέσσον ἔλασσεν. Thus translated by Pope:-- "The horse and chariots to the front assigned, The foot (the strength of war) he placed behind; The middle space suspected troops supply, Enclosed by both, nor left the power to fly." BOOK XXV. ARGUMENT. I. The Persians attack the Romans on their march, but are gallantly repelled.--II. The army is distressed by want of corn and forage; Julian is alarmed by prodigies.--III. The emperor, while, in order to repulse the Persians, who pressed him on all quarters, he rashly rushes into battle without his breastplate, is wounded by a spear, and is borne back to his tent, where he addresses those around him, and, after drinking some cold water, dies.--IV. His virtues and vices; his personal appearance.--V. Jovian, the captain[151] of the imperial guards, is tumultuously elected emperor.--VI. The Romans hasten to retreat from Persia, and on their march are continually attacked by the Persians and Saracens, whom, however, they repulse with great loss.--VII. The emperor Jovian, being influenced by the scarcity and distress with which his army is oppressed, makes a necessary but disgraceful peace with Sapor; abandoning five provinces, with the cities of Nisibis and Singara.--VIII. The Romans having crossed the Tigris, after a very long and terrible scarcity of provisions, which they endured with great courage, at length reach Mesopotamia--Jovian arranges the affairs of Illyricum and Gaul to the best of his power.--IX. Bineses, a noble Persian, acting for Sapor, receives from Jovian the impregnable city of Nisibis; the citizens are unwilling to quit their country, but are compelled to migrate to Amida--Five provinces, with the city of Singara, and sixteen fortresses, are, according to the terms of the treaty, handed over to the Persian nobles.--X. Jovian, fearing a revolution, marches with great speed through Syria, Cilicia, Cappadocia, and Galatia, and at Ancyra enters on the consulship, with his infant son Varronianus, and soon afterwards dies suddenly at Dadastana. I. A.D. 363.