Table Of ContentPhilological and Historical Commentary on
Ammianus Marcellinus XXXI
Thetitlespublishedinthisseriesarelistedatbrill.com/am
Philological and Historical
Commentary on Ammianus
Marcellinus XXXI
By
J.denBoeft
J.W.Drijvers
D.denHengst
H.C.Teitler
LEIDEN•BOSTON
2018
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CONTENTS
Preface................................................................. vii
Introduction........................................................... ix
Chronology ............................................................ xvii
Legenda................................................................ xxiii
CommentaryonChapter1............................................. 1
CommentaryonChapter2 ............................................ 11
CommentaryonChapter3 ............................................ 39
CommentaryonChapter4 ............................................ 53
CommentaryonChapter5 ............................................ 81
CommentaryonChapter6 ............................................ 107
CommentaryonChapter7 ............................................ 119
CommentaryonChapter8 ............................................ 141
CommentaryonChapter9 ............................................ 153
CommentaryonChapter10............................................ 161
CommentaryonChapter11............................................ 181
CommentaryonChapter12............................................ 195
CommentaryonChapter13............................................ 221
CommentaryonChapter14............................................ 243
CommentaryonChapter15............................................ 259
CommentaryonChapter16 ........................................... 277
Bibliography ........................................................... 305
Indices................................................................. 329
Maps................................................................... 359
PREFACE
This is the last book of Ammianus’ Res Gestae. It is almost completely
dedicatedtothetroublestheGothscreatedinThraceaftertheyhadbeen
allowed to cross the Danube and to enter Roman territory. The climax of
theRoman-GothicconfrontationswasthedisastrousbattleofAdrianople
inwhichtheRomanarmywasheavilydefeatedandtheemperorValenswas
killed.Inaddition,thebookoffersthefirstextantdescriptionoftheHunnic
people,andanaccountofGratian’stroubleswiththeAlamannicLentienses
attheRhinefrontier.
ThecommentaryonBook31isthelastvolumeintheseriesofPhilologi-
calandHistoricalCommentariesonAmmianusMarcellinus,whichoriginally
startedin1935withthePhDthesisbyP.deJongeattheUniversityofGronin-
genonthefirstsevenchaptersofBook14.DeJongecontinuedhisworkon
theResGestaeafterWorldWarIIandwasabletopublishcommentariesup
toandincludingBook19,whichwaspublishedin1982.Hisworkwasinitially
continuedbyatriumvirateconsistingofJandenBoeft,DaandenHengstand
HansTeitler(Books20–21).In1991thetriumviratebecameaquadrigawhen
JanWillemDrijversjoinedtheteam.Thefourofuspublishedthecommen-
tariesonBooks22–31.
Ourcommentarieshavebenefitedgreatlyfromthesupportandadvice
offriendsandcolleaguesovertheyears.WeowethankstoRaphaelBren-
delforhisbibliographicalsuggestionsandtoErwinBolhuisoftheGronin-
gen Institute of Archaeology for making the maps in this volume. A spe-
cial word of thanks is due to Ines van de Wetering for her correction of
our English in previous volumes as well as in the present one. The Fon-
dationHardtatVandoeuvresalsodeservesourthanks;considerableparts
of the commentaries were prepared and written in its inspiring environ-
ment.WearegratefultoourpublisherKoninklijkeBrillwhopreparedthe
publicationofthisandpreviousvolumeswithprofessionalcareanddedi-
cation.
Withthepublicationofthislastvolumealong-standingprojectiscom-
pleted.Thereisadeepfeelingofgratitude,notonlybecausewewereable
tofinishtheproject,butalsobecausewecoulddosoasafoursome.Atthe
viii preface
sametimethereisasenseofmelancholy:afruitfulandharmoniouscollab-
oration,whichcomprisedalargepartofourscholarlyandpersonallivesfor
morethanthirtyyears,hascometoanend.
June2017
J.denBoeft
J.W.Drijvers
D.denHengst
H.C.Teitler
J.W.Drijvers H.C.Teitler D.denHengst J.denBoeft
INTRODUCTION
WhilethecentraleventinBook30wasthesuddendemiseofValentinianI,
emperoroftheWest,inBook31,thelastbookoftheResGestae,hisbrother
Valens,emperoroftheEast,isthemaincharacter.ThereforeAmmianusno
longerreportseventsintheWestandtheEastalternately,ashehaddone
inBooks26–30,butfocusesalmostexclusivelyoneventsintheeasternpart
oftheempire.ThejuniormembersoftheValentiniandynasty,Gratianand
ValentinianII,aregivenonlyaperfunctorytreatment.
The narrative of Valens’ death during the battle of Adrianople creates
a highly dramatic conclusion to the Res Gestae. The groundwork for this
impressive finale is laid in the opening chapter of Book 31. Ammianus
presentsthereaderwithalistofportents,whichgobeyondthetraditional
ominamortisinthattheyhintunequivocallyatValens’deathbyfire.Indeed,
Ammianushadalreadypreparedhisreadersfortheingloriousendofthe
emperorin29.1.33.Thereanoracleforetold,thatValenswouldbepunished
forhisjudicialmisconduct:ipsi…principicaedesincendiaqueflatantesfurias
imminere, “the Furies, breathing fire and slaughter were in wait…for the
emperorhimself”(tr.Hamilton),athreatwhichisemphaticallyrepeatedin
29.2.20.AsSamberger,1969,429stated:“DieErzählungdes29.Bucheslässt
die Darstellung des angedeuteten Geschehens unbedingt erwarten und,
umgekehrt,dieletzteNachrichtüberdenKaisersetztdiefrüherenotwendig
voraus.”
This is a decisive argument against the proposition of Kulikowski, that
“Book31wasinoriginaseparatemonograph,draftedinGreekatAntioch
in the aftermath of the Roman defeat at Adrianople” (2012, 79). Equally
unattractiveishisidea,thatthelastBookoftheResGestaeisaLatintrans-
lationofaGreekoriginal,sincethereisnotasingletraceofaGreeksubtext
in Book 31, while the allusions to and borrowings from the Latin authors
Sallust, Cicero, Gellius and Vergil are just as prolific as in the preceding
books.
ChapteronecontainsnotonlyominapredictingthedeathofValens,butalso
anoracleinGreekwhichprophesiesthatcountlesshordesofbarbarianswill
crosstheDanubeintoRomanterritory.Theoracle,obviouslyavaticiniumex
eventu,isdeliberatelyvague,butseemstohavebeenwrittenwiththeafter-
effectsofthebattleofAdrianopleinmind.
x introduction
BeforeturningtotheactualinvasionoftheGoths,Ammianusexplains
whythisnationwasforcedtoleaveitsterritorynorthoftheDanube.They
were expelled by the Huns, who had defeated the Alans and later joined
forceswiththem.Ammianusdevotesalengthydigressiontothesenations
inchapterstwoandthree.Theethnographicsketchesareverysimilar;both
nationsaredescribedastypicalnomads,whosewayoflifediffersinevery
respectfromGraeco-Romancivilization.Ammianuspossessedlittlefactual
information about the Alans—even less about the Huns—and therefore
madeuseoftraditionalnotionsaboutprimitivebarbarians,manyofthem
ultimatelygoingbacktotheScythianlogosinHerodotusBook4.
MovingwestwardsthejoinedforcesoftheHunsandAlansfirstencoun-
tered the Gothic confederation of the Greuthungi, who, after a series of
defeats,withdrewtotheriverDanastrus(Dniestr).Next,theHunsandAlans
attacked the Gothic Thervingi under king Athanaric, who tried in vain to
stop their advance. Utterly discouraged and threatened by famine a large
partoftheThervingiturnedawayfromAthanaric.LedbyAlavivusandFri-
tigern,theydecidedtoasktheRomanemperorforpermissiontocrossthe
DanubeinordertotakerefugefromtheHunsinthefertileregionofThrace.
Inreturntheyofferedguaranteesofpeace,andpromisedtodomilitaryser-
viceifrequiredtodoso.
As soon as Ammianus begins to describe the actual contacts between
Goths and Romans, in chapter four, his tone becomes less detached. At
first, he tells us, the Romans tended to ignore the turmoil created by the
Huns.Later,uponhearingthatcountlessnumbersofGothswereappealing
totheemperorforadmittancewithinthebordersoftheempire,flattering
courtierswentsofarastocongratulateValensonhisgoodluck.Theinflux
of young Gothic soldiers would not only render his army invincible, but
alsoenablehimtoreducethecostsofthearmy.Theemperorconsequently
granted the Goths permission to enter the empire. With undisguised sar-
casmAmmianusrelateshowtheRomanbordertroopsandtheDanubefleet
did everything in their power to leave ‘not one of those destined to over-
throwtheRomanState’(nequiRomanamremeversurusrelinqueretur,31.4.5)
beyondtheriver.Heemphasizesthehugenumbersoftheinvadersinhis
usualmanner,withaquotationfromVergilandareferencetoancienthis-
tory,viz.thePersianexpeditionofXerxesagainstGreece.Ammianusdoes
notexplicitlystateunderwhatconditionstheGothswereallowedtoenter
Romanterritory.HedoessaythatValenspromisedthem‘foodinaccordance
withthesituationandlandstocultivate’(alimentaprotemporeetsubigendos
agros,31.4.8).
AmmianusisalsosharplycriticaloftheRomancommandersinThrace,
Description:This is the final volume in the series of commentaries on Ammianus'Res Gestae. Book 31 describes the Gothic invasion of 376 CE, the defeat of the Romans in the battle of Adrianople and the death of the emperor Valens.
