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Zosimus: New History; c.510; pagan historian, wrote New History, breaking off abruptly in 410 AD.
online: Zosimus' New History Book VI
Zos. 2. 15
Constantine's mind was prepared. He was alert and ready to act. He gathered all the forces, German, Gallic, and British that he could muster, left a portion for the protection of the Rhine, entered Italy by way of the Alps (Paneg.), and marched to meet the much more numerous forces of Maxentius,--Romans, Italians, Tuscans, Carthaginians, and Sicilians.
Book 4
1. Accordingly Alaric, his equitable demands having been thoroughly rebuffed, marched upon Rome with his entire army, intent upon besieging it.
2. Constantinus now appointed Edobinchus, a Frank, and Gerontius, a Briton, as his new generals, men for whose military experience and courage Sarus had respect.
3. Prior to this, when the consuls were Arcadius for the sixth time and Probus, the Vandals had joined forces with the Suebi and the Alans, overrun the trans-Alpine regions and destroyed the peoples. Having wrought much slaughter, they became formidable even to the armies in Britain, which, being afraid they might march against Britain, they drove to the point of choosing tyrants, the aforesaid Marcus and Gratianus and, thereafter, Constantinus. Against this last the Romans joined fierce battle and gained the victory, slaughtering the greater part of the barbarians; but they did not chase after those who had escaped (else they would have massacred them all to a man) and so gave them opportunity to repair their loss by collecting another host of barbarians worthy to do battle. For these reasons then Constantinus was establishing garrisons in the Alpine regions, so that they might not have free access into Gaul. He also was setting safeguards along the Rhine, which had been neglected since the reign of the Emperor Julian.
5. The barbarians above the Rhine, assaulting everything at their pleasure, reduced both the inhabitants of Britain and some of the Celtic peoples to defecting from Roman rule and living their own lives disassociated from the Roman law. Accordingly the Britons took up arms and, with no consideration of the danger to themselves, freed their own cities from barbarian threat; likewise all of Armorica and other Gallic provinces followed the Britons' lead: they freed themselves, ejected the Roman magistrates, and set up home rule at their own discretion.
6. Now, the defection of Britain and the Celtic peoples took place during Constantinus' tyranny, the barbarians having mounted their attack owing to his carelessness in administration. But in Italy Alaric, not having received the peace terms which he sought nor having received hostages, again set upon Rome, threatening to take it by storm unless the citizens sided with him and marched against the Emperor Honorius. When they hesitated to do what he demanded, he laid siege to the city and, proceeding to the port, spent several days in beleaguering it before he made himself its master. Having found the city's entire grain supply stored there, he issued threats that he would expend it upon his own army unless the Romans moved swiftly to carry out his proposals. Thereupon all the senators convened and, having debated the issue, gave in completely to Alaric's bidding. Indeed, since no supplies were forthcoming to the city via the harbor, there was no other recourse available to avoid destruction.
7. Thereafter they received Alaric's embassy and invited him to come before the city and, just as they had been ordered, they set Attalus, the urban prefect, upon the Emperor's throne and placed the purple and the crown upon him.
Alaric had advised Attalus, correctly, to send a good-sized force to Africa and Carthage for the purpose of dissolving Heraclianus' rule, lest some impediment to his undertakings come from that quarter (Heraclianus was a partisan of Honorius). But Attalus did not heed this admonition, instilled as he was with hopes raised by seers that he would become master of Carthage, indeed, of all Africa, without a struggle. And so he did not dispatch Druma, who, with the force of barbarians at his disposal could very easily have put down Heraclianus from power; but, thinking Alaric's plan of secondary importance, he entrusted the command of the soldiers in Africa to Constans and sent off with him no fighting force worth mentioning.
8. 'then, if Heraclianus should come off the victor and affairs there be in safe hands, he would wage war against Attalus and Alaric with his entire army; on the other hand, if those whom he had sent to Africa should be defeated, he would set sail in the ships at his disposal to Theodosius in the East and abdicate from his Western Empire.'
9. When Alaric learned what had happened he was displeased and began to despair of the fortunes of Attalus because the latter facilely undertook unprofitable ventures owing to his folly and lack of organisation. With these thoughts in his mind he decided to withdraw from Ravenna, even though he had originally intended to persist in the siege until he captured the city. Indeed, he was exhorted to this change by Jovius, who, realising that the leader sent to Africa had failed, turned around completely to Honorius' side and incessantly spoke ill of Attalus in Alaric's presence, anxious to persuade him that Attalus, once his Empire was secured, would lay plots first against him and then against all those related to him by race.
10. But Alaric was willing still to abide by his oaths of allegiance to Attalus. When Valens, the master of the horse, was killed after falling under suspicion of treason, Alaric attacked all the cities of Aemilia that had refused to accept promptly Attalus' rule. He brought over with no trouble at all every one of them except Bononia, which he besieged for several days but could not capture as it held firm. He then proceeded to the Ligurians and compelled them to recognise Attalus as Emperor.
12. Only Attalus plus a few others dissented from the majority opinion, since he wanted no barbarian dispatched with the Roman army. Thereupon Alaric looked to Attalus' downfall, having long since been made the more ready for this by Jovius' incessant accusations. Putting his scheme into execution, he led Attalus out in front of Ariminium, where he was staying, removed his crown and stripped off his purple (these he sent to the Emperor Honorius), and reduced him before the eyes of all to private status. However, he did keep him and his son Ampelius at his own house until, peace having been concluded with Honorius, he could obtain safety of life and limb for them both. The Emperor's sister Placidia was also staying at Alaric's house, filling the role of a hostage, as it were, but enjoying dignified, indeed, regal courtesy.
13. Meanwhile, Alaric set out with his troops for Ravenna in the hope of making a firm peace treaty with Honorius; but fortune, advancing down the road leading to the ruination of the State, found another impediment to dash that hope. For Sarus, who had allied himself with neither the Emperor Honorius nor Alaric, was by chance staying with a small force of barbarians in Picenum, and Ataulphus, who was angry with him as a result of some long-standing grievance, was en route with his entire army to that very region. Sarus, having been made aware of his approach and thinking that the mere three hundred men he had would be no match to do battle against him, decided to flee to Honorius and to ally himself in common cause against Alaric.
Note: the narrative ends abruptly here.
This transcription, minus notes, of Zosimus' Historia Nova, trans. Buchanan, James J., and Davis, Harold T., Trinity University press, San Antonio, Texas, 1967, 249-58. Transcribed by Jack Mullaly, January 1996
Copyright © 1996 Jack Mullaly
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