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[9] Constantius, hearing of these events from time to time, and being informed of some things by Thalassius, 1 who, as he had now learned, had died a natural death, wrote in flattering terms to the Caesar, but gradually withdrew from him his means of defence. He pretended to be anxious, since soldiers are apt to be disorderly in times of inaction, lest they might conspire for Gallus' destruction, and bade him be satisfied with the palace troops only 2 and those of the guards, besides the Targeteers and the Household troops. He further ordered Domitianus, a former state treasurer, 3 and now prefect, that when he came into Syria, he should politely and respectfully urge Gallus, whom he had frequently [p. 59] summoned, to hasten to return to Italy.

1 See ch. i. 10, above.

2 The Scholae Palatinae were the divisions of the household or court troops, a corps of 3500 men: protectores, domestici, gentiles, scutarii and armaturae. The protectores, guards, were a body of troops with the rank of officers, also called domestici. The scutarii (targeteers) took their name from their equipment. The gentiles were a cavalry troop enlisted from foreigners: Scythians, Goths, Franks, Germans, etc.

3 See Introd., p. xl.

Ammianus Marcellinus. With An English Translation. John C. Rolfe, Ph.D., Litt.D. Cambridge. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1935-1940.

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