]

[Footnote 30a: This name, of Syriac origin, is found in the Arabic, and
means a place in a valley where waters meet. Julian says, the name of
the city is Barbaric, the situation Greek. The geographer Abulfeda (tab.
Syriac. p. 129, edit. Koehler) speaks of it in a manner to justify the
praises of Julian.--St. Martin. Notes to Le Beau, iii. 56.--M.]

[Footnote 31: See the curious treatise de Dea Syria, inserted among
the works of Lucian, (tom. iii. p. 451-490, edit. Reitz.) The singular
appellation of Ninus vetus (Ammian. xiv. 8) might induce a suspicion,
that Heirapolis had been the royal seat of the Assyrians.]

[Footnote 32: Julian (epist. xxviii.) kept a regular account of all
the fortunate omens; but he suppresses the inauspicious signs, which
Ammianus (xxiii. 2) has carefully recorded.]

[Footnote 33: Julian. epist. xxvii. p. 399-402.]

Hierapolis, [33a] situate almost on the banks of the Euphrates, [34]
had been appointed for the general rendezvous of the Roman troops,
who immediately passed the great river on a bridge of boats, which was
previously constructed. [35] If the inclinations of Julian had been
similar to those of his predecessor, he might have wasted the active
and important season of the year in the circus of Samosata or in the
churches of Edessa. But as the warlike emperor, instead of Constantius,
had chosen Alexander for his model, he advanced without delay to
Carrhae, [36] a very ancient city of Mesopotamia, at the distance of
fourscore miles from Hierapolis. The temple of the Moon attracted the
devotion of Julian; but the halt of a few days was principally employed
in completing the immense preparations of the Persian war. The secret of
the expedition had hitherto remained in his own breast; but as Carrhae
is the point of separation of the two great roads, he could no longer
conceal whether it was his design to attack the dominions of Sapor
on the side of the Tigris, or on that of the Euphrates. The emperor
detached an army of thirty thousand men, under the command of his
kinsman Procopius, and of Sebastian, who had been duke of Egypt. They
were ordered to direct their march towards Nisibis, and to secure
the frontier from the desultory incursions of the enemy, before they
attempted the passage of the Tigris. Their subsequent operations were
left to the discretion of the generals; but Julian expected, that after
wasting with fire and sword the fertile districts of Media and Adiabene,
they m