rom the districts
about Mount Rhodope, and were now near Hadrianople. They, hearing of
the approach of the emperor with a numerous force, were hastening to
join their countrymen, who were in strong positions around Beraea and
Nicopolis; and immediately (as the ripeness of the opportunity thus
thrown in his way required) the emperor ordered Sebastian to hasten on
with three hundred picked soldiers of each legion, to do something (as
he promised) of signal advantage to the commonweal.

3. Sebastian pushed on by forced marches, and came in sight of the enemy
near Hadrianople; but as the gates were barred against him, he was
unable to approach nearer, since the garrison feared that he had been
taken prisoner by the enemy, and won over by them: so that something to
the injury of the city might happen, like what had formerly taken place
in the case of Count Actus, who had been cunningly taken prisoner by the
soldiers of Magnentius, and who thus caused the opening of the passes of
the Julian Alps.

4. At last, though late, they recognized Sebastian, and allowed him to
enter the city. He, then, as well as he could, refreshed the troops
under his command with food and rest, and next morning secretly issued
forth, and towards evening, being partially concealed by the rising
ground and some trees, he suddenly caught sight of the predatory bands
of the Goths near the river Maritza, where, favoured by the darkness of
night, he charged them while in disorder and unprepared, routing them so
completely that, with the exception of a few whom swiftness of foot
saved from death, the whole body were slain, and he recovered such an
enormous quantity of booty, that neither the city, nor the extensive
plains around could contain it.

5. Fritigern was greatly alarmed; and fearing lest this general, who as
we have often heard succeeded in all his undertakings, should surprise
and utterly destroy his different detachments, which were scattered at
random over the country, intent only on plunder, he called in all his
men near the town of Cabyle, and at once made off, in order to gain the
open country, where he would not be liable to be straitened for want of
provisions, or harassed by secret ambuscades.

6. While these events were proceeding in Thrace, Gratian having sent
letters to inform his uncle of the energy with which he had overcome the
Allemanni, and forwarded his baggage by land, himself, with a picked
band of his quickest troops, cro