| Keywords |
|
| ID |
2218 |
| Text |
Historiarum adversum paganos libri VII (417 - 418) Orosius |
| Quotation |
Nam cum insurrexissent gentes inmanitate barbarae, multitudine innumerabiles, hoc est
Marcomanni, Quadi, Vandali, Sarmatae, Sueui atque omnis paene Germania, et in Quadorum usque
fines progressus exercitus circumuentusque ab hostibus, propter aquarum penuriam, praesentius sitis quam hostis periculum sustineret, ad inuocationem nominis Christi, quam subito magna fidei
constantia quidam milites effusi in preces palam fecerant, tanta uis pluuiae effusa est ut Romanos quidem largissime ac sine iniuria refecerit, barbaros autem crebris fulminum ictibus perterritos,
praesertim cum plurimi eorum occiderentur, in fugam coegerit.
Quorum terga Romani usque ad internecionem caedentes gloriosissimam uictoriam et
omnibus paene antiquorum titulis praeferendam rudi paruoque militum numero, sed potentissimo
Christi auxilio reportarunt.
Exstare etiam nunc apud plerosque dicuntur litterae imperatoris Antonini, ubi inuocatione nominis
Christi per milites Christianos et sitim illam depulsam et conlatam fatetur fuisse uictoriam. |
| Translation |
A great amount of evidence makes it absolutely clear that this war was guided by divine providence. The most important piece is a letter written by this sober and serious emperor. 8. For when an innumerable host of savage barbarian tribes, that is the Marcomanni, Quadi, Vandals, Sarmatians, Sueves, and almost all of Germany, rose in rebellion, the army advanced up to the frontier with the Quadi and were surrounded by the enemy. They then found themselves in more immediate danger from their lack of water than the enemy. 9. When some soldiers, showing their great constancy of faith, suddenly poured forth their prayers, openly calling on the name of Christ, the rain fell with such violence that it more than made good the Romans’ supplies at no danger to themselves, but the constant lightning bolts terrified the barbarians, especially as many of them were killed, and forced them to flee. 10. As they turned their backs in flight, the Romans fell on them and slaughtered them to a man, winning with a few untrained troops, but also with the mighty aid of Christ, a glorious victory that outshone almost all those of old. 11. The majority of authors say that Antoninus’s report, in which he admits that it was the invocation of Christ’s name by his Christian soldiers that remedied his lack of water and won the victory, is still extant to this day. |
| Quotation source |
Vol. 3, Lib. 7, Cap. 15, Par. 8-11 (lin. 1), trans. Fear, p. 347 |
| Temporal Coverage |
166 - 173 |
| Associated use case(s) |
|
| Comment |
First Marcomanic War |
