Stelle Post hunc Segericus rex a Gothis cr...; (Historiarum adversum paganos libri VII (417 - 418), Lib. 7, Cap. 43, 9-15 (Vol. III, pp. 129-31, trans. Fear, pp. 412-13)) [2228]

Basic Information
Keywords
ID 2228
Text Historiarum adversum paganos libri VII (417 - 418) Orosius
Quotation Post hunc Segericus rex a Gothis creatus cum itidem iudicio Dei ad pacem pronus esset, nihilominus a suis interfectus est. Deinde Vallia successit in regnum ad hoc electus a Gothis, ut pacem infringeret, ad hoc ordinatus a Deo, ut pacem confirmaret. Hic igitur, territus maxime iudicio Dei quia cum magna superiore abhinc anno Gothorum manus instructa armis nauigiisque transire in Africam moliretur, in duodecim milibus passuum Gaditani freti tempestate correpta, miserabili exitu perierat, memor etiam illius acceptae sub Alarico cladis, cum in Siciliam Gothi transire conati, in conspectu suorum miserabiliter arrepti et demersi sunt, pacem optimam cum Honorio imperatore, datis lectissimis obsidibus, pepigit; Placidiam imperatoris sororem honorifice apud se honesteque habitam fratri reddidit; Romanae securitati periculum suum obtulit, ut aduersum ceteras gentes quae per Hispanias consedissent, sibi pugnaret et Romanis uinceret. Quamuis et ceteri Alanorum, Vandalorum, Sueuorumque reges eodem nobis cum placito depecti forent, mandantes imperatori Honorio: "Tu cum omnibus pacem habe omniumque obsides accipe: nos nobis confligimus, nobis perimus, tibi uincimus, immortali uero quaestu reipublicae tuae, si utrique pereamus". Quis haec crederet, nisi res doceret? Itaque nunc cottidie apud Hispanias geri bella gentium et agi strages ex alterutro barbarorum crebris certisque nuntiis discimus: praecipue Valliam Gothorum regem insistere patrandae paci ferunt.
Translation 9. After Athaulf, Segeric was made king by the Goths, but although he was, through God’s judgment, inclined to peace in the same way, he was nonetheless killed by his own men. 10. He was succeeded on the throne by Vallia whom the Goths elected precisely to break the peace, but who was ordained by God precisely to strengthen it. 11. He was especially terrified by God’s judgment because in the previous year when a great band of Goths had mustered themselves under arms and attempted to cross in their fleet to Africa, they had been caught up in a storm twelve miles from the Straights of Cadiz and died a wretched death. He was also mindful of the disaster suffered in Alaric’s time when the Goths had tried to cross over to Sicily and, under the eyes of their comrades, been carried off by a storm and pitiably drowned. He therefore made a highly favourable peace with the emperor Honorius, giving him nobles of the highest lineage as hostages. He also restored the emperor’s sister, Placidia, who had lived in honour and unmolested at his court, to her brother. 13. He put himself in danger for Rome’s security, attacking the rest of the tribes that had settled in Spain – he did the fighting, but conquered for Rome. 14. Moreover, all the other kings, those of the Alans, Vandals, and Sueves were disposed to make treaties on the same terms with us. They sent ambassadors to the emperor Honorius, ‘Make peace with us all, and take hostages from us all,’ they begged. ‘We ourselves will fight and perish, but we will conquer for you, it would be an everlasting boon for your state, if we were to perish, one and all.’ 15. Who would believe this, if it were not confirmed by the facts? At the present, every day we learn from frequent, reliable reports that in the Spanish provinces these people wage war and slaughter each other, and that Vallia, the king of the Goths, in particular wishes to make peace.
Quotation source Lib. 7, Cap. 43, 9-15 (Vol. III, pp. 129-31, trans. Fear, pp. 412-13)
Temporal Coverage 410 - 416
Associated use case(s)
Comment