OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

were urged by anguish and despair to precipi-tate themselves into the broad and rapid streamof the l)rave. s The number of the slain wascomputed at fifty-four thousand men, and theslaughter of the conquerors was more consider-able than that of the vanquished ;* a circum-stance which proves the obstinacy of the con-test, and justifies the observation of an ancientwriter, that the forces of the empire were con-sumed in the fatal battle of Mursa, by the lossof a veteran army, sufficient to defend the fron-tiers, or to add new triumphs to the glory ofRome ." Notwithstanding the invectives of aservile orator, there is not the least reason tobelieve that the tyrant deserted his own stan-dard in the beginning of the engagement. Heseems to have displayed the virtues of a generaland of a soldier till the day was irrecoverablylost, and his camp in the possession of the ene-my. Magnentius then consulted his safety, and

* Julian, Orat. i, p. 30, 37; and Orat. ii, p. 59, 60. Zonaras , tom. ii,

.. xiii, p. 17. Zosimus , 1. ii, p. 130-133. The last of these celebratesthe dexterity of the archer Menelaus , who could discharge three ar-rows at the same tune; an advantage which, a< cording to his appre-hension of military affairs, materially contributed to the victory ofConstantins.

' According to Zonaras , Constantins, out of 80,000 men, lost 30,000;and Magnentius lost 24,000 out of 36,000. The other articles of thisaccount seem probable and authentic; but the numbers of the tyrant’sarmy must have been mistaken, either by the author or his transcri-bers. Magnentius had collected the whole force of the West, Romansand barbarians, into one formidable body, which cannot fairly be esti-mated at less than 100,000 men. Julian, Orat. i, p 34, 35.

u Ingentos R. I. vires ei dimicatione consumpt.e sunt, ad qmvsiibetbella externa idoneas, quae multutn triumphorum possent securitatisqueconferre. Eutropius , x, 13. The younger Victor expresses himself tothe same effect.

VOL. III. M

161

CHAP.

XVIII.