Roman History Roman History - Book XXI. XV. Constantius dies at Mopsucrenae in Cilicia.
by Ammianus Marcellinus
Constantius therefore, having hastened to Antioch, according to
his wont, at the first movement of a civil war which he was eager to
encounter, as soon as he had made all his preparations, was in amazing
haste to march, though many of his court were so
unwilling as even to proceed to murmurs. For no one dare openly to
remonstrate or object to his plan.
He set forth towards the end of autumn; and when he reached the
suburb called Hippocephalus, which is about three miles from the town,
as soon as it was daylight he saw on his right
the corpse of a man who had been murdered, lying with his head torn off
from the body, stretched out towards the west—and though alarmed at the
omen, which seemed as if the Fates were preparing his end, he went on
more resolutely, and came to Tarsus, where he caught a slight fever;
and thinking that the motion of his journey would remove the distemper,
he went on by bad roads; directing his course by Mopsucrenae, the
farthest station in Cilicia for those who travel from hence, at the
foot of Mount Taurus.
But when he attempted to proceed the next day he was
prevented by the increasing violence of his disorder, and the fever
began gradually to inflame his veins, so that his body felt like a
little fire, and could scarcely be touched; and as all remedies failed,
he began in the last extremity to bewail his death; and while his
mental faculties were still entire, he is said to have indicated Julian
as the successor to his power. Presently the last struggle of death
came on, and he lost the power of speech. And after long and painful
agony he died on the fifth of October, having lived and reigned forty
years and a few months.
After bewailing his death with groans, lamentations, and
mourning, those of the highest rank in the royal palace deliberated
what to do or to attempt; and having secretly consulted a few persons
about the election of an emperor, at the instigation, as it is said, of
Eusebius, who was stimulated by his consciousness of guilt (since
Julian was approaching who was prepared to oppose his attempts at
innovation), they sent Theolaiphus and Aligildus, who at that time were
counts, to him, to announce the death of his kinsman; and to entreat
him to lay aside all delay and hasten to take possession of the East,
which was prepared to obey him.
But fame and an uncertain report whispered that Constantius
had left a will, in which, as we have already mentioned, he had named
Julian as his heir; and had given commissions and legacies to his
friends. But he left his wife in the family way, who subsequently had a
daughter, who received the same name, and was afterwards married to
Gratianus.