"Constans did not wait around sitting on the coast until the spring arrived and the Ocean storms abated, but straight away in mid-winter with everything, clouds, cold and swell, roused to total fury by the weather, he embarked a hundred men, so it is said, and casting off he clove the Ocean, and straight away everything became calm. He sent no advance warning to the cities there, nor did he make any prior announcement of his sailing, or wish to create a stir with his plans before he had completed the venture ... As it was, affairs in Britain were stable ..."

"... The emperor's [Constantius II] harsh and irritable temper, prone in any case to entertain baseless suspicions, was further excited by the flattery of his blood thirsty courtiers ... Among these flatterers the notary Paul was pre-eminent. He was a native of Spain, with a smooth inscrutable face, and an extraordinary capacity for scenting hidden perils. He had been sent to Britain to fetch certain officers who had been bold enough to join Magnentius' conspiracy; when he found them unable to resist he went far beyond his instructions, and descending like a sudden torrent upon the persons and estates of many people spread ruin and destruction in various forms. Loading the limbs of free-born men with chains and subjecting some to the degradation of handcuffs, he stitched together a patchwork of charges far removed from the truth. This led to a wicked deed which has stamped an indelible mark of shame upon the reign of Constantius. Martinus, the pro-prefect who governed these provinces, was deeply grieved at the troubles of the innocent and made frequent pleas that those who were free from all guilt should be spared. When these proved vain he threatened to resign, hoping that this at any rate would deter the malicious inquisitor from exposing to evident danger men who were wedded to peace. Paul, believing that this was a clog upon his activity and being a master in the dreadful art of weaving intrigues, from which he got the nickname of 'the Chain', involved the governor himself, who was still defending his subordinates, in the common peril. He insisted that Martinus together with some tribunes and several others should be taken under arrest to the imperial court, with the result that Martinus in the face of imminent disaster assaulted Paul, and lacking the strength to inflict a fatal wound thrust the sword that he had drawn into his own side. This was the wretched end to which an upright governor came in his attempt to relieve the miserable plight of many of his people. After these atrocious acts Paul returned to the emperor's quarters steeped in blood and bringing with him a number of prisoners almost crushed with chains, whom he had reduced to squalid misery. On their arrival the rack was put in order and the executioner got ready his hooks and instruments of torture. Of these prisoners many suffered loss of property, others exile, some death."

"... the wild tribes of the Scots and Picts broke their understanding to keep peace, laid waste the country near the frontier, and caused alarm among the provincials, who were exhausted by the repeated disasters they had already suffered. The Caesar [Julian], who was spending the winter at Paris a prey to various anxieties, shrank from going in person, like Constans on a previous occasion, to help his subjects across the Channel; he was afraid of leaving Gaul without a ruler at the very time when the Alamanni were bent on fierce war. He decided therefore to send Lupicinus, at that time master of cavalry, to settle these troubles either by negotiation or by force. Lupicinus was a stout and experienced soldier, who was apt, however, to set up his horn on high and to talk in the style of a tragic hero. It was long a matter of debate whether his greed predominated over his cruelty or the reverse. Taking with him a light-armed force of Herulians and Batavians together with two units of Moesians, this commander reached Bononia [Boulogne] in the depths of winter. He embarked his troops on vessels which he collected, and sailed with a favourable wind to Rutufiae [Richborough] on the opposite shore. From there he marched to Londinium [London], intending to let the situation determine his strategy and to take the field as soon as possible."

"During this period practically the whole Roman world heard the trumpet-call of war, as savage peoples stirred themselves and raided the frontiers nearest to them. The Alamanni were ravaging Gaul and Raetia simultaneously; the Sarmatians and Quadi were devastating Pannonia; the Picts, Saxons, Scots, and Attacotti were bringing continual misery upon Britain; the Austoriani and other Moorish peoples were attacking Africa with more than usual violence; and predatory bands of Goths were plundering Thrace and Moesia. The king of Persia was laying unlawful hands on Armenia and sparing no effort to bring that country once more under his rule."

"After setting out from Amiens on a rapid march to Trier, Valentinian was shocked to receive the serious news that a concerted attack by the barbarians had reduced the provinces of Britain to the verge of ruin. Nectaridus, the count of the coastal region, had been killed, and the general Fullofaudes surprised and cut off. Greatly perturbed by these events the emperor sent Severus, still at this period count of the household troops, to retrieve the situation if he found a suitable opportunity. Shortly afterwards Severus was recalled, and Jovinus set out for the island, but sent an appeal for strong reinforcements, which the pressing needs of the moment required. Finally, in response to the alarming reports which constantly arrived, Theodosius was selected for the task and ordered to proceed to Britain without delay. He had a great reputation as a soldier, and, getting together a tough force of horse and foot, he set out on his mission with every prospect of success... at that time the Picts, of whom there were two tribes, the Dicalydones and Verturiones, together with the warlike people of the Attacotti and the Scots, were roving at large and causing great devastation. In addition the Franks and Saxons were losing no opportunity of raiding the parts of Gaul nearest to them by land and sea, plundering, burning, and putting to death all their prisoners... From Boulogne, Theodosius made a calm crossing to Richborough, a quiet harbour on the opposite coast. On the arrival of his troops, which consisted of the Batavi and Heruli together with the Jovii and Victores, a sufficiently strong force, he disembarked and marched towards the old town of London, since called Augusta. Dividing his men into several detachments, he attacked the roving parties of freebooters, who were hampered by the weight of their spoils and driving before them prisoners and cattle. He quickly routed them and wrested from them the plunder which the wretched provincials had lost. He restored everything to its owners except for a small part which he distributed to his exhausted troops, and then entered the town in triumph. Hitherto it had been plunged in the deepest distress, but it was now re-established almost before it could have hoped for rescue. This success encouraged Theodosius to undertake operations on a larger scale, but he waited for a time in some doubt about his safest course. He had learnt from the confessions of his prisoners and the information given by deserters that the scattered and wildly ferocious peoples of various tribes could be subdued only by a strategy of stealth which took them unawares. Finally he issued a proclamation promising immunity to deserters who returned to the colours and summoning many others who were dispersed in various places on furlough. This secured the return of the majority. Theodosius' anxiety was relieved, and he asked that Civilis, a man of fiery temper but uncompromising integrity, should be sent to him to govern Britain as pro-prefect. He asked also for the services of Dulcitius, a general distinguished for his military skill."

"The general Theodosius, bearer of a famous name, set out full of confidence from London, now called Augusta, with a force which he had re-formed with energy and skill. This was the greatest service to the defeated and harassed Britons. He forestalled the barbarians by seizing positions suitable for guerilla warfare, and imposed no duties on his troops which he himself was not the first to undertake with alacrity. Combining in this way the duties of an active soldier with the responsibilities of high command, he routed and put to flight various tribes, whose burning eagerness to attack anything Roman was fanned by a belief that they could do so with impunity. He completely restored towns and forts which had suffered a series of calamities, but which were now strengthened to secure a long period of peace."

"... he [Theodosius] sent Valentinus with a few of his closest associates to the general Dulcitius to be put to death. But his preeminent skill in military matters led him, with an eye to the future, to forbid further inquiry into the conspiracy. He was afraid that by spreading alarm among a large number he might reawaken the troubles in the provinces that had been laid to rest... Theodosius put in hand many necessary reforms. He restored cities and garrison towns, as I have said, and protected the borders with guard-posts and defence works. The recovery of a province which had fallen into the hands of the enemy was so complete that, to use his own words, it now had a lawful governor, and the emperor, treating the matter as a triumph, decreed that henceforth it should be called Valentia. These were the most important events. The members of the so-called 'Secret Service', a body of long standing ... had gradually become corrupt and were removed from their posts by Theodosius. They were clearly convicted of having been bribed by gifts or promises of large rewards to pass to the barbarians regular information about what we were doing. Their function was to circulate over a wide area and report to our generals any threatening movements among the neighbouring tribes."

"... made Fraomarius king of the Bucinobantes, a tribe of the Alamanni dwelling opposite Mainz. And soon afterwards, since a recent invasion had utterly devastated that canton, he transferred him to Britain with the rank of a tribune, and gave him command of a troop of the Alamanni which at that time was distinguished for its numbers and strength."

"The Saxons in a mood of appalling fury overran the coastal region; it was their way to make sudden descents on impulse in any direction. On this occasion they had almost got away with a rich haul of booty, but Valentinian by a perfidious yet successful stratagem destroyed them and stripped the vanquished brigands of their spoil. Again, when the Britons were unable to resist the hordes of enemies infesting their country, he gave them hope of a better future and restored peace and freedom, allowing hardly any of the aggressors to return home."

"This is the history of events from the reign of the emperor Nerva to the death of Valens, which I, a former soldier and a Greek, have composed to the best of my ability. It claims to be the truth, which I have never ventured to pervert either by silence or a lie. The rest I leave to be written by better men whose abilities are in their prime. But if they choose to undertake the task I advise them to cast what they have to say in the grand style."