Book 24
3.11
Therefore, as the ground was covered far and wide with standing pools, the emperor gave the soldiers another day of rest, and went on himself; and after overcoming many dangers, he made such bridges as he could from bladders,For this work there was a special corps, the utricularii; see Index II., vol. i. as well as boats from the trunks of palm trees, and so got his army across, though not without difficulty.
3.12
In these regions there are many fields, planted with vineyards and various kinds of fruits. Here too palm trees are wont to grow, extending over a wide expanse as far as MeseneApamia, cf. xxiii. 6, 43. and the great sea,The Caspian. in mighty groves. And wherever anyone goes, one constantly sees palm branches with and without fruit,See Gellius, ii. 26, 10; iii. 9, 9, palmae termes ex arbore cum fructu spadix dicitur. Ammianus alone uses the form spadicum (n.). and from their yield an abundance of honey and wine is made.Cf. Hdt. i. 193. The palms themselves are said to couple, and the sexes may easily be distinguished.Cf. Pliny, N.H. xiii. 34 f. Herodotus, i. 193, thinks that an insect carries the seed from the male to the female tree.
