17
Exstat epistula, quam ego, ut soleo, fidei causa, immo ut alios annalium scriptores fecisse video, inserendam putavi: Flavius Claudius Valerio Aureliano suo salutem, expetit a te munus solitum nostra res publica, adgredere. quid moraris? tuo magisterio milites uti volo, tuo ductu tribunos. Gothi oppugnandi sunt, Gothi a Thraciis amovendi. eorum enim plerique Haemimontum Europamque vexant, qui te pugnante fugerunt, omnes exercitus Thracicos, omnes Illyricianos, totumque limitem in tua potestate constituo; solitam en nobis ede virtutem, tecum erit etiam frater Quintillus, cum occurrerit. ego aliis rebus occupatus summam belli illius virtutibus tuis credo, misi sane equos decem, loricas duas et cetera quibus munire ad bellum euntem necessitas cogit. Secundis igitur proeliis usus auspiciis Claudianis rem publicam in integrum reddidit atque ipse statim, i.e., the Eruli, thus called because they came from the shores of Lake Maeotis (the Sea of Azov); on their invasion see Claud., vi.-xi. Aurelian seems to have distinguished himself in the course of this war (see also c. xvii. 5), and after a serious disaster to the cavalry toward its close (Claud., xi. 6-8) to have been appointed by Claudius to the command of the whole cavalry (c. xviii. 1) and thereupon to have avenged the previous defeat. These names were never borne by Claudius and Aurelian; see note to Claud., i. 1. ut supra diximus, consensu omnium legionum factus est imperator.
