18. But the avarice of Va'lens and his ministers defeated these
expectations; instead of relieving their new subjects, the Roman
governors took advantage of their distress to plunder the remains of
their shattered fortunes, and to reduce their children to slavery.
Maddened by such oppression, the Goths rose in arms, and spread
desolation over the fertile plains of Thrace. Va'lens summoned his
nephew, Gratian, to his assistance; but before the emperor of the west
arrived, he imprudently engaged the Goths near Adrianople, and with
the greater part of his army fell on the field. 19. This was the
most disastrous defeat which the Romans had sustained for several
centuries; and there was reason to dread that it would encourage a
revolt of the Gothic slaves in the eastern provinces, which must
terminate in the ruin of the empire. To prevent such a catastrophe,
the senate of Constantinople ordered a general massacre of these
helpless mortals, and their atrocious edict was put into immediate
execution. 20. The Goths attempted to besiege both Adrianople and
Constantinople, but, ignorant of the art of attacking fortified
places, they were easily repelled; but they however succeeded in
forcing their way through the Thracian mountains, and spread
themselves over the provinces to the west, as far as the Adriatic sea
and the confines of Italy.
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