[Martius Verus sends out Thucydides to conduct Sohaemus into Armenia; and he, in spite of lack of arms, applied himself sturdily to this distant task with the inherent good sense that he showed in all business falling to his lot.  Marcus had the gift not only of overpowering his antagonists or anticipating them by swiftness or outwitting them by deceit (on which qualities generals most rely), but also of persuading them by trustworthy promises and conciliating them by generous gifts and luring them on by tempting hopes.  He was suave in all that he did or said, and soothed the vexed and angry feelings of each adversary while greatly raising his hopes.  He knew well the right time for flattery and presents and entertainment at table.  And since in addition to these talents he showed persistency in endeavor and activity together with speed against his foes, he made it plain to the barbarians that his friendship was better worth gaining than his enmity.  So when he arrived at the New city, which a garrison of Romans placed there by Priscus was occupying, and found them attempting mutiny, he took care, both by word and by deed, to bring them to a better temper, and he made the city the foremost of Armenia.]

[* * Bridging.—­By the Romans the streams and rivers are bridged with the greatest ease, since the soldiers are always practicing at it, and it is carried on like any other warlike exercise on the Ister and the Rhine and the Euphrates.  The manner of doing it (which I think not everybody knows) is as follows.  The boats, by means of which the river is bridged, are flat.  They are anchored up stream a little above the spot where the bridge is to be constructed.  When the signal is given, they first let one ship drift down stream close to the bank that they are holding.  When it has come opposite the spot to be bridged, they throw into the water a basket filled with stones and fastened with a cord, which serves as an anchor.  Made fast in this way the ship is joined to the bank by planks and bridgework, which the vessel carries in large quantities, and immediately a floor is laid to the farther edge.  Then they release another ship at a little distance from this one and another one after that until they run the bridge to the opposite bank.  The boat which is near the hostile side carries also towers upon it and a gate and archers and catapults.

As many weapons were hurled at the men engaged in bridging, Cassius ordered weapons and catapults to be discharged.  And when the front rank of the barbarians fell, the rest gave way.]

[Sidenote:  A.D. 172 (a.u. 925)] [Sidenote:—­3—­] Cassius, however, was bidden by Marcus to have the superintendence of all Asia.  The emperor himself fought for a long time, in fact almost his whole life, one might say, with the barbarians in the Ister region, the Iazyges and the Marcomani, first one and then the other, and he used Pannonia as his starting point.