XIX Summary

Priscus tells of the change he sees in Julian, and that the emperor has become "nervous and ill-tempered." Libanius begins the story of a famine in Antioch. As a city official, Libanius says that everyone could read the signs indicating that a tough year was ahead. There was little rainfall in the spring and by early summer, it was evident that the harvests would be extremely light. However, the city fathers did nothing to try to prepare. Libanius points out that purchasing grain from another country could have been an option. As humans are wont to do, the people began to look for someone to blame for the shortage of food. According to Libanius, it was Julian's bad fortune to have arrived in Antioch just as the food shortage began. The people blamed Julian, saying that he'd used too many supplies for his...