Alexander the False Prophet (48)

Of all his bold emprises, however, let me tell you one, the greatest. Since he had no slight influence in the palace and at court through the favour which Rutilianus enjoyed, he published an oracle at the height of the war in Germany, when the late Emperor Marcus himself had at last come to grips with the Marcomanni and Quadi. The oracle recommended that two lions be cast into the Danube alive, together with a quantity of perfumes and

magnificent offerings. But it will be better to repeat the oracle itself.

Into the pools of the Ister, the stream that from Zeus taketh issue,

Hurl, I command you, a pair of Cybele’s faithful attendants,

Beasts that dwell on the mountains, and all that the Indian climate

Yieldeth of flower and herb that is fragrant; amain there shall follow

Victory and great glory, and welcome peace in their footsteps.

But when all this had been done as he had directed, the lions swam across to the enemy territory and the barbarians slaughtered them with clubs, thinking them some kind of foreign dogs or wolves; and “amain” that tremendous disaster befel our side, in which a matter of twenty thousand were wiped [out ata blow. Then came what happened at Aquileia, and that city’s narrow escape from capture. To meet this issue, Alexander was flat enough to adduce the Delphian defence in the matter of the oracle given to Croesus, that the God had indeed foretold victory, but had not indicated whether it would go to the Romans or to the enemy.[*]