4. The minute interval which may be interposed between the
hieme adulta and the primo vere of Ammianus (xx. 1, 4),
instead of allowing a sufficient space for a march of three
thousand miles, would render the orders of Constantius as
extravagant as they were unjust. The troops of Gaul could
not have reached Syria till the end of autumn. The memory of
Ammianus must have been inaccurate, and his language
incorrect.