but，whenthevenerableSallustassumedtheprivilegeofhisageandexperience，therestofthechiefssupportedwithfreedomtheweightofhisprudentremonstrances。^68Juliancontentedhimselfwithobserving，thatconquestandsafetydependedontheattempt；
thatinsteadofdiminishing，thenumberoftheirenemieswouldbeincreased，bysuccessivereenforcements；andthatalongerdelaywouldneithercontractthebreadthofthestream，norleveltheheightofthebank。Thesignalwasinstantlygiven，andobeyed；
themostimpatientofthelegionariesleapedintofivevesselsthatlaynearesttothebank；andastheypliedtheiroarswithintrepiddiligence，theywerelost，afterafewmoments，inthedarknessofthenight。Aflamearoseontheoppositeside；andJulian，whotooclearlyunderstoodthathisforemostvessels，inattemptingtoland，hadbeenfiredbytheenemy，dexterouslyconvertedtheirextremedangerintoapresageofvictory。\"Ourfellow—soldiers，\"heeagerlyexclaimed，\"arealreadymastersofthebank；see—theymaketheappointedsignal；letushastentoemulateandassisttheircourage。\"Theunitedandrapidmotionofagreatfleetbroketheviolenceofthecurrent，andtheyreachedtheeasternshoreoftheTigriswithsufficientspeedtoextinguishtheflames，andrescuetheiradventurouscompanions。
Thedifficultiesofasteepandloftyascentwereincreasedbytheweightofarmor，andthedarknessofthenight。Ashowerofstones，darts，andfire，wasincessantlydischargedontheheadsoftheassailants；who，afteranarduousstruggle，climbedthebankandstoodvictoriousupontherampart。Assoonastheypossessedamoreequalfield，Julian，who，withhislightinfantry，hadledtheattack，^69dartedthroughtheranksaskilfulandexperiencedeye:hisbravestsoldiers，accordingtothepreceptsofHomer，^70weredistributedinthefrontandrear:andallthetrumpetsoftheImperialarmysoundedtobattle。TheRomans，aftersendingupamilitaryshout，advancedinmeasuredstepstotheanimatingnotesofmartialmusic；
launchedtheirformidablejavelins；andrushedforwardswithdrawnswords，todeprivetheBarbarians，byacloseronset，oftheadvantageoftheirmissileweapons。Thewholeengagementlastedabovetwelvehours；tillthegradualretreatofthePersianswaschangedintoadisorderlyflight，ofwhichtheshamefulexamplewasgivenbytheprincipalleader，andtheSurenashimself。TheywerepursuedtothegatesofCtesiphon；