Isaac the Monk Foretells the Death of Valens

When Valens was about to leave Constantinople, Isaac, a monk of great virtue who feared no danger in the cause of God, came before him and spoke to him in these words: “Give back, O emperor, to the orthodox and to those who hold the Nicene doctrines the churches you have taken from them, and the victory will be yours.” The emperor was offended at this bold act, and ordered Isaac to be arrested and kept in chains until his return, when he meant to bring him to justice for his daring. But Isaac answered: “You will not return unless you give back the churches.” And so in fact it came to pass. For when Valens marched out with his army, the Goths fell back before him as he pursued. As he advanced he passed through Thrace and came to Adrianople. When he was not far from the barbarians, he found them encamped in a secure position. Yet he was rash enough to attack them before he had drawn up his own legions in proper order. His cavalry was scattered and his infantry forced to retreat. Pursued by the enemy, he dismounted from his horse, and with a few attendants went into a small house or tower, where he hid. The barbarians were in full pursuit and went on past the tower, not suspecting that he had chosen it as his hiding place. As the last troop of the barbarians was passing the tower, the emperor’s attendants let fly a volley of arrows from their cover, and at once the cry went up that Valens was hidden inside the building. Those a little ahead heard the cry and shouted the news to their comrades farther ahead; and so the news was passed on until it reached the troops at the very front of the pursuit. They turned back and surrounded the tower. They gathered great quantities of wood from the country around, piled it up against the tower, and at last set fire to the heap. A wind that happened to rise helped the fire along, and in a short time the tower, with all that was in it, the emperor and his attendants included, was utterly destroyed. Valens was fifty years old. He had reigned thirteen years together with his brother, and three by himself. [a]