Amicus fidelis et firmus, ultor acer ambitionum, severus militaris et civilis disciplinae corrector, pervigil semper et anxius, ne quis propinquitatem praetendens, altius semet efferret, erga deferendas potestates vel adimendas nimium tardus, provinciarum aequissimus tutor, quarum singulas ut domum propriam custodibat indemnes, tributorum onera studio quodam molliens singulari, nulla vectigalium admittens augmenta in adaerandis reliquorum debitis non molestus, furibus et in peculatu deprebensis iudicibus inimicus asper et vehemens.
He was a firm and faithful friend, severe in punishing ambitious designs, strict in maintaining discipline in the army and in civil life, always watchful and anxious lest anyone should elevate himself on the ground of kinship with him; he was excessively slow towards conferring or taking away official positions, very just in his rule of the provinces, each of which he protected from injury as he would his own house, lightening the burden of tributes with a kind of special care, allowing no increase in taxes, not extortionate in estimating the indebtedness from arrears, a harsh and bitter enemy of thievish officials and of those detected in peculation.
final_alignments\Ammianus_Marcellinus_Book31.json