XV As already said, they crossed the Danube and 83
dwelt a little while in Moesia and Thrace. From the
remnant of these came Maximinus, the Emperor succeeding
Alexander the son of Mama. For Symmachus relates
it thus in the fifth book of his history, saying that
upon the death of Caesar Alexander, Maximinus was
made Emperor by the army; a man born in Thrace of
most humble parentage, his father being a Goth named
Micca, and his mother a woman of the Alani called
Ababa. He reigned three years and lost alike his empire
and his life while making war on the Christians. Now 84
after his first years spent in rustic life, he had come from
his flocks to military service in the reign of the Emperor
Severus and at the time when he was celebrating his
son's birthday. It happened that the Emperor was giving
military games. When Maximinus saw this, although he
was a semi-barbarian youth, he besought the Emperor in
his native tongue to give him permission to wrestle with 85
the trained soldiers for the prizes offered. Severus marvelling
much at his great size--for his stature, it is said,
was more than eight feet,--bade him contend in wrestling
with the camp followers, in order that no injury might
befall his soldiers at the hands of this wild fellow. Thereupon
Maximinus threw sixteen attendants with so great
ease that he conquered them one by one without taking
any rest by pausing between the bouts. So then, when
he had won the prizes, it was ordered that he should be
sent into the army and should take his first campaign with
the cavalry. On the third day after this, when the Emperor
went out to the field, he saw him coursing about