‘Non liber hic ullus, non qui mihi commodet aurem,
verbaque significent quid mea norit, adest’;
suffering from illness (Tr. iii. 3) and the climate, and fighting against the barbarians; Tr. iv. 1, 71,
‘Aspera militiae iuvenis certamina fugi,
nec nisi lusura movimus arma manu:
nunc senior gladioque latus scutoque sinistram,
canitiem galeae subicioque meam.’
On the other hand he learned the language of the people, and actually wrote poems in it; Tr. v. 12, 57,
‘Ipse mihi videor iam dedidicisse Latine:
nam didici Getice Sarmaticeque loqui.’
Pont. iv. 13, 19,
‘A! pudet, et Getico scripsi sermone libellum,
structaque sunt nostris barbara verba modis,
et placui—gratare mihi—coepique poetae
inter inhumanos nomen habere Getas!
materiam quaeris? laudes de Caesare dixi.’
For his popularity with the natives cf. Pont. iv. 14, 53,
‘Solus adhuc ego sum vestris immunis in oris,
exceptis si qui munera legis habent.
Tempora sacrata mea sunt velata corona,
publicus invito quam favor imposuit’;
also Pont. iv. 9, 101.