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Transcript
mE
HISTORY
OF THE
DECLINE AND FALL
OF THE
ROMAN EMPIRE.
BY
EDWARD GIBBON, ESQ .
.A.A
IN TWELVE VOLUMES.
VOL. V.
.:2J20
LONDON:
w.
PRJIITBD roR
ALLAIO"; B. WHITROW AND CO.; c. CHAPPLE;
W. BARTO"; J. EVANS AND BON; I. eREENHILL; J. HARWOOD;
R. HILL; O. HEBERT; W. HARRIS; T. MABON; R. SCHOLEY;
J. MAYNARD; T. BOHN; W. MAlON; J. CARLISLE; T. FISHER;
J. BUMPUS; J. CRANWELL; I. PARSONS AND CO.; J. ROE;
T. LESTER;-AUO W. AND P.JENKINS; AND E. KRULL AND col
GLASGOW'; I. CuMMINS A"D C. LA GRAIIGB, DUBLIN.
1821.
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..
CONTENTS
0' YRI
FIFTH
VOLU~JE.
, CHAP. XXVIL
DaTa qf GrtdiflR-Rui,. qf Arilmi_&. AmJnoo_Firll tittil . .
Ggairut Mazi_CAarad"., _dminillNlion, _ 'JIftIIfIbI qfTIa_
tliui_D«ltA f!f Val_nia IL-Secmul neil . . .
EllgfniUl-D«l~" qfThodoliw.
_"'.t
A.D.
PAGE.
379-383 Character and coudnct of the enlperor Gratian
His defects
- .
383 Discontent of thl' Roman troops
Revolt of Maximu, in BritaiQ
3b3 J.'Jight and death of Gratian
383-387 Treaty of pl'ace between Maximas and TbeodoshlS
380 Baptism and Orthodox edicts ofTheodosinl
340-380 Arianism or Constantinople.
378 Gregory Nazianzen accepts the mislion of Constantinople
380 Ruin or AriaDlsm at Constantinople
381
in tbe East
• 'I'he council of Constantinople
Retreat of Gregory N azienzen
380·394 Edicts of Theodosius against tbe beretiv.
385 Execution of Pribcilian and his alllOCilrte.
376-397 Ambrose, arcbbishop or Milan
- .
3S6 His successful opposition to tbe empress Justina
887 Muimlll invade. Italy
Flight of Va1entinian
.
Tbeodosius takes arms in tbe eaule of Valeotinian
888 Defeat and deatb of MaximUl
Virtue. of 'I'heodQsiul
Fault or ThcodUliiul
387 Tbe sedition of Antioch
Clemency of Theodosius
390 Sedition Rnd massacre of TbessaJontca
388 Influence and OOI)duct of AmblOl4l
300 Penance of Theodosiul
'68
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1
2
6
7
8
11
13
]7
20
22
24
26
29
31
33
37
all
41.
49
ill.
52
b5
!)~
69
G3
64
67 '
69
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I.
CONTENT..
A.D.
388·391 Generosity of TheodosilD
391 Character of Valentinian
392 His death
~'i94 Usarpation ofEageniul
Theodosial preparel for war
394 IDI victory over Eageniol
395 Death of Theodosia.
Corruption of the times
The infantry lay aside their armour
PAGL
72
74
76
77
79
81
86
87
89
CHAP. XXVIII
int-IIIIrodumoIt f!f ,A. fDfW.mp of .ainU
. !:F"reAt.
cmumg 1M CAriIIitIu.
Pial iatruI:litm of
A.D.
378-396 The destruction of the pagan religion
State of paganism at RO.me
-
PAGL
91
112
384 Petition of the lenate for the altar (l!victory
388 Conversion of Rome
96
99
102
108
110
381 Destruction of the temples in the provinces
The temple of Serapi. at Albxandria
389 Its final destruction
390 The pagan religion ililprohibited
Oppressed
. 390420 Finally extinguished
The worship of the Christian martyrs
General reOectioDl
I. Fabulous martyrs and relics
n ..Miracles
III. Revival of polytheism'
IV. Introduction of pagan ceremonies
116
119
120
123
126
127
ib.
130
133
CIL\P. XXIX.
PiMI rliUOft of 1M RotnIm mapire between ,As .0R8 of 7'Aefx/JJliUlR~ f!f Arccrlilll tmd HorwriUl-Adminiltratitm of R'dit'lII muI
&ille~Rmil' /DId dtfeta of Gildo in AfriCGo
~n
P~~
396 Division of the empire between Arcadius and HonorilD
386-396 Character and administration of Rufinua
395 He oppresses tbe' Ealt
He is disappointed, bytbe marriage of Arcadins
Character of Stilicbo, -tbe minister, and general of the
western empire
385-408 His military command
396 Tbe fall and deatb of Rufinos
396 Discord of the two empires
386-398 Revolt of GiJdo iu Ali-jca
397 He i, c9ndemned by the Roman senate
898 The African wllr
Defeat and deatb of Gildo
Marriage, and character of Hunoriol
Digitized by
137
139
143
147
160
162
166
169
162
]64
166
169
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eOJlTEJlT.; ,
y
A. D.
·PAGE.
396 Revolt of the Goth.
396 Alvie marches into Greece
3fY1 He is attaeked by Stilicho
Escapes to Epiml
...
•
398 Alarie is declared muter-general of the eutem Illyri.
com
•
•
Is proclaimed kiDg ofth. Vwgotbl
400-403 He invades Italy
403 HonoriDl ftiea from Milan
He is pUJ'II11ed aDd besieged by the Goths
403 Battle of Pollentia
••
403 Boldness and retreat of Alaric
404 The triumph of HonoriDl at Rome
The gladiators abolished
Honoriu! fixes bis residence at RuenDa
400 The revolutiuns of Scythia
406 Emigration o£the northern Germans
406 RadagailuB invades Italy
- - - - besieges Florence
- - - - - threatens Romo
406 Dereat and destruction of bil army by Stilicho
Thf. remainder of tbe Gel'lbans invade Gaol
407 Desolation of Gaul
Revolt of the British army
•
~
Constantine is acknowledged in Britain and Ganl
408 He reduces Spain
-.
404-40& Negotiation of Alaric and Stilicho
408 Debates of the Roman Ienate
Intrigues or the .palace
408 Disgrace and death of Stilicho
His memory persecuted
The poet CJaudian among the train of Stilieho'. dependants
.,'
176
179
184
188
ib.
189
190
IDS
]95
198
201
2U4
106
207
210
212
214
216
211
218
221
2M
228
229
231
233
23(J
238
240
242
246
CHAP. XXXI.
of Italy by A~M",.,..,., of tIuJ .Roma mtIII, _ peopJ,-Rome i. tlirice 6uieged. 4Rd at kr$t.A pillqed bg tAs GotAlDMtA '!I Alaric-Til, GiitAI lVCCIItIIe Ieals-Fatl'!l Cotutmatitre-Gmd _ SpGin ar, oeeupiecI by tile 6ar6crilml-lrulIJIffIfI"'" lI./
l'~cm
Britain.
A_D.
408 Wewell of the court of Ravenna
Alarie marches to Rome
PAGE.
249
261
\
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vi
CO)ITKNT'.
A.D.
Hannibal at the gate. of Rome
Genealogy of the lenators
Tbe Anician family
Wealth of tbe Roman Doblel
Their manners
Character of the Roman Dobies, by Ammianus Marcellinus
408 State and character ·of the peol,le of Rome
Public distribution of bread, bacon, oil, wine, &C.
Ule oftbe public baths
Games Iltld spectacle.
Populou.ness of R()me
First .iege of Rome by the Goth.
Famine
~~-
264
256
267
260
263
265
276
278
280
282
2S4
287
288
~
Superstition
409 Alaric aecepts a I'I.nSom, and railes the siege
Fruitless negotiations for peace
Change and succession of ministers
409 Second !liege of Rome by the Goths
Attalus iJ created emperQr by the Gotbs and Romans
4]0 He i8 degraded by A l a r i o .
.
Third siege and sack of Rome by tbe Goths
Respect of the Goths for the christian religion
Pillage aud fire of Rome
Captives and fugitives
.
Sack of Rome by the troops of Charles V.
6]0 Alaric evacuates Rome, and ravages Italy
4()Ij.412 Possession ofltaly by the Goths
410 Deatb of Alario
412 AdolpblU, king of tbe Goths, concludes a peaoe witb
the empire, alld marches into Gaul
•
414 His marriage with Placidia
The Gothic treasurell
410-417 Laws for the.relief ofltaly and Rome .
413 Revolt and deleat of Heraeli an, count of Africa
409-4]3 Revolutions of Gaul and Spain
Character and victories of the. general Constantill!
411 Death of the usurper Constantine
411-416 }'alJ ot' the usurpers, Jovinus, Sebastian, and Attal~
ib.
291
296
297
30\
303
300
308
309
311
316
320
322
32Q
326
327
330
332
334
336
338
341
343
~
409 Invasion of Spain by the Suevi, Vandals, Alani, &c.
414 Adolphus, king of the Goths, marches intoSpaill
415 His death
415-418 The Goths conquer and restore Spain
419 Their establi.hment in Aquitain
419 The B u r g u n d i a n . '
420, &c. State of the barbarians in Gaul
409 &,'olt of Britain and Armorica
409-449 !:Ilate of Britain
448 Assemuly of tbe sevell pro\"inces of Gaul
Digitized by
367
3J)0
351
362
3M
356
357
369
361
alia
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COIfTIIN'J'l.
"U
CHAP. XXXII.
.Amdur
.
r qf,lee Etut-Atlmiflillratiota ad ~ qf BumJoAR (JA,.jltJllom-
ITiu-:.:t::"Iff GIIifuu-P".m:ution qf St.
TAeodtuiu II, ",.,.,..,. qftlee Etut-Hil M". P~Hi, toi/,
Eudoeia.-TA, p".ftGJI toGr, tmd di.uitm qf Af'IINIIic.
A.D.
PA.GE.
396--1453 The empire ofthe :East.
396-408 Reign of Arcadiul
396-399 Administration and character or Eatropius
His venality and injustice
•
•
Ruin of A.bundantius
'.
Destruction of Timasius
3f17 A cruel and unjustlaw of treason
399 Rebellion of Tribigild
Fall of EUb-opius
400 Conspiracy and fall of Gainas
•
398 Election and merit of St. John ChrylOstom
398-403 His administration and defects
403 ChrylOstom is persecuted by the emprellll Eudocia
Popular tumults at Constantinople
•
.(()4 Exile ofChrylOstom
40'7 His death
438 His relics transported to Constantinople
.408 Death of Arcadius
•
•
IDs supposed testament
4O&·41G Administration of Anthemius
.414-463 Character and administration of Pulcheria
Education and character of Theodosius the younger
421-460 Character and adventures of the emprellll Eudocia
422 The Persian war
481-440 Armenia -divided between the Persians and tile
RomlUll
Digitized by
368
ib.
371
374
376
377
379
282
386
389
394
391
400
401
404 .
40IS
406
ib.
308
400
411
414
417
421
424
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Til.
HISTORY
01' THE
DECLINE
A.ND
FALL
OJ' THE
ROMAN
EMPIRE~
•
CHAP. XXVII
DIlI,l of Gratia,,-Ruin qf .A.rianism~St. .A.m: lwOSB-First ci'IJil war, against Mazimus: CluJracter, admiftistration, and penance, oj
Tkeotlosius- Death of ValentiniQ" 1I.-Second civil war, agai1l,t Bugeni",,"":"Death of
: TleodosiUl,
. :~~_. "'~'('!"
•
.
THE fame of Gratian, before he had ac- CHAP.
complished the twenti~th year of his age, was XXVIii
equal to that of the most celebrated princes: ~;:r::-;
Bis gentle and amiable ~b!position endeared him :~t:~~he
to his private friends, the graceful affability of emp~nlr
· manners engaged tea
h ffiect'Ion 0 f t he peopIe: Gratlan.
h 18
A. D. Bflto
the men of letters, who enjoyed the liberality, 881.'
acknowledged the taste and eloque.nce of their
sovereign; his valour and dexterity in arms
were equally applauded by the soldiers; and the .
VOL. Y.
B
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THE DECLINE AND FALL
'f:':&
clergy considered the humble piety of Gratian
the fint and most useful of his virtues. The
victory of Colmar had delivered the West from a
formidable invasion; and the grateful provinces
of the' East ascribed the merits ofTheodosfus to
the author of .I,ia greatness, and of th~ public
safety. Gratian survived thosememotable events
only four or five years; but he survived his reputation; and, before, ,he feU a victim ~ rebellion, he had lost in a great measure, the respect
and confidence of the Roman world.
The remarkable alteration'of his eharacter or
conduct, may not be imputed to the arts of flattery, which had besieged the son of Valentinian
from his infancy; nor to the headstrong passions which that gentle youth appears to llave~
escaped. A more attentive view of 'the life of
Gratian, may perhaps suggest the tItue cause 'of
the disapp~intment of the public hopes. Hia
apparent virtues, instead of being the hardy
productions of experience and adversity, were
the premature and artificial fruits of a royal
education. -The anxious tenderness of his fa.ther w.~; cOntmually. einployed to bestow on
him tb08~ advant8ges~ .which he might perhap.
esteem the more highly, as he himself had
been deprived of them; and the' most skilful
maSters of every science, and of every art, had
laboured to forin th.e miIid and body of the
yOUDg prince.· The knowledge which they pain-
_"",m as
Hi. de.
leetl.
, • VaieDtiDiu wu leu att'Dti,e to tile relipOD of hia lOB; aee he
......ted tlae educatiOD of Gratin to AuoDiu. a pr.r....d papa.
(Meila.
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3
01' THE· ROllfAK EMl"lRE.
funy cOUlmuriica~d .waa;displq,yed with oBtenta.: CHAP
tion, and celebrated. with lavilhpraise.' ·HiS.soft I~~~~~"
and tractable. dispolrition: .rocei\ted-the. fait itnpression.oi1heir j.odicious,p~cepts;aiid the absence,ot passion might.~astJ,:be: mist.ken for
th~ streDgth. 0(' ~eason. 'Hts;,reCe~fo.s graduaUy rose tc)'therank'and,oobseq1lenceofminister.s. of s~te t; aDd} aj ..they.;'Nisely di's8embled
tbek 8eCret ,,.uthontr~ llie. s~ed· to .{let .with
fi~essi .witlt. proprietr.. imd' with judgment,
the most impohMit:oOOa.8ions of bis life and·
,reign:. :But-tbe ':in«Ue~e,of;;this' elaberate· .instructipn did'net penetrate-beyond the'suFface;"
and the skilful preceptorS;. who: sO- accUrately·
guided the stepsJoftheir .r"C),alplJpii, could not
infuse into his feeble, and indoterd cha"racter; the.
vi'goroue and indepen. . .· pti~eipleof;·action,
which renders ·ihe lahoMeui''Puri\Ht- 01 glory eS:sentiany necessary ti). the happiness; and·ahn08t·
to the existence, .of the hero.'·· As- SOoB: as time
and accident" had reineveti those.faithfui colm..·
sellors from the.throne, the emperor Of the Wes.t
insensihlydescended to the level of his' tlliLfural
genius; abandoned the reins of governUlent: to
th~ ~~~itious hands: whi~ W~re s~etched rol\o
wu4s to· gnlSp them; aDd amused his leisure
with. the m~st frivolous gratificatjons. A public, saleoi Cavour and injustice w-as instituted,
·
on
r
(Hem. de AC_JIlie;dea IaIIcriptipu,. tolD. :1:9'; po IIfl./lI8). . Tile poetieal fame of Auaoniul condemns the lute ofh!s age •
• , ADIOnioa wu .mccruinly prilmoted' to the pretorian prefectulE of
Italf, (4. 1),,1117), Bndof Gaul, (A. I)" 878); ud wuat lelltJib melted
with the C1onlulabip, ( .... I)" 179). He,Rpftued iii. gratitude in a R~
Yile and insipid piece ofllllttery, (Actio Gratiarum, p.6911-7-16), whilh
... annived lIlora worthy production.
•
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4 '
THE_DECLINE AND FALL
- CHAP. both in the court, and in the provinces, ,by the
XXVIL
hIess d'e1egates'fh'
.
' . " , . " u wort
0
IS power, W-hose ~ent
it was made 8(1crikge to question."' The conscience of the credulous prince was directed by
saints and bishops;4 who procured an imperial;
edict to punish, as a. capital offence, the viola:tion, the neglect, or even the ignorance of the
divine law.- 'Among, the vario:us arts which
had exercised the youth ofGratian, he had applied himself, with singular inclination and success, to manage the horse, to draw the bow, and
to dart the javelin; and there qu~ifications,
which might be useful to a soldier, 'were prostituted to the viler purposes of hunting. Large
parks were inclosed for the imperial pleasures,
and plentifully stocked with' every species of
wild bea-sts; and Gratian neglected the duties~
and even the dignity, of his rank, to consume
whole days ill the vain display of his dexterity
and boldness in the chace. The pride and wish
of the Roman emperor to excel in an art, in
which he mi~t be surpassed by the meanest
of his sJaves, reminded the numerous spectators of the exampleil of Nero and' Commodus:
:",
.
• Dilpatare de priucipali jadicio DOD oportet. Sacrilegii enim inatar
est dnbitare, ail ia dignas ait, qaem elegerit imperator. Codex J.tiDian. I. ix, tit. xxix, leg. 3. Thil convenient law was revived and promulgated, 'after the death of Gratian, by the feeble conrt of MilaD.
• Ambrose composed, for hil inStrUctiOD, a theological treatile oa '
tile faith of the 'rainity: and TillemoDt (Hiat. del Emperean, tom. ".
p.,US, 169) ascribes to the archbishop the-merit of Gratian's intole..,: "
rant laws.
e Qui diviDe legil 8anctitatem Deaciendo omittllnt, aat negli,eDde
"lolant, et oi'eDduDt, aacrilegium committunt. Codex JUitinian. I. b. '
tit. xxix, leg. 1. Theodoaiua indeed may claim hil .hare in the merit
efthi. comprehensive law. '
-
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OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
I)
but the chaste and temperate Gratian was a CHAP.
stranger to their monstrous viceH; and his hands .~~,~!,~,
were stained only with the blood of animals. f
. The behaviour of Oratian, which degraded his Discon. the eyes 0 f mank'Ind ,cou Id not have Roman
tentofth.
C h aracter In
disturbed the security of his reign, if the army ~r:'~~'iss.
had not been provoked to resent their peculiar
injuries. As long as the young emperor was
guided by the instructions of· his masters, he'
professed himself the friend and pupil of .the
soldiers; many of his hours were spent in the
f~miliar conversatio~ of the camp, and the
health, the comforts, the rewards, the honours,
of his faithful troops, appeared t<? be the object
of his attentive concern. But, after Gratian
more freely indulged his prevailing taste for
hunting and shooting, he naturally connected
bimselfwith the most dexterous ministe~ of his
favourite amusement. A body of the Alani
was received into the military and domestic service of the palace; and the admirable skill,
which they were accustomed to display in the
.unbounded plains of Scythia, was exercised on
a more narrow theatre, in the parks and inclosures of Gaul. Gratian admired the talents and
customs of these favourite guards, to whom alone he intrusted the defence of his person: and,
as if he meant to insult the public opinion,
he frequently shewed himself to the soldiers
I
Ammianus (xxxi, 10) aud the younger Victor acknowledge the 'Ii...
tile. of Gratiau; and aCClIIe, or rather lament, hia degenerate taate.
The odioUJI parallel of Commodus it saved by "licit incrDentnl;n aM .
perhaps Phil08torgio. (I. x, c. 10, and GQdefroy, p. ,JIll) had gauded,
ww.-ome similar reaerve, the comparison of Nero.
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8
THEDECLINB AND FALL '
, CHAP. and people, with the dress and arms, the lonr
' . and th'e IitIr garments,.
,nVIL
...." ......,. bow, th'
e sound'109 qUIver,
of a Scythian warrior. 'Th~ 'unworthy specta;.:
de of a Roman prince, who had renounced the
dress and manners of his country, filled the
minds of the legions with grief andindignation;I'
Even the Germans, so strong and formidable
ill the' armies of the empire~' affected to disdain
the strange and' horrid appearance of the savages of the North, . who, in the space of a few
years, had wandered from the banks of the
Volga to those of the Seine. A loud and licentibus'mtltIilUr was echoed through the camps
ahd garrisons df the West; arid as the mild
d'olence of Gratitm neglected 10 extinguish' thi>
fits! symptoms Of discl1t1telit;. the' *ant df ,}eV~
and respectwa's not suppUed 'by tlhfiilfluen~
of tear." But'the stibvEit"si6ii or an eMabllshed
gbVerliJIient is alway!; a' work' 'l1f'soIite real; 'and
of much apparent, difficulty;' and ;the throne of
Gratian was protected by tne sanctions of cuStom, law;teligion, aiid the hicebalanceof the
civil and military powers, which had 'been established by the policy of Constantine: It is
not very important to inquire from what causes
the 'revolt of Britain was produced. Accident'
is 'commonly the parent of disorder; the seeds
of rebellion happened to fall on a soil which
was supposed to be more fruitful than any other
in-
• ZOIimU' (I. iy, p. 1147) aDd tbe youDger "ictor ucribe the rnolatiOD 10 the fayour uf tbe AlUli, and the eIi'CODteDt of tbe Roman Inept.
Dum exercitam Delli,eret, et pauco. ell Alanis••UOI iageati aD ... ad
.. traDataJerat, aDtefemt .eteri ae RIJIHDO mili'" •
•
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'I
0.,_ THE B.OMAlJ EMPIR&
in tyrq.uts anti:
u81lrpers;~· the
legions of that CHAP.
sequestered HIland had long been famous for ,~~~~;..
a: spirit ofpreeumption and arrogance;1 and the
Dame' Of Maximu!, was proclaimed by the tu- Revolt of
mu'ltuary, ,butu~animous voice, both of the 801- :~~m:
fliers and of the' provincia1s. ' The emperor; or
the. 'rebel, for his title was not yet ascertained
'by fortune, was a native of Spain, the countryman,;tbe fellow-soldier, and. the rival of Theodosiu.,· ,whose el,evation :he hQ.d not seen with.·
aut Borne emotions of envy and resentment: the
events of his life ha~ long since fixed him in
Britain; and I should not be unwilling to And
some evidence for: the ,-marriage, ,which he is
said ·to' have contracted with'the daughter of a
wealthy lord in' :CaernarYonsbire.k But,thi.
provincial rank inight.jUJitly :be considered as a
state of em~ '~d obscurity; and if Maximul
had obtained any .civiLor military office, he was
nfJt invested with the authority either ofgovernor or' general} His abilities, and even his
a
• BritaDDlaf'utiU• .,roYiDcik tyraDDornm, Is memorable exprellioD,
Jerom.in'the PelqilUl contronrsy, and ..rioo.ly tortured iD
used
tbe diapute. of Ollr oational-antiqnaries. The revolotioos of the last age
appeared to jostify,the Images of the sublime BO.luet, .. cette isle plus
oraleuae que lea me.. qui l'environnent."
I Zosimulsays pf tJae British loldiers,.,.'" au.. ."..,.." ..~., ~a"
"1
, .... Sllf'l' , ....,...,GIIC.
;
Helena the daogbter of Eodd.. Her chapel may still be lun at
Caerff'got, Dft' Caer:lIIlrvon, (Carte's Hist. of" England, vol. i, p. 186,
(rom Rowland', MODa' Autiqua). The pruclent l'rader lIIay not perhaps
be satisfied with Il\ch Welsh evidence.
J Call1bdeD (yol. il intrOaoet;p. ci) appolntahlm governor of Britain;
aod the father of Odr eatiquitirs i, followed, as usual, hy bis blind progeuy. Paeatus aDd Zosill1OI had fakeo some painl to prevent tbia error, or fable; and 1 .hllll proted my.elf by the'" deeiaift teltimoDles.
Regali habittk t.nlaIsDom, illi eaulet orbia iodnetUut, (in Panegyr. Yet.
:aii, IS), and the Greek hiatorian.atiU leaa eqoivocally, a""IC(MuiJaUt )
II .... .., Af1Cn ......,..r .~, ..,.0.&"'. (I. if, p. Me).
Ie
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8
1HI'. DECLINE AND .P.ALL:
integrity, ate acknowledged· by the. partial
.~
writers of the age; and the merit· must in..
deed have been conspicuous, that could ex. tort such a confession in favour of the vanquished enemy of Theodosius. The' discon
tent of Maximus might inclin~ him to censure
the conduct of his sovereign~ and to encourage,
pt:rhaps without any views. of ambition, themurmurs of the troops. - But in the midst of. the.
tumult, he artfully, or modestly, refused;to ascend .the throne; and some credit appears to
have been given to his own posi~ive declara:tion,.·
that he was compelled to accept the dangerous
present of the imperial purple.m
r~lta:d
But there was danger likewise in refusing the
G!~. empire; and from the moment that Maximus
had violated his allegiance to his lawful sove-.
reign, he' could not hope to reign" or even to
live, if he confined his moderate ambition' with.. in the narrow limits of Britain. He boldly and
wisely resolved to prevent the designs ofGratian;
the youth of the island crowded to his standard,
and he invaded Gaul with a fieetand army, which·
were long afterwards remembered, as the emi~
gration of a considerable part of the British
nation.- The emperor, in his peaceful resi-'
·CHAP.
.v.!.
.
• Sulpiciua Senrua, Dialog. ii, 7'. Orosiu, I. vii "U, p. 61i6. They
both acknowledge (Snlpiciua had been hi, snbject) his innocence and
merit. It i. lingular enougb, that Muimns shonld be leas fayourahly
treated by ZOIimnl, the partial advenary of his rival.
• Archbishop Usher (Antiquitat. Britan. Eccles. p. 107', 108) hu diligently collected the legends of the uland and the continent. The
whole· em...ratioa consisted of 10,000 soldiers, aDd 100.000 plebeian..
.
who·
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,
OJ!' THE ROMAN' EMPIRE.
,
dence of Paris, was alarmed by their hostile, ~~~ri.
approach; and the darts which he idly wasted ._."",;
on lions and bears, might have been employed
'more honourably against the rebels. But bis
feeble efforts announced his degenerate spirit
and desperate situation; and deprived him of
the resources, which he still might have found,
in the support of his subjects and allies. Tile
armies of Gaul, instead of opposing the march
of Maximus, received him with joyful and loyal
acclamations; and the shame of the de~ertion
was transferred from the people to the prince.
The troops, ,whose station more immediately
attached., them to the service of the palace,
abandoned' the standard of Gratian the first
time that it was displayed in the neighbourhood
of Paris. The emperor of the West fled to-'
, wards Lyons, with a train of only three hundred hor~; and, in. the cities along the road,
where he hoped to find a refuge, or at least a
passage, he was taught, by cruel experience,
tbat every gate is shut against the unfortunate.
Yet he might still have reached, in safety, the
dominions of his brother; and soon have returned with the forces of Italy and the East; if he
had not su1fered himself to be fatally deceived
by the perfidious governor of the LyoDllcse
province. Gratian was amused by protesta-,
tions of doubtful fidelity, and the hopes of a
.ho settled in Bretape. 'l'beir destined brides, St. Uraula with 11,000
Doble, and 60,000 plebeian, virgins, mistook their way; landed at Colope, and were all mOlt cmelly murdered by the Huns. But the plebeian aisters bave been defrauded of their equal honours; and, wbat is
.till harder, John 'l'rithemiu8 presumea to mention the child"/III uf the..
Briti.th .,ir,-ilil.
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10
THE DECLINE AND PALL
CHAP. support, which could not be effectual; till the
• 1 0 f A'nd ragath'lUS, t h"e generaI 0 f t he C~
••__.• arrlva
_XXVII.
vaJry of Maxiuius, put an end to his suspense.
That resol ute officer executed, witbout remorse,
the orders, or the intentions, of the usurper.
Gratian, as he rose from supper, was delivered
~~:: ~~. into the. hands of ~he assassin; ~nd bis bo~y
was demed to the pIOUS and presslDg:entreaties
of his brother Valentinian.. The death of the
emperor wall! foliowed by that of his powerful
general Mellobaudes, the king' of the "Franks;
who maintained, to the ias-t moment of:his life,
the ambiguous reputation, which is the just recom pence of obscure and subtle policy.' These
executions' might be necessaty'to the publiosafety: but the successful usurper, whose power was
acknowledged by ali' the :pi'oYincas of theWest,
had the merit; and satisfactio~, "of boasting, that
except those who had perished' by the chance
of war, his triumph. was not stained with tlie
blood of the Romans~q
0 Zoaimos (I. iv, p. 248,249) has traosported the death of Gratian
from Logdooom io Ganl (Lyon,) to Singidonom in Maia. Soine hinta
may be extracted from the ClarOOiclea"; lOme lift may be detected in
BosomeD, (I. vii. Co 13), and Socrates, (I. v, c. 11). Ambrose is our
moat authentic evidcnce, (tom. i, £narrat.. in Paalm lxi, p. 961; tom.
ii, epist. DiY, p. 888, &c. and de Obitt& Valentiniaa. COuolat. No. 28,
p.l182).
, Pacata~ (xii. 28) celebrates hla fidelity; wllile his tn'achery it
marked ia Prosper's Chronicle, as the canse of the ruin of Gralian,
Ambrose, who has occasion to excolpate bimaelf, only eOildemna tbe
death of Vallio, a faitbful aervant of Gratian, (tom. ii, epist. xxiv, p.
891, edit. Benedict.)
• He prote.ted. nnllom ex adyenarila uiai in aele occobnwe. Snip.
Benro. in Vito B. Martin. c. n. The orator of Theodoaiua-bestow.
relactant. and therefore weighty. praiae on bis clemency. Si coi Ule,
pro ceteris IceleribDl lUis, fIIiII1II "","Iii faiaae videtar. CPa.","
Vet. .H, 18.
.
,
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n
OP THE ROMAN EMPIll&.
The events of tpiS revolution had passed in CHAP.
fiuch rapid. succession, that it would have been #~~~
impossible for Theodosius to 'march to the relief Treatyof
of ibis benefactor, before he received the intelli- r!:~: begence of his defeat and death. During the sea- !!dx~~:,
sori o( sincere grief, or ostentatious mourning, doaiUl,
.... D. aaa.
.
d by t he ar- 387.,
the E astern emperor was mterrupte
rival of the principal chamberlain of Maximus;
, and the choice of a venerable old man, for an
office 'which was usually exercised by eunuchs,
aniiounced to the court of Constantinople the
gravity and teIiiperance of the British usurper.
1lhe ambassador condescended to justify, or excnse, thecoriduct of his master; and to protest,
in '~pecious language, t~at the murder of Gratian
bad been perpetrated without his knowledge or
,!onsent,by'the Fecipitate zeal of the soldiers.
But he 'proceeded, in a finn and e,qual tone, to
offer Theodo$usthe alternative of peace or war.
Thesp~ecb: dfthe ambassador concluded with a'
spirited declamation,that although Maximus, as
a noman, and as ihe, tatber of his people, would
clioose:rather to employ his forces in the common
defence of the republic, he was armed and
pl'epftred, if his friendship should be rejected,
w;disPllte 'in 'afield of battle, the empire of the
world. ,;An imlll~diate and peremptory answer
was' -:requtred;b'Ut' it was extremely difficult
for ·1'heodbsJuS ·;to satisfy; on tbis important
occaSIon, 'either the feelings of his' own mind,
or" the expectations of the public. The iut-'
p~riou~ voiCe &f' honour and 'gratitudecan~d
alotid'fol~fe'ven'e.. From the,liberality of Gr.·
..
I
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tt
" ..\'" -r-mE DECLINE AND PALL
. CHAP. tian, he had received the imperial diadem: hi.
XXVII.-.
h \ d·10US SUspICIon,
. .
___
", patience wouId encourage teo
that he was more' deeply sensible of former
injuries, than of recent obligations; and if he
accepted the friendship, he must seem to share
. the guilt, of the assassin. Even the priuciples
of justice, and the interest of society, would receive a fatal blow from the impunity of Maximus: and the example of successful usurpation·
would tend to dissolve the artificial fabric of
government, and once more to replunge the
empire in the crimes and calamities of the preceding age. But, as the sentiments of gratitude
and honour should invariably regulate the conduct of an individual, they may be overbalanced
in the mind of a sovereign, by the sense of superior duties: and the maxims both of justice
and humanity must permit the escape of an
atrocious criminal, iran innocent people would
be involved in the consequences of his punishment. The assassin of Gratian had usurped,
but he actually possessed, the most warlike
provinces of the empire: the East was exhausted by the misfortunes, and even by the success,
of the Gothic war; and it was seriously to be
apprehended, that, after the vital strength of
the republic had been wasted in a doubtfnl and.
destrnctive contest, ·the feeble conqueror would
remain an easy prey to the barbarians· of the
North. These weighty considerations engaged·
Theodosius to dissemble his resentment, and to
accept the alliance of the ·tyrant. But he stipulated, that Maximus should content himself
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13
OF THE ROMAN EMPIU.·
'With .thppossession of the countries beyond the OBAP. I
Alps. The brother of Gratian was confirmed XXVII.'
and secured in the sovereignty of Italy, Africa, - and the Western Illyricum; and, some honourable conditions were inserted in the treaty, to
protect the Diemory, and the: laws, 'Of the deceased emperor.r According' to the'custom of
the age, the images of the three imperial colleagues were exhibited to the .veneration of the .
people: nor should it be lightly supposed, that, .
in the moment of a sQlemn reconciliation; Theodosius secretly' cherished the intention of perfidy and revenge."
~ ..
The contempt of Gratian for the Roman sol- Baptillll :.
Jiers had exposed him to the fatal effects
:~:
of their resentment. His profound veneration °df~beo011111,
for the Christian clergy was rewar-ded by theA. D.18O,
applause and gratitude of a powerful order, Feb. 28.
which has claimed, in every age, the privilege '
of dispensing honours, both on earth and in bea- :
ven.t The orthodox bishops bewailed his death, .
and their own irreparable loss.. ; but they were
soon comforted by the discovery, that Gratia.n·,
had committed the sceptre of the East to the··
hands of a prince, whose humble faith, and fervent zeal, were supported by the spirit and abi- '
lities ofa more vigorous character. Among the
d::
• Ambrole mention. tbe Ia.s of Gratian, 'luu non abropvit hostit..
(tom. ii, cpist. xvii, p . .821).
• ZoaiqlUs, 1. iv, p. 251,2112. We may disclaim hilOdiouliulpicioDS ;
Inlt we caunot r('jcct the treaty of peace whicb tbe friends of TbeodoliDS bave absolutely forgotten, or slightly mentioned.
t l'heir oracle, the archbishop of Milan, aSlip. to his pupil Gratio
lUI high and respectable place in hea...8, (tom. ii, de Obit. Val. Consol.
p.I191).
."
•
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1""
CHAP.
TIm DE~Llt\K AND FALLI
.
benefactorS of"the church, the tame Of.CODSclait.'
!~!~!: tine has· been rivalled. by the glory' of. Tbeodo:.
sius. "If . Constantine had .the . advantage of
erecting the standard of' the cross, the emula~
don of his successor assumed the merit of; subdUIng the Arian heresy, and of abolishing the'
worship of idol& in the Roman world. Theodosiu8 was, the first of the emperors baptised in
the true faith of the Trinity. Although he was
bom of a Christian family, the maxims~ or ~t
least the practice of the age, encouraged bim
to delay the ceremony of his initiation; till' he
was admonished of the danger of delay, by the
sedous illness which threatened his life, towards
the end of the first' year of his reign. . Before hi'
again took the field against the Goths, he re..
ceivedthe sacrament of baptism from Acholius, i
the orthodox bishop ofThessalonica;'I and, as the
emperor ascended from the holy font, still glowingwith the warm feelings of regeneration, he dictated a solemn "edict, which proclaimed his own
faith, and prescribed the religion of his subjects.
" It is our pleasure (such is tbe imperial style)
" that all the nations, which are governed by our
" clemency and moderation, should stedfastly
" adhere to the religion which was taught by St.
11
• For tile baptiam of Theodoaius lee Sosomen. (I. vii, e. 4);
Soeratea, (I. v, c. e). and Tillemont. (Hilt. del Emperenl'l, tom. v,
P. '128.
" A,eoliuI, or Aeholiu.; ~u honoured by the friendship, aad tb6
praises, of Ambrose; wllo style. him, mums fidei atque l&nctitatil,
(tom. ii, epiJt. xv, p. 820) i and after,wardl celebrates his speed and
dlU,enee in mUDing to CORltantinople, Italy. &e. (epiat, xvi. p. 8ft) l
• vfrtue "lIich doe. not IIppertaia eitber tg a INR, or a "w.op.
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14
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
Peter tQ the Romans; which faithful tradition CHAP. i
cc has preserved; and which is now professed by ,~~
cc the pontiff Damasus, and by Peter, bishop of
U Alexandria, a man of apostolic holiness.
Ac" cording to the discipline c-f the apostles, and
" :t4e doctrine of the gospel, let us belieVe t~e
U sole deity ,of the Father, the Son, and the
" Holy Ghost; under an equal majesty, and a
" pi()us Trinity. We authorise thefollowers of
" this doctrine to assume the title: of Catbolic
" Chri~tians~ -and as.we judge, lhafall others are
" e~tra:vagant madmen, we brand them with the
" infamous name of Heretics; an.d declare, that
" their conventicles, shall no JDJiger usurp tbe
" respeCtable a.ppellatiOll oC chrlrches. Besides'
" the condemnation of Divine j.UBtice, they must
" expect to suft'erthe severepen:alties~which. our
" atlthority, .guided by heavenly wisdom;. shall
" think proper to inflict upon them~''1' The faith
of a soldier iliJ commonl y the fruit of iDstruction,
rather than ofinquiry; butast4eemperoralways
,fixed his eyes on the visible land-marks oforthodoxy, .which he had so prudently co:nstituted,
: his r.eligious opinions were never aff'ected by the
specious texts, the subtle arguments, and the
ambiguous cr~eds of the Arian doctors. ' Once
indeed he expressed afaintincllnation to converse
with the eloquent and learned Eunomius, who
lived in retirement at a small distance ffom Conu
Codes. '1'beodOlo I.' x-ri, tit. i, leg. I, with Godelroy'l Commn.
Bath an edict deaened the wannest pmid
01 Baroninl, auream laactionem, .dictum pium et lI8lutare.-8ic U.
1
tar)', tom. Yi, p. 0.9.
ad utra.
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16
CHAP.
THE D£CLINE AND FALL'
.
stantinopJe.
But the dangerous interview was'
!~,~~~: prevented by the prayers of the empress Flac·
cilIa, who trembled for the salvation of her hu~'
band; and the mind ofTheodosius was confirmed
by a theological argument, adapted to the rudest· .
capacity. He had lately bestowed, on his eldest
son, Arcadius, the name and honours of Augustus; and the two princes were seated on a
stately throne to receive the homage of their
subjects. A bishop, Amphilochius of Iconium;
approached the throne, and after saluting, with'
due reverence, the person of his sovereign, he'
accosted the royal youth with the same familiar
tenderness, which he might have used towards
a plebeian child. Provoked by this insolent
behaviour, the monarch gave orders, that the
rustic priest should be instantly driven from his'
presence. But while the guards were forcing'
him to the door, the dexterous polemic had time
to execute his design, by exclaiming, with a loud
Yoice,-" Such is the treatment, 0 Emperor!
" which the King of Heaven has prepared for
" tqose impious men, who affect to worship the
" Father, bu~ refuse to acknowledge the equal
" majesty of his divine Son." Theodosius immediately embraced the bishop oflconium; and
never forgot the important lesson, which he had
received from this dr!UDatic parable.·
·Sozomen, I. vii, c. 6; Theodoret, I. v, c. 16. Tillemont is displeaa-ed (Mem. Ecclts. tom. vi, p. 621, 628) with the terms of" rustic bi.
shop," "obscure city." Yet I mUlt take leave to think, that both
Amphilochius and Iconium were objects of inconshlerable magnitude
ia the Roman empire.
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.11
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
'. Constantinople was the principal seat and (Of- eHA I'.
"
d' I
. t
I f r: ,XXVII.
tretiS 0 fA rlanISID; an ,m a ong 10 erva 0 lorty.".......
years: the faith ofthe princes and prelate!:!, who Arlani...
rei~ed in the capital o(the East, was rejected in ::.~:;,.
the purer schools of Rome and Alexandria. The ~I.e;,. 141archiepiscopal throne of Maced onius, which had 8SO.
, been polluted with so much Christian blood, was
successively filled by Eudoxusand Damophilus. '
Their diocese enjoyed a free importation oevice
and error'from every province of the empire; the
eager pursuit-ofreligious controversy afforded a
new occupation to the busy idleness of the me-,
tropolis ; aud we may credit the assertion of an
intelligent observer, who describes, with some
pleasantry, the effects of their loquacious zeal.
" This city," says he, "is (ull of mechanics and
" slaves, who are all of them profound theolo" gians; and preach in the shops, and, in the
" . streets. If you desire a man to change a piece
" of silver, he informs you, wherein the Son
" differs from the Father: if you ask the price
" of a loaf, you are told, :l>y way ofreply,Jhat
" the Son is inferior to the Father; and if you
" inquire whether the bath is ready, the answer
" is, that the Son was made out of nothing ".
• Sozomfn, I. "ii, c. 5. Socrates. I. v, c. 7. MareelUa. ill ebroa.
The account of forty yean mmt be dated from the elf'Ctioa or intrusion
of'Eusebiu.; who wi.elyexchanged tbe bi.bopric of Nicomedia for the
tbroue of Constautinople.
• See Jorlin's R~marb on Ecclesiaatieal History, 1'01. i". p. 7'1.
The tbirty-third Oration of Grfgory Nazianzen aWords indeed sOlae'
.imilar idea.. even lome Itill more ridiculoul; bot I have not yet (ouad
the: rtJOf'd. or this rfmarkahla pasaalC. ",~ieh I allf'ge ou tile faitb of'
correct and liberal IcbelaF.
:
.
VOL. V.
c
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....
'rHE DECLINE AND FALL
Theheretic[1!,.ofvarfousdenominatioris, subsisted
.
peace un der t h'
e protectIon
0 f' t he A'
nans 0 f
Constantinople; who endeavoured to secure the
attachment of those obscure sectaries;. while
·they abused, with unrelenting severity, the vic..
tory'which they had obtained over, the follow:era df the coUnCil of: Nice. .During the partial
reigns- of Constantius and Valens,' the feeble
remnant of the Homoousians was depriv~d of
the public and private exercise of their religion;
.and -it has been observed, in pathetic language,
that the scattered flock was left withc;mt a shep'herd to wander o~ the mountains, or to be d~
.voured by ·rapacious wolves.c But, as their
zeal, instead of being subdued, derived strength
and vigour from oppression, they sei~ed the first
JIlomeJ,lts of imperfect freedom, which they a~
qui red by the death of Valens, to form themselves into a regular congregation, under the
Gregory - conduct Qf an, episcopal pastor. Two natives
)luiBIIZtID of Cappadocia, Basil, and Gregory N azianzen,"
were_disting~ished above all their contemporari~s: by the .rare llnion of profane eloquence
CHAP.
XXVIL
•
......
_,.... lD
. ~ • See 'tile tbirty~.eeond O~tiou of Gregory Nazianzell, and the acCOUl!t, at hi, 0_ life, which he bu compoaed in 1800 iambic..
Yel
every' ph'Ylician i. prone to exaggerate the inveterate nature of the diaeaae which he hu cared.
d I' eCHitf'll myaelf deeply indehted to tbe tUlO lives of Grerory
Nuiaozea, ·cOJitpoaed, with very di/,ferent views, by Tillemoat, (Mem.
Becle•• tom. ix, p. 805~fIO, 682-781), and Le Clerc. (Bibliotheque
Vniverselle, tom. xviii, p, 1.128).
• Unle.. Gregory NaziBliun mi.took thirty years in IIi. own ase, lie
wu born, u wella. his friend Basil, about tbe year829. l'he prepoa.
terous chronology of Saidu hal been· graciously received; because i&
removel tbe Icanclal of Gregory's fatlier, a saiat likewise, begetting
ehildren, after he beeame a bi.hop. (l'ilIemoDt. l\iem. Eeeles. tom.
m" .....).
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QF.''mE.~~N AllD"~'
J~
~ -of. ortbod~.'J pi~ty~· .l'hEW$; or~'t ~~9 ~.n
might. sometimes b~ ~QD)D~r~,. \~J':~§1JlMM #~#_~~
iIId hJ the pu.blic, to ~eJl)9~t qel~br~.nf'~ .......
..
ancieat Greek$, W~e Jlni~ ~y.~e,#es~,~~
strictest ftiendlibip. .Tb~y;l.w.4 ~JJAAW~~~ ,~it4
equal ardb.ur, .the s~e ,Jjp~~!ll ~tw¥~iW,th~
senols at A~hens; they :h4d l"ei¥:f.9,; ~i~
equal dev~Qil,.to tb~ 'l!I~me s.olitu,gein ~!~
aerts,of PoJltUII.;.. and. ~v.el)y;.sPlK~. Qf ~~qp,
or envy,~ap~r~ .to -b.e :totally ex,ti~~1J.itf~ j~
the ho~y .and. :i.Ui"Q~S ~:t~~ of G:r~gQfIf. ~n4
Basil. ,But tbe"e~~tMion.,m~ll~iJ,
f~.~pri..;
Tate ,life to ,t.Iw..al'chj~pi~@p!f.I tbro),le qf C~ia~
fea, discQv~£e~'UlJh~ 'f~d, ilq~ .p~rJ\\lIP8. ~
himself, :tlmtPride!~~tW$i~~mr; l~iJ ~ ~r.st
{av,oW'· whiab ~: ~~.d.~~§~~~ to: :b~~toF "p
his friend ;was ;,!~iYml, ;Ml.Jl.·P~A~PS ;~as in..tended, .as ;Qi:;Cf:\le! il\sWtl . ~1Mt.fi~q i}f ,em plo~,.
log the: supeJ!i(tr .t~I~~i {)f ,Qrqgqr.y)n. ~1J:l8
useful .and ,~Qnapic1;lQus.!tttf~QD;,~be .~y'ghty
prelate .sek:~ed~ .ilIqQP.gtb,e, (lfty'· :bishoprics ~f
h.js extensive: .pr;ov.illc.e, .tAle
.f
!
lY.l'e~~~d
village
Greg,ory'. Poem on his own lire containt lome beautiful·liDes, (to..;
Dr p• .aj, .w~iclJ. buut fOJll.1Iwl
IUId lost frieDds4ip..
""rt, .!l: ....,.~
,thte ;~, of iqju~
•
• •• ~ ••••••' .......,: ""',,, ~O)'&'J
•
0,..0("'"'' ....... , ,"",,"IOC Il'ff;
, Nile .J", II ..,..., ......... •.••
.
is._-I&:cr&. II'II""",.I"~' :~,
Au,.., t.,..."
...t ..IIMuIc....~.
Dre_.
In the M idsllmmel' Night'•.
Bekaia••ddr.eIIe& the . e path..
tic'complaint tq JJer frien4,Jiem#'-Is allthe counscllbat we two lIave Ihared,
The lister'. ~o'ws" &cc.
Sbakespeare had never read thepoe.ms of Grt'goryNazianzen; be wu
~gnorant of the Greek language; bll,t bis mot!Jer-tollgur, the laD§lI8I.1t'
of aature, il the Hme ill Cappadocj~ and iu BI·itain.
,
(;2
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Tm: DECLIN& AND FALE.
CHAP. of Sasima,1 without water, without ,verduf8;
~~!:. witbout society,· situate at the junction of three
. highways, and frequented only by the incessant
passage of rude and clamorous waggoners.
Gregory submitted with reluctance to tbis hu..
miliating exile: he was ordained, bishop of Sa..
sima; but he solemnly protests, that, he never
consummated his spiritual· marriage with this
disgusting bride. He afterwards consented to
undertake the government o(his native. church.
of N azianzus, II of which his father ha<l been
bisbop above five and forty years. ,But as be
was still conscious, that b" deserved anotber
-Acce)!ta audience, and another theatre, he accepted;
• h no unworth y amb·ti
.
•the
ionmi'of . Wit
lon, t he honourahIe lD~~::nh- vitation, which was addressed to him from the
.~:~t!~ orthodox party of Constantinople. On his arrival in the capital, Gregory was entertained in
the' house of a pious and charitable kinsman;
the most spacious room was consecrated to the
uses of religious worship; and the name of
A1UUtaliawas chosen to express tbe resurrection
of tbe Nicene faitb. This private conventicle
was afterwards converted into a magnificent
church; and the credulity of the succeeding age
20
I Thil unfa,ollrable portrait of Suima iI clrawa by Grepl"J Nuianzen, (tom. ii, de VitA au" p. 7', 8). Ita preciae aitution forty-nine
milea from Arcbilais, and thirty-two from Tyana, ia bed in the Itinetary of Antoniool, (p. 1(4. edit. Weaaeling).
II 1'he name of Nuianzollw been immortalized by Gregory; but IIi,
nati.. town, under the Greek or Roman title of Diocelarea, (Tillemout, Mem. Eccles. tom. ix, p. 692), is mentioued by Pliny, (vi, I).
Ptolemy, and Hierocle.; (Itinerar. Weaseling, p. 109). It appran to
lIave been litoate 011 the ed,e of Ilauria.
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~1
.01' THI! BOHAN DlPIB.L
was prepared to believe the miracles and visions,
CHAP.
· h attested t he presence, or at· IE:ast t he pro- ...
XXVII
.w hIC.
".,,,••
.tection, of the Mother of God" The pulpit of
the Anastasia was the scene of the labours and
:triumphs of Gregory Nazianzen; and, in the
space of two years, he experienced all the spiritual adventures which constitute the prospe.
rous 01' adverse fortunes of a missionary.k . The
.Arians, who were provoked by the boldness of
his enterprise, represented his doctl'ine, as if he
had preached three distinct and eq ual Deities;
and the devout populace was excited to suppress, by violence aud tumult, the irregular assemblies of the Anthanasian heretics •. From
the cathedral of St. Sophia, there issued a motley crowd "of common beggars, who had for" feited their claim to pity; of monks, who had
" the appearance of goats or satyrs; and of
" women, more terlible than so many Jezebels."
The doors of th~ Anastasia were broke open;
much mischief was perpetrated, or attempted,
with sticks, stones, and firebrands; and as a
man lost his life in the affray, Gregory, who
was summoned the next morning before the
magistrate, had the satisfaction of supposing,
that he publicly confessed the name of Christ.
After he was delivered from the fear and danger of a foreign enemy, his infant church was
See Doeangt, Constant. Chriatiaoa, I. iv, p. 141, 1~ The ....
of Sozomen (I! vii, c. 6) is interpreted to mean the Virgiu
Mary•
.. Tillemont (l\lem. Eeclt'l. tom. ix, ,. 432, eke.) diligently collect.,
talarge., od explains, the oratorical anll poetical Ilillls of Grego".
llimlelf.
I
~¥IC
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21
TH£ ·1>£ct.INt A.Nn )'ALt.
t:1iAP. disgraced and' distracted by inte8t~ne fatooft .
. :r:~~~~:,A stranger,
who assumed the name of r.t~axtthe cloak of a Cynic philosopher, insinuated himselfinto the confidence of Gregory;
deceived and abused his favourable opinion;
and forniing a secret connection with some
bishops of Egypt, attempted, by a cbmdestil1e
ordination, to supplant his patron in the' episcopal seat of Constantinople. These mortifications might sometimes tempt tile Cappadocian
missionary to regret his obscure solitude. But
his fatigues were rewarded by the daily increase
of his fame and his congregat~on; and he enjoyed the pleasure of 'obserl'ing, that the greater
partM ~is nu))]erolls'~udience retired from his
se'rtn'Olls, sitisfied with the eloquence of the
preacber, m 0'1 dissatis&ed~ with the manifold imperfeCtions 'of their faith a'li'd practice.a
Ruin of
TIre Catliolics of Constantinople were aniArianilm
at CI!D- inatedwlth joyful confidence by the baptism
ItanUnllo
d·
d' h
. Iy
pic,
an d ed'IC't 0 fTL••eoosIUs;
ant
ey 'Impatient
Ne~: :o~, w~ited the effects of his gracious promise.
Their hopes were speedily a'ccomplished; and
the et':lpetor; as S0011 as he had. finished the
operations of the canlpaign, mad~ his public
111US,t' and
I He pron6il11ced an oration (tom. i, erato xxiii, p. 409) in bil prai.t;
but after their quarrel, the nallle of Maximlll was changt!d into that of
ReroD, (aee Jlol'DIb. tom. :~. in 'Catalog. Script. Keeles. p. 301) I tOllck
llighd,. on these ubscure and personal squabbles.
..
• Under the modest filiblem of a dream, Grfgory (tom. ii, c;rmen
ix, p. 18) describe. his own SIICCt!SS with some human compJal'cncy.
Yet it should aeem, from his familiar ('ouverslltion with hil auditor St.
Jerom. (tom. i, Epiat. ad NepQtiau. I" U), that the prcacller IIl1derItood tbe true nine of popular applalllr.
• Lachrymae auditurum lalldes tllae lint, is the lively al.'d judicio...
advice of St. Jcrom.
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~try:inJ.o. tJt~ capi~l
at the head of ~ vic~l'i.. CHAP.
·n~~ d~y after his arrival, h~,~~:..~~...
• ~1Il0~~ ;Daplophilu8 tq his presence;' and
.
~~d that Ari'J.n Pfelate the hard alternative
Of 8~bscribing tbe .Nicene cr~ed, or of instantly
~jgniDg~ to the orthodox b~lieve,rs, the use and
~~s!on of the episcopal. palace, the cathedr~}..of 8t. Sophia. and all the churches of Constantinople. The zeal of pamophilus,. which
jp. a :c~tpolic saint would have been jnstly applauded, embraced, without hesitation, a life of
poverty and e,xile,o and his removal was i~mediately followed by the purification of the imperial city. The Arians might complain, with
some appearance of justice, that an inconsider- .
able congregation of sectaries should usurp the
..}undred churches, wh.ich they were insufficient
to fill; whilst the far greater part of the people
was cruelly excluded from every place of religions worship. Theodosius was still inexorable; but as the angels who protected the catholic cause, were only visible to the eyes of faith,
h~ prudently reinforced those heavenly legions,
with the more effectual aid of temporal and carnal weapons: and the church ofSt. Sophia was
occupied by a large body ofthe imperial guards:
If the mind of Gregory was susceptible of
pride, he must have felt a very lively satisfaction, when the emperor conducted him through
the streets in solemn triumph; and, with his
.U8_ a~y. . ~he
o Soeratea (I. ". e. 1), and SOlomeD, (I. viis e. Ii), relate tbe evangelical words and actions of Damophilllli witbont a word of .pprobatiOll.
He considered, aay. Socratea, tbat it ia difficult to reM tlte powerful.
but it ~a cay, ud would ban been profitable, to tuhIiI.
c4
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THB DBCI.INB ANDFALL\
CHAP.
own hand~ respectfully pi aced 'hini on the ath··
' .' Ie B uC
lepulcopaI t hrone 0 f e
onstantinop.
th~ saint (who had not subdued the imperfec..
tions of human virtue) ,vas deeply affected by
the mortifying consideration, that his entrance
into the fold was that of a wolf, rather than
of a shepherd: that the glittering arms, which
surrounded his person, were necessary for his
safety; and that he alone was the object ot tlie
imprecations of a great party, whom, as men
and citizens, it was impossible for him to deApise. He beheld the innumerable multitude
of either sex, .and of every age, who crowded
the streets, the windowliI,and the roofs of the
houses; he heard the tumultuous voice of rage,
grief, astonishment, and despair; and Gregory
fairly confesses, that on the memorable day or
his installation, the capital of the East wore the
appearance of a city taken by storm, and in
the hands ot a barbarian conqueTor.p About
six weeks afterwards, Theodosins declared his
resolution of expelling from all the churches or
his dominions, the, bishops and their clergy,
who should obstinately refuse to believe,or at
lenst to proft ss, the doctrine of the council of
Nice. Hili lieutenant Sapor was arnled with'
the ample powers of a general law, a speciai
.commilsion, and a military force;q and this ec-
;xxvu.
. _• .., C
ID the
~;.
181
'aD. 10.
I
, See Gregory Nazianzrn, tom. ii, de Vitalu1, p. 21, 22. For tbe
lake of pOlterity, tlte bi,hop of Constantinople nc:ords a stupendou,
proeli,y, In tbe month of NOVl.'mber, it was a cloudy morning, bllt
tbe IIID broke fortb, wben tbe procesllon entered the ehllrela.
q Of the three recle8iastical historians. TbrodorC't alone (I. Y.
2).
has meotioDt'd lhil important cODlmissioD or Sapor, whicb 1'i11emonl
(Hist. del EmperclIrI, tom. v, p. 728) judieiou5Jy removes from th4I
rei,D of (iratiaD, to tbal of'1'bcodo!igl.
c.
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!.S'
OF THE ROMAN DlPIR'R~'
clesiastical revol,u~n was conducted with 80 CHAP.
much discretion ~dvigour, that the religion o(.~~~:~.
the' emperor was,esfablis~ed, without tumult or
bloodshed, in an,th~ provinces of the East. The
writings of the Arians, if, they had been per.
mitted to exist, r would perhaps contain the lamentable story oUbe persecution, which aftlicted the church under the reign of the impious
Theodosiu8; and the sufferings of ,Aeir holy
confessors ,m~ght claim the pity of the disinterested reader. Yet there is reason to imagine,
that the violence of zeal and revenge was, in some
measure, eluded by the want of resistence; and
that, ill their adversity, the Arians dIsplayed'
much less finn ness, than had b~n exerted by the
orthodox party under the reign ofConstantius
and Valens. The inoral character and conduct
of t~e hostile sects appear to have been governed by the same common principles of nature and
religion; but a very material circumstance may
be discovered, which tended to distinguish the
degrees of their theologicallaith. Both parties,
in the schools, as; well as in the temples, acknowledged and worshipped the divine majesty
of Christ; and, as weare always prOne to impute our, own sentimen~ and passions to the
Deity, it would be deemed more prudent and
respectful to exaggerate, than to circumscribe,
the ad~rable perfections of the Son of God. The
disciple of Athanasius exulted in the proud confidence, that he had entitled himselfto the divine
r I do not reckon PbilOitorgiol, tbough he mentions (I. Ix, c. It) die
n polaion of namopbilOlo The EuoomiaD hiatorian baa been caref.ur
.traioed tbroo,l~ ao orthodox line.
'
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t6
TtIZ' DECLIME AliD FALL
f'aTour; while the follower of Ariul m,ust haye
secret apprehe'
nSlon, that
he was guilty~ perhaps of an,unpard~nab}e
offence, by the scanty p~e, 8;rid 'parsimonious'
hODours, which he hestOwedon the Judge of the
World. The opini()Ds of Arianism might satisfy
a cold and'speculative mind 1,but the doctrine of
the Nicene Creed, most powerfully recommended by the merits of faith 'and devotion, was
much better adapted to become popular and
successful in a belie~ing age.
'
The COUll- ' The hope that truth and wisdom would be
~:!.:~:'Do found in the assemblies of ihe orthodoxc1ergy,
pie, .... ioduced the emperor to c01i\'ene, at Constanti..
A.D ......,
•
Mal'
nopIe, a synod of one hundred and fifty bishops,
who proceeded, :without much difficulty or deJay, to complete the theological system which
had been established in the council of: Nice.
The vehement d~putes of the fourth century
had been cliiefiy employed on the nature of the
Son of Go.d; ad:the various opinions, which
were em'bmced ooocemiilg the Ser:O'II.d, were ex~tended and translerred,:byanatural analogy,to
t 8&R;m th~ Trinity."
the TAird,
Yet it was
found, or it W;8.S UlOBgbt, necessary, by the vi('torious adversario&.()f Arianism, to explain the
CHAP.
x,x:,'U•• been tormente
'
, d, bythe
___
pet
.,._t
" I.e Clerc lias give. a curlo.s .
(Bibliotheqne Unl'~rtelle,
, tQm. xviii, p. 91·IOS) Qf t,",theological srrmons wbicb Grtg0"1
Nazianzen pronounced at Constantinople against tbe Arians, Eunomians, Mae.,donians, "c. He tells the HaeedoDians, wllo deified tbe
Fatber aod tbe Son, "itllont the Holy Gho.t, tbat tht'y migbt u
"'I'll be styled 1Htluista as Ditl&eiBt.. Greg9ry bimself wal almolt a
Trilhl'i,t j and his DlIlDareby of beaven reaembles a well-regulated
.,iatocrac),.
"
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11
of 'tilE ROMAN I!HPIRP..
Am'iguouslangnage of some respectable doc- CHAP. ,
t~ faitli of the catholics; a.'nd' XXVII.
to ~b.demn an Unpopular and inconsistent sect .#u....,m
of; Ma.cedonians ; who.freelyadmitted that tlie
Soil· Was ~onsubstantial to the Father, while
fIley were fearful of seeming to acknowledge'
tJi~ exisience of 'Pliru Gods. A final anel UDa.. ,
nimous sentence,was pronounced to ratify the
equal Deity of the Holy Ghost; the mysterious,
doctrine has been received. by all the nations,
and all the churches, of the Christian WOl'ld;
and their gr8tefaheverence h~ assigned to:the
bishops of Theodosius, the seoondrank among
the general c6uncils.t Their knowledge of religious tnith may baTe been preserved by tra..
ditro"n, 'or it may have been communicated by
Inspiration; but the SGber evidence of history
Will not allow much weight 10 the personal authority dt the Fathers -of Constantinople. In an
~;w:hen the ecclesiastieg had scandalousiy.cJegenerated 'ftom ttie'mod~l of apQstotical purity,
the niost worthless and corrwpt were always the.
motif; eager to frequent, and disturb, the episc~
pal :a'ssemblies. :~ The c€)nttict and fermentation
of so many opposite interests and tempers inflamed the paisioD8 of the bisbops: and their
ruling passions were, the love of gold, and the
love of dispute. Many of the same prelates
who now applauded the orthodox piety of
Theodosius, had repeatedly changed, with. pru-
WtJ ;: :t() confirm
t The first general council of Conatantiaople now triomphs in 'the
Vatican; but the popea had long heaitated. and their hesitation perplexea. and almost stBilen, the bumble TillemoDt (Mem. ~cclea. tOlD.
~. P 499. $ 0 0 ) . , '
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18
THE DECLINE AND FALL'
CHAP. dent flexibility, their creeds and opinions; and
-,~~~~..in the various revolutions of the church and
state, the religion of their sovereign was the rule
of their obsequious faith. When the emperor
suspended his prevailing inHuence,. the turbu-,
lent synod was blindly impelled, by the absurd.
or selfish motives of pride, hatred, and resentment. The death of Meletius, which happened at the council of Constantinople, presented.
the most favourable opportunity oftern,inating:
the schism of Antioch, by !!IuWering ,his ag~d;
rival, Pauliuus, peaceably to' end his days in·
ttae episcopal chair. The faith and virtues of
Palllinus were unblemished. But his cause was
supported by the··Western churches; aud the
bishops of the synod resolved to perpetuate t~
mischiefs of discord, by the hasty ordination of
a perjured candidate," rather than to betray the
imagined dignity of the East, which had been,
illustrated by the birth and death ofthe Son of
God. S.uch unjust and disorderly proc~dings
forced the gravest members of the assembly to
dissent and to secede; and the clamorous majority, . which remained masters pf the field of
battle,could be compared only towasps or magpies, to a Hight of cranes or to a Hock of geese."
a Before the death of Maletius, six or eight of his moat popular ecclesiastics, amoog whom was Flaviao, had abjured, for the sake of.peaee,
tbe bishopric of Antioch, (Sozomen, I. vii, c. 3, 11 ; Socrates, l. v, c. 5).
TiUemont.thinki it his dDly to disbelieve the story; but he 0'''08 tilltt
there are many circnmstanccs in the life of Flavian, w.bich seem ineOlllistent with the praises of Chrysoltom" and the character :If a saillt,
(Mem. Ecclel. tom. x, p. 6(1). :
K Consult Gregory Namanzen" de Vif& lol, tom. ii, \l 25·28.
His'
,eneral and particular OpiniOIl of the clergy and their aaaemblies .may be
ICeD .
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-:
..... .
or TBB ItOIiAN DlPlJm.:
•
A sUflpicionmay possibly arise, that 10 'Gilra. CRAP.
'Yourable a picture of ecclesiastical synods has ..~
been drawn by the partial hand of some obsti~ Retreator
nate heretic, or some malicious infidel. But
the nam~ o~ the si~cere historian,who has con- ~~. 181.
veyed thIS lDstruchve lesson to the knowledge
of posterity, must silence the impotent murmurs
of superstition and bigotry. He was one of the
most pious and eloquent bishops of the age; a
saint and a doctor of the church; the scourge
ofArianism, and the pillar of the orthodox faith;
a distinguished member of the council of Con..:
stantinople, in which, after the death of Meletius, he exercised the functions of president: in
a word-Gregory Nazianzen himself. The
harsh and ungenerous treatment which he experienced,J instead of derogating from the truth
of his evidence, affords an additional proof of
the spirit which actuated the deliberations of
the synod. Their unanimous suffrage had confirmed the pretensions which the bishop of Con~
stantinople derived from the choice of the
people, and the approbation of the emperor.
But Gregory soon became the victim of ~alice
and envy. The bishops of the East, his strenuous adherents, provoked by his moderation
::::..'!
iD Tene and prose, (tom,. i, orat. i, p. 83, epiat. .\', p. 814; tom.
ii, earmen s, p. 81). Such puaagel are faiJlt1, marked b, 1'illemont
aad f.irl, prodDeed b, I.e Clerc.
'I See Grtgory, tom. ii, de Vitfl IUl, p. 28·81. The f01lrtuntb,
twentY-lennth, and thirtY·lecond oratioua were pronoDnced iD th,,_
_eYera) Itagea of thil bOlline... 'I'he peroration of t)Je lut, (tom. i,
p. 528), in which betakel a lolemn leave of men and ancell, the city
IIIICI the emperor, the East and the Weat, &e. it padietic. and aImoI&
••bUme.
ReD
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THE DIICLINE AND MLL
iii, t8e aflBirs of Antioch, aba,ndQDed him, ·with
~~~. out sUpport, to the ~dverse .fa.etion ~Uhe Er~..
, tians; -who disputed the validity of biil ~lectjon~
and rigorously asserted the ob$a;lete-caJl()n~ t.b...t.
prohibited the -licentious practice' of ~cop~l
translations. The pride, or the . humility, -of
Gregory, prompted bim to. decline a, cOQ.~t
which might have be~n imputed to ambition ~nd
avarice; and he publicly offered. not without
some mixture of indignation, to renounce the
government of a church, which had been restated, and almost' created, by his labours.
IDs resignation was accepted by the synod~ and
by the emperor, with more r~adiness tb~, he
seems t9 have expected. At the time w4enhe
JIlight have hoped to enjoy the fruits of his vi(}<
tory, his episcopal throne was filled by the Bebator N ectarius; and the new archbi$op, acoidentally recommended by his easy temper and
YeBe~leaspect, was obliged to d,elaythe cere.
mony: of his consecration, till he bad previo,u~
ly dispatched the rites _of 4is bapti~" After
this remarkable experience of the ingr~titU'de of
pdnces.and prelates, Gregory retired ()n~e more
to,his:..obscure solitude of Cappadocia; where
he e~ployed the remainder of his life, about
eight years, in the exercises of poetry and devotion. The title of saint has been added to
. CHAP.
: • Tbe 'wbimllical ordination. of Nectarius i. attested by S~"eII,
(I. Yii, c. 8); but TIllemont obsenes, (Mem. Eeclea. tom. is, p. TIg),
Aprea tout, ee Darr~ de Sozomeue eat si bODteuX pour-toul ceux4a!i1J'
..ftc, el Illrtout pour Tbeodole, qu'il vaal ..ieux tl'uailler .Ie detruire,
Ie ....tepir; an, pcimirable CaDon of criticism. ,
.a'.
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31
OF THI! ltOBAN DfPIR~
hi. name; but the tenderness>of:his heart: and
CHAP.
.
_JII'
XXVII.
· geOlU8,
the e1egaoce 0 f ' hIS
rt:Uoot
a- more p-Iea- ____
..-,
Bing lustre on toe memory 'of -Gregory Nazi.anzen.
It was not enough that Theodosius had -SB~ Edicts or
. 'I ent .reIgn
. a fArl'
pressed t he IOSO
amsm, or .t hat TheodoBius againat
he had abundaritlyrevengedthe'injuries ~hich,:::,bert'.
the catholics sustained
from -the zeal-of GonA.. D. 380.
,
194
stantiusand Valens. ,The orthodo« ·emperor .
considered every heretic as a ;rebel agains,t, the
supreme powers Of heaTen, and of earth; and
each of those powers might -exemse thW peeu-liar jurisdiction over' the 80ul and body -of the
guilty. The decrees of the cOJ:ln~il of COBstan~
. tinople bad ascertaiDed ·the true standard of the
ilith; and the ecclesiastics, ·wbo 'g-ovemed t&e,
conscience of Theodosius,. sugge~ted the~t .
effectual methods of persecution. In: the,spac~
of. fifteen years,: ·he proinulgated at· least fif~ ,
severe emCfa ~aanst the· heretics; b more ,especi•.
ally ag~inst-those wlw-rejected the,doctl'i,e qf.
the Trinity; andto deprive t\lem of every h~pe,
of escape, he sternly enacted, that if any laws, '
or rescripts, should be alleged in their favour, the
judges should consider t.llem as the illegal. productions either,,-of fraud, or forgery. The penal statutes were directed against'the wi,nisters,
the assemblies, :8.nd the.per~ns,.(j)f the bereti~s;
and the Pll$SjOD ~ .thel~gj5Jat0r wepe expl'essed
.
-
-I can' only 'be: midmtood to' mean, that'IUeb was his- natul'lll
~emper; wben i.t, was .•et 'Iiardenea, or induenced, by religions 1IeII1.
From hi, retirement, he exhorts Nectarine to prosecute the beretics of
Constantinople.
_
" Set! the Theodosian ,CGde, I.xyi, tit. v, 181;6.28, with Godefroy" _
Commentary, on eaeli law, alld ,hiB general awumlU')', on PfllVlitw.,
tolD vi, p. l04.·II{l
-
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31
CHAP.
THE DECLINE AND FALL
in the language of declamation aud invective.
!~~~" I. The heretical teachers, who usurped the sa~
cred titles of Bishops, or Presbyters, were not
only excluded from the privileges and emoluments so liberally granted to the orthodoxclergy, but they were exposed to the heavy penalties of exile ;uid confiscation, if they presumed
to pl'each,the'doctrine, or to practise the vites,
of their accursed sects. 'A fine 'of ten pounds of
gold (above four hundred pounds sterIing)was
imposed; on every person who should dare to
confer, Dr recerve, 'or promote, an heretical ordination: and it was reasonably expected, that,if
the race of pastors could be extinguished, their
helpless flocks would be compelled; by' ignorance and hunger, to return within the'pale of the
catholic church. II. The 'rigorous prohibition
of conventicles was carefully extended to every
possible circumstance, in whicl,1 the heretics
could assemble with the intention of worshipping' God and· Christ according to the dictates
of their·conscience. Their religious meetings,
whether public' or secret. by day, or by flight, in
cities or in the country, were equally prescribed
by the edicts of Theodosius; and the building
or ground, which had been used for that illegal
purpose, was forfeited to the imperial domain.
III. It was supposed, that the error oCthe heretics could proceed only from the obstinate tem- .
per of their minds; and that such a,. temper was
a fit object of censure and punishment~ Theanathemas of the church were fortified by a sort.of
civil excommunication; which separated them
from their fellow-citizens. by a peculiar brand of
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:IS
Of THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
infamy; anil this declaration of the supreme ma- CHA·P.
gistrate tended to-jastify, or at least to excuse,.~:~.
the insults of a fanatic populace. The sectaries
'Were graduallr disqualified for the possession
E)fhonourable, or lucrative, employments; and
Theodosius was satisfied with his own justice;!
when he decreed, that as :the EUDomians dig..;
tinguished the nature of the son from that of the
father, they· should be incapable of making their:
_ wills, or of receiving any advantage from tes~
mentary donations. The guilt of the Mani-.
chrean heresy was esteemed of such "IIlagnitud~
that it could be expiated only by the death.
of the offende~; and the same capital punisJI-.
ment was inflicted on the Audians, or Qllarttr '
dBcimanl,· who should dare to perpetrate the
atrocious crime, of celebrating, on an improper:
day, the festival of Easter. Every Roman ~ight:
exercise the right of public accukation; but the
office of Inquisitors of the Fai~ a name so de..
servedly abhorred, was first instituted 'under
the reign of Theodosius. Yet we are assured
that the execution of his penal edicts was seldom enforced; and that the pious emperor appeared less desirous to punish, than to reolaim,
or terrify, his refractory subjects.·
The theory of persecu tion was established by ExeentiOD
· W h"
'
h ave. beeuianandhie
OfPri8CillTh eo d'OSlUS,
ose JUS t'Ice andpIety
aplllauded by the saints; but the practice of it; '~~::i:~
• They always bpt their Easter, like tbe Jewish Passover.. on .the
foarteenthday.of the fint moon after the vernal eqllinox; and thas per.
tinaciou81y opposed the Roman church and Nicene synod, which had
Ji:«tl Ea.tcr to a Sanday. Billgham's Antiquities, I. xx, c, 5, \'01. ii,
~~M~.
.
• Sozomeo, 1. vii, c. 12.
VOL. V.
D
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M
THE DECLINE AIID ..AU.
(mAP. in the fullest extent, was reserved (or his rival
and colleague, M.aximus, tile first among the
- , - -Christian princ~li. who shed the blood of' his
Christian subjects, Qn account of their religious
0plDIODIil. The caus.e of the friscillianists,· a
recent sect of her.etics, who disturbed the provinces of Spain, was transferred, by appeal,
from the synod. of Bourdeaux to the imperial
eonaistory of Treves; and by the sentence of
the pretorian prefect, seven pe1'8onS were tortured, condemned, and executed. The tirst of
these was Eriscillian f himselt: bishop of Avila,'
in Spain; who adorned the advantages of birth
and fortune, by the accomplishments of eloquence and learning. Two presbyters, and two
deacons, accompanied their beloved master in
his death, which they esteemed as a gloriOUI
martyrdom; and the number of religious victims was completed by the execution of LatroDian, a pod, who rivalled the fame of the ancients; ad of Euchrocia, a noble matron of
Bourdeaux, the widow of the orator Delph~
XXVII.
,.
• • See tJ,e s.c~ Batory of SnlpiciUl Seyer'll. (1. ii, p. 431-452, edit.
Lugd. Bat. 1~1), a correct aod origioal writtr. Dr. Lardoer (CredibOity, are. part ii, vel. ix. p. 25(0160) haa laboored thia article, with
pure leamiDg, ,ood selli~, and moderatieD. TiUemoDt, (Melli. Ecele••
toOL lIiii. p. 491-527) baa raked together all the dirt of the fathera: an
Ultfal leaveoger!
, &everUi Sulpiciu meDtioDa the areh-heretic with ..teem and pity.
Flllix profecto, ,I DOD pravo ,tndio corrnmpillet optimum logeoium:
prorlnl molta in eo aoimi et eorpori. bODa ctroerel, (Htat, SIICra. L ii,
p. 439). Eveo JerolR (tom. i, iD Script. Beel... p. 102) 8pe~1 with\.
temper of Pri.eilliau and LatrooiaD •
. 1 The bl.bopric (10 old Caetile) is DOW worth 20,000 ducats a year.
(Buachlo(l Geography, voL ii, p. 808); aDd ii, thtrefOrt, lRuclileB
.....,. to produce the author of. Dew here.y.
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II
OP THE ROHAN EMPIRE;
CUI.' Two bishops, who had· embraced th6
mAP.
entimenUi of Prilcillian, were condemned to a ~x~~
.Uatant and dreary exile;1 and some indulgence
shewn to the meaner criminals, who assumed the merit ofaaea.ly repentance. If any credit· COltld be- allowed to -cimkssions extorted by
ihar or pain, and to v~ reports, the oJrspring
of malice and credulity, the Ileresy -of the PrileiDiauista would 'be fomd to include the various
abominatiou of magic, of impiety, and of lewd·
ResS." Prisci1lian, who wandered about the
world in the company of his spiritual sisters,
was accused of praying stark-naked in the midst
ef the congregation;. and it was confidently asseried, that the-effects ofbis criminal intercoutse
with the daughter of Euehrocia, had been supprened, by means shU mGre odious and crimi/
nal. But aJl, accurate, or rather a caDdid, in.«i_iry, will diseGver, that if the Pri8ei1lianists
violated the-laws of Ilature,.· it was not by theUCeatiousness, but by the austerity, of their
lives.. They absolutely condemned the use of
tlte marriag.&-bed; and the peace of families "'as
~n disturbed by indiscreet separations... They
~oined, or recornmeI1ded-l a total absti&e&ee
.as
• IbprobabatDr mulieri yidUI8 DimiareJilio, et dili,Jntius cola djyi.
loch wu the idea ofah1lDlaD,
~.. i,lIOfaut, Pol)labellt.
1 OIIe df tlaem was sent in SylliDIJR imolam qua uIba BritaDDliua
est. What must have been the ancient condition of the rocka of !sicily f
«('.mden's Britannia, vol. ii, p. lIi19).
• Tile scandaloos calumnies of Au,ustin, Pope Leo, &c. which TiII _ t 'wallows like a child, and LardNer refNtel like a man,ma:r1ucpat lome candid • .,piciou. in fa.ollf of the older GDOIltic••
Di~ (Pa~at. in Panegyr. Vet. xi'i,29).
Di-
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38
THE DECUNK AND'FALI,;
CHAP. from all animal food; and their continual prayXXVII.
"1S,lDCU
.
Icateda' ru1
......,.._.. er3, fiasts, an d Vlgl
e 0fst '
net
and perfect devotion. . The speculative tenets
oftlle sect, concerning the person of Christ, and .
the nature of the human soul, were derived from
the Gnostic and Manichrean system; and this
vain philosophy, which had been transported
from Egypt to Spain" was ill adapted to the
grosser spirits of the West. The obscure disciples of PrisciUian suffered, languished~ ana'
gradually disappeared: his tenets were rejectai
ed by the clergy and people; but his death wa
the subject 'of a long and vehement controver
sy; while some arraigned, and others applauded, the justice of his sentence. It is with plea-:
sure that we can ol?serve the humane inconsitteney of the most illustrious saints and bishops,
Ambrose of Milan,l and Martin of Tours ;M who"
on this occasion, asserted the cause of tole~
tion. They pitied the unhappy man, who had
been executed at Treves; they refused to hold
communication with their episcopal murderers;
and if Martin deviated from that generous resolution, his motives were laudable~ and his
repentance was exemplary. The pishops of
Tours and Milan pronounced, without hesitation, the eternal damnation of heretics; but
they were surprised. and shocked, by the bloody
image of their temporal death, and the honest
Ambroa. tom. ii, epist. xxiv, p. ~91.
In tbesacred History, and the life of St. Martin, SulI'iciuI Severna
..lei some caution; but he declares himnlf more freely in the Dialopel, (iii, IIi). Hartin was rep~ved, however, by his OWD conacieace,
and by an angel; Dor could be afterwards perform miracles willi ..
I
m
alicia eue.
-
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31
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
feelings of nature resisted the artificial preju- CHAP
dices of theology. The humanity of Ambrose,~:,~~~;#
and Martin was confirmed by the scandalous
irregularity of the proceedings against Pritlcillian, and his adherents. The civil and ecclesiastical ministers had transgressed the limits
of their respective provinces. The secular
judge had presumed to receive \l,n appeal, and
to pronounce a definitive sentence, in a matter
offaith and episcopal jurisdiction. The bishops
had disgraced themselves, by exercising the
function of accusers in a criminal prosecution.
The cruelty of Ithacius: who beheld the torturtls, and solicited the death, of the heretics,
provoked the just indignation of mankind; and
the vices of that proBigate bishop were admitted
as a proof, that his zeal was instigated by the
sordid motives of interest. Since the death of
Priscillian, the rude attempts of persecution
have been refined and methodised in the holy
office, which assigns their distinct parts to the
ecclesiastical and secular powers. The devoted
victim is regularly delivered by the priest to
the magistrate, and by the magistrate to the
executioner: and the inexorable sentence of the
church, which declares the spiritual guilt ofthe
offender, is expressed in the mild language of
pity and intercession.
.
Among .the ecclesiastics, who illustrated the A..broae .,
reign of Theodosius, Gregory N azianzen was :c~~e'
distinguished by the talents of an eloquent A. D. 1'4,.
J
.
,
187.
• Tile catholic presbyter, (Salp. Sever. I. ii, p. "8), and the pagan
orator, (PacaL in PaDegyr. Vet. xii,lII), I'f'probate with eqlJal indipao
lion, the Clbarac:ter aDd couduct of Itlaacina.
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38
TIlE DECLlNB AND FALL
CHAP. preaclaer; the rep.tation of miraculous gift8
XXVII. added weJgut
. L. aDJgD.l
d d' 'ty t 0 the monastic
..
.,.",_,,,,
VIr-'
tues of Martin of Tours;'" but the palm of epi;.
scopal vigour and ability was justly claimed by
the intrepid AmMoae,P He was descended
, from a noble family of Romans; his father had
exercised the important office of pretorian pre.'
feet of' Gaul; and the son, after passing through
the studies of a liberal education, attained, in,
the regular gradation of civil honours, the station of consula.'r of Liguria, a province which included the iQJperial residence of Milan. At the'
age of thirtyp(our, and before he had received
the sacrament of baptism, Ambrose, to bis own·
surprise, and to that of the w.()pld~ was suddenIy transformed frpm a gOl'emor t() an archbishop
Without the l~st miItnre, as it is said, of art or
. intrigue, the whole bady ef the people unanimously saluted him with the episcopal title; the
concord and persevera'nc~ of their acclamations'
were ascribed to a preternatural impulse; and
the reluctant mag1strate was compelled to undertake a spirituaJ office for which he was Dot prepared by the habits and occupations of his
formel' life. But the active (orce of his genius
n..
"uti"
,0
lire f)I se.
,ad the D~lop.e. coneemia. laiJ mira·
cles, conhlio facta adapted to tbe grossest barbarism, in '. Ityle Dot
ooworlby of the Aogusl'ao age. So oataral i. the alliance lIetwee.
c094 taslC! loll II1A4 8flIIl', tbq JIll "wa18 ,.,0Dilbed by ~it eo8ttalt.
, Tbe .bol,t aDd luperficiallile of 81. "mbrole, by bl. deacon ~••
Jilltl., (Appendi~ ad f1Ii£t. Benediqt. p. i'J'), bpa
merit of GrIp·
lIal nideoce. Tillemoot, (Mem. Eccln. tom. x, p. 180806), aotl
the Beoediclille editofl, (p. lIIx_I-1I1iii), ban laboured wjth their .....
r
t_.
tlUi.cuee.
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,
01' THR KOMAN EIrlPIIlB.'
•
soon qualified hini to exercise, With zeal and CHAP.
' eccI"
. ......
XXVII.
prud ence, the d utie8 0 f hIS
eSlaSt1caI'J url8_ .... _
diction; and, while he cheerfully renounced the
vain and splendid trappings of temporal greatness, he condescended , for the good of the church,
to direct the conscience of the emperors, and to
contronl the administration of the empire. Gratian loved and revered him as a father; and tbe
elaborate treatise on the faith of the Trinity,
was designed for tbe instruction of tbe young
prince. After his tragic death, at a time when
the empress Justina trembled for her own safety, and for that of her son Valentinian, the archbishop of-Milan was despatched, on two diiferent embassies, to the court of Treves. He exercised, with equal firmness and dexterity, tbe
powers of his spiritual and political characters;
and perhaps contributed, by his authority and'
eloquence, to check the ambition of MaximuI,
and .to protect the peace of Italy. q Ambrose
had devoted his life, and his abilities, to the service of the church. W e~lth was the object of
his contempt; he had renounced his private·
patrimony; and he sold, witbout be~itation, tbe
consecrated plate, fOr the redemptionof captiVes.
The clergy and people of Milan were attacbed
to tbeir archbishop; and he deserved the esteem,
witbout soliciting the (avour, or apprebending
tbe displeasure, of his feeble sovereigns.
The government of Italy, and of the young emperor, naturally devolved to hi. mother Justina, .
• Ambroae himarlf (tom. il, epiat. Diy, p. 888oi(I1) ely. tile empefill'
a nr;p 'pirited accoant of hia 0 . . . embau1.
»4
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40
'J,'HE DECLINE AND FALL
a woman Cil beauty and spirit, but who, in tile
~~~~:. midst of an orthodox people, had the misfortune:
Hilluc- of professing theArian heresy, which she endea-.
"'easfnlop. '1'Into th e mm
. d 0 f h er SOn. J u~
position voured to mstI
~~!~ej:,: t,ina was persu{lded, that a Roman emperor
tina,
might claim, in his own dominions, the pubHc.
~j,;U ~o exercis.e of his religion; and she proposed to the
archbishop, as a moderate and reasonable .con-.
cession, that he should resign the use of a single.
church, either in the city or suburbs of Milan.·
But the conductol Ambrose was governed by
very different principles. r. The palaces of the
earth might indeed. belong to Cresar; b~t the
churches were the houses of God; and, within
the limits of his diocese, he himself, as the lawful.
successor Of the apostles, was the only ~inil!!ter .
of God... The privileges of Christianity, teIilporal as}lwell as spiritual, were confined to the.
true believers; and the mind of Ambrose was satisfied, that his own theological opinions were
the standard of truth and orthodoxy. The arch-.
bishop, who refused to hol4 any conference,
or negotiation, with the instruments of Satan,
declared, with modest firmness, his resolution to
die a martyr, rather than to yield to the impiou~ sacrilege; and Justina, who resented the
refusal as an act ofinsolence and rebellion, hastily
d'etermined to exert the imperial· prerogative of.
her son. As she desired to perform her public
'CRAP.
.. Hi, own representation of' hil principles and condnct, (tom. ii~
epiat. xx, xxi, xxii, .p. ~10880), is. one of the curions monuments of
ecclesiastical antiquity. It contains two letun to hia sister Marcel.
lina, with a petitioD to ValeDtiJiian, and the lermon de BailicN .....
.
,.",....
.
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41
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.·
c1evotiens on the approaching festival of Easter, ORAP.
AmbrosewQ.s ordered to appear before the coun- ~~~~!.~.
cil. He obeyed the summons with the respect '
of.a faithful subject; but he was followed, with- .
out his consent, by an innumerable people: they
pressed, with impetuous zeal, against the gates of
thepalaee; and the affrighted ministers of Valentillian, instead of pronouncing a sentence of exile
on the archbishop of Mi1an, humbly requested
that he would interpose his authority, to protect
the person of the emperor, and to restore the
... tranquillity of the capital. . But the promises
which Ambrose received and communicated,
were soon violated by a perfidious court; and,
during six ofthe most solemn days, which Christian piety has set apart for the exercise of religion, the city was agitated.by the irregular convulsions of tumult and fanaticism. The officers
of the household were directed to prepare, first,
the Portian, and afterwards, the new, Basilica,
for the immediate reception of the emperor, and
his mother. Thesplendid canopy and hangings
of the royal seat were arranged in the customary
manner; but it was found necessary to defend
them, by a strong guard, from the insults of the
populace. The Arian ecclesiastics, who vetJ.tured to shew themselves in the streets, were
exposed to the most imminent danger of their
Jives; and Ambrose enjoyed the merit and reputation .of rescuing his personal enemies from
the hands of the enraged multitude.
But while he laboured to restrain the effect.
of their zeal, the pathetic vehemence of his 8~
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41
,
'CHAP.
.
TIlE DECLINE ,AND PALL'
mons continually inflamed the angry and sediThe cha~
racters of Eve, of the wife of Job, of Jezebel, of
Herodias, were indecently applied to the mother of the emperor; and her desire to obtain a
church for the Arians, was compared to the
mOAt cruel persecutions which Christianity had
endured under the reign of paganism. The
measures of the court served only to expose the
magnitude of the evil. A fine of two hundred.
pounds of gold was imposed on the corporate
body of merehants and manufacturers:. an order was signified, in the name of the emperor;
to all the officers, and inferior servants, of the'
courts of justice, that, during the continuance
of the public disorders. they should strictly
confine themselves to their houses: and th6
ministers of Valentinian imprudently cOBressed,
that the most respectable part of the CItizens of
Milan was attached to the cause of their archbishop. He was again solicited to restore peace
to his country, by a timely compliance with the
will df his sovereign. The reply of Ambrose
was couched in the most humble and respectful terms, which might, however, be inter.preted
as a serious declaration of civil war. "His
" life and (ortune were in the hands of the emu peror; bll.t. he would never betray the church·
" of Christ, or degrade the dignity of the epi~
" scopa) character. In such a cause, he was
" prepared to suffer whatever the malice of the.
" demon could inflict; and he only wished to
" die in the presence of his faithful flock, and·
ec at the foot of the altar: he had not contribut-
!~~. tious temper of the people of Milan.
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43
OF THE ROMAN EMPDm.'
ed to excite, but it was in the power of God CRA P.
'" alone to appease the rage of the people: he .~~~.I:..
'" deprecated the scenes of blood and cpnfusion,
" which were likely to ensue; and it was his
foe fervent prayer, that he might not 8unive to
" behold the ruin of a flourishing city, and peru haps the desolation of all Italy.'"
The obstinate bigotry of Justina would have endangered the empire of her son, if, in this contest with
the church and people of Milan, lite could have
depended on the active obedience of the troop.
of the palace. A large body of Goths bad
marched to occupy the Basilica, which was the
object of the dispute: and it might be expected
from the Arian principles, and barbarous manners, of these Coreign mercenaries, that they
would not entertain any scruples in the execution of the most sanguinary orders. They were .
enconnterpd, on the sacred threshold, by the
archbishop, who, thimdering against them a
sentence of excommunication, asked them, in
the tone. of a father and a master, Whether it
was to invade the house of God, that they bad
implored the hospitable protection of the republic? The suspense. of the barbarians allowed
some hours for a more effectual negotiation;
and the empress was persuaded, by the advice
of her wisest counsellors, to leave the c~tholics
in possession of all the churches of Milan; and
to dissemble, till a more cODvenient season, her
If
• Ret. had a aimilarmHIIIl&e Itom tile queen, to requelt that lie would
appnae tbe tnmolt of Pui.. It was 00 longer ia bia power, eke. A q1l0i
J"~ootai tout ce qoe nus pou.e. '001 ima,iner de relpect, de dooleur.
de recret, et de 100miaaioD, Ike. (Memoirel, tom. i, p. 149). CertaiaI, I do not compare either the Hosea, or the men; yet the coacijutor
iii_If had 10m. idea (p. 84) ef imitatiD, St. AmluOll.
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44
THE DECLDfE AND FALL '
intentions or revenge. The mother of Valenti_~~~~~~ nian could never forgive the triumph of. Ambrose; and the royal youth uttered a passionate exclamation, that his own servants were
ready to betray him' into the hands of an insolent priest.
The l-aws or the empire, some of which were
inscribed with the name ofValentini an, still conA D.I86. demned the Arian heresy, and'seems to excuse
the resistance of the catholics. By the influence
ofJustin, an edict of toleration was promulgated
in all the provinces which were subject to the
court of-Milan; the free exercise of their religion
was granted to those who professed the faith of
Rimini; and the emperor declared, t.hat all persons who should infringe this sacred and salu~
tary constitution, !lhould be capitally punished,
as the enemies of the public peace.t . The character and language of the archbishop of Milan
may justify the sllspicion, that his c.onduct soon
afforded a reasonable ground, or at least a specious pretence, to the Arian ministers, who
watched the opportunity of surprising him in
some act of disobedience to a law, which he
strangely represents as a law of blood. and ty
ranny. A sentence of easy· and honourable
banishment was pronounced, which enjoined
Ambrose to depart from Milan without delay;
whilst it permitted him to choose the place of his
exile, and the number of his companions. Bu~
the authority of the saints, who have preached
and practised the maxims of passive loyalty,
CHAP.
I'
• Sozomen alone (I. ,ii. c. 11) throwl thillummoDi (act into a dark
aud perplexed narrative.
'
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01' THE ROMAN
4&
EMPIRE~
appeared to Ambrose of less moment than the CHAP.
extreme and pressing danger of the church. He .~~~~~'"
boldly refused to obey; and his refusal was sup-'
ported by the unanimous consent of his faithful
people.- They guarded. by turns the person of
their archbishop; the gates of the cathedral and,
the episcopal palace were strongly secured; and·
the imperial troops, who had formed the block- .
ade, .were unwilling to risk the attack, of that·
impregnable (ortress. The numerous poor, who'
had been relieved by the liberality of Ambrose,
embraced the (air occasion of signalizing their
zeal and gr4titude; and as the patience of the·
multitude might have been exhausted by the·
length and uniformity o( nocturnal vigils, he
. rudently introduced into the church of MHan
the useful institution o( a loud and regular
psalmody.' While he maintained this arduous'
contest, he was instructed, by a dream, to open
the earth in a place where the remains of two
martyrl'l, Gervasius and Protasius," had been deposited above three hundred years. Immediately noder the pavement of the church two
perfect skeletons were found, 'I with the heads
separated from their bodies, ~nd a plentiful ef- .
• Excubabat pia plebl iD ~ccleail mori parata cum epilCopo IUO •••
NOI adbuc frigidi excitabll!JlV tameD civitate attoDiti atque turbatt
AUpIIID. CODfellioD.I. ix, c.1.
" Tillemoot, Mem.Ecclel. tom. ii, p. 18, 408. MaDY churcbes ia
Italy, Gaul, Icc. were dedicated to theae uDkDown martyn, of whom
It. Ge"_ seeml to han beeD more fortunate tbao his companioD. '
1 IMeDiaul mira magDitudiDis virol duo., ut prilca atat ferebat,
to.. ii, epill. xxii, p. 876. The ala of theae .keletoDi wu fortuDate- .
Iy, or *HfiIUy, auitecl to the popular prejadice of the paclual deca- .
.
.
' . "
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'THE D&CUNB AND PALL
CHAP. fumon of blood. The holy relics were presentXXVII.
1
' 0 fth e peo••_ • .,,;,. eel'
, In IOJeJIm
pomp, to te h
veDeration
pl~;
aDd every circumatanee of thill fortunate
discovery was admirably adapted. to promote
the designs of Ambrose. The bones of the martyrs, their blood, their garments, were iapposed '
to contain a healing poWer; and then preternatural' influence was communicated to the most
distant objects, without lOiliBg any part of. it~
original virtue. The extra-ordinary cure of a
blind man,· ·and the reluctant confessions of several demoniacs, appeared to justify the faith
and sanctity of Ambrose; and the truth of those
miracles is attested by Amhrose himself, by his
secretary Paulinu8, and by his proselyte, the celebrated Augustin, who, at that time, professe6
the art of rhetoric, in Milan. The reason of the
present age may possibly approve the incredulity of Justina and her Arian court; who derided the theatrical reprelentations, which were
exhibited by the contrivance, and at the expence,
of the archbishop" Their effect, however, on
the minds of the people was ra.pid and irresistible; and the feeble sovereign of Italy ()und
himself unable to cOBtend with the favourite of
of the human .tature; which hu preyaned in every age .iDce the time
.rHomer.
Gnmdiaqlle eft'oail mirabitar ona Icpalcbris.
• Ambros. tom. ii, epilt. xxii, p. 875. Augu8tin. Conres. I. hr, c. 'I.
Det emtat. Dei, 1. uii, c. So. Paulio. iD Vilt; St. Ambroe. c. 14, in
Appead. Benedict. p. 4. The blind mao's Dame wu SeYerus j lie
touched th. boly pnnent, reeonred bis lipt, and deYotett tile reM .,
HIe (at lealt tweaty-five yean) to tbe IICnice ofthecharcli. Isb..t4f
reeommeDd tIUI miracle to oar diviDeS, if it did Det proft tlte ....hif
rella, u wei • tire Nieeae creed.
a Paulin. in Vito St. Ambroe. c. r, in AppeDd. B_dieL p.l.
.iI
.r
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_=
OF THE IlOMAN BIIPI... ,
.•
beaven. The powers likewise of the eartli in.: CRAP.'
terposed ill the defence of Ambrose; the dieinterested advice of Theod08ius was the geauine
result of pity a'nd friendship; and the mask of
religious zeal concealed the hostile and ambitious designs of the tyrant of Gaul. •
. The reign Qf Maximus might have ended iii Maximo
peace and prosperity, could he have contented ~n"dea
himself with the possession of three ample coUn- AI.a~'181.
tries, which now constitute the three most Bou-. Au....t.
rishing kingdoms of modern Europe. ,But the
aspiring. usurper, whose sordid ambition ",u,
not dignified by the love of glory 'and of arms,
considered his adua\ forces as the instrumema.
only of his future greatness, and his succe88
ft'aS the immediate cause of his destruction. The
tvealth which he extorted from the opp~s.ed
provinces of Gaul, Spain, and Britain, was em
ployed in levying and maintaining a formidable.
army of'barbarians, collected, for tbe IOOBt part,
fl:om the. fiercest nations of Germany. Theco..
quest or Italy was the object of his hopes and
preparations; and he secretly meditated the
rWIl of an imlocent youth, whose go.vermnent
was· abhorred and despised by his catholic subjects. • But as Maximus wished to occupy,
withollf; resistance,' the palSes of the Alps, he
received, with perfidiou~ .miles, Domninus of
C
• Tillemollt,. Mem. El'clel. tom. ~~ p. lilt, 750. He partiaUy aUo.. .
the mediation ofTheodoliol; and capricionsly I't'jettll tbat of MaKiau, thougb it it attelled by Prolper, Sozomen, and Tbeodoret.
• Tlae modat cena.re of SaJpiclua (Dialog. iii, 11) inflictl a mllc.
_per 'woUDd than tbe feehle declmaatio.. of Pacatu, (xii, 215, Ill. ..
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CHAP.
XXVII.
mE DECLINE AND "ALL
Syria, the ambassador of Valentinian, and pret
sed'him to accept the aid of a considerable body
of troops for the service of a Pannonian war.
·The penetration of Ambrose had discoverea
the snares of an enemy under the professions of
friendship;1. but the Syrian Domninus was corrupted, or deceived, by the liberal favour of the
court of Treves; and the council of Milan obstinately rejected the suspicion of danger, With
a blind. confidence, which was the effect, not of
courage, but of fear. The march of the auxiliaries waS guided by the ambassador; and they·
were admitted, without distrust, into the foI'tresses of the Alps. But the crafty tyrant followed, with hasty and silent footsteps, in the
rear; and, as he diligently intercepted all intel.·
ligence of his motions, the gleam of armour,·
and the dust excited by the troops of cavalry, first announced the hostile approach of a
stranger to the gates of Milan. In this extremity, Justina and her son might accusethei'rown·
imprudence, and the ;'perfidious arts of Maximus; but they wanted time, and force, and resolution, to stand against the Gauls and Germans, either in the field, or withi n the walls of a
large and disaffected city. Flight was. their .
only hope, Aquileia their only refuge; and
as Maximus now displayed his genuine character, the brother of Gratian might expect thr
AIDe (ate from the hands of the same assassin.
~"".u,.
• Eat totior advenos hominem, pacia involucro te,eDtem, was lhe
wise caution of Ambrose, (tom. ii, p. 891), after his return from lliI
_Dd Imbaa),.
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'49
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRP!.
Maximus entered Milan in triumph; and if the CH,.\P.
" arc hb'IS'h op re fiused a d ang-erous
- au.d"
XXVII.
wise
crlmi- _m~#.
nal connection with the U$urp~r, 'he m'igbt indirectly contril:mte. to the suc~~s of his a~ms, by
inculcating, from the pulpit, the duty -of resignation, rather than that oft:esistance.e ,The un.fortunate Justina' reached Aquileil,L in safety;
but she distrusted the strength: of 'the fortifications; . ~he dreade" the. event' of, a siege; and
she resolved to impJore ,the protection of the
great.Theodosius, whose power and virtue were
celebrated in all the countries of the West. i\.
vessel was secretly provided to transport the
imperial family; they embarked with precipitation In one of the obscure harbours of Venetia,
• , Istria; traversed the whole, extent of the
Hadriatic and Ionian seas; turned the extreme
promontory of Peloponnesus; and, after a
long, but successful, navigation, reposed themselves in the port ofThessaIonica. All the sub- Fligbt 01
jects of Valentinian deserted the cause .of a
prince, who, by his abdication, had absolved
them from the duty of allegiance; and if the
little city of ~m'ona, on the verge of Italy, had
1I0t presumed to stop the career of his inglorious
victory, Maximus .wouI~ have obtained, withouta struggle, the sole possession of the wester~,
empire.
,
. ,
Instead of iIiviting his royal guests to the palace of Constantinople, Theodosius ha~ som~ l~n-'
known reasons to fix their residence at Tbessa-
::1:::
• • Baronins (A. D. 887, No~ 63)' applies to this seMon of ·ptiblK:< tli..
Ims lome of the peni,te~tial serHlons ~f the archbishop.;
: -'
VOL. V.
E '
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'60
I'
mE DECLINE AND JPA.LL
·CHAP. lonica; but these reasons did not proceed from
• dar.
d
•XXVII.
.",.".... contempt or In
Ulerence, as he speedOl
1 y rna e a
TheodOli· visit to that city, accompanied by the greatest
:-~: part of his court and senate. After the first
:;o\~ai::tender expressions of friendship and sympathy,
tiDiaD,
the pious emperor of the East gently admonish....0.181. ed Justina, that the guilt of heresy was sometimes punished in this world, 8S well as in the
next; and tllat ,the public profession of the Ni'cene faith would be the most' efficacious step
to promote the restoration ofher son, by the satisfaction which it must occasion both on earth
and in heaven. The momentous question of
peace or war was referred, by Theodosius, to
the deliberation of his council; and the arguments which might be alledged on the side o.
honour and justice, had acquired, since the
death of 'Gratian, a considerahle degree of additional weight. The persecution of the imperial family, to which Theodosius himself had
been indebted for his fortune, was now aggravated by recent and repeated inj~ries. Neither
oaths ,nor treaties could restrain the boundless
ambition of Maximlls; and the delay of vigorOilS and decisive measures, instead of prolonging the Messings of peace, would expose the
('astern (,U1pire to the danger of an hostile invasion. The harharians, who had passed the
Danube, bad lately assumed the character of
soldiers and subjects, but their native fiercEl'
ness was yet untamed; and the operations of 1\
war, which would exercise their valour, and
diminish their numbers, might tend to relieVf
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61
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRL
the provirices fi'om an intolerable Oppression. CHAP.
Notwithstanding these specious and solid rea- .~~~..
80ns, which were approved by a majority of
the council, Theodosius still hesitated, whether
he should draw the sword in a contest, which
could no longer admit any terms of reconcilia,
tioB; and his magnanimous character was not
disgraced by the apprehensions which he felt
for the safety of his infant sons, ~nd the welfare of his -exhausted people. In this moment
of anxious doubt, while the fate of tbe Roman
world depended on the resolution of a single
Dian, the charms of the princess GaUa most
powerfully pleaded the cause _of her brother
Valentinian! The heart of Theodosius was
softened by the tears of beauty; his a1fec.tions
were insensibly engaged ;by the graces of youth
and iBnecence; the art of Justina managed and
directed the impulse 'Of passiOn-;atJ:d 'the celebration of the royal nuptials was the assurance and
signa:l of the civil war. The unfeeling critics,
whd C01i8idel' ev~ry amorous weakness as an indeltble stain on the memory of a great and qrthooox -empero)" are inclined, on th,is occasion, to
dispute the suspicious evidence of the historian
Zosiinus. For my own part, I shall frankly confess,. that I am willing to find, or even to seek, in
tlte revolutions of the world, some traces of the
mlld and-tender sentiments of domestic life; and,
TIle Biglat of Valentiniao, and the 101'e of Theodo.iOB for hillilter,
rel.ted by ZOIimUll (I. i1', p. 263, 264). Tillemoot prodllces some
weB .... IIDblguDos evidence to antedate the lecood marria,e eI
T1aeodOliOB, (Hiat. des Empereon, tom. 1', p. 140), and cOUlleqaend,
l.~ rerute·cei contes de Zoaime, qui aeroient .trc.p contrairea;\ 1a pie"
f
~
1e~.
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THE DECLINE AND PALL
amidst the, crowd of fierce and ambitiolls ,on.- 'h WIt
'h pecuI'Jar com_...,~.. querors,. I can d"Istmguls,
placency, a gentle hero, who may be suppos~d to
receive his armour from the hands oflove. The
allianCE! of the Persian king was secured by the
faith of treaties; the martial barbarians were
persuaded to follow the standard, or, to re~pect
the frontiers,of an active and liberal monarch;
and the dominions of Theodosius, from theEuphrates to the Hadriatic, resounded with the
preparations of war both by land and sea. The
skilful disposition of the forces of the East
seemed to multiply their numbers, and di~tract
ed the attention of Maximus. He had reason
to fear, that a chosen body of troops, u~der the
~ommknd of the intrepid Arbogastes, would di-·
reet their march along the banks of the Danube,
and boldly penetrate through tlie Rhretian pJ'Oo
vinces into the centre of Gaul. . A powerfullleet
was equipped in the harbours of Greece ,and
Epirus, with an apparent design, that as 'soon
a passage had been opened by a ~aval victory, Valentinian, and his mother, should land
in Italy, proceed, without delay, to Rome, -and
~ccupy the majestic seat oi- religion and empire.
In the meanwhile, Theodosius himself advanced
a,t the head of a brave and disciplined army, to
enco~nter his unworthy rival, who, after the siege
of ~mol1a, had fixed his camp in the neighboUl'hood of Sisda, a city of Pannonia, strongly fortified by the broad and rapid stream of the Save.
The veterans, who still remembered the long
resistance, and successivel'esources, ofthe tyrant
Magnentius. might prepare themselves Cor the la~
CHAP.
XXVII,
as
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63
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
hours of three bloody campaigns. But the con- CHAP•
......
XXVII.
u:;s t WI'th h'IS successor, W h0, l'k
1 e h'1m, 'h a d ''''''U'',.
usurped the throne of the West, was easily de- Def'eat
Cl-ded'III' t h e term 0 f two month
s,' '
and WI'th'1D the aDdde.th
of Maxispace of two hundred miles, . Tbe superior g~ ~,u::, 188.
Dius, of the' emperOf' of the East miglit prevail JUPtAuover the feeble Maxionis; who; in this, important .....
crisis, shewed himself destitute ofniilitary skill,.
personal conrage; but the' abilities of Theo-.
dosius were secon~ed by the advantage which
he possessed of a numerous and active cavalry.
The Huns" Alani, and, after their example, the'
Goths themselves, were formed into squadrons
. of archers; who fought on horseback, and :confounded the steady valour of the GaiIls and Ger\Dans, by the 'rapid motions of a Tartar war.
After the fatigue of a long march; in the heat of
summer, they spurred their foaming'horses intothe waters of the Save, swam the river in the
presence' of the enemy, and instantly charged
and routed' the troops. who' guarded the high
, ground ori the opposite side. Marcellinus, the
tyrant's brother, advanced to support themwith
the select cohorts, which were considered as:the.
hope and strength of .the army. The action,
which had been interrupted by the approach of
night, was renewed in .the morning; and after
a sharp conflict, the surviving remnant of the
bravest soldiers of M;aximus threw down their
arms at the feet of the conqueror. Without suspending.,his march, to receive the loyal acclamations:of the citizens of lEmona, Theodosiu8
or
• See Godef'roy" Chronology of'the Law., Cod, Theodol, tom, i, p
119.
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"
'l'BE DECLID AND PALll
pressed forwards, to terminate the war by the
~~~:.. death or captivity of his rival, who Bed before
him with the diligence of fear. FrOID the sum·
mit Df the Julian Alps, he descended with such
incredible speed into the plain of Italy, that he
reached Aquileia on the eveaing of the first day;
and Maximus, who found himself encompassed
on all sides, had scarcely time to shut the gates
of the city. But the gates could not long resist
thee1fort of a victorious enemy; and the despair,
the disaffection, the indi1ference of the soldier.
and pe~ple, hastened the downfal of the wretched Maximus. He was dragged from hi. throne,
Ndely &tripped of the imperial ornaments, the,
'robe, the diadem, and the purple slippers; and
condudec.t, like a malel8.ctor, to the camp and
presence of Tbeodosius, at a place about three
miles from Aquileia. The behaviour of the emper-or was not intended to insult, and he shewed
limne disposition to pity aud forgive, the tyrant
or ,the West, who had nerw been his personal
enemy, and was now become the object of his
contempt. Our sym pathy is the most forcibly
_cited by the misfortunes to which we are exposed; alld the spectacle of a proud eompetitor,
now prostrate at his feet, could not fail of producing very serious and solemn thoughts in the
mind of the victorious emperor. But the feeble
emotion of involuntary pity was checked by his
regard for public justice, aDd the memory of
Gratian; and he abandoned the victim to the
pious zeal of the soldiers, who drew him out of
the imperial presence; and instantly separat~d
his head from his body. The intelligence' of
CHAP.
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or THB ROMAN IDIP~
66
hil clefeat and death was received with "sincere,.
CHAP.
orwell-dissembled, joy: his son Victor~ on whom .~~~.~~.
he had conferred the title of Augustus, died by
.
the order, perhaps by the hand, of the bold Ar-·
bogastes; and all the military pla.ns of Theodosiul were successfully.executed.. Wben he had
thus terminated the civil war, with less difticq,lty and bloodshed than he might naturally expect, he employed the winter mouths of his r~·
sidence at Milan, to Jle8tore the state of the •
afilicted provinces; and early in the spring he
made, after the example of Constantine· $WI.
Constantiu8, his triump~al entry into the ancient capital of the Roman empire.1I
The oratot, who may be silent without danger, Virtae.
may praise without d~cul~y, an~ wifhout re- :~:..
lucta.nce t and postenty wIll confess, that the
character ofTheodosiusl' might furnish the subject .0£' a sincere and ample panegyric. The
wisdom of his laws, and the success o.fhis arms,
" B~ds the lIinu which may be gathered from ehronielea and
eec.eliutical history, ZoIimna, (I. iv, p. 1119-16'7), Oroaina, (L 'fil, c.
35), and Paeat!Ia (in Panel1r. Vet.ldi,I04'7), aapply the loose and
leant, materiUI of thil civil war. Ambrose (tom. ii, epist. xl, p.
952, Vl3), darkly aIInds to the well-known events .f a mapaine
surprised, an action .t Peto,io, a Sicilia.., perhapa a
,ictory,
~c. Anaouia. (p. 156, edit. Toll.) applauds the peculiar merit, and
,ood fortune, 01 AquiJela.
J Quam promptum lall__ prineipeua, tam totam liJoiue de priaeipe, (Pacat. in PaneDr. Vet. ;Jii,2). LatinUJ Paea. Drepaniua, a
native of Gaul, pronounced tbis cration at Rome, (A. D.888). He
11'81 afterwards procensql of Afrin; arullO frieDd A•• olli", praiaea
him as a ,oct, III'conci 01111 to Vir~iL See Tillemopt, Hist. des Emperenrs, tom. '. p" 303.
.
. ,
II: See the fair port,rait of Theodoaias, lIy tilt yoanger Vietor.; the
itrokes are distinct, and the ceJqurs we mixed. The praise of Pacat••
iI too va,ue; and ClaudiaD alway, leems afraid of exaltiDg tbe father
lIIIove the IOD
-,aI,
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56
I
THEDKCLINE AND FAI.:L·
!
rendered 'hIs administratM:)n' respectahle Inrthe'
.~~~~~:. eyes 'b~th of his subjects, and of hiseneoiies: He,
loved and practised.the'virtues of domestic-life,
which seldom 'hold their residence in the palaces
ofkings. Theodosius was chaste arid temperate; ,
he enjoyed, without excess, the sensual. and s~ .
ci1i1 pleasures of the table; and :the'warmth ofhis amorous passions was never diverted' fram.
their lawful objects. The proud, titles of.iInpe..
'rilll greatness,wereadorned by .the tender names
o'f ~faithful husband, anin<\ulgent father;· his.
, unde was raised, by his afi'ectionateeste:elJ); to
the Tank of a. secoudparent.:: Theodosius embraced, as his own, the' children 'of his' ~rother .
and sister; and the expressions, of his regartl
were extended to· the most distau.t 'and obscure .
branches of his numerous kindred. His fami-"
liar friends were judiciously selected from among,
those persons, who, in the equal intel'coUJ'se of
private life, had appeared before .bis eyes wit~
elit a mask: the consciousness of p~rsona' and
superior ~erit enabled hilll to despise the accidental distinction of the purple; and he proved
by his conduct, that he had forgotten all Q1e~~
juries, while he most gratefully remembered all
the favours and services, which he had received
before he aseen ded the throne of the Roman
empire. The serious, or lively, tone of his con- .
versation, was adapted to the age, the rank, or
the character, of his subjects whom he admitted
ilJto his society; and the affability of his manners displayed the image of his mind. Theodosins respected the simplicity of the g90d and .
CHAP,
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(Jp
o
61
THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
nrtuous; everY art, . everY talent, ol"an 'useful, CHAP:
or even of an innocent, nature, was rewarded XXVII.
by his' judicious Jiberality; and, except the he-- Unrm«.
retics, . whom ·he persecuted with implacable
hatred, the dHfusive circle of his benevolence
was circumscribed only by' the limits of the human race. The government or a mighty empire
may assuredly suffice to occupy the time, and
the abilities, ofa mortal: yet the diligent prince,
wi~ho~t aspiring to the unsuitable reputation of
profound learning, always reserved some mOments of his leIsure' for the instructive amus&'
ment of reading. History, whi('h enlarged his
experience, was his favourite study. The annals of Rome, in the long period of eleven hunired years, pres~nted him with a various and
splendid picture of human life; and it has "been
p8rticul,a~ly observed, that whenever he perused
the, clluel, acts of Cinna, of Marius, or of Syl la,
he warmly express1:d his generous detestation
of those enemies of humanity and freedom. His
disinterested opinion of past events was usefully applied as the rule of his own actions; and
Theodosius has deserved the singular commendation, that· his virtues always' seemed to expand with his fortune: the season of his pro~
perity was that 'Of his moderation; ,and his clemencyappeared the most conspicuous after the
danger and success of the civil war. The Moorish guards of the tyrant had been massacred in
the first heat of the victory; and a small number of the most obnoxious criminals suffered
the punishment of the law,. But the emperor
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68
CHAP.
XXVIL
#0##"""
.'JIlIB DEeUIIB MID FALL
.hewed himself much more attentive to reliflre.
.
· the gm·1 ty. Th e.
t he mnocent,
t han to ch
astise
oppressed Bubjects of the West, who wottld
have deemed themselves happy in the re~ora
tion of their lands, we,re astonished to receive
a sum of mOlley equivalent tQ their I08$es; and
the liberality .of the conqueror suppqrted tbe
aged lnother, and educated the orphan daughters.of Maximus} A character thus accomplished, might almost excuse the extravagant
supposition of the orator Pacatu8; that, if the
elder Brutus (lol,dd be penuitted to revisit the
ecu'lb, the ste.-n republican would abjure, at
the feet ofTheodosiuB, his hatred of kings; and
ingenuously confess, that such a monarch was
the .nost faithful gqardian of the happiness and.
dignity.of the ROIJIatl people.
Yet tbe piercing eye of the founder of the repqblic must have discerned two essential imperfections, which might, perhaps, have abated his
recent love of despotism. The virtuous lUind of
Theodosiris was often relaxed by indolence,· and
it was sometimes inflamed by passion. In the
pursuit of an important object, his active cou1Il
F .. ulta of
Theodo-
.inl.
0
I AmbroL tom. ii. epiat. lll, p. 066.
Pacataa, (rom.the want of ,kill,
or of courage, omit. thisglorioQl ci~umataDce•
.. Pacat. in Panegyr. Vet. llii, JO.
• ZOlimUS, L h', p. 1'11, ID. HI. pirtill endeaee it marked by
In elr of candollr alld tnlila. Ue oltsern. theae yicialitada of .Ioth
and activity, not at a Yic" but at a ainplarity, in the character 01
"heotlosiul.
o Tllis choleric temper i ••ckuowledgec!, ud e.«naed, by Victor. Sed
habea (aaya Ambroae, in deernt and lIIauly langaagr, to hi. ao"ereign)
natnne imprtum, qllflD Ii quia Ienire nlit, tito .-ertea ad misericordia.. :
Ii qllia ali.uIea. ill magi, eUUlcltal, lit etUIl rnocare yill poais, (tom.
ii, ('piat. Ii, p. 998). Theodosiua (Claud. in i". Cou.. Hoo.l66, &c.)
ellliorta ,his Ion to moderate bis aBaca:.
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01' THE ROMAN DlPJU.
•
rage was capable of the moat vigorous exeriions 1 CHAP. 1
but as soon as the design was accomplished, or _~~~!:
the danger was surmounted, the hero sunk into
inglorious repose; and, forgetful that the ti~e of
a prince is the property of his people, resigned,
himse1f to the enjoyment of the innocent, but trilIing, pleasures of a luxurious court. The Datural disposition of Theodosius was hasty and
choleric; and, in a station where none could re81st, and few would dissuade, tbe fatat consequence of his resentment, the humane monarch
was justly alarmed by the consciousness of his
iidirmity, and of his power. It was the coustant
study olhis life to suppress, or regulate, the intemperate sallies of pa&$ion; and the success of
his efforts enbanced the merit of his clemency.
But the painful virtue whIch claims the merit of
victory, is exposed to the danger of defeat; and
the reign of a wise and merciful prince was polluted by an act of cruelty, which would stain
the annals of Nero or Domitian. Within the
space of three years, the inconsistent historian '
of Theodosius must relate the generous pardon
of the citizens of Antioch, and the inhuman massacre of the people of Thessalonica.
The lively impatience of the inhabitants of ~he leeK.
. own 81-. tiOD
bf
. h. was never satis
. Iied WI·th thelr
A ntIo~
ADtiOC'h,
tnation, 01' with the character, and conduct, of" ». 111.
their successive sovereigns. TheAriansubjects
ofTheodosius deplored the loss oftheir churches:
and, as three rival bishops disputed the throne
of Antioch, the sentencewhichdecided their pretensions excited the murmurs of th~ two unsuc-
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60
'THB DECmB AND
p.tJL
CHAP., cessful
-congregations. The exigencies of the
_~~~~~;Gothic-war, and the inevitable expence that accompanied the conclusion of the p~ace, had constrained the emperor to aggravate ~he weight
of the public impositions; and the provinces of
Asia, as they had not been involved in the distress, were the less inclined to contribute to the
relief of Europe. The auspicious period now
approached of the tenth year of his reign; a
festival more grateful to the soldiers, who re-_
ceived a liberal donative, than to the liubjects,
who'se voluntary offerings had been long since
conver~ed into an extraordinary and oppres'sive
burden. The edicts of taxation interrupted the,
repose, and pleasures, of Antioch; and the tribunal of the magistrate was besieged by a suppliant crowd; who, in pathetic, but; at first, in
respectful language, solicited theredress of their
grievances. T~ey were gradually incensed by
the pride of their haughty rulers, who treated
their complaints as a criminal resistance; their
satirical wit degenerated into sharp and angry
illvectives; and, from the subordinate powers
of government, the invectivel!! of the people
insensibly rose to attack the sacred character
Feb. 26. of the emperor himself.
Their fury, proyoked
by a feeble opposition,' discharged itself. on tbe
images of the imperial -family, which were
erected as objects of public veneration, ,in the
most conspicuous places of the city. The statues
ofTheodosius, of his father, of his wife Flaccllla,
of .his two sons, Arcadius and Honorius, were
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61
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
insolently thrown down' from their pedestals, CHO\P.
. h contempt ••XXVII.
b rok-en .
m.
pIeces, or dragged WIt
,,_....
through the streets: and' the indignities which
were offered to the representations of imperial
majesty sufficiently declared the impious and
treasonable wishes of the populace. The tumult
was almost immediately' suppressed by the ar..i~
val of a hodyof archers; ,'andAntioch had leisure
to reflect on the nature and consequences of her
crime.p According to the duty of hi.s office, the
governor of the province dispatched a faithful
narrative of the whole transaction; while the
trembling citizens intrusted the confession of
their crime, and the assurance of their repentance, to'the zeal of Flavian their bishop, and to
, the eloquence of the senator Hilarius, the friend,
, and, most probably, tJ:te disciple, of Libanius ;
whose'genius, on this melancholy occasion, was
not useless to his country.q But the two capitals, Antioch and Constantinople, were separated by the distance of eight hundred miles; and,
notwithstanding the diligence of the imperial,
posts, the guilty city was severely punished by
a long and dreadful. interval of suspense~ Every
rumour agitated the hopes and fears of th~ Antiochians, and they heard with terror, that their
'Tbe Cbridians and pagani agreed in believing, tbat the sedition
or,Antioch, wal excited by the demons. A gigantic woman (saya
SozomeD, I. vii, c. 2S) paraded tbe streets with a IcolD'ge in her haDd.
An old maD (says LibaDins, Orat. xii, p. S96) transformed billlllelfiDte
a youtb, then a boy, &c.
. ,
• Z08imus, in biB abort and dising.nDoDs account, I. Iv, p. 258, JIlt>,
is certainly mistaken in lending Libaniul himaelC to CODltanliDople.
Bit OW8 oratioDl fix him at Antioch.
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TD DECLINE AND FALL
sovereign, exasperated by the insult which had'
4'.
d to h'IS own statues, and, more esOuere
pecially, to those of his beloved wife, had resolved to level with the ground the offending
city; and to massacre, without mstillction of
age or sex, the criminal inhabitants;r many of
whom were actually driven, by their apprehensions, to seek a refuge in the mOllntains of 8yJlarch 22. ria, and the adjacent desert. At length, twenty-four daYI after the seditiou, the general Hellebicus, and Cresarius, master of the offices, declared the will of the elnperor, and the sentence
of Antioch. That proud capital was degraded
from the rank of a city; aDd the metropolis of
the East, stripped of its lands, its privileges,
and its revenues, was subjected, under the humiliating denomination of a village, to the jurisdiction of Laodicea.. The baths, the -circus,
and the theatres, were shut: and, th~t every
source of plenty and pleasurernight at the same
time be intercepted, the distribution of com was
abolished, by the severe insbuctions -of Tbeodosius. His commissioners then, proceeded to
inquire into the guilt of individuals; of those
who had perpetrated, and of those who had
not prevented, the destruetion of the sacred
statues. The tribunal of Hellebicus and CmsaCHAP.
XXVII.•• b~n
_._
r Ltbanial (Orat. i, p. 6, edit. Venet.) declares, that, under lacla a
relen, the fear of1aIllllllRre _ groaodtea and abeard, especially in
the emperor'. abBeJlce; for his presence, according to the eloqnent
.Iave, might have given a sanction to tbe most bloody actl.
• Laodicea, en the lea-c:oast, lixty-fin milea from Antioch, (lee
Noris, Epoch. Syro-Maced. DillerL iii, p • .210). The Autiochi_
were oWeaded, that the dependent city of Seleueia .bould preaume te
iatercede~ for them.
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OP THE ~OMAN DlPntl".
63
encompasse~
with armed soldiers, was CRAP.
erected in the midst of the Forum. The no- .~!~
blest, and most wealthy, of the citizens of An-tioch, appeared before them in chains; th~
examination was assisted by the use of torture,
and .their sentence was pronounced or suspended, according to the judgmellt of these extraordinary magistrates. The houses of the criminals were exposed to sale, their wives and
children were suddenly reduced, from afBuence
and lux"Q.ry, to the most abject distress; and a
bloody execution was expeciPd to conclude the
horrors' of a day,l which tbe preacher of Antioch, the eloquent Chrysostom, has represented
SUI a li.vely image of,the last and 'universal judgment of the world. But the ministers ofTheodosius performed, with reluctance. the cruel task
wbiohhad been assigned them; they dropped a
gentle tear over the calamities of the people;
ani they listened with reverence to the pressing
solicitations of the monks and hermits, who descended in swarms from the mountains." Hellebicus and Cresarins were persuaded to suspend
the execution of their- sentence; and it 'Was agreed, that tbe former· should remain at Antioch, while the latter returned, with all possible speed, to Constantinopll'; and presumed
once more to consult the will of his sovereign.
..us,
• A. the day. ofthe tumult depeud on the fIIIIUG6'datival of Euter..
they ran only be determined by' the previona deter~nation of the year.
The year 181 blli been preferred, after a laborious inqlliry. by TiDelIIont, (Hiat. del Emp. tom. v, p. '141.'144,) and Montfaucon, (ChrJaoetom. :&iii, p. 106-110).
. .• Chry,ostom Oppoae8 .heir courage, which wu not atteaded willa
_eli rilk, to the cowudly 8iCbt of tile. C)'Dica.
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fU
CHAP.
THE DKCLINE AND FALL .
The resentment ofTheodosius had already su~
. ~~~~!:. sided; the deputies ofthe people. both the bishop
and the orator. had .ohtained a favourable ,audid~~~o. ence; a~d the reproaches of the emperor,were
the complaints of injured friendship, rather
than the stern menaces of pride alldpower.' A
free and general pardon was granted to the
city and citizens of AntiQch; the prison-doors
were thrown open; and senators, who despaired of their lives, recovered the possession
of their houses and estates; and the capital 0 f
the East was restored to the enjoyment of her
ancient dignity and splendour. Theodosius
condescended to praise the senate of Constantinople, who had generously interceded for their,
distressed brethren: he rewarded the eloquenc...
C!f Hilarius with the. government of Palestine;
and dismissed the bishop of Antioch with the
warmest e~pression8 of his respect and gratiApril Ii. tude. A thousand new sta~ues arose to the
clemency of Theodosius; the applause of his
subjects was ratified by the approbation of his
own heart; and the emperor confessed, that, if
the exercise, of: justice is, the most· importan~
duty, the indulgence of mercy is the most exquisit~ pleasure, of a sovereign."
The sedition of ThessalOuica is ascribed to a
more shamefu.l cause" and was productive of
c.emency
"''!'he sedition of- Antioch is represented in a lively, and almost
dramatic, maimer, by two orators, who had their respectiYe shares
of interest and merit. See Libanins (Orat. xiv, xv, p. 389-420, edit.
Morel. Orat. i, p. 1-14, Vellet. 1154), and tbe twenty orations of St.
John CbtysostolD, lIe Stnivi,. (tom, ii, p. 1·225, edit. M ontfau('on). r
do not prett'nd to milch personal acquaintance with Chrys08tom 'j -bllt'
Tillemont, (Hiat.' IWS Empt'reafS, toni. v, p. 263-283), and Ht'rmant,
(Vie de St. Cln')sostom; tom. i, I" 131,224), had rfad him with pioul
c:uriositl and dili CDce.
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or THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
M
much more dreadful consequences: That great CRAP.
city, the metropolis of all the Inyi-ian provinces, ,~~~,I,~'.
had been protected from the dangers of the Go- Sedition
thic war by strong fortifications~ 'and a nume-- ::;!emof'
rous garrison. Botheric, the general of those ~:aIOo
troops, and, as it should' seem, from his name, A. ';.1'10.
a b~lrbarian, had among his' slaves' a beautiful
boy, who excited the iinpure desires of one of
tbe charioteers_ofihe Circus. "The,insolent and
brutal lover was thrown into prison by the order of Botheric; and he sternlY. rejected the
importunate clamours' of the multitude,' who.
i)D tbe day of the public' games, lamented the
absence of their favourite; and considered the
skill of a charioteer as an object' of more im:.
portance than his virtue. The resentmen't
the people was embittered by' some previous
disputes; and, as the strength of the garrison
had been di'awn' away for the service of the Italian war, the feeble remnant, whose numbers
were reduced by desertion, could not save' the
unhappy general from their licentiou's fury. B6theric, and several of his principal officers, were
inhumanly murdered: their mangled bodies
were dragged about the streets..; 'and the eut:'
peror, who then resided at Milan, was surprised
by the intelligence of the audacious and wanton
cruelty of the people of Thessalonica. The
sentence of a dispassionate judge' would have
inflicted a'severe punishment on the authors of
the crime; and the merit of Both eric might con':'
tribute to exasperate the grief and indignation
of his master. The, fiery and choleric. tern per
or
VOL. V.
"
6G
CHAP.
'J:'HE DECUNE AND FALL
of Theodosius was impatient of the dilatory
I.
l··
h ti·l re....XXVII.
_ .._ .."Iorms
0 fa·JUd·lCi alDqulry;
aud heasy
~lOlved, that the blood of his lieutenant should
be expiated by the blood ·of the gtrilty people.
Yet his.mind still Buctuated between the counsels of cJemency and of revenge; tile zeaJ mtlle
bishops had almost ex~oried trom tbe relucta.t
. em~or the pr-omise of a general pardon; his
passion was again infiamed by the Hattering
suggestions ofhis minister, RUMUS; and, after
Theodosius had disp.atched ~be messengers of
death~ be attempted, when it was too late, to
prevent the execution of his orders. The punishment of a Roman city was blindly committed to the undistinguishing sword of the barbarians; and the hostile preparations were concerted with the dark and perfidious artifice. of
an illegal conspiracy. Tbe people of Tbessalonica .were treacherously invited, in the name
of tbeir sovereign, to tbe games of the Circus;
and such was their insatiate avidity for those
amusements, that every consideration of fear,
or suspicion, was disregarded by the numerous
spectators. As soon as the assembly was COlDplete, the soldiers, ~ho ~ad secretly been posted round th.e Circ~IlI' received the signal, not of
the racea, but of a general massacre. The promiscuous carnage continued tbree hours, with·
out discriminatio~ of strangers or natives, of
age or sect, of innocence or· guilt; tbe mos*
moderate accounts state the number ofth.e slail;
at seven thousand; and it is affirmed by so~
writers, that mo~ than fifteen thousand vict~
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OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
.
61
were sacrificed to the manes of Botberic. A eHA P.
foreign merchant, who had probably n~ concern ,~~
in his murder" offered his OWB life, and all his
wealth; to. supply the place of one t>f his two
sons; but, while the Jat,her hesita~d with equal
tenderness, while he waS doubtful to choose,.
and unwilling to condeinil~ the soldiers deterlnined his suspense" byplunging,tbeir daggers
at, the same ,inomeut into, ·the breast&. :of ~ deimcelesliyontbs•. The apology ofthe.al$sassins,
that ,they were .obliged to produce the prescribed number ofheads, serves pnly to increase,
by an appearance of order a.nd design" ,the horrors of themas~acre, which. was executed by
the commands of TheodosillS. The guilt of
the emperor is aggravated by bis long and frequent residence at Thessalon.ca. l'he situation of the unfo~tunate city~ the ~8peC~ of the
I.treets and buildings, tbe, dress ,and faces Qf the
inhabitants,. wel'e familiar, and ev~n: .present,
to his imaginatioll; and TheQdo.sius P'>s~c;!ssbd
a quick and lively sense of the e~8~nce of tl~e
people :w:hom he destroled.', ,
..
. .The respec~ul attachmeDt of. Uae eJllperor .for Inflnl'lIl'e
tbeolfhocJox clergy, had d ispqsed hilA (:,o1C)ve an4 d:~tC=:f
admire the .cb:allact.erof .A.1nbrose;, whQ ~nited Ambr~
all ihe ~piscopel virtues in. tlte.lQQst eminent de- A. D. ,
gree. : The friends and _~$ of TheodOliliu8
• :r I The· origiIIal "ideace of Aiabl'Glle (tolll,' ii, epiat. ,sl, p. 1IIJ8);
A.-.tiD, (~Ci,ltat.; ~ei~ v,~U), aDd PaaJiDllI, (ia Vito Alllbrol. c.
1«), i. delivered iD va,uc. exprealioDs of horror aDd pity. It ia iII..tratetl by the 811bRquCDl aDd unequlII telti_Diet of Sozomen (I. yiL Co
II); ~'heodoret, .(1. v, c. 11) ; TheophaDe. (Chronograph. p. 62); Cedreaal, (p. 31'7), aDd Zonaraa, (tom. ii, J. xiii, p. 34). Zoaimal.,.."
the partial enemy or TJieodosiul, mOlt liD accountably p..ael over i.
ailmce the went oflds actiOlll. "
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fl8
THE DECLINE AND FALL '
imitated the example oftbelr sovereign; and he
. tban d'ISP Ieasure,
more surprise
that all his secret counsels wereimmediately com~
numicated to the archbishop; who acted frOID
the laudable persuasion, that every measure of
civil government may have s~me connection with
the glory of God, and the interest of the true religion. The inonks andvbpulaceofCallinicum,
an obscure town on the frontier of Persia, excited by their own Mnaticism, and by that of their
bishop, had tumultuously burnt a 'convell"ticle
of the Valentinians, and a synagogue of tbe Jews:
The seditious prelate was condemned, by the
magistrate of the pj'ovince, either to rebuild the
synagogue, or to repay the damage; and this
moderate sentence was confirmed by the emperor. But it was not confinned by the archbishop
of Milan.· He dictated an epistle ot celll~ure
and reproach, more suitable, perhaps, if the em.:
peror had .received the mark of 'circumcision,
and renounced the faith of bis baptism. Ambrose considers the toleration of the Jewish, as
the persecution of theCbristiall, religion; boldly
declares, tllat he himself, and every true believer,
would eagerly dispute with the bishop of Callinicum the merit, of the deed, and the crown
martyrdom; and laments, ill'the most pathetic
terms, that the execution of the sentence would
be fatal to the fame and salvation ofTbeodosjus.
As this private admonition did not produce ail
. immediate effect, the archbishop, from his pul-
CHAP.
' h
_ XXVIL
.......... 0 b sened
,Wit
of
• See the wbole tran,action in Ambrole, (tom. ii, epilt. xl, xli, p.
GtO·91G). and hiI hiograpber Paaliaua, (e. IS). Ba,le uuI Bar• •o
(\\loralel de l'lre., c. x,ii, p. 325, &r.) have justly COIldcmued lite
arcbbisbop.
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69
OP TilE ROMAN EMPIRE.
pit,a publicly addressed the emperor on. his CHAI'.
1:llrone;' nor wouldhecorifleIit to offer the obla-',!~:!..:,
tion of the altar, :tillhe had obtained from Theo-'
dosins a solemn arid positive declaration, which
secured the impunity of the bishops and monks
of Callinicum.· The recantation .of Theodosius
.was sincere; C and, during the term of his residence at Milan, his affection for Ambrose was
continually increased by'the habits of pious and'
.
familiar (.onversation.
. ,.. When Ambrose was informed of the massacre Penance
ofTh~s8alonica, his mind was filled. with horror :~~o.
and anguish. He retired into the country to A. D. 1110,
indulge his grief, and to avoid the presence of
Theodosius. But as the archbishop was satisfied- that a timid 'silence would 'render him the
accomplice of his guilt,· he represented, in a
private letter, the enormity olthe crime; which
cou,d only be effaced by the tears of penitence.
The episcopal vigour of Ambrose was tempered
by'prudence; and he contented himself with
signifying' an indirect sort of, excommunicaa Hi. aermonis a Itranp alle,ory of JereDliah'. rod,otaa almondtree, of. the woman who washed aud auointed the feet of Chrlat. But
tJae peroration is direct aud pr.rsonal
.. Hodie, Episcope, de me' propOloilti. Ambrose modestly coa(eased: it: bot he lternly reprimauded T"uaWUI, .eneral of the bone
~ foot, who had presumed to lay, thaUhe monkl of CaUiaicam dele"ed punishment•
• c, Yet, five yean afterward., when TbeodOliUl wu absent Iiom hill
Ipiritqal gnide, h~ tolerated. the JewI, aud condemned the destructioG
of their Iynagogue. Cod. Theodol. I. xyi. tit. yiii, Ir.g. 9, with Godefroy'. Commentary,tolDo yi, p. US.
• Ambros. tom. ii, epist. Ii, p. 991.1001. His Epistle is a mlaer"le
rhapsody 00 a Doble sobject. Ambrose could act better than he coulel
write. Hii cOlnpo.itions are destitute of taste, or genius; without the
spirit· of TertuUian, the copious rlegance of LactaDttll', the Iinly wit
.f Jerom, orthe ,rIYe eDerey of ADenltin.
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'0
THE DECLINE AND FALL
tion, by 'as8ura~e, that he bad been wamed'iu
XXVII. a VISIon,
• •
• th e name, -J...
_,..,,,,..
·110t to' 0 ffier the 0 bl'a tie on In
in ·the presence Of, Tlieodosiu8; ana, by the ·ad..
vice, that he. would coiIfine himself. t& the '1I8b
of prayer, .without' presnming to appfbach the
altar ()fChli$t, o.r· to receive tie boly eucmmiit
With tJiose hands that Were *till polluted· with
the blood of an innocent peopl~.· The emperorWas deeply affected bY his own reproaches; and
by those of his spiritual father; and. after· he
had bewailea the mischievous and iri'epaiable
consequences' of his rash fnry, heprocee~, in
thea~customed manner, to perform his devotions
in the great cllUrch of Milan. He was stopped
in the porch by t1ie' archbishop; who, in the tolie'
and language of an ambassador of Heaven, declared to his sovereign, that private contrition
was not sufficient to atone for a public fault, or,
to appease the justice 9f the oft"ended Deity.
Theodosius humbly represented, that if he. had'
contracted the guilt oCbomiCide, David, the man.
after God's own heart, had heen guilty, not only
of murder, but of adultery. "You have imitate, ed David in his crime, imitate then his repent..·
" ance," was the reply of the undaunted Am,
brose. . The rigorous conditions of peace ~nd
pardot;l were accepted; and the public penance of
the e~peror TheodO&i~~ bas been recorded as
one of the most honourable events in the annals
of the church. According to the mildest rules'
of ecclrsiastical discipline, which were estab
Iisned In the fourth century, the crime of homicide was expiated by the penitence of twenty
'CHAP.
QI;
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71
OF THE ROMAN DlPI.£.
7ears;· and it was impossible, in the period of CHAP.
human life, to purgetheaccumlllated guilt of the .~~l~
massacre of Thessatonical the murderer should
have been excluded from tile holy cOIDlflunion
till the hour of his death. But the a.rcbbishop,
cOllsulting the maxims of religious potier,: graDted some indulgence to the rarik. of his iIIusUi..
ous penioont, who humbled in the dust the pride
of the diadem;. and the public edi6cation:might
he admitted as a weighty reason to abridge the
duration of his puniShment. It was sufficient,
that the emperor of the Romans, stripptd of the
ensigns of royalty, should appear i~ a: mournful
and suppliant postnre; and that, in the midst
\lfthe clnu'ch of Milan, heshoold humbly solicit,
"ith sighs and tears, the pardon ofbis sins.'· In
this spiritual cure, Ambrose employed the vari.
ous methods of mildness and severity. After a
delay of a1)out eight months, Theodosius was restored to the communionofthefaithfol; and the
edic"t, whichinterposes a salutaryilltervalofthir.
iy days between the sentence and the execution,
may be "accepted as the worthy fruits of his
• AeeerdiD, to the diacipliD. of St. BuU, (Canon.IYi); the yol_
tary homicide waa /fIlAr yean a moumer; fief an hearer; MlltII in a
prostrate Itate; and' /oar in a ltanding posture. I have the original
(BeYeridp, Paaded. tom. ii, p. 47.151), aad a translation, (Chardon,
Hist. des Sacremen.,·tom. iy, p. 1119-211), of the ea,oniL'tIi EpilUel of
St, Basil.
f 'I'he ,ena1lce- of TheodOaiuI illantllenticated by Ambrose, tom. vi, '
de- Obit. Tbeodos. e.· 8-1; p. 120'1; Augustin, de (Civitat. Dei, Y, lICl),
and Paulinus, (in Vito Ambros. c.24). Socrates is ignol"ant; Sozomen
(I. vii, c. 25) concise; and the copioaa narrative of 111eodoret (1. Y, Co
18) mult be uled with precautitll.
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THE DECLINE AND FALL
repentance.- Posterity has applauded the vir.
:::!!;.tuous firmness of the archbishop: and the exam:...
pie of Theodosius may prove the beneficial influence of those principles, which could force
a ,monarch, . exalted above the apptehension of
human. punishment, to respect the laws, and ministers, of an invisible Judge. "The prince~"
says Montesquieu, "who is actuated by the
~~ hopes and fears of religion, may be compared
" to a lion, docile only.1o t,he voicE', and tract'.' able to the hand, .of his keeper."1a The motions of the royal animal will therefore depend
on the inclination, and, interest, of the man who
has acquired such dangerous authority over
~im; and the priest, who holds in his hand the
conscience of a king,. may inflame, or moderate,
his sanguinary passions.' The cause ot huma.mty, and that of persecution, have been asserted by the same Ambrose, with equal energy.
aud with equal success.
Ge
I
. After the defeat and death of the tyrant of
of ;::.t)' Gaul, the Roman world was in the possession
~~~~'i880 of Theodosius. He derived from the choice 'of
1"1.
Gratian his honourable title to the' provinces of
the East: he ha~ acquired the West by the right
of conquest; and the three years whicb he spent
in .Italy, were usefully employed to restore the
CHAI',
• Code's. Tbeodo•• I. hi:, tit.xI,ltg.11. 'lbedatuodcirc1IIIIItaDCd
of thil law are ptrplesed with ditlicuJdel; but J feel .yaelf mcli_
to' favoDr tbe hODnt eWort. of TillemoDt, (Hi.t. del Emp. tOlllo " po
721), aod PAli, (Critic., tom. i, p. 11'78)..
.b UD priDce 'lui aime I~ ..relillioD, el 'lui la craint, at lID lioD
C'6de a la maiD qui Ie flatu:, ou Ii 'a .ois 'lui "appme. Eipjrit dn Lobrt
.ui
1. Klliv, c. 2.
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. QP~THB ROMAN. EMPIRE.
7S
authority ofthe.laws; and to correct the abuse., CRAP.
which had prevail~d with impunity under the_~~
usurpation of Maximus. ,and the minority of VaJentinian., The name of Valentinian was regu·
larly inserted in the public acts: butthe tender
age, and doubtfnl faith, of the son of Justina, appeared torequh:etheprudentcareofanorthodox'
gQ'ardian ; and his specious ambition might have
excluded the unfortunate youth, witho~t a struggle,' and almost without a murmur, from the
administration, and even' from the inheritance,
of the empire. IfTheodosius had con'sulted the
, rigid maxims of interest and policy, his conduct
would have been justified by his friends; butthe
generosity of his behaviour on this' meinorable
occasion has extorted the applause of his most
inveterate enemies. . He seated Valentinian on
the throne of Milan; and, without stipJIlating
any present or future advantages, restored him
to the absolute dominion of all the province8
from whic!I he had been driven by the arms of
Maximus. To the restitution of his ample patrimony,. Theodosius added the free and gener.ous gift of the countries beyond theAlps, which
his su~ces8ful valour had recovered from the as
Husin of Gratian.1 Satisfied with the, glory
which ~e had acquired, by revenging the death
of his benefactor, and deHvering the West (roOl
the y.oke of tyranny, the eUlperor returned from
*'"
I TIlT'
""f WI",.":.' ......., lao!., IIMI, is the niggard pni.e of
200in1ll8 bim~l'lf, (I. iv, p. 267). AIl~stin 8ays, with some hapl,ineM
fIf rxpres,ion, ValentiniaDum •• ; •••• miserirordissimt& nne ratione ....
&iitnit.,
•
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74
TNB DEcLINE AND FALL
CRAP. Milan to Constantinople; and, in the peaceful
..~..~~~:.. possession of the East, Jnsensibly relapsed into
his former habits of luxury and indolence.
Theodomus discharged his obligation to the brother, he indulged his conjugal tenderness to th~
sister, of Valentinian : and posterity, which admires the pure aad singular glory of his eleva-'
tion, must applaud his unrivalled, generosity in
the use of victory.
Character
The empress Justina did Dot long survive her
ti~!~:eu. r~turn to Italy; and, though she beheld the triA. D. 301. nmpbol Theodosius, she was not allowed to
influence the government of her Son.l' The pernicious attachment to the Arian sect, which
Valentinian' had imbibed from lier ~ample and·
instructions, were soon erased by the lessons of
a mare orthodox education. His growing zeal
for the faith of Nice, and his filial reverence for
the character and authority of Ambrose, disposed the catholics to entertain the most favour-'
able opinion of the virtues of the young emperor
of the West.1 'They applauded his chastity and
temperance, his contempt of pleasure, his ap-"
plication to business, and his tender affection
for his two siMteN;' which could not, however,
seduce his impartial equity to pronounce an
unjust sentence against the meanest of his fIlIlb-jects. But this amiable youth, before he had·
accomplished the twentieth year of his age, was
Sozomell, I. yii, c. U. Hi, chronology i, very irregular.
See Ambrollt', (tom. ii, de Obit. ValeDlinian, c. IIi, &e. p. 1118;
e. 36, &tc. p. 111!4). When the YOllnl emperor lave an entertainment,
he falted Ilimself; 'he refused 10 lee an handaome actrl'l8, &te. Sinee
he ordered his wild bealtl to be killed, it i. unieneroul in Philoa.....
,1_. (I. ai, c. 1) to reproach him with the lClve ofthal amU8elDent. I .
Ie
I
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76
OF THE ROMAN EJdPlltE'.
oppressed by domestic treason; and the empire CHAP'
. .lDVOIve d'm the h orrors 0 f
XXVII
,vas agam
a'
CIVI'1 War. ,_"
....,;.
Arhogastes,· a gallant soldier of the nation of
the Franks, held the second rank in the service
of Gratian. On the death of his master, he
joined the standard of Theodosiu8; contributed, by his valour and military conduct, to the
destruction of the tyrant; and was appointed,
after tbeVlctory, master-general of the armies of
Gaul. His real merit, and apparent fidelity,
had gained the confidence both of the prince
and people; his boundless liberality corrupted
the allegiance of the troops; and, whilst he WILl'
universally esteemed as the pillar of the 8ta~
the bold and craft.y barbarian was secretly determined, either to rule, or to ruin, the empire
of the W~st. The important commands of the
army were distributed among the Franks; the
creatures of Arbogastes were promoted to all
the honours and offices of the ciyil gOTemment;
the progress of the conspiracy removed every.
faithful servant {rom the presence of Valentinian; and the emperor, ,without power, and
without intelligence, insensibly sunk into the,
precarious and dependant condition of a. captiTe" The indignation which he expressed,
though it might arise only {rom the rash and
impatient temper of youth, may be candidly ascribed to the generous spirit of a prince,' who
.. ZOlimll1 (I. iY, p. 275) praises tbe enemy of Theodoailll. But he
ia deteated by SocrateA, (I. Y, c. 25), and Oroliul, (I. vii, c. 15).
• Grqory of Tonn (I. ii, c. 9, p..1116, ill tlae ••concl Yolume of die
Hi.torianl of Franct) baa preserved a curious fragment of Sulpici...
Alexander, au Iaiatoriaa far mOl'e_vallaable thaD himlelf.
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THE DECLINE AND PALL .
(eli that he was not unworthy to reign. He se,~~~~~.. cretly invited the archbishop of Milan to under. take tbe office of a mediator; as the pledge of
his sincerity, and the guardian of his safety,
He contrived to apprise the em peror of the East
of his bel pless situation; and he declared, that,
unless Theodosius could speedily march to his
assistance, he must attempt to escape from the
palace,or rather prison, of Vienna in Gaul,
where he had imprudently fixed his residence
in the midst of the hostile faction. But the
hopes of relief were distant and doubtful; and,
as every day furnished some newprovocatioo,
tbe emperor, without strength. or counsel, too
Mstily resolved to risk an immediate contest
with his powerful general. He received Arbogastesonthethrone; and,asthe count approachedwith some appearance of respect, delivered
to hima paper, 'whichdismissed him from all his
employments. "My authority," repHed Arbogastes, with insulting coolness, "does not ~e
'( pend 00 the' smile, or the frown, of a monarch;"
and he contemptnously threw the paper on tht'
ground. The indignant monarch snatched at
the sword of one of the guards, which he struggled to draw from its scabbard; and it was' not
without soine degree ofviolence tbathe was prevented from using the deadly weapon against
.
his enemy, or against himself. A few days after
HI.death
.
, D 1'01. t b'IS extraord'mary quarrel, '
In W b'IC h he ha d ex11., 16, posed his resentment and his weakness, th~ UDfortunate Valentiuian was found strangled in his
apa~~ent; and some pains were employed to
CHAP,
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7'
OF THe ROMAN EMPIRE.
disguise the manife~t guilt of Arbogastes, and to CHAP.
persuade the world that the death of the young .~~:~.
emperor had been the voluntary effect of his·
own· despair.· His body was conducte~ with.
decent pomp to the sepukhre of Milan ; and the
archbishop pronounced· a funeral' oration to
commemol"ate.his virtue, and his misfortunes.',
On this occasion the humanity of Ambrose
tempted him to make a siugular breach in his
theological system; and to comfort the weeping
sisters of VaJentinian, by the firm assurance,
that· their pious brother; though he had not received the 'sacrament o( baptism; was introduced, without difficulty, into the mansions of,
eternal bliss.·
..
"
Theprudenceof.Arbogastes had prepared the. U.a~rti
success ofliis ambitious designs: and theprovin- ::a~aR~u,
cials, in whose breasts every sentiment of patrio- :g:....
tism or loyalty were extinguished, expected, with .
tame resignation, the unknown master, whom
the choice of a Frank might place on the imperial throne. But some remains of pride and prejudice still opposed the elevation of Arbogastes
himself; and the judiCious barbarian' thought it
• Godefroy (Diuertat. ad Philoltorg. p. ,42IMU) has diligently 1'01.
leeted all tbe cireamstancel of tbe death of Valeatialaa IL The
"ariationl, and the iporaDce, of coatemporar), writen, prove tbat it
wallecret•
• De Obitta ValeatiDiaa. tom. ii, p.llfl.ll00. He is forred to Ipeak '
a dilt'reet and oblcure laapIge: )'et be il mucb bolder thao aay la,lIIan, or perbapl, an)' other eccleaiutir, would bave dared to be.
q Spe e. 51, p. 1188: e. 7'5, p.lltS. Don Chardon (Hilt.dea Saeremene, torn. i, p. 86), who 01l'nl that St. Ambroae most ItrcnnouII),
lDalotllnl tbe illdilpelllablc Decenil), of baptism, laboarl to reroaeile
the contradiction.
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'18
THE DECLINE AND fALL
~:¢ri more advisable to reigIi under the nalDe of some
__.." dependent Roman. He bestowed the purple on
the rhetorician Eugenius;r whom be bad.. al..
ready raised from the place of his dom~ .secretary,to the rank of master of the offices. . In
the. course both of his private- and public
vice, the count -had always approved the attackment and abilities of Eugenins; his learning and
eloquence, supported by the gravity 0(. his mau..
ners, Tecommenood him to -the esteem of the
people; and tbe reluctance1 with whieh he
seemed to asceBd. the throne, ma.y.inspire a fa-vourable prejudice of his virtue and moderation.
The aml1assadors oftbe Dew emperor were imm~diately despatched to the court of Theodosius, to communicate, with' affected gNef, the
unfortunate accident of the ooath of Valentinian;
and, ,vithout mentioning the name of. Arbogastes, to request that the monarch of the East
would embrace, as his lawful colleague,- the respectable citizen, who -had obtained the -nn8llimous suffrage of the -armies and provinces of the
West. • Theodosius was justly provo.k.ed~ _that
the perfidy of a barbarian should have destroyed, in a moment, the Jabour~, and the (mit, of
his Cormer victory; and he was excited by the
ser-
r Quem sibi Germanus famolum delegt'rat exul,
II the contemptuous expression of Claudia.., (iv ConI. Hon. 14). Ea-
Ifllioa profeued Cbristianity; but his .ecret attachment to paganism
. (So.oruen. I. vii, c. 6. Philostorg. I. xi, c. I) b probable in a gra_
m8rlllll, and wOlild IICCure tbe friendship of ZOIimus, (I. iY, p. lI'J'G,
171).
• Z08imal (I. iv, p. 218) mentionl this embuay; but he ia diyert.e4
It, anotber ItOry tiom relating the eveata.
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79
011' 'l'H/& aoKAN EMPlar.
tears of his beloved wife,t, to revenge the fate of OIlAP.
her unhappy brother, and once more to assert ,~~
by arms the violated majesty of the throne. But
as the second conquest of the West was a task
of difficulty and danger, he dismissed, with
splendid presents, and an ambiguous answer,
the ambassadors of Eugeniu.; and almost two
years were consumed in the preparations of the
civil war. ' Before he formed any decisive reso- Theoclolution, the pious emperor Wall anxious to disco- ;~:Jr:
ver the will of Heaven; and as the progress of war.
Christianity had mleneed the oracle. of Delphi
, and Dodona, he cons\1lted an Egyptian monk,
who possessed, in the opinion of the age, the
gift of miracles, and the knowledge of futurity.
Eutropius, one of the favourite eunuchs of the
palace of Constantinople, embarked for Alexandria, from whenee he sailed up thp Nile as
far as the city of Lycopolis, or of Wolves, in
the remote province of Thebais." In the neiglabourhood of that city. and on the summit of a
lofty mountain, the holy John" had constructed -with his own bands, an ,humble cell, in
.,.Jo..,
• %"""'&f&!" ~ ..."." "..,........ ran..... i-.".... ....,
tl.otur,..m.
Zoaim. I. Iv, p. 217•. He afterwardl lay. (p. 280), th.t Galla died in
ebildbed; and intimate!!, that the .miction oC her hnsband.u extreme, bnl ahort.
• Lyeopolia II the modt'rn Siot, or O.iot, a town of Said, abolll the
lise of It. Deny., which tlriv. a profitable trade with the kingdom of
Sennaar, and hal a ve'l1 convenient fonntain, " cnjnl potn ligna vir"illitat" eripiuotDr." See d'Anvil"', Description de rEgyptt', ,po 181 ;
Abalred., De.crlp. }Egvpt. p. 14, and the corlon. Annotation., p. 25,
ft, of hia editor Michaella.
• The life of John oC Lycopolia i. delcribt'tI by hia two friends, Rutiiau, (L il, c. i, p. «9), and Palladin_, CHiat. Lali,iac. c. '1, p. 718), i.
ROIWJde"a
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80
TBR DECLINE' AND PALL'
CUAP which he' had dwelt above fifty years, without
XXVII.'
•
h'IS door, WIt
. hout seemg
. t be t1ace 0 f . a
_._..... openmg
woman, and without tasting any food that had
been prepared by fire, or any human art. Five.
days of the week he spent in prayer and medi·,
tation; but on Saturday and Sundays he regu.;
larly opened a small window, and gave audience
to the crowd of suppliants, who successively·
:Bowed from every part'of the Christian w.orld .•
The eunuch of Theodosius approached the win-:
dow with respectful steps, propo.ed his questions concerning the event of the civil war, and,
soon returned with. a favourable oracle, which:
animated the courage of the emperor by the'as-'
surance ofa bloody, but infaJJihle victory.:r The·
accomplishment of the prediction was forwarded by aU the means that human prudencecoul&
supply. The industry of the two master-gene-'
rals, Stilicho and Timasius, was directed to recruit the numbers, and to revive the discipline,
of the Roman legions. The fonnidable troops
ofbarbarians marched under the ensiglls of their
national chieftains. The Iberian, the Arab, and
the Goth, who gazed on each other with mutual
astonishment, were inHsted in the service of the
same prince; and the renowned Alaric ac-'
quired, in the school of Theodosius, the'
knowledge of the art of war, .which be after·.
Ra.wyde" great ColleetioB of the Ville Patrum: TiDemoDt, '(U_'
Etoelr•• tom x, p. 118, 720) bu BettiI'd the chroDoloe.
, SOllomeD, I. ~ii, c. 22. ClaudiaB (iD Entrop. I. i, S12) mrnti_
the eunuch'. journey; but be moat eODtemptuoullly deride. tbe EIf!'tiaD drl.'alPI: aDd the oracl~ of the Nile.
.
•
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I , I
81
0" THE ROMAN 2MPlR£.
wards so fatally exerted for the destruction '01 ClIAP.
Rome:'
XXVII.
The emperor ofthe West, or, 't6 speak more ..;:';~;: ...
'tes, was rns
. tr uc t'd
tory 0910'
· generaIArbogas
properIy, h18
e Eugenilla,
by the miscond~c,t ~nd misfortune of ~axi~~s, 8;;',:'94.
how dangerous It mIght prove to extend the hne
of defence against a.- skilful antagonist, who wa's
frep. to prefls, or to suspend, ' to contract, or to
multiply, his various methods of attack.- Arbogastesfixed his station on the confinesofltaJy:
the troops of Theodosius were permitted to occupy, without resistarice~ the provinces of Pannonia, as far as the foot of the Julian Alps; and
even the passages of the mountains were negligently, or perhaps artfully, abandoned, to the
bold invader. He descended from the hills, and
beheld~ '\fith some astonishment, the formidable
camp of the Gauls and Germans, that covered
'With arms and tents the open country, which extends to the walls of Aquileia, and the banks of
• Zosimlls, I, iv, p. 280. Soeratel, Lvii, 10. Alarie himsell (de
Bell. Getieo, li24) dwC'l1a with more eomplaeeney on his earlyexploitl
agaiolt the RomaDlo
'
• • • •• • Tot Augu,tul Hebro qui t ..lte wIllYj. "
Yet bis vanity could leareely han proyed this plimdilr of ftyiDI emperon.
I
Claodian (in jv Cons. Honor. 17, .te.) contrails the military pi...
.
• • • • • Novilas audere priorem
'
'
SlIadebat; eautllmqlle dabant exempla aeqllentem.
Hie uova moilri pUllcrp.: hic qnllorere lulu,
Providnl. Hie fUlia; collecti. viribul iIIe.
Hie vagll' eXCtlFft'III; his intra c)aultl'a reduct...
Dinilllilt"8; sed mOl'te pun. • • • • .'
•r tbe two ulurpers.-
VOL. V.
G
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THE DECLINE AND FALL
the Frigidus,~ or Cold River.e This narrow
.'::'':!!:,theatre of the war, circumscribed by the Alps
and the Hadriatic, did not allow much room for
the operations of military skill; the spirit of Arbogastes would have disdained a pardon ;bis
guilt extinguished the hope of a negotiation: and
Theodosius was impatient to satisfy his glory and
revenge, by the chastisement of the assassins oC
Valentinian. Without weighing the natural and
artificial obstacles that opposed his efforts, the
emperor of the East immediately attacked the
fortifications of his rivals, assigned the post oC
honourable danger to the Goths, and cherished a
secret wish, that the bloody conllict might diminish the pride and numbers of the conquerors.
Ten thousand of those auxiliaries, and Bacurius,
general of_.the Iberians, died bravely on the field
··of battle. But the victory was not purchased by
their blood: the Gauls maintained their advantage; and the approach of night protected the
disorderly flight, or retreat, of the troops uf
Theodosiu8. The emperor retired to the adjacent hills; where he passed a disconsolate night,
without sleep, without provisions, and without
CHAP.
~ The FripduI, a amall, though memorablt', strt'am in the COIIJl...,
of Goreta, DOW called th. Vipao, falls into the Sontinl, or Lison&o,
above Aqoileia, ~ome miles from the Jladriatic. See d'Anville'. Ancient and Modem Mapa, and the ltalia Antiqua of Cluveriul, (tOIll.
i, p.l88).
C
Claudian" wit is intolenble: the Inow waa dyed red; the eold
nnr smaaked; and the ehannel most have been choued with CSI'!
cuiel, if the curreDt had Dot been .welled with bleod.
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OF 'i'IU: ItOMAN DlPIlUI!.
hopes;' except that strong assurance, whicb, CHAP.
under the most desperate c~rcumstances, the in.. _~~~
dependent mind may derive from the contempt
offortune and onile. The triumph of Eugenius
was eelebrated by the insolent and diS80late joy
of his camp; wbilst tbe active and vigilant AI'bogastes secretly detached a considerable body
of troops to occupy tbe passes olthe mountains,
and to encompass the rear of the eastern anny.
The dawn of day discovered to the eres of
TheOdosi us the extent and the extremity of his
danger ': but· his apprehensions were soon dispelled, by a friendly message from the leader'il
of those troops, wbo expressed their inelination
to desert the standard of the tyrant. The h0nourable and lucrati,e rewards, which they sti.
pulated as the price of their perfidy, were grant,.
ed without hesitation-; aad as ink and paper
could not easily be procured, the emperor subscribed, on his own tablets, too f'atificatiGB 01
the treaty. The spirit of MS 80Idien was re.
vived by this seasonahle reioforOOlMDC: aDA
they again marched, with coofidence, to.. SUl"prise tbe camp of a tyrant, whose pm.eipal ofi.
. Cers appeared to distrust, either the justice, or
the success, of his arms. In the heat of. the battle, a violenf tempest,·· such as is often felt
• Theodoret affirms, that St. J4bD, and St. PiaiUp, appeared to the
wakia" or .ieepiDg, emperor, OD boraebacJl, ate. TIIiI ia the lint inataDceel apo.tone cbinlry, whlek at\erwards became 10 popular ••
SpaiD, a,ad iD the eru.adea•
. • Te propter, gelilil Aquilo de moDte procellis
Obruit adnrsaa aeit'l; revoiuhlqae tela
Vertit in auctores, t't turbint' nppulit Itastal.
o .imium dileete ])eo, cui (ulldit ab anlri,
.£0111'
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U
'l'HE DECLINE AND PALL
among. the Alps, suddenly arose from tlie eattt...~~~~:.. The army of Theodosius was sheltered by their
position from the impetuosity of tbe wind"which.
blew a cloud of dust in the faces of tbe enemy"
disordered their ranks, Wrested their weapons. from their hands, and divei'ted,or repelled, tbeir
inetl'ectual javelins. This accidental advantage'
was skilfully improved; 'the violence of, the.
storm was magnified· by, the superstitious ter-rors of the Gauls ; and they- yielded without'
shame to the invisible powers of heaven; who'
seemed to militate on the side of the pious emperor. His victory was decisive; 'and the dmths.
of his two 'rivals were distinguished only by th~i
difference of their charactel'l. The rhetorician
Eugenius, who had almost 'acquired the domi~:
nion of the world, was reduced to. implore the
mercy of the conqueror; and the unrelenting
soldierl separated his head frOID' his body, as
he lay prostrate at the feet ofTheodosius. Arbogastes, after the loss of a battle, in which be,
had discharged the duties of a soldier and a general, wandered several days among the mountainl. But when he was convinced. that his
cause 'was desperate, and his escape impr.~cti
cable, the intrepid ~arbarian -imitated the ex•
-,
CHAP.
.IEolaa armatu byemH; cui'mUitat JEther,
Et conjurati yeaiuut ad eluaiea YeDti.
TbHe famoUl linea of ClaudiaD (iD iii CoDl. HODor. 9S, lie. A. ••
116) are alleged by hi. eODtemporariea, AugUltin and OrOliDl; Who:
IUppreu
Pllan deity of .lEolu.; and add lOme eireumataucH fro.
the informatioD of e,..1ritn~. Withill....rmontba after the yietory,
it wu compared by AIIIbrllle to the IlliraculoUi yic:torie. of JrIoau ...
.he
.lOIh.,.
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'OP THE ROMAN E l l P l B . L M
::aniple oftlie anCient Romans, and turriedhis CHAP.
. hisown breast. Th'elate
~
XXVII._
8W{)ld,agalDst
0 f t he _____
'empire was.determined ,in a narrow comer 0(
Italy; and the legitin:tate successor of the house
-of Valentini an .embraced the archbishop of M~
.lan, ~nd graciously received the submission of
the provinces of the West. Those provinces
were involve~ in the guilt of rebellion; while
·the inBexib~e courage of Ambrose alone had re'.is~ed the claims ,of successful usurpation.
With a manly freedom, which might have been
'latal to any other subject, the archbishop rejected'the gifts of EugeniuB, declined his correspondence, and withdrew himself from Milan,
to' avoid the ,odious presence of a tyrant; whose
downfal he predicted in discreet and ambiguous language. The merit of Ambrose was applauded by the conqueror, who secured the attachment of the people by hiB alliance with the
church: and the clemency of Theodosius its
ascribed to the humane intercession of the archbishop of Milan.'
After the defeat of Eugenius, the merit, as DeatiJ t6
well as the authority, ofTheodosius, was cheer- ~eodOo •
fully acknowledged by all the inhabitants of the A. ~• • •
. Id The expenence
.
R omall wor.
0 fh'IS past con- JaB. 17.
duct encouraged the most pleasing expectations
~( his fut~re reign; and the age of the emperor,
which did not exceed fifty years, seemed to
..
r The events of thi. ci,U war are lathered from Ambl"Olle, (tom. if,
tpiat. hdi, p. 1m) j :fallliou, (io Vito Ambroa. e. 16-14); AIII1I'tbt,
(de Ci,itat. Dei, " 10) j OMlliu, (I. vii, e.I6); Sozomeo (1. vii. e.14) ;
Theodoret, (I. v, e. 14); Zoaimu, (L i., p. SSI·28!); Claudio, Cia
iii Cona. Hoo. 61-106, io iv Co.... Boo•. 70.1rr), and the Chronicles
1'IIbliahed b! Sc:m~er.
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8tJ
THE DECLINE AND ".LL
: CHAP. eXtend the prospect of the public· felicity. His
~~death, only four months after bis victory, was
cOllsideredby the people as an unforeseen and
fatal event,. which destroyed, in a moment, the
hopes of the rising generation. But the indulgence of ease and Iuxiny bad secretly nQurished the principles of disease.I The strength
of Theodosius was unable to support the 8udden and violent transition from the palace to the
camp; and the increasing symptoms ofa d·roPIIY
announced the speedy dissolution oithe emperor. The opinion, and perhaps the interest, of
tkepublic had oonfirmed the division oftheeast~
ern and western empires; and the two royal
youths, ArcadiuB and Honorius, who had already obtained, from the teudernels of their fa.
ther, the titJe of AUgo.StUB, were destined to fill
the thrones of 'Constantinople and of Rome.
Those princes were not permitted ro share the
danger and glory of the cinl 'War~ but as soon
as Theodosius had triumphed over his unworthy rivals, he called his younger 80n, Honorius,
to enjoy the fruits of the victory, and to receive
the sceptre of the West from the hands of his
dying father. The arrival of Bonorius at MiJan was welcomed by a splendid exhibition
of the games of the Circus; and the em. I Thi.· disease, ascribed by Socrates (I. 'Y, c. 26) to the fatigues of
.ar,.ia re,reIHlDtC!4 by P~il08lor,ias, (I. Jd, c. 2)•• the etect of .1011&
IIIId intemperance, for which Photia. call. him aD impudent Ii...,
(Godefroy. Diaert. p. 438).
b ZosimuB supposes, that the boy HOlIonOl aecompllllied hi. father.
(I. i., p. 280). Yet the qUllllto t.,rabllllt pectora Yoto, ia all that
t.tlery ",oufd allow to • contempOrary poet; who clearly deaeribca die
emperor'. reAlaal, aDd thejfl;troey of HonoriOl, qfi" the victury,(ClAu •
."iolD i.u iii CORI. 18-126). .
87
OF ~ ROMAK DlPIB
peror, tho1lgh
he was .oppressed by the weight CHAP.
XXVII.
· d·lsorder, contri·bu ted b y hiS presence ,.,,_,...
of hIS
tG the public ~y. But the remains of his
strength were exhausted by the painful effort,
which he made, to assist at the spectacles of the'
IIIOrning. Honorius supplied,' during the rest of
the day, the place of his father; and the great
Theodosius expired in the.ensuing night. Notwithstanding the recent animosities of a civil
war, his death was universally lamented. The
barbarians, whom he had vanquished, and the
churchmen, by whom he had been subdued,
celebrated, with loud and sincere applause,
the qualities of the deceased emperor, which
sppeared the most valuable in their eyes. The
'lomans were terrified by tlIe impending dangers of a feeble and divided administration; and
every disgraceful moment of the ~nfortunate
reigns of. Arcadius and Honorius revived the
memory of their irreparable loss.
In the faithful picture of the virtues of Thea- CorrlJpti.
·
h""
~ ti" ons have no t been d"ISSem- OD
of..the
dOSIUS,
IS JmpeneC
time
bled; the act of cruelty, and the habits of indolence, which tarnished the glory of one of the
greatest of the Ruman princes. An historian,
perpetually adverse to the fame of Theodosius,
has exaggerated his vices, and their perniciou8
effects; he boldly asserts, that every rank of
subjects imitated the effeminate manners of their
sovereign; that every species of corruption polluted the course of public and private life; and
that the f~ble restraints of order and decency
were insufficient to resist the progress of that d~
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88
TRB DECLINE AND PALL'
CHAP. geilEjratespirit~ whichsacl'i6.cee, withouta.'bhull,·
~~~~~" the consideratioQ. of duty and interest to the:base
indulgence of sloth an«l appetite. I T~e:com~.
plaints of contemporary writers, who deplore:
the inerease ofluxury, and depral'ation Qf man..
ners, are cominonly expressive of their p~Quliar :
temper and situation. . There are few obserVers, ,
who possess a clear and comprehensive: view of .
the revoluti&ns of soCiety; and who are capable
of discovering the nice and secret springs of action, which impel, in the same uniform direction,
the blind and capricious passions of a multitude
of individuals. If it can be affirmed, with· any
degree 9f truth, that the luxury of the Romans
was more shainel~ss and dissolute in the reign .
of Theodosius than in the age of Constantine,
perhaps, or of Augustus, the alteration cannot
be ascribed to any beneficial improveme)lts,
which had gradually increased the stock of
•
national riches,., A long period of calamity or
decay must have checked the inaustry, and diminished the wealth, of the people; and their
profuse luxury mU6t have been the result of that
indolent despair, which enjoys the present hour,
and declines the thoughts of futurity. The uncertain condition of their property discouraged
the subjects of Theodosius from engaging in
those useful and laborious undertakings which
require an immediate expence, and promise a
slow~and distant advantage. The frequent e~
amples of ruin and desolation tempted them not,
to spare the remains of a patrimony, whic.b
I ZOlimue, I iY"Po au•.
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80
0'1 THE !lOMAN EMPIRE.
might,.every hour, become the prey of the ra-CIli\1t.
pacious Goth. And the mad prodigality which .~~,~~!:.
prevails in the confusion of a shipwreck~ or a
siege, may serve to explain the pt'ogress of luxury 'amidst the misfortunes and terrors of a
sinking nation.
The effeminate luxury, which infected the The I...
manners of courts and cities~ had instilled a fanlry I.y
aide their
.
.
.
h
secret an d destructIve pOlson IOto t e camps of armoar.
the legions: and their degeneracy- has been
marked by the pen of a military· writer, who
had accurately studied the genuine and ancient
principles of Roman discipline. It is the just
and important observation of Vegetius, that the
infantry was invariably covered with defensive
armour, from the foundation of the city, to the
reign of the emperor Gratian. The relaxation'
of discipline, and the disuse of exercise, rendered the soldiers leiS able,' and less willing, to
support the fatigues of the service; they complained of the weight of the armour, which they
seldom wore; and they successively obtained'
the permission of laying aside both their cuirasses and their helmebl. The heavy weapons
of their ancestors, the short sword, and the formidable pilurn, which had subdued the world,
insensibly dropped from their feeble hands. AI
the use of the shield is incompatible with that
of the bow, they reluctantly marched into the
field; condemned to suifer, either the pain of
wounds, or the ignominy of Hight, and always
disposed to prefer the more shameful alterna-.
tive. The cavalry of the Goths, the Huns, and
the Alani. had felt the benefits. and ado ted the
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TH£ DECLINE AND PALL.
ose of defensive armour; and,. as they ex.~~~~~;.. celJed in the management of missile weapons,
they easily overwhelmed the naked and trero.·
bling legions, whose heads and breasts were
exposed, without defence, to the arrows of the
barbarians. The loss of armies, the destmction of cities, and the dishonour of the Roman
name, ine1fectually solicited the successors of
Gratian to restore the helmets and cuirasses· of
the infantry. Theenervated soldiers abanduned their own, and the public, defence; and
their pusillanimous indolence may be considered as the immediate cause of the downfal of the , .
empire.IE
.
CHAP.
It
Vegetinl, de :fte Milit!lri, I. i, e. 10. Tftseries or calamities, wilJcll
he marb, compel oa to ltel,ie• .., tllat tile Ikro. to whom be dediaatel
.it book, is tbe last &ad most insloriou of the ValelltiniaJII
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91 .
OF TIlE ROMAN EMPIRE.
CHAP. XXVIII.
PifI(Jl de8truction of paganism-Introdw,clio. of
1M woriAip of sainls, and relic" among tk.
Ckriltians.
THE ruin of paganism, in the age of Theo- CHAP.
. perb aps t heonI y example.r the to- ___
XX"JlL_
·
d OllUS,
IS
tal extirpation of any ancient and popular super. The d!,"
• •
..I.
th efo
atractioD
stition;
all,", lD3.y,
er re, deserve to be con- of
the "'..
sidered, as a singular event in the history of the ~-;:.,relibuman mind. The christianll,more especially :N,.D. 1780
the clergy7 had impatiently supported the pru·
dent delays of Constantine, and tbe equal tole. ration of the elder ValentiniaD; DOr c:oo.ld they
deem their conquest perfect· or Ecure, as long
as their adyersaries were permitted to e~i8t.
The influence, which A.brose and his brethren
had acquired over the youth of Gratian, and
the pjety of Theodo.iuI, was employed ~ infuse the maxims of persecution into the breasts
of their imperial proselyres. Two specious
principles of religious jurisprudence were established, from whence they deduced a direct
and rigorous conclusion, against the subjects
of the empire. who still adhered to the ceremonies of their ancestors: t"at tbe magistrate is,
in some measure, guilty of the crimes which he
neglects to prohibit, or to punish; and 'kat the
idolatrons worship of fabulous deities, and real
demons, is the most abominable crime against
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,THE DECUNB AND FALL
the supreme majesty of the Creator. The laws
~~!!:of Moses, and the examples of Jewish history:
were hastily, perhaps erroneously, applied, by
the clergy, to the mild and universal reign of
Christianity.II The zeal of the ~mperors was
excited to vindicate their own honour, and tflat
of the Deity: and the temples of the Roman
world were subvertf>d, about sixty years after
the conversion of Constailtine. .
State or
From the age of N uma, to the reign of Grapapnism tian, the Romans preserved the regular 8UCCesat Rome. •
'.
,Slon of the severaI coIleges of t he sacerdotaI
order.c Fifteen PONTIFFS exercised their su-'
preme jurisdiction over all things,.and persons,
that were consecrated to the service of the gods;
and the various' questions which perpetually arose in a loose and traditionary system, were
submitted to the judgment of their holy tribunal. Fifteen grave and learned AUGURS obse"ed the face of the heavens, and prescribed the
actions of heroe8~ according to the :flight of
birds. Fifteen keepers of ibe SybiIline books
CHAP.
•
, ~ St:Ambl'OR,(tom. ii, de Obit. Theoc)OI. p.1208)expreu1yprailft
aud recomineud. the seal of JOilah in the destructioD of idolatry.
The lanrua,e of Juliu Firmical Materna. OD the _
lubjft't (de
Errore ProfaD. Reli,. p. 4fII, edit. Gronoy.)b,pioUlly inhlUllaQ. !tiie
fillo jlibet.( the M••aic Law), parel, Dec fratri, et per amatam copjugtIB
gladium vindlcem'ducit, &c.
.
~ Bayle (tom. ii, p. 406, iD Ilia CemiDeDtalfe PhiIOlOplahl"e) jUltifiel,
and Jimill, theae intolerant law. by the temporal reip of Jehovah OYfr
tbe Jew.. The attempt i, laudable~
C See the outline, of the Roman hierarch, iD Cieero, (de LeJibu. iI,
'J, 8) j Livy, (i, 20); Diony.iu, HarlicarnUleuia, (I. ii, p. nO-ll111,
edit. HudlOn); Beaufort, (Republique Romaine, tom. i, p. 1-80), and
Ifoyle, (vol. I, p. 10-1111). The laat ia the work OhD Enlliab whig, u
well u of a RoII\ID auti4luary.
..
.
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or THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
93
(their name of QUINDECEMVIRS w,as d~rived .cHAP.'
:from their number) . occasionally consulted the:,~:~!!:
history of future, and, as it should, seem, of
contingent, events'. -Six VESTA.LS devoted their
virginity to the guard of the sacred fire, and of
tlie unknoWn pledges of 'the duration of Rome;
which no mortal had been suffered to behold
with impUnIty! Seven EpULOS prepared the'
table of the guds, conducted the 801emn pr~
cession, and regulated the ceremonies of the
annual festival. The three FLAIrIENS of Jupi.,
ter, of Mars, and of Quirinus, were considered
as the peculiar ministers of the three most
powerful deities, who watched over the fate of
Rome and of the universe. The Kum.of the
SACRIFICES represented the person of N UUla,
and of his successors, in the religious func,:,
tions, which could be performed only by royal
hands. The confraternities of the SAl.IAN!, the
LUPERCAL~, &c. practised such rites as might
extort a smile of contempt from every reasonabJe man, with a lively confidence of rec~
mending themselves to the favour oftheimmor..
tal gods. The authority, which the RomaB
priests had formerly obtained in the councils
of the repuhl!c, was gradually abolished by the
establishment of monarchy, and the removal o~.
• These mYltic, and pMha,. imagiuary, lymboJa havegivell birth t. ,
'\'arioal fables and conjectares. It aeema probable, that the PalladillDl
wu a IDUlllltatDe (three cubits and a halr high) or Miner.., with a
lance and distaft" I that it was tiSDall, inclosed in a atria, or barrel; and
that a aimitar barrel wu placed by its lide, to disconcert carioaity, or
I8Crile,e. See Mezeriac, (Comment.anr lei Epitrea crO,ide, tom. i"
10-66), aJUJ 1..ipaiuI, (tom. iii, p. 610. de Veat', "c. c. 10).
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TID DECLINE AND FALL
the seat of empire. But the dignity of their
~!~ sacred character was still protected by the laws
and manners of their country; and they still co.
tinued, more especially the college ofpontUfs, to
exercise in the capitaJ, and sometimes in the protinces, the rites of their ecclesiastical and civil
jurisdiction. Their robes of purple, chariotS of
state, and sumptuous entertainments, attracted
the admiration of the people ~ and they received,
from the COBsecrated lands, and the public
revenue, an ample stipend, which liberally supported the splendour of the priesthood, and all
the expences ofthe religious worship of the state.
As the service of the altar was not incompatible
with the command of armies, the Romans, after
their cODsulships and triumphs, aspired to tbt
place of ponti~ or of augur; the seats of CiceroaDd Pompey were filled, in the fourth century,
by the most ilJustrious members of the senate;
and the dignity of their birth reflected additional splendour 00 their sacerdotal character.
The fifteen priests, who composed the college of pontiffs, eDjoyed a more distinguished rank as the companions of· their sovereign; and the Christian· emperors condescended to accept the rob.e and ensigns,
whic::h were appropriated to the office of supreme pontiff. But when Gratian ascended the
throne, more scrupulous, or more enlightened,
CHAP.
• Cicrro(rankly, (ad Atticum, I. ii, rpiat. Ii), or iDdirectly. (ad
Familiar I. xv, rpiat. 4), confes.el, that the agtII'IIte ia tile mp~
.bject of hia wishes. Pliny i. proud to tread in the footstep. of ac•••
(l. iv, epi.t. 8), and the chain of traditio. migbl be continueel f~
lliatory aDd marbles.
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~"TH& ~MAN EIIPlR&
'"
he-sternly rejected those profanesymbola;' ap- CHAP.
plied to the service of the state, or of the church, .~~!!!:
the revenues of the priests or vesta)s; abolished
their·honoursaod immunities; aDP dissolved the
aDcient fabric of Roman superstition, which was
supported by tbe opinions, and habits, of eleven
hundred years. Paganism was still the ~onsti.;.
tutional religion of the sen~. The hall or
temple, in which they assembled, was .adOl'Qed
by the statue and altar of Victru.:y;1 a majestic
female standjng .oa a globe, with Bowing garments, exp~llded wUags, and a crown of laurel
iD her out-stretclaed .haIKLIt The senators were
sworn on the altar of the goddess, to observe the
laws of the emper.or aad of the empire; and a
iOlemn oIiering of wioe and inceoee wa. the
ordinary prelude of their public deliberatWu!
The removal of tbis ancient monument WaR the
only injury which CODItantius bad offered to.
the ;superatitioD of the Romans. . The altar of
Victory was again restored by J nlian, tolerated
by Valentinian, and once more banished from
the senate by the zeal of Gratian}' But the
, Zosimns, I. h-, p. 2(9, 260. I haTe luppreaed the fooliab pOD
about POIlti/',Z and Ma.mnu.
• This Itatue was tran.ported from TareJltum to Romf', plated ia
the CIIria Julia by Claar, and decorated by A1IJIlitui with the Ipoi...
or'Egypt.
II Pradf'ntiu. (I. ii. in initio) hal drawn a very awkward portrait of
Victory; but the cnrionl reader wiD obtain more aatiafactiou from
Montfaucon'. AutilJuities, (tom. i, p. 8(1).
I lee Snetonlul, (ia August. c. 85), and the Exordium of Pliny'.
Paaqyric.
It These facta are mutually allowed by the two .,.ocala, S,....
ch. and Ambrose.
I
~
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16
'l'IIB D~nm AND PAUl,
yet
CRAP. ~mperor
spared the statues of the gods which
!~I!: were exposed to the ·pub"lic veneration; four
hundred' and twenty-four temples, or chapelsf
still remained flo 1Iatisfy the devotion of the peo.
pIe; and in every quarter of Rome the delicacy
of the Christians was offended by the fumes of
idolatrous sacrifice.1
'
Petition
But the Christians formed the least numerous
~:;o~e- party in the senate of Rome;tA and it was·only
the altar by their ab.ence, that they could express their
of Vic- .
to..,.
dissent from the legal, though profane, acts of a
A.D. IN. pagan majority.
In that assembly, the dying
embers of freedom were, for a moment, revived
and inflamed by the breath offanaticism. Four,
respectable deputations were successively voted .
to the imperial court,!' to represent thegrievauces' of the priesthood ;and the senate; and to solicit the restoration of the altar of Victory. The
conduct of this important business was intrusted
to the eloquent Symmachus,o a· wealthy and
J The Notilill UrbU, more recent than Constantine, doe. not find OIIe
Christian chnreh worthy to be nlUlJed among the edifices of the city.
Ambroae (tom. ii, epiat. :nii, p. 825) deplores the public acudaJa of
, Rome, which continnally ojfencied the eyes, the can, and tile Dostrill
of the faithful.
• A mbrOle repeatedly affirms, in contradiction to eommon lense,
(Moyle'. Worb. yol. ii, p. 147), that the Cbristiana bad a majority ia
the aenate.
• The fi'rlll'(i... D. IS2) to G~tian, who refoaed them audience..
The _ 4 (A. D.I84) to Valentinian. when the,fidd wu dispnted
'y Symmacboa and Ambrose. The lAird (4 .. D. 188) to Theodolinl; and the /w.t11 (4. D. 192) to Valentinian. Lardner (Heatbea
Testimonies. yolo iv. p. 372.199) fairly repreaentl the wbolf' tl::1I1ccaion.
. • S,mmacboa, wbo wu inyeltPd wilb all tbe civil and sacentoU
....oun, repre••ted tbe emperor under the two characters of PMfli/Dt
Ma.ri... ·
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97
OPTHE ROMAN EMPIRE.
noble 'senator, w~o united the sacred ch'a,racters XCHAP•
'4'
'11 t he ClVl
"1 d'Ign~ties
"
o f pontIu
and augur, Wit
0 f ,,,XVIU,
........_
pro,c~nsul ,of Africa,- and pr~fect~f the city.
~he br.east of Symmachus was ,animated. by" t~e
wannest zeal forthecauseo{expiring'pagt\ntsw;
aud his religious antagonists Iamebted the abuse
ofhis;genius,. and the inefficacy of his. moralvir~
tue8~P, ' The orator, ,whose petition is'extant,to
~e ellip¢for Valentinian, wa$ c(m8Ci~ulf' of. th~
diBiculty and -danger ofthe office which he, had
astJuJIie~. He cautiously avoids :every topj.c
which might appear to reflect on t~el'eligion. of
his soyereign; humbly, declares, that. orayed
and entreaties are his' only arms; an'd artfUlly ,
d~ws,his argum~Dts from;the schools of rheto.
ric, rather than'frqm those of philosophy. Synl+
ma~hils "endeavours to seduce the imagiilation .
of a 'young prince, by displaying the attributeS
of the. goddess, of Victory; be insiu;oates, that
the ,confiscation of the rev,eliues, ,whi:ch, were
consecrated to, the service of,.the g~ds, was a
m~slU'e :unworthy of his liberal and disinterest.:.
ed character; and, he. mailitains, that :the R~
man'sacrifices would 'be deprived! of their, force
and; energy, jf they were no .longer' celebrated
at the expeuce, as well as in ,the name~ of. the
republic. Even ,scepticism ,is :made ,supply
an ,apology for superstiti~n. . The great and.iRi
to
.
,
.JIaitau, aDd pn.up &ttaIu, See the prond inSCription at tbe btact
ofhia work.
'
,
• AI if anY,on,e. say. Prudentiul (in Symmuh.i, 689). should dig in'
the mnd 1!'ith an instrQment of ,old and Ivory, EveD salntl, and polelllic, iaiuts, treat tbis advenar), with relpect and C\,ility,
, VOL. V.
B
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DB
THE DECLINE AND PALL
CRAP. ,'comprehensible secret of the universe eludes the
XXVIO;
•
•
._
.._ .....lDqwry
0 f man. Where reason cannot'IDSt ruct, ,
custom may be permitted to guide; and evert
nation seems to consult the dictates of pl'Udence,
by a faithful attacbment to those rights, and
opinions, which have received the sanction of
-ages. If those ages ha'Ve been crowned with
glory and prosperity, if the devo.t people have
frequently obtained the blessings whieh they
have solicited at the altaJos of the gods, it DlUst
appear still more 'advisable: to persist in the
'Ialne· salutary practice; and not, to risk the 'WI!'
known perils that may attend any rash inJl~
vations. The test of antiquity and suocen WU
applied with singular advantage to the religilil
of N uma; and ROME hersel( the celestial gao.
nius that presided over the fates of the·citY,.is
ibtroduced by the orator to plead her. own cau.
before the tribunal of the emperors. "-Most ex·
" cellent princes," says the venerable matron.
" fathers of your country! pity and respect my
" age, ,which has hitherto flowed in an uninter..
" rupted course of piety. Siilce I do Dot,repeDt,
" permit me to continue in tht: practice of my
" ancient rites. Since I am born free, allow me
" to enjoy my domestic institutions. .This reli" gion has reduced the 'world under my laws.
" These rites have repelled lJannibal from the
'~city, and the Gauls from the capitol. Were
I, mygray bairs -reserved for suchintolerabledi•.
"grace? I am ignorant of the- Dew systelll; that
" I amrequired toadopt; but I amwell assu~~
'" that the correction of old age is always . aD
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OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
'
gg
ungrateful and ignominious office. "'I The CHAP.
fears of the people supplied what tlte discretion~~~
'of the orator had suppressed; and the calamities, whibh afflicted, or threatened, the declining
empire, were unanimously imputed, by the pagans, to the new religion of Christ and of Con:'
$taIitine.'
But the h~pes ofSymmachus were repeatedly Conyerbaffled by the firm and dexterous opposition of ~::.:f
the' archbishop of Milan ; who fortified the em.' A. D. iss,
perors against the fallacious eloquence 'of the: arc.
;idvocate of Rome. In this controversY', Am;"l
brose con(lEiscends to speak the' language of a
philosopher,' and to ask~ 'with some, ,c,(jnt~mpt,
why it should be th'ought neCessary, to' intra..;
duce an imaginarY'and'ftrvisih:l'e, pbWer;' as the'
cause' of. tliose victories; '1vliich' vte'rti stiflicf~ntlt
explainecfby 'tbe;va:tour!;mdf!di~ci~tine or the
legions. 1He' j ustly dEiri;d~gi'
absurd ~~ev~
fence lot' anti'qrlity;'tvHicb' conlCl ~'<>lilr: iendff)
~iscourage '~heimpro.vemeM's' olaTt; 'and to reipI unge the' human' rac'e in\(j' theft· original bar"lIarisDl~' From thel}Ce gradually risi~g to a ~ore
lOfty and theological t6ne, be pronounces, that.
Christianity alone is the doctrine bft~~h and
salV'atioo; and that every mode of polytheism
i:onduCts its 'deluded' votaries through the paths
'.lie-
-: .-;",
-"
"I.
·..·Iee ae· My-fourth epistle of the tentll book of Symmachul. In
the form aQ,d di,pOlition of his t(,D books of epistles, he imitated the'
)'01lJllel'P1illy; _hole ricb and' 6orid' style he was .apposed, by hie
friend., too equal or' nee}, (1tlacrob. Satumal. I., y, c. I). But the
lanrittdey' of '&,....achu C!onsist& of barren leaves, without fruia.
and' eYt!n 'without flowers. Few filet8, and few sentiment., can
tracted from his verbo.e correspondence.
be,.. .
~2
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100
THE DECLINE AND P~LL.
,9HAP. of error, to the abyss of e.ternal perdi~on.' Ar-..
... XVIIT.
......
_ •••• guments I'k
lethese, when t hey were suggested"
by a favourite bishop, had power to prevent the.
. restoration of the altar of Victory ; but the same
arguments fell, with much more energy and ef':
feet, from the mouth.of a conqueror; and the
gods of antiquity were dragged in triumph at
the chariot-wheels 'of Th~odosius" In.a full
meeting 'of the senate, the em~ror proposed,·
according to the forms of the republic, the im-.
portant question, Whether the worship of Ju":
piter, or that of Christ, should .be the religion
of tbe Romans? The liberty" of suffrages, which
he affected to allow, ~.as destroyed by the hopes
and fears that his presence inspired; and the arbitrary exile ofSymmachus was a·recenta~o
ni#on, that it might be dangerous to oppo~e ~he'
wi~hes of the D)onarch. On a regular Clivision
ofth~ senate, Jupiter was condemned and deg~adedby the sense of a very large m~jority;:
and it i$ .rather surprising, that any members'
should be found bold enough. to declare, by their
r See Ambl'OH, (tom. ii, epist. xxvii, xviii, p. 825-831). 11te former
of theae epistles il a Ihort cau tioe; the latter is. f(lnnal reply, to the
petition or libel of Symmachns. The lame ideas are more copioual7
exprelsed in tIle poetl')', if it may delerve that name, of Prudential j
wbo composed his two boob against Symmach••, (4. D. (04), while:
that Ieaator was Itill alive. It is whimsical enough, that Montesquie.
«'.onsiderations, ""c. c. xix, tom. iii, p. 4S1) Ihould overlook the two
profelled antagonists of Symmachus; uad amuse himself with descaatlug on tile more remote and indirect eonfutations of Oroaiu, at. A.gUltin, and Salviaa.
• See PI'udentiu8, in Symmaeh. I. i, 646, &teo) The Chria~u ....eeo'
with the pagan ZosimuI, (I. iv, p. 283), in placing· this Vilit of T~.
dOliul after the lleotHl eivil war, gemini bis victor cade ""rUllli,- (L ...
410). Bot tlae time aud circnmstances are better luitetl· to Ilia into
triumph.'
. - t
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OP 'THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
] 0"
speeches iuid votes, that they were still attached CHAP.
-. the mteres
. . t 0 f an abd'lcat ed d'
XXVIU.
to
elty.t TlIe .".""
••
hasty·conversion of the senate must be attrib~ted, either to supernatural or to sordid motives; and-many of these reluctant proselytes
'betrayed, 'on every favourable occasion, tlleir
secret disposition to throw aside the mask of
_ odious dissimulation. But they were gradually fixed in the new religion, as the cause of the
ancient became more hopeless; they yielded to
the authority of the emperor, to the fasbion of
the times, and to the entreaHes of their wives
and children,a who were instigated and governed by th~ clergy' of Rome and the monks of the
East. The edifying example of the Anician
family was soon imitated by the rest of the no6ility: the Bassi, the Paullini, the Oracchi, embraced the Christian religion; and "the hhoi" naries of the world; the venerable assembly
" of Catos, (such are ~he high-flown expressions
" of Prudentius,) were impatient to strip them" selves of their pontifical garment; to cast the
., skin of the old serpent; to assume the snowy
t Pradentius, after proving that the sense or the .eoate iI cleclared
hy a lepl mlUority, proceed. to .aye, (600, "'c.)
Adspice qnam pleno luh.ellia nOltra Senatta
Decernant inrame Jovia pnlvinar, et omne
Idolium longe. purgall at) nrbe fnpndom.
Qna vocal egregii aenlenlia Principia, iliac
Libera, cum pedibu, lam corde, frequentia traoait.
ZoaimUI ascrib". to tbe con.cript lathen an heathenish connIe, whicla
few of them are found to pOISe...
• Jerom .pceltie. the pontill' Albinus, who was lurrounded with sucla
. a .belleving family of children and lrandchildreu, as would haYe beea
Iidlicient to conYert even Jupiter himself j an e:ltraordinary protelyte I
(tom. i, ad Lelam, p. 5().
u3
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IO~
~v~ri
" robM.~f.hap,~$I,flal ~W1~JJI:(le ~ ,.". ~ ho~
pdde· of t~ .co~~ular fasq~ before tb~
3:-_..,: "tbe
." tombs. of .-.be m;lrtyrs."·x l'~'ciQzen~, w~
subsjst~d by t~~ir Qwn in4.¥s.try~jand. th~ po,..
pulaceJ ~ho were suppoI1e.d by the p~blic
liberality, fill~pthe ,chJlr.ch~1iI ,of tb~ La~
a~d Vatican, with ~n ~~s!3aIlt t.bf,0JJr of dey.out proselytes. ,The de,cr.e~s. of the senate,
which proscribed the W9rship of idols, wer.e
ratified j}y the gener~ ~:nse~~ ()f th,e. R.()man~:~
*he splendour of tbe capj~ol W"':~ 4efa~ed, and
~he solitary temples we,re abapdon~d., to
and cont~mpt.. Rome submitted to the yoke
of the gospel; .and theva,nqui~hed proviJ).ces
had not yet lost their reverel)ce for the name
and authority of Rome ..
!?estMlc. . The filial piety of the emperor!;; themselves entlon orthe
d h
d .h
.
d
templesin gage t em to procee , wit some caution an
!~:!e~00 tenderness, in the refo~ation of the eternal city.
A. D. 881, Tbose absolute monarchs acted with less regard
Ire.
. to the prejudices of the provi~cials .. The pious
labour which had heen suspended near twenty
years since the death of Constantius~· was vi-
fw..
1l:xultare Pat res videas, pulcherrima Mundi
Lumina; Concilinmque sen6m ge.tire CatonDJIl.
Candidiore togt& Diveum pietati, amictDm
Sumere; et exuvias depoDere pontificales.
'J'he faDCY of Pmdentiu8 is warmed IlI1d elevated by victory.
1 Pmdentius, after he has described the convenioD of the aeaate ....
people, asks, with lome trnth and i:oDfidenct',
Et dnbitamus adhuc Romam, tibi, Christe, dicatam
,
. In leges trambse mas ?
• Jerom exulta in the desolation of the capitol, aDd the other tempJe.:.
Rome, (tom. i, p; 114; tom. ii, p. 95). • I,ibaniul (Orat. pro Templis, p. 10, Grenev. 1634, p1Iblisbed by
"aDles Godefroy, and DOW extremely Bearce) accuse. ValeDtinian alld
Valeill
II
,
0'
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· or 'I'HB.ltOIlAN DJPmB.
loa
geroatily resumed, and finally accomplitlhed, by CHAP.
the .zeal Jof Theodosiult. Whilst that warlike XXVIII.
prillce yet. struggled, With the. Goths, not for the
glo.,-, llutmr'tlaesaWy of the republic; he TeDtlried to offend a considerable party of hi8: suh··
jects, by some acts which might perhaps secure
the protection of Heaven, but which must seem .
rash and unseasonable in the eye of human, prudeace. ' The success of his first experimeats
against the pagans, encouraged the pious ~
J'Or to. reiterate and enfgrce his edicts of proseription; the same laws which had been originall;
pu blished in the provinces of the East, were
applied', after the defeat of Maximus, to the
whole extent of the Roman empire; and every
victory of the orthodox Theodosius contributed
lO the triumph, of the Christian and Catholic
faith.' . He attacked superstition in her most
vital part, by prohibiting the use of sacrifices,
which he declared to be cnnliual as well as. infamous; and if the terms of his edicts LlGre
strictly condemned the impious curiosity which
examined' the entrails of the victims, every'
subsequent explanation tended to· involve;'
*--
C
ValeDI 'Of prohibiting lacrificH. Some partial oreler maJ haYe IIeea
iUaed by the ealten emperor; but the idea of aDY JeDerallaw iI COlItradicted by the sileDce ofthe Code, aDd the eYideDce ofrcclrliutica1
hiltory.
.
.. See hillawl,in the TheodOliutCode, I. :ul, tiL X, Ie,. 7·11.
e Homer'1 IIIcrificea are' not accompaDied with aDJ iDqn\a'tioD tIi
entrails, (aee Feithint, ADtiqoitat. Homer. I. i, c. 10, 16). The T ...
cans, who produced the firat Bat:III}IUu, lubdued both tbe Greeb ....
the Ro....., (Cieero'de Diyioatione, ii, 23). .
H4
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,
I
104
T·8E DltCLlNE AND PALL
CHAP.
in the same guilt, the general practice of ammo-
XXVIII. , •
. II constitute
' . 'd the· re
. Ii_,_,_,al.OfI,
w h'IC h essentla.y
'.
gion of the pagans. 'As the temples had been
erected for the purpose of sacrifice, it was,the
duty· of a benevolent prince to remove from his
subjects the dangerous temptation, of offending
against the laws which he had enacted. Aspecia} commission was grailted· to Cynegius,·· the
pretorian prefect of the East, and afterwards to
th.e counts Jovius and Gaudentius, two 'officers
, of distinguished rank in the West; by which
tb,ey were directed to shut the temples, to seize
or destroy the instruments of idolatry, to abolish the privileges of the priests, and to confiscate the consecrated property for the benefit of
the emperor, of the church, or of the army.·
Here the desolation might have stopped: and
the naked edifices, which were no longer employed'in the service of idolatry, might have
been protected from the destructive rage. of fanaticism. Many of those temples were the most
splendid and beautiful monuments of Grecian
a:.:chitecture: and the emperor himself was inter~sted'not to deface
splendour of bis own
cities, or to diminish the value ofbis own possessions. Those stately edificesmightbe suffered to
remain-as so many lasting trophies ofthe victory
of Christ. In the decline of the arts, they might
be usefully converted into magazines, manufac-
the
. • Zosimna, I. iv, p. ti5, 140. Tbeodoret, 1. v, 4:. 21, Idatiu in
ebron. Prosper. Aqaitaa. 1. iii, c. 88, apad BaroDlllm, ADDaL Eccln.
A. D. ,89, No. 51. LibaDiua (pro Templi., p. 10) laboan to pi'll'"
that the lIommllJlda of Theodosius were Dot direct aDd po.ltiwe.
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106
0" THE ROMAN DPIllR.
tbres,orplacesofpublic.assembly:'andperhaps, C.HAP.
when the walls of the -temple had been suffi- .~..
ciently purified by holy rites, the worship of the
trQe Diety might be allowed to expiate the ancientguiltofidolatry. But as long as they subsisted,' the pagans fondly cl\erished the secret
hope; that an auspicious revolution, a second
Julian, mlght- again restore the altars of the
gods;' and the earnestness with which they addressed their ~navailing prayers to the throne:
increased the zeal of the Christian reformers to
extirpate, without mercy, the root of superstitioil.
The laws of the emperors exhibit some symptoms of a milder disposition:' but their cold and
languid- efforts were insufficient to stem the tor,rent 'of enthusiasm and rapine, which was conducted, or rather impelled,' by ,the .spiritual rulers of the churcb. In Gaul, the holy Martin,
bishop of Tours,' marched, at the head of his
faithful monks, to destroy the idols, the templea, and the consecrated trees of his extensive
djocese; and,' in the execution of this arduous
task, 'the prudent reader will judge whether
Martin was supported by the aid of miraculous
'2:.
• Cod. TheodOlo I. xvi, tit. It, Ie,. 8, 18. There it room to beUen,
that thia te~le (J/ Edeua, whicb Theodoaiu witbed to .ave for ciyU
Usel, was lOon afterwUda a beap of ruins, (Libuiua pro Templil, p. 26,
11, and Godefroy~ DOt••, p. 69).
,
,
f See thll carious oration of Libaniul
TempU., pronouneed, or
nitber composed, about tbe year 190. I bave coualtecJ, with adYaD'
tage, Dr. Lardner'. nnion ad remarks, (Heatben Testimonies, vol.
iv. p. 116.163).
I • See tbe life of Martin, by Salpiciu Severa.. c. 9-14. Tile
nint once mistook (as Don Quixote mi,bt bave done') aD ba........
funeral for aD idoiatrou ,raeeDion, and Impradently coaimitted -..
.mracle.
,IV
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joG
CHAP.
powers. or of carnal weapons.
In SyJlia, tile
xx~n. divine and excellent Marcellus,1I as be is styled
..." ...."" by Theodoret, a bishop. animated with apbs&o-lie fervour, resolved to level with the grollDtl
the stately temples within .the diocese· of Apamea. His attack was resisted, by the. skill and.
solidity, with which the temple of Jupiter had
Deen constructed. The building was seated QIII
an eminence: on each oC the four sides, the lofty roof was supported by fifteen massy columns,
sixteen feet in circumference; and the large
stones, of which they were composed, were
firmly cemented with lead and iron. The force
ofthe strongest and sharpest tools had been tried'
without effect. It was found necessary, to. UDdermine the foundations of the columns, whick
fell down aSSODD as.thetemporary wODelen props
had been consumed with fire;. a.d .the difti.coJ...
ties .of the enterprise are. described und~r the.
allegory of a black demon, who retarded, though'
he could not defeat, the operations of.the Chn.
tian engineers. Elated with victory, Marcell~
took the field ip person: against the powers of
darkness; .a numerous troop, of soldiers and
gladiators marched under the episcopal banner,
and he succe~sivelY"attacked the villages and
country temples of. the diocese of Apamea.
Whenever any resistance or danger was apprehended, the champion of the faith" whose lameDess would no~ anow' him either to fight or fiy,
• COlllpare Soaomea. (I. Yii, Co II) willa Tbeodoret (I••, ~ U).
Bet.ee. tIIem, the1 relate the Cl'IIAde aDd "ealk of lIarceU....
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101
OF' THBROIIAl( DlPJR&'
plaCed himself at a.ettDv~ient dlstauQe,beyQud CHAP.
tb.e.l'eacll .of. darts.. But t.his. prudence was the .~.~~~~~:
occasion ofltis death: b.e was aurprised ~nd slain
by a body ofexasperated rustics: and the synod
«the province pronounced, without· hesitation,
ih&t the holy Marcellus had lIacriliced his life in
the cause of God. In the support oftbis caUIle,
the. monks, . w.ho l"\\shed wit4 tu.ml1ltuoqs, fpry,
.fr.Gm the· desert, distinguished themselves by
.their zeal and diligence.. They. deserved t~
enmity :f)f the pagans; and some of thePl JIlight
d"sene the reproaches of avarice ap.d intempe-.
rance; of avarice,. which they gr.a.tifiqd with
holy plunder, 'arid ofintemp~,.which they
indulged attha elCpeMeDf.the people, :who.fooli~bly admired.. thei, tattered .g~p&$, .loud .
psalmody" and artificial. palenesIII-'
sme.ll
Dumber of temples '.'as JprotQQtQd hy:the ~l'S,
the venality, the! ta"te,.or th~ pJ''Qdtn~qf Qf the
civil and e.ccle8iasti~1 ,gol't)l'nj)rl~ Th~ teJDple
of the celelti~ VeQ;WJ at C.r.tb~e; .~40se 4tf.lcred
precincts formed a. circumfel~u(:e of two mile~,
was judiciously eODverie(\ " jJl~" a·. Chl'u.tiaJ)
church;'" and a similar conllecration has preserved inviolate th~ majes~'9 d~me·.9f.the.PaQ
theon of Rome! But in almost every fJro'l'iuee·
:.4.
I Libanin.; pre Templm, p. 10.11. Be NiJI at tbelle' blaC!k....rbml
meD, tbe Cbristian mODks, wbo eat more tbaD elepba&Jta. Poor eleplumb I lief are temp ....te aniQUlla•
.. Proeper "qultaD. J.. iii, c. 38, .pad BaroDillml Au",I. ~ol.R •
.&. D. 189, No. 68, &c.The temple had been ahut
time,and tile
aceea to it was oyergrown with brambles.
.
I DoDatus, Roma Antiqua e.t Nova, I. Iv, c. IV, p. 468. This ceDIllo
erationwas performed by Pope Boniface IV. I am igllorant of tb,
fayourable circnmilanee. wbich had presel'Vl'd the PaatbeoD aboye
two hnndred yean after the r~igD of Theodosiu ••
eom.
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108
THE DECLINB AMD PALL
of
i:~:;i.
the Roman world; an army of fanatics; witli..,.,___.. out authority, and without discipline, invaded
the peaceful inhabitants; and the ruin of the
fairest structures of antiquity still display. ,the
ravages oftkose barbarians, who alone had time
and inclination to execute such' laborious de.;truction .•
In this wide and various prospect {)f devasta~e }em. tion, the spectator may distinguish the ruins of
~;i~ as:- the temple ofSerapis, at Alexandria.ID ' Serapis
Alex...
docs" not appear'to have
' beenone 0 f th e native
.
dria.
gods, or mOIisters~ who sprung from the fruitful
soil of superstitious Egypt.n ,The fitst of the
Ptolemies had been 'commanded, by a dream; to
import the mystenou9stranger from the coast
of Pontus, where he had b~en long 'adored by
the inhabitants of Sinope'; but his attributes and
his reign WE're 'so Uriperfectly understood, that it
became a subject of dispute, whether he rftpre-,
sented the bright orb, of daYr 'or the gloomy
monarch of. the subterraneous' regions.o 'The
. Egyptians, who were :.obstinately devoted to
the religion of'their 'fathers, refused to admit this foreign deity within the walls of their
",' .. Sopbronia, eompoaed a recent and separate history, (Jerom, in
Seript. Eeclea toin. i, p. 103), wbieb Jiad famiiked' materiala to So- '
crate., (I. ,v, Co 16). Theodoret, (I. v, e. 22). and RufiIlUl, (I. ii, Co 22).
Yet the la.t, wbo bad been at Alexandria before and after the event,
may deserve tbl' credit of an origiual witneal.
D General VOlliua (Opera, tom. v, p. SO, and de Idololatrio. I. i,
e.' III) atrinl to lapport the atraDce notion of the fathers; tbat. tbe
patriarcb Josepb was adored in Egypt, as the bull Apia, and the cod
Serapia.
,
, • Origo del nondam DOStril celebrata. "cyptiomm antiatitea iii.
memorant. "'c. Tlicit Hist. iv. 83. The Greeo, who bad travelle4
into Be)'p' were aliJI.e iporant of this Dew ddt"
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109;
OF Till R~KAH ':DI~IRE..
cities. p But t~e ob~qui~us prie8~, w:ho wet:e i:~'[
8~~~ed ~y the ~iberality of the Ptolemies" sub- ~,..._.:
mitted, "itlwutr~8istance, ~o the powerof the, ... ,
god. 'o( ~ontus: ~. honourable a~d domestic i
genealogy ~,~provided; and ,thi~ ;fortuna~e
us.urpet; was i~trod~c~d in~ th~ thro~e and bed ,
of,O~iris,q the husband.of ~~s, and the cele~tial
monarch of ~gypt. Ale~andria, which cJ~imed )
his peculiar protection, gloried in the name of the:
city of Se~pis. His temple, r which rivalled
the ptide' and magnificence .of ~he capitol, was,
er~ted on the spacious summit of an artificial
mount, raised one hundred steps above the level
of the adjacent parts of the city; and the illte~"
rior cavity was strongly supported by arches,.and distributed into vaults and subterraneous
apartments. The consecrated buildings were "
s~rounded . by a quandrangular portico; the.
stately hans~ and exquisite statues, displayed
the triumph of the arts; and the treasures of
ancient learning were preserved in the famous "
Alexandrian library, which had arisen with new',
splendour from its ashes." After t4,e edicts o(
L
• Macrobiol, Satorual. L i, c. 1. Soch a IiYing fact decwvel,. prove.
his Coreign extraction•
• At Rome, [.i. and Sera pis were united in the aame temple. 'III.:
preeedenr.,., which tbe queen assomed, may seem to betray her ulle••aI '
aBiance with the Itr.lDger oC Poutus. But tbe supl'riorit,. oC the C..
_Ie leX was established in Egypt II a ciYil and religious inltitutio••
(Diodor. Sicul. tom. i, I. i, p. 31, edit. Weueling); and the same ordet' . \
i. observed in Plutarch'. Treatise of lsi. rlld Orim. whom be i~ti.
fiea with Serapis.
r Ammiallul (xxii, 16). Tbe Exposilio totiul Mundi (p. 8. in Hod.on', Geograph. Minor. tom. iii), aud Rufinul, (I. n. c. 22), celebrate
the s.r.".... II onl' of tbe wondcrs of the world.
• See Memoires de l'Acad. des Inlcription., tom. b:, p. 1970410.
TIae
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•
J to'
TID DECLlKB AlfD PALl:
egA". Theodoiitis had se'f'erely prohibited th~ sacri...
~~~~ fices of pagans, ~ey .were ~till tolerated in the
city and temple' of Seiapis; and tbis singular
iD:dulgen~e 'was. 'imprudently aScribed to the su..:
perstiti01i8 terrors of the Chri8'tiai18 thetil8~ve~;-'
as if 'they had feared'10 abolish .'thOse a~ieritl
rites, which. could'a:lone secnretbeb:iuI1d~fidn'S'
of the Nile, jth~ harvests 6f~Egjpt, -and. t1itf$'ub-,
j
8istenc~'of Cori~nti'nople."'.'
•
• 'At
.;'\1
:"
".i.,
or
tita,t· time, the 'archiepiscopal' throne,
::B~C- Alexandria -(vas ·filled by Theophilus,"·the per.;.'
A. D. 389. pet'ual enemy df'pe~Ce atld virtue; a bold, ball'
man, whose hands W'ere alternately polluted with'
gold, and with . bl()od~ His· piel1s ·indigttation
was excited by the honours.ofSerapis;and the'
insults which he offered 'to an ancient 'chapel or
Bacchus, convinced tlie,pagansthathemeditated'
a more important and dangerous enterprise. lil
the tUinultuous capital of Egypt, the sJightest
provocation was suffiCient to inflame a civil war:
Thevotaries of Serapis, whose strength and numbers·Were much inferior to those of their antago-nists, rose in arins at the instigation of the philo-
III fiDaI
II :
The oW library of the PtoleDlies was tolal', consnmed iu Cleaar'a Ale:&-.
aaclrilln war. Marc Antony g..e tbe wbole collectiNl of Pergamlll
(109,000 volumes) to Cleopatra, 81 tbe foBDdation of th,ll. '!lID lill.....,
of Alexandria.
..
t Libaniul (pro Templis, p. 21) indiscreetly provokei bit- Cbri.Iiia",
Blute... by this inalllting remark.
a We may choose between the date of MarcetllDus,'(A. D.389), or
that of Prosper, (A, II. S9l). 'I'illemollt (Hial. des Emp. tom. v. p. S10,
766) prefen tbe former, and Pagi the latter. '
" Tnlemont, Mt'm. Ecell's. tom. xi, p. 441-600. Tbe ambiguous aitaalion of Tbeophilu., a saint, as tile friend of Jerom; a det:il, as tbe eneIIIJ ofCbrysoatom; produce a SOl't of impartiality : yet, upon the whole
••e baltmce-ia juslly incliueil against him •
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111
OP THE ROMAN EIfPIU. .
sopher Olympius,' who exhorted them to die in CHAP. i
the d~ence of the altars of the gods. The pa...XXVIII.'
___
gaD fanatics fortified themselves in the temple, or:
", ..
rather fortress, of Serapis; repelled the,' besieger. .
by daring sallie8~ and a :resolute:defence;- .and.;
by -tlte- ~fthuirlall ~Cn1e1ti8st which. they ~reised . on tfleit;Chrlstian. ptW()I(en,'~ob.iaed·.1Ire~a..t,
con801ation~of''8pair.: TJje-eWoris'of ihe prs~
dent magr8tnte.W'8re'l1Iefully exerted -fOT"the
establishVD.wt1bta tnrc~,'tilJ;tbe ansWer 01. Tbeo-- :
dosiu.s'; ahould 'd.rDrine the fate' of -Serapis. :
The two: partieS assembled,: without al'm8, iD"
the principah;quaite~. and the'lmpel'ial reacrip4 i
was pllbliClY-,raad.!" 'But ,-When. a .ent~nce.of.
destrootion;againstthe'idoll of Alexandria-was·;
))ronounced,
~Christjam':8et aI'P a shou* of~
~'.and exultatiOD'; whilst: the' ·unfommate)·p.t;4 .
gans, . ~ho.se far, had.. given way to ~c01iSter...,tion-,' 1etir~ ~th·. has~,' and, sileot Bteps~, :aDd·
eluded; bY'tiair: flight :.)Ob8cnrity~ .tber~nt,.:
ment of their-enemies~ 'Theophilu8 proceeded'
to demolish·the temple: of Serapis, without any:
other difficulties, than those wftic~ he found in.
the weight and 'solidity of the materials; but
the~e oJlstacles pro'fed 'so insuperable, that -he
was oblige4 to leave the foundations; and to'
content himself with reducing the edifice itaelf
to a heap of-ritbbish; a part of which was soon
afterwards cleared away to make room for a
church erected in honour of the Christian mal'-
the
J Laruer (Heathen Te.timonie., vol_ iv, p. (11) hIlS alleged a IK.....
dfttl p_ae.e from lIuidu, or rather from Damaseas, which shews the
devout and VirtuOU8 Olympias, not in tbe li,l:t of a warrior. but of •
propbt:J.
.
.
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112
TIlE D)£CLlNE .AND?.u.L
CHAP. tyrs. The valuable library of Alexandria.Was
..~~~~~pil1~ed or. destroyed; and, near twentY. year.
afterwards. the appearance ofth~.el,Dpty liihel~es.
excited the regret and iudignatiQn.of ev.ery .sJY~-'
tator, whose mind was .not to~lly darkened by
religionsprejudice~' ,The COInpositi9DS of a~ci-'
ent genius~ 80 many, which have jrretJ.iev:ahly.
perished, 'might surely have been excepted frQm,
the ·wreck of idolatry, fQr the amQ.~e~ent ~nd:
instruction of succeeding ages;, and either the
-zeal or the avarice of'the archbishop'- mightha.ve
been satiated with the rich spoils, which were.'
the'reward of his Victory. 'While the images and,
vases of'gold and silver were carefully melted"
and those' of a . less valuable :tiu~tal. were con-,.
temptuously broken, and. cast ·into, the,stree~~
Theophilus laboured t-o expose' the f~auds-an4 .
vices of the !ministers of -the. idols; .their :d~xte
rityinthe managementof.t1].e loadstone,; their,
secret methods of .introducing. an humilliactQrj
ipto a hollow statue; and their scandalou~ abuse of the confidence of devout~husbands, and
unsuspecting fem~les.· . Charges like these· .may.
of
• ·Nol vidimoa arma';a libromlP,. qui.boa. direptis, exinauita ea a,
nOltris hominibul, nostris temporibul memorant. Or08iu8, I. vi, e. 15,
p •. 421, edit. Havereamp.. Though. bigot"and a ,~ontroversiai writer,
'
Oroliul leems to bloah.
~ EunapiuI, in the lives of Antoninnl!Uld lEdeiius, execrates. the sacrilegious rapine of Theopbilu5. Tillemont (Mem. Eccles. tom. siii,
p. 453) quotes an "pistle of lsidOl'e ofPehlliium, wbieh reproaches the
I.rimate witb tbe idulatroIU worabip of gold, the aurf..... fames.
a Rufinn. names tbe priest of Saturn, who, in the character of the
roa~ lamilia"'y eonnl'sed with man, piou. ladies of quality. till
lie
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11s
OP THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
seem'to deserve some degree of credit, as they CHAP.'
are not repugnant ~o the crafty and interested .~.~!:.
spirit ot superstition. But the same spirit is
.equally prone to the base practice of insulting
and calumniating a fallen enemy; and our bel~ef is naturally checked by the reflection, tha~
it is much less difficult to' invent a fictitiou~
story, than to support a practical fraud .. Th~
col~ssal statue of Serapis· was involved in tb~
ruin of his temple an.d religion. A grea~ n;Ulllr
ber of plates of different metals, artificiallyjoiued together, composed the majestic ,figure of
the dei~y, who touched on either side the walls
of the sanctuary. The aspect of Serapis, his
sitting posture, and the sceptre, which be bore
in his left hand, were extremely similar to the
ordinary representations of Jupiter~. He was
distinguished from Jupiter by the basket, or
bu~hel, .which was placed' on his head; and b.r
the emblematic monster, which he held in bis
right, hand; the bead and body of a serpent
branching into three tails, which were again terminated by the triple heads of a dog, a lion, and
a wolf. It was confidently affirmed, that if any
impious hand should dare to violate the majesty
(f)f th~·god, t,he heavens and the earth would inhe betrayed himself in a moment of transport, when hc could DOt disguise the tODe of his voice. Tbe autbt'utic and impartial narrative of
lElc:biDCI, (lee Bayle, Dictionnaire Cl'itiqnl', SCAMAliIDRE), and -tbe
adventure of Mundus, (Josej)b. Alltiquitat. Judaic. I. xviii, c. 3, p. 8'1:1,
edit. Havercamp.) may' pl'ove tbat sucb amorous frauds have beeD
practised witb slIccess.
• Sec the images of Scral'is, in ]\fontfancon, (tom. Ii, p. 297): bat
the descriptiOD of Macrobins (S:\!nrnal. I. i, c. 20) is mucb more piC.",
\1Iresque and Bati,factory.
VOL. V.
I
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114
THE DECLINE AND FALL
CHAP. stantly r~turn to -their original chaos. An illXXVIII.
.
d b
Id
.........
_ .._trepl'd soId'ler, ammate
y zea,
an armed
with a weighty battle-axe, ascended the ladder;
and even the Christian multitude expected, with
. some anxiety, the event of the combat" He
..aimed a vigorous stroke against the cheek of
:Serapis; the cheek fell to the ground; the thun'der was still silent, and both the heavens and
'tlie earth· continued to preserve their·accustomoed order and tranquillity. 'The victorious 80~
dierrepeatedhis blows: the huge idol was oyer'thrown, and broken in pieces; and-the limbs of
Serapis 'were ignominiously dragged through
the streets of Alexandria.·· His mangled carcase was burnt in the amphitheatre, amidst the
shouts 6(the populace; and marty persons' attributed their conversion to this' 'discovery' of
'the impotence of their tutelar'deity. . The p0pulaI' ,m'odes 'of religion, that propose any visi'hIe anditJaterial objects of worship,. have the
advailtage'of adapting, 'and familiarizing them'selves lothe-senses of mankind:' but this ad vant~ge'is c'Ounterbalahced by the various and inevitable accidents to which ·the faith :of the idolater is exposed. It is scarcely possible, that,
in ~v.er1 disposition of mind, he should preserve
-
'
, Sed fortel tremuere IDIlDUa, montique verendl
Majeatate loci, ai robora aacra ferirent
In lua credebant redituraa membra aecllres.
(LUCIlD. iii, 429). "Is it tme, (said Augustus to a veteran of Italy,
" at wboae bouse be supped), tbat, tbe man, who gave tbe firat blow to
, ." the golden atarue at Anaitia, was justantly deprived of bia eye.. aod
.. of bis life r' .. 1 was tbat man, (replied the clear-sigbted .,eterao).
" and you ROW SI1P on one of the legs of tbe loddt'ss." (PIiD••HiaI.
Natur_ xxxiii, 24)
• .
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'11~
OF. THE ROMAN·DlPlIlE.
Jtis implicit reverence for. the .idGJ8"or.the:.r~$, CIfAP•
.which the qaked eye,. and the. profane hand •. ~e !':~~~:
-unable. to distinguish .from the DlO$t. oommon
.pr~ductiol1I0f art, or nature;. and.if, -ill the
hour of danger, ,their.secret. and mir.~c:wous .virtue does not" operate for their own presenatiQn,
he scoms the vain apologies ofbis priests, .and
jattty derides the obj,ect, and the, folly, Qf his
supel'stitious attachlpEmt.e Afterthe fall.of Se11Lpis, some hopes. were still.:enter,tained, by the
,agans, that the Nile, ,would ·refuse his anllual
-supply to the jmpiousmasters of Egypt; and
the extraordinary delay. of the inundation.seemed toaDoounce the,~ispleasureofthe rival-god.
But this delay was .soon .compen:s~ted by the
rapid Sowell Qfthe waters .. They suddenly rOBe
to:.s,uch an unusual. height, as to comfort the
discontented party with .the pleasing expec. 't&tion of a .deluge; till the peaceful river agai~
."bsided tothe well-known and iertilizing level
of sixteen cubits, or about thirty English feet.'
"he.temples of tbeRoman·entpire were .de- Thepau:"'.'
gaure 6•
aened,ot, destroyed;· but· the ,mge1ll0ussu,per- 0!l it proatition of the pagans still attempted to elude the :b:.~9o,
.Iaws ofTheodos~us,'by w:hich.alI sac~i1jce8 had
•. Tile History..efthe.RefDrmatioD.aft'olda.freqlleDt exunplea of tile
ladden change (rom luperstition to CQllleempt.
, Bozomen, I. vii, c. 20. I bavc supplied thc measnre. The·....e
~tlDdard of the inundation, and conseqnently of the cubit, haa nDiform), InbliJtedsince the time of Herodotu. See Freret, in the Mem.
de J'Academie des Inscriptio..., tom. xvi. p. 8••·858. Greaves'. MiseeUaneouI Workl, vol. i, p.283. Tbe Egyptian cubit is about twent,two incbes of the Encliab meaanre.
Ii
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116
Tim DECLINE AND PALL
been severely prohibited. The inhabitants of the
..,.__" .. country, whose conduct was less exposed to the
eye ofmalicious curiosity, disguised their religious, under the appearance of convivial, meetings.
On the days of solemn festivals, they assembled
in great numbers under the spreading shade of
some consecrated trees; sheep and oxen were
slaughtered and roasted; and this rural ~nter
tainment was sanctified"by the use of incense,
and by the hymns, which were sung in hOIiour
of the gods. But it was alJedged, that, as
no part of the animal was made a burntoffering, as no altar was provided to receive
the blood, and as the previous Qblation of
salt cakes, and the concluding ceremony of
libations, were carefully omitted, these festal
meetings did not involve the guests in tbe guilt,
or penalty, of au illegal sacrifice.' Whatever
might be the truth of the facts, or the merit of
the distinCtion, h. these vain pretences were swept
away by the la~tedict ofTheodosius; which inJicted a dea'd;ly wound on the superstition of the
pagans.1This prohibitory law is expressed in "
CHAP.
XXVIII.
& Libaniul (pro Templis, p. 15, 16, 17) pleads their call1le with gentle and inlinuating rhetoric. From 1he earliest age, Buchfeasta had
enlivened the conntry; and those of Bacchus (Georgie. ii, 180) had
produced the theatft! of Athens. See Godefroy, ad loc. Liban. and
Codex Theodos. tom. v.i, p. 1M.
b Honorius tolerated these rualic festivals, CA. D. 399). cc Abaqae
.. nllo aacrificio, atqne ulll 8npentitione damnabili." But nine yean
afterwards he found it nect'uary to reiterate and enforce the same
provi~o, (Codex Theodos. I. xvi, tit. X, leg. 11,19).
1 Cod. Theodoa. 1. xvi, tit. X, l('g. It. Jortin (Rt'marks on Eccles.
History, vol. iv, p. IlI4) censures, ",!th becoming asperity, the
Ind 8t'utiments of this intolerant Jaw.
It,..
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117
'OF THE ROHAIi EMPIRE.
the most absolute and comprehensive
terms~ CHAIt.
" It is our will and. pleasure," says the emperor, ~,~~~~.
" thai none of our subjects, whether magistrates
4& or private citizens, however exalted or how" ever· humble may be their rank and condition,
" shall presume, in any city, or in any place, to
" worship an inanimate idol, by the sacrifice of
4& a g uil tless victim."
The aCt of sacrificing, and
the practice of divination by the entrails of the
viCtim, are declared (without any regard to the
object of the inquiry) a crime of high treason
against the state; which can be expiated only by
the· death of the guilty. The rites of pagan
superstition, which might seem· less bloody and
atr9cious, are abolished; as highly injurious to
the truth and· honour of religion; luminaries,
garlands, frankincense, and libations of wine,
are specially enumerated and .condemned.; and
the harmless claims of the domestic genius, of
thehonsehold gods, are included ill this rigorous
proscription. The use of any of these profane
and illegal ceremonies, subjects the offender to
the· forfeiture of the house, or estate, where they
have- been performed; and if he has artfully
chosen the property of another for the scene of
his impiety, he is compelled to discharge, witbout delay, a heavy flue of twenty-five pounds of
gold, or more than one thousand pounds sterling.
A fine not less considerable, is imposed on the
connivance of the secret enemies of religion, who
shall neglect the duty of their respective stations, either to reveal or to punish, the guilt of
idolatry. Such was the persecuting spirit of
13
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118
THE DECLlNB AND FALb
CHAP. the laws of Theo'OOsius, ,which were' repeatedly
XXVIIL
' . and. g~ands"ons,
. WI'tIi th e
~_ .... _,,, en tiorcedb'
y h'IS' sons
loud and unanihlOus applause' of· the Christian'
worla. 1t
"
.ppnued,
In the'cruel reigns of Decius'and Diodetian;
Christianity had been proscribed, as a revolt'
from the ancient and hereditary religion' of the
empire; and the unjust sris'piciotirr which were
entertained of- a dark' and- dangerouS faction,
were, in ~ome measure, countenarlced by the
inseparable union, and rapid cotiqu~ts, of ~e,
catholic church. But the same excuses offear
and ignorancecanno't be applied to theChristiali
emperors; who violated tbeprecepts of humanity a!ld of the gospel. The experience of ages
haefbetrayed the weaknels, as well as folly, of
paganism; the light of reason alid of faith bad
already exposed, to the greatest part of mankind, the vanity of idols; alld the declining sect,
which still adhered to tlieir worship, might have
been permitted to enjoy; in peace and obscurity, the religious customs' of their ancestors.
Had the pagans been animated by the undaunted zeal, which possesSed the minds of the
primitive believers, the triumph of the church
must have been stained with blood; and the
Inartyrs of Jupiter and Apollo wight have em. ~'i Such a chargeahould Dot be lightly made; but it mal' lurely be
justified by the authority of St. Augustm, who tIlus addreaed the
Donatists.-cc Quia Dostrtlm, quia ,estrllm DOD laud at leges ab imperao
" toribu. data. adwersus sacrificia paganornm? Et certe longe ibi
" pcena sewerior cODstituta est; ininl quippe impietatls capitale suppU.. cium est." Epist. xciii, No. 10, quoted by Le Clerc, (Bibliothejfue
Cboi.ie, tom. viii, p. 277), who acids some JudicioUJ reftectiou OD the
iDtolerance or the vic:tllrioUl ChristilUll.
J
•
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119
OF THB ROMAN EMPIRE.
'braced the glorious opportunity of devoting their CRA P.
lives and fortunes at the foot of their altars. But XXVIII.'
such obstinate zeal.was not congenial to,the loose ",,,,,,,,
and careless temper of polytheism. The violent
and repeated, strokes of the orthodox princes,
were broken by the soft and yielding su:bstance
against which they .were directed; and the read y
obedience of the pagans protected, t.hem from the
pains and penalties of the' Theodosian. cod~!
Instead of asserting, that the authority of the
gods .was superior to that of the emperor, they
desisted, .with a plaintive murmur, from the use
of those sacred rites .which their sovereign had
condemned. H they .were sometimes tempted,
by a sally of passion, or by the hopes of concealment, to indulge their favourite supersti..
tion; their humble repentance disarmed the severity of the Christian magistrate, and they seldom refused to atone for their rashness, by submitting, .with some secre~ reluctance, to the yoke
of the gospel. The churches were tilled .with
, the increasing mu~titude of these. un.worthy proselytes, .who had conformed, from temporal mOtives, to the reigning religion; and .whilst they
devoutly imitated the postJlres, and recited the
prayers, of the faithful, they satisfied their conscience by the silent and sincere invocation of
the gods of antiquity." If the pagans .wanted
I Oroaiu" L yii, c. 28, p. &31.
Augustin (Enarrat. in Psalm cx) apud
Larduer, Heathen T.ltimooiel, yol. iv, p. 4G8) insults their cowardice•
.., Quia eorum comprehculus Cit in aacrificio (cum hia legibull ista pro.
hibereutur) et non ne,aYit ?"
.. Libanius (pro Templis, p. 11, 18) mentions, without censure.
the oceuioDal couformity. aDd as it were theatrical.play. of tIIeH
poarltel.
Ia,-
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l~
THe DECLINB AND FALL
'~HAP.
patience to suffer, they wanted spirit to resist;
.~;~!!~and the scattered myriads, who deplored the
ruin of the temples, yielded, without a contest,
to the fortune of their adversaries. The disorderly opposition- of the peasants of Syria, and
the populace of Alexandria, to the rage of plivate fanaticism, was silenced by the name and .
authority of the emperor. The pagans of the
West, without contributing to the elevation of
Eugenius, disgraced, by their partial attachment, the cause and character of tbe usurper.
The clergy vehemently exclaimed, that he aggravated the crime of rebellion by the guilt of
apostacy; that, by his permission, the altar of
Victory was again restored; and that the idQla~.
trous symbols of Jupiter and Hercules were
displayed in the field, against the invincible
standard of the cross. But the vain hopes of
the pagans were soon annihilated by the defeat
of Eugenius.; and they were left exposed to the
resentment of the conqueror, who ,laboured to
deserve the favour of heaven by the extirpation
of idolatry.o
.
and 6~aJ..
A nation of slaves is always prepared to ap~U~~~d: plaud the clemency ~f their master, who, in the
~.~:.,. abuse of absolute power, does not proceed to
, . the last extremes of injustice and oppression.
Theodosius migJ;It undoubtedly have proposed
to his pagan subjects the alternative of baptism
o
• Libanhs conclude, biB apology, (p.12), by declaring to the e~
perllr, that nDless be expl"elsly warrants the destrDctilln of the templea.
'wB, ..,,' .."" 1I)'f"'t ~.,ft'I'~, all' ........'c. all, .." "1£'1' S...s.t.......c. the prlll,1ietora will defend theDlselves aDd tbe laws.
D, Palllinll., in Vito Ambrol. c. 26.
AupatiD de Civitat. Dei, I. v...
IlL. l'heodoret, I. y~ e. 24,
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ot TH2 ROMAN OPII1'£.
12t
or of death; and the eloquent Libanius has CHAP.
. d t he IDO d eratlOn
. o·f a prmce,
.
XXVIlL
praise
vi I10 never ",,,,,'##
enacted, by any positive Jaw, that all his subjects should immediately emhrace and practise
the religion oftheir sovereign.p The profession
of Christianity was not made an essential qualification for the enjoyment of the civil rights of
society, nor were any peculiar hardships imp~
sed on the sectaries, who credulously received
the fables of Ovid, and obstina.tely rejected the
miracles of the gospel. The palace, the schools,.
the army, and the senate,· were filled with declared and devout pagans; they obtained, without distinction, the civil and military honours
of the empire. Theodosius distinguished his
liberal regard for virtue and genius, by the con-··
sular dignity which he bestowed on Symmachus;q and by the personal friendship which
he expressed to Libaniu8.;r and the two eloquent
apologists of paganism were nf"ver required either to change, or to dissemble, their religious
opinions. The pagans were indulged in the
most licentious freedom of speech· and writing;
•
• LibaDlnl suggests the form of a penecntiDg edict, which Theo.o- .
,illl might enact, (pro Templia, p. 12)1: • ruh joke, and a dugerou
experiment. Some princes would have taken hil advice.
.
.• Deniqne pro meritia terreltribua eqne repE'ndeua
~unera, sacricolil .DlDJDOI impertit houorea.
. .'. . . . . . ..
."~
Ipse magiatratmn tibi conaulia, ipse tribnnal
Contlllit. J
Prudent. in Symmach. i, 617, ""c.
r Libaains (pro Templis, p. 12) ia prond that Theodol~u. should th ••
diltinguish a man, who even in his p r t _ would Iwear by Jllpiter.
Yet this preae.nce seems to be DO more thm a ficurt: of rketorie.
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122'
THE DEcLINE AND PALL
CHAP. the historical and philosophical remains olEu
•
z'
....XXVlIT
__......: naplUs,
OSInlUS: an dh~
t e lanati'c teachers 0 r
the school of Plato, betray the most furious animosity, and contain the sharpest invectives,
against the sentiments and conduct of their victprious adverSaries. U these audacious libels
were publicly known, we must applaud the
good sense of the Christian princes, who view. ed, with a smile of contempt, the last struggles
of superstition and despair.' But the imperial
laws, which prohibited the sacrifice's and ~ere
monies of paganism, were rigidly executed;
and every hour contributed to d~stroy the infiuence of a religion, which was silpported by
custom, rather than by argulDent., The devo.
tion of the poet, or the philosopher, may be secretly nourished by prayer,meditation, and
study; but the exercise of public worship appears to be the only sol~d foum~tion of the religioulJ sentiments of the people, which derive
their force from imitation and habit. The intelTuption of that public exercise may consummate, in the period of a few years, the important work of a national revolution. The memory of theological opinions cannot long be preserved, without the artificial helps of priest~! of
4
• Zosimus, who styles bimself C9unt and El[·advocate of tile Treasury, reviles, with partial and iRd~ceni bigotry, the Cbristiaa princes,
and nen tbe father of hi' sovereign. His work must have been prj·
yately circulated, since it cseaved the invectives of the et'clesiasticai
IIlstoriaos prior to Engriu., (I. iii, c. 40.42). who Jived' towards the
end of the sixth century.
t Yet the pagani of Africa complaiaed, that the time. would ....
allow them to answer'with f'reedQIIl the citJ of God: Dor does St. A..
Butin (Y. lie) deny the_eba",e.
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123
OF THE·maN BllRID..
temples, and uf.books..• The igMlrant.vmgar, CHAP..
whose minds are still agitatedt bytlie blind hopes ~~:
and' terrors' of Superstitiob~. will- be· SQon persuaded' by their sUperioBa. to· direcb their vows
to the reigning deities of fAe age; and will insensibly imbibe arr ard~. zeal for the support
and propagation of the new,doctrine, which spi
ritual hunger at first compelled them to accept.
The generation that aTose in' tlie world after the
promulgation of the imperial laws, was attracted within the pale of the catholic church: ...and
so rapid, yet so gentle, was tile fall af paganism, that only twenty-eightyears, after the
death ofTheodosius, the faint and minute 'Yestiges were no longer visible to the eye of the Iegitdator! .
The ruin.ofthe pagan religion is described by The "'ortlle sophists, as a dreadful and amazing prodigy
Ihi~"fll••
.
, dlrllUan
which covered the earth with darkness, and re- warty.'••
stored the ancient 6aminion of chaos and of
night. They relate, in solemn and pathetic
strains, that the temples were converted into
sepulchres; and that the holy places, which
had been adorned by the statues of the gods,
were basely polluted by the relics of Christian
maytyrs. "The monks" (a race of filthy animaJs,. to whom Eunapius is tempted to refuse
• Tile Moors of SpaiD, who secretly prese"ed the MahometaD rrli-glob, aboY' a reDfury, 1I.ltl!r tbe tyraWlY of the InquieitiOll. ponelled
the Koraa, with the pecDliar uae oftbe Arabic toDgue. See the euriOUI aDd hODest story or their expulaioD in Geddes, (MiscellaDies, yol. i,
p.1-198).
S PapDOI qui .IUptOUD!, quaDqDam jam DIIIIOI tue credamuI, .tc.
Cod. Theodol. I. XYi, tit. x, leg. 12, £. D. 428. The YOUDler Tlleo.
doaiua was afterwards aatia6ed, that hisjudcmeot had been lomewhat
prematlM'e:
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] 24
TID DECLINZ AND PALL
CHAP. the name 01 men) " are the authors of the new
XXVIII, " wors h'IP, wh'IC h , In
. the pace
I
.,.._....
0 f th ose. d el't'les,
" who are conceived by the understanding~ has
" substituted the meanest and most contemp" tible slaves. The heads. salted a"nd pickled,
" of those infamous malefactors, who, for the
" inultitude of tbeir crimes, have suffered a just
"and ignominious death; their bodies, still
" marked by the impression of the lash, and
" the scars of those· tortures which were inflict" ed by the sentence of the magistrate; such"
(continues Eunapius) "are the gods which the
" earth produces in our days; such are the
"martyrs, the supreme arbitrators of our pray" ers and petitions to the Deity, whose tombs
" are now consecrated as the objects of the ve" neratioll of the people,""' Without approving
the malice, it is natural enough to share the sur- prise, of the sophist, the spectator of a revolution, which raised those obscure victims of the
laws of Rome, to the rank of celestial and invi, sible protectors of the Roman empire. The
grateful respect of the Christians for the martyrs of the faith, was exalted, by time and victory, into religious adoration; and the most illustrious of the saints and prophets, were deservedly associated'to the honours of the martyrs. One hundred and fifty years after the
_~orious deaths of St. Peter and St. Paul, the
Vatican and the Ostian road were distinguished
by the tombs, or rath~r by the trophies, of those
r See Eun.pius,_ in bis life of tbe sophist lEcIesiu8; iu that of Ea.ta·
thins be foretell tlie ruill of papniam, ....., ",ue..aa" "" .Id" ..unc
.'""""'1'11 .,&
.'r!
,.~,
aaAAIf&,
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'lib
0., THE ROHAN DlPIRL
.pirittlal heroes.- In the age which followed the CHAP.'
conversion ofConstantine, the emperors, the con- ~~!!!:
suls, and the generals of armies, devoutly visited the sepulchres of a tent-maker and a fisherman;·
and their venerable bones were deposited under
the altars of Christ, on which the bishops of the
royal city continuallyofTered theunbloody sacrifice.' The new capital of the eastern world,
unable to produce any ancient and domestic
trophies, was enriched by the spoils of dependant
provinces. The bodies of St. Andrew, St. Luke,
and St. Timothy, had reposed, near three hundred years, in the obscure graves, from whence
they were transported, in solemn pomp, to tht:.
church of the apostles, which the magnificence of
Constantine had founded on the banks of the
Thracian Bosphorus.e About fifty years afterwards, the same banks were honoured by, the
presence, of Samuel, the judge and prophet of
• Calus, (apud EuJeb. Hist. Keela. l~ ii, e. 16), a Roman pre.byter,
who lived iu the time of Zpphyriuus, (4. D. 202.219), il an early witDesi of thii superstitious practlce.
• CbrYIO.tom. QnodChriatua sit Deus. ,Tom. I, noy. edit. No.9. I
am indebted for thia quotation to Benedict the XIVth'a pasl;/lral letter
on the jnbilee of the year 1150. See tbe curious and entertaining let.
tersG'M. Chais, ·tom. iii.
It Male facit ergo Romanul episcopus? qui, a.per mortuorom Ilomi110m, '})ctJ'j and Pauli, aecundum nos, ossa Yeneranda • • • • • • •
oft"ert Domino sacrificia, et tumulos porum, Chri.ti arbitratur altaria•
.1erom. tom. ii, adver•• Vigilant. p. lIlS.
C Jer!)1il
(tom. ii, p. 122) bears witness to these translation"
which are neglected by the eccle.iasticaJ historians. The p..sion ot
St. Andrew at Patne, i. de,lCribed In an epistle from the clergy of
Achaia, wbich Baronius (Annal. Eccles. 4. D. 00, No. 34) wishes to'
helien, and TiIlcmont is forced to J·eject. St. Andrew was adopted as
the .piritual founder of ConstanLinople, (Mem. Eccl"•• tom. i,p. SI7.
'\2S,688-691).
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I l J 6 ' D I B DECIDE AND MUCHA·P. the people ofrlsrael. His ashe8t depositad.in.
XXVIII.
.
.__
.......... golden vase, and covered'th
·Wl
a 81'lken: vel'I',IW~"
delivere~lby. the bishops .iato. each 'other's; ~
1'he .reW!s· of Samuel were receiv,ed by. the
people, .with the same joy an4 reverence whteh·
they.wopld have shewn. to the living prophet;
the 'higJtways, from Palestine· to .the gates of
GmlstaDtin9}Jle, were fined with an uninterrupted procesSion; and the ,mperor Arcadius: Jiim..
&elf,. at the head of the ~ostillustrious members
qf~the clergy and.senate, advanced to .meetr Dis
mtraoroiuary gqest, 'Who had .always deserved
and claimed the. ~age. of kings.d , The example of Rome,aad ConstantiDop~e con6.nned,the
faith, and discipline of;th~catho~c ,world. The
bonours of the saints and IIiIaltyrs, aftet: a feeble
and .inelfee~ murmur. or-pl!ofari~ leasOD:; were
nnivt;!rsally establisi'aed; .and. in the age of Ambl'Ose ~Dd IJ.eoom" ;8GqlethiIlg. ,was still deemed
wanting to the sanctity of a Christian church,
till, it had ;beeB consecrated by some portion .f
holy relics, which fixed and inflamed the devo'~
tion of the ,faithful.
~
General'
In the long period of twelve hundred years,
rellections which elapsed between the reign of Constantine
and the reformation of Luther, the worship of.
d Jerom. (tom. ii, p. 122) pompoully describes the translation ofliamllel, which is noticed iu all tbe chronicles of the times. .
• The presbyter Vigilantios, the protl'staDt of his age, firmly, thOllP
Inefl'ecllJally witb.tood the superstition of mODks, relics, saintl, fum,
&c. for whirh Jerom compares him to tbe Hydra, Cerberol, the Centanrl, .!Itc. and cODliders him only as the organ of the dellloD, (tom. ii,
p.12O-126). Whoever will peruse tbe controversy of St. Jerom UId
Vicilantiul, and st. Augustiu's account of the miracles of St., Slephe..
m.,speedilv pin some idea of the IIpirit_ofthc fatkeno
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08F TIlE 'R~M&N RMPJRE.
saint8 and relics corrul'ted-thepureanci perfeot CH&'P.
simplitity -of the ',Christian mudel; and Home .,.,.,..",.
XXVDI•
1!Iymptoms! ()f degeneracy ma..y be oblerved, even
in the first generations w.bich,a.d.opted~aIid cherished this pemiciG1l8. inn~atiol1.
I. The sati8{act~'experience; that 1li8'1'elics I. Pall.. of ;saittts iW.ere, roore valllable~than g.old: or p~ ~::::
eiolls stones,r:stimulated the:elergylu, multiply relia.
~he 'treasures, of the QhuJch. ,Without .much
regard' ~ror 'truth -or .probability,,· tJ:tey invented
Ilames fOl'skeletons,- and actions for nameS. The
fame' of the~apo8tle~ and of. tke:hOlY'menwho
had ;imitated their virtaes,:w&8' darbned by: re.Ifgious,lotion. :To -the :in:viDeihle .band of; gar
nui~.DdpriDritiftmartyl!s,.theyadded myriads
{)f ~ :beroes, who ,4ad neVH eXlia",
except ..iIvUie c {IJDey .of crafty ;or :ered.uleusJe.
gendariol; aRidi1here.is reason to sUllped, iha-$
Tours :=might:;not: be the pnly diocese in~which
tbe;bAes o'a;'JJ}al~factor were ,adored, mstead
of 'thoseofaSaint.1 A superstitious practice,
which'itended to· increase the temptations of
&and,: andcl'edulity, insensibly extinguished
the ]ight of hiAo'ry, and of reason, in the Chris
tian. world.
. II.' Buttheprogrel8 ofSliperstition would have II. Mirabeen much less rapid and victorious, if the faith cia•
<
. , M. de Beauobre (Hilt-du Manicbeiame. tom. ii, p. 6(8) had a,.
plied a worldly HRle to the piool observation of tbe clergy of 8my,..,
who caretillly preeerYed the relia of St. PolYj:llrp tbe martyr.
- C Martin of Tonn (see hiB Life c. 8, by Snlpicinl &eYernl) extorted
this confe81ion from tbe month of tbe dead man. The error il allOwed
to be natural; the discovery isauPPoBed to be miraeuloua. Which"
tile two .... likely to happen mOlt fretjnendy ?
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128
THR DJtCLIMR .AND I'ALIr:
'CHAP. of the people had not been assisted by the sea:~~~~~~sonable aid of visions and miracles, to ascertain
the authenticity and virtue of the most susj>ici,:",
ous relics. In the reign of the younger Theo-:dosius, Lucian," a presbyter of Jerusalem"an~
the ecclesiastical minister of the village of Caphargamala, ,about twenty miles &om the city.
related a very singular dream, which, 'to remove
his doubts, had beenrepeated'on three succe~
sive Saturdays. A venerable figure stood before him, in the silence olthe night,with a long
beard, a white robe, and a gold rO,d; annom1..
ced himself-by the name of Gamaliel, and J"eIvealed to the astonished presbyter, that his own
corps~, with the bodies of his son 'Abibas, his
friend Nicodemus, and the i1Iustri~us Stephen,
the first martyr of :the Chri~tian faith, were SCA.
cretly buried in the adjacent field_ He'added,
with some impatience, that it was time to release himself, and his companions, from their
obscure prison; that their' appearance would
be salutary to a distressed world; and that they
had made choice of Lucian to inform the bishop
ofJerusalem of their situationt and their wishes.
The doubts and difficulties which still retarded
this important discovery, were successively re• Lnl'ian cllmp08ed in Greek hi. original narrali'fe, whicll Ilu been
traDllated by Avital, aad published by Baroninl, (ADDal. ~c1C6. A.' ••
G5, No. '1-16). The Benedictine editors of St. Augustin have given
<at the foDd of the work de Civitate Dei) two several COpiel, with JDIUIy
l'arioul reading.. It i5 the character of falsehood to btdooae and iDcODaiatcnt. The mllst iucl'"dihle part. of the legeDd are Imooth~ and
..~ened by TilIelDont (l\I"m. Ecclea. tom. ii, p. 9. .s.c.)
,
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moved by new visions: and the ~~ouad ·was eR?)p
opem::d by
In
preseii?)e of alii
XXil:&::#(?
numerable multitude. The coffins of Gamaliel,
of his son, -and of his friend? were found in ragulee orde:&"" but
the fG1[]lrth
contained the remains of Stephen~ was shown to
the light, the e~lfth trembled? and an odour, such
as
of4,eas
whieh
cured the vario~s diseases
seventy-three of
~he assiite.nts. The cOJppanions of S.tephen·
W'ee~ leftiil their
. .paplmr-'
gamala.; but the relics oft4e first rnartyr were
transpo~ed, in ~91emn proce$sion;, tp a church
cOile)nicte4,l·theie lion9ilr €'iR M€Hmt .
anP the minute particles of tI,lose relics,:a.drop:
of blood,I or the scrapings of -a. bone, w.ere a~
k04:mrledged, in.
prOems4,6 of
.
Roman world, to possess a divine'and miraculous virtue.> The grave an~ 1~~rnedAuguAtin'''J
whil35eu,I¥Im35t@diild scaril35lh'i
}~
CU35e ef credw.s:iity, has attested t~e innumera.ble,
prodigies whicb were mf9~~~~·in Mri~'1>Y'
thil 35dif!s
Stephen;
thi35. milf,velleil35, .
nar!Gtivp.
t h e , r s ) r k of
City of God, which tl;Ie bis,~op ~f .Hip.po desig'n~.
ed
solid
im:&~¥.brtal>dm.Buf
fIi
'~"'dc%/!'1!/!!!!U!F
."",,.
i A phial of St. Stephen" blood W1I'S antll1ally liquifi"._lhplel,
tiJ"1!e 'W.& nptfteded by 1It.,JaDlUlri"'(~.~Jiist. Pe7acut. Van·
,.
d.l.
'boob
Chltatf
ia t"if' space of ±¥sE~~eea yearl.~. D. ±¥iG426. (Ti~emont, 35i[em.
Eccles, tom. 'xiv; p. 608, Me.) . His leDt'niJig I. too often borro.wed,:aitd
his argllmellts are two oRea bls own; but tbe wbole work elaio tbea magif'ins'if't desl35", if'igoroutRn, if'€7d Dot €7if'GTlfully,
merEt
C!utif'n.
VOL.V.
J\JU"
(
'l'Iie DEeLtNB AwD PALL
130
Cbiistiilnity~ A'uguStin solemnly declares, that
!~~~~.he had' selected those miracles only which were
pliblicly certifted by the persons who were eitber ·the objects,'or the spectators, of the power
of tile martyr. '. Many prodigies ·were· omitted,
or forgotten; and Hippo' had been less CaVOlll"ably treated than the other cities of the. province~ And yet the bishop enumerates aboye
sev~nty miracle&, of which three were-resurrectioDs from the d~, in th~ space of two yeara..
and within the limits of his oWn dioceae! . If
we enJarge out view'to all the dioceses, and all
tbe: saintS, of the Christian world; it ·will not be
easy to calculate the fables, and the ~erro...,
which':iss'ited from' this inexhausUble source.
But we may surely be allowed 10 :obserYe, that
a miracle, in that·· age of superStition and·c~&
duijty,' idilt its name and it. :merit,since· 'it
could: '. a~arcely' ·be considered .as a' deviation
frOm
the ordiuary, and established, laws of na..
t Ju:te~
.:.!:. !:
ID.ReYi-' (ilf.i~~·~1im~ble miracla, of which· the
nI ,,~po- fd~fflr '()~'iJ.laTt~ttwere the perpetual theatre,
·ltheJIID. 'rev~iil~~lfto'~~piotNbelieVerthe actual state and
cdn~titutio.; dfth8'i~Visible world; andms.reJigiou8 ~peculations .appeared to be founded on
the fir.Plllasis of fact. aJ).d experience. Whatever
might ;~..' the eondition· of "u·lgar souls, in ·the
IODg, .terval betw.~n tb,e. dissolution and the
CHAP;
,!
',.
&1
•
•••
J.
J
'I
•
I see A1II01tiD. de Cliyltat. Del, I. ~J[ii, eo . . ad the Appeadix.
...1eIa eOD..... two books of St. StepbeD'. miraclea b, Eyocliaa, biahop
.',VAIia. Frecalphllil (apad Buup, Bilt. des hip, tom. 'fiii, FIC') hu prele"ed a Gallic or Spuilh. proYerb, " W1aoenr ........
.. haye read aU the mirade. of It. Stephea, he Ii....
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131
e)l Tim KOMAN EMPJ...
I'eSurrection of their bodies, it was evident the CRAP.
superior spirits of the saints and martyrs did ~~~:
not: consume that portion of their exi9tenc~.:in
.ilent and' inglorious sleep.- It waS evident.
(witltont ,presuming to determiue: tim: pbK:e ,Q{
their hditstion, or the.niltlue ol~ ftilimt;),
tIlat ,tbey enjoyed the livelyanmactive ..eonscit
ouaneS8 of their happiReu~ their yiiiue, .and
tMr powers;, aad that, tlley had .ameady;' •
cuRd the posses8io•.. O"~ etelba!: ~
The enl.-rgement of thei)," iutellect_.fiicu.l~~
surpassed the measUre of the bUlB" imagin..,
ti()n; since it was' pro,.ed by uperilJ&ee~ that
they were capable of heariag and, uriders~nd,..
iog the various petitions of th~ir numerons. votaries; who, in thelaBle inoment of time, hat.in
the most distant pam -of' the, w~Jld, lin~ed
tbe name and assistanCe' of 8&phen or of Mar~
tin.· The confidence of their petitWDei's was
founded on the persuuiolll that the saints, who.
reigned with Christ, cast an eye Of pity upon
earth; that they were warmly i.aterested in the
prosperity of the catholic church; and that the
.. Bornet (de Statil Mortoorum. p. Gil-a.) collecta the OplDio" 01
.... Fatben, as far as they "'ert tile .Ieep, or I'I!pCIIf, of human lO1III,
till the day of judgment. He aftenrardIespoHI (p. 91, &c.) the ~
con,eniencies which mnst arile, if they poueaaed a more active anel,
lftI.ible,esistence •
.. Vigilantiu. placed the loula of tlae prop1teta and aut, ... either in
tbe bosom of A brabam (ill loco refrigerii), 01' elle under the altar of
Od'd. N ec posse soil tumulil et ubi voluentat adene ·preseDtel'. Bat
,Jerom (tom. ii, p. 122) sternly refutea thII 6,.".".,. Tu Deo leeel
ponea ? . Tu apoltolia ..iucola injicirs, ut .Iqoe ad diem judicii
tfteantar eostodi', .cc aiut cum Domibo .no; de qulboa scriptum eat,
Seqmmtur Agoom quocnnqoe vadito St. AlUm ...iqae-, ergo, et'hiqul
eum Agoo sunt, IIbiqlle ('sse credendi aunt. ~t com diaboloa et d.....
Del toto neentul' in orbe, &c.
K2
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132
THE DECLINe AND PALL
(!HAP, individuals, who imitated the example of their
xxvnT. faith and piety, were the peculiar and.favourite·
...."-",, objects of their most tender regard. Sometimes,
indeed, their 6iendship might be influenced by.
'considerations of a less exalted kind: they viewed, 'with partial affection, the places which had
been consecrated by.their,birth, their relidence,
their .death, their burial, or the po.setsion of
their relics. The meaner passi~>ns :of 'pride,
avarice, and revenge,:may·be·deemed Uliwortby
of a celestial breast; yet'the saints themselves'
condescended to testify their: grateful approbation ot the liberality of their votaties; and: the
sharpelt bolts of punishnient were hurled a~
gainst those impious wretches, ,wlio violated·
their magnificent shrines,· or disbelieYed their
supernatural power.o, Atrocious, indeed, must
have been the guilt, and strange' would bave
been the scepticism~ of those men, if they had
obstinately resisted: the proofs of a divine agen~
cy,.which the elements, the whole range of th~
animal creation, and even tbe subtle and invisible operations of the human mind, were compelled to obey.p The immediate, and almosi
instantaneous, effects, thai were supposed to(ollow the prayer, or the offence, satisfied the
Christians, of the ample measure of favour and
authority, which the saints enjoyed in the pr~
sence of th,e Supreme God; and it seemed alFleury, Discour. Rllr l'Hilt. Eccleaiaatique, iii, p. 80.
At lfiuorca, tbe relics of ~t. Stephen converted, in eight day., 640
Jewa; witb t)le belp, iudeed, of lOme wholelome severities, luch aa
lturniDg the synagogue, dl"iving the obstinate iudell to starve amonl
the rock., .!rc. See the orijinal lettcr of Severus bilbop of Minore..
<ad calcem St. Augu.tin. de Civ. Dei), aDd tbe judicious remark .t
BUBale, (tom. viii, p. W·251J.
.
D
P
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0. THE ROII~N BMPID.
1'33
mos~ superBuou~,to inquire, whether they' were i:':iIi.
continually oblIged to rntercede before the'_-.. .._ ••
throne of grace; or whether they might,:not be
permitted. ,to exercise, according tG the dictates
of their benevolence and justice, the delegated
powers ofthei,r subordinate ministry. The ima.;.
gination, 'which had been raised by a painful
aWort to: the contemplation and worship of the
Universal Cause, eagerly embraced such inferior objects of adoration. as were more proportioned to its gross conceptions and imperfect
faculties. The sublime and simple theology of
the, primitive Christians was. gradually corrupt-.
ed;, and the MON~RCHY of heaven, already
clou~ed by metaphysical subtleties, was degraded by the. introduction of a popnlar mythology, which tended to restore the rejgn o£polytheism. q
.' IV. As the objects of religion were gradually IV. ~ntro'
. .
I ductlonof
red uced to'the stand ard 0 fth e,lmagmatIon, tie pagan,ceriteaandceremonies Were introduced that seem- remonaea.
cd mo~t powerfqlly.to affect the senses of'the'
'Vulgar. If, in the beginning of the fifth century ..
T~rtu1lian, or Lactantius," had been suddenly
raised from the dead, to assist at the festival of
.. Mr. Hume (Eoay., yol. ii, p. (34) observes, like a philosopher, the
Datura! flux and reflux or polytheism and theism.
'
r D·A .. bign~ (see his own Mrmoirel, p.I66-16O) franklyoft"ered, with
the consent of the Huguenot ministers, to allow the fint 400 years aa
the rule of faith. The Cardinal du Pc.'rron haggled for forty yean
more, which were indiscreetly given. Yet ncithel' party would kne
found their account in this foolish bargain.
• The worship practised and inculcated by Tertullian, I.actanti .."
Arnobiu8, .c. D.,IO ulremely pure and spiritual, that their declamatiolll
qainat the paean, lometimea- glance agaiust the Jewish, eeremonia"
....
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;
13,(,
c~t· some popular saint, or .&IItyr;' dtey w.uW
~~_?:have gazed with astonishment, &.rid i~tI
Oil' the profane'8p~ctaele;' wlrieh Bad. ilueceetled
t() the pure 18.Dd- ,spintoal wer8ltip era Ohristian
dongrega.tiOll'. A-iJ soob as the deers :Of the
church 'Were tll·rown open. 'thtljriDust baye
been offended by .the' slBOke of incense, the' perof flowers, and the g'lare of lamps· and ta, ~rs, which diffu*d, at noon-day, aga.wdy, n ..
perliu'ons, and in their opinion, a sae·rilegious
light. If they approacbed the balustrade of the
altar, they made their'way through the prostrate
crowd, consisting, for the'mast part of strangers
and pilgrims~' w'ho 'resorted to the city on the vi-.
gil of 1he feast; and who ·alrea.dy felt the strong'
intoxication offanaticism~and, perhaps,ofwine.'
Their devout ki$ses were itnprinted on the walls
and pavement of the sacred edifice; and their
fervent prayers were directed, whatever might
be the language eftheir church, to the bones, the
blood,or the ashes ~of tbe saint, which were
usually concealed, by a' linen or silken veil,.
from the eyes of the vulgar. The Christians frequented the tombs of the martyrs, in the hope
of obtaining, from their powerful intercession,
every sort of spiritual, but more especially of ternporal, blessings. They implored the preservation
of their health; or the cure of their infirmities ;
mme
• Faa,tal tbe MaoicbaeaD accu.a tbe catbolic. of idolatry. Vcrtitil idola iD martyrel • • • • quOi "otis limilibua colitis. M. de
Beauaobre, (Hi.t. Criti41ue do MaoicheillDc, tom. ii, p. 629.100).
a proteltanf. but a philOIOpber, It.. represcDted, with caodour aatI
iearuiDc, tbe iDtroducUoD of Cilrilria i40lcrIrp iD the fourth aDd Ifill
ccotllrie..
'
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OF '1'11& mIlO ........
..
thelruitmlneti'oftheir barre.n wiy~, or the 88feo CHAP.
t,. Bud happiness· of their chUdl'ell•. :. W\lepeyer ~..~.!:
they. undertook .an, distant. &1': daopr9~·jou~.
ney, .they -requested, that, the holy ~rtyrs
"ould ·he. their guides aad pro~tQrs.o~~:
road; aud if they returned, without ha~g ~
perienced any misfortune, they again hastened
to the tombs of the martyrs, to celebrate, with
grateful thanksgivings, their obligations to the
memory and relics of those heaTenly patl'ou.
The walls were hung round with symbols of the .
favours which they had received; eyes, and
hands, and feet, of gold and silver; and edify.'
ing pictures, which could not long escape the
abuse of indiscreet or idolatrous devotion, ra- ~
presented. the image, the attributes, and the
JUiracles of the tutelar saint. The same uui-. .
form original spirit of superstition might suggest, in the most distant ages and countries, the
same methods of deceiving the credulity, &ad of
a1fecting the senses, of mankind:u but it must
ingenuously be confessed, that the ministers of
the catholic church imitated the profane model, .
which they were impatient to destroy. The
most respectable bishops had persuaded theoa- ~ •
selves, that the ignorant rustics would more.
cheerfully renounce the superstitions of paga-'
nism, if they found some resemblance, some
• The relltlllblaDce of IDpentitiOD, whieb eould Dot be ..1I.tNt
aU,ht Ite traced from Japaa to Mexico. WarINrtou hu leiled thiI
idea, whieb he dittorta, by ......rlDI it too
aacl ahlohate
(Dim.. Lepti........ w, po lit, • .) ,
.-raJ
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I
138
THE DttlBE AND "PALL~
CHAP. compensation iJl the bosom
XXVIIT'Th e re1·'
.
IglOD 0 f Constantme
'#A""'"
of Christianity.
ac h'leve d
, 'In 1eSI
than a century, the final conquest of the Roman
empire: but the victors themselves were insensibly subdued by the arts of their vanquished
ri vals. E
x The imitation or paganism is tbe subject of Dr. Middleton's agrt:to
able letter from Rome. Warburton's animadversions obliged him to
counect (vol. iii, p. 120.132) tile history of the two religions; IUId til
wove the antiquity of the CbristiAD copy.
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J
01"
137
THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
CHAP: 'XXIX.
of tke Rdman empire belweetl. tile
of Tneodosius-Re;gn of Areadius and
Honorius-AdministratiOfl of Rtijinus and
Stilicko-Revolt and defeat of GildoinAfrica.'
Pinal division
. Ions
THE genius' of Rome expired with Theodo- CHAP.
.
XXIX.
IIIUS;
the last of the successors of A ugustus _,**""
..
and Constantine, who appeared in the field at Divi.io8
the head of their armies, and whose authority :rr~bb:.""
was universally acknowledged
tbroughout the ca
tWde~n Ar•
la•
• hole extent of 'tbe empIre. The memory of Uld Robis virtues ltill continued, however, to protect :~~...
the feeble and inexperienced youth of bis two JUl. 11.
Ions. After the death of their father, Arcadiu8
and Honorius were saluted" by the unanimous
cOlJsent of mankind, as tbe lawful emperors of
tbe East, and' of the West; and the oath of fidelity was eagerly taken by every order of tbe
state; the senates of old and new Rome, tbe
clergy, the magistrate.!., the soldiers, and-the
people. Arcadius, who waif tben about eighteen years' or' age, was' born in Spain, 'iIi the
humble habitation of a pri't'ate family. Butbe
receive~ a princely education in tbe palace of
Constantinople; and his inglorious life was
spent in that peaceful and splendid seat of royalty, from whence he appeared to reign over tbe
provinces of Thrace, Asia Minor~ Syria, and
EgYJlt, from the Lower Danube to the ~onfines
of Persia and Ethiopia. -His younger brother,
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lS8
CHAP.
Honorius, assumed, in the eleventh year of m.
the nominal government of Italy, Africa,
Gaul, Spain, and Britain; ud the troops, which
guarded the frontiers of his kingdom, where opposed, on one side, to the Caledonians, and
on the other to the Moors. The great and m~r
tial prefecture of Illyricllm was divided between
the two princes; the defence and possession of
the provinces of N oricum, Pannonia, and Dal.
matia, still belonged to the western empirc; but
the two large dioceses of Da.eiaand Ma.cedollia,_
which Gratian had intrus.ted to the valour o(
Theodosiu8, were for ev~r united to the empire
of the East. Tbe ·boundar.y.in Europe was not
. v.ery. different !from .the ~ 'wlUck now sepa.-.
rates the G.ermans and ~e Turks; ..and the
respective·ad.nt-ages ,~f.·~ritory, riche$, populoU8Dei8, an4 ,militJlry 8tr~th, where fairly
balanced and compefis~ted, in this final and pezmanent division of the Roman -empil·e. The
hereditary sceptre of the sons of Theodosius
appeared. to· be ·the gift of nature, and of their.
filther; the .gelletalt and ministers .ha.d been
accustomed to adore the m.,jesty of the royal,
iBfants; and the 81IJlJ aud· people "ere not ad_Dished of their JrigWs, and of ·their power, by .
the dangerous~. .le of 8.:r~nt electioD. The
puua) disaover,~of.the we..kn.ess of Arcadius
and Honorius,.a.bd·:the- repea~ .calamities· of
tbeirreign, were DOt $R4icient to obliterate-the
deep aad·eany impressieos.ofloyalty. The subjeets ofUome, who still reverenced the persons.
or rather the names, of their sovereigns, beheld,
. ~~!~. age,
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or THB ROMAN EMPIRE.
139
wifh equal :abhorrence, the rebels wbo opposed,' CHAP.
arid the ministers who abused, the authority of _~!:_
the throne.'
,
Theodos-ius bad tarnished the glory of his Character
reign by the elevation of Rufinua; an odious aDd ad.miL!
•
h'
.
f ·'1 d re1"19IGliS Dlatr.1I0D
Ja
VOUl,te,
W 0, In an 'age 0 CIVl an
of RDfifaction, has deserved, from every party, the im;' ~~. 188putation of every clime. The strong impulse ••.
of ambition and avarice· had urged Rufinus to.
abandon his native country, an obscure comer
"f Gau);· to advance his fortune in the capital
of the East: the talent of bold and ready elocution- 'quaiified him to succeed in the lucrative profession of the Jaw; and his success in
that profession was a regular step to'the' most
honourable and important employments of the
state•." He ·was raised, by just degrees, to the
station of master of the offices.' In the exercise
of his various 'functions, so ,essentially con)):ecteel with the' whoie system of civil government,
he acquired the confidence of a monarch, who
soon discovered his diligence and capacity in
business, and who' long remained ignorant of
the pride, the malice" and the covetousness, of
his disposition. These vices were concealed
beneath the mask of-profound'dissimulationf
• Aledo, eDvious or the public felicity, convene. an IDfernal .ynoc1.
Mapera recommend. her pupil Rufinus, ad ucim him to deed. of
milcbie6; &c.. .nt th.... il U1IIQeh dil'ereace between Clandlan'I,fu l'1
~d that of Virgil, I' betweeD tbe chancten of TUrDna and RUftDU. ,
b It i. evideDt, (TIllemoDt, Hlat. del Emp. tom. v, p. 'l10), thou'"
de Marea II asbamed of hit eountrymen, that RnSDus was born at
Elusa, the melropolla of NoyempopulaDia, now a lIIIaU ,mage of Gu.
eODY, (d'ADYiIle, Notice de l'ADcienne Ganle, p. 289).
c Philostorgilll, 1. xi, c. 3, with Godefroy'. Diuert. p. «0.
4 A passage of Suidas ia expreui,e of hit profouDd diuimulati_;
",Dc-''' &&1 .....,.,
""IfYHI,..'"
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140
THE DECLINE AND FALL
CHAP. his passions'weresubservient only to the palXXIX..
.0(h·IS master; yet,.10 the h om·d· massacre
_".".810118
ofThessalonica, the cruel Rufinus inflamed the
fury, without imitating the repentance, ofTheodosius.The minister, who viewed with proud
indifference the rest of mankind, never forgave
the appearance of an injury; and his personal
enemies had forfeited, in his opinion, the merit
of all public Hervic~. Promotu8, the mastergeneral of the infantry, had saved the empire
from the invasion of the Ostrogoths; but he indignantly supported the pre-eminence of a rival, whose character and profession he despised; and, in the. Illidst of a public council,
the impatient soldier was. prov:o~ed to chastise.
with a blow the indecent pride of the favourite.
This act of violence was represented to, th~ emperor as an insult, which it was incumbent on
Ais dignity to' resent. The disgrace and exile
of Promotuswere signified by a peremptory
order, to repair, without delay, to a military
station on the banks of the Danube; and the
death of, that general (though he was slain in.
a skirmish with the barbarians) was imputed to
the perfidious arts of.Rufinus: The sacrifice of
an hero gratified his revenge; the honours ofthe
~onsulship elated his vanity; but his power was
still imperfect and precarious, as. long as the important posts of prefect of the East, and of prefect of Constantinople, were filled by Tatian,'
• Zoaimn., 1. iv, p 272, 273.
f ZOliml18, who delcribea the fall of Tatian and bis 10D, (I. iY, p.
'74), asaerta their iDnoceDce: and eYeD m. testimoD7 may ontweiP
die ebarcea of their CJlemie., (Cod. Theodo.. tom. iy, p. (89), whe
acC!IR
If.,
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1.41
0' THt ltOHAN IMPl1t£.
and 'his son Proculus; whose united authority C'lAP.
J:.
•
h
b'ltIOIl
.
b 'aIanced', Jor
some tIme,
team
and J:.la-' _XXIX.
.•• " •.•
vour olthe master of the offices. The two prefeCts were accused of rapine and corruption in
the administration of the laws' and finances. For
the'trial of these illustrious offenders, the -emperor,constituted a special commission'; several
judges' were' named to share the guilt and reproach of injustice; hut th~ ~ight of pronoun~ing sentence wasreserv~d to the presidenta.;
lone, ,alldthat president was -Rufinus himsel,~
The father" strippe4 of, the prefecture of the
East~ was thrown int~ ~ d~ngeon; but the son;
conscious tliat few ministers can be found innocent, where an enemy is their judge, had Se-'
cretly escaped; and Rufinus must have beeri
satisfied with the least ob~oxious victim~ if despotism had not condescem:l,ed to employ the
basest and most un'geneJ;'ousartifice.' The pro&ecution was conduc~ed with an app~arance of
equity and moderation, which flattered Tatian'
with the hope of a favourab~e' event; his confidence was fortified by the solemn assurances,
and perfidious oaths, of the president, who presumed to interpose the sacred name ofTheodosius himself; and the unhappy father, was at
,last persuaded to recaJ, by a priv.l~ter, the
fugitive Proenlus. He was instantly seized,
examined, condemned, and beheaded, in one of
the suburbs of Constantinople, with a precipiaccue them of oppreaaing the Curl.. The connection of Tatian witla .
the Arianl, while he was prefect of Egypt, (A. D. 361), Inclines !fiu..
mont to belien that he was guilty of eYery crime, (Hitt. del Emp•
..... Y, p. 160. Hem. Ecclel. tom vi, p. 1589). I
' ,
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THE DECUNE AND FALL
tation whi~h disappointed tbe cl~mency of :th.
'..~~~~.eD1peror. Without re~~ting,the,mi8fort\Ulel
ofacoD~mlarsepatQr, tbe crlleljudges ofTatian
compelled hiJQ W b~old _the eXe£.1,Ition of his
son: ,tl\e fat"l p~d wa~,~.~ round his own
neck; :'but,.in .the _m~me..t wben he expected,
and per,h,.ps·. desi~~cJ,. the reHef of Q. speedy
death, he was ;p~~itt~d to :consume. tile miser·
able remn~t of his _~ age in poverty and
exile.' . T~e .punis~.m~t of the tWf;) prefects
might,. perhaps, be ~xcused by the exceptionable parts. of their ow.n ~~uct; the· t:;:qIBity 01
Rutinus might be pam8:~ by the je~o.us. and
unsoci;,t.ble nature of ambition. But he indulg.
ed a spirit of rel'enge, equally repup.fLn~ to
prudence and to justice, .when. he degr~ed.
their native country of Lycia, from the rank of
Roman provinces; stigmatized a guiltless p~o
pIe with a mark of ignominy; and declar;ed that
the countrymen:of; Tatian and Proculus should
ever remain incapable o~ holding any employment of honQur or a4v,antage, under the imperial government.· The. new prefect of the East
CHAP.
• ---JiI'fenDBl 1'0rantia colla
seem.
Ante patrum IrwtUI ItriCtl ceciden
Ibat grande9nl nato morieate Iupenta
POI. trabeal elt,llli.
lit Rda. I, 148.
The 'aell or Zoaimul explain the flllIIdou of ClaudiaD; bat hil clauie
interpreters were ignoraDt of the fourth ceatury. The ltd", wrd, I
fouud, with tbe help of TilIemoDt, in a lel'llloD of 8t. Alteriaa of
Aauaaea.
It This odioul law II recited, aDd repealed, h, Arcadiu, (A. D. lIN!),
in the Theodolian Code, I. ix, tit. SU91ii, leg. t. The lease, u it II
explained by ClandiaD, (iD RufiD. i, lIN), aad Godefioo" (tom. iiI"
179), i, perfectly clear.
- -Ex~indere eiges
I'DcIila,; et BODIeD gentia de)ere laborat.
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143
(fiu! 'BulBUs .illstaAtly iuooeeded to the vt.ca~t. CRAP~
hOIl01ir& ef ms· adversary) was not diverted, :.!~~
however, by. the ~st criminal pursuits, from
the peri'ormarroe of· tbe religious. duties, which
in that 11gB-were considered M the· lnost essential·to··sah·ation.· In tile suburb of .chalcedoDt
81ti'iiatOed- the Otilt, he'had built a,. ·1P..g.ificent
wlla ~ te· which he devoutly added a stately
C111ireh, ' eonsecratc;d te the apostles St. Peter
lind· St. Paul, and eon1inually. sanctified by the
prayers, ·and·peff*1lee, of a regular society of
lBonks.·· . A .numerous, ·and almost 'general, syned of.· the bishops. of the eastemempire waS
summoned t6 celebrate, 'at the same time, the'
dediCation- ot the church, and the baptism of
he ;fuunder. This double ceremony was per."cmil~ with, Mtr80rdinary pomp·;, and wheti
RUieuS)w.a8·purified,'in the holy foot, from
the. gins that he had hitherto committed, a ven&-'
rable·hermit of Egypt rashly proposed himself
as :the sponsor of a proud and ambitious states.OF' THB ·ROIIA)l'· UP1RRf
an
mm!·
.
-
, .The character of Theodosiu8 imposed on his He op. .
minister the task of hypocrisy, which disguised, f:e~~.
andsoIDetim~s re~trained, the abuse of power; .&••• SN,
and Rufinus was apprehensive of disturbing the
indolent slumber of' a prince. still capable of
exerting the abilities, and the virtue, which had
The .cruples of Pap and Tillemont can arise only from their.leal rer
the glory of Theodosial.
.
I Alllmoniu. • • • • R~finnm propriis manibnl IUlcepit ..cro (onte .
muudatum. See Rosweyde', Vitae PatrDIII, p. 947. Sozomen, 1. yiit.
c. 1'7) mentionl the church and monutery; and TlUemont (Mem. EocleI. tom. ill, p. Itl) recorda thi. ',DOd, in wbich St. Gre&ol1 of Ny_
performed • cODspicliOUl part.
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144
THE DECLINE AND PALL
CHAP. raised him to the throne. t But the absence, and,
XXIX.
_~_" .. soonafterwards, the death, of the emperor, con-
firmed the absolute authority of Rufinus o,v~r_
the p~rson and dominions of Arcadius; a feebk
youth, whom the imperious prefect confJi4ered;
as his pupil, 'r ather than his sov~reign. ,Regard;.
less of.the public opinion, he indulged his palJ-:
sions without re~orse, and wit40ut, resi~tallce;:
and his maligllant.and rapacious spirit.rejected,
every passion that might have contributed to ;
his own glory, or the bappines of the people.
His avarice/ whic~ .seems to havepr~vajled ill
his corrupt mind, over every other sentiment,.
attracted , the wealth ,of the East, by the v~·
rious arts of partial, and general, extortion;
oppressive taxes, scandalous bribery, immoderate fines, unjust confiscations, forced 01' fictitious testaments, by whi~h the tyrant despoiled o( their lawful inheritance the children of
strangers~ , or enemies; and .the public sal,e ofjuB- ,
tice, as well as of fav,Qur, which he in~tituted in ,
the palace of Constantinople. The ambitious ,
k Montesqlliell (E~prit dl's Loix, I. xii, c. 11) prai.e. olle of the la ••
ofTheodosius addressed to the prefectRalipus,(I. is, tit. iv,le,.lInic.)
to discourage the prosecution of trealonable, or .acrilegious, word •. A
tyrannical statue alway& proves tbe existence of tyranny; but. laud· '
able edict may only contain the .peciou. profeuious, or iDea-eetall
wishes, of the prince, or his minuten. This, I am afraid, u ajUlt,
though mortifying, canon of criticism.
'
--fluctibus auri
Expleri ille calor nequit - -·
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
CongE-ltz cumulantor OpE'S; orbi''l0e rapiD"
Acdpit lIua domul.-This character (Claudiau, in Rufin. I, 1s.-220) is confirmed by Jerom,
a disinterested witne.., (dedecus inlatiabilia lYaritie, tom. i, ad Hoeliodor. p. 21i). by ZOlimos, (I. v, p. 286), and by Suida" who I:opied th..
.lIi.tory of Eunapius.
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14~
01' THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
candidate eagerly solicited, at the expence of CHAp.
the fairest part of his patrimony,. the honours ~=~~:
and emoluments of some provincial government;
the lives and fortunes of the unhappy people
were abandoned to th~ most liberal purchaser;
and the public discontent was sometimes appeased by the sacrifice of an unpopular criminal,' whose punishment was profitable only' to
the prefect of the East, his accomplice and his
judge. If avarice were. not the blindest of the
h1.unan passions, the JIlotives of Rufinus might
excite our curiosity; and we might be tempted
to' inquire, with what view he violated every
principle of humanity and justice, to accumulate those immense treasures; which he could
n..>t spend without folly, nor possess without
danger. Perhaps he vainly imagined, that he
l~boured for the interest of an only daughter,
on whom he intended to bestow his royal pupil,
and the august rank of empress of the East.
.Perhaps he deceived himself by the opinion,
that his avarice was the in~trument of his ambition. He aspired' to pla~e his fortune on a
secure and independent bdsis, which shoul4 nC)
longer depend on the caprice of the young emperor; yet he neglected to conciliate the hearts
.of the soldiers and people, by the "etal' distribution of those richt!s,' which he -had acquired with so much toil, a~d with s. much
guilt. The.extreme parsimony of Rufinus left
. him only the reproach,and envy, .of ill-gotten
wealth; his dependants served him without attachment; the universal hatred of mankind wal
..
VOL. V
L
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146
THE
DI~CLINZ
AND FALL
repressed only by the influence of servile fear.
_~~:'.. The fate of Lucian proclaimed to the East, that
the prefect, whose industry was mqch abated in
the despatch of ordinary business, was active
and indefatigable in the pursuit of revenge.
Lucian, the 'son of the p1'efect Florentins, the
oppressor of Gaul, and the enemy of Julian,
had. employed a considerable part of his iltheriM
tance, the fruit of rapine and corruption, topurM
chase the friendship of Rufinll8, and the higla
office of count of the East.' But the new magistrate imprudently departed from the -maxims
of the court, and of the times; disgrae~d his
benefactor, by the contrast of a virtuous &ad
temperate administration; and presumed tere.
fuse an act of injustice, which might have tended to the profit of the emperor's uncle. Arcadius was easily persuaded to resent, the supposed insult; and the prefect of the East ~
solved to execute in persOll the cruel vengeanoe
which he meditated against this ungrate€u.l ~
legate of his power. He performed with incessant speed 'the journey of seven or eight hundred miles, from Constantinuple to Antioch, elltered the capital of Syria at the dead of nigbt,
and sprea:d universal consternation among a
·peopllJlborant of. his design, but·DOt ignorant
of his ch8facter. The COURt ,of the fifteen provinces 'of the East was 'flragged, like the :vilest
malefactor, before the arbitltary tribullal ofRufinus. Notwithst3nding the clearest evidence
of his integrity,· which was not impeached even
by the voice of 3n accuser, Lucian was cog.
demnea. almost without a trial, to suffer a cruel
CHAP.
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,
147
QlI THE ROHAN EMPIltE.
and ignominious punishment. The mi~illtet:' ~1P.
of the tyrant, by tI;le order, .and in tJ;te ,preseU,ce, ,,,;.-, .~:.
91 t,hep- master, peat him "C),I;l the ,Jjle~.Jt w,ith ~e!l-'
t~r th.Q~gs, ru:r;ned:at theextre.t;n.ities wit~ Jead.;
.-wI .~ hel~ted 1,Ulder .the ~j~eQ.~e 9f~9.~
PC'io, 'Ae""~~1~lHove~ in aclQse lit~er,to C911CE!~ ;hi,,-9yipg· Jt.g~Wi~ .:fr,om :~.e e,es. of the inq;gn,mt.,c",y. .No SQoner ..h~d R'din,~s perpetr,*d ~lS'i~p'u~~ll~<1t" the l$oJe.. o.~~t pl his
~~l$ipn,,~Q~'lle ~t\lr~ed, am,~dst ~¥ deep,
~~~. ~~~~t, :~~rses of :~.treP.l:Wi.ng p(lople, from
~nt,iQ~ ,to Con~tan~\nq.ple; apd hjs diligence
M/;~ ,~c(tler~~;d, ~y ,the .bQpe. of.~comp1ishiDg.
~J;h1Wt..delay, ,the pup~\a,lsQf,hi~ daughter with
'~6 ~~rQr of ;t~.E~~t.m
,1lutAtHtiJ).~ "9tll1,~~p~J:lep,c~d, thata prudent He is di.P.Jinis~r ,~hQu\d cW,lst~ntly SeCure his.royal cap- ~~~tcd
~ve by t4e.~trQQ.g,tboughin~isible, chain olha- ~;t=
,lP.~; ,~~ tbat tp,e :merit,.auci ,much more easily dio-,
the favour, 0.£ ~he ."bsent, ,are ,obliterated in a ~;:lll::
short time from tbe mind of a weak and capric;i.Qu15 sovereign. While tbe prefect satiated his
.rev~nge at Antioch, a secret conspiracy of the
favourite. eunuchs, directed by the great chamlwrlain Eutropius, undermined his power in the '
.palace of CQnstantinople. They discovered
that Arca~ius was not inclined to love the
:~a'!lghter of Rufinus, who ~~d been chosen,
without his consent, for his bride; and they contrived to substitute in her place the fair Eudoxia,
.. -Cetera segnis;
Ad facinus velos: pt:Ditns regiooe remota.
l~piger ire vias.
This allusioD of Clandian (in Rnfin. i, 241) is again explained by t1w
circum.tulia' narrativ" of ZOBimos, (I. v, r. 288,280).
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148
,THE DECLINE AND FALL
the daughter ofBauto: a genetaJ. of the Franks
in the service of Rome; and who was educated,
-,-,,- since the death of her father, in the family of .
the sons of Promotus. The young emperor,
whose chastity had been strictly' guarded by
t~e pious care of his tutor Arsenius,o eagerly
listened to the artful and flattering descriptions
of the charms of Eudoxia: he gazed with impatient ardour on her picture, and he understood the necessity -of concealing his amorous
designs from the knowledge of a minister,' who
was so deeply interested to oppose the consummation of his happiness. Soon after the return
of Rufinus, the approaching ceremony of the
royal nuptials was. announced to the people' of
. Constantinople, who prepared to celebrate, with
false and hollow acclamations, the fortune of
his daughter. A splendid train of eunuchs and
officers issued, in hymeneal pomp,' from the
gates of the palace; .bearing aloft the diadem,
the robes, and the inestimable ornamellts; o{ the
,future empress. The solemn procession passed
through the streets of the city, which were
adorned with garlands, and filled with spectators; but, when it reached the house of the sons
of Promotus, the principal eunuch respectfully
entered the mansion, invested the fair Eudoxia
with the imperial'robes, 'and conducted her ia
CHAP •.
XXIX.
a Zosimlll (I. iY, p. 2(3) praises the valour, prudence, and infelP'ii,
.., Bauto the Frank. See Tillemont. Hilt. des Emperenrl, tom. Y, p.
:
7'11.
o Araenitls escaped from the palace of Constantiuople, and pused
fifty.ftve yean in rigid penance in the monasteries of Egypt. See TIllemont', Mem. Eccles. tom. xiv, p. 676-721; and Fleury, Hiat. Eccles. .
ton. v, p. I, &c. butthe lattu, for the want of anthentic materials hal
linn too much credit to the leaend of l\oJetaplarastel..·
' -'
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149
01' THE ROMAN BHPIRL
triumph to the palace and bed of ArcadiuslcHAV.
. h h'IC.h th'IS .COB-.........
XXIX.
Th e secrecy, an d success, WltW
..,..,.•
spil'acy against Rufinu8 had been· conducted,
imprinted a mark of indelible ridIcule on the
character of a minister, who had 8uffered himself to be deceived; in a post where the arts of
deceit and dissimulation constitute the most distinguished merit. He considered, with a mixture of indignation and fuIlr, the victory· of a~
aspiring.eunuch, .who had secretly captivated
the.favour of his sovereign; and the disgrace of
his daughter, whuse interest was ins.eparably
·connected with hi.s own, wounded the tenderness, or, at least, the pride, of Rufinus. .At the
moment when he flattered himself that·he should
beco~e the father of a line of kings, a foreign
maid, who had been educated in the house of
his implacable enemies, was introduced into
the imperial bed; and Eudoxia soon displayed
a superiority ot sense and spirit, to improve the
ascendant which her beauty must acquire over
the mind of a fond and youthful husband. The
emperor would 800n be instructed to hate, to
fear,and to destroy, the powerful subject, whom
he bad injured; and the consciousness of guilt
deprived Rufinus of every ~ope, either of s~fety
. or comfort, in the retirement of a private life.
But he stil) possessed the most effectual means
of defending his dignity, and perhaps of op. pressing his enemies. The prefect still exerP This ItOry (Zolimua, I. v, p. tOO) proul that tbe bymeneal ritea of
antiqnity were Itill practiaed, withont idolatry, by the Chri.tianl of the
East; and the bride was forribly conducted from the houle of her parents to that of ber husband. Oar form of marriage retlu,irel, witlilaa
ielico\c¥ ~ the expreu and pablic COllient of a vir,ia.
,
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160
TWE
D'ttLINE AND FAtt.
CHAP. cised an uncontrouled authority over the cint
_~~~:.. and military gover~ment of the East: and his
treasures, if he' eould reSolve to use them,. might
be employed to procure proper instruments,
for the exectltidii df the blackest designs, that
pride, ambition, and revenge, could suggest to
a, desperate statesman. The character ofRufi.
nus seemed to justify the accusations, that he
conspired against the person of his sovereign.
to seat himself on the ...acant throne; and that
he had secretly invited the Huns, arid the Goths~
to invade the provinces of the empire, and to
increase the public confusion. The suhtle preteet, whose life had been spent it1 the intrigues
of the palace, opposed, witli equal arins, tbe
artful measures of the eu.nuch Eutropius; but
the timid soul of Rti6Iius wlis astonished by
the hostile approach of a thOle formidable rival,
of the great Stilicho, the general, or rather the
master, of the empire of the West.q
Character
The celestial gift which Achilles obtained,
of
Still.
' d Al exan d er' envle
. d , 0 f a poet worth y to ceIeo
cho,
the an
:::di~~c:;. brate the actions of beroes, has been enjoyed
raJ, of the by Stilicho, in a much higher degree than migbt
weltei'll b
. state 0 f
empire.
ave been expected from t he dec I·mmg
genius, and of art. The inuse of Claudian,'
devoted to his service, was always prepared to
stigmatize his adVersaries, Rufln~8, or Eutropius, with eternal infamy; tlr to paibt; in the
I
, ZOBimns, (I. v, p. 29&); Ol'o&inl, (I. vii, c. 87), alld tile Chronicle
of Marcellinu•• Claudian (in Rnfin. ii, 7.100) painta, in Iinl, coloan,
the distress and gUilt oftbe prefect.
r Stilielto, directl)O or Indirrctly, is the perpetnal theme of Claudio
'!'he youth, and private liie, of the "pro, are vaguel, expreued in
poem on biB 6nt eonau"bi~. 1/;·1.£0.
t.
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Bloltsplendid co~urs, the victories and virtues, CHAP..
of a powerful
b~ne(~tor. In the review of a XXIX•.
.
..........,....
penod Indi1ferently supplied with authentic rna- " ..
terials, we cannot refuse to illustrate the annals
of Honol'iu, from th~ invectives, or the panegyrics, of a contempoJVy writer: but as Claudian appears to have indulged the most ample
privilege of a poet and a courtier, some critioiRll will be requisite to tr~slate the language
of fiction, or exaggeration, into the truth and
simplicity of historic prose. His silence concerning the family of Stilicho maJ be admitted
as a proof, that his patron was neither able,
nor desirous, to boast of a long series of illustrious progenitors; and the slight mention of
his father, an officer of balbarian cavalry, ill
the service of Valens, seems to countenance the
assertion, that the general, who so long com··
manded the. armies of Rome, was descended
fFom the savage and perfidious race of the Vandals! If Stilicho had not possessed the external advantages of strength and stature, the m.QSt
:flattering bard, in the presence of 80 many'
thousand spectators, would have hesitated to.
a1firm, that he surpassed the measure of the.
demi-gods of antiquity; and, that whenever h~
mOTed, with lofty steps, through the streets of
the capital, the astonished crowd IYad~ room
for the stranger, who displayed, in a private
condition, the awful majesty of a hero. From
his earliest youth be. embraced the profession of
.
.
'
r .' VlDdaJorum, imbellis; avane, perfiC:e, d dolose, gentlll, g('nue
ettibu. OrOliua, I. vii, e. as. Jerom tom. i,_ and Gerontiain, p. 99>
caJIt Itim a semi·barbuiu.
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mE DECLIHE AND ~ALl.
CHAP. arms; his prudeiice: arid valour'were soon diitin..~~:",guished in the ft~ld:; tlie horsemen and archem.
of the East admired his superior dexterity; and
in each degree
bis military promotions, the.
public judgment a~ways prevented and approved.
the choice of the sovereign. He was named by
Theodoiius, to ratify a solemn treaty with the
monarch of Persia ~ he supported, during. thatimportant embassy, the dignity of the Roman
name; andafte... his return to Constantinople, his
merit was rewarded by an intimate and honoul'able alliance with the imperial family. Theodosius had been prompted, by a pious motive of
fraternal aifectipn, to adopt, for his own, the.
daughter of his brother Honorius; the beauty
.and accomplishments of Seren at were universally
admired by the obsequious court; and Stilicho
Qbtained the preference over a crowd of rivals,
who ambitiously disputed the hand of the princess, and the favour of her adoptive father.Theassurance that the husband of Serena would
be faithful to the throne, which he was permitted
to approach, engaged the emperor to exalt the
fortunes, and to employ the abilities, of the sagacious and intrepid Stilicho. He rose through
the succes'sive steps of master of the horse, and
Hia mili- count of the domestics, to thOe supreme rank of
:2:0.... master-general of all the cavalry and infantry of
°
0'
°
°
ClaadilUl, ID lUI imperfect poem, haa drawn a fair, perhaps a Satt••
That favourite niece of Tlteodoailll wu bora,
aa well u lier abttr Thermantia, ia Spaia; (rom whence, in tbeir ear.
lien youth, they were hODourably conducted to the p_lace of CODstaa·
tinople.
. U lome donbt may be entertaiDl'd, wbether this adoption was il'gal
or oDly metapborical, (see DucBDge, Fam. Byzanto p. 15). AD old ia
,aerilltioD gina Stirieho the aingular t;tle of Pro
Diri TIMtHIOIIi.
•
t
ing, portrait of Serena.
°
,,/1,..
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'153
Olt THE lWHAN EMPIRE.
the Roman, or at least of the western, empire;· CH"P.
and his enemies confessed, that he invariably dis- ,,~~~~,~
dained to barter for gold the rewards of merit, J.. D. ass.
or to defraud the soldiers ofthe pay and gratifi.- 488.
cations, which they deserved, or claimed, from
the liberality of the state,1 . The valour and
conduct which he afterwards displayed, in the
defence of Italy, against the arms of Alaric and
Radagaisus, may justify the fame of hig early
achieven;s.ents; and in an age less attentive to the
Jaws of honour, or of pride, the Roman general.
might yield the pre-eminence of rank, to the
ascendant of superior genius.· He lamented,.
aDd reTenged, the murder of Promotus, his rival
and his friend; and the massacre of many thousands of the flying Bastarnre is represented by
the poet, as a bloody sacrific~, which the Roman
Achilles offered to the manes of another Patroclus. 'rhe virtue~ and victories of Stilicho deserved the hatred of Rufinus: and the arts of
" Clandiau (Laus SereDa, 198, 19S). express" in poetic langnegt';
the II dilectul eqnomm," aDd the " grmiDo mox idem ('ulmili" dUlLit
II agmina."
The inscription adds... count of tbe domestic.... 811 im.
portant command, wbirh Stilicho. in the beight ofbis grandeur. might
prudeDtly retain.
.
7 The hea utilullinel ot'Cllludian (in i Coni. StiJicb. ii. 113) display
.'leni1l5:. bnt tbe integrity of Stilicbo (in the military admini.tration)
ia macb more firmly established by the unwilling evidence of ZosimuI,
(I. Y. po Soli),
.
• -81 bellica moles
.
Ingrueret, quamvia annis et jure mlnori,
Cedere graudEVOIi equitum peditumque magilltrOi
Adsplceres.Claudiau, Laua Sereu. p. 100, Ce.
A modem geDerai would deem their.lubmiaaioD, either heroic patriedam, or abject ""i1ity.
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164
THE DECLINE AIID JPAq"
CHAP. calumny might have been successful, if the tea:.~~~.. der and vigilant Serena had not protected her
husband against his domestic foes, whilst he
vanquished in the field the enemies of the empire. • Theodosius continued to support an
unworthy minister, to whose diligence he delegated the government of the palace, and of the
. East; but when he marched against the tyrant
Bugenius, he associated his faithful general to
the labours and glories of the civil war; and, in
the last D10ments of his life, the dying monarch
recommended to Stilicho the care of ·his 80ns,
and of the republic.' The ambition and tbe
abilities of Stilicho were not unequal to the important trust; an~ he claimed the guardiansbip
of the two empires, during the minority of A rcadillS and Honoriu~. C The first measure of bis
administration, or rather of his reign, displayed
to the nations the vigour and activity of a spirit worthy to command. He passed the Alp.
in~the depth of winter; descended the stream of
• Comp.re thf' poem on the fint conln1abip, (I, 96 115), with the
lAu &rI6", (221.2$1, where it unfortunately break. ot'). We m.y
perceive the deep inveterate malice of Rnfinnl.
b
--Qoemfratri6u ipse
Discedenl, clypeomqoe defeDloremque dedlati.
Yet the nomin.tion (iv Coni. Hon. 482) w.s prly.te, fili CoOl. HOD.
142) cundol dilcedere ~ •• jobet; and m.y, therefore, be IU'peeled.
Zosimua, and Suid.., .pply to Stilicbo, .od RufinuI, the lame equal
title of E••..,...". guardians, or procurators.
C The Roman I.w distlngultbes two .ortl of .m-v" which expired
.t the age of fonrteen and of twenty.five. The one w.. lubject to the
""..., or guardi.n, of the penOB; the other to the ..,...,., or trostee, 0 f
tile eat.te, (Heineccinl, Antiqultat. Rom. ad Jorilpnadeut, pertinent.l.
I, tit. xxii, Bill, p. 218-232). Bot these legal ideu were De!Fer ace.
r.tely_t......ferred iDto the eoaatitutioD ofan elective monarclty.
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1M
6P TH~ ROMAN JtIlJtlllEo
the Rhine, (rom the fortress of Basil to the' CHAP.
marches of Batatia; reviewed the state uf the ,~~~~ ...
garrisons; repressed the enterprises cif the Ger·
mans; and, after establishing along the banks a
firm and honourable peace, returned with incredible speed to the palace of Milab.· The person and court of Honorius were subject to the
master-generai of the West; and the armies and
provinces of Europe obeyed, without hesitation,
a regular authority, which was exercised in the
name oftheir young l!Iovereign. Two rivals only
remainl:ld to dispute the claims, and to provoke
the vengeance, of Stilicho. Within the limits of
Africa, Gildo~ the Moor, maintained a proud and
dangerous independence; and the minillter oC
Constantinople al!lsertedhis equal reign oyer the
emperor, and the empire, of ths East.
TheimpartialitywhichStilicho affect.ed, asthe Th' Ii II
common guardian of the royal brothers, engaged ancf d!lIlb
him to regltlate the equal division of the arms f :~~(Jfi.
the jewels, and the magnificent wardrobe and ~o~: :~.
furniture of the deceased empel'ot.· But the'
most important object of the inhf:lritance consisted of the numerous 'legiolis, cohorts, and
squadrons o(Romans~ ot· barbarians, whom the
event of the civil war had united 'under the
standard of Thebdosiull. The various multi~ See ClaadiaD (i Cons. Stilich. i, 188.~2); but he mUlt allow
more tban fifteen days for the journey aDd return between Milan an'
Leyden.
• I Cons. Stilich. ii, 88·94. Not oDly tile robes aad diadem, of . .
deceased emperor, bnt eveD the helmell, sword.hilta, belu, cuitulet,
.c. were enriched with pearls, emeralds, and wIIDoad..
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100
CH.AP.
XXIX.
'THE DECLINE AND FALL
tudes of Europe and Asia, exasperated by fer
•
••
cent .ammosIties,
were overaw~db y t he auth0rity of a single man; and the rigid discipline of
Stilicho protected the lands of the citizen from
the rapIne of the licentious soldier.' Anxious,
however, and impatient, to relieve Italy from
the presence of this formidable host, which
could be useful only on the frontiers of the empire, he listened to the just requisition of the
minister of Arcadius, declared his intention of
r&conducting in person the troops of the East;
and dexterously employed the rum our of a Gothic tumult, to conce.at his private designs of
ambition and revellge.1 The guilty soul ofRunnus was alarmed by the approach of a warrior
and a rival, ~hose enmity he deserved; he computed, with incre~sing terror, the narrow spac~
of his life and greatness; and, as the last hope
of safety, he interposed the authority of the emperor Arcadius. Stilicho, who appears to have
directed his march along the sea-coast of the
Hadriatic,' was not far distant from the city of
Thessalonica, when he received a peremptory
message, to recal the troops of the East, and to
declare, that his nearer approach would be con-
_ _ _,m
-Tantoqne remoto
Principe, motatal orbit non .elllit habenu. •
Thit high commendation (i CODI. Stil. i, 140) may be jn.tified by the
lean of the dyiog emperor, (de BeU. Gildon. 1n-30l); and the
peace aod good order which were enjoyed after bit death, (i CoDl.
Stil. i, U6-168).
I Stilicbo'l marcb, ,lind the death of RufioDl, are delcribed by CJaa.
"iao, (io Rolio; 1. ii, 101·463; Zo.imnl, (I. v, p. 296, 2111); So.umm,
(I. viii, c. In Socratt'l, (I. vi, c. I); Pbilostorgiul, (I. xi, c. 3, willa
Godt'Croy. p. 441), aod tbe Chronicle of Marcellioo••
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101
OF THE. ROMAN EMPiltF..
Bidered, by 'the Byzantine court, as' an act of CHAP.
hostility. The prompt and unexpected obedi- ~~
ence of the general of the West, convinced the
vulgar of his loyalty and moderation; and, a~
he had already engaged the affection of the eas~
'ern troops, he recommended to their zeal the
'execution of his bloody design, which niight be
accomplished in his absence, with less danger
perhaps, and with less reproach. Stilicho left
the command of the troops of the East to Gainas, the Goth, on whose fidelity he firmly relied; with an assurance, at least, that the hardy
barbarian would never be diverted from his purpose by any consideration of fear or remorse.
The soldiers were easily pers~aded to punish
the enemy of Stilicho, .and of ij,ome; and such
'was the general bat~d which Rufinus had excited, that the fatal secret, communicated. to
·thousands, was faithfully preserved during the
long march from Thessalonica to the gates of
Constantinople. A. 800n as they had resolved
his death, they condescended to flatter his
pride; the ambitious prefect was seduced to
believe, that those powerful auxiliaries might be
tempted to place 'the diadem on his head; and
the treasures which he distributed, with a tardy
and reluctant hand, were a~ce~ted by the indignant ~ultitude, as an insult, rather than as ,a
gift. At the distance of a mile from the capital, in the field' of Mars, before the palace of
Hebdomon, the troops halted: and the emperor,
as well as his minister, advanced, according to
ancient custom, respectfully to salute the power
which supported their throne. As Rufinu.
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l1i8
THE DECLINE .ND PAL.,
passed along tb~ ranks, and disgui8e~, w.i.tb.
studied courtesy, his inllat~ h~ughtine8S, the
--*"-,.,, wings ·insensibly wheeled from the J'\ght and
Jeft., and :i~el~sed the elevoted viGti.Qlwlthin tl~e
-cirde ~f.th.·...rms. ~efo.re .he could re~ect on
-the :u8.llger:<i h\s ~tUf'twp" .(ia.inas gave the sig~al of ~ath,; ~ ,daring ~~cl forward ·soldie,r
-plunged his &w.i)r~ iQ,t9tbe hr~t of .t,ile ,guilty
psefect, RMfl UuiiQ,\ls .fell, groflD~, ~nd expu:~4#
.a.t:a.e ~ ..of rl\le .~righted emperor. ~f ,the
.ag()~ J)f~ motP!''lut could e~pia,te the crimes
·~f-a·~hole.life,orir~e:outrages inflicted.on. a
.brea~s€pJ:psecol1ld be ,the ol>.ject of f)ity,
.Gur ~umanity ·JDight fperhaps be9$ected by the
oorrid circu..l)lstances .which accompanied the
JaUrder ·of R~fiD1,ls. ais mangled ,body was
..oondoned to :the brutal fUfY- of .the populace
f4 either ~~l':1 ·who bastened -in crow., ·from
!iW.ery quarter .of tbe ,city, to trample on the re'Dains i}f~tbelha~gbt, minister, .t whose fro~D
IherOd :4.0 lately treJPbI.e~. His J:ight hand
r"w.as£.ut ()tf, ,~nd Qwned through the :streets uf
tCoDstalttinopl.e, in cruel .Qlockery, to .extort
~floDttibution8,f(>.r ·th,e .av,aricious tyrant, whose
.Mad WAS publidy .e.Jiposed, borne aloft on the
point of a long :lance~1l According to the sa-.
-ltlgelmaJl(ims of ·th~ Gr.~ek republics, his inno..::entrfamily would ·ha.ve shared the punishment
.o~;lris crimes. The wife. and daughter of Ru'mus were :indebted for their' safety to the
.inBu~Dce of.religion. Her sanctuary protected
CHU ..
XXIX.
• 7he dUlllctiOll of Rufinus, whit-h Claudian performs with the _
nge coolnell of an anatomist, (in Rufin. ii. 405-416). i,likewise aped-Ciecl b1 Zoai~111 aud Jerom, (tom. i, p. 26).
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IIi'
01' THE ROMAN EMPIRP..
them from the r.aging madness of the people; CRAP.
and they were permitted to.spend the remaiJlder .p~~~~
of their lives in the exercises of Christian devotion, in the peaceful retirement of Jerusalem.·
The servile poet of Stilicho' applauds, with Discord
~
.
.
th'IS h om'd de ed ,Wh'lCh,lOt
. he empire.,
of the two
l~rOCIOUS JOY,
execution, perhaps, of justice, violated every ~c~· auo.
law of nature and society, profaned the lllajesty
ofthepl'ince, and renewed the dangerous examples ofimilitary licence. The contemplation of
tbe uniVersal order' and .harmony had satisfied
Claudian of the existence of the Deity; but. the
prosperous impunity of vice appeared to .contradict iilis moral attributes; and the ~e tl
Rufinus was the only event which could diltpEd
the religious doubts of the poet." SIj~h an act
might vindicate the hOJiour·of :PI!ovidenoe.; b.t
it did not much cQntribute to the happineslt of
the people. 'In less ·than three months they
were infotmed of the maxims of the new adnli:
nistration, by a singular~edict, which established the exclusive right of the treasury over the
~poils of Rufinus; and .silenced, under heavy
penalties, the presumptuous claims of the sub.
jects of the eastern.empire; who had been InI The pagaa Zoaimua meation. their sanctnary and pilgrimage. The
lister of Rufina., S,IYaai!a, wllo. palsed h.r life at Jeruaale.., it 1am0UI
in monaltic hiatory. I: Tl)e .tudious vil'gin bad diligeatly, and enD
rrpE'atedly, perused the commentatora on the bibl(', Origen, Gregory,
Buil, &c: to tlae amount of five millions of linea. 2. At the ace of
thrusl'Ort', ahe could boalt, that ahe had never washed b.er handa, face,
or any part of her whole body,exeeptthe tips of her fingt'rI, to receiYe
the commnnion. See the Vitll! Patrum, p. 110, 977.
It See the beautiful exordium of his invective against Rufinas, wlUck
i. curiou,ly disculled by the sceptic BaylE', DictiollDllire c;riti,. .
R ....x. Not. E.
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]00
THE. DECJ.lNE AND FALL
jured by his rapacious tyranny! Even StiJicho
..~~~~~'- did not derive from the murder of his r~val, the
fruit which he had proposed; and though he
gratified his .revenge, his ambition was disap-pointed. Under the name of a. favourite, the
weakness of Ai-cadiue required a ~~ster; but
he naturally preferred the obsequious 'arts of
the eunuch Eutropius, who had obtained his
domestic confidence; and the emperor contemplated, with terror and aversion, the stern genius
of a foreign wanior. Ti1l they were divided by
the jealousy of power, the sword of Gainas, and
the charms of Eudoxia, supported the favour
'of the great chamberlain .of the palace: the perfidious Goth, who was appointed master-general of
the East, betrayed, without scruple, the interest
of his benefactor; and the same troops, who·had
so lately massacred the enemy of Stilicbo, ~wete
engaged to support, against him, theindependence of the· throne of Constantinople. The
favourites of Arcadius fomented a secret and
irreeoncileable war against a formidable hero,
who aspired to govern, and to defend, the two
empires of Rome, and the two sons of Theadosius. They incessantly laboured, by dark
and treacherous machinations, to deprive him
of the esteem of the prince, the respect of
the people, and the friendship of the barbarians. The life of Stilicho was repearedly attempted by the dagger of hired assassins; and
a decree was obtained, from the Renate of ConCHAP.
. I See tlae Thl'odo~iaD Code, I. ix, tit. xlii, Ifg. 14, 15
The Df\" mi.lsura attempted, "itt. i1,"(In~i'!fllt 3\,ftlil'f"T \0 sdllc the sl'oiJ'I)f tbeir
predecessor, !llld to provide for their o"n future ,{colity.
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.161
0.1' THE Ro.MAN.EMPIRE.
. stantiuo.pJe, to. declare him' aD enemy.o.f the 1'&.0 CHAP.
' and to. co.nfi scate h"IS ampIe po.ssesslOns,
.
,XXIX·
pu bI Ie,
....
uu_
in th~ pro.vinces o.f the East. At a time when
the o.nly ho.pe o.fdelaying theroin ofthe,Ro.man
name; depended o.n the firm unio.n, and recipro- .
cal aid; o.f all the natio.ns to. wham it .had been
gradually co.mmunicated, the sUl;»jects o.f Arca;.
dius and Ho.norius were instrl'lctelf, by their.r&spective masters, to. view each:o.ther in a fo.reign;
and even ho.stile, light; to. 'rejo.ice in. their,mutual
calamities, and to. embrace, as their faithful allies,
the barbarians, who.m they excitedto.invade the
territo.ries .o.f, their countrymen.- The nati.ves
of Italy affected. to. despise the servile and effeminate Greeks of Byzantium, ,who. presumed to.
imitate the dress, and to.usurp the'dignity, o.f
Roman senato.rs;a and the Greeks had Do.t yet
fo.rgot the sentiments of hatred and co.ntempt,
which their po.lished ancestors had so. Io.ng eIltertaiDed fo.r the rude inhabitants o.f the West. The
distinction of two. go.vernments, which soo.n producedthe separatio.n o.ftwo natio.ns, will justify
my' design of suspending the series of the Byzantine histo.ry, to. pro.secute, witho.ut interruptio.u,
• See Clandtan, (i Coal. Stllicb. I. i, 115, 292, 296 j ,I. ii, ~), ,Ulli
Zoaimal, I. v, p. 302).
• Clandlaa tarnl the eoalnlahlp of tbe eunuch Eutropiaa iato a natioDlll reSectioa, (I. ii, 134).
'
, --Plandeatem cer:De seaatam
Et ByzantinOl procerea, GraioIfu Quiritel I
0. patribul plebes, 0. digai eoasale patre..
'
It II curionl to observe the fint symptoms of jealoalY and schis m ....
twer.a old aad Dew Rome, between the Greeka and Latini.
Vo.L. V.
M
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•
1M
THE DECLINE AND PALL
CHAP. the disO'l'SU'eful,
XXIX.
,
e-- .
,,# __,_ nOrIOUs.
but
memorable, reign· of Ho•
R~YOI~ of
Gildo 10
Africa,
:u:.
The prudent Stilicho, instead of persisting to
' I"mations 0 fa' pnnce,
"
force t he IDC
and peopIe,
I8G- who rejected his government, wisely abandoned
Arcadius to his unworthy favourites; and his reluctance to involve the two empires in a civil
, war, displayed the moderation of a minister,
:who had so often signalized his military spirit
and abilities. But if Stilicho bad any longer
endured the revolt of .Africa, he would have
betrayed the security of the capital, and the
majesty of the western emperor, to the capricious insolence of a Moorish rebel. GildO;0 the
brother ofthe tyrant Firmus, had' preserved, and
obtained, as the reward of his apparent fidelity,
the immense patrimony which was forfeited by
treason; long and meritorious service, in the
.armies of Rome, raised him to the dignity of a
military count; the narrow policy of the court
« Theodosiu8 had adopted the mischievous
expedient of supporti~g a legal government by
.the interest of a powerful family; and the bro,ther of Firmus was invested with the command
oFtAfrica. His ambition soon 'usurped the administration of1ustice, and of the finances, with·
out account, and without controul; and he
maintained, during a reign of twelve years, the
possession of an office from which it was impossj.
ble to remove him, without the danger of a civil
• Claucfiaa may have· exaggerated the vice. of Gildo; but his
Moorish elrtractioD, hia Dotorioul actio• ., aDd the comp1aiDu of Be.
AaguatiD, may jaatify the poeu'. iDYectives. BaroDiaa (~al, EccJet.
A, D. 1118, No. 11.16) hu treated die MricaD rebellioa with akillaM
, 1wnIi....
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Qr ~HE ROMAN qPI"..
t6~
war-•. D.o.ring those·twelv~·y'~, .~...~ pro~inc~ cU1i'
of Afri~a groa.n~ V».4~r th~,qomi~i.on 9f ~. ty.. ,::... ,~..
:rAnt, 'Who seemed ~o ~nj~ th~ uW-.g. t~mp~r:
()( ~ str~ger, witb ~~PMtial t'~~~tm.~p,~8I:o£ «;\0~~c fac~on. The (O,J;lU'i of ·11J.~' ~re often
~1Jperse~~. by tb.e ulte: o~ poi~on;,~p,d: ii,- th~
trelDb\ing ~ests, 'rho W"e in.vi.~d to;th~, ~lf.ble
of Gildo, presu...ed to ,e~pre~: tben· f.#ars, the
ins'olen,t ~U,8p~<rlQl1 ~"~-,-cm\y: to e~c~ h.i~ fury;
and he 19»4\1. %1JIJ»II,9AAt;l.1b.~~i.rMtf~li~( <Je~h.
Gildo alternately influ).pd. ~.e_ p~S§~o~s; of avarice and lust;p a~~ ifh:\it :days wet;e ~~rrilile to
~~ rich, hi~ 'I!.f.g~, weI:~ DO~ l~ff~ c\r~dful tQ
"u.bandsand pa~en~. The fa~re~~ of tlwirwi,ves
~d daughters wer~p~o~tihlt:ed, to ~he ~braces
()E th~ tyrant'; a~d a;f~~:w"r.c;J.IjI: a~3rD,doned to a
~o~~o~s troop of b,ar~~'ian~ and a.ssa~sjns,. the
bl~{!~,or sW;8.ft~y ~tive~ ~ft.he dese~t;, who~
~i:ldo cO~$idered • ~e OJ1\y·g..u~rd~~ns of hi~
In the civil, w.~, b~~w~ Theodosius
and Eugenius, the count, or r.ather the sovereign,
of .t\frica, maintained a hau.ghty at\~ suspici.ous
n,~~trality; refused to assi~t either 0.£ the con~~ing parties with troop,s or ve.ss~ls, expected
1h~ d-e~laration of for~une, and reserved for 1he
t}lro~e.
• Ins tat terribili. yiyil, morieotibos hare.
Virsinlbus raptor. tbalamis obac.uos adulter~
Nulla qnies: oritur p~41 cellaote, libido,
DiYitibusque dies, et noxmetuenda lJ1lU'itil.
--Mauris clariaa.ima qureque .
Faatidita datur.-Barooiul coodelllDJ, _till more severely, tbe'lieeutiou8oell of Gildo;
1M .... wife, biB clall,hter. aOll bis aister, were examples of perfect cbll~•. Tl!e adulteries oCtbe Afrioao soldie... are cbeckedby one of Ill.
iJDperiallaw••
1.1.12
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i64
THE DECLINE AND FALL
CHAP. conqueror, the vain professions of his allegiance•
.. ~~~~.. Such professions woulc:I not have satisfied the
master of the Roman world; but the death of
Theodosius, and the weakness and discord of
his sons, confirmed the power of the Moor; who
condescended. as a proof of his moderation,. to
abstain from the use of the diadem, and to supply R~me with the customary tribute, or ratbe~
subsidy,of corn. In every division of the empire;
the five provinces of Africa were invariably assigned to the West; 'and <;Jildo had consented
to govern ~at extensive country in the name of
Honorius; but his knowledge of the characte-a:
and designs of Stilicho, soon engaged him to
address his homage to a more distant and feeble
sovereign. The ministers of Arcadius embraced
"the cause of a perfidious rebel; and the deiusive
hope of adding the numerous cities of Africa to
the empire of the East, tempted them to assert
a claim, which they were incapable of supporting, either by reason, or by arms. q
When Stilicho had" given a firm and decisive
.
H e IS eon.
demoed answer to the pretensions ofthe Byzantine court,
~~b
.
MlIlI Ie.
he solemnly accused the tyrant of AfrIca before
~~t!: 397'. thetribunal, which had formerly judged the kings
and nations of the earth; and the image of the
republic was revived, after a long interval,under
the reign of Honorius. The emperor transmitted
an accurate and ample detail of the complaints
q Inqoe taam 80rtem nnmerosllI tranltolit urMI•
. Claudiao"(de Bell. Gtldonico, 230.•. 224) has toncMd, 'With political
delicacy, the intrigol's of thl' Byzantine Gourt, which are Iikewise~'
tioned by ZOlimuI, (I. v, p. 302).
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168
OF THE ROllAN EMPIRL
ottheproviilciaIs, and the c"rimes of Gildo, to the CHAP.
Roinan senate; and the members of that vene-: .,.XXIX
...._".•
rable assembly were required to pronounce the
condemnation of the rebel. Their unanimous
suffrage declared him the enemy of the republic; and the decree of the senate added a sacred
ana legitimate sanction to the Roman arms: A
people, who still remembered, that their ancestors" had been the masters of the world, would
have applauded, with conscious pride, the representation of ancient freedom; if they had not
long since been accustomed to prefer the solid
assurance of bread, to °the unsubstantial visionla
ofJiberty and greatness. The subsistence of
Rome depended on the harvests of Africa; and
jt was evident, that °adeclaration of war would
be the signal of famine. The prefect Sy.mmaclms, who" presided in the deliberations of the
senate, admonished fhe minister of his just apprehension~ that as soon as the revengeful Moor
should prohibit the exportation °of com, the
tranquillity, and perhaps the safety, olthe capi-"
tal, "wouid be threatened by the hungry rage of
a turbulent °multitude.' The prudence of Stilic"ho conceived, and executed, without delay,
the Dlosi effectual measure" for the relief of the
Roman people. A large and seasonable supply of corD, collected" in the inland provinces of,
I
o
.e-
Symmachns (I. iv, epllt. 4) "exprelsel the judicial forml of the
nate; and ClaudiaD (i COD•• 8tilich. I. i, 12/), &lc.) leems to fed. the
.pirit a Roman.
I ClaudiaD finely doplay. these complaintl of Symmachnl, in a
5peeeb of tbe godden of Rome, before the throne of Jupiter, (de BeD.
Gildon. 28,.128).
•
of
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J66
XHE-DECLlNE AND FALL
CHAP Gaul, was 'embarked on tlie ~pid stream ofttle
.. ~~~~:, Rhone, and transported, by an easy navigation,
frblll the Rhone to 'the Tiber. During the whole
turm of the Afti'can :war, the 'granaries of Rome,
were continually filled, 'her dignity was vindicated fromthe,buwiliatirlg'dependence, and the
minds of an immense people were quieted by
the calm confidence of peace and . plenty.t
The Alii-The cause of Rome, and the condnct dfthe
~~~;;8, African war, were intrusted by Stilicho, -to a
gt'neral, active and ardent to 'revenge his ,private
ibjuries on the head' of the tyrant. The ,pirit of
discord, which prevailed in 'the house of Nahal,
had excited adeadly qu.arrel between two ofhis
son8, Gildo'abd Mascezel.u The usurper pursued, withimplacable.rage, the life of l1is younger
brother, whose courage ,and abilities he feared;
and Mascezel, oppressed by superior power,
tookrefuge in the court of Milan ; where he soon
received the cruel intelligence, that'his two innuceilt and helpless children had been murdered
by their inhuman uncle. Th~ 'affliction of the
futher was suspended only by the desire of revenge. The vigilant Stilicho alTeady prepared
to collect the naval and military forces of the
western empire; and he had resolved, if the tyr.ant should be able to wage 8.Jl equal ana doUbtful'war, to march against him ,il!-per60D. But
• See ClaudiaD, in (Eutro.,. L i, 401, Ire; i CoOl. Stil. J. i, 106, Ire.
ii Coni. Stilieh. 91, &c.)
-n He was of a matnre age; ,inee he had formerly (A. D. an) lened
!!Jainst Iii, brother Finnul, (Ammian. xxix, 5). Claodian, who ODderItood the eo .. rt of Milan, dwells on the i,njoriel, rather thAD the meria.
of l'tIaaeezel, (de Bell. Gild. 389-414). 'The 'Nooriah war WU Dot wor
thy of Honoriu., or Stilieho, &e.
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J67
a.ltaly required his presence, and as it might CHAP.
XXIX.
~ dangerous to weaken the defence ofthe fron- •__,..".
tier, he judged it more advisable, that Mascezel
should attempt this arduous adventure, at the
head of a ch,osen body of Gallic veterans, who
had lately served under the standard of Eugeoms. These troops, who were exhorted to convince t~e world,that they could subvert, as well
as defend, the throne of an usurper, consisted
of the Jovian, the Hercv,lian, and the .A.vgwlan,
legions; of tile Nervian auxiliaries; of the 801mers, who displayed in their banners the symbol of a liO'll, and of the troops which were distinguished by the auspicious names of Forl'U'll.a~e,
and Invincible. Yet such was the smallness of
their establishments, or the difficulty of recruiting, that these seve. bands,s of ~igh dignity a;nd
reputation in the service of Rome, amQunted to
no mor.e than five thousand effective men.' The
fleet of galleys and transports sailed in tempestuous w.eather from the port of Pisa, in' Tuscawy, aDd steered their course to the little islap.d
of Capraria; which had borrowed that name
{rom the wild goats, its original inhabitants,
whose pla.ce was now occupied by anew colony
of a strange aDd sal'age appearance. "The
"" CI••dian, Bell. Gild. 41MD. The change of dilcipliDe allowed
him to use inclliFereudy the nam. of Lcio, c.ur., MIIIIipIIlu. See the
Jiolitia Imperii, S. 38, 40.
",7 Oroaiiu, (I. YD, c. 16, p. /165) qualifies this accouot with lID npresalon of doubt, (ut aiuot); and it Icarcely coincidel with tile,
'_,"I~..a, ~ of Zoaimnl, (I. Y, p.308). Yet C1andian, after lOme d.. '
clamation abont CadmuI', IOldien, frankly owns, that Stilicho RUt •
amaU army; leat the rebel Ihould fiy, De timeare times, (i CoBl. Stili.
L i, 114, ""c.
.
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168
~£ DECI.DE~'\5D 'PAU.'
CHAP. " 'whole island (says'an ingenious tra'Veller- of,
....~~:. . " those times) is filled,. or rather defiled, by
U men, who fly from the light.
They call them'" selves Monb, or solitaries, 'because they
" choose to live alone, without any 'witness of
" their actions. They fear the gifts of fortune,'
".'from the apprehension oflosing them; and,.
" lest they sliould be miserable, they' embrace
" a life of voluntary wretchedness. How ab" surd is their choice I how perverse' their un,,' derstanding I~to dread the evils, without being
" able to support the blessings, of the' human "condition. Either this melancholy madness
" is the effect of disease, or else' the conscious'. ness of guilt urges these unhappy men to ex" ercise on their own bodies the tortures which
c, are inflicted on fugitive slaves by the hand -of
"justice."· Such was the contempt of a profane' magistrate for the monks of Capraria, who
were revered, by the pious Mascezel, as the
chosen servants of God. • Some of them were
persuaded, by his entreaties, to embark ~n
board the fleet; and it is observed, to the praise
of the Roman general, that his days and nights
were employed in prayer, fasting, and 'the occupation of singing psalms. The devout leader, '
, • Claud. Ruti!. Numatian. Itiaerar. i,419-448. He afterwarda CIlI626) mentionl a religion. madman on the isle of Gorgona. For luch
profaue remarlia, Rntilius, and his accomplice., are Ityled, by hi' com.
melltator,. Barthiul, rabioli CH" diaboJi. Tillemont, (Mem. Eccles.
tom. ,xii, p. 411) more calmly obsenes, that the unbelievin, poet
prailes where he meHS to een.ore.
•
: a OrosiuI,I. vii, c. 80, P. 1S64. Augustin commend. two of these
.avace saints of the isle of Goats, epist. lxxxi, apod Tillemont, Mem.
Eccles. tom. xiii, p. 317. and Baroniu•• Annal, Eccles. A.. D. 8~. No.
11).
. "
','
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·ho, with $tictl a'reinforcement, appeared con- CHAP.
fident of victory, avoided the dangerous· rocks ,~~~~:...
of Corsica; coasted along ihe eastern side of Sar-.
dinia, and secured his ships against the violence
of the south wind, by casting anchor in the safe
and capacions harbour of Cagliari, at the distanceof one hundred and forty miles from the
African sho.res.1t
Gildo was prepared to resist the invasion with Dereat
all the forces of Africa. By the liherality of his :~~~:~
gifts and promises, he endeavoured to secure the A.8.I98,
doubtful allegiance ofthe Roman soldiers, whilst'
he attracted to his standard the distant tribes of
Gretulia and lEthiopia.• Heproudly reviewed ail
army of seventy thousand men, and boasted, with'
the rash presumption which is the forerunner of
disgrace, that his numerous cavalry would trample uuder their horses feet the troop~ of Malc&zel, and involve, in a cloud of burning sand, the
natives of the cold regions -of Gaul and Germany.c But the Moor, who commanded the
legions of Honorius, was too well acquainted
with the manners of his countrymen, to entertain any serious apprehension' of a naked and
disorder1y host of barb'arians; whose left arm,
. instead of a shield, was protected only by a
mantle; who were totally disarmed as soon as
they had darted their javelin from their right
hand; and whose horses had never been taught
b Here the first book of tbe Gildonic war i. terminated, Tbe relt
of Claudiali's 'poem hal bten.lost; and we are ignorant 1aotD, or ~t
tht army made gOlld tbeir landing in Afriea.
, • OroBius must be responsible for the account. 'l'he oresumption 01
Gildo, and his various lI'ain of bal'balian., is celebrated by Claudiu,
(i CODl~ Stil. 1:1, 345.356).
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170
CHAP.
THE DULlJfB AND FALL
to bear the controul, or to obey the guidance,
_~~~of the bridle. He fixed his camp of fiTe tho"sand veterans in the (ace of a. superior· enemy,
and, after the delay of three days, gave the signal of a general engagement! As Mascezel
advanced before the front with fair offers of
peace and pardon, he encountered one of t~e
foremoit standard-bearers of the Africans, and,
on his refusal to yield, struck him on the ann
with his sword. The al'Jll, and the .standard,
sunk under the weight of the blow; and the
iJDaginary act ofsubmissi'OJl was hastily repeated by all the staadards of the line. At this
signal, the di~ cohorts proclaimed the
Dame of their laWN) sovereign ;tlle barbarian8,astonislaedb~ ~lte eefectioB of their
ROmaR allies, mspened, e.ccOl'ding to their
C1Jstom, in tumnltuary Sight; aad Mascezel
ebtained ihe honours 'Of 8Ileasy, and almost
bloodless victory.· The tyrant escaped from
the field of baWe to the sea-shore; and threw
himself intn a small vessel, with the hope of
reaching in safety. some friendly port of the
empire of the East; but the obstinacy of the
wind drove him back into the harbour of Tabraca' which had acknowledged, with the rest
• St. Ambrose, who bad been dtad about a year, revealed, iD a viaiou. the time and placf. of the victory. Maseesel afterwarD related
bis dream to Paulioul, the original biograpber of the wut, from wb_
it might ea.i1y pus to Oroains.
e ZOlimUI, (I. v, p. 101) Iuppolea an obstinate combat; bnt the
IlIJ'rative of Orosins appean to collceal a real fact, under the diaguiaa
of a miracle.
r Tabraca lay ·between the two Hipp", (CeUariuI, tom. ii, p, ii, po
112; d'AII9il1e, tom. iii, p. 84). Oroain,ba,distiDctly namedthefie14
of battle, but our ignorance cannot_define the precise aituation.!
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171
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
of 'the province, the dominion of Honorius, and CHAP.
the au'thority of his lieutenant. The inhabitants, ~~~.~~~.....
as a proof of their repentance and loyalty, seized
, and confined the person of Gildo in a dungeon;
and his own «:J,espair saved him from the int01erable torture of supporting thE: presence of an
injured, and victorious, brother.' The captives,
and the spoils, of Africa, were laid at the feet
of the emperor; but Stilicho, whose moderation
appeared more conspicuous, and mOre sincere,
in the midst of prosperity, still affected to consult the laws of the republic, and referred to the
senate 'and people of Rome the judgment of the
most illustrious criminals.1I Their trial wa, pub.
lic and solemn; but the judges, in the exercise
ofthis obsolete and precarious jurisdiction, were
impatient to punish the African magistrates,
who had intercepted the subsistence of the Roman people. The 'l'ich and guilty province was
oppressed by the imperial ministers, who had a.
visible interest 'to mu1tiply the 'nUlnber of the
accomplices 'of Gildo; and if an edict of Honorius seems to check the malicious ,industry of
informers, a subsequent edict, at the distance of
• The lltatb of Gildo ia exprea.ed by Claudio,' (i Com. Stil, I. 351),
and hi. beat intnpreten, Zoaimus aud OroaiUl.
" Claudi~ (ii Colli. Stilich. 19-119) describes their trial, (tremuit
quos Africa nuper, cernuut roatra reol), and applauds tbe re.toratioD
of tbe aucient constitution. it il here that he introduces lb. fAmou.
lentence, 10 familiar to the friendl of despotllm.--Nunquam libertu gratior eutat
,
Quam lub rege p i o . But the freedom, which depeuda OD royal piet, .scarcely deurftl lllat
appeUation.
.
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172
'rilE DECLINJ!; AND }'ALL'
ten vears, continues' and renews the prosecu.
XXIX. tion ·of the offences. which had been committed
- ~...,.•• ,... in the time of the general rebellion.' The adherents of the tyrant, who escaped the first fury
of the soldiers, and the judges, might ~erive
some consolation from the tragic fate of his brother, who could never obtain his pardon for the
extraordinaryserviccs which he had performed. After he had finished an important war in
the space of a single winter, Mascezel was received at the court of Milan with loud applause,
affected gratitude, and secret jealousy;k and his
death, which, perhaps, was the effect of acci·
dent, has 'been considered as tbe crime of Stilicho. In the passage of a bridge, the Moorish
prince, who accompallied the master-general of
the West, was suddenly throwll fr,om his horse
into the river; the officious haste of the attendants was restrained by a cruel and perfidious
smile, which they observed on the countenance
of Stilicho; and while they delayed the necessary assistance, the unfortunate Mascezel was.
irrecoverably drowned.1
The joy of the African triumph was happily
M •
amage,
'hh
'1 sot
fh e emperor H 0and
cba- connected Wit
t e nuplIa
raeter
of nonus,
•
. M arIa,
. t h~ d augh ter 0 (
HODorins,
an d 0 f h'IS COUSIn
• I A. D. 808. Stilicho: and this equal and honourable alliance
CHAP.
See the Theo~o.iaD Code, 1. ix, tit. xxxix, Ipg. 3; tit. xl. lee. 19.
Stilicbo, wbo claimrd 81;1 equal abarr. iD all the vietories of TbeodOo
shlJ aDd hi~ 10D, particularly alserta tbat Africa was recovered by the
wisdom of lab counaels, (see aD inscription produced by Baroni...).
I 1 have softened tbe narrative of Z.,simlls, wbich. iu ita urude iii.plicity, is almost iDcrrdible, (1; v, p. 30S). Oroaills daDIDI the delon0111 Icneral (p. 538) for violating the rigbt of sanctuary.
I
k
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113
Oll' THE ROMAN EHPJRF..
I
8eemed to invest the powerful mlIlister: with the CHAP.,
' 0 f a parent over. h'IS sub"
"I . _
XXIX,
authorlty
mIssIve pUpl
_'
The muse of Claudian was not silent on this,
propitious day:m he sung, in various and lively,
strains, the h~ppiness of the royal pair; and, the
glory of the hero, who confirmed their union,
and supported their throne. The ancient fables,
of Greece, which had almost ceased to be the
object of religious faith~ were saved from oblia:,
lion by the genius of poetry. The picture of
tlie Cyprian grove, the seat of harmony and
love; the triumphant progress of Venus over her
Dative seas, and t\le, mild influence which her.
presence diffused in ~h~ palace, of Milan, ex-·
press to every,age the naturalsentiments of the;
heart, in the just 'a~d pleasing language of al-,
legorical fiction. But the amorous impatjence,~
which' CI~'\idian attributes to the young prince:
must excite the smiles of the court; and nis.
beauteous spouse (i.f she deserved the praise
o{beauty) had not much to fear. or to hope.
•
from the passions of her lover. Honorius ,,!,as
-. Claudian, as the poet laareat, composed a serioUi and elab~ra~
epithalamium of 340 linea; besides some gay Felceaninea,.wblcb W~le
laog. in a more liceotio)ll tone. 00 tbe weddiog night,
•
--Calet obYiul ire
JIlin priocep" tardumque cupit di&eedere solem.
Nobilia haud aliter lOIIipe'
(de Nuptiia'Hooor. et Matilll!.287),aodmorefreelyill'tbell'elcello. . .· .
(112-126).
Dices, 0 quotie., hoc mifii dulcilll
QaaJD ftaYOI cleciu "incere Sarmatas
..
.-
. . . . ....
.
,
Tam yictor madillo proailias toro
Jrioctami referenl valnera prulii•
,
... -..
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174
THB DECLINE AND FiALL
only in the fourteentll yea" oS his age ~ Serenaw,
~~.. the mother of-his br.ide, deferred; by art or per~.
suasion, the cODSulBlDation of, 'the royal nuptials; Maria died-a. 'vIrgin, after she had bfrea:
tea years' a 'Tife t' and the: cha:sti~y; of; t4e 'e,m.
peror was secured ~th6U)ld~es~ ar~ per~.
ihe debilit'y;, of his' constitutiOn:o His spJljects, .
who attentively; studied the chara&ter. of their>
yoring, sovereign; disoo~eJ:ed that:Honorius \'!(*,
without, 'Wlssions" awtcQUs'equently witlwut:ta~·
lents; and that his feeble aJ,ld la~g.uid ~i~posir
tioD was alike incapable qf-dis~gin~&e'o..
ties of his rank, or of enjoying th~, pJeaaUra
of hIS age. In his early. youth he, made BOUlt;
progress in thes:ercises of riding and· dGl.~
the bow: but he soon relinquishe~ these: f~tip:
iog occupations, and the amusement of feedi~g
poultry became the serious and daily care' oS
the monarch of the W.esi,P who resigned the
reigns of empire to the firm and sk~ful hand of
hi" guardian StiJicho. '_The experieu.ce of history will countenance the suspicion, that a
prince who was born in the purple, received a
worse education than the meanest peasant of
his dominions; and that the ambitious minister
suffered him to attaiq th~ age 9fmanhood, without attempting to excite his courage, or to enl,igh~n ~is understanding. q The predecessors
CHAP.
1
• See Zoaimlll, I. 'I, P. III. ~.
P Proeopinl de Bell. Gotbico, I. i, c. I. I have borrowed the gene.
ral practice of Honorilll, without adoptbig the .ingular. and, indeed,
improbable tale, which iI rdated by the Greek hi.torian.
'I The lelSOn. of Theodoliu8, or rather Claudian (i'f Coni. HODer.
114-418), miCht eompole a fine in.titntion fOF the fnture prince 01 a
and free Dation. It was far above Honorilll, and Ilia decenerate
Hbjecta.
creat
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OF THE .OMAN EMPI:RL
of Honorius were accustom~d to animate, by CHAP,
th;ir example, or at least by their presence, the #~~~=~
valour of the legions; and -the dates of their
laws attest the perpetual activity of their motions through the provinces of the Roman world.
But the son of Theodosius passed the slu,mber
.of his life~ a captive in his palace, a stranger'in
his country, and the patient, almost the indifferent, spectator of the ruin of the western empire, which was repeatedly attacked; and final.y subverted, by the armi of the b~rbari,alls.
In the eventful history of. a reilW o,f tw~tyeight years, it will seldom be necessary to mention the naII.le of the emperor 1I0nQriu8,
o
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THE.DECLlNB ,AND.PALL'
., t
,.
CHAP. XXX.
Revolt of 11ae Gotlas-They plunder Greece- T~
. great invalions of Italy by Alaric and RatU!.. 'gaistu-Tkey aloe 'repulsed' by Stilicho-~lte
.. Gemaau overrun Gaul--Usurpation cif Oon,tanline in ,the· Wesl-D~sgrace and def!-lk qf
Stilicho.·
of
IF the subjects of Rome could be ignorant
xxx. their obligations'to'the great Theodosius, they
, ;;;;;;;.. were too soon con~inced, how painfully the spithe Gotha, rit and abilities of their deceased emperor had
... ».196. supported the frail and mouldering edifice of the
republic. He died in the month of January ~
and before the end of the winter of the same
year, the Gothic nation was in arms.- The barbarian auxiliaries erected their independent
standard; and boldly avowed the hostile designs which they had long cherished in their
ferocious minds. Their countrymen, who had
been condemned, by the conditions of the last
treaty, to a life of tranquillity and labour, deserted their farms at the first sound of the trumpet i and eagerly resumed the weapons whlch
they had reluctantly laid down. The barriers
o~ the Danube were thrown open; the savage
warriors of Scythia issued from their forests;
and the uncommon severity of the winter )lllowed the poet to remark, "that they rolled
CHAP.
• The rnolt of the Gothit, and the block~de of Constantinopl~, an
distinctly mentioned by Claudian. (in Rnfin. I. ii, 7-100); ZOlimu.,
(I. v,.•p. ,292), and JOluandes, (de Rebus Gt'ticis, c. 29).
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177
OP TBE ROMAN EMPIRE.
their ponder.ous waggons .over the br.oad and CH" P.
icy back .of the indignant river."· The un.bappy natives .of the pr.ovinces t.o the s.outh .of
the Danube, submitted t.o the calamities, which,
in the c.ourse oftwenty years, were almost grown
.familiar t.o their imagination; and the various
tro.ops .of barbarians, wh.ogl.oried intbe G.othic
name, were irregularly spread fr.om. the w.o.ody
shores' .of Dalmatia, to the walls .of C.onstantin.ople.. The interruption, .or at least-the dilnunitlOn, .of the snbsidy, which the G.oths had received fr.om the prudent liberality ofThe.odosius,
was the specious pretence of their rev.olt: .the
afti'ont was embittered by their, contempt· f.or
the .unwarlike s.ons .of Theod.osius; and their
resentment was infiamed by the weakness, .or
, treachery, of the minister .of 'Arcad ius. The
frequent visits .of Rufinus 't.o the camp of tbe
barbarians, wh.ose arms and apparel he affected
t.o imitate, were c.onsidered as a sufficient evidence .of his guilty c.orrespondence: and the
public enemy, fr.om a m.otive either .of gratitude
or .of p.olicy, was attentive, amidst the general
.devastati.on, t.o spare the private .estates .of the
unpopular prefect. The G.oths, instead .of be.
.•c
_:x;::;_
co
I
-Alii pt'r ter.. ferocit
Danubii lOlidata ruant; upt'rtaque reml
Franl1lnt .tagoa rolia.
Claudian and .ovid often amuae tbeir fancy by iDterebanclnll: the metapbon and properties of . i d water, and .lid ice. Mucb fal.e wit bu
been expended in tbia euy exereiH. .
.
C Jerom, tom. i, p. 26.
Be endeuoun to cOlllfort bl. friend Heliodoml, bi.hop of Altinum, for the 101. of hi. nepbew Nel'otian, by a
enrion. ree.pitulalion of all the J.uhlic and private misfortune. of tbe
time.. See Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom. xii, p.2oo, .te.
It
VOL. Y.
N
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178
THE DECLINE AND FAI f.
ing impelled by the blind and ·beadstt-ong pas_~~;" sions of their chiefs, were now directed by the
bold and artful genius of Alaric. That renpwned leader was descended from the ~oble race of
the Balti ;. which yielded only to the,royal-dignity of the Amali: he had solicited the command of the Roman armies; ,and .the imperial
court provoked him tp demonstrate the folly of
their refusal, and the iruporiance of their loss.
Whatever' hopes might be entertained of the
conquest of Constantinople,' the judicious generalsoon abandoned an impracti~able enterprise.
In the midst of a divided cOl1rt, and a discontented people, the elllperor Arcadiu8 was terri·
fied by the aspect of the Gothic arms: but the
want of wisdom and valour was supplied by the
strength of the city; and the fortifications, both
of the sea and land, might securely brave the
impotent and random darts of- the barbarians.
Alaric disdained to trample any longer on the
prostrate and ruined countries of Thrace and
Dacia, and he resolved to seek a plentiful haI:vest of fame and riches in a province which had
hitherto esc~ped the, ravages of war.·
CHAP.
II BeUla, or hid: orlgo mirlfica, 'IY' JOrDlDdes, (c. III).
'nil
iIlutrioo race long c8ntiuned to Oourlab in Frauee, in tbe Gothic pro·
,iDee of Septimania, of Languedoc I under tbe corrupted appellation of
Bcu: and a brancb of that, family aRerwarda lettled ill the kingdom
of Naplea, (Grotio ill Prolegom. ad Hlat. Gothic. p.IIS). The lor.
of BanlE, Dear Aries, aDd of Ievcnty-uiDe labordiDate places, were iJI.
'drpendent of the conrts of Proftllu, (Longnerae, -Deeeriptlell. de Ia
I'rlDee, tom. i, p. 167).
• C ZoIimu. (L y. p. 1113-1115) i. our be.t guide for the conqn"t .f
Greerc: but tbe hints and alla.•ion of ClaodilD are .. lllaDy ray• •
biltoric Ugbt.
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179
OP THB ROMAN EHPIBE.
Thecha~ter of.th~ Ql~il &ftd.. ~ili.rl" .~rs, c:~~.
ontwhom .:Q.ufin'ult h~ d~voJy.qjl~h~g~y.~r~nt"".,,,:,,
0( Greece, cODfir~d th,~,p~bl:~~ ,,~sRi~~9.I\,. t~~~ A~arie
~ had. be.tray¢.d. the. anClellt s~~tor.f~~dQll~ a.n~ i:t:mea
learning to the ~thic in.ve.d~~. :r4Apro~<'>Dsu\
~ntiochus \Vas. the un.w~r,thf son of a resp.~ct
ablefathef; .~nd G~~onpus, 'who'CQ~anded tll~
provincial. tl'QOPS, w~ ,IUl1Ch be~wr, quallfied to
8:aecute. the.oppressive~rders, ~ a ~y'ran~ th';iU
to.defend, witb:cQllrage and abi,lity, a country
1B0JSt,remarkably fortjfi~d by t4~ h;in.d o(naturi,
A18.£ic...had traverse{:{, without resistance,' the
l1lain8 of Macedonia. and Thes8~ly, ~s f~r tb~
foot. of ~o.unt Oe~, a steep, and woody range of
Inlls, almost. impervious to 'hi~ ca~alry. They
stretched from east to wes,~ to th,a edge. of the
sea-shore·; ~d left between the P.f.eci,P-ice and
tlie Malian gulf, an in~{"val pf th.ree ,hundred
feet, which, in some places, ,,!as COntr3:Cted' t~
a road capable of admit~ing ~)Dly a 8i~gl~ car;
riage.' In this narI:OW p~s of 1'h~rmopy'I~,
Where Leonides and t4e three JlU.ndred Spartans had gloriously devQted.' th~¥, lives, the
Goths might' have. been, stoPP~4f, 9r dept~oy~d,
by. a skilful general; .andperl:1ap~ the. vie~. of
that sa~red spot~jght havekin41ed spme sparks
of military ardour in the breasts 9f the degen~
rate Greeks. The tro,C>ps, wh~h lJa~. bee~ ppsted to defend the str~jghts of Thermopylre, retired: they were directe~, without attempting
!r:c:.c.
as
as
.
,
r Compare Herochtua, (1. vii, c. 116). aDd Livy, (sx:ni, 16). The
aanow mtnnce of Greece wu probably elllarged by' each ancceuiyc
nVllher.
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~
,
roo
THE DECUNE AND ,FALL
CHAP. to disturb the secure and rapid passage of AI..
..~~~~~ ric;1 and the fertile fields of Phocis, and Bmotia, were instantly covered by a deluge of barbarians; vr ho massacred the males of an age
to bear armB, and drove .away the beautiful
females, with the spoil, and cattle, of the flaming
villages. The travellers, who visited Greece
several years afterwards, could easily'discover
the deep and bloody traces of the march of the
Goths; and Thebes was less indebted for her
preservation to the strength of her seven gates,
than to the eager haste of Alaric, who advanced
to occupy the city of Athens, and the important
harbour of the Pir~us. Th~ same impatience
urged him to prevent the delay and danger of a
siege, by the offer of a capitulation; and as soon
as the Athenians heard the voice of the Gothic
herald, they were easi1y persuaded to deliver the
greatest part of their wealth, as the ransom of
the city of Minerva, and its inhabitants. The
treaty was ratified by solemn oaths, and observed with mutual fidelity. The Gothic prince,
with a small and select train, was admitted
within the walls: he indulged himself in the
refreshment of the bath, accepted a splendid
banquet wh~ch was provided by the magistrate,
and affected to shew that he was Dot ignorant
'of the manners of civilized nations.1l But the
eo..
• He palled, say. EUDapiuI, <iD Vito P1IilolOpb. p~ 93, edit.
melin. 16911). througb the 8tr~illbta. ,,. .,,,, ...."", (of Thenuopyle)
."'~~'" - p ... ".dill• ..., lin'..,.........,.. .,CIX"':
'
Ii In obedience to Jerom, and Claudian, (ia Rulin. I. ii, 191), I baYe
mixl'd lome darker coloun in tbe mild represeutation of Zoaimaa, ....
willled to loften the calamities of A tbenl.
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181
OI'}l'BE ROMAH BIIPIU.
whole -territory of Attica, from the promontory CHAP•.
of Sunium to the town of Megan, was blasted,,~~.~:...
by his'baleful preseIice; and, if we may use the
comparison of a contemp()rary philosopher,
Athens itself resembled the bleeding and empty
skin of a slaughtered victim. The distance
1ietween Megara and Corinth could not much
exceed thirty miles; but the bad road, an. expressive name, which -it still bears among the
Greeks, was, or might easily have been made,
iinpassible for' the march of an enemy. The
thick 'and gloomy woods of-Mount Cithreron
covered the inland country; the Scironian rocks
approached the water's edge, and hung over the
biUToW and winding path, -which was confined
above six' miles along the sea-shore! The passage of those rocks, so infamous in every age, '
was terminated by the isthmus of Corinth; and
a small body offirm and intrepid soldiers might
have successfully defended a temporary intrenchment of five or six miles from the Ionian
to the lEgean sea. The confidence of the cities
of. Peloponnesus in their natural rampart, had
Nec fera Cecropia. truiuent .mcola matres.
8111mo. (Eplst. cl.i; p. ITI, edit. Peta••) oble"", that Athens, whose
IId1"eriq. he impote. to the procoDlul's avarice, wu at that lime lea
' ...OUl for her Ichools of philosophy than for htr trade of honey.
I
-Vallata mari Sclronia rapt's,
• Et doo continuo connecten. llequora mnro
, Iathmol-Claodian de Bell. Getico, 188.
The 8c1rooian rocks are described by Pan.oiu, (I. i, c. 44, p. 191, edit.
Kabn). and onr modem travellen, Wheeler (p. 436).and Cbandler, (p.
2:18). Hadrian made the road pau.ble for two carriaCft.
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182
THE DECLINE A'ND FALt
I
~~. t?mpted them' to Iie~lect ~he care of th~ir ~n.'
••,;,.,:" tlque walls; and the avance of the Roman g6vernors had exhausted and betrayed 'the rlnnal'"'
py province.1t Corinth, Argos, Sparta, yielded
withou~ re8ist~nce' to the arms of the GothS;
and the most fortunate of the inhabitants were
saved~' b~ death, from beholding the slavery of
their families, and' lhe' ~oirllagration 'of' their
cities! The vases and statues' were distrib'uted
among the barbarians, with more rega'fd to the
value of the materials; 'than to' the eleganee of
the wor'kmarisb!p ;'~the 'female 'captives submit.
ted to'the laws of wat f the enjoyment of beauty
was the' reward ":Of l'alou"r;,,' and 'tLe Gree~s
could not reas6:iiably' ~omplaih 6' 1m abuse~
which'was justified'by the example' of the he:
roic times.1n TJie descendants of that extraordinary people, who' had considered v2t.lour and
discipline as'the walls of Sparta, no longer'remembered the generous reply ol'tlieir ancestors
to an invader more formidable than Alaric. "If
" thou art' a god, thou wilt not burt thQse whO
" have never injured thee; if thou art a maD,
" Claudian (iA Rulin. L ii, 186, ud" BeUo Geticq, 61~ .&c) "peIy, thollgb forcibly, delineates the ll'eQe IIf ~plne,1JI4 d~tfnc\iIlD., .
1 Ti" ","X"CEr 6.",... 1&<1, 'riTe".", &e. Theae generoM lines of Holllfl'
(Odyss, I. Y, 306) were transcribed, by one of tbe caplin yontlll o(
Corintb: and the tears of }llImmiuI may prove tbat tbe nlde conqueror, thongb be wal i8OO1.n,t o( the value of an original pictnre, pon_
Ied tbe p"rest source of good taste, a benevolent beart, (Plutart"11,
'ymposiae. I. Ix, tom. ii, p. 7~7, edit. Weehel).
ID Homer perpetually describes tbe exemplary patience of tboee femall
eapth'e5, woo gave their charms, alld even their hearts, to the mnrder·
.ra of their fatbers, brotbers, okc. Such a pauion (of Eriphile fw
Al"hiUes) i, touched with admirable delicacy b,. Racinl.
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01"
THE ROMAN
1~3
DlPIRlI!.
"advance,-and thou wilt find men eqqal to cRA ...
•, thyself."" From Thcrmopylae to Sparta, the ....~~...
leader of the Goths pursued his victorious march
without encountering any mortal antagonists:
but one of the advocates of expiring pagani~m
has confidently asserted, that the~alls ofAthens
were guarded by the goddess Mine"a, with her
formidable lEgis, and by the angry phantom of
Acbilles;o andthat the cOBquerorwas dismayed
by the presence of the hostile deities of Greece.
In an age of miracles, it would perhaps be UDjust to dispute the claim 'of the historian Zosi..
mus to the common benefit; yet it cannot be
dissembled, that the mind of Alaric was ill'prepared to receive, either in sleeping or waking
visions, the impressions of Greek superstition.
The songs of Homer, and the (ame of Achilles,
had probably never reached, the ear of the illiterate barbarian; and the Claristian faith, which
he had devoutly embraced, taught him to despise the imaginary deities of Rome and Athens.
The invasion of the Goths, instead of vindicating the honoUl', contributed, at least accidentally, to extirpate the last remains of paganisM ;
and the mysteries of Ceres, which had subsis$• Plutarch (in Pyrrho, tom. ii, p. 471, edit. Briaa) pya tile
paulDe aDiwer in the Laconia dialect. P,yrrhul attacked Sparta wi..
11,000 fOot, 11,000 hone, aDd 24 elephaDtI: aud the deCeDce of that
open towa ia • fiDe COlllllleDt 00 the I••• of Lycurp., eyeu iD the ilia
ltage of decay.
....
o
Sucb, perbaps, •• Homer (Iliad
D,
164) h. . .0 Dobly paiD""
.
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THE DECLINE AND FALL
CHAP. ed eighteen hundred years, did not survive the
_~~~:•• destroction of Eleusis, and the calamities of
Greece.p
He il at..
The lasthope ola people who could no longer
tacbd-bJ d apen
. d
b
. soveStilicbo,
OQ
t "
en: arms, t h'
elr god s, or t helf
A. D. atr· reign, was placed in the powerful assistance of
the general' 01 the West; and Stilicho, who had
•
Dot been permitted, to repulse, advanced to
cbafJtise, the invaders of Greece.q A numerous
Beet was 'equipped -in: the ports of Italy; and the
troops~ after, a short and 'prosperous, navigation
ovel'~the Ionian sea,· were 'safely disembarked
on!t~e isthmus, near the ruins of Corinth. The
woody' and- mountainous country 01, Arcadia,
the' fabulous residence' of Pan aud the Dryads,
became the scene of ,a long and doubtful CODflict between two generals not unworthy of each
other. The skill and perseverance of the Roman at 'length prevailed; and the Goths, after
sustaining a considerable loss from disease and
desertion, gradually retreated to the lofty mountain ofPholoe, near the saurces' ofthe.Peneus,
and: on the frontiers of Elis; a sacred country,
which had formerly been exempted from the
calamities ofwar.r The camp oftbe barbarians
P Ennapial (in Vito Philosopb. p. 90.93) iDti.Jatea, that a troop of
_kl betrayed Greece, aDO foUowed the Gotbic camp.
• For SI~licho·. Greek war, compare the hoaelt narratin of ZOIimu,
(I. Y, p. 296, 296), witb the carioas circomltantial flattery of Clandian.
(l ConI. Stilicb. I. 112-186; iv CoOl. HOD. 469-481). AI the eYeDt w.
Ilot glorious, it is artflllly thrown iDto the 8bade. .
r Tbe troops who marched through Elis deHnred op their arml.
Thi.secority enriched the Elealls, who were loven ofa raralllfe. Riebe.
Mlat pride; they disdained their priYilege, and tbey lofFered. PoIyblll8
advilel tbem to retire ooce more within their mapc circle. See a
leanaN
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or THE ROHAN DIPIRE. '
185
was immediately ~esieged: the' ,waters 'of tbe CHAP.
river· were diverted into another channel; and ....:~..~~...
while they laboured uuder the intolerable pressure of thirst and hunger, a strong line of circumvallation was formed t~ prevent their escape. After these precautions, Stilicho. too
confident of victory, retired to enjoy his triumph, in the theatrical games, and .lascIvIous
dances, of the Greeks; his soldiers, deserting
thetr standards, spread themselves over the
country of their allies, .which they stripped of
all that had· been saved from the rapacious
hands of the enemy. :Alaric appears to have'
seized the favourable inoment to execute one of ,
those hardy enterprises, in which the'abilities
of a general are displayed with more' genuine
lustre, than in the tumult of a: day of battle. To
extricate hil~self from the 'prison ofPelOponnesus, it was necessary that he should pierce the
intrenchments which surrounded bis camp;
that he should perform a difficult and danger-,
ous marc}1 of thirty miles, as far as the gulf of
Coriuth ; and that he should tralisport his troops,
his captives, and his spoil, over an arm of the
sea, which, in the narrow interval" between
Rhium and the opposite shore, is at least ha1C a
leal'lled and jadicioUl diacoar.e 00 the Olympic camet, which Mr.
Weat hu prefi:r;ed to hiVnmalatioD of Pin.ar.
• Claadian (in iv CODl, HOD. 480) allade. to the fact, without 01111.1 '
iDe the river: perh.p. the Alpheat, (i CoDl. Stil. L i, 185).
- - E t Alpben. Geticit augastus acervil
Tardior ad Siculo. etiamaam pergit amorel.
Yet I Ihoald prefer the Peneul, a ,hallow .trellm in a wide aDd deflp
bed, wbich rnnl tbronch Elil, and falla into the aea below Cyleooe. It,
had bt'rn joined with the Alpbea., to cleanse the Aaeean atable, (Cei.
luiul, tom. i, p. '160. Chandler'. Truell, p.III6).
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186
THB DECLIHB AND PALL
mile in breadth.t The 'operationfllof Alaric must
.,~~~~"have been secret, prudent, and rapid; since the
Eaeapel Roman general was confounded by the intellito Epiru. gence, that the Goths, who had eluded his efforts, were in full possession of the important
province of Epirus. This unfortunate delay
allowed Alaric suiJicient time to' conclude the
treaty, which he secretly negotiated, with the
ministers of Constantinople. The apprehension of a civil war compelled Stilicho to' retire,
at the haughty mandate of his rivals, from the
domi'nioDs of Arcadius; and he respected, in
the enemy of Rome,' the honourable character
of the ally and servant of the emperor of the
East.
Alaric it
A Grecian philosopher,a who visited Constandeclared tinople soon after the death of Theodosius, pub.
:e':!:!i of lished his liberal opinions concerning the duties
tbeelltera
d testa
h' t e 0 f t he Ro lDan repu bl'IC•
lUyricum, 0 fk'mgs, 'an
•• 0.898. Synesius ol)serves, and deplores, the fatal abuse,
which the imprudent bounty of the late emperor
had introduced into the military' service. The
citizens, and subjects, had purchased an exemp- .
tion from the indispensable duty of defending
their country; which was supported by the arms
.,fbarbarian mercenariea. The fugitives ofScy'CHAP.
I " ,
t Strabo, I, yiii, p. 617'.
Plln. Hilt. Natur. jy, S. Wheeler, p. . . .
Cbandler, p, 27'$. They meuured, from tierent poinll, the diIIaac:e
bell'een tbe two landl.
'
a Synellaa p~dthreeyeUi (A. D.I97'-400) at CoDltaDtlnople, u
deputy from eyrene to the emperor Arcadiul. He preaented Jaim witll
.. crown of ,old, and pronounced before bim tbe iDitructiYe oration d.
Regno, (p. 1.82, edit. Pelayo Paris, 1&12)' Tbe pbUoaopher wu made
bitbo, of Ptolemail, A. D. 410, and died about 430, See TwelllODt, •
lIem. Ecclea. tolll. xii, p. 4119, 664, 68S·68$.
'
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187'
C1F Tal itOMAN uP!R£.
fbia: were permitted to disgrace" the
illustrious CHAP.
dignities of the empire'; thei~ ferocious youtli, .....~~ ....
who disdained' the salutary restraint of laws,
were more anxious to acquire the riche8~ than
to imitate the 'arts; of a people, the objett of
their contempt and' hatred; and the power: of
the Goths was the sto~e 01 Tantalus, perpetiI'ally suspended oyer tbe peace and safety of the
devoted state. Th'e'measures, which Synesius
recommends,' are 'the "dictates of a bold and ge-"
nerous patriot~ He exhoftllthe emperor 'to revive the cC?urage of his' subjects, by the example
ofmanlyvirtlle; io'banish luxury from the court,
and fMm the camp; to substifute in the place
of the barbarian mercenaries, an army of men,
interested in the defence of their laws and of
their, property; to force, in such a moment of
public danger~ the mechanic from his shop, and
the phlIosopher from his school; to rouse the
indolent citizen from his dream of pleasure, aud
to ~ arm, 'for the protection of agriculture, the
llands' of'lhe laborious husbandman. At the
hea'if 6f'suCli' troops; who might deserve the
name, and would display the spirit, of Romans,
he animates the son ofTheodosius to : en~oun~
ter a. race of"barbarians, who were destitute of
any real courage; and, never to lay down his
arms, till he had chased them far away into the
solitUdes of Scythia; or had reduced them to
the state of ignominious servitude, which the
Lacedremonians formerly imposed on the captive Helots." The court of Areadius indulged
"• SYDtliul de RE'po, p. 21-26.
•
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188
.
THEDECLINI AND FAU
'.
the zeal, appla.uded the eloquence, and neglect••~~~ •• ~d the advice, of Synesius. Perhap~ the philosopher, :who addresses the emperor of the
.East, in the language of' reason and virtue,
which he might have used to a Spartan king,
had .not condescended to form a practicable
scheme, consistent with the temper~ and circumstances, of a degenerate age. Perhaps the pride
of the ministers, whose business w.as seldom interrupted by reflection, might reject, as wild
an~ visionary, every proposal, wJlich exceeded
the measure oftheir captivity, and deviated from
the forms and precedents of office. While the
orati-on of Synesius, and the downfal of the bal'.barian·s, were the topics of popular conversation, an edict was published at Constantinople,
which .declared the promotion of Alaric to the
rank of master-general of the eastern Illyricu-m.
The Roman provincials,' and the allies, who had
respected the faith of treaties, were justly indignant, that the ruin of Greece and Epirus
should be so liberally rewarded. The Gothic
conqueror was received as a lawful magistrate,
in the cities which he had so lately besieged.
The fathers, whose sons he had massacred, the
husbands, whose wives he had violated, were
subject to his authority: and: the success of his
rebellion encouraged the ambition .of every leader of the foreign mercenaries. The use to which
Alaric applied his new command, distinguishes
the firm and judicious character of hiB poli'cy.
He issued his orders to the four magazines and
manufacturers of offensive and defensive arms,
CHAP.
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189
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRL
Margus, Ratiaria, Naissus, and 'fhessalonica, CHAP.
. h an extraord'mary sup- _,xxx.
to proVl'd e h'IS troops Wit
__",*
ply of shields, helmets, swords, and spears:
the unhappy provincials were compelled to
forge the instruments of their own destruction;
and· the barbarians reinoved the only defect
which had sometimes disappointed the efforts
of their courage". The birth of Alaric, the
glory of his past exploits, and the confidence '
in his future designs, insensibly united the body
of the 'nation under his victorious standard;
and with the unanimous consent of the barbal'ian
chieft3.ins, t.he master-general of Illyricum was.
elevated. according to ancient ,custom, on a;
shield, and solemnly proclaimed king of the
Visigoths! Armed with this .double power_ aDd kin,
seated on the verge of the two empjres, he al- ~':h.\'j
ternately sold his deceitful promises to the g ,
courts of Arcadius, and Honorius;a till he declared, and executed, his resolution ofin~adiDg
the dominions of the West. 'The provinces of
:r
--qui (tiedera rumpit
Ditatur: qni Ienat, eret: nlfator Achi. .
GenU., et Epirum nuper popuiatul inuUam
Praelidet IIIyrico: jam, quos obaedlt, amkOl
I!Jgreditur muros; ilIiI reaponaa datums
Quorum conjllgibul potitllr, aatoaqne peremit.
Claadian in Entrop. I. ii, 212. Alaric applauds his own policy, (de
.BelL Getic. na."Z), in the UIe wlaieb he had made of thit Illyri..
jurisdiction.
'
s Jornan~I, Co 29, p. 661. The Gothic historian adds, with tmlllIl"
.pirit, Cum suis deliberana .uult IUO Iabore flu_ere reena, ••_ aH.iii, per otium lubjacere. ,
.
-DiACon odiilqae aneeps c:iyihul Orbil
•
:Non Iua .11 tufafa diu, dum ftiedera (allall
Ludit, et altern. perjaria venditat aala.
Clandlan de BeD. Get; ....
i
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IDO
THB DECLINB AND FALL
CHAP Europe which belol)ged ,to. the eastem emperor,
~#~::..# were already exhau~ted; those .of Asia w.~r~
inaccessible; and the, stFe.ngt~ of CQnstaqtinople h~ resist~ bis at~c~. ~u.t be, w.~'
tempted by the fame, the be~uty, th~ ,wealth of
Italy, which he had t~ic" visi~d; lJ,nd'lw ge.,
cretly aspired to p'l~nt ,the G.othic standard on
the walls of Rome, and.to eDlic~ his ~my ~ith
the accumulated spo~I8 of three h~ndfed ,triumphs.'
.
He illI. The scarcity of facts/ and the uncertainty of
vades
•
Italy.
dates· oppose our .attempts tQ d~sc.r~l;»e· the cir':0:..400- cumstances of the first j~~a!ii9ll. of Italy by the
arms of Alario. ,His mar~h"perhaps from-Thessalonica, tbrough the .,,~rlik~ ~~c;l hostile ~oun
try of Pannonia, as fal' *\8 the {Qot of the Julian
Alps; )lis passage of those IQQuntainl!!1 which,
were strongly gl!ardedhy troop~ and i~tren~h
ments ; 'the ~iege of Aquileia, ~nd the conquest
~fthe p1'ovince~ of Istria I;l~d Vepetia, appear to
hav.e employed' a. considerable tjme. Unle.ss his
operations were extremely cautious and' slow,
II . Alpibul Italie ruptis p4!lletrabis ad UrIHnJa.
This authentic prediction was annonnced by Alaric, or at leut by Clandian, (de Bell. Gltico, 6'7), seven yean before tbe event. Bnt as it
was not accomplished withiD the term which baa,b,en aaabl,.Jixecl, the
interpreten escaped through an ambil1loUi meanin,.
e Our beat materials are 970 "erae. of Clandian. in the poem on the
Getio war, and tile belinDiIIc of tIIat wbich celebrates the lixtla connllbip of Honorin.. Zo.imu. is totally .i14!11t; and we are,reduce4.
Ie IUcb· .craps, or rather crumbl, _ we CaD pick from OrOliUl and the
CbroDiclep.
;' • !, .. :
• Notwithstanding tile ,roil erron of Joruandes, who coDf~Ddl
the Italian wan of Alaric, (c. 29), his date of the cODsul5hip of Sti.
licho and Aurelian (A. D. 400) is finn aDd rrapl!c~ble.: It is certain
(rom Claudian, (TUlemODt, Hiat., dell.
tOln,.V, P. 804), that tbe
Httle of PoIJentia wu fought A. D. 403; but we cannot easily fill tbe
iDterval.
Em.,.
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191
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
the length of the inter,yal would, ,suggest a pro. CHAP.
bable -suspicion, that the Gothi~ king retreated _~~••
towards the banks o.fthe Danube; and ~infQre.. '. ,
eel his. army with fresh &\VI;U'IDB 0(" bar~~ri."'»',
before he again attempted to .PE1Iletrak J,.,to .tlJ..
heart of Italy. Si~ce the public BDd'impQrtaut
events escape' the diligence, oUhe. hi6Jtpria.~, h~
. may am~Jle <himself with contemplatiD~~. fora
moment, the i~~uence .of the arme (If A.ari~ o~
tile fOrtunes of two obscure individuals, Q..pr~
hyter of i\.quileia, and an hu.ban~bnan .9f Varona. The learned Rufinus, wh9 .w.... .ummoned by ·hi~ enemies ~ appear befor~. a' Jl9-man' synod,· wisely preferred th.e dangers of.!'
besieged city; and the J>arbarian.s, who Jq.ri911sIy shook the walls of AqulIeia, might 8."e· hjm
from ~he cruel seDtenc~ of another heretic, ~Ilo;
at the request of the ,same bishops~ was sever6A.
Iy wliipp~d, pond ~ondemDed to perpetuel ~)J:jffl
a desert island.', The Qldma.n.' wb,o ,hJlfJ
passed; hisslmple and inn~cent lif~ ip. ·t'l4~
nejgh~urhood.ofVerona, was aJitranger to ~,
on
.
~
-....
..
~
.
....
• T"'_ Remaue urbis judicium (ogil, at map obsidioaem bar.baricam, quam ' - " . urbia judicium velis lustinere. JerolD. tom. li,
p ••t'. . Itahas undentood hll .ow... c1aager; tlle~. city ... i .
ftamed by the beldam Marcella, and the reat of Jerom's faction.
, Sovinlan, the enemy of fasts and of celibacy, who was persecu~ed
and intalted by the furiona Jerom, (Jortia's Remarks, "01. iv, p. 104.
"eo) See tile original edict of baui.hmeDt iD the Theodo.ian Code, 1.
avi, dt. ", It-,. 41.
I Thi. epigram (de Sene Veroneasi qui lubarbiam lIusquam egre_s
eat) II ODe of tile earlielt aDd most pl~lng compositioDs of Claudian.
Cowley" imitatioD (Hard', edition, vol. ii, p. 2fl) has lomr Datural aDd
"pry .troke.; bat it il mucb inferior to tile original portrait, wha
II nideut1y drawn froDa tile life.
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192
THE DECLINE AND PALL
quarrels both of kings and of bishops; A;8 plea.
xxx. sures, his desires, his knowledge, were confined
••••_,.- within the little circle of his. paternal {arm; anda
staffsupported his aged steps,on thesamegrotlJid
where he had sported in his infancy. Yet even
this humble and rustic felicity, (which Qlaudian
describes with so much truth and feeling), was
still exposed to the undistinguifJhingrage of war.
His trees, his old contemporary trees, ~ must
blaze in the conflagration of the whOle country;
a detachment of Gothic cavalry might sweep
away his cottage and his family; and the power
of Alaric could destroy this happine~s~ which
he was not able' either to taste, or to bestow.
cc Fame," says the poet, "encircling with terce ror or gloomy wings~ proclaimed the march
" of the barbarian army, and filled Italy with
cc consternation:" the apprehensions of each
indivIdual were increased in just proportion to
the measure of his fortune; and the most timid,
who had already embarked their valuable effects, meditated their escape to.\ the island of
Sicily, or the African coast. The public distress was aggravated by' the fears and reproaches of superstition! Every hour produced
CHAP.
Inlntem meminit pano qui germine quercnm
f
"£qlllllvumque videt conlenuilte nemus.
1
A neighbouring wood bol'll with himself he ReB
And lovel his old contemporary tree••
In this p8118ge, Cowley i. perhaps .nperior to his origiDa.; 88d tile
Encliah poet, wbo was a good botanist, hal concealed the . . . undft a
more general expreuioD.
I Claudian de Bell. Get: 192·266. - He may seem prolix; bnt f_
and lupuatition occupied as large a .pace in the mincia of ...
Italians.
II
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'193
OF THE ROMAN DlPIM.
lome horrid tale of strange and po'rtentous acci- ,CR AP.
"
"
xxx
dentS': the pagans deplored the neglect of omens,
'and the: interruption or sacrifice.: 'but. the
Christians 'Still derived some comfort from the
pow~rful intercession of the saints and martyrs. k
: The emperor: Honorius was distinguished, ~onorinl
•
' •
' . , '
61("1 (rom
'above hIS subJects~ by the pre-cmIDence offeat, Milan,
,as weII' as 0 f ran..
k Th e prI'dean dl uxurym
". w'h''leI
I .... ».40S.
hewas educated, had notallowed him io suspect,
that there existed on the earth any power 'pre,
sumptuous enough to invade the repose of the
successor of Augustus. The arts offiattery concealed the impending dan'ger, till Alaric, approached the palac~ of Milan. : But when the
sound of war had awakened'the YOling emperor,
instead of fiying to arms with the spirit, or even
the'ras'bness, of 'his age, he eagerly listened
those timid couns~l1ors, who proposed to convf!y
his sacred 'person, and his faithful attendants, io
some secure and distant station in the-provinces
of Gaul. Stilicho alone 1 had courage and' authority to resist this disgraceful measure, which
'Would have abandoned Rome and Italy to the
barbarians; but as the troops of the palace had
been 'lately de~ached to the Rhmtian frontier,
and as the resource of new levies was slow and
Om . . , . , .
,to
"
,
From the pa••cea of Panlino., which Baroninl h.1 prodoct"d,
(Annal. Ecclee. A. D. 403, No. /H), it is manift"lt, tbat tbe ceneral a'ann
laad pUYaded all italy, al far as Nola in Campania, wbere tbatfunou
pt"nitt"nt bad fizt"d his abode.
Solol erat Stilicho, oIItc. is the nclDlive commendation wbtch ~"Ii.
dian be.tow., (de B'("l1. Get. 267), witbo!ltcond("lcending to excel)t the
flDpnor. How inaignificant muat Honorins ban app("al'ed in his own
eoort I
. It
VOL. Y
'0
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194
CHAP.
'mE _C~NE .WD. FALl.
precarioUJ, the general of the West could 6011
_~,:!,,, promise, that, if the court of Milan would maint$in their ground during his, absence, he would
sooo retllrn with aD ar1ny equal to the encounter
of tbe Gothic king. Without losing a moment,
(while each moment was $.0 iwportant to
public 8af~ty}. Stilicho hastily embarke4 Q!l the
Larian lake, asc.ended the mouutai~8 of ice and
snow, amidf!tt tbe severity of an Alpine whiter,
and "uddenly repressed, by his unexpected presence, the enemy, who had disturbed the tranquillity of Rhlet.a." The barbarians, perhaps
liome tribes of the Alemanni, respected the fir.Qlness of a chief, who still assumed the l~.i~e
of command; and the choice which he coq~~
,ceoded w make {)f a select nUDlber of t~if
bravest youth, w,as cODf~iqered as a m~rk of his
~teem 8JlcJ tavQ~. 'rhe cQPort~, who w~re delivered fro.l,I1 the Ilftigbbpua;ing f~, diligently
repair~d to ~e ir»perial ~~ndard; and Stilicho
iss~ed hi~ 9rd~rs·tQ. the mqst ·l'emote troops of
the Wes*, to ~ vance, .by rapid marches, to the .
ddeqce 0,( a~Qr~ a~4 Qf Italy. . The foJ'tres$.es· o{ tb.e ~bi.lle w~re abandoned; and the
Ii~fety 9f GalAl wa~. wot~ct~4 oQly by the fai~
of the Germans, a,nd t~e al}Ciel)t terror of the
Roman name. Even the legion, which had
been stationed to guard the wall of Britain
against the Caledonians of the N ortb, waabastily
the
, • The face of the country, and the lIardinw .f St.ilicho, ue
(de Bell. Get. 140.161)
,.
tln.cri~,
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fiDeI,
J9t)
01' TH2 ROMAH DlPl:a&
recalled;a and a numerOdS body of the' aav.alfJ CHA P
. of tJ.ie Alani was persuaded to engage in the #.:~.~.#
service of the emperor, who anxi9usly eq»eeted
the return of his general. The prudence and
vIgour of Stilicho were CODSpjc:UQ11,S on this occasion, which revealed, at the lame tillle, tbe
weakness of the falling empire. The legions of
R<lmE., which had long since languished in the
gradual decay of discipline and courage, were
exterminated by the Gothic and civii wars; and
it was found impossible, without exhausting
and exposing the provinces, to assemble an
army for the defence of Italy.
When Stilicho seemed to abandon his sove- H .
reign in the unguarded'palace of Milan, he had IU:;=
pruba.bly calculated the term of his absence, the :;-:~~
distamce of the enemy, and' the obstacles that Gotb..
might retard their march. He principally depended on the rivers of Italy, the Adige, the
Mincills, the Oglio; and the Addua; which, in
the winter or spring, by the faU of rains, 01' by
the melting of the snows, are commonly f.!welled
into J:>road and impetuous torrents.· . But the
pne~ta Brituml,a
Scoto dat frena traci.
.,
,
De Ben. Get. 411.
Yet the mllit rapid march ,"om Edinburp, or Newcutle, to Mo..,
I!IDlt laave rClquired a louger Ipace of ·time thaD ClaudiaD leems willin,
to all" for the daration of tbe Gothic war.
• Every traveller mUlt recollect tbe face of Lombardy; (lee Fon__ Ue, lOme 'f, p. 218), whic:ll it oftrn tonnented by die capriciona
lad irreplar abuud~ce of waten. Tbe Auatriaua, befol'ft Genoa, were
eac:amped iu the dry bed of. the Polcevera. .. Ne. larrebbe <II&~
"1I1a.aori) .. m~ pusato per meute a qu~ bnoni Alemanoi, cbe qnt"l
" ~~Io tl!rrrole PC1teue, per cosi dire ill uu iOltanle c:anr:iani ill _
" terribil c\pllte." (Annal. d'ltalia, tom. xvi, p. 443; rtlilaD, 1767.
edit,.
Venit et extremille,io
QIIIIl
"'0.
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.96
THE DECLINE AND FALL
season happened to be remarkably d.ry;-and the
xxx.. Goths could traverse, without impediment, the
_ ...."...- wide and stony beds, whase centre was faintly
marked by the course of a shallow streal~. .T,he
bridge andpa8sage of the Addua were secured
by a. strong detachment of the Gothicar~y; and
as Alaric approached the walls, ·or rather the
suburb!!, of Milan, h~ enjoyed the proud satisfactivn of seeing the emperor of the Romans fly
before him. Honorius, accompanied bya feeble
train of statesmen and eunuchs, hastily retreated towards the Alps, with a design of securing
his person in the city of Aries, which had often
been the royal residence of his predecessors.
Dut Honorius P had scarcely passed the Po,
before he 'was overtaken by the speed of the
Gothic cavalry; q since the urgency of the dangel" compelled him to seek a temporary: shelter
within the fortific'ation of Asta, a tow~ of Liguria or Piemont, situate .on the banks of the
Tanarus;,(he siege of an obscure place, which
contained so rich a prize, and seemed incapable
ofa l(mg ~sistance, was instantly formed, and
indefatigably pressed, by the king of the Goths;
and the .. bold declaration, which the elIlperor
CHAP.
.. ..
.
Claud ian does net clearly answer our qneation. Where wu HonoriUl himaelfi Yet the flight is marked by the'punuit: and my idd
of the Gothic war is jllstified by the Italian critics, SigoDiuI, (tom. I,
P. ii, p. 369, de Imp. Occidellt. I. x), IIIId Muratori, (Annali d'italia,
tom. iv, p. 46).
.
,
q One of the roads may be traced in the Itineraries, (p. 98, 1M.
194, with Wesseling~1 Note.}. As~" lay IOlDe miles on the rilllt
hand
•
• Asta, or Aati, a RomaD colollY, i. DOW the capital of a. pleuaJlt
eoODt)', which, in the .ixteenth ceDtDry, devolved to the Data of
Savoy, (Leandro Alberti Deleriz.ione d'ltalla, p. 882).
.
P
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197.
OF THE ROMAN EMPIU.
might afterwards . make, that his breast had
CHAP.
~ever been susceptible of fear, did not proba- ,,~~~~
bly ol>tain much credit, even in his own court."
In the last, and almost hopeless extremity, after
the barbarians had already proposed the indig-.
nity of a capitulation, the imperial captive was.
suddenly relieved by.the fame, the .approach,
and at length the presence of the he.ro, whom.
he had so. long expected. At the .head. of a
chosen and intrepid vanguard, Stilicho swam.
the stream of the Add ua, to gain the time which
]l~ must have lost in the attack of the bridge;
the passage ofthe Po was an enterprise. of much
less hazard and difficulty; aDd the' successful
action, in which he cut his way through the·
Gothic camp under the walls of Asta, r~vived
the hopes, and vindicated the honour, of Rome•.
Instead of grasping the. fruit of·his victory, the
barbatjan was gradualJy invested, on every side,
hy the troops of the ,West, who successively
i~sued through" al1 the passes of the Alps; his
quarters were straitened;, his convoys ~ere in-.
tercepted; and the vigilance of the Romans prepared to form a chain of fortifications, and to
besiege the lines of the besiegers. A military
council was assembled of the long-haired chiefs
of the Gothic nation; of aged warriors, whose
b.odies were wrapped in furs, and whose stern
countenances were marked with honourable
wounds. They weighed the glory of persisting
• N ec me timor impulit ullul. He might hold thi. proud )'alllua.
the Dext year at Rome. fin hundred milt:1 from the Ictne of danger,
(wi Cons. lfoo.4.(9).
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198
TJR 'mCLIJlI! AND 'FAU
in .tJieir attempt agaiiist the adv;lntdge tiC skut~
they reCbmmended the
prudent measute of a seasonable retreat. In
this imptirtant debate, ,Alaric displayed the spirit ortbe conqueror of Rothe; and after he had
remiried his countrymen of their achieveinenb:l
a.ad of their designs, he conCluded h~1il animatiug spe~ch, by the solemn and positive assu'rance, that he was resoh'ed to find in Italy,
either a kingdom, or a grave.t
Battle of
The loose discipline.oftbe barbarians always
Pollentia
.
d th'em" t 0 th'e danger 0 f a surprise;
"
b ut,
A. D.40S:1 expose
March 29. instead of cboosing the dissolute hour8 of riot
ahd intemperance, Stilicho resolved to attack
the Christian Gaths, whilst they were'devoutly
employed in celebrating the festival of Easter.The execution of the stratagem, or, as it was
teriiled by the clergy, of the sacrilege, was intrusted to Saul, a barbarian and a pagan, who
had.served, however, with distinguished reputation among the veteran generals ot TheQdosius.
The camp of the Gotbs, which Alariehadpitched
CHAP.
_~~:.... ing their.plunder, and
tHane elO nl wietor regao, yet morte teaebo
Vietal, hamum-TIie Ipeeehel (de BI!II. Get. «111-549) of the Gothic NeItor, aad
AtliillPR, arc attong, characteriatic, adapted to the circumstances; and
, p...ibl, Dot I... ;eIlUWII lb... thOI/! of Li.,.
•• Orolius, (I. Yii, e. 37) ia .~i:kecl at the impiety 01 tbtl Romana,
who attacked, oa ~alter Sunday, IOcb pioua ChriatiaDs. Yet, at the
lame lime, public praye~ were off:ered at,tne ahrine of St. Thom•• of
Ede.I., for abe deltructioa .f tbe Atla.. robber. see "'memO»t, (Bilt.
drs Emp. ,tom. w, p. 5i9), who quotes an homily, which hu beea er,..
lIeonaly aaeribed to St. Chry.oltom.
.
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t99
01' THB'RO.AN DlPIU.
in the neighbourhood of Pollentia,· was tbrown, CHAP.
mto confusion by the sudden and impetuous H~~:.
charge of tbe imperial cavalry; but, in a few
moments, the undaunted genius of their leader,
"
gave them an order, and a fteld, of battle; and
as 1I0on as they had recovered from their astonishment, the pious confidence, that the God of
the Christians would assert their cause, added
new strength to their native valollr, In thts
el'lgagement, which was long main~ined with
equal courage and success. the chief oftheAlani,
whose d;minutive and savage form concealed' a
magnanimous soul, approved his suspected -loyalty, by the zeal with which he fought, and fell,
in the service of the republic; and the fame of
this gaHant barbarian has been imperfectly preserved in the verses of Claudian, since the poet,
who celebrates his virtue, has omitted the mention of his name. His death was followed by
the Bight and dismay of the squadrons which
~e commanded; apd the defeat 'of the wing of
cavalry might have decided the victory of Alaric, if Stilicho had not immediately led the Roman and barbarian infantry to the attack. The
skill of the general, and the bravery of the soldiers, surmounted every obstacle. In the evening of the bloody day, the Goths retreated from
the ,field of battle; the intrenchments of their
camp were forced, and the scene of rapine and
Thc 't'estign 01 PoRcutia are twenty.lye mi1eI to the .oa~'
UrN, iD the lame aeipbourllood, • • a
ahIH .,
tht kiDp ofJ.ombarclr. and allllall ri't'er, which qcued tile preclietlOD, "pcuetrabll ad arbem."" i(C1a"ft'.' ItaI: A.ati....... I, po
&
or TuriD.
1'01"
1t-86).
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~oo
.. .
l'HE DECLINE AND FALL
,~ ,
,~
slaughter made some atonement for the calaiDl
~~= ties which they had inflicted on the subjects of
the ehl,pire.' The magnificent spoils of Corinth
and Argos ~nriched the veterans of the West;
the captive wife of Alaric, who had impatiently.
claimed his promise of Roman' jewels and patrician handmaids: was reduc~d to implore the
mercy of the insulting foe; and man) thousand
prisoners, released from the Gothic chains, dispersed through the 'provinces ofltaly the praises
of their heroic deliverer. The triumph of Stilicho· was compared by the poet, and perhaps
by tIle public, 10 that of, Marius; who, in the
~ame part of Italy, had encountered, and destroyed, another army of northern barbarians.
The huge bones, and the empty helmets, of the
Cimhri and of the Gotbs, would, easily be CODfounded by succeeding generations; and posterity might erect a common trophy to the memory of the two most ilIusirious gener,als, who
bad vanquished, on the same memorable ground,
the two most formidable enemies of R9me."
CHAP.
7 Oroliul, wishes, ill, doubtful wordl, to iDlinnatethe defeat' 'of the
KomaDl. "PuguaDtes vieimuB, .,idor" .,Ieli lumus." Prosper (m
ChroD.) makes it aD equal aD d bloody battle; but the Gothic writen,
Cuaiodoriul (iD ChroD.) aDd JoruaDdes, Cde Reb. Get. c. 29), claim •
decisive victory.
'
• DemeDI Ausonidum gemmata mouilia matram,
Romaouque alta famulu cenice petebat.
De BeD. Get. m.
',. ClaudiaD, (de Bell. Get. 580-641), aDd PrudentiuI, (iD Symmacli.
I. ii, 694-119), celebrate, without, ambiguity, thc RomaD 'lictory 01
PolleDtia. They are poetical aDd p~rty writen; ~et some credit it
dae to the moat IUlpidoUI wilDen••, who are checked by the rec:eut
'
Dotoriety of facta.
• Clandia.', peroratioD If Itrong aDd eiqant ; but tbe identity oh...
Cimbric and Gothic fieldB, must be understood (like Virgil', Philippi,
Georcic i.
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20 i
d:r TIm BOMAN DlPI1lL
The eloqnencc of Clalidian c has celebrated, CHAP.
with lavish applause, the victory of Pollentia, ....~~~...
one of the most glorious days in the life. of his Boldneq
patron; but his reluctant and partial muse be- ::e~:~
stows more genuine praise on the character of Alaric.
the Gothic kind. His name is indeed branded
·with the reproachful epithets of pirate and robber, to' which the conquerors of every age are
so'justly:entitled; but the poet of Stilicho is
compelled to acknowledge, that Alaric possessed the invinoible temper of mind, which rises
superior to every misfortune, and deri~es new
resources from adversity. After the total defeat of his infantry, he escaped, or rather withdrew, from the field of battle, with the greatest
part of his cavalry entire and unbroken. 'Vithout wasting a moment to lament the irreparable
loss of so· many brave companions, he left his
victorious enemy to bind in chains the captive
images of a Gothic king;" and boldly resolved
to break through the unguarded passes of the
Appenine, to 'spread desolation over the fruitful
face ofTuscany, and to ~onquer or die before tbe
gates of Rome. The capital was saved by the
Georlie i,490) according to the loose !eography of' a poet. Vereelle
aDd Polleatia are sixty miles from each otber i aDd tbe latitude il 'till
sreater, if:the ('"mbri were defeated ia the wide aud barreD plaID or
Veroaa, (Maffei, Verona Iliuatrat.. P. i, p. 64-62).
C Claudian and Prudeutiu. mOlt be Itrietly examined, to reduce the
filarel, and extort the blstorie aense, of'tbole poetl.•
d Et gravant en airain iel fi.lel avautagee
... De mea etatl eoaquia encbainer les images.
The ,raeuee of exposing in triumpb tbe images of kiuge aDd proYiaca
. . . familiar to the Romani, 1'be buat of Mithridatee bimlelf'.aa II
feet hish, of mill, ,0111, (FrelD.hem. Supplemeat Liyian. eili. 4'1).
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.
202
TIlE DeCLINE AND FALL.
CHAP~ activettnd i\\ce9sant diligence of Stilicbo: but be
~~~':~~rrspecte0:1 tire
ene!J[fY; and" ittnead
of committing the fate of the republic to the
chance of another battle" he proposed to pur"thase
of
darbae!J[fE!I!I.
SpIrit
of Alaric would have rejected such terms, the
perIi1ission of a retreat, anU the offer of a pen23ion,
COB:Et~S:23Efpt
indiyeE:!tion;
hE:!
exercised a limited and precarious authonty
over the independent -chieftains, who had raised
[nm,
t1teir r23rvice5 nbol'e
of hir
equals: they were still less disposed to follow
an unsuccessful general, and many of them were
intee!'~t by
privaty
to
negotiation with the minister of blonorins. .The
king submitted to the voice of his people, ratithY rillpire the 'W
anb
bed the t~eaty
with tde remains of
60urepassed the
rishing army which he had led into Italy. A
23!onsibr23E:!ble
of
ROlmnn
still
continueb to attend. his motion23; and btilich..,
wbo maintained a secret correspondence with
r0:?me
the
eYiefs, 23ras p23illdually
appriseb of the brsignr
W0::m: formrd tn thr
camp and council of Alaric. The king of the
P;oths, 23fmbitin235£r to
retreE:!t be
fifylDe fiplrndhb B:Erhiev0::ment,
res0:?lted tn
occupy the important city of Verona,
the
passB:Ebr of
ban Ald~; ami,
his 5i"l~!rch
the territories of those German tribes, whose
B:EBian0::0:: "leould m::etore
exhrufited fii?rngtb~
invB:Ehe, on
~ide;he
the 1i~ealthd
w
",;
oP mE ROHA.N DPIU.'
103
and unsuspecting provirices orGan). IgrIorant CHAP.
the treaso,ri, which had already betrayed his _~~#
bold, and judicious eniel1jrise, he advant:cd lo.
wards the passtt~ of the mouhtairtJ, "Iready pos;.
sessed by the imperial troops; where he 1t~
e~'posea, abnosi ~t the 8a~e instattt, itt a ~eneraJ attac,k in the front, on his Baftk~, «tid in the
rear. ,ln this bloody acti'otl, at a stdatJ dlsttdltlt
from the
of V~roila, the loss the Goth~
Was Itot tess heavy than that which they, hali
sustained iii the defeat or PollEmtia; aIm their
l'aliant king, who escaped by the. 8wiftrless of
his horse, must either have been slain or made
prisoner, if the hasty rashness of the Alani had
)Jot disappointed the measures of the Roman
gellera). Alaric secured the remains of his
army on the adjacent rocks; and prepared himself, with undaunted resolution, to maintain a
siege against the superior numbers of the enemy, who invested him OIi all sides. liut he
could not oppose the destructive ptogress ot
hunger ana, disease; nbr Was it possilJle for
him to check the continual desertion ot his
impatient a~d capr~ciOlis harbarians. In this .
extremity, he stilllound resources in his own
courage, or in t~e modera~ion of his ac1versary;
and the retreat of the Gothic king was considered as the deliverance of Italy.c Yet the people,
and even the clergy, incapable of forming any
rational judgment of the business of peace and
war, presumed to arraign the policy of Stilicho,
who 80 often vanquished, so often surrounded,
or
..
walls
• The Getie war aud tbe lil'tb CODID1,bip of
CODocct the ncDtl of Alaric'. retrelt aud 1000es.
of
HODOriUI
obacurell
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204
THE DECLINE AND FAU.,
'a.nd SO often' dismissed the implacable enemy ot
~~:~;_ the republic. The first moment of the public
lafety is devoted to gratitude and joy; but the
aecond is diligently occupied by envy and ca-,
lumny.'
The tn.. , The citizens of Rome had been astonished by
Hr:~:ri~, the app~oach of Alaric; and the diligence with
: !~::i which they laboured to restore the walls of, the
capital, confessed. their own fears, and the declint\ of the empire. After the retreat of the
barbarians, Honorius was directed to accept the
dutiful invitation of the senate, and to celebrate,
in the imperial 'city" the auspi,ciori.s era of the
Gothic victory, and of his. sixth consulship.'
The suburbs and the str~~sf from tbeMilvian
bridge to the PaIQ.tine mo'unt, ~ere fined by the
Roman people,who, in ,the Spflce of an hundred
years, had only thrice been honoured wiih the
presence of their sovereigns. While their eyes
were fixed on the chariot were Stilicho was
deservedly seated by the side ofbis royal pupil;
they applauded the pompofa triumph, w~i~h was
not stained, like that of Constantine, or of Theodosius, with civil blood. The procession passed
under a lofty' arch, which had been purposely
erected: but in less than seven years, the Gothic
~c.mquerors of Rome might read, if they were
able to read, the superb inscription of that
monument, which attested the total defeat and
CHAP.
, Taeeo de Alarico • • • ,repe vieto, IlI!pe concluso, semperqae dimilao. Oroaius,l. vii, c. 17, p. 667. Claudiaa (vi Cona HoD. no),
drop' the cllrtaia with a fine image.
a The f,-maind"r of Clandian'. porm on tbe lixth conlulali; of Roa..
riua. describes the journey, the triumph, aad the games, (SIOo66O).
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I
20.',
O'F THlr ROHAN EMPIRE. '
destructibn of their nation.· ,The emperor .re- CHAP.
sided several months in the capital, and. every xxx.
part of his beha,riour was regulated with care, to -;._•.,..
conciliate the affection of the clergy, the senate, ,
and the people of Rome. The clergy. was,edi.
fied by his frequent visits, and liberal gifts, to
the shrines of the apostles. The, senate, who, in
the triumphal proceseion, had been exc.ulted
from the humiliating ceremony of precedjng OD, .
foot the' Imperial chariot, was treated with the '
decentreyerence whi~h Stilicho always aff«:cted ,
for that assembly. Tl;ae p-oople was repel;ltedly .
gratified by the aUention and courtesy ofHo-,
DOriUS in the public games, which were celebrat- ;
ed on that occasi~n with a magnificence not ,
unworthy of the spectator.. As soon as the appointed number of chariot-races was conclucled" :
the, decQ~tion of, the circus _was. suddenly,
changed; t~e hunting of wild beasts affor~e~ a,
various and splendid entertainment; and the_
chace was succeeded by a military dance, which
seems, in, the lively, description of Claudian, to
present tbe image of a modem tournament.
In, these games of Honorius, the inhuman Tbecladlcombats of gladiators l polluted, for the last ~tora abo.
time, the amphitheatre of Rome. The first lilhed.
- Christian emperor may' claim the bonour of the
first edict, which condemned the art and amuseI
• See the iJPeription·ia Mucon Irlltory of the Ancient GenII..., .
yiii, It. The words ate ,OIitiYe and iudlacreel, GetaruDlllatioaem in
OIDDe .YlIm domitam, Ire.
I On the corioDl, thooch horrid~ labject of the Iladiatora, con.alt
the two bookl of the Saturnalia of Lipaiaa, wbo, .. an 1IIIfit......, ia
mclaaed to UCDIe the prac&lce of aIipU" (tom.-ii, p••8IoMIi\
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!OO
TIlE DBCUNE AMD FALL
CRAP. ment of shedding human blood;t but *his bene_~~:" volent law expressed the wishes of the prince,
. without reforming au inveterate abuse, which
degraded a civilized natioo below the condition
o( savage ca.nnibals. S~al h\lndr~d, perhaps
several thousand, victims were' aqnuaUy' slaughtered in the'great citie5 ottb;e:empire r aod the
month or Dece~, mOr.e' pe~~liarly., oeV()te.t
tG the combatS. of gladiators, still exhibiied& to.
the eyes of the Roman people, ~ gratefulspeetacle of blood and cruelty. Amidst the general joy, of the victory of PoUentia, a Christian
poet exhorted the emperor to extirpate, by bis
authority, the horrid custom which had so long
resisted the voice of humanity and religion:l
The pathetic representatio~s ofPrudentius w~re
Jess effectual than the generous boldness of. Telemachus, an Asiatic monk, whose death was
more useful to mankind than his life.- The
ROqlans were provoked by the interruption of
their pleasures; and the rash monk, who had
. descended' into the arena, to separate the gladiators, was overwhelmed under a shower of
stones. But the madness of the people soon
eubsided; they respected the memory of Teler
.. Cod. ~~0!10,. L x~, ~t. ~~i, '!J' ••, The ColDIDeutary of Godefroy afForda large materiala (tom • ." p. 896) for the biatory of gladi.
ato~
,
I See the peroration of Prndentius, (in Symmach. L ii, 1121-1111).
wllci llad dOllbtle.' read 'the eloqueDt hrYectlve of Lactanti_, (Di.in.
Inlltitnt. i . .,1; c; 20). Tbe CbriliiaD apoloplil lave IIOt spared theIe
bloody lamel, which were introduced in the reRgioul feati.... of paga"ilm.
• Theodoret, I • ." c. 26. I w.h to believe tlle uory of St. Telem..
chul. Yt'tno chlU'eh·lJas been .eclicated, no allar haa Iwen ereete.,
to the onl1 monk ~ho ctied " martyr in the cauae of humanity.
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201-
01' THE 1t01l.N UlPIItL
machus, who had dese"oo the'honours of mat- CltAt>.
tyrdom; and they submitt.ecl. withoutamurmur, _~~~
to the laws of HODOnu, which abeliahed forever the human sacrifices of the amphitlieatre.
The citizens, who adhered to the lll8.Il~r8 of,
their ancestors, might perhaps insinuate, tbat
the last remains of a martial spirit were preserved in thi, school of for.tituele, whif!h accutomed·
the Romans to the sight of blood, and to the
contempt of death: a vain and cruel prejudice,
so nobly confuted -by the valour of ancient
Greece, and of modern Europe.·
The recent d.nger, to which the person of the ::!~:'
emper,or had been exposed in the clefencelen pa- residence
lace of Milan, urged him to seek a retreat in some !!!::
inaccessible fortress of Italy, where he might- ,A. D. (ot.
securely remain, while tbe open country was'
cOTered by a deluge ofbarbarian.. On ~ cout'
of~· Badr~c, about ten 01' twelve mile.. fro",
the most Iiouthem of. the SEWeD mOllths of tIIe,Po,.
tlaeTbessalians, had founded the ancK.t colQD1l
at· :Q,AY.ENNA, 0 wllicb they afterwards reaigned.
to- -the nap.yes of l.11Qbria. Augustus, who had:
• ~dele ,~t'tq~ ~p,...c!"m ~,
itII!""""'"
~l~ ',idnL
IOlet, et lalUi tcio nita sit, III nUDe fit. Cicero Tusculan. ii, l1.He
faiptl, CCDIm. the ahIe,' aDd warinly defeDda tbe _, of Ihe'1l: 'PO!ts ;
ocw papa "~~ ~_ ~ctlor ~.tn 41~ ct IDII)'tcm di4cip1iDa..,
Seneca (epjst. vii) Ihews the feeliu4' of a man.
• This account of RaveDDa i~ draWD from Strabo, (I, v, p. 121) ;
Rilll, (iii, 20); Stephen of Byzulium, (Iub v oce paS..... , p. 1151, edit.
Ber~"'); CIBPCtiaJl; (i!J'v,i eo.... IJpDqll: 494, 4rc.);. Sidonhaa; Apo1UD . . . ., (I. i, epilt. 6, 8); JOl'llaDdl'8, (de Reb. Get. c. 29); ProC9piu.,
(de BeU. Gothic. I. i, c. 1, p. 309, edit Louvre), an4 CIIIYCriua, (Ita!.
hdq.lc!m. i, p••~n.I01). Yet I .• till want. lo!* aGtiqauilll, ucI •
pod tcipo~rapbic.1 map.
'
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108.
. THE l>ECLlNB AND FA1.L
observed the opportunity oftbe place, preparetJ,·
_~~:_at the distance of three miles from tbeold towQ,
a. capacious harbour, for the receptIon of two
hundred and 6rty.ships of war. This naval es-'
tablishment,which included the arsenals and
magazines, the barracks of the troops, and the.
houses of tlJe ariificers, derived its origin and
name from.the permanent station of the Roman.
a.eet; .the inte),mediate space was soon filled.
with buildings and inhabitants, and the three.
extensive.and populous quarters of Ravenna.
gradually contributed to form one of ilie most·
important cities of Italy. , The principal canal
of Augustus poured. a copious stream of ~e.
:waters of the .Po through the midst of the city,
to the entrance of the harbour; the saine waters
were introduced into. the profo~d ditch,es that:
encompassed the Walls; they were distributed,
by a thousand subordinate car,als,' intO.every
part of.the.city, which. iliey divided into a va..
riety ,of slDall islands; the communication was·
maintained only by th~ uire of boats .and bridges;
and, theh~use8:~f Ravenna, whose appearance
may be compared to that of Venice, were raised on the foundation of wl..)den piles.' The
adjacent country, to the distance of many
miles, was 8: deep and impassable morass; and
the artificial causeway, which connected Ravenna with the continent, might be easily guarded,
or destroyed, on the approach. or an hostile
army. These morasses were interspersed, however, with vineyards; ..and though the soil was
exhausted by four or fivecrop~,tbetowll enjoyed
CHAP
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209-
OF THE ROMAN EMPDlE.
a Blore plentiful supply of wine thp.n ()l fresh CHAP.
. .IDstead
"
. kly, _..
xxx.
water.p - -Th e air
0 r
receIvmg
t he SIC
_~,,#
and almost pestilential, exhalations of low and
marshy grounds, was distinguished, like the
neighbourhood of Alexandria, as uncommonly
pure and salubrious; and this singular advantage was ascribed to the regular' tides of the
Hadriatic, which swept the canals, interrupted
the unwholesome stagnation of· the waters, andfloated, every day,. 'the vessels' of the adjacent
country into the' heart of Ravenna. The gradual retreat of the sea has left the modem city
at the distance of .four miles from the Hadriatic;
and as early as the fifth or' sixth· century of th.
Christian era, the port of Augustus was converted into -ple~sant orchards; and· a lonely
grove of pines covered the ground where the
Roman :fieet ance rode at anchor.'1 Even this
alteratioll contributed to IDcrease the natural
strength 'of the place; and the shallowness of
the water was a sufficient -barrier against the
large ships of the enemy. This advantageous
situation was fortified by art and labour; and in
the twentieth year oEbis age, the emperor of the
• Martial' 'epigram iii, 66, 67) playa OD the trick of' the bin, who
had.old him wine instead of water; but be seriollsly declares, tbat I
eiltem It Ravenna is more nluable than a ,inryard. Sidonlo. com·
platas that the town is destitute of fooominl Ind aqlledocta; and ranb
the want of fresb water among the local evils, luch as the croaking of
frogs, the atin&i ng 4f-pats, "c.
• The, fable of'Tbeodore ad Honoria, wblcb Dryden baa 10 admirably trauaplanted from Boeaceio, (Giomata, iii, novell. viii) was acted
In tbe wood of C1&i.. m, a corrupt word from C1UlBi6, tbe naval Mtation,
wbieb, with the intermediate road or suburb, tbe Pia c..arU, con.1italed the Iriplt city of Ravenna.
VOL
V....
P
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~
~10
1118 DBCLDI'B AND PALL
West, anxious only for his personal safety, retir~
..,~~.~_ ed to the perpetual confinement of the walls and
morasses of Ravenna. The example of HonGrius was imitated by ~is feeble successors, the
Gothic kings, &lid afterwards the exarchs, who
occupied the throne and palace of the emperors;
and, till the middle ·of the eighth century, Ravenna was'Considered as the seat of government,
and the capital of Italy.r
Tbe rev..
The fears of Honorius were not without founlotioo. of d .
. h'IS precautions
..
_a'.
leytbia,
ation, nor were
WItbout cuect.
A. D. 400. While Italy rejoiced in her deliverance from the
Goths, a furious tempest was excited among the
.ations of Germany, who yielded to the irresistible impulse, that appears to han been gradual~
ly communicated from the eastern extremity of
the continent of Asia. The Chinese annals, as
they have heen interpreted by the learned in.d ustry of the present age, m~y be usefully applied to reveal the secret and remote causes af
the fall of the Roman empire. The extensive
territory to the north of the great wall, was possessed, after the Bight of the Huns, by the victorious Sienpi; who were sometimes broken
into independent tribes, and sometimes reunited
under a supreme chief; till at length· styling
themselves Topa, or masters of the earth, they
acquired a more solid consistence, and a more
formidable power. The Topa soon compelled
the pastoral nations of the eastern desert to acknowledge the superiority of their arms; they
CHAP.
,
From the year 404, the dates of tbe Tbeodoliau Code become ae
dentary at Constantinople and RayenDa. See Godefro,'1 CIuoaoIoD
of the Laws, tom. i, p. 1'8. ekc.
r
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21 t
OJ' THa IlOIIAH _PUlL
invaded China in a period. of weakness and CRAP.
intestine discord; and these fortunate Tar-..#~~
tars, adopting the laws and manners 'of the
vanq uished people, founded an imperial dy.
nasty, which reigned near one hundred. altd
sixty years over the liorthem provinces of the
monarchy. Some generations before they ascended the throne of China, one of the Topa
princes had inlisted in his cavalry a -slave of the
name of Moko, renowned for his valour; hut
who w~ tempted, by the fear of punishment, to
desert hissta.ndard, and to range the desert at the
head ofan hundred followers. This gang of robbers and outlaws swelled into a camp, a tribe, a
. numerous people,' distinguished ,by the appellation of Geoug_; and tlieir hereditary chieftains,
, the posterity of Moko the, slave, assumed their
rank among the Scythian monarchs. The youth
ofTouluD, the greatest of'his descendants, was
exercised by those misfortunes which are the
school of heroes. He bravely 8truggled with
adversity, broke the imperious yoke of the Topa,
and became the legislator of his nation, and the
conqueror of Tartary. His troops were distributed into regular bands of an hundred and of
a thousand men; cowSU'ds were stoned to death;
the most splendid honours were proposed as '
the reward of valour'; and Toulun, who had
knowledge enough to despise the learning of
China, adopted only such arts and institutions
as were favourable to the military spirit of his
goverument. His tents, which he removed in
the winter season to a more southern latitude,
were pitched, during the summer, on the fruit-
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lIt
.eIIAP.
THR DECUNK AND I'ALL .
lui banks of the Selinga.. His conquests stretch-
.,,~":_ ed from Corea far beyond the r~ver Irtish. He
.vanquished, in the country to the north of the
Caspian sea, the nation of the Huns; and the
new title of KliaR,or eagaR, expressed. the
fame and power which he derived &o~ this
memorable victory.'
EmlgraThe chain af events is interrupted, or rather
tionofthe IS
' conceaIed ,as 1't pasles firom the V0 Iga to th e
lIorthern
~~:~~. Vistula, through the dark interval which separates the extreme limits of the Chinese, and of
the Roman geography. Yet the temper of the
barbarians, and the experience of successive
. emigrations, sufficiently declare, that the HUns,
who were oppressed by the arms of the Geou.
, gen, soon withdrew from the presence of an in·
suIting victor. The countries towards the EuxiDe were already occupied by their kindred
tribes; and their hasty flight, which they soon.
converted into a bold attack, would more natn- :
rally be directed towards the rich and le!el
plains; tbrough which the Vistula gently flows
into the Baltic sea. The north must again have
been alarmed, and agitated, by the invasion of
the Huns; and the nations who retreated before them, must have pressed with incumbent
weight on the confines of Germany.t The inhabitants of those regions, which the ancients
have assigned to the, Suevi, the Vandals, and
• See M. de Guigne., But. des BunA, tom. i, p. 179-189; tom. ii, p•
•
,134·338.
.
Procopiu. (de Bell. Vandal. L i, c. iii. p. 182) bu OblefYed . .
emiaration from the Palm Meotia to the north of Germany. which lie
ucribea to flunine. Bnt hia vicws of ancient hiltory al..
darkened b~ iporUlce and error.
t
atraD...,
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!13
OP THI!! ROMAN EMPIRE.
the Burgmidians, might embrace the resolution" CHAP.
of abandoning to the fugitives of Sarmatia their ....~:_
woods and morasses; or at least of discharging
their superfluous numbers on the pronnces of
the Roman empire.- About four years after the
victorious Toulun had assumed the title ofK.han
of the Geougen, another barbarian, the haughty
Rhodogast, or Radagaisus," marched from the
northern extremities of Germany almost to the
gates of Rome, and left the remains of his army
to achieve the destruction of the West.. ~
Vandals, the Suevi, and the Burgundians, formed the strength of this mighty host; but the
Alani, who had found an hospitable reception
in their new seats, added their active cavalry to
the .hea vy infantry of the Germans; and the
Gothic adventurers crowded so eagerly to the ,
standard 'of Radagaisus, that, by some historians, he has been styled the king of the Goths.
Twelve thousand 'warriors, distinguished above
the vulgar by their noble birth, or their valiant'
deeds, glittered in the van;' and the whole
multitude, which was not less than two hun, dred thousand fighting men, might be increased
The
• Zoaimnl, (I. Y, p. all) Ulel the gflleral de.cription of tile uatioDl
btoyond the Danube and the Rhint'. Theiraitaation,and colllt!queutJy
their namel, are manifa!ly shewn, ut'n in the varioUl epithets whicla
each ancient writer may Iaan casnaUy added.
Z The name of Rhadagast was that of a local deity of the Obotrite.,
(in Mecklenburgh). A hero might naturally_ume the appellation "f
hi. tutelar god; but it is not probable Ihat the barbariUl should wor.
Ihip an unsucc('ssful hero. See Malcon, Hist. of the Germani, yiii, lC.
y Olympiodoru. (apad Photillm, p. ISO) Ulel the Greek word
which dot'S not conny any precise idea. I IUIVect that
they were the princes and nobles, wilh their faithful ('ompanion.; the
high'" with tbeir .quires, as they would have been .tyled lOme c:e..
tariea Iflerwarda.
0....,........ ;
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!14
THE DECLINB AND PALL
CHAP. by the accession of women, of children, and of
_~!: slaves, to the amount of four hundred thousand
persons. This formidable emigration issued
from the same coast of the Baltic, which had
poured forth the myriads of the Cimbri and
Teutones, to assault Rome and I taly in the
vigour of the republic. After the departUre of
those barbarians, their native country, which
was marked by the vestiges of their greatness, .
long ramparts, and gigantic moles,· -remained,
during some ages, a vast and dreary solitude;
till the human species was renewed by the powers of generation, and the vacancy was filled by
the influx of new inhabitants. The nations who
now usurp an extent of land, which they are
unable to cultivate, would soon be assisted by
the industrious poverty of their neighbours, if
the government of Europe did not protect the
claims of dominion and property.
R,~".ia.: The correl!1pondence of nations was, in that
i:~;:adea age, so imperfect and precarious, that the revoAo D. 406. lutions of the nOi"th might escape the knowledge
of the court of Ravenna; till the dark cloud,
which was collected along the coastofthe Baltic,
burst in thunder upon the hanks of the Upper
Danube. The emperor of the West, if his miuisters disturbed his amusements by the news of
the impending danger, was satisfied with being
the occasion, and the spectator of the war.' The
..
• Tacit. de Moribna Germauorum, c. S7.
•
-Cujul .geDdi
Spectator yet cansa {ai.
Clandi,n, yj COOl. HOD. 01
Ie tbr modut language of Honorina, in ~pl'aking of tbe Gotbic war,
wbicb be had ael'D lomewhat nearer.
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216
OF THE ROMAR EMPIBE.
saCetyofRomewasintrusted t~ thecounsels,and CHAP.
the sword, of Stilicho; but sllch was the feeble ....~~.~...
and exhausted filtate of the empire, that it was
impossible to restore the fortifications of the
Danube, or to prevent, by a vigorous t.1fort, the
invasion of the "Germans. b The hopes of . the
vigilant ministers of Honorius were confined
to' the defence of Italy. He once more a'bandoned the provinces, recalled the troops, pressed the, new levies, which were rigorously ex~.
acted, and pusillanimously eluded; employed
the most efficacious means to arrest, or allure,
the deserters; and offered the gift of freedom,
and of two pieces of gold, to all the slaves who
would inlist.c By these efforts, he painfully
collected, from the sul?jeets of a great empire,
an army of thirty or forty thousand men,
which, in the days of Scipio or Camillus,
would have been instantly furnished by the free
citizens of the territory of Rome.· The thirty
legions of SHlicho were reinforced by a large
body of barbarian auxiliaries; the faithful Alani
b ZOlimU'. (I. v, p. 1111) .tl'8Jllport. the war, ud the victory, of Stilicho, beyond the Dlftlube. A _trauge error, which is awkwardly RDd
imperfectly cured, by readillg AC'" for 1(',.., (TiIlemoDt, Biat. del Emp.
tom. v, p. 807). In good policy, we muat use the .ervice of ZOlimua,
withoat e_teeming or troltin, him.
C Codex Theodol. I. vii, tit. xiii, leg. 16.
The date of this law
( .... D. (06, May IS) latistie. me, as it had done Godefroy, (tom. ii, p.
187), of the tme year of the iIIvamon 01 Radagailul. Tillemont, Pall,
IlDd Muratori, prefer the precedin, year; but they are bouod by certain obligation. of civility and reapect, to St. Panlina. of Nola.
d Soon after Rome had been taken by the Gaols, the aenate, on a
audden emergeucy, armed ten legiona, 11,000 hOrle, and 42,000 foot; a
force whicb the city could Dot have sent forth under Augustus, (Li,y,
vii. U). This declaratioD _y pllll1c all antiquary, but iI is uearl7
explained byl!oDteI,uiea.
.
.
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2 Hi
THR DECLINE AND FALL
were perRonally attached to his service; and
, CH,\".
x~x.
,-,.-", the troops of Huns and of qoths who marched
under the banners of their native princes, Hul•
. did and Sarus, were animated by interest and
,resentment to oppose the ambition of Radagai,sus. The ldng of the confederate Germans passed, without resistance, the Alps, the Po, and
the Appenine; leaving on one band the inac:(;essible palace of Honorius, securely buried.
among the marshes 'of Ravenna; and, on the
~other, the camp of Stilicho, whtl had fixed his
head quarters at Ticinum, or Pavia, but who
'seems to have avoid~d a decisive battle, till he
had assembled h~s distant forces. Many cities
of Italy were pillaged, or destrGyed ; and the
BHiegea siege of Florence," by Radagaisl)s, is one of the
PlereDce. earliest events \n the hi$tory of that celebrated
republic; whose firmness checked and delayed
the unskilful fury, of the oarbarians. Tbe senate and people trembJed at their approach
within an hundred arid eightr miles of Rome;
and anxiously compared the dang,er which they
had escaped, with the new perils to which they
were exposed. Alaric was a Christian and It
soldier, the leader of a disciplined army; who
understood the laws of war, who respected the
sanctity of treaties, and who had familiarly con• MaehiaYeI hu explaiDed. at leut u a philOlOpher, the on,i. of
FloreDce, which lueDsibly dHceDded, for the beuefit of trade, from
the rock of Faanhe to the baDks of the Arno, (Iltona F1oreD.iD. tOlD.
i,-I. ii, p. 16, Londra, 11(7). The TriulDvirs leDt a colony to FloreDce, whicb, UDder Tiberios, (Tacit. ADDa). i, 79), desernd tbe ~ep...,
.ation aDd DalDe of a jlouri8Aill({ citYt See Cluver. Ital. A.ii,. to... 1"
p. 1107, eke.
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OF THE ~OMAN BllPIR!.
117
yersed with the subjects of the empire in the CHAP•
• arne camps, and the same churches. The sa- _~~::.
vage Radagaisus was a stranger to the manners,
the religion, and even the language, of the civilized nations of the South. The fierceness of
his temper was exasperated by cruel superstition; and it was universalJy i!elieved, that he
had bound himself, by a solemn vow, to reduce :ad :the city into a heap of stones and ashes, and to - 0"fJacrifice the most illustrious of the Roman senators, on the altars of those gods, who were
_ppeased by human blood. The public danger, which should have reconciled all domestic
-.nimosities, displayed the incurable madness
of religious .taction. The oppressed votaries of
Jupiter and Mercury respected, in the implacable enemy of Rome, the character of a devout
pagan; loudly declared, that they were more
apprehensive .of the sacrifices, than of the arws,
of Radagaisus; and secretly rejoiced in the
calamities of their country, which condemned
the faith of their Christian adversaries.'
Florence was reduced to the last extremity; Dt("at
and the fainting courage of the
citizens was supaDd d!•
.
Itructlon
ported only by the authorlty.of St. Ambrose; ofbil~r.m,.
who had communicated, in a dream, the promise ~'o~tlll.
of a speedy deliverance.' On a sudden, they A. D. 400.
f
Yet the Jopitt'J: of Radagailul, wbo worsbipped Tbor and Woden,
wu very differeDt from tbe Olympic or Capitoline Jove. Tbe accomaodating temper of polytheilm migbt uDite thoRe urioul and remote
deitiel; bot tbe genuiDe RomaDI abhorred the human sacrificel of
Gaul and GermaDY.
I PauliDus (in Vito AmbrOl. C. 50) relatel this stoFf, whicb be reo
.,ed from the mouth of Pansophia her,elf, a religion' matron 01 Flo-
reuce.
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2J8
THE BiEcLlKE AND FALL
CHAP. b~held,
from their walls, the banners of Stili.:~;,.. cho, who advanced, with his' united force, to
the relief of the faithful city; and who SOOI1
marked that fatal spot for the grave of. the barbarian host. The apparent contradictions of
those writers who variously relate the defeat of
Radagaisus, may be reconciled, without offering much violence to their respective testimonies. Orosius and Augustin, who were intimately connected by friendship and religion~
ascribe this miraculous victory to the providence of God, rather than to the valour of man.·
They strictly exclude every idea of chance, or
even of bloodshed; and positively affirm, that
the Romans, whose camp ",as the scene of
plenty and idleness, enjoyed the distress. of the
barbarians, slowly expiring on the sharp and
barren ridge of the hills of Fresulre, which rise
above the city of Florence. Their extravagant
assertion, that not a single soldier of the Christian army was killed, or even wounded, may
be dismissed with silent contempt; but the rest
of the narrative of Augustin and Orosius is consistent with the state of the war, and the character ofStilicho. Conscious that he commanded the last army of tb~ republic, his prudence
would not expose it, in the open field, . to the
rence. Yet the arehbilhop loon ceased to take an aetlve part in the
bDlinell of the world, and never became a popular lahlt.
II Augustin de Civitat. Dei, v.28.
Orosi III, I. vii, c. 87, p. 567In. The two friendl wrote in A.frica, ten or twelve years after the
victory; and their authority is implicitly fullowed by Ilidore of Seville,
Cin Cbron. p. na,'edit. Grot). How many intereatin, facl. might
OrOliDl bave welled in the vacant apace which ia devoted to piou
.oueuel
.
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01' THE ROMAN DlPJRL
headstrong fury of the Germans. The method CHAP.
of surrounding the enemy with strong lines of ,,'!:.,~_
circumvatIation, which he had twice employed
against the Gothic king, was repeated on a
larger scale, and with more considerable effect.
The examples of Cresar must have been familiar to the most illiterate of the Roman warriors; and the fortifications of Dyrrachium, which
eonnected twenty-four castles, by a perpetual
ditch and rampart of fifteen miles, afforded the
model of an intrenchment which might confine,
and starve, the most numerous host of barbarians! The Roman. troops had leis degen&o
rated from the industry, than from the valour,
of their ancestors; and if the servile and lalJo..
rious work offended the pride of the soldiers,
Tuscany could sup'plymany thousand peasants,
who would labour, though, perhaps, they would
not fight, for the salvation of their native country. The imprisoned multitude of horses and
menlc was gradually 'destroyed by famine, rather
than by the sword; but the Romans were exposed, during the progress of such an extensive
work, to the frequent attacks of an impatient
enemy. The despair'ofthe hungry barbariaus
Fnnguntur montes, planumqlle per ardua Ca!sar
Ducit opos: pandit fOI,al, turritaque 'IImmia
Di'ponit casteUajllgis, maguoque recellt!
Amplexux fille.; saltul nemorolaque tesqua
Et Iilns, vastlque feras indagine claodit.
Yet the limplicity of truth (Clesar, de Bell. Civ. iii, (4) 1. far areater
lball the amplificationl of Lucan, (Pharsal. I. vi, 29·63).
It The rhetorical expre.lionl of OroaiuI, "In .rido et aspero monti.
" jugo;" "'in unum ac parvDm verticem;" are not 'refy luitable te
the erampment ofa great army. But F ••ulle, only three miles from
Florence, might aft'ord Ipace for the head'qllartera of Radagailul, allli
would be comprehended withiu the circuit of the Roman liue••
I
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'20
THE DECLINE AJlD FAL!.
CHAP. wouta precipitate them against the forlificatfons
.~~~....'of Stilicho; the genera~ might sometimes )Qdulge the ardour of his brave auxiliaries, who
eagerly pressed to assanlt the camp of the Germans; and these various jn~dents might produce the sharp and bloody conflicts which dignify the narrative of Zosimus, and the Chroni.;.
cIes of Prosper and Marcellinus.1 A 'Seasonable supply of men and provisions had been illtroduced into the waUs of Florence; and the
famished host of Radagaisus was iil its turn besieged. The proud monarch of so many warlike nations, after the loss of his bravest warriors, was reduced to confide either in the faith
of a capitu lation; or iri the clemency of Stilicho.m But the death of the royal captive, who
was ignominiously beheaded; disgraced the triumph of Rome and of Christianity; and the
short delay of his execution was sufficient to
brand the conqueror with the guilt of cool and
deliberate crUelty.a The famished Germans;
who escaped the fury Of the auxiliaries, were
sold as slaves, at the contemptible price of as
many single pieces of gold: but the difference
of food and climate swept away great numbers
of those unhappy strangers; and it was observI See ZOlimUI, I. Y, p. 881, aud the ChroDiclea of Prosper and )farceUiuul.
III Olymplodoms (apud Photium, p. 180) uses an expreaalou,
(1I'e ...''''../f.......o), which would deuote a .trict aDd frieudly aUiance, aDd.
render Stilicho still more crimiDal. The paulisper detentua, dt:inde interfeetns, of Oroains, is sufficiently odious.
.
• Orosins, pionsly inbnman, sacrifices the king and people, Ag..
and the Amalekitt'8, without a symptom of compassioD. The bloody
actor is It:,, de teat able thaD the cool Bnf('eling historian
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drTH"£ ROMAN DlPIRE.
ed that the inhuman purchasers, instead of reap- CRA P
ing the fruits of their labour, were soon obliged#!:!,#
to prOVide the expence of their interment. Sti·
licho informed the emperor and the senate of his
success; and dese"ed, a second time, the gl()oo
rious title of Deliverer of Italy.The fame of the "jctory, and more especially The reof the miracle, has encouraged a vain persuasion, ~a::der
that the whole army, or rather nation, of Ger- ~e":aaa
mans, who migrated from the shores of the Baltic, miserably perished under the walls of Flo- ~::~
rence. Such indeed was the fate of Radagaisus
himself, of his brav,e and faithful companions,
and of more than one-third of the various mul-.
ntude of Sueves and Vandals, of Alani and Burgllndians, who adhered to the standard of their.
general.P The ~nion of such an army might excite our surprise, but the causes of separation
are .obvious and forcible; the pride of birth, the
insolence of valour, the jealousy of command,
the impa.tien~e of subordination, and the obsti·.
nate conBict of opinions, of interests, and of passions, among so many kings and warriors, who
were untaught to yield, or to obey. After the
defeat of Radagaisus, two parts of the German
host, which must have exceeded the number of
one hundred thousand men, still remained in
o::t
• And Claadiao', . mUle, wu ahe ulet'p i had ahe heeD ill paid f
Methiak. the aeveath eODlulship of HODoria. (A. D. 401) would have
filmi.bed the labjeet of a Doble poem. Before it was di.cowered that
tbe atate could 00 loager be lI"ed, Stilieho (after Kamal." CamiUu.,
aDd Marial).mighl have beea worthily laraamed the fourth fouader of
Rome.
p A lamiaioul passage of Prosper'l Chroaicle, "1. Ira pari,., , .
~ ,riui",.. ~ ea:mMtu," redac. the miracle of FloreD~,
aad CODDecti the biatory of Ital, Gaal. aad Germul' _
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THE DEn.tNB AND PALL
CHAP. anna, between the Apennine and the Alps, or,
.,~~:_between the Alps and the Danube. It is un·
certain whether they Q.ttempted to revenge the
deat.h of their general; but their irregular fury
was soon diverted by the prudence and firmness of Stilicho, who QPpo$ed their march, and
facilitated their retreat; who con.sidered the
safety of Rome and Italy as the great object of
his care; and who sacrificed, with too much
indifference, the wealth and tranquillity of the
distant pl'ovinces.Q The barbarians acquired,
from the junction of some Pannonian deserters,
the knowledge of the country, and of the roads;
and the invasion of Gaul, which Alaric had
designed, was executed by the remains of the
great army of Radagaisus.r
Yet if they expected to derive any assistance
from the tribes of Germany, who inhabited the
banks of the Rhine, their hopes were disappointed. The Alemanni preseneda state of inactive neutrality; and the Franks distinguished
their zeal and courage in the defence of the em'pire. In the rapid progress down the Rhine,
which was the first act of the administration of
Stilicho, he had applied himself, with peculiar
" Oroaiu8 and Jrrom positivrly charge him with instigating the in-o
ftlion. "Excitatlll a SUlichone gentrl," Ikc. They ..nst meau __
_ Ig. Be laved Italy at the "pence of Gaul.
r The count de Bnat II aatisfied, that the Germ.... who iavaded
Ganl were the ftDo.IlrirU that yet remaiDed of the .rmy of Raclagaima.
See the Blltoire Ancienne del Peuples de l'Europe, tom. Yil, p. 87iiI; Paril, 1'7'12; an elaborate work, whicb I had Dot tbe advaDtage of peruling till the year 1717. A. early .. 1771, I find the lame
idea exprened in a rongh dnngbt of the preseut Biltory. T hue ,inee
observed a aimiliar intimation in Mucou, (viii, 11). Bach BIIeemrnt,
without mutual comulllnicatIOD,' may add IOBle weight to oar com_a
teatilllellt.
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Si3
OJ' THE,ROMAN DlPIRR.
attention, to secure the allia.Jlce of the warlike CRAP.
Franks, and to remove the irreconcilable ene- .~~~_
mies of peace and of thtl republic. Marcomir,
Olle of their kings, was publicly convicted, befOre the trihunal of the Roman magistrate, of
,"iolatiug the faith of treaties. He was sentenced to a mild, but distant, exile, in the province
of Tuscany; and this degradation of the regal
dignity was so far from exciting the resentment
of his subjects, that they punished with death
the turbulent Sunno, who attempted to revenge
his brother; ,and maintained' a dutiful allegiance
to the princes, who were established on the throne
by the choice of Stilicho.' When the limits of
Gaul and Germany were shaken by the northern
emigration, the Franks bravely encountered the
single force of the Vandals; who, .regardless of
the lessons of adversity, had again separated their
troops from the standard of their barbarian
allies. They paid the penalty of their ruhness;
and twenty thousand Vandals, with their king
Godigisclus, were slain in the field of battle.
The whole people must have been extirpated, if
the squadrons of the Alani, advancing to their
relief had not trampled down the infantry of
the Franks; who, after an honourable resistance,
were compelled to relinquish the unequal con•
--ProYiDcia mllaoa
Espellet citia. fucCI, quam FraDcia rep
Qao. dederia.
CIao""" (i CoOl. Stil. I. i, ISS, Irc.) is clear aDd latiaf'actol'J. Tbeae
kiD,. of Fraace are unkaowD te Gl't'col'J of Toan; but the aathor of
the Geata Frallcorom meatioDI both SaDao aDd Marcomir, aad _ _
the latter u the father ofI'haremoDd, (iD tom. ii, p. 543). He..,...
.. write from pod materiala, which lae did Dot aadentlUld.
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H4:
THE'DULIO AND FALIi
CHAP. test: The victorious confederates pursued their
,,~~~;,.. march, and, 011 the last day ofthe year, in a seaIlon when the. waters of the Rhine ~ere most
probably frozen, they entered, without opPQ~i
tion~ the defenceless provinces of Gaul. 'niis
memorable passage of the Snevi, the Vandals,
the AJani, and the Burgupdians, woo never afterwards retreated, may be considered as the'
fall of the Roman empire ill the countries beyond the Alps; and the baniers which had so'
long separated the savage and' the civi1i~ed nations ofthe'earth, were from that fatal moment.
levelled with the ground.t
DelolatioD
While the peace of Germany was secured by
of
Gil
II'
.
t'h
A. ,,-AuT;
e attacIlment 0 f' the F rallk s,an d the neutral't
IY
,""
of the Alemanni, the subjects of Rome, ~.ncon-l
scious of their approaching calamities, enjoyed.
the state of quiet 'and prosperity, which had seldomblessed the frontiers of Gaul. Their Bocks
and herds were permitted to graze in the pastures of the barbarians; theIr huDtsmen penetrated, without fear or' danger, into the darkest
recesses of the Hercynian wood. The banks
of the Rhine were crowned, like those of the ...
U
.
,
• See ZOlimuI, O. yi, p. 373) ; Oroliul, (I. "ii, c. 40, p. 678), and the
Chroniclel. Gregorv of Tourl (1. ii, e. D, p. 165, ia 'the lecoad "olume
of the Hi,toriaal of France) lIaa prelerved a ·valuable fragment or Re-.
nalua Profntnrui FrigeriduI, whOle three namel denote a Christiln, a
Roman Iubject, and a ,emi·barbarian.
• Claud ian (i Cons. Stil. 1. i, 221, &t.. j I. ii, 186, delcribea the
peace and prolperity of tbe Gallic froatierl. The Abbe Duboi, (Hilt.
Critique, .scc. tom. i, p. 174) would read -iu.., (a nameleu riyulet of
the ArdenneN), instead of A Ibis ; and expatiates on the danger of the
Gallic cattle graaing beyond the Etbe. Foolisb enoogh! In poetical
,('ography, the Ellie', and the Hercynian, lignifv any river, or 101
wood ill Gerlllany. Claudian is not prepared tllr tbe I'riet examin..
tion of our antiquaries.
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I
22li
OF 'l'RE ROllAN EMPIRP..
Tiber, with elegant houses, and well cultivated CHAP.
farms; and if a poet descended the river, he 'I~::I.
~ight ~xpress his doubt, on which side was si·
tuated the territory of the Rom8.}ls." This
scene of peace and plenty was suddenly chang.
ed into a desert; andthe prospect of the smoking ruins could alone distinguish the ~olitude
of nature ffom the desolation of man. ~Tbe
flourishing city of Mentz was surprised and
destroyed;· and many thousand Christians were
church. Worllls
inhumanly massacred ,in
perished after a long and obstinate siege; Strasburgh, Spires, Rheims, Tournay, Arras, Amiens,
experienced the cruel oppression of the German
yoke; and the consuming flames of war spread
from the banks of the Rhine over the greatest
part of· the seventeen provinces of Gaul. That
rich and extensive country, as far as the ocean,
the Alps, and the Pyrenees, was delivered to the
barbarians, who drove before them, .in a promiscuous crowd, the bishop, .the senator, and the
,irgin, laden with the spoils of their houses and
altars.'" The ecclesiastics, to whom we are in~
debted for this vague description of the public
calamities, embraced the opportunfty of exhorting the Christians to repent ofthe siD:s which had
provoked the Divine Justice, and' to renounce
the perishable goods of a wretched and deceitful
the
--Geminasqlle viator
Com 1'ideat ripas, qme sit Romana requirat.
J Jerom. tom. i, p. 93.
See in the 1st vol. of the Historian. of
France, p. 111,782, the proper extracts from the Carmen de Pravi.
tlent.ia Divinl, and Salvian. The anonymous poet was himself a· captive, with his bi~hop and fellow-citizens.
VOL V
Q
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THE DECLINE AND FALl
CHAP. world. But as the Pelagian controversy: which
....~~; .... att~mpts to sound the abyss of grace and predestination, soon became the serious employment
of the Latin clergy; the Providence w~i~h had
decreed, or foreseen, or permitted, such a train
of moral and natural evils, wa,s rashly weigh~d
in the imperfect and fallacious balance of reason.
The crimes, and the misfortune~, of the su1fering people, were presumptuously compared,with
those of their ancestors; and they arraigned the
Divine Justice, which did not exempt from the
common destruction the feeble, the g!liltless, the
infant portion of the human species. These idle
disputants overlooked the invariable laws OfDature, which have connected peace with innocence, plenty with industry, and safety with valour. The timid and selfish policy of the court
of Ravenna might recal the Palatine legions for
tbe protection of Italy; the remains of the lta- ;
tionary troops might be unequal to the arduous .
task; and the barbarian auxiliaries might prefer the unbounded licence of spoil, to the benefits of a modera~e and regular stipend. But the
provinces of Gaul were filled with a numerous
race of hardy and robust youth, who, in the
defence of their houses, their families, and their
altars, if they had dared to die, would have
deserved .to vanquish. The knowledge of their
native couDtrf would have enabled them to op-
• The Pela,iaD doctrine, which wu first agitated A. D. 405, wu u.demned, iD the space of teo yean, at Rome aDd Carthage. It. AupltID fou,ht and couquered: but the Greek church wu fayollr&ble ..
hi. adYenariea; and (wbat is aincular eDongh) the people dill ........
any part in a diapute which tlley could Dot uDden".
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227
·0. TIlE ROMAN EMPIRP..
po* continual and insuperable obstacles ~o the CHAp.
progress f)f an invader; and the deficiency oC ~ ..~~~':...
the barbarians, in arms as well as' in discipline,
removed the only pretence which' excuses the
submission, of a populous country to. the infe.:.
rior numbei-s Of a veteran' abny When France
was invaded by Charles V, be i~qriired of a
prisoner, Bow mal1y days ParIs might ,bl' dis.
taht from' the frontiei'? "p,erhaps' t,J;etlfe;' bti~
cc' they ~ill'be d:ays 6t,battle."·
Such"was the
gallant' answer which chec,ked'the arf()gailce of
that ambitious prince. The suhjects'of Honorius, and those of Francis 1,' were'a1iim~ted by
a very different' spirit; ahd ifi:'less' tiian ~wo
years, the d'ivided' troops of the ,savages of the
Baltic, whose numbers, were they' fairly 'stated,
would appear coritemptible; advariced, without
a eombat, to the foot of the Pyrenrean moun';'
tains.
In the early part of the reign oC Honorius,
the vigilance ofStilicho ha~ successfully guard-~~YB~t~1a
ed'the remote island of Britain from her inces- ~r:n:.'(07.
sant enemies of" the ocean, the mountains, and
the lrisb coast.1I But those restless batbarians
• lite the Memoirel de Guillaome do Bellay, I. vi. In French; the
origiDal reproof is lell obyioos, aud more poimed, t'rom the dooble
sense of tbe word jOIlI7lU, wbich 'alike ligumes, a day'. tranl, or a
batde.
'
~ ,c,taodi.au '(i CoDI. Stll. L iit. 250). It ii, sn,posed, that the. Scoll
of Ireland mvaded, by sea, the whole westero coast of BritaiD: aod
lotlle sllgbt c,edit may be ginn enD to NenniDl and the .,ish traditious, (Carte'. Hilt. ot' EDglaDd, yolo i, p. 169. Whitaker's Genuiue
~tory'of the Brit~D', p. 199). The aizlJ·aiz IInl of Sf. Patrick,
which wlL!te extaot in the ninth ceDtory,mnst han coutamed, U maoy
thousand lies; yet we may bellen, that iD one of tht'R .Irilh inroalia,
the future apoltle wu lei! away captin, (Usher. AntiqDit. Ecclea. Bri.
,
tau8
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~!8
THE DECLINE AND FALL,
could not neglect the fair opportunity 'Of the
~,~;,.. Gothic war, when the walls and stations of the
province were stripped of the Roman troops.
If any of the legionaries were permitted to return from the Italian expedition, their faithful
report of the .court and character of Honorius
mUit have tehded to dissolve the bonds of allegiance, and to exasperate the l3editious temper'
of the British army.' The spirit of revolt, which
had formerly disturbed the age of Gallienus, was,
revived by the capricious violence of the soldiers; and the unfortunate, perhaps the ambitious, candidates, who were the objects.of their
choice, were the instruments, and at length the
victims, of their passion. Marcus was the first
whom they placed on the throne, as the lawful'
emperor of Britain, and of the West. They
violated, by the hasty murder of Marcus, the
oath' of fidelity which they had imposed on
themselves; and tkeir disapprobation of his
manners, may seem to,inscribe an· hono~rable
epitaph on his tomb. Gratian ,was the next·
wh~m they adorned with the diadem and the
purple;. and, at the end of four m!>nths, Gratian experienced the fate of his predecessor.
The memory of the great Constantine, whom
the British legions had given to the church and
to the empire, suggested the singular motive of
their third choice. They discovered in the
CHAP.
C
taun, p. 01, ud TiUemont, Hem. Ecelea. tom. xvi, p. ~8, .,...
.e).
C The British Ulurptn are taken from Zoaimal, (I. yi, p ••,1-175);
Oroaius, (L yii, •• 40, p. 676,1111) j Ol,mpiodorus, (apud Phod.....
po lBO, 181), the eceleaiudcal hiI&oriua, aucl tile. CIIroJaicla. ,....
!AtiBl are iporut.otMucus.-' '
.
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229
OF.THE ROMAN'EMPIRE.
ranks a private soldier of the name of Con stan· CliAP.
.
'1eVlty
' h adaIrea
d 'y",.n
xxx.
·
t me,
and th'
elr Impetuous
.. .,.,
seated him on the throne, before they perceived ~onl.tan" mcapaci'ty to sustam
. the welg
. ht 0 f tag
h t )0- flne
II ac.
h IS
knowledr.
e~ inand
Bri.
,rious ap' pellation .•, Yet the authority of Con. tain
stantine was less precarious, and his governGaul,
A. D. 407.
.
ment was more successful, than t he tran,slent
reigns of Marcus an4 of Gratian. The danger
of leaving his inactive troops in 'those camps,
which had been twice polluted with blood and
sedition, urged him to attempt the reduction of
the western provinces. He landed at Boulogne
with an inconsiderable f6rce; and after he had
reposed himself some days, he summoned the
cities of Gaul, which had escaped the yoke of
the barbarians, to acknowledge their lawful so•
vereign. They obeyed the, summons without
reluctance. , The neglect of the court of Ravenna had absolved a deserted people from the
duty of allegiance; their actual distress encouraged them t~ accept any circumstances of
change, without apprehension, and, perhaps,
with some degree of hope; and they might flatter themselves, that the troops, the authority,
and even· the name of a Roman emperor, who
fixed his residence in Gaul, would protect the
unhappy country from the rage of the barbarians. Thefirst successes of Constantine against
the detached parties of the Gennans, were magnified by the voice of adulati,?n into' splendid
• Cum in Constantino illcDtutaaliatR • •• -. execrarentnr, (Sidoniul
ApOllinaria,l. Y, ,epilt. 9, p. 139, edit. secnnd. Sirmond). Y~t 8idoni·
\\I might be tempted, by 10 (air a pDD, to stigmati&e a prince _h. had
dispaced_hia grandfather.
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230
'iiAf' and d~i~,v€ vjc~ories; ,whicll tl)e reuni.on and
_u....,..:. . . insolence uf tbeeJlemy soon reduced to their
just yalue. His negotiations procured a short
and precarious tr1Jce; ,and if some trjbes of the
barbarians were 'engaged, by th~ liberl;l.lity of his
gifts and promises, t,o undertl;l.ke the defence of
the ~hine, ,these expensiv;e and J.lncertain treaties,instead of restoring the pristinevigour of the
Gallic frontier, served only to 'di,sgrace' the majesty of the prince,apd 'to' exhal,lst whl;l.t yet rema~ned of tpe tre~sures pC th,e repubHc. ~late.~
however with this imaginary triumph, the v&iu
deliverer of Gaul a4vanced jnto the pfPvinces of
the South, to encounter a 'more Ilressing and
pers~Qal d~p.ger. Sarus the Goth w.~s ordered
~~ l~y ~~~ hea4 of the rebel at tne {eet of t»e
~lQperor ijonor~~s; a~d the Cor~es of Jlritau,.
~n~ I~ly ~~re un'Yqrt~ily cOnsPPled ~~ tbis aomf!~p.p gtJil-rreJ. 4f~er ~~~ lO~!!I of ~fs ~wo bray~~~ ge~~.al~,.J~sp~i~ 1ffi4 ':Neri~~stell~ ~4e forDl~r qf ~ho~ ~~s sl~lQ i~ ~h~ ~ela of p~~tl~, *be
I~H~r ~n a B~aceful ~~t tn~acher,Qus jptel'yiew,
Con~t~~t~~~ f~r~ifie~ ~tms~lf wflhin tq~ walls
0fylenH~~ 1'p~ pla~~ 'Y~~ Ip~.~e~~~~HY attacke4 ~ey~p. ~~y~; !tud ~~~ imD~fia.l 8:flllY ~uppo~t
e~, i~ , p.'feF~p.~tate ~~~ef+~ t~e ignoJiliny of
.pU~Ch~SlP~ , sefllre p'~s~~~e (p>m the ff~eboo
ters an4 outlaws of the Alps.- Those mount8.in~' ~o~ s~parated th~ dominions ~f tw() rival
mona~c\ls ~ an4 the fort~ficatl~ns of i¥e double
_
• Bqaad. is the Dame which ZoailDlU I!pp~ea t~ th~; pem_l"
they 4eserved _ Ie•• odioni charact~r; Csee'1?n1Jois, Hiat. ~ritiq~o!.
tom. ~, ~,·203. and this Hiatory yol; ~i, p.~ 12,>. W~ i\l~~ be~
them a,aln.
'
or
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231
OP THE BOMAN EMPIRE.
frontier were guarded by the trooJls of tile em- CHAP.
pire, whose arms would have been more usefu(ly _~~,~~,..
employed to maintain the Roman limits against
the barbarians of Germany and Scytllia.
On the side of tile. Pyrenees, the ambition of He rcd..
Constantine might be justified by the proximity ~~
of danger; but his throne was soon established
by the conquest, or rather submission, 9f Spai~;
which yielded to the influence .of regular and habitual subordination, and received the laws and
magistrates of the Gallic prefec~ure. The only
opposition which was made to the authority of
Constantine, proceeded not 80 much from the
pOW~1"8 of government, or tile spirit of the peo..,
pIe, as from the private zeal, and interest of th~
family of Theodosius. Four brothers' had obtained by the faTour, of their kinsman, the deceased emperor, an honourable rank, and ample
possessions, in their native country: and the
grateful youths .resolved to risk those advantages in the sen ice of his son. After an unsuc·
cessful effort to maintain their ground at the
head of the stationary troops of Lusitania, they
retired to their estates; where they armed and
levied, attheir own expeDce, a considerable body
of slaves and dependants, and boldly marched. ,
to occupy the strong posts of the Pyrenman
mountains. This domestic insurrection alarmed and perplexed the sovereign of Gaul and Britain; and he was compelled to negotiate with
Bome troops of barbarian auxiliaries, for the ser-
:p:.:::
, Verinianal, Didymol, TheodOliul, aad Lagodiul, who, in modena
e:ool1l, would be: Ityled princel of the blood, were not distinguilhed
by any rank or privilcici above the relt of their fellow aubjecta.
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132
THE DECLINE' AND FALL
vice of the Spanish war .. Theyweremstingnished
~~~;.... by the title of Honoria!,· a name which might
have reminded them of their fidelity to their
.lawful sovereign; and if it should candidly be
allowed that the Scoll were influenced by any
partial affection for a British prince, the Moor!
.. and the Marcomarmi could be tempted only by
the profu~e liberality of the usurper, who distributed among the barbarians the military, and
even the civil, ·honours of Spain. The nine
bands of Honorians, which may be easily traced
, on the establishment i)f the western empire,
could not exceed the number of five thousand
men; yet this inconsiderable force was sufficient
to terminate·a war, which 'had threatene~ the
power and safety of Constantine. The rustic
army of the Theodosian family was. surr~unded
. e.nd destroyed in the Pyrenees; two of the bro..
, thers had the good fortune to eS.cape by sea to
, Italy, or the East.; the. other two, after an interval of suspense, were executed at ArIes;. and
ifHonorius could remain insensible of the public disgrace, he might perhaps be affected by
the personal misfortunes of hia generous kinsl)leq. &uc~ were the feeble arms which decided
th~ possessiQn of the western provinces of Europe, from tlle walls of Antoninus to the 'columns of Hercules. The ~vents of peace and
been diminished by the
war hav~ undoubt~dly
,.
CHAP.
I These HOIIOrilllli, or IfOllOri4ci, consisted of two band. of Scob, or
AUacotti, two of Moors, two of Marcomanni, the Victor••, tbe Aacarii,
and tbe Gallicaai, (Nolitia Imperii, sect. xxxviii, edit. Lab). They
were part of tbe sixty·fi "c AIIZili4 PalaIiaa, aud are properly Ilfled.
n ... I\IIA. "'.(11(, by ZOlimUI, (I. vi, p. 874).
.
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or THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
233
narrow and imperfect "iew of the historIans of CHAP.
the times,. who were equally ignorant of the _~~,:.,
causes, and of the effects, of the Jnost important revolutions. But the total decay of the
national strength had annihilated even the last
resource of a despotic g~vernment; and the revenue of exhausted provinces could no longer
purchase the military service of a discontented.
and pusillanimous peopl~.
. . The poet, whose flattery hal ascribed to the ~egotfia. '
p
.
V tlOno
.
.
R oman eagIe t he vIctorIes
of ollentla and e- Alaricand
.
fi
rona, pursues t he h a8ty retreat 0 f Al arlC, rom Slilicbo
A. D. 40tthe confines of Italy, with a horrid train ofima- 408.
ginary spectres, such as might hover over an
, .army of barbarians, which was almost exterminated by war, famine, and disease}' In the
course of this ~nfortunate expedi~on, the king
of the Goths must indeed have sustained a conaiderableloss ; and his harassed forces required
an interval of repose to recruit their numbers,
and revive their confidence. Adversity had
exerciRed, and displayed, the genius of Alaric;
and the fame of his valour invited to the Gothic
standard the bra vest of the barbarian warriors;
who, from the Euxine to the Rhine, were agitate~ by the desire ofrapine and conquest.. He
had deserved the esteem, and he soon accepted
the friendship,· of Stilicho himself. Renoun..
dng the service of. the emperor of the East.
•
--Comilatur euntem
Pallor, et atra faml's; et laueia lividul ora
"'UctUI; et inferni slridentci agnrine morbi
ClaudiaD is vi COOl. Hoa. 121,
.e.
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t:U
CHAP.
THE DECLINE AND FALL .
Alaric concluded, with the court of Ravenna, a
~_ treaty of peace and alliance, by which he was
declared master-general of the Roman armies
throughout the prefecture of Illyricum; as it
was claimed, according to the true and ancient
limits, by the minister of Honorius! The execution ofthe ambitious design, which was either
stipulated, or implied, in the articles of. the
treaty, appears to have been suspended by the
formidable irruption of Radagaisus; and the
neutrality of the Gothic king may perhaps be
compared to the indifference of Cresar, who, in
the conspiracy of Cataline, reCused either to assist, or to oppose, the enemy of the republic.
After the defeat of the Vandals, Stilicbo resumed bis pretensions to the provinces of the East,
appointed civil magistrates for the administra.
tion of justice, and of the finances; and declared
his impatience to lead to the gates of CODstan
tinople, the united armies of the Romans and
of the Goths. The prudence, however, of Sti
Jicho, his aversion to civil war, and his perfect
knowledge of the weakness of. the state, may
countenance the suspicion, that domestic peace,
rather than foreign conquest, was the object of
his policy; and that his principal care was to
employ the (orces of Alaric at a distance (rolD
Italy. This design could not long escape the
penetration of the Gothic king, who continued
to hold a doubtful, and perhaps a treacherous,
correspondence with the rival courts; who proI Tbrle dark'tran8actions are inYeatil{ated by the CORnt de anat,
(Hi.t. del Penplea de l'Europe, tom. yii, c. iii·yiii, p. 611-200), whOM
labodous aceural'Y ma, lometiwfI fatiGue a superficial rradcr'J
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~p THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
j81
tracted,like a dissatisftedmercenary, his languid CHAP.
opel'ations in Thcssaly and Epirus, and who ..~~:,.
soon returned to claim the extravagant rewal'd ...
of his ineffectual services. From his camp near
~mona, It OIJ the confines of Italy, he transmitted, to the emperor of the West, a long account
of prOInises, of expences, and of demands;
caUed J~ i~lJlediate satisfaction, and clearly
intjmated the conlJequeJlces of a refusal. Y~t
if hj~ cond';lct wall 4Q~tj)e, his language w~
d,ecept a~cJ d~tjful. . JIe humbly profesaed hiw.s.etf the friel).d .of StiJ~cho, ~d the soldier pi
IJQn,Qri1J~ ; offerE¥J his per~on an4 his troops to
JI)arch, ,witho~t 4.elay, against the usurper qf
GaJlI; Jl-pd ~oJi~i~d, ~s .. pe~ent rep-eat for
the GotJ)jc n~ti~n, tJle posses.ion qf smne vacant p,oJin~~ Qf the ",e'~rn empire.
The ppJiticd and. s,.,r.r~t trq.niflctions of two Debat.
state~lJl~p, who lahQJJr~4 tp decfilve 8acl~ ptbe~ i[O::D
~nd tb~ wQr1«J" IIJU$t r,.r ~v~r have been (lonc~al. ~~n:~e_
e4 in the i~pen~trq.ble "arJtn~8s of the cabjn~t
if th~ fleh~te~ Af a popnlar ~S8ePlpJy had not
thmwfJ S9m~ rlJ.Yf flf ligtM PQ *pe ~OrfeSPQndence
of ~l~r.ip ~pit StiJipho. Th~ necessity pf fin.iing SPPle. arlifi~i~l E!upport for a government,
whi~h, fro~ q. principle~ not of moderation, but
of weakness, W~$ J,"ed~ced to negotiate with its
Qwn subjects, bad in$en~ibJy r~vived the alIthority of the Roman senate; and the minister of
A See Zo.imDI, 1. v, p. 114, ISS. lie interrllpt. his Icanty narr~ti,e.
to relate the fabl~ of "moDa, and of the ship Argo; whick Will' drawD
o,er Iud Irom that place to the Hadriatic. Sozomen, (I. viii, c.25; I.
iz, e. 4), and Socrates, (1. vii, c. 10), cast a pale and doubtful light i
aad.OroBiUl (I. vii, c. 18, p. 571) is abominably partial
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t36
THE DECLINE .AND FALL
Honorius-respectfully consulted the legislative
_~::"" council of the republic. Stilicho assembled the
senate in the palace of the Cresars; represented,
in a studied oration, the actual state of affairs;
proposed the demands of the Gothic king, and
submitt~d to their consideration the choice of
peace or war. The senators, as if th~y had
been suddenly awakened from a dream of four
hundred years, appeared on this important 0ccasion to be inspired by the courage, rather than
by the wisdom, of their predecessors. They
loudly declared, in regular speeches, or in tumultuary acclamations, that it was unworthy
of the majesty of Rome, to purchase a precari.
ous and disgraceful truce from a barbarian
king; and that, in the judgment of a magnanimous people, the chance of ruin was always
preferable to the certainty of dishonour. The
minister, whose pacific intentions were seconded only by the voices of a few servile and venal
followers, attempted to allay the general ferment, by an apology for his own conduct, and
even for the demands of the Gothic prince.
" The payment of a subsidy, which had excited
"the indignation of the Romans, ought not
" (such was the language of Stilicho) to be con" sidered· in the odious light, either of a tribute,
&, or of a ransom, extorted by the menaces of a
.' barbarian enemy. Alaric had faithfully as" serted the just pretensions of the republic to
" the provinces which were usurped by the.
" Greeks of Constantinople: he modestly ra" «Juired the fair and stipulated recompence of
.. his services; and if he had desisted from the
CRAP.
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237.
OP THE ROMAN .EMPIltE. .
cc prosecution of his enterprise, he had obeyed,
CHAP.
in his retreat, the peremptory, though private, ..~:...
•, letters of the emperor himself. These contra- .
"dictory or~ers (he would not dissemble the
cc errors of his own family) had been procured
"by the intercession of Serena. The tender
cc piety ofhis wife had been too deeply affected
U by the discord of the royal brothers, the sons
" of her adopted father; and the sentiments of
" nature had too easily prevailed over the stern
" dictates of the public welfare." These ostensible reasons, which faintly disguise the obscure .
intrigues of the' palace of Ravenna, were supported by the authority of Stilicho; and obtained, after a wann debate, the relu,ctant approbation of the senate. . The tumult of virtue and
freedom subsided; and the sum of· four thousand pounds. of gold was .granted, under the
name of a 8~bsidy~ to ~ecure the peace of Italy.
and to conciliate the (riendship of the king of
the.Goths. Lampadius alone, one of the. most
illustrious members of the assembly, still persisted in his dissent; exclaimed with a loud
voice,-" This is not a treaty .of peace, but of
"servitude"l and escaped the danger of such
bold opposition by immediately r~tiriDg to the
sanctuary of a Christian church.
But the reign of Stilicho drew toward its end; I~~~gu..
and the proud niinistermight percei~e tbe symp- fare,e patoms of his approaching disgrace. The generous M.~: ~
boldness of Lampadius had been applauded;
II
I ZOlimus, I. v, p. SS8, SS9.
He repeats the word. of Lampadius, ..
tlley were .poke in Latin,-" Non est ista pax, led pactio senitutia ..
ud then translates them into Greek. for the benefit of hia readen.
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THE DECLINR NNJj' FALl;
and the senate, so patieWffibIy'resigned to ~ I()wg'
xxx. WffiWffifvitud~A, reiected with disdain' the offur of ir.J
Hud
who still assumed the name and: prerogatives of
RWffiiAilian
"eH~; exaWffiberafWffid by ~he'
partial 'affection of StHieh6 for the barbarians:
thWffi
itiJb~&ted:
the iA~ischi~:HouH dOliey of the minister, tlie public' misfortunes,
fiAhich HiAere
niAbzr'aI &:cmsequem::iA of thWffitl"
own degenenH:y. Yet
continued to brave the clamours of the people,
eVHn of
solhiWffirs, he c+:ccdd
IiliAmtained his dominion' over tlie feeble mindofhis'
quqiL Hut
recquctf¥!r 5:!ttauqment (bf Huno~itis was converted into fear, sl1spicion~ and haq:':rufty
m ::uho srunce;bud
his vicelll under the mask or Christian piWffity, had,
secretlh undermined the benefactor, by whose
(WffiWffiuur
war
the bonocznublWffi ut.
fi~es' of the imperial palace. Olympius revealto
unrnrpectiHg
whu had uttained the twenty-fifth year of his age, that he
''''''I'ghlf
hl'S .-.rA
Wl·s+.r;ut
'A' '-'
.,,_'_, or
__ " n
government; and artfully alarmed his timid and
iudWffilentdisp,rrition by livelq
'of the
dJ:Hillgns
Stilicho, who
meditWffiied
death of his sovereign, ~ith the ambitious hope
CHAP.
-----
-
He came from the cout of the Euxine, alld exerciaed a splendid
office, 'Atl.fA-'fI'ttl., l•. ~p• ......., ., "'0'' S"'" ...." tl.f"'fA-I!~' Hi. actions justify
hiA "haraCh·.-. which ¥!.,imu, v. p.
exps.o:" with 'i.ible ~.;ill'a"tim,. A;;&;"stio r,,;;;;red tE;;; ggiety
f?lymrk"r, wh,~o: he ItrEo: a
true 800 of the cborcb, CBaronius, Annal. Eccles. A.. D. 4OS, No.19,&:c.
1i,~:~n
t:~~.;:;il;-,,:::::;~'1iE£h~~s:::::, ~~~i
wCkf tbe
E,:1",,;o
from igoorancl', as from adlilatioD.
-
,~
01' TIm ROMAN DIPIlU.
of placing the diadem on the head of bis son :CRAP•
.Eucbarius. The emperor was instigated,. by his -!~~
new favourite, to assume the tone of independent
dignity; and· the minister was astonished to find,
that seeret resolutions were fonned in the court
and council, which were repugnant to his interest, or to his intentions: Instead of residing
in the palace of Rome, Honoliu! declared, that
it was his pleasure to return to the secure fortress of-Ravenna. On the first intelligence of
the death of his br.other Arcadius, he prepared
to visit Constantinople, and to regulate, with
the authority of a guardian, the provinces of
the infant Theodosius.- The representation of
the difficulty and expence of such a distant expedition, checked this strange and sudden sally
of active diligence; but the dangerous project
of shewing the emperor to the camp of PatTia,
which was composed: of the ROInan troops, the
enemies of Stilicho, and his barbarian auxilia~
ries,. remained: fixed· and unalterable. The mi.
nister was pressed, by the advice of hi. confident J IlStinian, a Roman advocate, of a lively
and penetrating genius, to oppose a journey so
prejudicial to .his reputation and safety. His
strenuous, but ineifectual, efforts confirmed the
triumph of Olympius; and the prudent lawyer
withdrew himself from the impending ruin of
his patron.
. In the passage of the emperor through Bo• ZOlimul, I. Y, p. 338, 339. Sozomen, I. ix, c. 4. Stilicho ol"ered
to undertake the journe)' to CODstantinople, that he miCht diYert HoDOriUI from the nln attempt. The eutcm empire would Dot hay.
obc1ed. and could not have been con'luered.
t
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t4&:
THE DECLINE AND FALL
logna, a mutiny .of the guards was excited and
*:~~. appeased by t~e secret policy of Stilicho; who
Disgrace announced his 'instructions to decimate the
and death· 1
. . In
. tercesslon
. the
ofStili.
gUl ty, an d ascrl·bed' to h·IS own
~~o~. 408 merit of their. pardon. After this tumult, HoA.g. 21.' norius.embraced, for the last time, the minister whom he now considered as a tyrant, and
proceeded on his way to the camp of Pavia;
where he was received by th-e loyal acclamations of the' troops who were assembled for
the service of the Gallic war. On the morning of the fourth day, he pronounced, as he
had been taught, a military oration in the presence of the soldiers, whom the charitable visits, and artful discourses,ofOlympius had prepared to execute a dark and bloody conspiracy.
At the first signal, they m~sacred the friends of
Stilicho, the most illustrious officers of the. empire; tw-o pretorian prefects, of Gaul, and, of
Italy; two masters-general, of the cavalry, and
infantry; the master of the offices; the questor,
the treasurer, and· the count of, the domestics.
Many lives were lost; many houses were plundered; the' furious sedition continued to rage
till the close of the evening; and the trembling
emperor, who was seen in the streets of Pavia,
without his robes or diadem, yielded to the persuasions of his favourite; condemned the memory of the slain; and solemnly approved the,
innocence and fidelity of their assassins. ,The
inteIJigehce 'of the massacre of Pavia filled the
mmd of Stilicho with just and gloomy apprehensions; and he instantly summoned, in the
camp -of Bologna, a council of the confede·
. CHAP.
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O~ THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
241
fate leaders, who ",ere attached to his service, CHAP.
. Th'
· Ived'm h'IS rum.
an d wou Id b e IDVO
e Impetu- .• xxx.
.,,,~ .. ,
ousvoi~e of the assembly called aloud for arms,
~nd for revenge; to march, without a moment's
delay) under the banners of a hero, whom they
had. so often followed to victory; to surprise, to
oppress, tQ extirpate the guilty Olympius, and
his degenerate Romans; and perhaps to fix the
diadem on the head of their injured general. .
Instead of executing a resolution~, which might
have been ju~tified by success, Stilicho hesitat,.
ed till he was irrecoverably lost., He was still
ign~rant of the fate of the emperor; he distrusted the fidelity of his own party; and be viewed
with horr~r the fatal consequences ofarming a
crowd of licentious barbarians, against the sol.
diers a~d people of Italy. The confederates,
impatient of'his timorou,s and doubtful delay,
hastily retired, with fear and indignation. At
the hour of midnight, Sarus; a Gothi~ warrior,
renowned among the barbarians themselves for
his strength and valour, suddenly invaded the
camp of his benefactor, pl\lnder~d the baggage,
cut 'in pieces the faithful Huns, who g~arded
his person, and penetrated to the tent, where
the minister, pensive and sleepless, meditated
on the dangers of his situation., Stilicho escaped with difficulty from the sword of the Goths ,;
and, after issuing a last and generous admonition to the cities, of Italy, to shut ·their gates'
against the barbarians, his coufideIice, or his
despair, urged him to throw himself into Ra,enna, which was already in the absolute posVOL. V.
R
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fr':3?7LL
CHAP. sessIOn of his 'enemies. Olympius, who had
~xx. 3?7ssU±H3?7d
donBhEion Honoriufr':, was
~~~-~ dily informed, that his rival had embraced, as
sUnB:2liantF t.he nltar the ChristiHn ch'%.5'%.ch.=
The b~se an'h cruet dispositim'E of
hypf2erite
2'2aS incapable of pity or remorse; but he piouS'
to
th~
affi:ded
privilege of the sanctuary. Count Heraclian,
H2ith troop of
oppeH'%.ed, the E)HWD
of day, before the gates of the church of Raeenne.
sati'2Ped,
a s'%.2h:mn
oath, that the imperial mandate only directed
them
seOHfe the per'%.m'%. of Stilicho : . butB as
eoon '%.&s
unffE:itunoto miHKstee bad been
tempted beyond the holy threshold, he producWaefB'2llt
his
oxeEB&.RtionF Stiod
licho supported with calm resignation, the inturioH'2 nam.EBS of
end hHrriciEle; reliressed the unseasonable zeal of his followers, who
H2ere eeadh to
en i~offectfr':HI rEBeE'ue;
and, with a firmness not unworthy of the la'2t of
the Roman henerals, submitted his neck to the
of
Hia me-The servile crowd of the palace, who had so
long
the
0.Df 8tilicho, atrectmll to
insult his fall; and the most distant connection
'2fr':ith
D'%.f the
had
so lately been a title to wealth and honour~
mas ehidim£fly dtilied B fUld riilor05E'%.ly p0..Rili'%.~
THE
~fr':CLl3?73?7
AND
0
FF • ~oaimu. (J·FY! p. SS6!4~'> baa c~plou~y •. tbougbDot.clearl)' rei....
".e d,I'2DDD. .e aB'2 '2. . . th of'2E'2.cbo. u.ympl.D . . . . BUI, (aN..... '2 Pboe e.1'l7n
ill'OliuD. (ill. Yii,
p.
672); D...zom.......
ix,
aile ~tau...
torciUI, (I. xi, c. S; 1. xiii, c. 2), aWord IlIpplemeDtal hiD..
,.
t4a
01' THE HOIUK EHPlltL
ed. His family, united by a triple allianc.e CHAP
with the family of Theodosius, might envy the ....~:=~
condition of the meanest peasant. The lligbt
of his son Eucherius was intercepted; al)d tbe
death of that innocent youth soon follo,we4 the
divorce of Thermantia, who filled the place of
her sister Maria; and who, like Maria, had revirgin in the imperial bed! The
mained
friends of Stilicho, who had escaped the 1Iia1llsacre of Pavia, were persecuted by the ~mp]acable revenge of Olympius: and ~e most exquisite ~ruelty was employed to extort the con··
lession of a treasonable and sacrilegious CODspirac.:y. They died in silence: their firmness
justified the choice,· and perhaps absolved the
innocence of their patron; and the despotic
power, which could take his life·withouta trial,
and stigmatize his memory without a proof, has
no jurisdiction over the impartial su1frage of
po~terity.r The senices of Stilicho are great and
manifest; his crimes, as they are vaguely state<l in the language of flattery ana' hatred, are
obscure, at least, and imp.robable. 'About lour
months· after his death, an edict was publisbed
.
a
• Zosimua, I. v, p. saS. The marriace of a ChrIatiaa with tw.o IIIUn, aCBDdalizl." Tillemont, (Hlst. des Empereun, tom. v, p. 11117); wbG
expects, lu vain, Ihllt Pope Innocent 1. should bave done IOmething ia
the way, either of censure, or of dispensation.
q Two of bi.friendaare honourably meationed, (ZOIimas, I. v, p.
146) :' Peter, cbief of the scbool of notaries, and the peat cbarabt!r.
lain Deoteriul. Stilicbo bad aecured the bed.cbambv; and it Is .orprislng, that, under a feeble prince, the bed-cbamlter was not able t.
lecure him.
• Or05inl (I. vii, e. 18, p. 1171, 572) seems to eopy the false and fiIrionl manifestoes, wbieh were diapeRed tbrough tbe proyillCe. "1 ...
new administratioa.
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~;
"
't44
CHAP.
THE DECLINE AND FALL
in the name of Honorius, to restore the free
xxx; .... commUDlca
. t'Ion 0 f t he two empIres,
.. which had
v-......
been 80 long interrupted by the public enemy:
The minister, whose fame and fortune depended on the prosperity of the state, was acculed
of betraying Italy to the barbarians; whom he
. repeatedly vanquished at PoHenti,a,.at Verona,
and before the walls of Florence. His preteo.ded design of placing the diadem on the head of
bis son Eucherius, could not ltave been conducted without preparations or accomplices;
and the ambitious father would not surely bav~
left the future emperor, till the twentie~ year
of his age, in tile humble station of tribune of
the notaries. Even the religion of Stilicho was
arraigned by. the malice of.his nval. The seasonable, and almost' miraculous, deliverance
was devoutly celebrated by the applause of the
clergy; who asserted, th~t the restoration of
idols, and the persecution of the church, would
have been the first measure of .the reign of Eucheri us. The son of Stilicho, howeyer, was
educated in the bosom of Chri~tianity, whicb
bis father had uniformly professed, and zealously supported.t Serena had borrowed her magnificent necklacetrom the statue of Vesta," and
the pagans execrates! the memory of the sacri• See tlie TheodoaiaD Code, I. vii. tit. xvi, leg. 1; I. ix, tit. xlii, ler.
•• lti1icho ia bnmded with the name of ",.no publica, who employed hia wealth, a4 _
clitIIIIdcua. ilIqtIieItuulazpe 6ar6c1rie1n.
AlIlUtiD himaelf ia ..tufied with the eft'ectuallawl, which Stilie"
had eoacted against heretics and idolater.; and wkich are ltill estaDt
fa the' COde. Be ouly applies to Olympius for their confirmation, (Ba.
roDiuJ,. Aooal. £Ccle•• ~. D. 418, No. 19).
• Zoalmu., I..., p. Ilil. We may observe the bad taste of the . ,
fa 4ruaiD, their .tatae. with loch awkward finery.
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:24Ji
OP THE ROMAN DlPlRE.
legious minister, by whose order the Sybilhne. CHAP.
books, the oracles of Rome, had been commit- ~xx.
·ted to the llames.x ,The pride and. power o{,u"""
Stilicho constituted his real guilt. An honour
able reluctance to shed the blood of his co'untrymen, appears to have contributed to the suc·cess .of his unworthy rival; and it is the· last
humiliation of the character of Honorius, that
posterity, has not condescended to reproach
him with his J>ase ingratitude to the guardian
.of his youth, and the suppo~t of his empire.
AmoQg the train of dependan~s, whose wealth r..~~oet
and. dig~ity attracted the notice uf .th~ir own
...
times, 0112" curiosity is excited by th~ celebrated
name of the .'poet Claudian, who enjoyed the
favour .of StiJicho, and was .overwhelmed in the
ruin of h~s ,patron. The titular o.Bices of tl'ibune and .notary fixed his rank in the imperial
court: he was indebted to the powerful intercessionof Serena for· his marriage w'ith 'a very
rich heiress of th~ province of Africa; Y and t~e
statue of CJaudian, erected in the forum of TraJan~ was a :monument of the taste, and .Iibera..
lity of the Roman s~mate.· .After thepraise.s
See. Rotilio&. Nomatianos, (Itinerar: l. ii, 41-60), to whom religi
enthusiasm has dictated Bome elt'g8.nt and forcible lines. Stiiicho
Ilk 'ewise stripped the gold plates from the doors of the capitol~ and
read a prophetic sentence, which was ~ngraveD undel' them, (ZoBimus,
J. ", p. 352). Tbese are foolish stories; yet the charge of impiety .dds
weight and credit to the praise whieh ZOlimua reluctantly beBtow8~ of
bis virtoes.
7 At tbe uuptials of Orpheos, (a modest comparison !), all the parla
of auimated natllre contributed their various gifts; aud the gods them.
lelves enriched their favourite. Claud ian had neither flocks, nor herda,
D~r Yines, or olives. His wl'a1tby bride was heirels to tbem all.' But
he carried to Africa, a recommendatory letter from Serena, his Juno,
and was made happy, (Epist. ii, ad Serellam).
.
,. Claudiau feels tbe bonour like a mao who deserved it, (io prefat.
Bell. Get) l'~e original iuscrlption, on mal'ble, was found at ltD...
I
•
0111
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t&6
1'HE DltCUME AND FALL
CHAP. Or Stilkho becatbe offensive and criminal, Clau.,~~x. '.dian was exposed to: the enmity of a powerful
and unforgiving cobrtier, whom he bad provoked hy the il1solehce of wit. He had compared, in a lively epigram, the opposite characters of two pretorian prefects of Italy; he contrasts the inhoe-ent repose of a philosopher, whe
sometimes resigned the hours of business to
slumber, perhaps to study; with the interested
diligence of a rapacious minister, indefatigable
in the pursuit of unjust, or sacrilegious gaiD.
"How happy," continues Claudian, "how
" happy might it be for the pe6ple of Italy, if
"Mallius could be constantly awake, and if
" Hadrian would always sleep !". The repose
of Mallius was not disturbed by this friendly
·and gentle admonition; but the cruel vigilance
of Hadrian watched the opportunity of revenge,
and easily obtained, from the enemies of Stilicho, the trifting sacrific-e of an obnoxious poet.
The poet concealed himself, however, during
the tumult of the revolution; and, consulting
the dictates of prudence rather than of honour,
he addressed, iB the furm &f an epistle, a supin the fifteenth century, in tbe houle of .Pompo.iaa !Aetna. The Itatue of a poet far luperior to Claudian, should have been erected, d....
in, his lifetime, by the men of letters, his l'OUDtrymen, aDd eODtem,..
nriea. It was a noble deaign !
• See Epigram xu.
.
l\lalliul indulget aomno nOl'tl"sq ue dieaquea'
IDlODlaia Plwilll sacta, pryfana, rapit.
Omnibua, hoc, Ital. gentes, exposcite VOtil
Mallinl ut vigilet, domliat ut Pbariul.
~adrian was a Pharian (of Alexandria). See his public life in 0 - .
froy, Cod. Tbeodos. to~ vi, p. 364. Mallius did notalwaYllleep. He
eoaposed some elegant dialognes on tbe Greek system. of Datural pJDo
.plly, (Claud. ~D MalL Tbeodor. COUl, 11011:1).
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247
pliant and humble r~cantatioD to the offended CHAP.
prefect. He deplores, ,in mournful strains, the •• ~~~,..
fatal indiscretion into which he had been hurJ'ied by passion and folly; submits to the imiation of his adversary, the generous examples
of the clemency of gods, of heroes, and c;,f liOllS;
and expresses his hope, that the magnanimity of
Hadrian will not trample on a defenceless and
.- contemptible foe, already humbled by disgrace
and poverty; and deeply wounded by the exile,
Gte tortures, and the death of hi~ dearest
friends.· Whatever might be. the succes. of Ilia
prayer, or the accidents of his future life, the
period of a few years levelled in the gl"a¥e' the
tninister and the poet: but the ,nam." of Ha.drian is almost sunk in"oblivion, while Claudian
is read with pleasure ·in every country which
has retained, or acq aired, the knowledge of the
-Latin language. Ifwe fairly balance his merits
and his defects, we shall acknowledge, that
Claudian does not either satisfy, or silence, our
reaSOD. It would not be easy to produce a pusage that deserves the epithet of sllblime or pathetic; to select a verse, that melts the heart, or
'enlarges the imagination. ~ We should vainly
seek, ,in the poems of Claudian, the happy invention, an~ jU'tificial conduct, Qf an interesting
fable; or the just and lively representation of
.the characters and situations of real life. For
the service of his patron, he published occasional panegyrics aud invectives: and the design
of these slavish compositions encouraged his
-,propensity to exceed the limits of truth and na• See Claadiea" fint Epistle. Yet, iQ lome placa, .. air .f iroD7
ud i.di,DetioD betray. hi. secret relactaDce.
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THE D1~CLINE AWD FALL
ture. These imperfectiolls, however, are com.
....~~~.... pensated . in some degree b~ the poetic~l vir'tues of Claudian. He 'Was endowed with the
rare and precious talent of raising:the meariest,
of adorning the most barren, and' of diversifying the most similar, topics: his colouring,
more especially in descriptive poetry, is soft and
splendid; and he seldom fails to display,' and
even to abuse, the advantages of a cultivated
understanding, a copious fancy, an easy, and
sometimes forcible, expression; and a perpetual Bow of harmonious versification. To'theSe
'commendations, independent of any accidents of
time and place, we must add the peculiar merit
'which Claudian derived from the unfavourable
.circumstances of his birth: -In thedecline of arts,
and of empire, a native' Egypt, who had ~
j.
ceived the education of.a Greek, assumed, in a
mature age, the fa~iliar use; and absolute command, ofthe Latin language;· soared above the
heads of his feeble' contemporaries; and placed
himself, after an interval' of three hundred years,
among the poets of ancient Rome.. CHAP.
or
C
• Natioual yaoity hu made him a FloreDtioe, or a Spuiarcl. BIlt
the fint epi.Ue of Claudiao provel him a native of Al~aDdrla, (Fabriciu., Bibllot. Latin. tom. iii, p; 191-102, edit. Eraeat).
d Hla Rnt J..tio Yenel were coDipoaed duriD. the cODlulallip 01
. Probinlll, A. D. 895.
Romanos bibimul primu!!!z te cOllsule, footea.
,
,
, Et Latie cellit Graia '.a-nalia top!.
Betide. slime Greek epigrams, which are .t11l extaot, the Latin poet had
composed, in Greek, the Antiquities of Tanas, An...rbu., Be'1taa,
lilee, .tc. It is more euy to lOp ply thc lOll of gOlld pOI!l'1 than 01
authentic history.
,
• Strada (Prolllsion Y, vi) allowallim til contend with the five heroic
poets, Lneretins, Virgil, Ovid, Lucan, and Statiu.. Ria patron illbe
aceumplisbed ('ourlin DaUbazar Castiglioue, His admirers are numer;lU8 alld pIl8.ionale.
Yet the l'igid critics reproach the exotic weed.,
or fioweu, wbich sprilll 100 luurillnti¥ in his Latiao .oil. .~
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149
OP 'THE ROMA!II EMPIRE.'
CHAP. XXXI.
l.vasion of Italy by Alaric-Manners of tlte Roman SelUlte and people-Rome is tlu'ice besieged, and at lengln pillaged hy the Golhs-Deal"
of Alaric-The (J:ol~ evaCltate Italy-FaU
of Constantine-Gaul cind Spain are occupied
hy the harbarians-Independence 01 Britain.
THE incapacity of a weak and distracted CHAI'
government may often assume ~he appearance, xxxi.
and produce the effects, of a treasonable cor-;:~~::
respondence with the public enemy. If Alaricoftbe
himself had been introduced into the council ofR:.~n':!..
Ravenna, he would probably have advised the':;;: 40~.
same measures which were actually pursued by
the ministers of Honorius.· The king of tll€~
Goths would have conspired, perhaps with some
reluctance, to destro!, the formidable adversary,
by whose arms, in Italy as well as, in Greece, he
had been twice overthrown. Tltei, active and
interested hatred laboriously accomplished the
disgrace and ruin of the great Stilicho. The
valour of Sarus, his fame in arms, and his persona), or'hereditary, influence over the confede:rate barbarians, could recommend him only to
the friends of their country, who despised, or
detested, the worthless characters of Turp~lio,
Varanes, and Vigilantius. By the pressing
a The 1I,('rirs of ('vents, from the death of Stilicho, to' tile arrival lIf
"larie before Rome, C'III only he {/HInd in Zosimns, I. 'v, p. 34"·3.l0••
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160
TII& DECLINE AND FALL
CHAP. instances of the new favourites, these general_,
_~~~!:. unworthy as they had shewn themselves of the
name of soldiers, It were promoted to the command of the cavalry, of the infantry, and of the
domestic troops. The Gothic prince would have
subscribed with pleasure the edict which the
fanaticism of Olympius dictated to the simple
aud devout emperor. Honorius excluded all
persons, who were /ldverse t~ the catholic
church, from holding any office in the state;
.;bstinately rejected the service oCall thole who
dissented from hIS religion; and rashly disqualified many oC his bravest and most skilful offi.
cers, who adhered to the pagan worship, or
who had imbibed the opinions of Arianism. C
These measures, so advantageous to an enemy,
Alaric would have approved, and might perhaps have suggested; but it may seem doubtful whether the barbarian would have promoted
his interest at the expence of the inhuman and
absurd cruelty, which was perpetrated by the
. direction, or at least with the connivance, of
the imperial ministers. The foreign auxiliari~,
who had been attached to the person of Stilicho,
lamented his death; but the desire of revenge
was checked by a natural apprehension. for the
saCety of their wives and children; who were
detained as hostages in the strong cities of Italy•
• The expression of Zosimu il IUong and linIy, .........,...,...,' ...._
"P"-/lf, lufticieat to excite the coatempt of the enemy.
C Eos qui catbolicae .ectae aont inimici, iotra palatium militare p'"
.hibemus. NuUus nobi. sit aliIJa' ratione conjonctus, qui a Dobi. fide et
religione discordat. Cod. Theodos.l. xvi, tit ....,Ieg. 42, imd Godelioy"
Commentary, tom. vi, p.1M. This law was applied in the atm.t lao
'IItade. aad ri,oroOlly e~eeuted. Zoumal, I...., p. 164.
'I'IIC "w,.".,t
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~t
0'1 'tim ROMA.N llMPIRI:.
wbere'they had Iikewiie deposited'their most CHAP
valuable effects. At the same bour"and as 'if by ~!~
a. coinmonsi§nal, the cities of Italy were polluted by ·the same horrid seenee of univenal
Inassacre and pilItge, which involved, in' prOmIscuous destruction, the families and fortunes
of th« barbarians. Exasperated by luch. an
injury, which might have awakened the tamest
and most senile:spiri4 they cast a look of ill"
dignation and hope towards the camp of Alaric,. and unanimously swore to pursue, with just
and implacable war, the perfidious nation, that
had sO basely violated the laws of hospitality.
:By the .imprudent conduct of the ministers of
Honorius, the republic lost the assistance, and
deServed the enmity, of thirty thousand of her
bravest soldiers; and the weight of that formidable army, which alone might have determined the event of the war, was transferred
from the scale of the Romans into that of the
Goths.
In the arts of negotiation, as well as in those A.arie
°
°
d h"IS supenor
°
marcbtl
o f war, t he G oth lC kOlDg mamtaine
to RQle.
ascendant over an enemy, whose seeming changes t;c~·::
proceeded from the total want of counsel and
design. From his camp, on the confines ofItaly,
Alaricattentivelyobsened the revolutions of the
palace, watched the progress of faction and discontent, disguised the hostile aspect of a barbarian invader, and assumed the more popular appearance of the friend and ally of the great Sti1icho; to whose virtues, when they were nO lonformidable, he could pay a just tribute of
...
o
cer
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1
23
TIlE DECLINE AND PAU
CHAP.
sincere·praise and regret~ The pressing invita-
~.:... tion of the malcontents, who urged the king of
the Goths to invade Italy, was enforced by a
lively sense of his personal injuries; and he
might speciously complain, that the imperial
ministers still delayed and eluded the payment
of the four, thousand pounds of gold; which
had been granted by the Roman senate, either
to reward his services, or to appease his lOry.
His decent firmness was ~upported by an artful moderation, which contributed to the success of'his designs. He required a fair and
reasonable satisfaction; but he gave the strongest assurances, that as soon as he had obtained
it, he would immediately retire. He refused
to trust the faith of the Romans, unless lEtius
and Jason, the sons of two great officers of
state, were selit as hostages' to his camp: but
he offered to deliver, in exchange, several of thenoblest youths of the Gothic nation. The modesty of Alaric was interpreted, by the minis-'
. ters of Ravenna, as a sure eTidence of his weakness and fear.' They disdained either to negotiate a treaty, or to aSl!lemble an army; and,
with a rash confidence, deriTed only from their
ignorance of the extreme danger, irretrievably
wasted the decisive'moments of peace and war.
While they expected, in sullen silence, that the ,
barbarians should evacuate the CGilfines of Italy,
Alaric, with bold and rapid marches, 'passed
the Alps and the Po; bastily pillaged the cities of Aquileia, Altinum, Concordia, and ere- '
mona, which yielde~ to his arms; increased his
..
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lAS
·01' TOltOMAN EMPDtE.
lorces by the accession ofthirty thousand auxi· CHAP.
1"
d' h
.. I
.' XXXI.
l.iU1eS; an , WIt out meetmg a SIDg e t:neruy III '_m ....
the field, advanced as far as the edge of the
morass which protected the impregnable residence of the emperor of the West. Instead ot
atteinpting the hopeless siege of Ravenn~, tlie
prudent leader f)f the Goths 'proceeded to Rimini, stretched his ravages along the s~~coast
{)f the Hadriatic, and meditated the conquest of
the ancient mistress of the worl~. An Italian
hermit, whose zeal and sanctity were re!Jpected
by the barbarians themselves, en~oulltered the
Tictorious monarch, and boldly denounced the.
indignation of heaven against the oppressors of
the earth: but the saint hi~self was confounded by the solemn asseveration of Alaric, tbat
he felt a secret and preternatural impulse, which
directed, and' eveIi compelled, his march to the
gates of Rome. He felt, that his genius and
his fortune 'Were equal to the most arduous enter.prises; and the enthusiasm which he com.,
municated to the Goths, insensibly rem6ved the
popular, and almost superstitious, reverence of
the nations for the majesty of the Roman name.
His troops, animated by the hopes of spoil, followed the course of the Flaminian way,. occupied the unguarded passes of the Apennine,'
descended into the rich plains of Umbria; and;
as they lay encamped on the banks of the eli• Addiaon (see hia Works, vol. ii, p.14, edit. Baakenrillt) haa giYen
• 'fe1'1 pictaresque descrIption of the road throngh the ApCDaine. The
Goth. were not at leiaure to observe the beautlea of the prospect; bat
they were plcascd to fiDd that the Saxa Interciaa, a narrow pusap
..hicla Vespaaiall had cut through the rllck, (Clayer. Italia J.Dt". taaa.
i, p. GIS),
lIItaU, Delleeted.
w.
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l
~ DBCLJIIB. AND .ALL
t64
CHAP. tumnuI, mi~t wantonly slaughter and devour
_~~~:. the milk-white oxen, which had been 110 long
reserved for the use of Roman triumphs! A
lofty situation, and a seasonable tempest of
thunder and lightning, preserved the little city
of N arni; but the king of the Goths, despising
the ignoble prey, still advanced with unabated
vigour; and after he had passed through the
stately arches, adorned with the spoils of barbaric victories, he pitched his camp under the
walls of Rome.'
During a period of eix hundred and nineteen
BaaDiltal
at the
years, the seat of empire had never been violated
C f by the presence ofa foreign enemy. The unsuccessful expedition of Hannibal,.' served only to
display the character of the senate and people,
of a seDate degraded, rather than ennobled, by
the comparison of an assembly of kings; andof
a people, to whom the ambassador of Pyrrhus
ascribed the inexhaustible resources of the Hydra •• Each of the senators, in the time of the
. Punic war, had accomplished his term,ofmiJi• BiDC a1bi ClitDmai ,re,es, e" maxima Turu
Victima; _pe tDO permi "lImiDe ACro
RoaiaaOlad templa Deum dusere-TriampbCllo
,
Besldrs Virgil, mOlt of the Latin poetl, Propertiu, Lacaa, SIIi.,
InlicuI, OIaodiaa, &c. wbose panage. may be fouad iD C1DYeriua u'
AddiJoD. bave celebrated the triumpbal vicU- of the CIitDIDDliI.
f Some ide.. -of the march of AJaric are borrowed ftom the jODraey
of HODoriO' oYer the lame grOllDd, (see C1aadiu ill Yi CoDl. Hoa. 4N.
lB.) Tbe lIlCUured distaDce betwee,D .aavelllll ..d- Rome WII 1M
Romaa. wilel•. lteDerar. Weaaeliag. p. 1111.
• The mareb aad retreat of HaDDihal are _cribed b;, LiYy, I. Dft,
c. f, 8, 1,10,11; aad the rrader is made a.,ectatoroftheiDteratiIw
lCene •
.. Tbese comp.rilOn. were Died by Cynea8, the cODnlellor of P,....
rbu, af'ler biB rellln! from biB embaslY, in which he bad diliceudr
It.dled tlae discipline ud muaen of
lee P-..cJa iD P1~
.... ii••.
4".
"me.
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01' THE ROMAN EItfPIRE.,
tary senice, either in a subordinate or a supe- CHAP.
rior 'station; and the decree, which invested,,~..
with temporary command all those who had
beett consuls, or censors, or dictators, 'gave the
repuhlic the immediate assistance of many brave
and experienced generals. In the beginning of
the war, the, Roman people consisted of two.
hundred and fifty thousand citizens of an age,.
to bear arms.· Fifty thousand had already died
i~ the defence of their country; and the twentythree legions which were employed in the dif- ,
ferent camps of Italy, Greece, Sardinia, Sicily,
and Spain, required about one hundred thousand men. But there still remained an equal
number in Rome, and the adjacent territory,
who were animated by the same intrepid courage; and every citizen was trained, from his
earliest youth, in the discipline and exercises
of.a soldier. Hannibal was astonished by the
constancy of the senate, who, without raising
the siege of Capua, or recalling their scattered,
forces, expected ,his, approach. He encamped
OD the banka of the Anio, at the distance of
I in the three CftIIII which were made of the Roman people, about
the time 'of theeeCoDd PuDic war, the Damben ItaQd .. folloWI, (ace
Liyy.Epitom. L u; Hist. L UYii, S8; :axis, 17). 2'70,211, 137,108,
114,000. fte taU of the aceoDd, aDd the riac of the third, appears 10
••ormo,.. that acyeral critia, DotwitbataudiDg the ananimity of.tbe ....
1Ia.. aulpeCled lome cOrruptioD of the text of LiYy. (Bee Draken.
boreb ad uvii, 16, aDd Beaufort. Republique Romaine, tom. i, 1" 05).
TIley did DOt couider that the accoad CCIUU wu takea oalyat Rome aud
that the aumben were dimiDiabed, DOt oaly by tbe death, but Iikewile
by the ~. of maay .oldien. In the third mutI8, Lit'y expreuly
.arms, that the legioDa were mutered by tile eare of partieular co_
milaanea. From the Dumben OD thfO list, we mUlt alway. drduc:t one.
See Pop..
twelfth above three.c.re, and iIleapable of bfOar
lati_ de Ia ..ranee, p. 71.
-
ill,.,...
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'tHE nJ'tn:UIf't ,,,,ND F!iJ£'
three miles from the cIty : and he was'soott in·
that the,",
Juund
whkh hu had .
J!t0'''''!!/!,_-''~',//;
0
ed hjs tent, was sold for an ahequah'l.pAcJ: Fta
aucti'tD; and that a body of troops was
hismi",Hc:dbu un o'tuosit't
to
the
legiollJ of Spain... ·' ~He led his Africans to the
hnz,t,es
Rume,
am1ces
in order ofbattIe, prepared to receive him; but
d",u""ded tbe e'tunt
comb ai,
which he could not hope to escape, unless he
destruFd thu la",t of his enemies· and his
1peedy
coc.wu~z,g&
of the Romans.
tE,'lealocy FremE the time
the
ofibe.~
•
oaton. rupted succeSSIOn of senators had preserved the
E3~Hme
of
rehubli" anb the
Derate subjects of Honorius amhitiously derived
.
hFmes e'nho h'td repFbed
natmns
The temporal honours, which the
dc:vout
inheeited 't'td,duHpiseh, are uueefully recapitulated by Jerom, the guide of her
s::«:mscieHce;
histu1'ian
her
The
genealogy of her father, Rogatus, which aaeendeb es h:ibh as gams::mnoH,
semKffi to
betray a Grecian origin; but her mother,
CH.\P.
XXXI.
Livt "m,side" ,hese tF'l, E,cide,t, tbe e'tects 0,,31 ',f chapm ,od
,m;;rage. SIISp,·,t that
wer, 4mth m:""led be tee ad,",l,,"ble
policy of tbe lenate.
I See 1en,m. tom.
p.16,:Z, ItO, ad e,,,tochh,,,,; be b"t,w. 011 Pula
splemll.l title"
Grae"e"nlm ,tE,ps, 1""'.'4"1 8"'3"'5011111 5 unli
haeres, " ..jus vocabulum trahit, Martiae Papyri. Matria Africaoi nra
",t .germana propago. This Jlarticular d~8rription supposes a more solid
nne tba"
lum,,,",e, of Jnlm5, wh,,:, '5 exot,::: ""ared "",,,h a tE"",.,,",,od
',roilie. of thc westelo province..
tbe IDees of TaciTUS,
(::ru·
te.... Inscriptions, Cc.
257
O}' THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
silla; numbered the Scipios, lEmilius Paulus, CH<\I".
and the Gracchi, .in the list of her ancestors ; #~:~~',
and Toxotius, the husband of Paula, deduced
his royal lineage "frool .lEneas, the Cather of the
Julian line. 'fhevanity of the rich, who desired
to be noble, was gratified by these lofty preteu~
sions. Encouraged by the applause of their
parasites, they easily imposed on the credulity
of the vulgar; and were countenanced, in some
measure, by the custom of adopting the name
of their patron, which had always prevailed
among the freedmen and clients of illustrious
families. Most of those families, however, at.J
tacked by so many causes of external violence
or internal decay, were gradually extirpated:
and it would be more reasonable to seek for a
lineal descent of twenty generations, among the
mountains of the Alps, 01" in .the peaceful soli·
tude of Apulia, than on the theatre of Rome,
the seat of fortune, of danger, and of perpetual
revolutions. Under each successive reign, and
front every province of the empire, a crowd of
hardy adventurers, rising to eminence by .their
talents or their vices, usurped the wealth" the
honours, and the palaces of Rome; and .oppre~
sed, or protected, the poor and humhle remains
of consuJar families; who were ignorant, pel'·
haps, of the glory of t~eir ancestors.'n
.In the time of Jel'om and Claudian, the sena-The Ani.
tors ulrlanimously yielded the pl!e-eminence to::~~!a.
.. Tacitus (Annal. iii, 55) affirms, that between the bailie or Actinm
of Vespa.ian, the senate was gradually filli'd wiih "til
familiol from the l\Iunicivia and colonies of Italy.
UI!1 the reign
VOL. V.
S
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.
~8
CHAP.
THE DECLINE AND FALl;,
I
the Anician line; and a slight view of tMir I...
::~~#, tory' will serve to appretiate the rank and antl.-
,
quity of the noble faI.Jlilies, which contended
only for the second place.· During the five
first ages of the city, the name, of the Anicians.
was unknown; they appear to have <ierived
their origin from Prameste; and the ambition
of those new citizens was long satisfied with
the plebeian honours of tribunes of the people.One hundred and sixty-eight years before the
Christian era, the family ~as ennobled by the
pretorsbip of Anicins, who gloriously terminated the Illyrian war by the conquest of the nation, and the captivity of their ~ing.p From
the triumph of that general~ three consulships,
In distant periods, mark the succession of the
Anician llame.q From the reign of Diocletiall
Nee qullquam Procemm tentet (lied II!re vetusto
Floreat, et claro cingatm.' Roma lenatil)
Se jactare parem; led p,riml .ede relictA
.Alld,eniia, de jure lied certare lecilDdo.
'Claud. In Prob. et Olytmi ColI. 18.
Such a compliment paid to tbe bbscure name of the Aucheuii hal
amazed the critics; bllt they all agree, that whatever may be the true
reading, the sense of Clandian
be :applied only to the AIIi_
family,
'
• The earliest d~te in the anuals of Pighius, i, ,that of M. Aniciu
Gallus. Trib. PI. A. U. C. 606. 'Another' tribute, Q. Anlciua, A. U.
C. 608, is distinruiahed by the epithet of Prll!BestinUi. Livy (xi"41)
places the Anicll below the great familiel of Rome.
P Liv" xliv, 30, 31; xlv, 3, 26, 43.
He fairly appretiatea tile
merit of AniciUl, and jUidy oblenel,' that his fame wu clouded by
the luperior. lUitre of th~, Macedonian, which preceded tile 1U,yrlu,
triumph.
4 'lbe dates of the three consulahips are, A. U. C. 593,818,061:
the two last under the reigns of Nt'fo and Caracalla. The second of
diele cOUiuls distioguished bimself ooly by his iofamoul flattery,
(Tacit. ADDai. ](.Y, '14): but eyeD the eyideoee of crimes, if they bear
the .tamp of greatnell and aotiquity, is admitted without reloctuce.
to ,rove_the ,eDealogy of a noble houae•.
'can
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2.59
·OF THE ROHANDIPIRR.
to the final extinction of the western empire, c." Al'
that name shone with a lustre which was not ....~.~~~:.
tlclipsed in the public estimation, by the majesty
()fthe.impepal purple.r . The saveral branches,
to w.hom it was communicated, united, by 'niar~
nage or inheritance, the wealth and ,titles of the
Annian, the Petronian,and theOlybrianbouses;
andm each generation the nrimberof consulsbips
was multiplied by an bereditary claim.- The
Anician family excelled. ~Il faith and in ricbes :
they were the first .of the Roman senate who
embraced Christianity; and it is probable that
Anicius Julian, who was afterwards consul and
prefect of the city, atoned for'bis attacbment to
the party of Maxentius, by the readiness with
wbich he accepted the religion of Constantine.'
Tbeir ample patrimony was increased by the
industry of Probus, the chief of the AniCian .family, who shared with Oratian the bonours of
the consulsbip, and 'exercised, four times, the
high office of pretorian prefect.u • His immense
• In the lixth centnry, the nobility ofthe Auiciau name i. mentioned, (Cauiodor. Variar. L lI:, Ep. 10,12), withaliJlgularrelpect, by the
miaiaten ofa Gothic kinr ofllaly.
•
_Filma in omaea
Copatol proceclit honol; lJnencomlJoe requiru
Hlc de ltirpe yirum, certum eat de CoDlwe num.
Per f.lcel numerantur A"i, aemperlJue renal!
Nobilltate virent, et prolem fata aelfuuntur. '
~ Cla.diau ill Prob. et Olyb. Conaulat. 12, eke). The Annii, wlloae
Dame aeema to han merged in the Anician, mark the Futi with man,.
counlahipl, from the time ofVeapuiau to the (Chlrth century.
: t The title of fint Christian lenator may be jUltifted by the .uthority of Prndentiu, (in Symmach. i, 1153), aDd the dislike of the
,...... to the ADiciaD f.mily. See Tillemont, Hi,t. del Empereun,
tom. iv, p. 183; '" p. 44. Baron. An_I!~' &. D. 112, No. 18; A. D.
IU. No. 2.
~ Probul • • • • c:lariludiDe ,eDeria et polentil et optun ~agnitll.
dille
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i60
THE DECLINE AND PALL
CHAP. estates were scattered over the wide extent of the
..~~:.. Roman world; and though the public might suspect, or disapprove, the methods, by which they
had been acquired;, the, generosity and magnificence of that fortunate statesman deserved
he gratitude of his clients, and the admiration
of strangers.'" Such was the respect entertained
for his memory, that the two sons of Probus, in
their earliest youth; and at the' request of the
senate, were associated in the consula~ dignity:
a memorable distinction, without example in the
annals of Rome.'
.
.
Wealth of
"The marbles of the Anician palace," were
the aoman no- used as a proverbial expression of opulence and
ble..
splendour;' but the nobles and senators of Rome
aspired, in due gradation, to imitate that illustrious family. The accurate description of the
city, which was composed in 'the Theodosian
age, enumerates one thousand seven hundred
and eighty "owes, the residence of wealthy and
honourable citizens.- Many of these stately
mansions might almost excuse the exaggeration
dine, eognitoa Orbi Romano, per quem universllm pGlue patrimo~
Bparsa pOISed it, juste an lecus Doh judieioli est nOltri. Ammian.
lfareellin. xxvii, 11. His children and widow erected for him a mlf'
nifieent tomb in the Vatican, which wu demolished in the time of Pope
Nichola. V, to make room (or the new church of St. Peter. Baroni...,
who lamenta the ruia of thi. Cbristian monument, hu diligeutly p_
, Nrved the inscriptionl and bUlo-reUnol. See Anual. Eeele...... D.
195, No. 5-17.
.
• E Two Per.ian latrap' travelled to Milan and Rome, to hear St.
Ambrose, and to see Probus. (Paulin. in Vito AmbrOl). Claudio
fm Cons. Probin. et Olybr, aO-60) leems at a 1011 how to expreu tile
Clory of Probus.
Y lee the poem whi$:h Claudian addressed to the two noble YGutha.
• Secundinns, the Manich~an, ap. Baron. Annal. Eeele...... D.IIII,
Mo. 14 •
. • See NardiDi, Rom.. Antiea, p. 89,498,500.
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or THE ROMAN EMPIR~
261
of the poet; that Rome contained a multitude of CHA '-•.
palaces; and that each palace was equal to' a ,~~~~'.;
city:' since it included within its own precincts;
every thing which could be subservient either to
lIse 'or luxury; markets, hippodromes, temples,
fountains, baths, p'brticos, shady groves, and
artificial aviaries." The historian Olympiodorus~
who represents the state of Rome when it was
besieged by the Goths, continues to observe,
that several of the richest senators received from
their estates an annual income of four thousand
pounds of gold, above one hundred and sixty
thousand pounds sterling; without computing
the stated provision of corn and wine, which,'
had they been sold, might· have equalled in
value one third of the money. Compared to
this immoderate wealth, an ordinary revenue of
a thousand or ·fifteen hundred pounds of gold.
might be considered as no more than adequate
to the dignity of the senatorial rank, which re..'
quired manyexpences of a public and ostentatious kind. Several examples are recorded in'
the age of Honorius, of vain and popular nobles,
who celebrated the year of their pretol'ship by
a festival, which lasted seven days,. and cost
above one hundred thousand pounds sterling.·
C
•
;, Quid loqaar inclu8as inter l.Iquearia .yIvas,")
,'
Vernala que vario carmine ludit a v i l . '
Claud. Rutil. Numalian Itinerar. ver. ltl.
'l'be poet lind at the time of the Gothic invasion. A moderate palace'
would have covered Cincinuatus's farm of foar acres, (Val. Max. iv, 4).
In laxitatem ruria excurMlnt, says Seneca, Episl. 114. See a j~r,diciou
Dote of Mr. Hume, Ealays, vol. i, p. 662, last 8vo. edition.
• This curious account of Rom ..., in the reign of Honorius, is found
iD a,fragment of the historian OIympiodorns, ap Photium, p. 197•
• ' The lOllS of Alypiua, ofSymmacbus.l and.ofMaximu8, spent, ~.,.
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261
THE DECLINE AND
'ALL
CHAP The estates of the Roman senators, which itO
:'~~~:.far exceeded the proportion of modem wealth,
were not confined to the limits of Italy. Their
possessions "extended fin beyond the IODian and
.lEgean seas, to the most distan~ provinces; the
city of Nicopolis, which Augustus had founded
as an eternal monument of the Actian victory,
was the property of the devout Paula;e and iti!
observ~d by Seneca, that the rivers which had
divided hostile nations, now flowed through the
lands of pri~ate citizeIis.f According to their
temlJer and circumstances, the estates of the
Romans were either cultivated by the labour of
their slaves, or granted, for a certain and stipulated reni, to the industrious farmer. " The
lng their respective pretonhips, twelve, or twenty, or forty, cBllttllllria,
(or hundred weight of gold). See Olympiodor. ap. Photo p. lW.
Thil popolar eltimation allows Borne latitude j bot it is di1licolt to
explaio a law iu the Theodosian Code, (I. vi, leg. 6), which 6xa the
N:pence of the fint pretor at 26,000, of the secood at 20,0011, aad .f
the third" at 15,OOOjoUu. The name ofjollil (aee Hem. de l'Academie
des InscriptioDs, tom. xxviii, p. '12'1) was equally applied to a po....
of 125 pieces of ailver, and to a small copper cain of the q)ue of rIn
part of that pllrse. Iu the former sense, tile 26,000 folIa would De
equal to lIS,OOOI. in the latter to 6ye or aix pounda sterliug. The oae
appears extravagant, the othel,' is ridiculous. There mUlt have nistN
lome third, and middle faloe, which is here ulldentood; but ambig1iiIJ
is an inexcnsable faalt in the language oflaw•.
• e Nlcopolie • • • • in Actiaeo littore aita poues.iouia Yelt... au.
pan vel maxima £It." Jei'om. in p...efat. Comment; ad Epiatol. ..
Titum, tom. ix. p. 243. M. de Tillemont supposa, Itrangeiy enonp.
that it w.. part of Agamemnon', inheritance. Mem. Eccles. tom. lIii,
p.86.
.' Seneca, ~piat. ls.uix. His language ia of the deelamatory kiDd.
but declamation could Icu~ly exaggerate the avarice and luxury of
the Romani. The philolopber himaelf delerved lOme .bare of the _
proach j if it be true tbat hi. rigorous exaction of QIIadriII,.,.,iet. abo"
three hundred thoDsand pounds, wbich be had lent at hi,h interest
proyoked a rebellion in Britain. Dion. Casaiu., I. Ixii,p. 1003). At:-"
cording to the conjecture of Gale, (Antoninus'. Itinerary in Britain".
ttl), the same Fau8tinull,osaeaaN an fltate near Bar)" in SoB'olk....
anotll(!r in the kin.dom of Naplel.
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'63
0'" TID ROMAN DlPJU.
·economical writers of antiquity strenuously re- CHAP.
~
. maY.""m",,"
XXXI.
commend t he Jormer
meth0 d, wherever It
be practicable; but if the object should be removed by its distance or magnitude, from the
immediate eye of the master, they prefer the
active care of an old hereditary tenant, attached
to the soil, and -interested in the produce, to the
mercenary admi;nistration of a negligent; perhaps
an unfaithful, steward.'
The opulent nobles of an immense ~apital, Tbtir
h
W 8 were never exci'tedby th epursUl't 0 f ml'1'Itary manoerl.
glory, and seldom engaged in, the occupations of
civil governmen1,naturally resigned theirlei.sure
to the business and amusements of private life.
At Rome, commerce was always· held in contempt: but the senators, from the first age. of
-tbe republic, increased their patrimony, and
multiplied their clients, by the lucrative practice of usury; and the obsolete laws were elud..
ed, or violated, by the mutual inclinations and
Interest of both parties.· A considerable mass
of treasure must' always have existed at Rome,
either in the current coin of the empire, or in
the form of~'gold and silver plate; and there
were many sideboards in the time of Pliny,
which contained more solid silver, than h~d
l
• VolUliol, a wealthy lenator, (Tacit. ADnal. ill, 10), alway. prefer.
red tenanta born OD the atate. Columella, who received thiJ maxim
from him, arllles 'lery judiciously 00 the .ubject. De Re Ra,tiel, L'
i, c. 7, p. 4.08, edit. Gelner, Leip.ig; 1715.
• Valeaia. (ad Ammian. xiv, 6) llaa proved, from Chrysoltom, and
AUla.tin, that tbe lenator. were not allowed to lend money at DlUry.
Yet it appear. from the Theodosian Code, (lee Godefroy ad I. ii, tit.
lIUill, tom. i, p. 210-289), that they were permitted to. take lix per
cent. or one-balf of tbe legal interat j aod, what is more .inlular, dIiI
"ermis.ioa was granted to the ffllllll'lInatora.
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1 HE DIiJCLlNE AlfD FALL
. CHAP.
been
transport~d
by Scipio from vanquisbea
.~~~~. Carthage.· The greater part of the nobles, who
dissipated their Cortunes in profuse luxury,
found themselves poor in the midst of wealth;
and idle in a constan.t round of dissipation.
Their desires were continually gratified by the
labour of a thousand hands; of the .numer.()nl
train of their domestic slaves, who were actuated by the fear of punishment; and of the va.
rious professions of artificers and merchants,
who were more powerfully impelled by the
hopes of gain. The ancients were destitute of
many of the conveniences of life, which have
been invented or improved by the progress of
industry; and the plenty of glass and linen has
diffused more real comforts among the modern
nations of Europe, than the senators of Rome
could derive from all the refinementsofpompoull
or sensual luxury .k Their Iuxury, and their manners, have been the subject of minute and ·laborious disquisition: but as such inquiries would,
divert me too long from the design of the pre-.
sent work, I shaH produce an authentic state of.
Rome aDd its inhabitants, which is more peculiarly applicable to the period of the Gothic invasion. Ammianus Marcellinus, who prudentI PliD. Hilt. Natar. Dxiii, so.. He .tates the silver at oaly 4S8O
poanda, which b increased by Lil'y (xxx, (5) to 100,021: the former'
seems .too little for an opulent city, the latter two mach for aay pritate·
sideboard.
It The learned Arbathnot (Table. of Aacient Coina, &e. p. In)
obltorvrd, with humonr, and I beline with troth, that Aupttu,
had neither ,I... to hi. windowl, Bor a Ihirt to his back. Uader tile
lower empire, the nle of lineo and 11... became IOmewhat .....
common.
.u
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266
OP THE ROMAN' DlPIR1!:.
I, chose the capital of the empire, as the resi- CH~P,
dence the best adapted to the historian of his ..:~~:#
own times, has .mixed with the narrative o( publie events, a lively representation of the scenes
with which he was familiarly conversant. The
judicious reader will not always approve the
asperity of censure, the choice of circumstances~ or the style of expression: he will perhaps
detect the latent prejudices, and ,personal resentments, which soured the temper of Ammianus himself; but he will surely observe, with
philosophic curiosity, the interesting and original picture of the manners of Rome! .
" The greatness of Rome (such is the lan- Cbaracter
' ) was loun
I."
ded on t he man
of thenoKo- :
«, guage 0 f t he h'lstonan
" rare, and almost incredible, alliance of virtue !:~i~~o.
" and of fortune. The long period of her in- Marcl'lIi"fancy was employed, in a laborious struggle nDi.
U against the tribes of Italy, the neighbours and
U enemies of the rising city . In the strength and
" ardour of youth, she sustained the storms of
"war; carried her victorious arms beyond the,
·u seas aud the mountains; and brought home
" triumphant laurels from every country of the
." globe. At 1ength, verging towards old age,
" and sometime~ conquering by the terror only
I It is incnmbent on me to f!xplain the liberties which I have taken
with tile text of Ammianu8. 1. I have melted down into one piece the
aixlb chapter of the fonrteenth, and the fourth of the twenty·eight"
book. 2. I' have given order and connection to the eonf.,aed mas.. of
materials. 3, I have softened ,ume ,extravagant hyperboles, and paml
a\\,.y bome superfl uities of the original. 4. I have dl'veloped loae
obsf'rvations which were insinuated, rather than t'Xl'ressed. With these
allowances, my version will be fOUlld, not literal indeed, bot faithful
and exact.
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'266
CHAP.
THE DECLINE AND PALL
"of her name, she sought the blessings. of eaae
The VENERABLE CITY,
" wbich had trampled on the necks ofthe fiercest
" nations; and establ~shed a system oflaws. the
" perpetual guardians of justice and freedom;
" was content, like a wise and wealthy parent,
,I' to devolve on the Cresars, her favourite sons,
" the care of governing her ample patrimony," A secure and profOlmd peace, such as had
" been ORce enjoyed in the reign of N uma, sue" ceeded to the tumults of a republic; while
" Home was still adored as the queen of the
" earth; and the subject nations still reveren" ced the name of the people, and the majesty
" of the senate. But this native splendour (con.. tinues Aoimianus) is degraded, and sullied,
" by the conduct of some nobles; who, unmind" ful of their own dignity, and of that of their
" country, assume an unbounded licence of
" vice and folly, They contend with each
" other in the ell!pty vanity of titles aud sur" names; and curiously select, or invent, the
." mos~ lofty and sonorous appellations, Rebur"rus, or Fahunius, Pagonius, or Tarrasius:
_XXXI.
..._.m" an d tranqUl'II'lty.
• Clalldian, wbo seems to bne read the hiltOf)' of AIIIIIIiamu,
Ipeak. of tbis great reyolution in a much leu courtly Ityle.Postqllam jura ferox in Ie commnoia Casar
Trao.tolit; et lapli mores; deauetaqne prisci.
ArtibuI, in ,remiom pacis ICni\e recelli.
De Bell. Gildonico, po e.
• The'minute diligence of antiquarianl.al not been able to ~erifJ
thae extraordinary names. I am .f opinion that they were inYentH
by tbe bistorian himself, who ",as afraid of any personal .atire or application. It it certain, bowner, tlaat ,the .imple denominatioDl .f the
Ilomans were gradually lengthened to the number of (our, fin, or eYlIII
lenD, pompOD lurnames; as for inltanct, MartDl Meclu MlIIlmmiDl
Faria
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01' THE HOMAN EMPIR~
167
" 'which may impress the ears ofthe vulgar with ~~~.
" astonishment and respect. From a vain am-.......... .:.
"bition of perpetuating their memory, they
" affect to multiply their likeness, in statues of
"bronze and marble; nor are they satisfied,
" unless those statues are covered with plates of
" gold;, an honourable distinction, firHt g~anted
" toAciIius the consul, after he had subdued, by
" his arms and counsels, the power of king
" Antiochus. The ostentation of displaying, of
,~ magnifying, perhaps, the rent-roll of the estates
" which they possess in all the provinces, from
" the rising to the setting sun, provokes the just
" resentment of fJrery man, who recollects, that
"their poor and invincible ancestors' were not
" distinguished from the'meanest of the soldiers,
" by the delicacy of their tood, or the splendour
'" of their apparel. But the inodern nobles mea" sure their rank aoo consequence according to
" the loftiness oftheirctiatiots,O and theweigbty
" magnificence of their dress. Their long robes
" of: silk and purple 1I0at in the wind; and as
" they are agitated, by art or acddent, they
-
Furiol Balbllriol Calciliauus Placidoa. See Norris Cenotaph. Piaau.
Dililert. i." p. 438.
G 'the CdTI'KCIlr, or roaches of'the Romani, were orten ofsolid silwer,
curiously carved a.'ld engraved; aud th!! trappings of the mllles, or
hones, 'Were t'mboseed with gold. 'this magnificence continoed frOID
tile reign of'Nero to that of Honorlu.; and tile Appian way wu covered with the splendid equipage. of the nobles, who came oot to lDeel
St. Melania, when she retllrned to Rome, six yean before the Gothic
nege, (Seneea, epist. lxxxvii; PIiD. Hi... Natur. xxxiii, 4.9;, Pauliu.
Nolan. apud Baron. Annal. Eccles..... D. 397, No.5). Yet pomp i.
well exchanged for convenience; and a pr!lin modem coach that is hon,
.pon .prings, is much preferable to the .Uver or gold ccrlI of antiquity,
wlrich rolled on the axle.tree, and were exposed, for tile moat part, ..
the inclemency of the weather.
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168
THE DECLINE AND PALL
CHAP...
occasionally discover the under garments, the
_~~~~_ " rich tunics, embroidered with the figures of
., various animals.p Followed by a train of
" fifty servants, and tearing up the pavement,
" they move along· the streets with the same
"impetuous speed as if they travelled with
" post-horses; and the example of the senators
" is boldly imitated by the matrons and ladies;
" whose covered carriages are continually dri" ving round the immense space of the city and
" suburbs. Whenever these persons of high
"distinction condescend to visit the public
"baths, they assume, on their entrance, a tone
" of loud and insolent command, and appro" priate to their own use the conreniences which
" were designed for the Roman people. If, in
" these places of mixed and general resort, they
" meet any of the infamous ministers of their
"pleasures, they express their affection by a
" tender embrace; while. they proudly decline
" the salutations of their fellow-citizens, who
" are not permitted to aspire above the honour
" of kissing their hand s, or their knees., As
" soon as they have indulged themsehes in the
"refreshment of the bath, they resume their
"rings, and the other ensigns of their dignity;
"select from their private wardrobe of the
" finest linen, such as might suffice for a dozen
"persons, the garments the most agreeable
"to their fancy, and maintain till their de• In a homily of Asteriua, biahop of Amaaia, M. de Valois haa dileovered, <ad Ammi.u. xiv, 6), that this was a new faahioD; that bean,
wolves. lio..., aud ti,t'rs, woods, hunting matches, .!Ie. were repraeaCoed in embroid~ry; and tbat the more pious coxcomb" aabatitahd ...
611:urc or h~,end of some favollrite saUlt•. '
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269
OP THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
.. parture the same haughty demeanour; whicb CHAP.
"perhaps might have been excused in the:,~~~'
"great Marcellus, after the conquest of Sy" racuse. Sometimes, indeed, these heroes
" undertake more arduous, achievements; they
'.' "jsit their estates in Italy, and procure
"themselves, by the toil of servile hands,
"the amusements of the chase.II If at any
"time, but more especially on a hot day, they
" have courage to sail, in their painted galleys,
" from the Lucrine lake,' to their eltlgant villas
" on the sea-coa!.!!.t of Puteoli and Cayeta,' .they
" compare their own expeditious to the marches
" of Cresar and Alexander. Yet should a fly " pre8u~e to settle.on the silken folds of their
"gilded umbreJIas; should a sun-beam pen~
"trate through some unguarded and imper..
" ceptible chink, they deplore their intolerable
'~hardships, and lament, in affected language~'
" that· they were not born in the land of the'
, qSee Pliny'IEpiatlel, i, 6. Three large wild boall wfre allured,
and taken in the toil3, without interrupting tbe atuwel of the philoaopbic aportimllD.
.
.
r The change from the inanspicious word ,.4"erII1II, wbich Itads
in~the text, is immaterial.
The two lakes, Avernue and LucrinUl,
eommnnicated with each olbtr, and were faR~ioned by the atupendou.
molel of Agrippa into tbe Julian port, which opened, throngb a narrow entrance,- into the gulf of PuteoIi. Virgil, who rtaided on the
IPOt, hu described (Georgic ii, 161) this work at the tuoment ofitl
execution; and hil commentators, especially Catrou,' havc derived
mucla light from Slrabo, Snetonins, and Dion. Earthquakes and 1'01canOl have changed the face of tbe country, and turned the Lucrine
lake, lince the year 1538, jnto the Monte NIIOYo. See Camillo Pellegrillo Dilcorai della Campania Felice, p. 239, 2«, &c. Antonli Saa.
felicil Campania, p.lS, 88.
• The regna Cumana et Poteolana; loca cateroqui nlde expetenda,
interl'ellantium autcm multituwne pame fllgienda. Cicero ad Attie.
xvi,17.
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TIlE DECLlNE.AIfn PALL
Cimmerians,t the regions of eternal darkness•
.. ~:~~.•4''' III these journeys into the country,U the wbole
u body .of the household marches with th~ir
"master. In thesame manner as the cav.alry.aad
" infantJ:y, the heavy and the light armed troops,
U the advanced guard and the rear, are mar" shalled by the skill of thei.r military leaders;
" 10 the domestic officers, who bear a rod, as.an
" ensign of. authority, distribute and arrange tile
" .numerous train of slaves and attendants. .The
" baggage and.wardrobe move. in the front; and
" are immediate1y followed by a multitude or
" cooks, and inferior ministers,. employed in the
co service of the kitchens, .and .oftbe table. The
"main body is composed of a promiscuous
." crowd of slaves, increased. by the accidental
"concourse of idle or dependant plebeians.
"The·rear is closed by the favourite band ,,{
c, eunuchs, distributed from age to youth, ac" coming to the order of seniority. Tbeirnum"bers, and their deformity, excite the horror
cc. of ~e iI;ldignant spectators~ who are ready to
CHAP. "
TIle proYerbial espreuion of Cimmericna _ _.. wu origiaalJy
from the description of Homer, (in the elenDth book of !he
Odyuey), which lie appliel to a remote, aDd fabulous couatry oa the
Ihore. of the ocean. See Eruml Adqia, in his works, tom. i, p. 591,
tile Leydea editioa.
• We may learn from Seaeca, epiat. csxiii, three euriODl circumataDeea relatiye to the jOlUlleya of the RollWll. 1. They were preceded by a troop of N omidian Iipt hone, who anaouaced b, a cloud of
dut, the approaeh of a great maa. 2. Their bagpee-mulel traulported Dot oal, the p~ioUl _ , but enD the fragile yeale" of chry.....
and -tm'II, which Jut u almOit prond, by the learned Freacll trau1&tor of Seaeca. (tom. m, p. (02-422), to mean the poroelain of ('.bina
aud JapaD. s. Tile beaatiful facea of the YOUJIIllanl were conred
with a lIledicated cruat, or oiatmeat, which aecured them ...iut die
dfeGII of the IUD aad fro.t.
I
~wed
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271
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
.. execrate the memory of Semiramis, ·for the CHAP•
•• cruel art which she invented, offrustrating the .:~~:.
U purposes pfnature, and of blasting in the hud
fI the hopes of future generations.
In the exerfI cise of domestic jurisdiction, the nobles of'
" Rome express an exquisite sensibility for any
"personal injury, and a contemptuous in" dift'erence for the rest of the human species.
" "When they have called for warm water, if a
" slave has been tardy in his obedience, he is
" instantly chastised with three hundred lashes:
" but· should the same slave commit a wilful
" murder, the master will mildly observe, that
., he is a worthless fellow; but that, .if he re" peats the offence, he shall Dot escape punish"ment. Hospitality was formerly the virtue of·
" the Romans; and every stranger, who could
"plead either merit or misfortune, was relieved
" or rewarded, by their generosity. At present,
U if a: foreigner,
perhaps of no contemptible
U rank, is introduced to one of the proud and
" wealthy senators, be is welcomed indeed in the
" first audience, with such warm professions, and
" such kind inquiries~ that 'he retires, enchanted
" with the affability of his illustrious friend, and
" full of regret that he had so long delayed his
" journey to Rome, the native seat of manners, '
" as well as of empire. Secure of a favourable
" reception, he repeats his visit the ensuing day,
" and is mortified by the discovery, that his
" person, hisname, and his country, are already
fI forgotten.
If he still has resolution to perse.~ vere, he is gradually numbered in the train of.
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THE DECLINE AND FALL
dependants, and obtains the permls8io~' to pay
_~~~~:... " his assiduous and unprofitable courtto a haugh" ty patron, incapable of gratitude or friendship;
" who· sCal'cely deigns to remark his presence,
"his departure, or his return. Whenever the'
U rich prepare a solemn and popular entertain" ment;"' whenever. theycele~rate, with profuse
" and pernicious luxury, their private banquets;
" the choice of the guests is the subject of anxi• " ous deliberation. The modest, the sober, and
" the .learned, are seldom .preferred; and the·
" nomenclators, who are commonly swayed by
" interested motives, have the address to insert,
" in the list of invitations, the obscure names of
" the most worthless of mankind. But the fre" quent and familiar companions of the great,
" are those parasites, who practise the most use" ful of all arts, the art of flattery; who eagerly
" applaud each word, and every action, of their
"immortal patron; gaze with rapture on his
", marble columns, and variegated pavements;
" and strenuously praise the pomp,andelegance,
" which he is taught to consider as a parfofhis
" personal merit. At the Roman tables, the
,CHAP, "
x Dillriblllio lolemninm sporlularum, The ".male, or .,.,wile,
were amall baskets, supposed to coutain a quantit,. of hot provui_.
of the value of 100 quadrantea, or twelvepence halfp~nn,.. which were
ranged in order in the hall, and ostentatiousl,. distributed to the haugry or servile crowd, who waited at the door. This indelicate cDltom
is very frequently mentioned in the epigrams of Martial, ad the satirH
of Juvenal. See likewise Snetomns, in Cland. c. 21; in Neron. c.1S;
in Domitian, c. 4,7. These baskets of provisions were afterwards con·
\'erted into lal',e pieces of gold and Iilver coin, or plate, which were
Inlltnally given and accepted even by the penonl of the 'hitbest raak,
(lee Symmacb. epist iv, 55, ix, 124; and ~Ii,cell. p. 2,56), on sok_
ecCuiOUI, of consubbips marriages, &c.
.
273
birds, the squirrels,' or the -fish, which appc::ar ~HA P.
U of an uncommon size, are contemplated with XXXL
" 'curious attention; a pair of scales is accurate.. ~"~~: .. ~
" Jyapplied, to ascertain their real weight; and,
" while the inore rational guests are disgusted
U by the'vain and tedious repetition, notaries ~re
c. summoned to attest, by an authentic' record,
U the truth of such a marvellous event. ' A~().
" ther method of introduction into the houses
" and society of the great, is derived from the
" profession of gaming, or, as it is more politely.
" styled, of play. The confederates are united
" bya strictand indissoluble bond offriendship,.
" or rather of conspiracy: a superior degree 'of
U skill in the Tesse,·arian. art, (which may bein" terpreted the game' of dice and tables)~· is a
,OP THE ROMAN E}IPIRE.
II
• , The want of an Engliah name obliges me to refer to the commen
puna of aquirrels, the Latia Klil, the French loir; a. little animal,
who inhabita the wood.. and relllllins torpid in cold weather, (lee 'Plio.
Bbt. Nator. vii,82. ButrOD, Hilt. Naturelle, tom. viii, p. 158. Peuaant'. Sjnopsis of Quadrnpeda, p. 289). The art of rearing and tiottenning creat numb"r. of gli,'" WII practised in Roman "illal, II a profitable article ofrural economy, (Varro de Re Rusticl, iii, 15). The'
ezceuiye demand of them for luxurious tablea, wu increued by the
(oo\.lah prQhibitionl of the CenlOn, IUId it is reported, that they are
atill esteemed in modern Rome, and are freqllently lent .. prelenta by
the Collonoa princes, (see Brotier, the last !!ditor of Pliny, tom, ii, po'
"s, apad Barbou, 1 1 1 9 ) . '
,
• This glUllt', which might bel tranllated by the mQre. familiar.
namea of 'ricirac, or bdckgamlllOll, wu a, favourite amusement of the;
rrayelt Romina; and old Mucins SClleyola, the lawyer, had the repl'.,
tltion of. a yery skUful player. It wu caUed ludu, liliolieri""criptOJ'lqlt;
from the twelve mipta, .or lines, which equally divided the a~lIeo,I"'1 .
or table. OD theae, the two armies, the ",bite and.the black, each conI.istin&, of fifteen men, or ,caTctlli, were regularly placed, and alternately moved, according to the lawl of the game.; and the chancel of .the
or dice. Dr. Hyde, who dilllently traces the history 'and y,a-'
rietie. of the ncrdiludi.m (a name ofPenic etymology) f ..om Irt'land.
. '_a,
tea
VOL. V
T
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'T!IK DECLINE AND PALL
A master
supper or
" assembly,"is placed'below-a magistrate, distc plays in his countenance the surprise and -in" dignation, whichCato might be supposed to
Ie feel, when he was refused the pretorship, by
" the votes of a capriciolls people. The acqui" sition' of knowledge seldom engages the curiee osity of the, nobles, who abhor the fatigue,
" and disdain the advantages, of s~dy; and
" the only books which they peruse are the sa" tires of Juvenal, and the verbose and fabulous
' f ·histories of Marius Maximus.The libraries
"\;:hich tbey: .have inherited from their 'fathers,
"'are s,echid~<1~' like dreary sepulehres,'frotn'the
" light- of dlly'.~· But the costly instruments of
., the. theatre,,; Biltes, and enol'~us lyres, and
a!. hydraullb 1)rkans, 'are constructed· for their
"·use; -aDd. the harm@y of vocal and instril" meB.tal 'mt1sic' ,is, incessantly .repeated iR the
" palaces ofR9me.. .In· those places~ sound is
''''preferred' to sense, ,and the ca.re of the body
" to: tha(.of. the mind',' It is allowed as a salu'.4; t8ry maiXim" that the light and frivolous sus-
CRAP. " sure road to wealth and reputation.
.
_ XXXI.
••_ . "0f that subl'lme SCience,
Wh
0, 'In a
to jap~, poun forth, on the tii1llu, 'ulij~et, a 'copioDl torrellt of
clauie and oriental learnidg. See S,Dtagma Diliertat. tom. H, p
111·405.
"
• Marilla Maximol, homo omDium verbosil.lmol, qoi, et mithia....
rleil 10 volomlDibol Impli~avit~ VOpilCUI, iD Hilt. Aogu.t. p. MI.
Jle wrote the lives of the empero...; froiuTraja. to AlennderSey_.
See Gerard, Vonios de 'Historiei. La~. 1. ii, e. I, iD hil works, veL
iv, p.li7.
to Thil latire i. probably" cxai!jferateil ... The Satornalia of'Ha_
biOI, and the epuUel of Jerom, afford satisfactory proof., that ~
theolo,y, and clulic literatore, were Itudiously eoltinted by IeftIIII
IlOmaDI, of both _lexes, aDd of the higheet rank•.
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271)
. 01' THE 1l0HAN EMPIRL
.. picion of a contagious malady, is of sufficient CHAP.
. ht to'
' . 0 f ; t he most
. mtI. . .••XXXI
•
•' WeJg·
excuse t h
e. vlslts
,. ••".
"mate fr~ends; and even the servants, wJlo are
,.
".aespatcbed i& make.tJie aeaent inquiries, are
f'i~Ml!'ltb nturnbhbme, tiH,.,tb.e,~:ha'V'e
~'! uD.d4Jl'ganertl*"£8remoD),! rOila {lrevioQIt ablu ..
If>ti8U.l~hYut'1;hDi seIiim: aDd '1lilmaDly delicacy
f~'Uf!ewtiGl1aU r ,&lds dO ,tb :mOTe i 'imperious
't)~strioIi'~a~.bl The.prospectof~in Woill
''',utge a. ridl~aAdgbuty8eBatora8*r!asSp()leto;
~(every
sfmtiritenfl'ofllrrogaooe land ... dignity is
''l-atlbd'Ued 'by the lmpes of' an', ioheritance,,,or
'4rwven·of -a 'lffgacy; and '3.·wealthY'.,.~chil.dies8
"'tltizen is the nio&t powerful~orthe Romans;
''''I'he art of ohtai"iiing the signatu.l-e.o£a f~TOIll";
"'uble testament; and ·soinetimes'.'of hastening
""the moment ·of its' execution;' is;per£ectly ;un" derstood; and it h~8happened~ ,that, in the
'4 same house, though; in dlWerent apartments,
" a husband and a wife, with:the ,laudable:de"'~jgn of over-reat!hing: each other, 'hBVe sum'f~'Iiioned their'respectiTe'law,-ers, to dedare, at
'" the' sa:tne time; their 'mutUal," but cOidradiccc:tory intentions. ·The distrels whidl; follows
"·and'· chastises 'extrantgant"}uxury, often re"'dtte~s·tlt~ great'to the uBe;of:th-e most, humi'4<'liatmcg' e~pedient8. .When ·they: desire to
•• 'bbrrb"Wt:th~1 eUtploy tbe;base:andsnpplicatfJ'kIg ~tt}&:Of th~~'stavt! in tbe,comedy·; but
"'When~tlley'a.re 'catled 'upoIl' to pay,' they asf'4's'Dhle th'e ·royal and tt'a.g~ ·deelamatiolT. of the
"grandsons of Hercules. If the d.ymand is
" repeated, they ~adily procure some trusty
c
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278
THE DECLINE AND PALL
CHAP. "sycophant, instructed to maintain' a charge of
_~~~;, "poison, or magic, against the insolent credi" tor; who is seldom released from prison, till .
U he has signed a discharge of the whole debt.
ee These ,vices, which degrade the moral charac" ter of the Romans, are mixed with a puerile
" IJuperstitioo, that disgraces their under.stand"ing. . They listen .with confidence to the pre" dictj,ons of haruspices,who pretend to read,
" in the entrails of victims, the signs of future
" greatness and proRperity ; and there are many
" who do oot presume either to bathe, or to dine,
" or to appear in public, till they have diligent" Iy cOllsulted, according to the r1;lle8 of astro" logy, the situation of Mercury, and the as'
" pect of the moon. It is singular enough;
" that this vain credulity may often be disco" vered among the profane sceptics, who im~' piously doubt, or deny, the existence of a
" celestial power."
State and
In populous cities, which are the seat of comcharacler
oflhepeo- merce and manufactures, the mIddle ranks of'
~:~!. inhabitants, who derive their subsistence from
the dexterity, or labour, of .their hands, are
commonly the most proli.fic, the most· useful;
and, in that sense, the most respectable,
, part of the community. .But the plebeians of
Rome, who disdained such sedentary and
servile arts, had been oppressed, from the
earliest· times, by the weight of debt and
usnry 0; and the husbandman, during the term
C
°
.
'
o.
c Mac ..oblll~, the friend of these Roman DObIes, considered lbe atan
.. II.e callSP, or at leut Ibe ii,m, of future eyentl, (de SoIDIl.·lcip~.
I i. c 19, fl. 611).
.
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271
, OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
.or his military
service, was obliged to 'aban- ~~~;:.
cultivation of his farin! The land:s of_........,.
.Italy, which had been originally cfivided among
,tile families of free and indigent. proprietors,
.were insensibly purchased, or usurped, by the
avarice of the nobles;· and in the age which
'preceded the fall of the republic,it was com·puted, that· only two thousand citizens were
.possessed of any independerit subsistence.·
.Yet as long 'as the people bestowed, by their
.8uft'rages, the honours of the 'state, the com,mand of the legions, and the administration of
·wealthy provinces, their conscious pride alleviated, in some measure, the hardships of poverty;
a.nd their wants were seasonably supplied by
the ambitious liberality of the candidates, who
-aspired to secure a venal majority in the thirty.five tribes, or the hundred and ninety-three
.centuries, of Rome. But when the prodigal
commons had imprudently alienated not only
-the ust, but the inheritance, of power, they sunk,
·under the reign of the Cresars, into a vile and
-wretched populace, which must, in a few generations, -have been totally extinguished, if it
had not been continually recruited by the ma~don·the
• The hiatoriel of Livy (lee particularly yi, 36) ar!! full of the
extortionl of the rich, aDd the suft"eriDga of the poor debton. The
melancholy ItOry of a bran old soldier, (Diony•• Hal. I. "fi, c. 26,
p. 847, edit. HudlOn, and Liyy, ii, 23), mUit have been frequently
r~peated in those primitive timea, which have been 10 undeaerve~ly
prused.
.
i Non ease in eivitate duo millia hominum qui rem haber,nt. Ci.cero. oBic. ii, ~l, and Comment. PauL Manut. in edit. OI'lllY. Thil
"Yague computation wu made-A. U. C. 649, in a Ipeeeh of th ... tribune
PhillippUl; aDd it wu hi, object, u well u that of the Oracehi, (_
Plutarcb), to deplore, and perhapi to exaggerate, tbe miaer, of tn
common people.
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.nIE .DECLINE AND FALL
numissioll of-slaves, andthe;infl~x.et strange...
eHA P.
...~~!:~ As early· as the. time e.f Hadrian, it was t6e .juSt
complaint. ofl.the:ingeilu.ous.nati"e~~th4rt t~e da-
pita.. had',aUracted' the:.vieeS Of tae,.uuiver&e,
allc}~JD¥1nners\DfitH.most
op.pOsite: tnatrona.
~he intemperance of the Gauls, thojCuomDg ancl
Je~it~~the.Greek&,l1;he sa-.ge ohstinacy f)f.th~
Egrptiw;andJ,Je.ws,:the servile
tetapef'o£~
t_ tm-
Asiaties, 'and the,dissoJule; effeinintte;:pl'8~
tu-1Wnbflthe ,Syriaai,:lWere.ri:iingJe.d in
ous maJ.titUde;.; '.wbich. under the proud and
false'idenoliliaation !Oi.RomaIi~; :presllmed~io
'despise. 'their fellaw.,subjects* i an~ qVf,lnllbeir
,sovereigns,; wl1Q·dweU.b~~Qnd,the preom~s.of
thefIETER.N,&L OiTY.'.,,·
"
,>
,.. ,.
til,
P"blle
; .: Yet the nUla. Qf that cit}t w.aa stillpmnouneed
diatribu• li
,~t,an.d ,capnCIOUS.,IAol..
4-••
liun of
'Wlt
respect: .t he·u-~;u.eD
breado!llbacon, •
wine. &c.
malts of its iBhabitants weN indulged, with_
punity; and the suceQllsorS of .~onstantine, .•
stead of crusbieg the last. remaiinsof the de~
crap'y_ by the,$~r9Q.g a.rm oi.military p.ower, embraced the mild policy of Augustus, and studied t() 'teli~v~' t,he poverty,' an'd ~o . amuse the
~dleness; ofall; iQ.A~nwable people.~ I. For the
r
t
-
~
•
.'.;
J
. . . . , .",...
~..
"
." 'f:S... ·d!e:Jhird Satire (60-1.)of'Juyenal. who indignantly com-
plaina,
~.'. .
-Quamvls quota portio ;'cl~ Ach.i!
• ", Jamprldem Sy~. in'f.iber~ d~nxit Otonte.;
'.
t··· . !' , >Etliupam·,etmore. Ikc,' ,'" "!'~' _. • , . . . l
'&neaai "'belie proposiii'\o ~olnt'ort b,.rm~tI;i'ct:'(C~n'JJai. ~4 ~~f,. e•
...) by the'ie8~on. tHllt.t 6tat part'tdt mllbkltiit -iere 'iii 'a~iat.~ or
exile, remind. her how few of the inhabitanta of Romtl were hilA ia
.i6ecity.·
, ",'
, , . '. ' 1 ·
.
" AlmOlt all that is iaid
die bread, bacBn, ~il, wine, acc. may be
found in the fourteenth book of the Tbeodosia.' Code; whichupl'Clll,
'treata of the peliu of tbe grt'at citin. See particularly tbe titles iii, i••
• '. xvi, xvii, xxi.. Tbe collateral teltiowDiel aft' produced in Gode• fro,..
of
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eo~venience of the lazy plebeians, the mQpt~\y CHAP.
distributions ofcorn were conver~d into: a daily ,,~~!:.;
allowau,ce of bread; a great number of OtV~DS .,
was ,constructed and maintained at t~e p~~Jitc
e~pence; and at the appointed hoW, ~ch c~9.zen, who was furnished with a tick.et, ascended
~he flight of steps, "fhic}l had been,~sigood
his peculiar quarter or division,: ~n,d. :r~iteivecJ,
either as a gift, or at avery low.priG~f a loaf Qf
bread, of the w~ghtof thr,ee pounds, fo~ ·t~~
use olhis family.· , II.! The!fores.ts of Luc~ilt,
whQse, acorns, fattened cWge drove".· of, ;Wi:\~
'hogs," afforded, as ~ speciEllS Qf\ tril»:tte~ ;a: ~~
tiful supply of,cheap .and ,,'whol~~~e~elJt.
During five months· of the .yea:r~,;a.re3111aral..
lowanc.e of bacon was distributed to! the PQoret'
citizens; and .the annual ,coWJumptioDI"of the
capital, ; at a time whe.-.it was· much deoliDed
from its: former lustre,; was. aScertained,. by an
edict of Valentinian ·nI, at .threes millions six
hundred and twenty-eight. thousand pounds!
UI., .In the manners of alitiquity~ the use of oil
was indispensible for. the lamp;" as' well as for
tP
froy'l Commentary, and it il needleis to transcribe- them. Aeeordint
to alaw ofTheodOlinl, "hieb appretiatel in mone, the military allowance, a piece of gold (elenn ahillin!:,) was equivalenfto eigbty pound.
ef baeou, or to eighty ponnda of oil, or to twehe modii (or peek.) of
...t. (Cod. Theod. t. viii, tit. 'i"t 1~1t. 11)•. This equation. codtpare'.
with another of leventy pounds of baeou for an -"...., (Cod. Theod.
1. xiv, tit. iv, leg.4), fixes tbe price of wiDe at about .ixteen pence the
gallon.
"The anDonymoul author of the Description of the World, (p.14.
in tom. iii, Geograph. 1\1inor, HudlOn), obae"ei of Lueania, iu hil
tiarbarous Latin, Regio oblima, et ipsa omnibua habundana, et lardwn
multllm fOraJI emittit. Propter quod elt in montibna. eujna ale...
..nimalillm variam, &Ce.
I See Novell. ad ealeem Cod. Theod. D. Valet. I. i, tit.
Thia'
law was published at Rome, JUDe 29, .&. D. 41i2., .
'1:".
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!80
i~g. t~e.batn;
..
.'THE DECLINE AND
.,
FALL
.
and.the annual tax, which was impo.,,,;.._'- sed on Africa for the benefit of Rome, amount, ed, to the weight of three millions of pounds, to
. the measure, perhaps, of three hundred thousand English gallons. IV. The anxiety of
;Augus~us to'provide the metropolis with 8ufi;cient plenty" of corn, was not extended beyond
that necessary articie of human subsistence;
"and 'when' the popular clamour accused the
'dearness and scarcity 'oT wine, a proclamation
lYas issued, by the grave reformer, to remind
'his 'subjects, that no man could reasonably
cQmplain of thirst, since the aqueducts of
Agrippa had introduced into the city so many
copious streams of pure and salubrious water.1t
'This rigid sobriety was insensibly relaxed; and,
although the generous design of A urelian 1 does
not appear to have been executed in its full ex~'
tent, the use of wine was allowed on very easy
and' liberal terms. The administration of tbe
public cellars walil:delegat~q to a inagistrate of
honourable rank; and a 'considerable part of.tbe
vintage 'of Camp.ania was reserved for the fortunate inhabitants of Rome.
US!! of the
The stupendous aqueducts, so justly ceie
t::i!!~ ~rated by the praises of A ugustus himself, re
plenished the Tltermm, or baths, which had
been constructed
in every part of the. city, with
,
II: Sueton. in Angust. e. 42.
The utmost debauch of tbe emperor
himl!!lf, iu his favonrite wille of Rlllietia, never exceeded a erturiu,
(an English pint). Id. c. 11. Torrentius ad Loc. and Arbnthnot'l
Tablel, p. 86 •
. , His design was to plant vineyaJ;ds along the seaoeoast of Hetmria,
('IOpisCUI, in Hbt. Angust. p. 22S); tbe dreary uuwLolelomt', uncullio
",ted
of moderu TuscBII3.
.
M.,._
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'~1
()P THII ROMAN EMPIRE.
Imperial magnificence~ The baths of Antoni- CHAP•.
nus Caracalla, which were open, at stated ....:~~: ..
hours, for the indiscriminate service of the senators and the people, contained above sixteen
hundred seats of marble; and more than three
thousand were reckoned in the baths of Dioc1etian.- The walls of the. lofty apartme~ts
were covered with curious mosaics, that imitated the art of the pencil in the elegance of design, and the variety of colours. The Egyptian
granite was beautifully incrusted with the precious green marble of Numidia; the perpetual
stream of hot water was poured 'into the capa·cious basons, through so many wide mouths of
bright and massy silver; and the meanest Roman could purchase, with a small copper coin,
the daily enjoyment ofa scene of pomp and luxury, which might excite the envy of the kings of
.Asia.· From these stately palaces issued a
·swarm of dirty and ragged plebeians, without
shoes, and without a mantle; who loitered away
whole days in the street or Forum, to hear news,
·and to hold disputes; who dissipated, ill extravagant gaming, the miserable pittance of
their wives and children; and spent the hours
of the night in obscure tavemtl, and brothels,
.. Olympiodor. apad Photo p. 191.
• Seueca (epiatol, Ixxxvi) compare. the bath. of Se1pio AfriCilDal, at
his villa of Literanm, with the magnificence (which was continually iucreasing) of the pllblic bath. of Rome, long before the .tately Tberma
of Antonill1l8 and Dioe1etiaD were erected. The q1UIdnnu paid for
aolmil8iOD was the qnllrtl'r of . . III, about one-eightb of all EDIIiIII
.
~nD1'
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in the' indulgence of· gross and vulgar sens1l&o
lit
--- y
;'
.
Gamet
But the most lively ,and' splendid ~mtlsement
::c~~~- of the idle mliititude, depended 90" Hie frequent
exh.bitions of}>uhli(: gamesimd'speCtacles." The
piety of Christi~n princes h'~a s~ppressed ihe
inhuman combats of gtaarators; l)uUhe'Roman
people still considered'tbe'Circul as their home,
their te~ple, and the seafoC'thEi republi~. The
impatient crowd' rushed at the 'dawu of day to
secure their places, and there' were many who
passed a sleepless and anxious night in the adja:cEmt porticos. ' From'the morning to the evenipg, careless of the sun, 'or 9fthe rain, the spectators, who sqmetimes' amounted to the number
of four hundred thous'and, remained" in eager
attention; their 'eyes fixed on th~e horses -and
charioteers; their minds agitated;with hope and
fear, for the success' of the 'colours which they
'espoused': and the happiness of Rome appeared to hang on the event o( a race.p The same
jmmode'rate ardour inspired their clamours, and
their applause, as often as they were entertained with the hunting of wild beasts, and the varjou8 'modes of theatrical representation. These
represenu..tions, in modern capitals
may deserve
.
CHAP.
XXXI.
.0
' . .
.'"
, •
' .
• Ammianos, (I. xiv, c. 6, and 1. xXYiii, c. '), after dl!8cribiDg the
.Iuury and pride of the nobles ~f '~JDe, exposes, "ith equal indipatiou, the vice. and (ollie. of the common people.
P Ju.veaal. Satir, xi, 191. Ikc. The expreuionl of the historian A...ianDi are not less strong and animated tban thOle of the ,atirist; and
both the one and t~ other painted from the life. The numben "hidl
abe great Circus Wal cap~ble of receiving, are taken from tbe oriri-'
NotU", of the city. The differences between tlll'm prove that theydi.
Dot transcribe each other; but tbe Inm may appear iDcredibl~ tho• •
the country on these occasions flocked to the city.
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OOP oiHi'KOMAlf EMPB
to be~ co~~idered as a pure' an'd elegant ~chool CHAP.
~f·ta~t~,::and',~erha~ of virtue. But the Thi- .~~~~:..
gic' and Comic Muse of the RQmans, who selthe imitation of Atticgeniu8,Q had been almost totally silent since tlie
fall of 'the. republic;r' and their place
unworthily occupied' by: licentious faree,' effemi-=
nate music,
splendid'pageantry•. The pan..:
tomimes, I, who maintaineil' their reputation frolll
the age of Augustus to·the siKth century,
pressed,. ~ithO\it ,the '1iS~ 61 words, the various
&hles 'uf the gods MId heroefJ. of antiquity; and
the 'perfection', bf :their, art, :which sometimes
diSa,med: the'gravity ,of the phIlosopher, al ways
e1tc:ited tlie appla.u~e and .WQnder of .the people
The. vast land m8!gnificent theatr~s o(Romewere
filled by three thousand female dancers, and by
three thousand singers, with the masters of the
respective~chorulSses. 'Such was the popular
favour which they ~joyed, that. in a time of
dom aspired beyond'
was
'and
ex-
"v
... , "
: '.
.
.
, • Sometimea iDdeed they composed origiaal pieCH.
.
, - - '-Veatigia Gnera
. ,'. , A1IJ1 dfltrere lit ,eII!lellare domeltica facta.
Borat. EpistoL ,ad Pi.ones, 286, a~a the leal'Ded. thongh perplexl"d,
nJigl\eha~e 'allo.Jea-th~ Baine of tragedies to the
note 'ot Dacier;
~ and the 'D,n" of Pallbinll, Dr to'tlle CatD' of Matel'DlIl. The
OcIniG, ascribed to one of the SeDecal, .till remaina a very uDfavoura~Ie speeUbeD of Rdmltll tragedy,
. ,r ID the time oNluintilian and Pliny, a tragie poet was redtteed 10
the ilDperfeet, method of'hiriDI a grelft room, and reading his play to
... £OmpMI1, whom he iuviteil for thatp~r"ose, (see Dialog. de Oratorib.., c,9, 11, aDd Pliu. EpiltoL, "ii,U')." "
'
, • Sfe the OialoJIMI of Lucian. eDtitlell, de 'SaltatioDc, tom. ii, p. HIanoHit. Reitz. The paDtomimel obtained the hODonrable Dame of
~; aDd it wal required, that they "uld be COD versant with al....t enry art aDd aeleDce. Barette (in tke Memoirea de I'Aeademle
des Inscriptiou., tom. i, p. 117, &c.) lIu c\veD a ahort history .f tile
. . of pautomime..
who
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284
~HE DECLlNE lNn PALL
sca!'city, when all strangers were banished from
_~!:'~~:. the city, the merit of contributing to the publi,c
pleasures, exempted tAem from a law, which was
strictly executed against the professors of the
liberal arts.t
It is said, that the foolish curiosity of Elagabalus attempted to discover, from thequantity~f
spiders webs, the number of the inhabitants of
Rome. A more rational method of inquiry
might not have been undeserving of the. attention of the wisest princes, .wlio could easily
have ·resolved a question 80 important for tl1~
Roman governmentl and so .interesting to· succeeding ages. The births and deaths. of the
citizens were duly registered; and if any writer 'of antiquity ,had conde.scended to .mention
tbe annual amount, or the cpinlllon. average,
we might now produce some satisfactory cal·
culation, which would destroy the extravagant
assertions of ~ritics, and perhaps confirm the
modest and probable coDjectnres of philoso-'
phers. u The most diligent r.esearches have colected only the following circumstances; which t
slight and imperfect as they are, may tend,
in some degree, to illustrate the question of
CJlAP.
t Ammianlls, I. xiv, c. 6.
He complainl, with decent illdignatioa,
that tbe streets of Rome were filled witll crowds of females, who micbt
have given cbildren to tbe atate, bnt whole only occupation wu to enrl
and drels tbeir hair, and jactari volubilibus gyris, dum exprimDDt
iunumera simulacra, qUE finxere fabulE theatrales •
• M Liplius, (tom, iii, p.421, de Magnitud. RomanA, I. iii, c. I), and
line VOlSius, (Observat. Var. p. 26.34), have indulged atrange drelllli
of fOllr, or eigbt, or fourteen millionl in Rome. Mr. Home, (Ella,.,
VOl. i, p. 450.461), with admirable good lenle and .eeptici.m, bet~y. some secret dilpo.itioD to extennate the popalOUlIICII of ancia' •
~~,
' .
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2~
OF THE RO)IAN EMPIRE.
the populousness of ancient Rome. I. When ~~~~. ,
the capital of the empire was besieged by the,!',... ".:;·
Goths, the circuit of the walls was accurately
measured, by Ammonius~ the mathematician,_
who found it equal to twenty-One 'miles." It,.
should not be forgotten, that the 'form of the.
city was almost that of a circle; . the geometricalfigUi"e which is known to contain the largest
space' within any given circumference. II. The.
architectVitruvius, who flourished in the Augustan age, and whose evidence, on this occa-,
sion, has peculiar weight and authority, -00..,
serves, that the innumerable habitations of the,
Roman people would have spread themselves.
far ·beyond the 'narroW limits of the city; aDd
that the want of ground, which was ·probably.
contracted on every side by gardens arid villas,
suggested the common, though .inconvenient,
practice of raising the houses to a considerable:
height in the air." But' the loftiness of these .
. - buildings, which often consisted of hasty work;
and insufficient materials, was the cause of frequent and fatal accidents; and it was repeatedly enacted by Augustus, as well as 1?y Nero;'
that the height of private edifices, within' the
walls of Rome, should not exceed the measure
" Olympiodor. ap. Phot. p. 191. See Fabrichu, Bibl. Gnec. to. .
~~~
.
, III eA antem majeltate nrbia, e.t civiom infinitA f'reqoentiA inun_abilet habitationel opos foit explicare. Ergo com reciper. non POllet
area plana tantam mo I tltodinem in nrbe, ad anxilinm altitndiui. IIIdifi-.
ciorum rea ipsa coligit devenlre. Vitrnv. ii, 8. Thi. pas.age, whick
I OWl: to VOllius, is clear, .trong, and colLpreheusive.
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188
THE DECLINE AND PALL
ofseventy feet from the ground.s III. Juvenal·
_~~~;, laments, as it should seem from his own experience, the hudships of the PQo.rer citizens, to
whom he addresses the salutary advice of emigrating, Without ~elay., from the smoke ofBo.Dle,
since they might purchase, in the,littl~ to~,of .
Italy, a cheerful 'commodious dweUb:lg,;a,t *"e
&'ame price which theY·'8DDually paid for. J.l d)i,.k
and miserahle lodging. . Hou.,e-rent WIt, theref6reimmoderately dear: the ~ch acquired,:a~ aD
eDormous ',ex pence, , the .ground; .'Which th~y
cOvered with palaces arid:gardens; but the body
of the Roman peoplewas crowded intO a narrow
spaCe; and' tile different 1Ioors, and apartm~nts,
dfthe:s(Wle Ihou'ie, were divided,as it is still the
ctistoin of Paris~ and other cities, among se~
r~lraml1ies,of plebeiahs•. IV. The total nombtiq)€oJmuses in'the-fburteenregions oCthe city,
is 'aCcuhitely stated in the description: of Rome,
cmnpo§ed, under the teign of Theodhsius, 'and
~1IID.ount·to Corty-eight thousand three' h~D·
CHAP.
.. '
,.".,
, '.
'
• • r
··:The lucceslin testimouies of Pliny, Aristidea, Claudlar, Rutiliui,
Wtprove'tll'e iD.ufficlenc1of~eae reitricli~ edicta; __ .See Li"'''''
de,,*.ftud. itomao6, I. iii, c. 4.
'
' . '-.-,..-Tablliata tibijam tertia fomant
I, •
i' "
.. 'It. lIelc;,; lIam.i gradiboa trepidatur ab boil
,- ; -;~ltimus.at~""._qllelD tB'~ lola tuttu,r' .'
•• Apla.i.;
, "
,
.
.
Jannal. Sadr. iii, 199.
• .«:ad. U1ew~le. thirchatire, but P!lrticularly 166, 223, &c. 'TIle
deaeription of a crowded i_la, or lodging-house, in Petronioa,(c. 96,
97'), l!e!f.r,clly..t!m~' wit:h the complainta of Juven"; and we leam from
legal authority, that in the tinieof AUgUstu8,(HeinDecciuI, Hilt. Jaris.
Roman. e. 'iv, p. 181), the ordinary rent of the several cellfll:lll«, or
apar\l!!eq~ of I!D ~,~nDnaIl1PTod~c,~~ forty •.th~.~san~ '(lte~ces,
betwef'u'three and foar hundred pOllUd.sterling. ' (Paudeci~.]. xix; tit.
i!, No. I~; a SIIRI which proveS at once the laree extent, uid bl,b 0llie, of thOle common buildings.
'
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or THE'ROHAN EMPIRE.
28'7
dred and e~hty.hvo." , The two classes of CHAP.
"mus and ofinsu/m, 'into. which they are divi- #,~~:
ded, include~;an tile· :habitations of the capital; of every rank and condition, from the mar·
hIe palace of .the Anicii, with a numerous establishment of freedmen, and slaves, to the lofty
and narrow lodging-house, where the poet Codrus, and bis- wife; were permitted to hite' a
wretched garret immediately under the':tiles.
If we adopt the same aVet"age,' which,' utider
similar circumstances, has been :found appli.:.
cQ.ble to Paris,c and indifferently allowahout
twenty.five persons, for each house, of every
degree, we may fairly estimate the inhabitants
of R6me at twelve hundred thousand: a number. which cannot be thought excessIve for the
copital of a mighty empire, though it' exceeds
the populousness of the greatest citiesoC mo·
clem, Europe.'
.. Such,was ,the state of Rome under the reign Fintliep
of·Honorius; at the time when the Gothic ariny b~ ~:e
{erm~, the-siege, or rather the blockade, of the ~ot~.(OI.
ci~..·1 By.aailCul disposition of his numerous . D
.
. .' hla .:am·tdtal i' composed of 1180 domu, or creat housea, of 46,602
-..z., or .op!ebeiaD·1Jabitationa, (.see Nardini, Roma Antica. I. iii, p.
81); aIId the~~, DBlBbe~ are "certained by tbe agreement of tbe texts
o(the different Noti'ie. Nardini, I. ~iii, p. 498, 600.
C See that accurate writer M. de Mesaauce, Rechercbes lur la Popuia~" p. 116-181. From probahle, or certoin grounds, be aSlip to
Parit 21,665 houles. 11,11.4 familiel, aud 616,630 inhahitants.
II Thil comilRlatlon 'is not'\'ery different (rom tbt which 1\01. Brotier,
the last editor of Tacitul (tom. ii, p. 380). has Bllomed frllm limilar
principlel; thouCh he leeDII to aim at a degree of precisiou, which it it
.either possible nor importint itei obtain.
' .
• Fllr tbe eYents of the fint siege of Rome, which are often confoan.ed with thle Df the lecoad and third, Ife Zosimlll, I. ", p. 350. -16••
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188
THE DRq.llifE AND PALL
forces, who 'impatiently watched the momentCJ£
~~~~.. an assault, Alaric eucompassed the walls, ·com-..
manded the twelye principal. gates, intercepted
all communication with.the adjacent country,
and vigilantly guarded the navigation of ·the:
Tiber, from which the Romans derived the surest·
and n'lostplentiful supply of provisions. The·
first emotio~s of the nobles, and of the people"
were those of surprise and indignation, that a'
vile barbarian should dare to .insult the capital
of the world: but their .arrogance was soon·
,humbled by misfortune; and· their unmanly,
rage, instead of, being directed against an ene- "
my in arms, was meanly exercised on·a de-,
fenceless and innocent yictim.Perhaps in the
'person of .Serena, the RO,mans might have respected the niece of '.fheodosius, the aunt, nay
even. the adopted mother, of the reigning em-'
peror: but they abhorred the widow of .Stilicho; and they listened with credulous .passion
to the tale of calumny, which accused her of,
maintaining a secret and criminal correspon-'
dence with the Gothic invader. ,·Act~ated, or'
overawed, by the same popular frenzy, the senate, without requiring any evide!lce, of her guilt",
pronounced the sentence of her death. Serena was ignominiously strangled; and the infa- '
tuated mbltitude were asymished to find, that
this cruel act of injustice did not immediately
produce the retreat ,of the barbarians, and,the
deliverance of the city. That unfortunate city
CHAP.
I
IU. Sozomeo, I. ix, e. 6. Olympiodorns, ap. Photo p. 180. Phil. . ·
lorlins, I. xii, e. 3; and Gooldroy.Dilsertat, p. 467.41/i.
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289
01' THE ROMAN DlPmE.
pdually experienced the distress of scarcity, CH"~P.
and at length the horrid' calamities of famine .•~~~~..
The daily allowance of three pounds of bread
was. reduced to one-half, to one-third, to nothing; and the price of corn sill continued to rise
in a rapid and extravagant proportion. The
poorer citizens, who were unable to purchase
the necessaries of life, solicited the precarious
charity of the rich; and for a while the public
misery was alleviated by the humanity of Lmta,
the widow of the emperor Gratian, who had
fixed her residence at Rome, and consecrated
to the use of the indigent, the princely revenue,
which she annually received from the grateful
successors of her husband! But these privateand temporary donatives .were. insufficient to
appease the hunger ofa n·umerous people; and
th"e progress of famine invaded the marble palaces of the senators themselves. The persons
of both sexes, who had been educated in the
enjoyment of ease and luxury, discovered how
little is .requisite to supply the demands of nature; and lavished their unavaUing· treasures of
gold and silver, to obtain the coarse and scanty sustenance which they would formerly have
rejected with disdain. The f~od the most repugnant to sense or imagination, the aliments
the most unwholesome and pernicious to the
..
constitution, were eager]y devoured, and fierce)y disputed, by the rage of hunger. A dark
suspicion was entertained, that some desperate
~
The mother of Lalla was named Pi.lumena. Her father, family,
~ .
VOL. v.
t1
and country, are Rnknown. Ducangt', Fam. Byzaotin. p. 59.
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THE DECLINE AND PALL
CHAP. wretches fed on the bodies of their fell ow-a. .
....~~~;.. tures, whom they had secretly murdered; and
even mothers, ("uch was the horrid conB.ict of
the two most powerful instincts implanted by
nature in the human breast), even mothers are
laid to have tasted the B.esh of their slaughtered infants f' Many thousands of the inhabitants
of Rome expired in their houses, or in the streets,
for want of sustenance; and as the public sepulchres without the walls were in the power
of the enemy, the stench, which arose from 80
many putrid and ,unburied carcasses, ipfected
the air; and the miseries of famine were suePlame• ceeded and aggravated by the contagion of 9
pestilential disease. The assurances of speedy
and effectual relief, which were repeatedly
transmitted from the court of Ravenna, SlJp"
ported, for some time, the fainting resolution 01
the Romans, till at length the despair of any
human aid tempted them to accept the offers
::~~nci. of a preternatural deliverance. Pompeianus,
prefect of the city, had been persuaded, by the
art or fanaticism of some Tuscan diviners, that,
by the mysterious force of spells and sacrifices,
they could extract the lightning from the clouds,
and point those celestial fires against the camp
of the barbarians. h. The important secret was
I Ad nefudol eibol erupit elurientiom rabiel, et lua inyicem membra laniarant, dum mater DOD parcit lacteali imaatia; et ret"ipit utt'ro,
paultc\ aote eWuderat. Jerom ad Prillcipiam, tom. i. p. 121. The
lame horrid circumstance illikewise told of the lieges of Jerulalt'Di
and Paria. For the latter, compare the tenth book of the Benmelt',
and the Jourual de. Henry IV, tom. i, p, 47.83; and oblerve that •
plain narratiTe of facts il much more patbetic, than the mOlt labon'"
deaeription. of epic poetry.
a Zelimul (I. v, p. 365, 31iG) lpeaks of thele ceremeDiea, like a
.oem
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291
Of THE ItOMAN EMPllut
Ow,;:nnmunicated to Innocent, tIle bishop of Rome ; CHAP,
and the successor of St. Peter is accused, XXXI,
perhaps without foundation, of preferring the ''''~'''S6futy of tcfJe repu hHe to the rigid s.e"etity of the
Clari;tian YVGNRip. But when the q~tion was
qitated in the senate; wh~n it was pmpo~ed,
as an essentNiI c()UditioB, that those sa.crifices
should be Foe~)f'3.nod iu the Capitol, by the au~
tbority, and in the presence, of the magistrates;,
the majority of that l'ei':ipectahle assembly, apprehensive either of the divine, or of the imperial,
displeasure, ;,:efused to join in an ~lct, whjch
appeared almost equivalent to the public restoration of paganism. i
Tbe last resonrce of the Romans was hi the cent'
AI,,;, ,c.
a
'clemen.cy, or at least III the moderation, of the ,a~8,'~,
'
f t,'h e c.
th
Th
1
'
,
and i!"a1,CI
k 109
0
,~O, S.
£ C senate, wuo in tlns tbe si!',!',
emergency assumed the supreme powers of go- A. D. 4DU.
~erDment, appointed two ambassadors to llegoG,e,k lln,cqllllioted with tbe nationai superstition of Rome ,lnd TnllCl,ny. I 'Il'p,ct, that they consisted of two parfo, the secl'et, ,nd tIle
aid spell"
p"b£lC, tile fo.mer Wffl! flrobabir an imitatioll ofth,
by \,bi,h Numa had drawn down Jupiter and his thllnrle" ,0 M"u,t
Avelltine.
-{laili agant laqueb, quilt CI!!"I!lina d;Cl,ot
Qllaque trabant .np4!ri. sedibui ute J,',3I1
Scire neras homiuL
Tne allCilill, or shields oQ( M!U'I!, tbe jrif;"llO%'lJ
whi>JI li'f,e ,a,'ri,d
in .olemn procfSsion qD t.be cal',p..is ,( Mrt;rih,
~'!i, ,Ol i/iin from
this mysteriODs event, (O,id, Fal,!. iii, 259,3!lZl), It was probably
delli!!:lled te !'eviv; tlii, ancient f,'sti\',1, ;!bich b,d b"n snpp1tsaed b,.
ThcodosillS, In th,t ,US', '%V, r,C(;,e, olll'onologicllll <iaic, (l't'Iarc1t i,
,&, n. "09), which hs n,t bithe,zo be"D "b,er,ed.
i lTio,ome;; (i; ii,
6) ;n,iQ;lau~., that the experiment was actoally.
th~h ls,lIIliliilic;;,uftHy, mad, , but ile dots not mention Ibe name of In:D",c,ui: llII.l Tiliemont (Mer... Ecclt:s. tom. 1<, p. 645) is determined
ad W ilelie;;e, tQat a pope could be guilty of such impious conduceDIiou.
r.
• . ..J
.! -
'\1 "
I.
t92
.
THE nscqNE AND FALL
CHAP. tiate with the enemy. This important trust
_~~~~:.. was delegated to Basi1ius, a senator, of Spanish extraction, ;uld already conspicuous in the
administration of provinees; and.to John, the
first tribune. of the notaries, who was peculiarly qualified, by 'his dexterity in business, as
well as by his former intimacy with the Gothic
princ.e. When they were introduced' into his
presence, -they declared, perhaps in a more lofty style than became their abject condition, that
the Romans were resolved to maintain their
dignity, either in peace or war; and that, if
Alaric refused them, a fair and honourable capitulation, he might sound bis trumpets, and
prepare to give battle to an innumerable people.
exercised in arms, and animated by despair.
"The thicker the hay, the easier it is mowed,"
was the concise reply of the barbarian; and
this rustic metaphor was accompanied by a
l.oud and insulting laugh, expressive of his
contempt for the menaces of an unwarlike populace, enervated by luxury before they were
emaciated by famine. He then condescended to
fix the ransom, which h~ would accept as the
price of his retreat from the walls of Rome: aU
the gold and silver in the city, whe,ther it wel·e
the prope'rtyof the state, or of in4ividuals ; all
the rich and precious moveables; and all the
slaves who could prove their title-to the name of
barbarians. The ministers of the senate
sumed to ask, in a modest and suppliant tone," If sllch, 0 King! are your demands, what do
" you intend to leave us?" "YouR LIVES;"
replied the hau~htv conq ueror. _Thev trembled.
pre-
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. 293
'OPTHE ROMAN EIJPIltE.
· and retired. Y etbefore. they retired, a short CRAP.
.
f
.
XXXI,
· suspensIon 0 arms was granted, whIch allow-~~~... .,_
ed some time for a more temperate uegotiation.
· The stern features of Alaric were insensibly relaxed; he abated much of the rigour of his
terms; and at· length consented to raise the
.. siege, on the immediate payulent of five thousand pounds of gold, ofthirty thousand pounds
·of silver, offourthousand robes of silk, of three
tbousand pieces 'of fine scarlet, doth, and of
three thousand pounds weight of pepper.1t But
the pubJic treasury was exhausted; the annual
rents of the great estates in Italy and the provinces, were intercepted by the calamities of
war; the gold' and gems· had been excballged:
during the· famine, for the vilest sustenance;
the hoards of secret wealth were still conceal-.
cd by the obstinacy of avarice; and some remains of consecrated spoils afforded the only
resource that could avert the impending ruin of
the city. As soon as the Romans had satisfied:
the rapacious demands of Alaric, they were restored, in some measure, to the enjoymen.t of
peace and plenty, Several of the 'gates were,'
cautiously opened; tbe importation of provisions frpm the river, and the. adjacent country,
was no longer obstructed by the Goths;. the
citizens resorted in crowd. to the free market.
I: Pepper " ... (avourite ingredient. of the mOlt expensive Romaa
e-ookery. aDd the beat lort eo_onlJ lold (or fifteen denarii, or tea·
IhilliDp, the pound. See PlinJ, Hiat. Natur. xii, 14. It wu bronpt
from India; and tile lame country, the cout o(Malabar, 'till a«orda
the greateafplenty: but the improvement of trade and navigation bu
mnltiplied the quantitJ, and reduced the price. See Hiiitoire Politiqa.
et PhilOiOphilJae, ""c. tom. i, p. 447.
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""
.,-..cuailCDF.uL
which wu h~ld durior thJiee days in tbe -1"_~~:. llrb$; aqtj while the IIlerebants who undertook
.*bis gaiaful trade, made a considerable profit,
the fut1ilore subsistebee of the city was secured
by the ample magazines whieh were deposited
in the public' and private granaries. A more
.egular discipline, than could bave been expected, was maintained in the camp of Alarie; anfl.
tbe wise barbarian justified bis regard for the
faith of treaties, by the j,Dst severity wi~b which
he chastised a party of tieentions Goths, wlw
bad insulted lome ROl1laDt citizens OD. the: roafl
to Ostia. His army, enrichett by the contributions: of the capital, slo.w~y advauced into tire
6ir aM fruitful province of Tuscany, where he
proposed to establish his, wintel'-qu8I'ter$; aDd
tbe Gothie: standard became the r.efuge of forty
thousand barbarian slav.es, woo had brole their
chains, and aspired, _der the command of
their great deliverel', to reyeoge the injuries,
and the disgrace, of their cruel 8e1'Vitade. A bout
the same time, he received a mere hOll6ural.Je
reinforcement of Getbs, aM HUM; whom AOOIph.S,l the brother of hilt wife, .had conducted,
at his pressing invitatiOD, from t~ };tanks 01 the
be to those of the Tiber, a.d who had. cut
!Mir way, with some dillculty and 10SSi, tbrough
tbe superior numbers. of the imperial troops.
A victorious leader, who united the daring spi·
rit of a barllarian with tlie. art ....d discipi_
CHAP.
naa..
I.Tbi. Gothic ebieftai~ is eall~d by ,foJ:Dalldel uul laidq~.. .«....
, . , . by Z08imul alld Oroliua, Jftfllllpllc.;: aDd by Olymlliodoru•
....ulplau. I haYe uaed the celebrated name of AOOlphu. w.hielu~~
to Joe authorized bl' the practice of t4e Swede., the .0113 01" brut.\ler.oI
tIM IlIIcieDt Goth..
.
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. 295
OF THE .OIlAN EMPIRE.
. of a Roman general, ~a8 at the head of an ~~~~:
·hundred thousand fightmg men; and Italypro-..,........ _
Bonnced, with terror and respect, the formidable name of Alaric."
At the distance of fourteen centuries, we may Frui~_
be satisfied with relating the military exploits :~:~:;
of the conquerors of Rome, without presuming ~~~_
to investigate the motives of their political conduct. In the midst of his apparent prosperity,
Alaric. was cOllscious, perhaps, of. some secret
weakness, some internal defect; or perhaps the
moderation which he displayed, was intended
ttnly to deceive and disarm the easy credulity
of the ministers of Honorius. The king of the
Goths repeatedly declared, that it was his desire
to be considered as the friend of peace, and of
the Romans. Three senators, at his earnest
request, were sent ambassadors to the court of
Ravenna, to solicit the exchange of hostages,
and the couclusion of the treaty; and the proposa]s, which he more clearly expressed during
the course of the negotiations, could only inspire a doubt of his sinceriiy, as they might
seem inadequate to the state of his fortune.
The barbarian still aspired to the rank of master-general of the armies of the West; he stimulated an annual subsidy of corn and money;
and he chose the provinces of Dalmatia, N oricum, and Venetia, for the seat of his new kingdom, which would have comman4ed the important communication between Italy and the
.. The treat,. brtween .lJarie aud tbe RomaOl, ""c. it taken m.
Zoaimu, I. v. p. 864.365, 358, 1(;0, SCI, 268. The additioual circu. .
• tauec. are two few aud triftiug to require au,. other qootatioa.
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196
THE DECLINE AND F-'U
Danube. If these modest terms should be re..~~~~:~jected, Alaric shewed a disposition to relinquish
his pecuniary demands, and even to content
himself with the possession of N orJcum; an
exhausted and impoverished couutry, perpetually exposed to the inroads of the barbarians of
Germauy.- But the bopes of peace were disappointed by the weak obstinacy, or interested
views, of the minister Olympius. Witho~t listening to the salutary remonstrances of the sa.
nate, he dismissed their several ambassadorN
under the conduct of a military escort, too numerous for a retinue of honour, and too feeble
for an army of defence. ~ Six thousand Dalmatians, the Bower of the imperial legions, were or .
dered to march from Ravenna to Rome, through
an open country, which was occupied by the
formidable myriads of the barbarians. These
brave legionaries, encompassed and betrayed,
fell a sacrifice to ministerial folly; their general, Valens, with anh!!ndred soldiers, escaped
from the field of battle ; and one of theambas'Iadors, who could no longer claim the protection of the law of nations, was obliged to purchase his fteedom with a ransom of thirty
thousand pieces of gold. Yet Alaric, instead of
resenting this act of impotent hostility, immediately renewed his proposals of peace; and the.
second embassy of the Roman senate, which derived weight and dignity from the presence of
Innocent, bishop of the city, was guarded from
CHAP.
• ZoaimuI, I. v. p. 367, 366,.••
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~
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
the dangers of the road by a detachment of CHAt'.
Gothic soldiers.
XXXL
P
Olympius might have continued to insult Chao,,,
the just resentment of a people, who loudly ::!i:~c~,
accused.him as the author of the public calami- miniaten,
ties; but his power was undermined by the'secret intrigues of the palace. The favourite ,..
eunuchs transferred the government of Honorius, and the empire, to Jovius, the pretorian
prefect; an unworthy servant, who did not
atone, by the merit of personal attachment, for
the error~ and misfortunes of his administration. The exile, or escape, of the guilty Olympius, reserved him for more vicissitudes of fortune: he experienced the adventures of an ot>. ,~
scure and wandering life; he again rose. to 't'
power; he fell a second time into disgrace; his
ears were cut off; he expired under the lash;
and his ignominious death afforded a grateful
spectacle to the friends of Stilicho. After the
removal of Olympius, whose character was
deeply tainted with religious fanaticism, the
pagans and heretics were delivered from the
impolitic proscription, which excluded them
from the dignities of the state. The brave Gennerid,q a soldier of barbarian origin, who still
0
• • • #' • • " • • ,
. .0
ZOIimas, I.
Y,
p. 360, 361, 81l2. The bishop, by remaining at Ra-
venDa, eat'aprd the impending calamities of the city. ·Oroaiu., I. vii,
c. 39, p. 673.
I
. P For the adventures of Olympinl, and hi. saccellors in tlae mini..
tl'J, lee ZOlimU', 1. Y, p. 868,366, 3M, and OJympiodor. ap. Photo p.
180,181 •
•. q ZOlimna (1. Y, p. 3M) relatea this circamstanc;e with "i.ible comp1act'DCY, and celebrates the character of Gennerid as the laat.glory of
expirin,
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· _ T I l E DECLIlfZ Am FALL
CHAP.
adhered to the worship of his ancestorl, had
_~~~',. been obliged to lay aside the military belt: and
though he was repeatedly assured by the emperor himself, that laws were not made for pfttsons of'his rank or merit, he refused to accept
any partial dispensation, and persevered in
honourable disgrace, till he had extorted a (feneral act of justice from the distress of the
Roman government. The· conduct of GeDDerid, in the important station, to which he was
promoted or restored, of master-general of Dalmatia, Pannonia, N oricnm, and Rhmtia, seemed
to revive the discipline and spirit of the republic:
From a life of idleness and want, his troops
were soon habituated to severe exercise, and
plentiful subsistence; and his private generosity often supplied the rewards, which were
denied by the avarice, or poverty, of the court
of<' Ravenna. The valour of Gennerid, formidable to the a~jacent barbarians, was the firmest
bulwark of the lllyrian frontier; and his vigilant care assisted the empire with a reinforcement of ten thousand Huns, who arrived on the
confines of Italy, attended by such a convoy of
provisions, and such a numerous train of sheep
and oxen, as might haTe been sufficient, not
only for the march of an army, but for the settlement of a colony. But the court and councils of Honoriu8 still remained a scene of weakness and distraction, of corruption and anarchy.;
"pirinl paganism. Very different were the sentiments of the eoueil
.f Carthage, who depnted fonr bishop. to the conrt of RayeD.... _
complain of the law, which had been just enacted, that all conyenio..
to Christianity shollld be fr('e and Yo\untary. See BaroDin., AaaaL
Eccles. A. D. 400, No. 12; A. D. 410, No. 47 48
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:290
01' TID ROMAN EMPIltB.
Instigated by the prelect Janus, the guards rose CHAP.
in furidus mutiny, and demanded the heads of ....~~~
two generals, and of the two principal eunuchs ..
The generals, under a perfidious promise of_
safety, were sent on ship-board, and privately
executed; while thE! favour of the eunuchs procured them a mild and secure exile at Milan
and Constantinople. Eusebius the eun.llcb, and
the barbarian Allobich, succeeded to the CODlmand of the bed-chamber and of the guards;
and the mutualjealotisy of these subordinate
ministers was the cause oftbeir mutnal destruction. By the insolent order of the· count of the
dome!$tics,. the great chamberla:in was shamefully beaten to death with sticks, before the
. eyes of the astonished emperor; and the subsequent assassination of Allobich, in the midst
of a public procession, is the only circumstance
of his life, in which Honorius discovered the
faintest symptom of courage or resentment.
-Yet before they fell, Eusebius and Allobich had
contributed their part to the ruin of the empire, by opposing the conclusion of a treaty
which JOVillS, from a selfish, and perhaps a
criminal, motive, had negotiated with Alaric,
in a personal interview under the walls of Ri"
mini. During the absence of Jovius, the eIn- .
peror was persuaded to assume a lofty tone of
inflexible dignity, such as neither his situation,
Bor his eharader, could enable him to support:
and a letter, signed with the name of Honorius,
was immediately despatched to the pretorian
prefect, granting him a free permissioll t(l dis-
..
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300
THt DXCLINE AND
CHAP.
.
~ALL
poseofthe public money, but stemly J,'efusingto
_~~!: prostitute the military honours of Rome to the
proud demands of a barbarian. This letter was
. imprudently communicated to Alaric himself;
and the Goth, who in the whole transaction bad
behaved witb temper and decency, expressed, in
the most outrageous language, his lively sense of
the insult so wantonly offered' to his person, and
to his nation. The conference of Riminiwas
hastily interrupted; and the prefect Jovius, on
his return to Ravenna, was compelled to adopt,
and- even to encourage, the fashionable opinions
of t~e court. By his advic~ and example, the
principal officers of the state and army were
obliged to swear, that, without listening, in aay
circumstances, to any conditions of peace, they
would still persevere in perpetual and implacable war against the enemy ofthe republic. This
rash engagement opposed an insuperable bar to
all future negotiation. The ministers of Hono.
rius were heard to declare, that, iCthey had only
invoked the name of the Deity, they would consult the public safety, and trust their souls to
the mercy of Heaven: but they had sworn by
the sacred head of the emperor himself; they
had touched, in solemn ceremony; that august
seat of majesty and wisdom; and the violation.
of their oath would expose them to the temporal penalties of sacrilege and rebellion.' ,
, Zoaimlll, I. Y, p. 867, 811S, 169. Thil clIItom of aweariD, by the'
bead, or life, or .afety, or geniua, of tbe lovereigo,
of tbe bigbest
antiquity, both in Egypt (Genesis, zlii, 16) and Scythia. It
100II
t''8nlfernd, by ftattt:ry, to the C..arli and TertoUiaa comp\aiua, tllar
it w.. the ooly oath which the Romani of hi. time al"ected to J'CWI'o
19''
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....
301
OF THE ,ROMAN EMPJRL
While tile e~peror and his court enjoyed, ~~~.
with sullen pride, the security of the marshes ,;....~:.~
and fortifications• of Ravenna, they abandoned
S.eeondf
'
Ilegc 0
Rome, almost wIthout defence, to the resent- Rome by
'
Y et suc h was t he mod eraiIon
. the
Goths
men,t 0fAI arlc.
A.. D.409:
which he still preserved, or affected, that, as he
moved with his army a10ng the' Flaminian way,
be successively despatched the bishops of the
towns of Italy to r~iterate his offers, of peace,
and to conjure the emperor, that he would save
the city and its inhabitants from hostile fire, '
and the sw ord of the barbarians.' These impending calamities were however averted, not
indeed by the wisdom of Honorius, but by the
prudence or humanity of the Gothic king; who
employed a mi1der, though not less effectual,
method of conq uest. Instead of assaulting the
capital, he successive1y directed his efforts against the Port of Ostia, one of the boldest and
most stupendous works of Roman magnificenc~.· The accidents to which the precarious
subsistence of the city was continually exposed in a winter navigation, and an open road,
~nce. See an elegant Di8&ertation of the Abb~ M~ssieu on tbe Oatba
of the Ancienu, in the Mem de I'Academie del Inscriptions, tom. i, p.
108,209.
• Zoaimns, I. Y, p. 368, 869. I baye softened the expressions of
Al&rlc, who expatiates, in too 80rid a manner, on tbe history of
Rome.
See Sueton. in Claud. e. 20; Dion. Casliua, I. lx, p. 949, edit.
Keirnar, and the lively de.cription of Juyenal, Satir. xii, 'I'1i, &c. I.
tile lixtrenth century, when the rrmaina of this Augultan port were
atill visible, the antiquariaus sketcbed the plan, (aee d'Auville, Menl.
de l'Academie des Inacriptions, tom. xxx, p. 198), and declared, witb
enthusiasm, tbat all the monarchs of Europe would be uuable to exe-·
cute .0 great a work, (Bergier, Hilt. del grands Chemin. de Rom....
tom. ii, p. 366).,
-,
-
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THE DECUllB AND PALL
CHAP.
had luggeeted to the genius of the -first ClBlar
.. W h'IC h was executed' under
usetiuI d eSIgIl,
the reign of Claudius. The artificial moles,
which formed the narrow entrance, advanced
far into the sea, and firmly repelled the fury of
the waves, while the largest vessels securely
rode at anchor within three deep and capacious
basons, which received the northern branch of
the Tiber, about two miles from the ancient
colony of Ostia.u The Roman Port insensibly swelled to the size of an episcopal city,"
where the corn of Africa was deposited in spacious granaries for the use of the capital. As
soon as Alaric was in possession of that im-
_,XXXI.
__... t he
• The 0.,.. Tybfritaa, CRe Clnver. ltalia Antiq. I. iii, p. 870-819).
In the plural number, tbe two moutbs of the Tiber, were leplU'llted
by the Holy Ialand, an equilateral triangle, whose sides were each of
them computed at about two mile.. The colony ofOltia wal founded immediately It~yond the left, or loutbern, aBd the Port immediately beyond the right, or northern, branch of the river; aDd· the dutance between tbeir remains measures something more than two miles
on Cinplani's map. In tbe time of Strabo, tbe laud aDd mud clepoo
.lted by the Tibel', had choaked the barbour of Ostia; the prorrea
of,lhe same canse had added mueb to the size of the Holy Island,
alld ,radnally left _both Ostia and the Port at a co.aiderable diltaace
from the .hore. Tbe dry channell, (fiumi morti), and the lulrC! eatu·
aliel, (stagno di Ponentt', de Levante), mark the cbanges of the river,
and tbe eft"orta of the sea. Conlult, for tbe present .tate of thj.
dreary and delolate tract, tbe excellent map of the ecelellastical .tate
by the mathematicians of Benedict XIV; an actual survey of the .AtKI
in six sbeet., by Cingolani, whicb cODtain. 113,819 rdbia,
(about 570,000 acres); and the large topolrapbical map of Ametl, iB
eight sheet••
" AI early al tbe third, (Lardner's Credibility of tbe Go.pel, part lI,
1'01. iii, p. 8g·92), or at least the fonrtb, century, (Carol. a Sancto Panlo,
Notit. Eccles. p. 41). the port otRome was an epi.copal city, wbich
wal demolished, as it should seem, io the -nfuth century, by pope Gre·
gory IV, dnring the incursions of tbe Arabs. It i. DOW rednced to an
ion, a churcb, and the bouse, or palace, of the biBbop j who raDks as
one of six cardinal bi.hop. of tbe ROmlD clnircb. See Eac:biDard,
Descriaione di Roma et dell' Argo Romano. p. US.
Ro_,
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01' 'IRE ROHAN DIPIRIIo
.,.
portant place; be summoned the eity to 8m'- CHAP.
render at discretion; and his demands were .~~:..
enforced by tbe positive declaration, that a. raCusa1, or even a delay, should be instantly followed by the destruction of the magazines. on
which the life of the Roman people depended.
The clamours of that people, and the terror of
famine, subdued the pride of the senate; they
listened, without reluctance, to thepropoBal of
placing a new emperor on the throne of the
unworthy Honorius; and the suffrage of tile
Gothic conqueror bestowed the purple Oli A~
talus, prefect of the city. The grateful mo.
narch immediately acknowledged his protector
as master-general of the armies of the West;
Adolphus, with the rank of count of the d~
westics, obtained the custody of the person of
Attalus; and the two hostile nations seemed to
be united ill the closest bands of friendship and
alliance.J
The gates of the city were thrown open, and create
Attaludl.
the new emperor of the Romans, encompassed ftIIperor
on every side by the Gothic arms, was conduct- ~o:::ac
ed, ill tumultuous procession, to the palace of RomaDI.
Augustus and Trajan. After be had distri..
buted the civil ,and military dignities among
his favourites and followers, Attalus convened
an assembly of the senate; before whom, in a
formal and florid speech, he asserted his reso.
Jution of restoring the majesty of the republic,
and of uniting to the empire the provinces of
'I For the elnatioD of Attalu~, CODlult ZOllmu., I. 9i, p. 811.8SO;
lo.omeD, I. ix, c. 8, 9; Olympiodor. ap. Phot. p. ISO, 181; Phil..torl •
.. xii, c. a, aDd Godefroy, Dissertat. p. 470.
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THE DECLINE AND J'ALL
CHAP. Egypt and the East, which had once acknow..:::~~:.)edged ~he sovereignty of Rome. Such extravagant promises inspired every reasonable citi·
zen with a just contempt for the character of
an unwarlike usurper whose elevation was the
deepest and most ignominious wound which the
republic had yet sustained from the insolence
of the barbarians. But the populace with their
'nsual levity, applauded the ch~nge of masters.
The public discontent was favourable to the
rival of Honorius; and the sectaries, oppressed
by his persecuting edicts, expected some degree
of countenance, or at least of toleration, from a
prince, who, in his native country of Ionia, had
been educated in the pagan. superstition, and
who had since received the sacrament of baptism from the hands of an Arian bishop.· The
first days of the reign of Attalus were fair and
prosperous. An officer of confidence was sent
with an inconsiderable body of troops to secure
the obedience of Africa; the greatest part of
Italy submitt~d to the terror of the Gothic
powers; and though the city' of Bologna made
a vigorous and effectual resistance, the .people
of Milan, dissatisfied perhaps with'the absence
of Honorius, accepted, with loud acclamations,
the choice of the Roman senate. At the head
of a formidable army, Alaric conducted his
royal captive almost to the gates of Ravenna;
• We may admit the evidence of Sozomen for fhf' Arian bapti8lll,
and tbat of Phil08toFgina for the pagan education, of AttallJl. 'lbe
visible joy of ZosimuI, aud the diieonteut whieh he imputes to tJae
. Anician family, are very uufavourable to the Christianity or tIMo . _
..mperor.
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30.5
OF THE ROMAN EMPlRE.
and a solemn embassy of the principal ministers CHAP.
of Joyins, the pretorian prefect, of Valens, mas- #~~~~:
ter of the cavalry, and infantry, of thequestor
Potamius, and of Julian, the first of the notaries,
was introduced, with martial pomp, into the
Gothic camp. In the name of their sovereign,
they consented to ac::knowledge the lawful election of bis competitor, and to divide the pro.,.inces of Italy and the West between the two
emperors. Their proposals were rejected with
disdain; and the refusal was aggravated by the
insulting clemency of Attalus, who condescended to promise, that, if Honorius would instantly'
resign the purple, he should be permitted to
pass the remainder of his life in the peaceful
exile of some remote island.- So desperate,
indeed, did t.he situation of the son of Theodosius appear, to those who were the. best acquainted with his strength and resources, that
Jovins and Valens, his minister and his general,
betrayed their trust, infamously deserted the
ili.nking cause of their benefactor, and devoted
their treacherous allegiance to the service' of
his more fortunate rival. Astonished by such
examples of domestic treason, Honorius trembled at the approach of every servant, at the
arrival of every messenger,' He dreaded the
secret enemies, who might 11;uk in his capital,
his palace, his bed-chamber; and some ships
• He ('arried his iDsoleDce 10 far, al to declare that be sbould JDlltilate
Honoriu8 before he sent him into exile. But this assertion of ZOIimUS
Is destroyed by the more impartial testimony of Olympiodorua, who
attributes the uDgeDeroul proposal (which was absolutely rejected . ,
Attalus) to the ba,eDes5, clDd perhapl the trearhery, of Jovilil.
VOL
V
X
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.
306·
THE DECLJ~E AND FALL
CHAP. lay rea.cly in the harbour of Ravenna, to transh 1 d'lcated . monarch to the d omlmons
..
•.,XXXI.
•.,•.,. port tea)
of his infant nephew, the emperor of the East.
H':;Jb- But there is a providence (such at least was
ilaric, Y t:he opinion of the historian Procopiu8 ") that
A. D. 410.
~ II y; an d t Lue prewatc. h
es over'moocence and ,0
tensions of Hononus to its peculiar care cannot
reasonably be disputed, At the moment when
his despair, incapable of any .wise or manly,
resolution, meditated a shameful flight, a sea-.
sonable reinforcement of four thousand veterans
. unexpectedly landed in the port of Ravenna.
To these valiant strangers, whose fidelity had.
not been corrupted by the factions of the court,
he committed the walls and· gates of th.e city;
an~ the slumbers of th~ emperor were no longer disturbed by the apprehension of imminent
and internal danger. The favourable intelligencewhich was received from Africa, suddenly
changed the opinions of men, and the state of
public affairs. The troops and officers, whom
Attains had sent into that province, were defeated and slain; and the active zeal of Heracliau
maintained his own allegiance, and that of his
people. T.he faithful count of Africa transmitted. a large sum of money, which fixed the
attachment of the imperial guards;. and his vigilance, in preventing the exportation of corn and
oil, introduced fainine, tumult, and discontent,
i~to the walls of Rome.
The failure of the
African expedition, was the source of mutual
complaint and recrimination in the party of At-
• Procop. de Bell Vandal. I.
~,c: 1,.
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307
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRe.
talus; ao.lthemind of his 'proteetor 'was insen- CHAP.
sibly alienated frO'm the interest O'Ca: prince,.w~O' ••~~~~,..
wanted spirit to' command, O'r docility to' O'bey.
'Fhe most'imf)rooent me&S'Ul'es weIie adollted,
wltiIO'lit the'km)wledge,- or against thetadvice,of
Alaric;A and' the O'bstinatlu'efusalofthe seiiate~ to'
aH~., ,in the. emhal'kation~. ftre :in~ure even
of.ft.Ye bu.w.ed!Gotha, betrayed a~ I!iUspiciOliit and
distmstful tempel', whiebJ;;i~1!beir sii~tibn,wa8
neither ~iJero\1S
prudent., Th~ rt!sentmenf
O't'the GO'thic king w~~eHsperatediby tliemalio-'
ciouiral1s O'f JO'vius, w.hO' had1been raiiittm to tlie'"
rank of patriCian, and whO' aftetwaM8 exeusecf
his,dO'ubleperfidy,bY'dedaring,without It' blU8b~'
that he had' only ,MIItHl to' ab~n&m tlte service
of'HGnoriuB, mGre eftectoolly to' .mitt' the cimre
of the usurper:. In a' large~plllitilieati 'Bimini;:
and ill the presence oraD ilit1UiDerablenililtitude:
ofRom aDS -and barbal'iata',the w~tbbed AtlaluSi
waIP publicly de&poiled O'tttbe diudem ;Iud-purL
pIe ;: .and those ensigns of royalty were serit'1)Y'
Alari~, as' the: pledge of peace alid ftiendship;' to'
the BOD O'f 'Dheodosiu8.c · The offieers whO' retumed.to theif' duty, were reinstated in their
eBiplO'yment8,. and even the merit of a tardy repentance was graciously allO'wed: but the degmded f;mpetW of,the Romans, ,desirous of Hfe,
and insensible of disgrace, implored the per-
nor
C See the canle aud circumstancea of the fall or Attallli in Zosimus,
1••i, p. 180-881. Sozomeu, L ix, c. 8. Philostorg. I. xii, c. S. The
two acta or indemnity in the Theodosian Code; I. ix, tit. IIXKvili, leg. 11,
n, which wore publiaked the 12th of ~'ebruary, and the i!rh of .lIgUI'•• 8; 610. nidwDtly r~late to tm usurper.
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308
.
~HE
DECLINE AND FALL
mission of following the Gothic camp, in the
=~~;.. train of a haughty and capricious barbarian!-'
Third'
The degradation of Attalus removed the only
real obstacle to the conclusion of the peace; and
Rome by Alaric advanced within three miles of Ravenna,
the Gotha,
h'
1"
f h'
. I ..
A. D. 410, to press t e Irreso ubon 0 t e Impena mIDIS-.
Au,. sa. ters, whose insolen~e soon returned with the"
return offortune. His indignation was kindled
by the report, that a rival chieftain, that Sarus~.
the personal ene~y of Adolphus, and the hereditary foe of the bouse of Balti, had bet:n receiyed ~nto the palace. At, the head of three
hundred followers, that fearless barbarian immediately sallied fl'om the gates of Ravenna;
surprised, and cut in pieces, a considerable
body of Goths; re-entered the city.in triumph;.
and was permitted" to .insult his adversary, by
the voice ofa herald, :who publicly declared:
that the guilt of Alaric bad for ever excluded·
him from the friendship and alliance ofthe emperor.· The crime and folly of the court of
Ravenna was expiated, a thir,d time, by the
calamities of Rome. The king of the Goths,
who no longer dissembled his appetite for plunder and revenge, appeared in at:ms under the
walls of the capital; and the trembling senate,
without any hopes of relief, prepared, by a desCHAP
:e::;d
d 10 hoc, Alaricos, imperatore, facto, iofecto, rcfecto,. ac defecto.
• • • Mimum risit, et lodom lpectavit imperii. Oroaiaa, I. yii, c.4t,
p.582.
e Zosimo8, I. vi, p. 384. Sozomeo, I, ix, c. 9. PhilOitorciul, I. so.
c.,. In tbis place the text of ZOlimO. il motilated, aud we han loIt
the remainder of hil".ixth aod lut book, which ended with tJle Dck of
Rome. CredololU .and partial as he is. we mUlt take oar lean of IlIat
historian with some feInt.
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309
OP THB ItOMAN EMPlltE.
perate resistance, to delay the ruin'oftheir coun- CHAP.
try. But they were unable to guard againlt the ••~~~~'..
secret conspiracy of their slaves and domestics;
who, either from birth or interest, were attached
to the cause of the enemy. At the hour of midnight, the Salarian gate was silently opened, and
the inhabitants were awakened by the tremendous sound of the Gothic trumpet. Eleven
hundred and sixty-three years after the foundation of Rome, the Imperial city, which had
subdued and civilized so considerable a part
of mankind, was delivered to the licentious fury
of the tribes of Germany and Scythia.'
, The proclamation of Alaric, when he forced R..~ctOf
his entrance into a vanquished city, discovered, :: th: tbl
however,
some regard
for the laws
of humanity re
Chl~i~ti..
• •
.
•
'Blon.
and rehglOn. He encouraged hIs troops boldly
.
to seize the rewards of valour, and to enrich
themselves with the spoils of a wealthy and effeminate people: but he exhorted them, at the'
same time, to spare the lives of the unresisting
citizens, and to respect the churches of the
apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, as holy and inviolable sanctuaries. Amidst the horrors of a
nocturnal tumult, several of the Christian Goths
displayed the fervour of a recent conversion;
and some instances of their uncommon piety
f Adelt Alarieu, trepidam Romam obllidet, tarba, irramplt; Oroainl, I. vii, c.ID, p. 1173. He despatches this great event in leVen wordJ ;
but be employs whole palel in celebrating the devOtioD of the Gotha.
I have extracted from au improbable ItOry of Procoplu, the circomataoees wbich had an air of probabilit,. Procop. de BeU. Vandal. I.
i, c. 2. He 10ppOlel, that the cit, was lorpriaed while the lenaton
alept in tbe afternooo; bot Jerom, with more authorit, and more .....
lon, aftirlDl, that it was iu tbe night, Docte Moab carta eat; DUCtAl cecio
4Iit murua ejua, tom. i, p. 121, ad PriDcipWn.
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310
'FJJ£
R~~NE ~J) ;FAU. .
CHAP. and mod~ ..lt.tion are related, aQd perhaps adOl'll~
_~~~~~. ed, by the ~eal of ecclesiastical writers.' Wh~le
the barbarians roamed through the city inquest
of prey, tbe bumble dwelling Of an aged virgiu,
wbo bad devoted her life to tbe service of tke
altar, was forced open by one of the ·powerful
Goths. He immediately demanded, though in
civil language, all tbe gold and silver in. berpossession; and was astonished at ,the readineh
·with which .she, condlJcted him to a splendid
hoard of massy p1ate. of the richest mateFial~
and the most curious ,w.orkmanship. . The barbarian viewed with woqder and delight this n,..
luable acquisition, till he 'Was interruphed by
~ serious a~onit.ion, addressed to him.in the
following wordB.-'~These," liIaid sbe, '! are the
" consecratedyessell belonging to St. Peter; if
" you presume to touch them, the sacri1egious
"deed will remain on your conscience. For
" my part, I dare not keep what I ~m unable to
"defend." The Gothic captain. struck with
reverential awe, despatohed a messenger to inform tile king of the treasure which he had discovered; and r.eceived. a peremptory order from
Alaric,. tbat all the.consecrated plate and orB8Illents should ,be tl'Iausported; without damage
Of,de!ay"to the church of the apostle.. .. From
~ Oroliaa (I. vii, c. S9, p.nS;676) appl~ad. the piety oJ the Christia~ Goths, ·.itho~t se~mti,lg to perc~i.e that the krea:telt p'a.rt of them
were Arian here~ic.. J:o~andel, (c. 30, p. 663), aad I~idore of Sevine.
(Cliron. p. 7iot, edit. Gro';) who 1I!'ere both'attaclled to the Gothic callie,
hn~ repea~rd· aad ell\beUiahed tb~.e edifying tal eA. Acc\lrding to
Iiidore, Alaric hh,D8r.lf was'hea,rd"o lay; that be ·waged war with the
Romans, and Dot with the apostles. 8\1ch Willi the style o'f"t1ie aeventh
crntnry; two hundred yean before, tbe faDle aad me~t h.d brea .,.
erilJed, not to the apo.lles, but to Christ.
'
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311
0.' THE 'ROMAN EMPIRE.
the extremity, perhaps, of the Quirinal hill, to ~H~r
the distant quarter of the Vatican, a numerous u~~
detachment of Goths, marching in order of battle through the principal streets. protected,
'With glittering arms, the long train of their de'fout companions, who bore aloft, Oil their heads,
the sacred vessels of gold and silver; and the
~nartial shouts of the barbarians were mingled
",ith the sound of religious psalmody. From
aU the adjacent houses, a crowd of Christians
hastened to join this edifying procession; and
a multitude of fugitives,' without distinction or
age, or rank, or eyen of seCt, had the good fortUDe to escape to the sec~re and hospitablesanctuary of the Vatican.', The learned work, concerning the City qf God, was professedly composed by St. Augustin, to justify thewaysof,Providence in the destruction of the Roman greatness. He celebrates, with peculiar satisfac'"
tion, this memorable triumph of Christ '; and
insults his adversaries, by challenging them to
prod uee 80me similar example, of a town taken
by storm, in which the fabulous gods of antiquity bad been able to protect either themselves, or their deluded votaries.·
In the sack of Rome, some rare and extraor· Pill~e
dinary examples of barbarian virtue had been :;~o:e.,
deservedly applauded. But the holy precincts
of the Vatican,and the apostolic churches, could
receive a very small proportion of the Roman
people: many thousand warriors, more especially of the Huns, who served under the stand. .:
• See Augustin, de Ci..itat. Dei,l. i, c. 1..6. Heparticularlyappeu
&0 the examples of Troy, Syracule, IUId 'rarentlllll.
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..
312
THE DECLINE AND PALL
ard of Alaric, were strangers to the name, or at
.~~~~:Jeast to the faith, of Christ; and we may suspect, without any breach of charity or can dour,
that, in the hour of savage license, when every
'passion was inflamed, and evel'Y restraint was.
remov~d, the precepts of the gospel seldom influenced the behaviour of the Gothic Christians.
The writers, the best disposed to exaggerate
their cl~mency, had freely confessed, that a
cruel slaughter was made of the Romans;' and
that the streets of the city were filled with dead
bodies, which remaine,d without burial during
the general consternation. The despair of the
citizens was sometimes converted into fury;
and whenever the barbarians were provoked
by opposition, they extended the promiscuous
massacre to the feeble, the innocent, and the
helpless. The private revenge of forty thousand slaves was exercised without pity or remorse; and the ignominious lashes, which they
had formerly received, were washed away in
the blood of the guilty, or obnoxious, families.
The matrons and virgins of Rome were exposed
to injuries more dreadful in the apprehension
of chastity, than death itself; and the ecclesiast!cal historian bas selected an example of feCHAP.
I Jerom (tom. i, p. 121, ad Priocipiam) hu applied to the lack of
aome all the .trong expreuiona of Virgil.Quia c1adem ilJiuI nDctia, quia funera fando,
Explicet, &c.
Procopiul (I. i, c. i) positively affirma that great numbers were slain
by tile Gotba. Augustin (de Civ. Dei, I. i, c.li, IS) offen Christian
comfort for tbe deatb of thOle, wbORe bodies (muutitm'JI6f'G) bad remainl:d (ill tam4lfrage) nnburied. Baronju8"from the diiferent writings of the Fllthers, has tbrowu .ome light 00 the sai:k of Itoole. Aoual
Keele•• A. J) '10, No. 16-44•.
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313
OF THE RO)f,\N EHPlltE.·
male nrtue~ for the admiration of future ages." .CRA P •
.A Roman lady, of. singular beauty and ortho-..~~~~: ..
:dox faith, had excited the impatient desires of
a young Goth, who, according to the sagacioual
remark of Sozomen. was attached to the Arian
heresy. Exasperated by her obstinate resistance, he drew his sword, and, with the anger
. of a lover, slightly wounded her ueck. The
bleeding heroine still continued to brave his
. resentment, and to repel his love, till the ravisher desisted from his unavailing efforts,
. respectfully conducted her to the sanctuary of
the Vatican, and gave six pieces of gold to the
·guards of the church, on condition that they
:should restore her inviolate to the arms of her
husband. Such instances of courage and generosity were not extremely common. The brutal soldiers satisfied their sensual appetites,
without consulting either the inclination, or the
duties, of their female captives: and a nice
question of casuistry was seriously agitated,
Whether those tender victims, who had inflexibly refused their consent to the violation which
they sustained, had lost, by their misfortune,
.the glorious crown of virginity?' There were
.. Sozomea, I. Is, c. 10. Anp_tiD (de Civitat. Dei, I. i, c.lf) inti.
mllta, that lome virginl or matrons .ctnally killed themRh'e& to escape
violation; and thongb he admires their spirit, be is obliged, by hi. theology, to condemn their rash presumption. Perhaps tbe good bilbop uf
Hippo, was too easy in tbe belief, as well as too rigid in tbe cenanre, &f
tbis act of female beroism, The twenty maiden_, (iftbey ner existed),
wllo threw themselves into the Elbe, whrn Magdebnrgb wal takeD by
Itorm, llavl! been multiplied to the number of twelve hundred. See
Harte's History of Gllstavns Adolphns, vol. i, p. 1108.
, Sec Auguftu. dl: Chitat. ))"i, I. i, c. lO,18. He trtatl lhe IlIbje.:t
,
.i~
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SJ4
~E DECIJNE AND PALL
other losses indeed ot a more substantial kind,
_~~~:.. and more general'concern. It cannot be presumed, that all the barbarians were at'all times
.capable of perpetrating. such amorous outrages;
and the want of youth, or beauty, or chastity,
protected th~ greatest part of the Roman womeh.
hom the danger of a rape. But avarice is an
insatiate and universal passion; since the enjoyment of almost every object 'that can affortl
pleasure to the different tastes and tempers of
mankind, may be procured by the possession
of wealth. In the pillage of ROdle, a just preference was gi yen to gold and jeweli; which
contain the greatest value in the smallest compass and weight: but, after these portable riches
had been removed by the more diligent robbers,
the palaces of Rome were rudely stripped of
their splendid and costly furniture. The sideboards of massy plate, and the variegated wardrobes of silk and purple, were irregularly piled
in the waggons, that always followed the march
of a Gothic artIly. The Iildst exquisite 'Works
of art were roughly handled, or wantonly destroyed; many a statue was melted for the sake
of the precious materials; and many a vase, in
the division of the spoil, was shivered into fragments by the stroke of a battle-axe. The aeCHAP.
with remarkable accuracy; aDd aftl'r admittiDg that there caDDOt he
aD, crime, where there ia 1l0CODIeDt, he add.. Sed quia DOD
IOIDlD quod
ad dolorem, nrum etiam quod ad libidiDem, perliDet, m corpore alino
perpetrari potut; quicquid tak (actum (uerit, etsi reteDtam cooataatiasimo aDimo pudicitiam DOD eJ:cutit, pudorem tamen mcutit, De eredatur factum cum mentis E'liam voluDtate, qnodfieri (ortUle aiae canail
aliqul voluptate non potuit. ID c. 18, he makel lome curioul diatillctionl between moral alld physical vir&iDity.
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~ Ui
Of' THE ROMA); EIIPIRE.
quisition of riches Iet'veci only to stimulate tke CHAP.
avarice of the rapaciolts barbarians,. who, pro- ,..~~:..
ceeded, by threats, by blows, and by tortures,
to force from their prisoners the confession of
hidden treasnre." Visible splendour and expence were alleged as the proof Of a plentiful
fortune: the appearance of poverty was irn.
puted to a parsimonious disposition; and the
obstinacy of some misers, who endured the most
cruel torments before they would discover the
secret object of their affection, was fatal to
many unhappy wretches, who expired under
the lash, fuJI ref\lsitlg tG reveal their'imaginary
tt~asures. The edifices of Rome, though the
damage has been Bluch exaggerated, received
some injury from the violence of the Goths.
~t their entrance through the Salarian gate,
they fired the adjacent houses tu guide their
march, and t'o distract the attention of the citizens: 1he flames which encountered no obstacle in the disorder of the night, consumed many
private and public buildings; and the ruins of
the palace of Sallust- remained, in the age of
Justinian, a stately monument of the Gothic
... Marcella, a Roman lady, equally respectable for ber rank, ber
.,e, and her piety, I'll thrown OD the ground, and cruelly beaten and
whipped, clIBaam fll.tibn. ftqelliaque, .!cc. Jerom. tom. i, p. 121, ad
PriDcipiam. See Allgustin, de Ci,. Dei, I. i, c. 10. Tbe modern
"cco di Roma, p. 208, ei'eI au idea of the VariOUI metbQcb of torturill, priloners for cold •
• The laiatorian Salimi, wbo DlDany practilt!d the vicrl which be
1.... 10 rloquentJ,. cl'nsQred, employed the plnnder of Numidia to adora
Ilia palacc and gardena on the Quirinal bill. 'I'he .pot wbere the honllo
atood, ia now ma"'ted by tbe churcb of St. SnYllna, Heparated oDly by
a atrel't from the batha of Diocietian, ud Dot far diatant from tbe &alariau pte. See Nardini, ROllla Antlca, p.IO, 191, and lbe 'r.... PIa
.r l\lodern Rome, b,. Nolli.
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:JUS
THE DECLINE AND FALL
conBagration.- Yet a contemporary historian
.
lloP#has observed, that fire could scarcely consume
the enormous beams of solid brass, and tba~
the strength of man was insufficient to subvert
the foundations of ancient structures. Some
trutb way possibly be concealed in his devout
assertion, that the wrath of Heaven supplied
the imperfections of hostile rage; and that the
proud Forum of Rome, decorated with the statues of so many gods and heroes, was levelled
in the dust by the stroke of lightning.'
CllpttYel
Whatever might be the numbers of equestrian,
alld fnp.
or plebeian rank, who perished in the massacre
tive••
of Rome, it is confidently affirmed, that on]y
one senator lost his ]ife by the sword of the
enemy.'! But it was not easy to compute the
CHAP.
XXXI.
_1.....
e The expressiona of ProcopinI are distinct and moderate, (de BeD.
Vandal. I. i, c. 2). The Chronicle of Marcellin1ll ap"ak8 too stroDg,
part~m Ilrbis RomlB cremavit; and the words of Philostorgiul, (u .
•p......~ 3.
I. xii, c. 3), convey a false and exaggerated
idea. BarglBDI hal composed a particular dilllertation, (lee tom. iv,
Anliqllit. Rom. Gl1llv.) to prove thllt the edifices of Rome were not
.ubverted by the Gotba and Vandal ••
p Or08i1l8, I. ii, e. 19, p.14I.
He apr-akl u if he dilapproved allatatuesl vel Deum vel hominem meutiuntur. They consisted oftbe kinp
of Alba and Rome from .!!:neas, the Romllus, iIIustrions either in arma
or arts, aud ihe deified ClBlan. The expression which he ules of FortIm i8 lome"hat ambiKuou8, since then: exibted fir:e principal F_;
bllt al they were all contiguous and adjacellt, iu rhe plain w bieh is lorronnded by the Capitoline, the Qnirinal, the Esquiline, and the Palatine hilla, they might fairly be eonaidered as //lie. See the Roma Antiqna of DODatns, p. 162.201, aDd the Roma Antica of Nardini, p. 212273. The former il more uleful for the ancient deacriptioD., the latter
(or the actnal topography.
q Orosiu. (I. ii, c. 19, p. 142) comparrs the cruelty of the Ganls and
the clemeDcy of the Goth.. Ibi vix quemqnam iDventnm .enatorem,
qui nl abaenl.evaserit; hie vix quem'tnam requiri, qui forte ullateal
perierit. But there ia lin air of rhetoric, and perhaps of falsehood, in
tbis Ilntilbesia; lind Socrales (I. vii, c. 10) affirm., perhaps by aD oppo,eDatora were put to death with vui"..
ailc "xag~eration, tbat
and exquisite tortures.
TIl, ..."..., ""f'''.',
IIUIII,
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311
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRP.
multitudes, who, from an honourable station,. CHAP.
and a prosperous fortune, were suddenly reduc- :.~~:...
ed to the miserable condition of captives 'and
exiles. As the barbarians had more occasion
for money than for slaves, they fixed, at a mo"derate price, the redemption of. their indignant
prisoners; and the ransom was often paid by
the benevolence of their friends, or the charity
of strangers: The captives who were regularly'
sold, either in open market, or by private contract, would have legally regained their native
freedom, which it was impossible for a citizen
to lose, or to alienate.' But as it was soon dis- .
covered, that the vindication of their liberty
would endanger their lives; and that the Goths,
unless they were tempted to sell, might be provoked
murder, their useless prisoners; the
civil jurisprudence had been already quaUfied
by a wise regulation, that they ShOllld be obliged to serve the moderate term of five years,
till they had discharged by their labour the
price of their redemption.t The nations who
invaded the Roman empire, had driv~n before
them, into Italy, whole troops of hungry and
affrighted provincials, less apprehensive of servitude than offamine. The calamities of Rome
and Italy dispersed the inhabitants to the most
lonely, the most secure, the most distant places
to
• Multi • • • Christiaui in captivitatem dllcti Inut. Angustin. de
Civ. Dei, I. i, c. 14; and the Christians experienced no peculiar hanl.
ahipl.
• Set: Heineccins, Autiquitat. JuriaRolDlln. to~. i, p. 96.
• Appendix Cod. Theodos. xvi, in Sirmond. Opera, tom. i, p.116.
Thil edict was published the 11th of December, .A. D. 408, and is more
RUGnable _than properly beloDled to the ministers of HonorlUl.
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:U 8
TRR DECLDrE .!fD PAIL .
CHAP. of refuge. While the Gothic C8'Yairy spread
_~~~:. terror and desolation alGng the. seo.'-Coast of
Campania and Tuscany, the little island of 19ilium, separated by a narrow channel from thft
Argentarian promontory, repulsed, or eluded,.
their hostile attempts; and at 118 small a di~
tance from Rome, great Dumbers of citizens!
were securely concealed in the thick woods of.
that sequestered spot.· The ample patrimo-.
Dies, which many senatorian families possessed
in Africa, invited them, if they had time, and
pndence, to escape from the ruin of their coun.,
try;. and to embrace the shelter of that hospitable province. The most illustrioulil of these
fugitives was the noble and pious Proba," the
widow of the prefect Petronius. After the
Eminu. Igllli Iylvola elleumina miroi';
Qllemfrauda.-c ne"" laud" bODore ...
H~ ptoprioa noper totata elt insula n1tu j
Sive loci ingenio, seo Dom~ni genio.
Gariite enm mudico ,iatritiltoS OII*tltit a....
Tanquam longioquo diuociata lIIari.
Hec multos laeerllnlcepit ab·urbe fugatos,
. Hie fellia poaito terta timore·lal...
Plurima terrnlo populaverat l114uora bello',
Cootra oatoram dUll' tlmendul eque.
Uoom, mira fidH, vario diserimioC' portpm !
Tam prope Romanis, tam procul eue Getil.
Rutilio., in Itinerar. L I, UI.
The island II now called Giglio. Selt C1uver. Ital.. ADtiq. I. Ii,
II
.
~IM.
• As the adventnres of Prob. aod her family are connected with tbe
life of St. Angullin, they are diliJently iDutrated by 'T\UtDiont, .M...
EcclH. tom. xiii, p. 620·635. Sometime after their anini ia Afiica,
Demetriu took the veil, aod made a vow of vlrpaity; an eveot whicia
wal conaldered al of tbe highHt importallce to Rome anet to the
world. All the &mit, wrote coo,ratulatory letters to her; that of
Jerom il still elltant, (tom. i, p. 62.'1'3, and Demetriad. de .t'r"an~
Vir,ioilat.) and cootalD. a mixture of ablurd reaaoniag,'plrited decJa..
matioD, aud CUriOUI fact .. lOme ofwhieh relate to the liege and lick
of Rome.
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319
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
«leath of her husband, the most powerful sub- CHAP.
j~ct Rome, she had remained at the ·head of':~~:..
t~e Anici3lJ. family, and successively supplied,
ffOlll her private fortune, the expence of the .
cDBsulships of her three sons. When the city
was besieged· and taken by the Goths, Proba
3upported, with Christian resignation, the loss
of immense riches; embarked in a small vessel,
from whence she beheld, at sea, the Barnes of'
her burning palace, and fled with her daughter
Lmta, and her grand-daughter, the celebrated
virgin, Demetrias, to the coast of Africa. The
benevolent profusion with which the matron
distributed the fruits, or the price, of her estates,
contributed to alleviate the misfortunes of exile
and captivity. But even the family of Proba
herself was not exempt from the rapacious oppression of Count Heraclian, who basely sold,
in matrimonial prostitution, the noblest maidens
of Rome, to the lust or avarice of the Syrian
merchants. The Italian fugitives were dispersed.through the provinces, along the coast of
Egypt and Asia, as far as Constantinople and
Jerusalem; and the village of Bethlem, the solitary residence of St. Jerom arid his female
converts, was crowded with illustrious beggars
of either sex, and every age, who excited the
public compassion by the remembrance of their
past fortune. J This awful catastrophe of Rome
filled the astonished empire with grief and tertor. So interesting a contrast of greatness and
ruin, disposed to the fond credulity of the people
of
r Ie!! tl)e pathetic cllmplaiDt of Jerom, (tom. y. p. (00). in hi. preface to the second book of hia Commentaries on the prophct EzekieL
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320
THE DECUN& AND PALL
CHAP. to deplore, and even to exaggerate, the aftlic... ~~~:. tions of the queen of cities. The clergy, who
applied to recent events the lofty metaphors or
oriental prophecy, were sometimes tempted to
confound the destruction of the capital, and the
dissolution of the globe.
.
Slick o(
There exists in human nature a strong pro~~~!~s pensity to depreciate the advantages, and to
orCnrle. magnify the evils, of the present times.
Yet,
v.
when the first emotions had subsided, and a
fair estimate was made of the real damage, the
more learned and judicious contemporaries were
forced to confess, that infant Rome had formerly received more essential injury from the Gauls,
than she had now sustained from the Goths in
her dec1ining age: The experience of eleven
centuries has enabled posterity to produce a
much more singular parallel; and to affirm
with confidence, that the ravages 9f the barba, rians, whom Alaric had led from the banks of
the Danube, were less destructive,· than the
hostilities exercised by the troops of'Charles V,
a catholic prince, who styled hims.elf emperor
of the Romans: The Goths evacuated the
• OrOAill', thOllgh with lome theological partiality, ,tates this co....
pari.on, I. ii, c. 19, p. 142; I. vii, c. 39, p. 070. But, in the history 01
tbe taking of Rome by the Gaul, every thing is un·certain, aud peril.,.
lab 111011.. St'e Beanfort sur l'Incertitude; &c. de I'Histoire RomaiAe,
p. 806; and Melot, in tbe Mem. de l'Academie desluscript. tom. xv,
p. 1-21.
• Tbe readrr who wislles to inform himst'lf of' the circumstanrel of
this famolls nen!, may pt'fuse an ~dmirable uarrath'e iu Dr. Robertson's History of Charles V, vol. ii, p. 283; or consnlt tbe Aunali d'Ita·
lia of the learued Muratori, tom. xiv, p. 230.244, octavo edition. If be
b desirous of examining the origiuals, he may have resou·rce to the
I!ighteeath book of the great, but unfinished, history of Guicciardiai.
Bat
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321
OF 'TIftt ROMAH BMPIRE.·
,
"
eity:at the Emd 'of six days, hutRoine remained.
above
CHAP.
nine months ,rn the possession of the im- #~~!:.
per~alis.ts;
and every hour was stained by some
atrocious act of Cfllelty, lust, and rapine. : The:
authority of Alaric preserved'. some order' and:
moderation among the ferocious multitude, .
which acknowledged him for their leader and,
king: but the constable of Bourbon had glon...:
ously faUen in th~ attack of the walls; and the.
death of the generaJ removed every restraint of,
disCipline, from an. army which .. consisted of
three independent natjons, the Italians, the Spa-:
niards, .and the Germans. In the beginning of
the sixteenth century, the ,manners of Italy
exhibited a remarkabl~ scene. of the depravity
• of mankind .. They ,uolted.the sanguinary crimesl
tbat prevail in an unSetded·;state ofSociety, with;
the polished.vices that spring from the abuse:
of art and luxury; :and' the. loose: adventurers~
who had violated e:v.eliY 'prejudice ofpatriotislD
and superstition to assault the palace of the.
Roman pontiff, must·.deserve to be considered.
as the most pro,fliga,te of the Italiatu. At the
same era, the Spaniat.ds were. the terror: bo.th of;
the Old and New Wodd:: .but t.hei\' high-spirited valour was disgraced by gloomy pride, rapacious avarice, and 'unrelenting cruelty. Indefatigable in the, pursuit of fame and riches,
they had improved~ by repeated pl'actice, the
But tbe account wbicb most truly dt'St"rvE'1 tbe name of alltill'ntic and
original, i. a little book; entitled, 11 Sa~C6 di Romll, eompo,('d, withiu
Ie.. than 0& montb after tile assallit of the diy, by the brother of Ih(' historian Gnicciardilli, wilo appears to hav(' b.... n an ablem3gishate, and
• diapassionate write.".
VOL. V.
y
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nt
THIt DECLlNB AND PALL
CHAP. most exquisite and effectual methods of tortu.... '
XXXI..
.
,.,.,.,.,.,.,._lDg
t h'
elr prIsoners;
many 0 fthe Cuti'11'lans, W h0
pillaged Rome, were familiars of the holy inquisition; and some volunteers, perhaps, were
lately returned from the conquest of Mexico.
The Get'fI&II.RI were less corrupt than the Ita·
lians, less cruel than the Spaniards; and the
rustic, or even savage, aspect of thosc TrGtfIM&.
tane warriors, 'often disguised a simple and merCiful disposition. But they had imbibed, in
the first fervour of the reformation, the spirit,
as well as the prinCiples, of Luther. It was
their favourite amusement to insult, or destroy,
the consecrated objects of catholic superstition;
they indulged, without pity or remOlfle, a devout hatred against the clergy of every denomination and degree, who form so considerable
a part of the inhabitants of modem Rome; and
their fanatic zeal might aspire to subvert the
tbrone of Antichrist, to purify, with blood and
fire, the abominations of the spiritual Babylon.'
Alaric ...The retreat of the victorious Goths, who eva·
:::audcuated Rome on the sixth day: lDight be the
i::lagc1
result of prudence;
but it was not surely the
y,
'
~. D. 410.. effect 01 fear.· At the head of an army, encum,.og.2II.
: • The fiJriOUl Ipirit of Lather, the el'ect of temper aDd ~nlboai-.
haa been'forcibly attacked, (Bounet, Hilt. dea Variationa d~ Egli.H
Proteltantel, livre i, p. 10-16), IUId feebly defellded, (Seekeudon,
Comment. de l-ntheraniamo, eapecially 1. i, No. 7'8, p. 110, and L iii,
No. 122. p. 616).
,c Marcellinu, in Chrou. Oroaiua, (I. vii, c. 19, p. Si6), a..erta, tbat
he left Rome on the lAird day ; but thia dil'~retlcc ia eaail1 recoociktl
by the locce.ain motionl of great bodiea of troop..
• Socratea (I. vii, c. 10) pretends, without any eolonr of trotll, or r .
IOU, tbat Alaric fled on tbe "port, that the armiea of the eute,. .pin
.ue in fun march to attack him.
'
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oP THE
M3
ROMAN RMPIRIL
~red'witb rich and weigbty.~iIs;.their!in~, ~~~~.
pltl leader advanced along the Apptan: 'w8!J0ID......
to' the southern provinces of Italy; destroying'
Wftatever dared to oppose bis pessage, and eon.. ,
tenting bimself witb, the pl1.lllldet' of. the uore-·
siStmg country~ The fate of'CapuaJ the:pooad·
and·luJfurioos mebopolis .0£: Campania, and!
which was,respected; even.in its decal,., as the·
t!ighth citY'oftheempil'e: is buriedia.obliviOD:;·
Wliilst'.he·ad,;a.eent·town of: N.ola' heS' beeD il-.
lustmted, OR this occasion, by the sanctitY. of
Paulinus,' who was successiveI" a: consul,: ai
monk, and a· bishop. At the age of fortY7 be
renounced the enjoyment ofwealth·and honour~
of society and literature, to embrace a life·ofl
solitude and penance; and the loud. appl..-e,
ofithe clergy encouraged him. ~ despise tae'
reproaches 'of his worldly friends, w:ho ascribed'
this desperate act to some disorder of the. mind.
orb0dy." An earlyaftd'passienateattachment
determined him to fix his humble dwelliag in.
# . . ,. . . . .
• AUlonius de Claria UrbibuI, p. 23S, edit; Toll; The luxury of
c:.pua· had formerl" larpuled that of Srbaria .~"f.
See. AtIIt__·;
Delpnolophilt. I. xii, p. 6118, edit. Cuallbon.
t Forty-eight yean before the fonndation of Rome, (aboua 800 lIefore
the Christian era), the Tnecan. built Capna and Nola, at the. dl.....ee
of twe.nty-thrt!e miles ftom each other; but th\! latter of the two citie.
neYer emerged from a ltatl: of mediocrity.
.
I Tlllemont (Melll>Eccle•• tom. xiy, p.,1-14CJ)hucompiled,witbhia.
1IIuai diligence, all that relatea to the life and ~ri"lIp' of Paulinlll,.
who.e retreat i. celebrated by hi. own pen. and by the praisel of St.
Ambrose, St. JerOlD, St. Au&nltin, Slllpleiul 8eYente,&c.bieCbrildaa
friends alld contenaporariea.
• See tbe aft'ectionate letten of Auenin. (epiat, xix-xlIi"_ p. 850698, edit. Toll.) to hia colleague, hi' friend, and his dileiple, I'uIinnl. The rclicion of ADloniu. is still a problem, (He MCIIII. de
I"Academie del Inlcription" tOlD. n. p. 1~-lB8). I believe tba., it.
'Wa. lucb in his own time, and consl:quently, tbat in m. heart,he
a
,.,an.
w.
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::24
THE DECI4NE AND .FALL,
one of the suburbs of Nola, near the mi....·
xxxr. culous tomb of St. ,Helix, which t4e public
-".~,.~~ devotion had already surrounded 'with five
large and popul~us churches. The, remains,
of his fortune; and, of his understanding, we1'&.
dedicated, 'to the service of th~ glorious mar-,
tyr; whose praise, on the day of his festival, Paulinus never failed to celebrate by a
solemn hymn; and in whose name he erected a,
sixth church, of superior elegance and beauty,
which was decorated with many curious pictures,
from the Histo~y of the old and New Testament.
Such assiduous zeal secured the favour of the
saint: or at least· of the people; and, after,
fifteen years retirement, the ROlll11n consul was,
compelled to accept the bishopric of Nola, a,
few months ,before, the city was. invested by the.
Goths~' .During the.siege, some religious persons were satisfied that they had seen, either in
dreams or visions; the divine form of their tute-,
lar patron; yeLit soon appeared by the event,
that Helix wanted power, or inclination, to pr~
serve the :Rock, of which he had formerly beeD
the shepherd. Nola was not saved from the
general devastation;k and the captive bishop
was protected only by the general opinion of
his innocence and poverty., About four years
elapsed from the successful invasion of Italy by
the arms of Alatic, to the voluntrary ~etreat of
CHAP.
I The humble P~nliaus Dace prtlnmed to say, that he belined Sf.
Felix did love hini; at leut, u a malter lovel his little dOC.
I< See JorDandes, de Reb. Gtt. c. 30, p. 653.
Philo.torgin., I. siit
e.I., AUlustiD, de Civ. Dei, I. I, c. 10. BaroDins, ADDai. Eecl. .
A. D. ,i&l0. No. 41i. 48...
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324
01' THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
the Goths under the conduct of his successor CHAP.
Adolphus; and, during the whole time, they ....~~~~~.
reigned without controu.. over a country, which, Poul'ni.
in the opinion of the ancients, had united all the b;~~~taIY
various excellencies of nature and art. The pros- Goth.,
perity, indeed, which Italy had attained in the :u~· ~
auspicious age of the Antonines, had gradually
declined with the decline of the empire. ,The
fruits of a long peace perished under the rude
grasp of the barbarians; and they themselves
, were incapable of tasting the more elegant refinement of luxury, ~hich had been prepared
fur the use of the soft and polished Italians.
Each soldier, however, claimed an ample portion of the substantial plenty, ~he corn and cattle, oil and wine, that was daily collected, and
consumed, in the Gothic camp; and the principal warriors insulted the villas, and gardens,
once inhabited by Lucullus and Cicero, along
the beauteous coast of Campania. Their trembling captives, the sons and daughters of Ro. man senators, presented, in goblets of gold and
gems, large draughts of Falernian wine, to the
haughty victors; who stretched their huge
limbs under the shade of plane-trees/ artificially
disposed to exclude the scorching rays, and to
admit th'e genial warmth, of the sun. There
I The plat_, or pl8.lle-tree, was a fa'fourite of the 8.IICient1i by
Whom it was propagated, for the lake of shade, from the East to Gaul.
Pliny, Hilt. Natur. xii, 3, 4, 6. He mentions several of an euormoUl
Iize; one in the imperial 'filla at Velitne, which Caligula Clalled his
nelt, as the bnmches were capable of boldin, a farge table, the proper
attendantl, and the emperor hilU8rlr, wbom Pliny qllaintly atyles ptIf"
Ii• • ; an exprenion which migbt, with equal reason, be applied tu
~laric.
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326
THE DECLINE AND FALL
delights were enhanced by the memory of past
'f
' native
, SOh,
.•
t he comparIson
0 t helr
.
. the bleak and barren hills of Scythia, and the
frozen banks of the.Elbe, and Danube, adGed
new charms to the felicity of the Italian. cli~
mate.
Dnth of
W;hether fame, or conquest, or riches, were
!~~:t'410. the 6hj~ct ofAlaric,be.pnrs~d flhat obj~t.with
an indefatigable ardour, which could neither' be
queUed by adversity, nor satiated by 811CCCSS..
N.o sooner had he reached the extreme land of
Italy, than he ·was attracted by the neighbouring prospect· of a fertile and pea.ceful island.
Yet even the possession of Sicily be considered
only as an intermediate step to the importa~t
expedition, which he already meditated apinst
the continent of Africa. The straits of Rhe-.
gium and Messina- are twelve miles in length,
and, in the narrowest passage, about one mile
and a half broad; and ·the fabulous monsten
of the deep, the rocks of Scylla, and the whirlpool of Charybdis, could terrify none but the
Blost timid and unskilful mariners. Yet as
CHAP,
h'
••XXXI,
or..,.., hardSIpS;
M
.. TIle pr..trate South Ie the Ilestroyer Jielu
Her bQuted titlea, and her ICllcien tielda :
With grim delight the brood of winter yiew
a\ IwIc.ter day, and Ria of uure hue;
.8cent ~ new fragl'Ulce of the opeDillg rote,
And qullft'the pendant vintage u it grOWl.
lee Gray'. Poems, pnblished by Mr. Muon, p. 191. Inltrad of cClJll"
pHinr tables of chronology and natnral hiltory, why did Dot Ifr. Gny
apply the powe" of bi, genins to finilh the philolophic poem, of whid•
• e hal left Inch an exqui.ite lpecimen ?
• For the perfect de'cription of the Straitl of Me"ina, Se,lla,
Charybdis, &c. lee ClunriuI, Clt~l. Antiq. I. h·, p. I19S), and licilia
Antiq. I. i, p. 60-16), who had diligently studied the ant'it'nts, ....
..rl'eled with. cnrion. eye the actnal race oftbe country.
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3t7
OJ' TIlE ROMAN DIPDlP..
1I00n as
die first division of the Goths had eoi-
CHAP.
barked, a sudden tempest arose, which sunk, _~.
or scattered, many of the transports; their courage was daunted by the terrors of a new element; and the whole design was defeated by
the premature death oC Alaric, which fixed, after a' short illness, the fatal term. of his conquests. The ferocious character of the barbarians was displayed, in the funeral of a hero,·
:who.e valour, and fortune, they celebrated with
mournful applause. By the labour of a captive multitude, they forcibly diverted the course
of the Btisentinus, a small river that washes
the walle of Consentia. The I'oyal sepulchre,'
adorned with the splendid spoils, and trophies,
of Rome, was constructed in the vacant bed;
the waters were then restored· to their natural channel; and the secret spot, where the
remains of Alaric had been deposited, was for
ever concealed by the inhuman massacre of the
prisoners, who had been employed to execute·
the work.- .
The personal animosities, and hereditary feuds' Adolpha
of the barbarians, were suspended by the strong ~~fJ:~,.
necessity of their affairs; and the brave Adol- :o:~:~ea
_phus, the brother-in-law of the deceased mowith the
empift,'
.
narch, was unanimously elected to succeed to and mar:
. Gaul,
cheainto
' th rone. The ch aracter and poI"IDcaI system
hIS
of the new king of the Goths, may be best un- A. D. 411.
derstood from his own conversation with an illustrious citizen of Narbonne; who afterwards,
in a pilgrimage to the Holy Laud, related it to
,•./ornandes, de Reb. Get. c. 10, p. 654.
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3i8·.
THE DECLINE AND PALL
St. Jeroin, :in the presence of the historian Oro
"In. th~ full confidence of valour and
"--"'." victory, I once aspired (said Adolphus) to
c~ change the face of the universe.; to obliterate
ce the name of Rome; to erect on its ruins the
U dominion of the Goths; and to acquire, like
,~ Augustus, the immortal fame of the founder
'! oCa new, ~mpire. By repeated experiments,
ce.J was; gfadually. convim;:ed, that laws are
ce. essentially necessary to maintain and rega'~late a well-constituted state; and. that the
ce fierce untractable humour of the Goths was
"incapable of bearing the .salutary yoke of
'~laws, and. civil government. FrOID that mo'~ ment I proposed to ~yself a different object
ce of glory. and ambition; and it is now my sin
,~ cere wish, that the gratitude of future ages
ce should acknowledge the merit of a stranger,
" who employed the sword of the Goths, not to
" subvert, but to restore and maintain, the pros" perity. of the Roman empire."p .With these
pacific views, the successor of Alaric suspended
... theoperatiQns-ofwar.; and,setioll)3ly negotiated
with·the imperial' court-a:treaty of friendship
8lld alliance. . It was the' interest of the ministel'liI.of. H0110riu8,wb() were now released from
tbe ~bligation: of their·extravagant. oath, to deliv.er .Italy: .from the· intolerable. weigbt .of tbe
Gothic powers.; and they readily accepted their
service. against the tyrants and barbarians who
CHAP.
. XXXI. sillS.
p Orosiu, I. yii, e. 43, p. ost, lill5. H. wu l..at by St. AupatiD, ia
. the ypar 415, from Afriea to Palestinf', to vi.it St. Jerom, and to coulult with him on :the IlIbject of tbe Pel.cian cODtronr.y.
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319
OP ~THE RO)fAN EMPIRE.
iBletr.ted the provinces beyond the Alps.' Adol- ~~~~=
phtlS, a'ssummg the character of a Roman gene- ........_
r~l, directed his march from the extremity of
Campania to the southern provinces of Gaul.
Hill troops, either by force or agreement, immediately occupied the cities of Narbonne,
Thou)ouse, ~nd Bourdeaux; and though they
were repulsed by Count Boniface from the walls
of MarseilleEl, they soon extended their quarters
from the Mediterranean to the Ocean. The oppressed provincials might. exclaim, that the
miserable remnant, which the enemy had spared, was cruelly ravished by their pretended allies; y~t some specious colours were not wanting to palliate, or justify, the violence of the
. Goths. The cities of Gaul, which·they attacked, might perhaps be considered as in a state of .
rebeJlion ag~inst the government of Honorius; .
the articles of the trea,ty, or the secret instructjons of the court, ,might sometim~s be alleged
in favour of the seeming usurpat~ons of Adolphus';, aild the guilt of any irregular, unsuccessful, act of hostility, might always be imputed, with an appearance of truth, to the ungo~ernable spirit of a barbarian host, impatient
of peace or discipline. The luxury of Italy
had been less effectual to soften the temper,
than to relax the courage, of the Goths; and
q JorDloodel Inpposu, witboot ~ocb probability, tbat Adolpbol vilited and plundered Rome a lecond time, (more cocaltarom eruit). Yet
be agrees witb Orolios in lupPpoling, tbat a treaty of peace: was con
eluded between.. tbe Gothi~ prince and Honorio.. See OI'9A. I. vii, c.
ft, p.581.1i85. Jornaadel, de Reb. Getici., 1.'.. 31, p;664,65$:
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380
Til'! DECLINB AND PALL
CHAP.. th~y had imbibed the vices, without imitatinr
"t
'
. '1'lzed SOCle
. t y.~
.,XXXI.
•.-,,,,.. t he arts an d
mstI
utIons,
0 f CIVl
~. marThe professions of Adolphus were probably
i!:::idi~~ sincere, and his attachment to the cause of the
A. D. 414. republic was secured by the ascendant which a
Roman princess had acquired over the heart and
understanding of the barbarian king. Placidia:
the daughter of the great Theodosius, and of·
Gana, his second wife, had received a royal education in the palace of Constantinople; but the
eventful story of her life is connected with the
revolutions which agitated the western empire
under the reign of her brother Honorius. When·
Rome was first invested by the arms of Alaric,
Placidia, who was then about twenty years of
age, resided in the city; and her ready consent
to the death of her cousin Serena has a cruel
and ungrateful appearance, which, according
to the circumstances of the action, may be aggravated, or excused, by. the consideration of
her tender age.' The victorious barbarian. detained, either as . a hostage or a captive: the
sister of Honorius; but, while she was dispos-·
ed to the disgrace of following round Italy the
motions of a Gothic camp, she experienced,
r The retreat of tbe Gotba from Italy, aDd their fir.t tMn.actiODa ia
Oaul, are dark and doubtful. r have derived mnch aaaiataoce fro..
M..eoo, (BiaL oftbe aacieDt Gumau, Lviii, c. 29, 16, 16, ST), who
h.. iIIultnded, and c:oDDected, the brokeD c:hroDicles aDd fragments 01
the time..
• ·See aD aCCouDt of Placidia iD Daeaa,e, Fam. Byzaat. p. n j
aDd TiUemoDt, Hilt. de. Emperean, tom. v, p. 2&0, S86, .trc. tom. vi,
p.MO.
• ZOlim. I. v, p. 160.
U ZOlim. I.•i, p. SIS.
OrOliaa (1. vii, c. 40, p. 676), and the ehr...&.
cle. of Marcellinn. and Idatiua, seem to IIlPpoae, that the Golba IIW
.., carry away Placidia till after the la.t sie,e of Rome.
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331
. . TIm DRAW EMPIft.·
howe-rer, :a . deeeBtand I"espectful treatment. CHAP.
The autltority .Or Jornandes, who praises the ....~~!:.
beauty of·Placidia, may perhaps be counterbalanced by ·the 'silence, the expressive silence, of
her fiatterers; yet the splendo.urof her birth,
the bloom of youth, the elegance of ' manners,
and the dexterous iosinuation which she condescen~ ·to employ,;macie a deep impr.ession
on the ·mind of Adolphus; and the Gothic king
aspired tocalJ himselfthe brother of the emperor. The ministers of Honorius rejected with
disdain the proposal of an alliance, so injurious
to every sentiment of Roman .pride; and repeatedly ur~ the restitution of Placidia, as an
indispensable condition of the. treaty of peace.
But the daughter of Theodosias 8.ubD)iUed,
without reluctance, to the desires·of the CODqueror, a young and valiant prince, who yielded
to Alaric in loftiness of stature, but who-excelled in the more attractive qualities Gf grace and
beauty. The marriage of Adolphus and Pla.cidia'" was consummated before the Goths retired floom Italy; and the sO,leDin, perhaps the
anniversary, day of their nupti.ls was after.
wuds celebrated in the house of Ingenuus, one
of. the most illustrious citizens of Narbonne in
Gaul. The bride, attired and adorned like a
" See the pictarea of Adolpbal ud Placidia,aad tbe accoo~t of their
marriage ill Jomaade.. de Reb. GeticiJ. c' II, p. 654, 656. With reprd to the place where the Duptiala were ltipolated. or COD.ommated,
or celebrated. the illS. of JomaDdel nry betweea two aeighbourln,
cities,Forti and Imola. (Foram Lh'ii and Forom Cornelii). It i. fair
and easy to recoDcile the Gothic hiltoru with Olympiodorol. (lee
Ma.coo,l ...iii, Co 46): bot TiUemoat growl peeYish, aDd swean, t..t
it ia DOt worth while to try to conciliate Jornandel witb U1· ....
aulllora.
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332
TID DECLIXB Aim PALL •
Roman empress, was placed on a throne o(
.~~~~'... state; and the king of the Goths, who assumed,
on this occasion, the ROlDan habit, contented
himself ",ith a less honourable seat by her side.
The nuptial gift, which, according to the custom of his nation, '1 was offered to Placidia,
consisted of the rare and magnificent spoils
of her country. Fifty beautiful youths, in silken robes, carried a basin in each hand; and one
of these basins was filled with pieces of gold,
the other with precious stones of an inestimable
value. Attalus, so long the sport of fortune, and
of the Goths, was appointed to lead the chorus
of the Hymeneal song; and th~egraded emperor might aspire to the praise of a skilful musIcIan. The barbarians enjoyed the insolence
of their triumph; and. the provincials rejoiced
in this> alliance, which tempered, by the mild
influence of love and reason, the fierce spirit of
their Gothic lord.-·
.
The GoThe hundred basins of gold· and gt:ms, prethie t.... sen ted to Placidia at her .nllptial :feast" formed
an inconsidera~le por~i~n of tl{e Gothic treaCHAP.
.-
7 The Visigotha (the .ubjeeti of Adolphus) reltr.uned, by sobseq1\ent law.,. the prodigality of conjoplloYe. -It wa. illegal-for a b..
band to make auy gift or lettlement for tbe benmt of bit wif" duriDg
tbe fint year of tbeir marriage; and bis liberality· could not at
time exceed the tenth part ofbil pro pert, • Tbe LombardI were .ome"bat more indulgent: tbey allowed tbe I'IWf'gingecp immediately a~r
the wedding nigbt; and tbis famolll gift, tbe reward of virgiuity, mi,ht
eqaal the foarth part of tht. bnsband'. labstance. Some cautions maio
. denl, indeed, were wile enoagb to Itipulate beforehaud a prescnt, "bicb
tbey "ere too lure of uot dCI"ning. See l\Ionteaqllieo, Espiait del
I.oix, I. xhi:, e. 25. Muratori, delle AntichitA ltaliane. tom. i; Disaertaioa J:J:, p. 248.
•
• We o"e tbe coriooi detail of thil aoptial feut to the hiaton..
Olympiodoral~ ap. Photium, p. 186·188.
aD,
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333 .
01' TID. ROMAN. IEMPJRL ..
&ures; of which some 'extraordinary 'specimen,s CHA P. ,
'may be selected from the history of the succes- ~~~~:..
sors of Adolphus. Many curious. and costly.
ornaments of pure gold, en.riched with jewels,.
were found in their palace of Narbonne, when.
it was pillaged, in the sixth century,' by the
Franks : sixty cups, or chalices; fifteen patens, .
or pla~s, for the use of the communion; twen-·
ty boxes~ or cases, to hold the boo~s of the
gospels: this consecrated wealth· was distri-huted by :the son of Qlovis among the churches'
of his .dominions, and his pious liberality seems,
to upbraid some former sacrilege of the Goths. .
They posses$ed, with more security of conscience, the famous milSori'Um, or great dish for
the. serNice of the' table, of massy gold, of the.
weight of fiv~ hundred. pounds, and of far BU-.
perior value, from the precious stones, the ex-,
quisite workmanship, and the tradition that it
had been presented. by lEtius the patrician, to
Torismond king of the Goths. One of the successors of Torismond purchased the aid of the
French munarch by the promise of~his magnifi-.
. cent gift. When he was seated on the. throne
of Spain, he delivered it with reluctance to the
-ambassadors of Dagobert; despoiled them on·
the road; stipulated, after a long negotiation,
the inadequate ransom of two hundred thousand pieces of gold; and preserved the mis$~'
• See in the great collection of the historian. of France by Dolllo
Bouqllet, tom. ii, Greg. 1'uronenB, I. iii, t'. 10, p. 191. Geata Re....
Francorum, c. 23, p. 551. The anonymuus writer, with an ignorance
worthy of hia time., sapposes th..t theae instrumeno of Chri.tian wo....
Ihip had belonged to the temple of Solomon. If he haa any meaniD"
it mut H, that they were (oand in the aack of Rome. .
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THR D2CLIW& AND PALL
CRAP. rilUll, as the pride of the Gothic tieaaures.
_~~~~:.. When that treasury, after the conquest of Spain.
was plundered by the Arabs, they admired., aQd
they have celehrated, another obj~ct stiR more
remarkable; a table of considerable size, of one
single piece of solid emerald: encircled with
three rows of fine pearls, supported by three
hundred and sixty-five feet of gems and Dl888Yl
gold, and estimated at the price Qf fiye hundred
thousand pieces of gold.· Some portion of the
Gothic treasures might be the gift offriendship;
or the tribute of obedience: but the far greater
part had been the fruits of war and rapine, the
spoils of the empire, and· perhapa of RolDe.
!t!-:e~~( After the deliverance ofItaly from the oppres:!l~ e sion of the Goths, some secret counsellor was·
~ .•. 41n:,: permitted, amidst the factions· of the palace, to
411.
heal the wounds of that afllicted country.. By a.
~ Conlnll the following original te.timonie. in the Hiltorian. of
France, tom. ii. FredfOJarii Schola.tici ebron. c. 'IS, p. 441. Fredepr. Frapent. iii, p. 4&3. Geata.IWgia Da.bert c.1P, p. 5.87. Tile
acceuion of 5i.euand, to the throne of Spain, happened 4. D.631. The
100,000 piere. of gold were appropriated by Dagoh£rt to the foondation oftbe churcboflt. DenYI.
e The pre.iclent Gognet (Origine del Loix, &c. tom. Ii, p. 239) ia of
opinion, that lbe atuJlendonR piece. 'of emerald, the Itatne., and co.
lumuI, which antiqnity hu placed in Egypt, at Gadel, at Con.tantiaOo
plr, were in reality artificial compolition. of coloured glau. Tbe f.moul emerald dbb, which il.hewn at Genoe, i••npposed. to conntenance
the .n.picion.
• Elmacin. Hisl. SaraceDica, I. i, p. 85. Roderic. Tolet. Hist. Arab.
c. 9. Cardonne, Hi,t. de l'Afrique et de l'Espagne lonlle. Arabea, tom.
I, p. 8S. It wu ealled the table of Solomon, according to the cnlto..
of tbe orientals, who IIcribe to that prince eyery ancient work of kno..
ledge and magnifieeuee.
• His tbree laws are inserted in the Theodosian Code, I. Jli, tit. u;"iii,
1; 1. xiii, tit. xi, leg. 12; I. xv, tit. Jli", leg. 14. The expfI!lSiu III
of the lut are very rfmarkable; .ince they cODtain not only a pard..,
but an apolou.
la,.
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or THR ROMAN EMPIlUt.
. 336
wtseand humane regulation, tile eight provinces CHAP.
which had been the most deeply injured, Cam- ..~~....
pania, Tuscany, Picenum, Samnium, Apulia,
Calabria, Bruttium, and Lucania, obtained an
indulgence of five years : the OI'dinary tribute
was reduced to one-fifth, and even that fifth was
destined to restore, and support, the useful institution of the public posts. By another law,
the lands, which had been left without inhabitants or cultivation, were granted, with some
diminution of taxes, to the neighbours who
should occupy, or the strangers wlio should solicit them: and the new possessors were secured
against the future claims of the fugitive proprietors. About the same time a general a.mnesty
was published in the name of Honorius, to abolish the guilt and memory of all the involuntary
ofFences, which had been committed by his un":
happy subjects, during the term of this public
disorder and calamity. A decent and respectful
attention was paid to the restoration of the capital; the citizens were encouraged to rebuild
the edifices which had been destroyed 'or damaged by hostile fire; and extraordinary supplies of corn were imported from the coast of
Africa. The crowds that so lately fled before
the sword of the barbarians, were soon recalled
by the hopes of plenty and pleasure; and AIbinus, prefect of Rome, informed the court,
with some anxiety and surprise, that, in a single day, he had taken an account of the arrival
of fourteen thousand strangers.' In less than
r Ol,.piodonu, .p. Pbot. p. 188. Pbilc.tor,iu. (\. xii, c. Ii) ob•
• rYe-.
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,...
336
DEAAn:fiEE ANfiE AALL-
~H"!' leven. years, the vestiges'of the Gothic Inv8sioCt
.~~~~~:~ werA S:lmost
; and
city "" ...~al
to resume its former splt:naour. anY tra~qujl
lity. The venerabl6 matron replaced h~r ~rown
of
had
by
sto.rmll
of war: . and. W8lI
amused, in th~:
ment of her decay, with the prop4ecies of revendA, nf
a.nY
domiAhm.'
Rnolt
This appar1E:K.&t tra'Dq&,:illity nllnS
histud3c
~~~u~iie_ed by the approach of an hostile.armament from
the nA&mtry
dai1h :iuhsillt~
Arri"",
enc~=
the Ibman .p:iople. bO~l1cho'lf, count
.\. o. 413. of Africa, who, under the most difficult and
dist:i:i:i:iful tillnfiEms:t;8:Af;t;S, had mmppo:itnd,
actinn lzzyalth,
ca¥.&d~: ofHm,fiE:#ius,
temdt~
ed, in the year of his consulship, to assume the
chat:Stntnr of :i:ih~.
th~ title. ot
The
:or Afric;t t:ie,re
filld
with the 1)J\vjJJ,{ol'ces; at the head of ''!fhich he
prepnll4:'d to .
:. and lUS
wh:i¥lf
it callE }lnchn:i
Tibnl indeecl
surpassed the fleeb of Xerxes and Alexander,
if all
.inAnding
roynl galler,
and
boat, did ad¥¥ally £HEJOunt
""1'8, that when Honorin. made biB trinmpbal ... ntry, he e,"('onr"ged
thl! Rom"", with hi, he,d and
(,,"e' l"OITT~), ",hnild th,£"
~itYj amI
ChrOliid"
Prosp,', commend, lX",aclian,
Roma""
.rbi. reparotionem atrennum .,xhihuerat miuist('riom. :
• The datil of the yo'yage of Clandius Rlltilius NllmatiaDDs. i.
clogged with 80mI' difficuJiies'; hut Scaliger hu deduced f."om astronomical d",racter,.
he Id'2 R{ume th., }llth of S.'ph'mbtor, a"P
f'mbarlil"h lit Por!"
!lth of lX"iober,
416.
Ti\l~mo"i,
Hist. des Ernpprellr., tOIn. Y, p. 820. In this poetical Itinerar!,
Rutilius (I. i, 115, «e.) addr".ses Rome in a high strain of ('ongratu%8tion... rin,,'" ,allros, "'''''''''qllt'
Verticis in Yil'idcs Rtuna rer.in:ge coma!,:«e.
337
OF THl: ROMAN E!llPlRE. .
the incredible number of three thousand two
hundred.t\ Yet with such an armament, which
mighf have subverted, or restored, the greatest
empire of the earth, the African usurper wade
a very faint and feeble impression on the provinces of his ri val. As he marched from the
port, along the road which leads to· the gates
0(- Rome, he was encountered, terrified, and
routed, by one of the imperial captains; a~d
the lo'rd of this mighty host, des~rting his fortune and his friends, ignominiously Bed with a
singleship.1 When Heraclian landed in the
harbour, of Carthage, he found that the whole
province, disdaining such an unworthy ruler,
had returned to their allegiance. The rebel
was beheaded in the ancient temple of Memory;
his consulship was abolished;1t. and the remains
of his private fortune, not exceeding the moderate sum of four thousand pounds of gold, were
gr,anted to the brave Constantius, who had already defended the throne, which he afterwards
shared with his feebJe sovereign. Honorius
viewed, with supine indifference, the,calamities
.
CHAP.
XXXI.
~"."",.
, .• Oro.ius compo.ed bia biatory in Africa, only two years after tbe
enata; yet bit antbority seem. to be overbalanced by tbe improbabi.
lit, of the fact. The Cbronicle of MarceUinus gi\"e. Heraclian 700
.hip. and 1000 men; tire laUer of tbrae numbera il ridiculou.ly corrupt; but the former would please me very much.
I The Cbronlcle of Idatiu, liftirm., witbout the leut appearance ot
troth, thllt be adYanced .. far a. Otriculnlll, in Umbria, wbere be
waa overthrown in a great battle, witb the: lOll of fifty thoulDnd
_D.
J< See Cod. TbHd" I. n, tit. xiY, Ie," 13
Tbe It'Cai act. performed
ID his name, even tbelll:l.numillion of .Iaves, were declared iR\".. lid, till
tbe,. bad been forma1l,. repealed.
VOL. V.
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338
THE DECLINE AND FALL
CHAP. of Rome and Italy;' but the rebellious attempt.
_~~~:. of Attalufl and HeracIian, against his personal
safety, awakened, for a moment, the torpid in·
stinet of his nature. He was probably igno.
rant of the causes and events which preserved
him from these impending dangers; and as
Italy was no longer invaded by any foreign or
domestic enemies, he peaceably existed in the
palace of Ravenna, while the tyrants beyond
the Alps were repeatedly. vanquished in the
nama, and by the lieutenants, of the son of
Theodosius.m In the course of a b.usy and interesting narrative, I might possibly forget to
mention tbe death of such a prince: and I shall
therefore take the precaution of observing, in'
this place, that he snrvived the last siege of
Revolu· Rome about thirteen years.
tioulof
The. usurpatIon
. 0 fC onstantme,
. wh 0 recelV
. ed
Gaul and
!~~~409. the purple from tbe legions of Britain, had been
413.
successful; and seemed to be secure. His title
was acknowledged, from the wall of Antoninus
to the columns of Hercules; and, in the midst
of the public disorder, he shared the dominioB,
and the plunder, of Gaul and Spain, with the
I I,have diadained to mention a very foolish. ""d probably a Calle.
report, (Procop. de Bell. Vandal. I. i, c.~, that Honoriaa wu aIa~
ed by the los. of Rome,till he understood tllat it waa not a favourite
chicken of that name, but .only the capital of the world, Which had
been lo.t. Yet even this ItOry is lome evidence or the public opiaiOD.
m The materials for the lives of aU these tyrants are lakeD rna
six contemporary historians, two Latins, and four Greeb: Oroaia,
J. vii, c. 42, p. 581. 582, 583; Renatul Profoturaa Frigerid"I, apull
Gregor. Turon. I. ii, c. 9, in·the historians of Franee, tom. ii. p. lU,
166; Zosimus, I. vi, p. 370, a71; Olympiodorul, apod PhoL po 1 "
181, 184, 185 ; Sozomen, 1. ix, c. 12, IS, 14, 15; and PhilOitorcia, L
si, c. 5, 6, witla Godefroy's Diasertations, p. 447-481; beai.des tile
fOur Chronicles of Prosper Tyro, Prosper of AquitainJ Idatia., ...
Marcellinu ••
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339
OF THE ROHAN EMPIRE.
tribes of barbarians, whose destructive progress CHA.'P.
XX XL
was no longer checked by the Rhine or Pyrenees. .•..,J",••
Stained with the blood of the kinsmen of HOllO
rilii, be extorted, from the court of Ravenna,
with 'wmeh be secretly corresponded, the ratificatiOD of hisri!bellious C'laim.-. Constantine engaged 'hiinsel( by a solemn' promise, to deliver
Italy' frollt the Goths; advanced as far as the
banks of the Po; and after alarming, mther than
aslisting, his'pnsillanimousally, hastily return··
eel to,the palace' of ArIes, to celebrate, with in,;,
temperate luxury, his vain and ostentatious tri~
umph. But this transient prosperity was SiOori
interrupted and destroyed by the revolt ofCount
Gerontius, the bravest of his' generals; who,
during the absence of his son Constaos, a prlnc'e
already invested with the imperial purple, had
been left to command in the provinces of Spain.
For some reason, of which we are ignorailt, Ge:
rontius, instead of assuming the diadem, placed
it on the head of his friend Maximu!, who fixed
his residence at Tarragona, while the ac'ti'~
count pressed forwards, through the Pyrenees;
to surprise the two emperors, Constantine and
Constans, before they could prepare for their
defence The son was tnade prisoner at Vienna,
and immediately put to death; and the unfortunate youth had scarcely leisure to deplore
the elevation of his family; which had, tempted,
or compelled, him sacrilegiously to desert the
peaceful obscurity of the monastic life. The
father maintained a siege Within the' walls of
ArIes; but those walls must have yielded to
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:340
THE miCLlNE AND FALL
CHAP. the assailants, had not the city been unexpect...~~~~: .. edly relieved by the approach of an Italian
army. The name of Honorius, the proclamation
of a lawful emperor, astonished the contending
parties of the r~bels. '. Gerontius, abandoned
by his own troops, escaped to the confines of
Spain; and rescued his name from oblivion, by
the Roman courage which appeared to animate
the last moments' of his life. In the uiiddle oC
the night, a great body of his perfidious soldiers
surrounded, and attacked, his house, which he
had strongly barncaded. His wife, a valiant
friend or the nation of the Alani, and some faithful slaves, were still attached to his person; and
he used, with so much skill and resolution, a
large magazine of darts and arrows, that above
three hundred of the assailants lost their lives in
the attempt. His slaveR, when al1 the missile
weapons were spent, fled at the dawn of day;
and Gerontius, if he had not been restrained by
conjugal·tenderne$s, might have imitated their
example; till the soldiers provoked by such
obstinate resjstance, applied fire on all ,sides to:
the house. ' In this fatal extremity, he complied
with the request of hi, barbarian friend, and
cut off his head. The wife of Gerontius, who
conjured him not to abandon her to a life of
misery and disgrace, eagerly presented her
neck to his sword; ,and the tragic scene was
terminated by the death of the count himself,
who, after three ineffectual strokes, drew a short
dagger, and sheathed it in his heart. The un-'
D
• The praial:' whie" Sozomeu baa beltowed
011
this act of dapair.
appear
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3·U
OF THE IlOMAN EM}"lR&'
protected Maximus, 'whom he had invested CHAP.
with the purple, was indebted for his life to ..=~~:..
the contempt that was entertained of his power
and 'abilities. The caprice of the barbarians,
who ravaged Spain, once more seated, this
imperial phantom on the throne: butthey soon
resigned him to the justice of Honorius; and
the tyrant Maximus, after he had been shewn to
the people of Ravenna and Rome, was publicly
executed.
The general, Constantins was his name, who Character
raised by his approach the siege of ArIes, and a!ld yiclo··
d t he troops 0 f G
'
ru~lof!he .
dIsslpate
erontlUs,
was b oro fenerAl
a Roman: and this remarkahle distinction is :f':'l taa
stronglyexpres~ive of the decay of military spirit
among the subjects of the empire. The strength
and majesty which were conspicuous in the per.
son of that general,o marked him, in the popu-.
lar opinion, as a candidate worthy of the throne,
which he afterwards ascended. In the familiar
intercourse of private life, his manners were
cheerful and engaging: nor would he sometimes
disdain, in the license of conl'ivial mirth, to vie
with the pantomimes themsel ves"in the exercises
of their ridiculous profession. But when the
trumpet summoned him to arms; when' he
mounted his horse, and, bending down (for suell
.ppear ItraDle and acandaJoul in the mouth of an eccleaiutical hi..
torian. He obae"el, (p. 819), that the lJife of GeroBtilll va ..
Cllriltia; and that her death 1JU lJortby of her reliliOD and of im. .
mortal fame.
.
. • allte -fl" .,.".",10(, il the exprel.ion of Olympiodorua, whicll' he
aeeml to hue borrolJed from ..Eel.., a traledy of Eurlpide" of wbidil
lome fragments only are nuw extant, (Euripid. Bam"l, 10m. ii, p. 4-&1,
'Ver. 38). Thi. allusion may pron, tilat tbe tincitnl tragic poell were
.liB familiar to'the Gn:eka of tht' IIlth century.
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3d
TII& DECLINE AND PALL
was his singular practice) almost UpOll the neck,
_':,~..~~.. fiercely rolled his large animated eyes round the
field, Constantius then struck terror into his foes,
and inspired his soldiers with the a!lsurance of
victory. He had received from the court of
Ravenna the importantcommiSlion ofextirpating
rebellion in the provinces of the West; and the
pl'etended emperor, Constantine, after enjoyinga
short and anxious respite, Wa!I again besieged in
his capital by the arms of a more formidable
enemy. Yet this interval allowed time for a
successful negotiation with the Franks and Alemanni; and his ambassador, Edobic, soon re. tumed,at the head of an army, to disturb the
operations of the siege of ArIes. The Roman
general, instead of expecting the attack in his
lines, boldly, and perhaps wisely, resolved to
. pass the Rhone, and to meet the barbarians.
His measures were conducted with so much
skill arid secrecy, that, while they engaged the
infantry of Constantius in the (ront, they were
suddenly attacked, sl1rrollnded, and destroyed
by the cavalry of hi. lieutenant Ulphilas, who
had silently gained an advantageoUs post in
their rear. The remains of the army of Edobic
were preserved· by Bight or submission, and
their leader elcQ.ped from the field of battle to.
the house of a faithless friend; who too clearly
understood, that ·the head of his obnoxious
.gnest would be an acceptable and lucratiye p~
sent to the imperial general. On this occaaioo,
Constantius behaved with the magnanimity of
'a genuine Roman. Subduing, or suppressing,
CHAP
~.
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343
OF THE ltOMAN EMPIRE.
-every sentiment of jealousy, he publicly ac- ~~~I;:
knowledged the merit and services ofUlphilas: u ,. . . . .u
but he turned with horror from the assassin of
Edobic; and sternly intimated his commands,
that, the camp should no longer be polluted by
'the presence of an ungrateful wretch, who had
violated the laws of friendship and hospitality.
The usurper, who beheld, from the walls Arles~
the ruin of his last hopes, was tempted to place
some confidence in so generous a 'conqueror.
He required a solemn promise for his security;
and after receiving, by the imposition of hands,
the sacred character of a Christian presbyter,
he ventured to open thfl gates of the city. But
he soon experienced, that the principles of ho.'
Dour and integrity, which might regulate the Death of
.
alur"
ordmary
cond uct 0 f ConstantlUs,
were ,super- the
per Canseded by the loose doctrines of political mora- ~~~~i~~'I,
lity. The Roman general, indeed, refused to Nay, 28,
8U1ly his laurels with the blood of Constantine;
but the abdicated emperor, and his son Julian,
were sent under a strong guard into Italy; and
before they reached the palace of Ravenna, they
met the ministers of death.
At a time when it was universally confessed, Falloflhe
that almost every man in the empire was supe- ~~~~~:~
rior, in personal merit to the princes whom the !:~t:::,
accIdent of their birth had seated on the throne, Ius,
' d succeSSJon
. 0 f usurpers, regaTdl ess 0 fth e 4110
A. D 411a -rapl
fate of their predecessors, still continued to
arise. This mischief was peculiarly felt in the
provinces of Spain and Gaul, where the principles of order and obedience had been extin-
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844
THE D2CLlNE AND FALL
guished by war and rebellion. Before eo....
and in the fourth
month of the siege of ArIes, intelligence was received in the imperial camp, that JoviilUs had
assumed the diadem at Mentz, in the Upper
Germany, at the instigation. of Goar" king of
the Alani, and. of Guntiarius, king of the Bur·
gundians; and that the candidate, on whom
they had bestowed the empire, advanced with
a formidable. host of barbarians, from the banks
of the Rhine to those of the Rhone. Every
circumstance is dark and extraordinary in the .
short history of· the reign of Jovinus. It was
natural to expect, that a brave and skilful gen~
., ral, at the head ofa victorius army, would have
asserted, in a field of battle, the justice of the
cause of Honorius. The hasty retreat of Con·
stantius might be justified by weighty reasons;
but he resigned, without a struggle, the pos~e8
sion of Gaul: and Dardanus, the pretorian
prefect, is recorded as the only magistrate wbo.
refused to yield obedience to the usurper.p
When the Goths, two years after the siege of
Rome, established their quarters in Gaul, it was.
natural to suppose that their inclination could be
divided only between. the emperor Honorius,
with whom they had' formed a recent alliance,
CHAP.
..::!~;, stantine resigned the purple,
• Sidoniu. Apollindri8 (I. v, epi8t. v, p.139, and Not. 8Irruond,p. 58),
after stigmatizing .the iIIcon.ftmcy of Constantine, the /acililr of JOYu-,
the p4ljidit, of Gerontiul, cOlltinnel to observe, that all the vice of thae
tyrant. were nnited in the person of Dardanul. Yet the prefect lapporled a relpedable character in the world, and ,enn in the chul't'h;
held a devollt cOrJ'espondence with St. Augu.tin lind St Jerom; and
complimented by the IlIttf'r (tom. iii, p. 66) with the epilh~ta .,
<::bristianorum Nobiliaalme, and Nllbilium Chriatiaub.iwe.
.a.
34-'
OP THE. ROMAN· EMI'ID. .
and the degraded Attains, whom they reserved CRAP•
. ·h·
ti h
. al purpose 01"~ ac t- ...........
XXXL
10 t elr camp or t e occasIon
,..
ing the part of a musician or a monarch. ' Yet
in a moment of disgust, (for which it is not easy
to assign a cause, or a date), Adolphus connected himself with the usurper of Gaul;· and imposed on Attalus th~ ignominious task of nego
tiating the treaty, which ratified his own disgrace. . We are again surprised to read, that,
instead of considering the Gothic alliance as the
firmest support of his throne, Jovinus upbraided, in dark and amhiguous language, the officious importunity of Attalus; that, scorning the
advice of his great al1y, he invested with the
purple his brother Sebastian; and that he most
imprudently accellted the service ofSarus, when
that gallant chief, the soldier of Honorius, was
provoked to des.ert the CQurt of a prince,. who
knew not how to reward, or punish. Adolphus, educated among.a race of warriors, who
."
esteemed the duty of revenge as the most precious and sacred portion of their inheritance,
advanced with a body of .ten thousand Goths to
encounter the hereditary enemy of the house of
Haiti. He attacked Sarus at an unguarded
moment, w!ten he was accompanied only by
eighteen or twenty of his valian.t followers.
United by friendship, animated by despair, but
at length oppressed by multitudes; this band
of heroes deserved the esteem, without exciting
the compassion, oftheir'enemies; and the lion
was no sooner taken in' the toils,II than he was
• The esprellioD may be andentood almo,t literally; Olympioderul
lay',
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M6
TIlE DECr.nmAND PALL
ne
CHAP. ill.tantly despatched.
death of Sarus di...
_~~~~:.. solved the loose alliance which Adolphus stiU
maintained with the usurpers of Gaul. He
again listened to the dictates of love and prudence; and 800n satisfied the brother of PIacidia, by the assurance that he would iinm&diately transmit, to the palace of Ravenna, the
heads of the two tyrants, Jovinus and Sebastian.
The king of the Goths executed his promise
without difficulty or delay: the helpless brothers, unsupported by any personal merit, were
abandoned by their barharian auxiliaries; and
the short opposition of Valentia was expiaucl
by the ruin of one of the noblest cities of Gaul.
The emperor, chosen by the Roman senate, who
had been promoted, degraded, insulted, restored,
again degraded, and again insulted, was finally
abandoned to his fate: but when the Gothic king
withdrew his protection, he was restrained, by
pity or contempt, from offering any violence to
the person of Attalus. The llnfortunateAttalus,
who was left without subjects or allies, embark. ed in one of the ports of Spain, in search of some
secure and solitary retreat; hut be was intercepted at sea, conducted to the presence of
Honorius, led in triumph through the streets of
Rome or Ravenna, and publicly e~posed to the
gazing multitude, on the second step of the
throne of his invincible conqueror. The same
ae.",.....'. :z.....,
.ay., ~ r&UOlC
(or rlllllr) _y lipir, a ack, or •
loole garment; and tliil method or ntanlling and catching aD eDem1,
laeiniis CODtortis, was much practiaed by the HODl, (AmlDiaa. Dlli,1).
II rot pri. vir nec des fileta, is the trabalatioll of TiIlelDoDt, RiIIt . .
Elllpernrs, tom. v,p. H I . '
.
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341
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
measure ot punishment, with which, in the days ~~~.
of his prosperity, he was accused of menacing ____ ••:.. .
his rival, .was inflicted on AttaIns himself: he
was condemned, after the amputation ot two
fingers, to a perpetual exile in the isle of Lipari, where he was supp~ied with the decent necessaries of life. The remainder of the reign of
Honorius was undisturbed by rebellion; and
it may be observed, that, in the space of five
years, seven usurpers had yielded to the for. tune of a pI'ince, who was himself incapable
either of couRsel or of action.
.
The· situation of Spain, separated, on al1 InvalioD
Bides, from the enemies of Rome,. by the sea, b' SeaiD
by the mountain., and by intennediate pro- S~e~i~
.
. ha d secured t he I ong tranqUl'11'tty 0 f Valldals
vmces,
Alani,&~.
that remote and sequestered country; and we OC~'l~~'
may observe, as a sure .ymptom of domestic
happiness, that in a period of four hundred
years, Spain mmished very few materials to
the history of the Roman empire. The foot- '
steps of the barbarians, who, in the reign of
Gallienus, had penetrated beyond the Pyrenees,
were soon obliterated by the return of peace;
and in the fourth century of the Christian era,
the cities of Emerita, or Merida, of Cordub a,
Seville, Bracara, and Tarragona, were numbered with the most illustrious of the Roman
world. . The various plenty of the animal, the
vegetable and the mineral kingdoms, was improved and manufactured by the skill or an ind ustrious people; and the peculiar advantages of
navalstores contributed to support an extensive
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348
'tHE DECLINE AND FALL
and profitable trade. The arts and sciences
..~~~~.... Bourished under the protection of the empe-.
rors; and if the character of the Spaniards was
enfeebled bypeace and servitude, the hostile approach of the Germans, who had spread terror.
and desolation from the Rhine to the Pyrenees,
seemed to rekindle some sparks of military ardour. As long as the defence oCthe mountains
was in. rusted to the hardy and faithful militia
of the country, they successfully repelled the
frequent attempts of the barbarians. But no
sooner had the national troops been compelled
to resign their post to the Honorian bands, in
the service of Constantine, than the gates .of.
Spain were treacherously betrayed to. the p~lic
enemy, about ten· months before the sack of
Rome by the Goths.' The cons.ciousness of
guilt, and the thirst of rapine, prompted the
mercenaryguards of the Pyrenees to desert their
station; to invite the arms of the Suevi, the
Vandals, and the Alani;· and to swell the torrent which was poured with irresistible violimc~
uom the frontiers of Gaul to the sea of Africa.
The misfortunes of Spain may be described .il}
the language of its most eloquent-historian, who.
CHAP.
W
r Without recurring to the more ancient writen, I .ball quot~ three
relpectable testimonies wbicb belon, to the fourth and ......nth ceotorie.; the Expolitio totiul Mundi, (p. 16, in the third nlume of Had.on'. Minor Geolrapben); .taloniu., (de Claril Urbiba.. p. 242, edit.
TolI.) and Isidore of Suille, (P...fat. ad Cbron ••p Grotium, Hiat.
Goth. p. 707) Many particulan relatire to tbe lertillty.and trade oC
Spain, may be fOllnd in N onniu., Hi.pania IIID1trata, and in Huet. Hilt.
do Commerce de. Ancienl, c. '0, p. J28.IB4.
,
• The datI' il accnrately fixed in the Fa.ti,·and the CbroDicleofId..
tiu.. Orosi ..1 (i. vii, c. ~O, p. 678) inlputel th.loll of Spain to the trra('bery of tbe Honorian.· While Sozomen (L ix, Co 12) aeeUK. only their
.egliltnct'.
I
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or THE ROMAN DlPIRP.'
, 349
"as- so concisely expressed the passionate, aud CRAP.
perhaps exaggerated, declamations of contem- ~~~~~:"
porary writers.' The irruption of these nations
" was followed by the most dreadful calamities:
" as the barbarians exercised their indjscrimi~
" nate cruelty on the fortunes of th~ Romans"and the Spaniards; and ravaged with equal
" fury the cities and the open country. The
ae progress of famine reduced the miserable in" habitants to feed on the 1Iesh of their fellow-'
" creatures; and even the wild beasts, ~ who
"multiplied, without contlOul, -in the desert,'
" were exasperated, by-the taste of blood, and'
"the impatience of hunger, boldly to attack'
cc and devour their human prey. Pestilence
" soon' appeared, the inseparable companion of
" famine; a large proportion of the people was
" swept away; and the groans of the dying-ex-" cited only the envy oftheir surviving friends.
" At length the barbarians, satiated with carcc nage and rapine, and afflicted by the contagi" ous evils which they themselves had introat duced, fixed their permanent seats in the'
" depopulated country. The ancient Gallicia,
" whose limits included the kingdom of Old
" Castille; was divided between the Suevi andu the Vandals; the Alani were scattered over the
cc provinces of Carthagena and Lusitania, from
cc the Mediterranean to the Atlantic ocean;- and,
" the fruitful territory of Bmtico was allotted to
" the SiJiDgi~ another branch of the VandalicCo
• Idatla wilhH to apply the propbeeie. of DaDicl to th_ aatiHII
calami tis; and ii, therefore, obliged to aeeommoda.e the, circ:1IIIlIt-. ,
ee. of the lYeat to the tel'llll of the predictioa.
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310.
THE DECLINE AND FALL
nation. After regulating this partitioD, the
d Wit
. h thelr
. new SUuL
,#u#u"," conquerors contracte
.
" jects some reciprocal engagements of protec" tion and obedience: the lands were again cuI" tivated; and the towns. and villages were
"agaiD occupied by a captive people. The
" greatest part of the Spaniards .was even dis" posed to prefer this new conclition of poverty
" and barbarism, to the severe opprelsions of" the Roman government; yet there were many'
" who still asserted their native freedom;· and
c~ who refused, more especially in the moun..
u taina of.Gallieia,. to submit to the barbarian'
" yoke.""
Adolpbul
The important present of the heads of Jonnus
~:f&~:th. aDdSeballltian, had approved the friendship of.
:::~~~ia, Adolphus, and restored Gaul to the obedienee of
A. D. 414 hilt brother Honarius.
Peace was incempatible
with the situation and temper of the king of tile
Goths. He readily accepted the proposal of
tumioghis victorious arms :against the barbarians of Spain: the troops. of Constantius intercepted his communication with, the sea-ports of
Gaul, and gently pressed his march towards
the Pyrenees:" he passed the mountains, and
surprised, in the name of the emperor, the city
of Barcelona. The fondness of Adolphus for
CHAP. ..
XXXI.
• • Mariana de Rebus Hispanicil, I. Y, C. 1, tom. i, p. 148. Hag,
Comit.l1l1. He had read iD Oroliul (I. vii, c. 41, p.619), that tile
barbarianl bad tnrDed tbeir .words into ploochlbar~l; aDd that many
of tb~ provincials preferred iDtcr barbaro. patlpnr.m libertatem fJUIID
iDter ROIIIlIIlOl tribularialll ••licitudiD~m ....tiaere. .
lr Tbis mtxtnre of force and penaa,ioD may be (airly inferred from
cO"pariD! Oro,ina and Jomande•• the Komia and tbtl Gothic ~
torlla. .
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86l
OF THE ltOHA.N £'IPIRP..
his Roman bride, was not abated by time or eRA P.
possession; and the birth of a son, surnamed, _~:~:.
from his illustrious grandsire, Th.eodosius, appeared to fix him for ever in tbe interest of the
.republic. The loss of that infant, whose remains were depoaited in a silver coffin in one
of the churches near Barcelona, afflicted his
parents; hut the grief of the Gothic king was
suspended by the labours of the field; and the
course of his victories was soon interrupted by
domestic treason. He had imprudently received into his service one of the followers of Sarus;
a barbarian of a daring spirit, but of a diminutive stature; whose secret desire of revenging
the death of his beloved patron, was continually ,
irritated by the sarcasms of his insolent master.
Adolphus was assassinated in the palace of HiJdeetb
Barcelona; the laws of the• succession were vio- Aupal.~. D. 415;
lated by a tumultuous factIon;7 and a Itrang~r
to the royal race, Singeric, the brother of Sarus
himself, was seated on the Gothic throlle. The
first act of his reign was the inhuman murder
of the six children of Adolphus, the issue of a
former marriage, whom he tore, without pity,
from the feeble arms Qf a venerable bishop..
The unfortunate. Placidia, inltead of the respectful compassion, which she might have excited in the most savage breasts, was treatetl
with cruel and wanton insult. The daughter
. , AeeonliD, to the Iy.tem of JomaDelee (e. aa, p. 850), the true hereditary ri,ht to the Gothic leeptre Wli' _ted in the ..ffllllli; but th_
,rillee., who were the n ..al. of tbe Runa, eo.lllaDded the triba of dIa
O.trocothl ill lOme diatant pana of Gel'llWl1 or Scythia.
• The murder i. related b1 Olympiodorul; but the nolllber of tbe
chUdrlll it taken (rom au epitaph o( luspected aothorit1.
.
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3.S2
-
THE DECLINE AND PALL
CHAP. of the emperor Theodosius,confounded aUIong
..~~~~:... a crowd of vulgar ~aptives, was compelled to
march on foot above twelve miles, before the
horse of a barbarian, the assassin of an husband
whom Placidia loved and lamented.'
The GOtD
But Placidia 'soon obtained the pleasure or
cODqaf'r
d h'
fh
. .
4"aad relton revenge; an t e -vIew 0
ar 'IgnomJDlOUS
sUller·
!~~~'41"" ings might rouse an indignant people against the
418.
tyra,nt, who was assassinated on the seventh day
of his usurpation. After the death of Singeric,'
the free choice of the nation bestowed the Gothic'
sceptre on Wallia; whose warlike and ambitious'
temper appeared, in the beginning of his reign,
extremely hostile to the republic.' He marched
in arms, from Barcelonia to the shores of the
Atlantic Ocean, which the ancients revered and
dreaded as the boundary of the world. But
when he reached the southern promontory of
Spain," and, from the rock now covered by the
fortress of Gibraltar, contemplated the neighbouring and fertile coast of Africa, Wa1lia ~
sumed the designs of conquest, which had been
interrupted by the death of Alaric. The winds
and waves again disappointed the enterprise of'
the Goths; and the minds of Rauperstitious
people were deeply affected by the repeated
• The death of Adolpha. wu celebrated at CODitutiDople with iII.- .
miDatioDi aDd Circenliaa ,ame.. (See Chron. Ale~drin). It may
teem doabtful, whether the Greeb were actuated,OD this OCCUioD, b,
abeir batred of the Barbariaal, or of the Latio..
• Qac\d TCII'taaiceia avu. hujn. Vallia Iem,
Vaodalica. tUI1JIII" etjoDcti Harti. AluOi
Stra,it, et occidoam tex're cad..era CIIlpft.
SideD, ApolliDar. io Plloeeyr. Aothea. HJ.
p. 100, edit. 'irmood
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363
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
disasters of storms and shipwrecks. In this ek.4.p.
disposition, the successor of Adolphus no lon- ..,~:~~:~
ger refused to listen to a Roman ambassador,
whose proposals were enforced by the real, or
~upposed, aPeroach of a numerous arlDY, under
the conduct of the brave Constantius. A solemn treaty·was stipulated and observed: Placidia was honourably restored to 'her brother; .
six hundred thousand measures of wheat were
delivered to the hungry Goths;C and Wallia en. gaged to draw his sword in the service of the
empire.. A bloody war was instantly excited
among the barbarians of Spain; and the contending princes are said to have addressed their
letters, their ambassadors, and their hostages,
to the ~hrone of the western emperor, exhorting
him to remain a tranquil spectator of their contest; the events of which must be favourable
to the Romans, by the mutual slaughter of their
common enemies! The Spanish war was obstinately supported, during three campaigns,
with desperate valour, and various success; and
the martial achievements of Wallia diffused
through the empire the superior renown of the
Gothic hero. He exterminated theSilingi, who
• Tbia lopp1y WII yery acceptable; the Gotha wtre iuaulted by the
"rmdal. Qf SpaiD with the epitbet of 7n&li, because, iD tbeir amme
diatrel', they had riveD a piece 9f gold for a
or aboot balf a
pODnd, of Aoor. Olympiod. apod Pbot. p. 189•
.. Oroeina inllerb a copy of theae pretended lettrn. To ('urn OM
Diba. pacem babe, OJDniumqoe o~de. aeeipe; nOI nobi. confliglmnl,
lIobi. perimus, tibi vlnelmus; immortali. vero qUEltus erat Reillllblice tlllll, Ii utrique pereamu.. The idea is juat; but I cannot perluade myself thllt it WII entertained, or expreIJed, by the ba,..
bariIlD'.
.
'"'la,
VOL. V.
IL
a
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364
THE DECLINE AND PALL
had irretrievably ruined the elegant plenty of
••':~~~;.. the province of Bretica. He slew, in battle, the
king of the Alani; and the remains of those
Scythian wanderers, who escaped from the
field, instead of choosing a new leader, humbly
sought a refuge under the standard of the Vandals, with whom they were ever afterwards
confounded. The Vandals themselves, and the
Suevi, yielded to the efforts of the invincibie
Goths. The promiscuous multitude of barbarians, whose retreat had been intercepted, were
driven into the mountains of Gallicia; where
they still continued, in a narrow compass, and
on a barren soil, to exercise ,their domestic and
implacable hostilities. In the pride of Victory,
Wallia was faithful to his engagements: he restored his Spanish conquests to the obedience
of Honorius; and the tyranny of the imperial
officers soon reduced an oppressed people to
regret the time of their barbarian servitude.
While the event of the war was still doubtful,
the first advantages obtained by the arms of
Wallia, had encouraged the court of Ravenna
to decree the honours of a triumph to their feeble sovereign. He entered Rome ·like the ancient conquerors of nations; and if the I';DOnuments of servile corruption had not long
since met with the fate which they deserved.
we should probably find that a crowd of poets,
and orators, of magistrates, and bishops, applauded the fortune, the wisdom, and the invincible coura~e, of the emperor Honorius.CHAP.
• Ilomam triumphanl iocreditur, is the formal espreuioa ot'~
Chroaick.
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OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
Such a triumph might ~ave b~enjustly claim- .i'i~:
ed by the ally of Rome, IfWalha, before he re- ,.~,.,
passed the Pyrenees, had extirpated the seeds Their el.... Spams
. h war.' H
..
G othS, ment
tabUsl...
of tfle
IS O
vIctorIOUS
in
forty-three years after they had passed the Da- !~:~t:;':;
nube,were ~stablished, according to the faith
of treaties, in the possession" of the second
Aquitain ; a maritime province' between the
Galonne and the Loire, under the civU ~nd ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Bourdeaux. That
metropolis, advantageously situated for the
trade of the ocean, was built in a regular and
elegant form; and its numerous inhabitants were
distinguished among the Gauls by their wealth,
their learning, and the politeness of their manners.. The adjacent province, which has been
fondly compared to the garden of Eden, is blessed with 3. fruitful soil, and a temperate climate: the face of the country displayed the arts
and the rewards of industry; and the Goths, aftertheir martial toils, luxuriously exhausted the
rich vineyards of' Aquitain.' Th.e Gothic limits
were enlarged by the. additional gift of some
neighbouring dioceses; and the successors or
Alaric fixed their royal residence at Thoulo1,lse,
which included five populous quarters, or cities,
within the spacious circuit of its walls. _A bout .
the same time, in the last years of the reign of
o ..
QlrOJlicle. .The facti which relate to the death of Adolphaa, aDd the
upwitl ofWa1lia, are related from Ol,mpiodol'1ll(apud Phot.p.183),
Orolio. (I. vii, c. 43, p. 684-487). Jornande. (de Reb... Gelida, c.ll,
32), and the Chronicles of Idatiua and Iai<lore.
f Ausoniu. (de Claril UrbibuR, p. 257-26:&). celebratea ·Beal'deaa
with the partial affeotion of a natin. See in Salyian (de Guber•• Dei,
p. 22e". Paris, 1608), a ftorid deaeriptioD of the provincea of Aquitaia
anei NovempopulaDia.
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~I!AP Honorius, the GOTHS, the BURGUNDIANS, and
_:::.~~:~ the
obt~hEed
.
seat ~md
dominion in the provinces of Gaul. The libe..
ral gr~mt
ur%£rper
to
BHrhundian allies, was confirmeyJ by
lawful em per~r; the lands of the First, or Upper; Germany,
rrere ~~ded
formihabl&:s harbSErKanr ~nd
they gradually occupied, ei~h~r ~y con~uest.or
the tAro prur~ncer rrhlC~ rtdl r~talDJ mBth
the title.s of Ducky and of County. the national
~ppendio:££ f:pf Bn,JgunUh.'
The
the
-valiant and faithful allies of the Roman republic, £r~re s~~n temuted to imitate the invaders,
then bad
br~~ely
Treves,
the capital of Gaul, was pillaged by their law-
TIle:.::
:essh~i£ds
whichth~nso
long maintained in the district of Toxandria, in
multiplieh SElonn the
of the Meuse and ScheId, till their independent
TJ,n..~nJJ filled the rehole ~ntent
thr SecondJ or
GenERany. Th~re
m~ef be r~fficiently justified by historic evidence; but the
founhntion
thr
mo:£inrchh
mond, the conquests, the laws, and even the
nxist~nce, nhthat
be~n
arreigned by the impartial severity of modelll criti~.
{[:ISlD.
"
• Oroaioa (I. vii, c. 12, p. 660), commenda the mildneas and modtit)'
of theae BurcundiuI, who treated thcir aubjects of Gaul u ~eir. Cb~
Bilian hriliiliBRiliHD. risscou iRluat'iliili!!:! the iliili"r'U of
kmgzrnE IB
the fonr 6nt anuotatiooa at the end of hia gakilioliul :W:"liasili liry
Auclent Germau, \'01. ii, p. 666-672, of the English tlualation.
EE~ I~:: ::~:o~~EEili"iliili:~~iec. n:::pssJ (i~t:::~ inp~ :::;: :c SiliiliSkilii:
Pharamond is never mentioned before the anenth cl'ntury. The . .
d
•
til«
367
01' THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
The ruin of the opulent provinces of Gaul CHAP.
may be dated from the establishment of these .,~~~'.,
barbarians, whose alliance was dangerous and State of
oppressive, and" who were capriciously impel- ~':i~""
led, by interest or passion, to violate the public Gaul,
'l ransom was 1m. A.D.~,
peace. Aheavy and partla
&c.
posed on the surviving provincials, who had
escaped the calamities of war; the fairest and
most fertile lands were assigned to the rapacious strangers, for the use of their families, their
slaves, and their cattle; and the trembling natives relinquished with a sigh the inheritance of
their fathers. Yet these domestic misfortunes,
which are seldom the lot of a vanquished people, had been felt and infticted by the Romans
themselves, not only in the insolence of foreign
conquest, but in the madl).ess of civil discord.
The Triumvirs proscribed eighteen of the most
ftourishing colonies of Italy; and· distributed
their lands and houses to the veterans who revenged the death of Cresar, and oppressed the
liberty of their country. Two poets of unequal
fame, have depl()red, in similar circumstances,
the loss of their patrimony; but the legionaries
of Augustus appear to have surpassed, in violence and injustice, the barbarians, who invaded
Gaul, under the reign of Honorius. It was not
without the utmost difficulty that Virgil escaped from the sword of the centurion, who had
usurped his farm in the neighbourhood of Manthor of the Gata h c . , . . (tD tom. ii, p. 141) 'uneall, probaWl
eDOaeh, that the claoice of PhanmoDd, or at least of • kiD' ... recommeDded to the Prub by hie father Marcomir. who wa. aJI caM
ill TlIICuy.
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368
CRAP.
,TBB DIlCLINB AND PALL
tua; but PauJinus of Bourdeaux received a
_~~:.. Bum of money from his GOthic purchaser, whiQ
he accepted with pleasure and Stlrprise; and,
though it was mach inferior to the real value
(if his estate, this act of rapine was disguised by
some colours of moderation and equity.k The
odious Dame of conquerors, was IlOfte~d into
the mild a.nd friendly appellation of the guau
of the Romans; and tQe barbarians of Gaul,
more especiaUy the Goths, repeatedly, declared t
that they were bound to the.people by the ties of
hospitality, aDd to the emperor by tbe duty of
allegiance and military service. The title of
Honoriu$ and his successors, their la.ws, and
their citil magistrates, were .taI resp~cted in
the provinces. of Gaul, of ~hich the,· had resigned the possession to .the barbarian allies;
and the kings, who exercised a supreme and
independent authority over their nativ.e' subjects, ambitiously solicited the more honourable rank of Illaster-general of the imperial
armies! Sucl1 was the involuntary reverence
0 LyeicJa, 'YiYi perven'lmu: alIYlDa aodri
(QIlIMlIlDqUalll ftriti .....)
Dieeret: Bile-mea .uat; vetera mipate ooloai.
Nune vieti triltel, &e.
Ife the
of the Odt elllotae, wida·abe *'-l eu.18eDta11 of Servilli. Fittes mn.. 01 tile Manta.. territory were _p.dte the .....
rani; with a ftHnatioD, in ravour of tM'inbabitallt., of three mil.. roaad
tile eity. ~\tt" ib thla la.our tbey were t!bewte4l hy A1Ma_ Varlll, a
~ Ia~er, ..n.d ODe ofdaec~o'" w,Jao .....re4q1it_
dred paces of water and 1D0l'Ul•
.. S~ tb I"ffllarbble Pili. Of tI1e'EIil!llar4adetJb 'of Pc'8Uu, 171,
Ipnd Miscon, I. viii, e. U.
. I Thla lmportaDt truth ilatablWbe4
leC!llrae, af 11IJft1011t
(Bist. des
tom. y, p. MI), aDd by the iDlt!Dllity of the AbW DB.
boa (Hlat. de l·Eta~li..eme:nt de la Mo.arcbie Fran~olae daUlla Gao",
tom. i, p. 269).
I
at.pGIIe_'"
""Ie
Em,.
.,tIle
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369
OF THE KOMAN DlPIBE.
which the Rom~n ~am.e still u..pressed on the ~~~&
_Dds of those warriors, who had borne away •••.,.,...
mtriumph the spoils of the capitol.
. Whilst •Italy was ravaged by the Goths, and KBe.yo~t.f
ntlllD
... successIon of feeble tyru.nts oppressed the '3'd Anaoprovinces beyond the Alps, the British island ~~~. 4Ot.
~parated itself ftom the body of the Roman
empire.. The . reg~lar forces, which guarded
~a.t remote. province, had been gradually withdrawn; and Brita.in was abandoned, witho~t
defence, to the Saxon pirates, and the ~avageJ
of Ireland and Caledonia. The Britons, reduced to this extremity, no longer relied on the
tardy and doubtful aid of a declining monarclily. .Theyassembled in arms, repelled the invaders, and rejoicf!d in the important discovery
of their own strength.... AHlicted by similar
calamities, and actuated by the same spirit, the
Armorican provinces (a name which compreheuded the maritime countries of Gaul between
the Seine and the Loire. resolved to imitate
the eil[ample of the neighbouring.island. They
exp.elled the Roman magistrates, who acted
under the authority of the usurper Constan.
tine; and a free government was established
among a people who had. s~ long been 8\lbjec*
to,the
arbitrdry
'will of "a'master.
The bide.
.
.
.
'," .
.
.
III,Zo.imn. (J.,Yi, p. 87'6, lSI),' ielatei ia a few wordl there.ortor
D)
~.
,
~
:
\ ,
';
.
Britaia an. Armorica. Our antiq~ariau., ena the ,..eat Cambclea
~iDllel', haye beeD betra,ed into lUauy cr~ erron, 1if tlim imperfe~t
knowledge of the history of the continent.
. • The limit. of Anaorica are defined by two aational' Ceocrapken,
MCllielln de Valoil and d'Aa.,ille, ia their Nolititu of Ancient Gaul.
The word had be(:D Qed in • more extullin. aud WII af'terwardl c_
tractecl to • much aarrower, aipificatiOD.
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TIm DECLlNE~AND FALL
380
.CHAP. pendence of Britain and Armorica was SOOB
_~.. confirmed by Honorius himself,' the lawful ~
peror of the West; and the letters, by which
he committed to the new states the care of their
own safety, might be interpreted as an absolute
and perpetual abdication of the exercise and
rights·ofsovereignty. This interpretation wasr
in some measure, justified by the event.· After
the usurpers of Gaul had successively faHen,
the maritime provinces were restored' to' the
empire. Yet their obedience was imperfect
and precarious: . the vain, inconstant, rebellious
disposition of the people, .was incompatible either with freedom or servitude;o and Armorica, though it could not long maintain the form
of a republic,' was agitated by frequent and
destructive revolts. Britain was irrecoverably
lost.· But as the emperors wisely acquiesced
o GeD. iDter ,.,miDoa Dotia.ima clauditnr amD~',
Armoricaua priua vetcri copomiDe dicta
Torn, (erox. veDtosa. prot ax, incaata, rebelIi. ;
Iuconatans, diaparque .ibi DO'l'itati8 amore;
Prodiga ....rborum••ed DOD et prodip facti. .
Erricaa, MODaell. iD Vito St. Grrmaoi,l. v, apad Valea. Notit. Gallia·
rum. p. 48. Valcaiui allege•• rnral t..timoDie. to CODfil1ll this character,
Ie which I shan add the e'l'icieDce of dJepreabJler ConstlUltine, (A. D'
HB), who, in the life oUt. GermaiD, allI the AnooricaD rebel. mobi·
!em et iudilcipliDatum Populum. . See the Historiu. of FrUce, __
t, p. Ga.
::
. ! I ibAght it Dec_.,. to eDtcr my prof:Ht· ...~ this ,art 01 .....
lJ.tem of the AbW Dabua, which l!rlODteaqaitb bu so Yipnualy ...
See Etprit des Lois, I.•D. c. K.
" • BpM""'''''' on, .." ....._ .........
are the worda rA Proeopiae, (de BeU. VaDdal. I. i, c. I, p. 181, Lollne edition), ill • nI'J
importaDt pallage, which bu beeD too mDelI De,lected. EnD.tde
(Bist. Gent. Anglican. I. i. c. 12, p. 60, edit. Smith) acitnowled'"that
the Romu. fiDally It'ft Britain iu tbe reign of Honoria.. Yer oar_
'dem lliatoriana and aDtiquaril'1 rxtrtld tbt' tl'rm o( tb ..ir domillion i .DeI
there are sOlne "ho allow only tht' intr",al' or a ft'11' Dlolllha belw"
tbeir departure ud tbe uri,aJ of" tbe SaxoD••
,.n.
_w, IX",
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OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
361
in" tlie independence 'of a. remote province, the CHAP.
separation was 'not embittered by the..reproach _;:~:~~_
of tyranny or rebellion; and the'claims 01 ailegiance and protection were succeeded by the
mutual and .voluntary offices 'of natioq.al. friendship.r
This revolution dissolved the artificial fabric State of
"1 an·d ml'1'ItarygoverilIl1ent,
. an d the 10
. d e- A.
Britain,
of CIVI
D.4OGpendent country; during a period of forty years, 449•.
till the descent of the Saxons, was ruled by the
authority of the clergy, the nobles, and the municipal towns.- I. ~osimus, who alone has preserved the memory of this singular transadion,
vpry accurately observes, that the letters of
Honorius were addressed to the cities of Britain.' Under the protection (jf the Romans~
ninety-two considerable towns had ·arisen in the
several parts of that great province; and, among
these, thirty-three cities were distinguished above
the rest, by their superior privileges and importance.a Each of these cities, as in all the other
provinces of the empire, formed a legal corpo:• Bede hu aot forgot the oeeuioDal aid of the leiions apinst the
Scota and Plctt; and more authentic proof will hereafter be produced,
tIIat the iudepeadeDt Britainl nbed 12,000 mell for the lenice of the
emperor Authemiul,iD Gaul.
• lowe to mJlelf, and to historic truth, to declare that lomt' «r~
...." ia thiI paracnph are foUDdtd only. OD coqjectun and analogy_
TJae It1IbbomDCII of our Iaupap hu IOmetima forctd m. to dniate
from the COJUIitiotr4I iDto the Uulit:rllift mood.
e lIfor.-ac" JIcI'M"'I' ~. Zo.im~. I. rio p. ISS.
-Two. citiel of Britai. were 1IItIIIieipia, aiDe ,."., tea LaliijaN
- " . , twelve ~ of ..miDeDt Dote. Thb detail iI takeD r.....
Richard of CireDcClter, de lit6 BritaaDi.,·p.l6; and thou,h it . .,
1II0t leem probable, that lie wrote from the .... of a Roman ,eu.raJ, he
abewl a ,enuiue kuowled,e of antittuity, very e:a:tnordiuary foram_
0' .... fourteeatheeuturY.
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389
'l'ID DBCLDIJI: AJID PALlo
CHAP. ration, for the purpoae of regulating their d•
..~~:.. mestic ppliey; and the powers of DlUnicipalgovemment were distributed among annual magistrates, a select senate, and the a8sembly of the
people, according to tbe original ~el of the
Roman constitution." The management of I,
common revenue, the exercise. of civil and criminal jurisdiction, and the habits of publj§
counsel and com1ll4Dd, were inherent to the-.t
petty republics; and when they asserted their
independence, the youth of the city, and of tbet
adjacent districts, would naturally range themselves under the standard of the Qla&istrate.
But the delire of obtaining the advantages, ,BAd
of escaping the hurthens, of a political society.
is a perpetual and in~haustible liIour<:~ of dis, cord; nor can it reasonably be presu~d, that
the restoration of British freedom w.,a exempt
from tumult and faction. The pre-eminence of
birth and fortune must have been frequently
, violated by bold and popula.r citizens; an,d the
'haugbty nobles, who complained that tbey were
- become the subjects of their owu servants,'
would sometimes regret the reign of an arbitrary monarch. II. The jurisdiction of each
city over the adjacent country, was supported
by the patrimonial influence of the principal
senators; and the smaller towns, the villages,
and the proprietors of land, consulted then- own
safety by adherin~ to the shelter of these rilin,
• See Maffei "nOaa m..trata, part 1,1••, p. 8J.JfIJ.
, IAre' reatitllit, libertatemqae redaeil,
Bt .enOi fUnaJillIO. fiIIit erR nil,
, Itlaerar. Bati!. L i, ....
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o~ THE ROMA.N E-MPlttL·
sea
repttbliC8i The sphere of their attraction was CHAP.
proportioned to the respective degrees of their ~~
wealth and populousness; but the hereditary
lords of ample possessiofts, Who were not opptes~ed by the neighbourhood of any powerful
city, aspired to the rank of independent princes,
and boldly exercised the rights of peace and
war. The gardens and yillas, which exhibited
sOlD:e faint imitation of Italian elegance, would
soon be converted into strong castles, the re-'
luge, in time of danger, of the adjacent country:8 the pred~e of the land was applied to
purchase arms and horses; to maintain a mili·
tary force of slaves, of peasants, alJd of licentious followers; and the chieftain might assume,
within his own domain, the powers of a civil
magistrate. Several of these British chiefs
might be the genuine posterity of ancient kings;
and. many more would be tempted to adopt this
honourable genealogy, and to vindicate their
hereditary claims, which had been suspended
by the usurpation ofthe Cresar... Their situation, and their hopes, would dispose them toaffect the dress, the language, and the cUstom.·
of their ancestors. If the prir&ces: of Britain
relapsed into barbarism, while the citiu studi• An inacription <apud Sirmond, Not. ad S1cIoa. ApoDiaar. p. 19),
delcribet a casale, C1IID maria et portia, tnitloni OIIIIIiom, erected -II,
Dardanu. oa his oWneltate, near Silter... in the aecORd Nubollll",
and named by llim Theapoll••
• The estabUthment of their power would have been eur iDdeed, If
we coulll adopt ·the impractica'le Icheme of a lively and learned ant!qnarian; who .uppose., thllt the Britiah monarch, of the several tribea
continued to reip, though with .ubordiuate jurisdiction, from tilt tiJM
01 Cladiul to that of HouorilII. Sce Whitaker'. History of )I.ueh_
ler, vol. i, p 247.257
...
TIlE DECLlNB AND PALL"
CRAP. otisly preserved the'laws and manners otRome,
_'::~:~.. the whole island must have been gradually divided by the distinction of two national parties;
again broken into a thousand subdivisions of
war and faction, by the v:arious provocations of
interest and resentment. The pubJic strength,.
inst~ad of being united against a foreign eoemy,
was consumed in obscureand intestine quarrels;
and the personal merit which had placed a successful leader at the head of his equal~, might
enable him to subdue the freedom of some neighbouring cities; and to claim a rank among the
tgrants,1o who inCested Britain after the dissolution 'of the Roman government. 111. The
British church might be composed of thirty or
forty bishops,· with an adequate proportion of
the inferior clergy; and the want of riches (Cor
they seem to have been poor') would compel
them to deserve the public esteem, by adeceot
and exemplary behaviour. The interest, as well
as the temper, of the clergy, was favourable to
the peace and union Qf their distracted country;
those salutary lessons might be frequently inculcated in their popular discourses; and the episcopal synods were the only councils that could
pretend to the weight and authority of a na~
_. AU'.,... ..... 'I'IIf'I"Rf .". &II'1'II .,...,.. Procopi"'; de BelL Vandal. L
i, c. '2, p. 181. BritaDDia femlil proviJacia. tyrannorum, wu lbe eltprd. n of Je..om, in the year 416, (tom. ii, p. 256, ad Ctelipbont). By tile
pilcrim., who reaorted enry year to the Holy Land, the monk of B1Ithe/em recpived the earliest and mOlt accnrate intelligence.
C See Bin,hlllll'l Eccle•• Antiqoitiel, vol. i.l. ix, c. 6, p. IN.
~ It ia reported of twe British bishops 1\'ho auilted at the conncilel
Jtimilli, .... D. 369, tam pauperes loiase ut nihil habennt. SoIpi_
lenrnl, Hiat. Sacra, I. ii, p. 420. Some of their brethren, how"••
. wen in better circam.taneel
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0 .. THE ROHAN EMPIRI.
3fM
tiona1 assembly. In such councils, where the CHAP.
.
'
.
I"
XXXL
pnnces
an d
magIstrates
sat promIscuous
y wIth .••••••
".
the bishops, the important atl'airs of the state, .
as well as of the church, migh~ be freely debated; ditl'erences reconcIled, alliances formed,
contributions imposed, wise resolutions often
concerted, and sometimes executed; and there
is reason to believe, that, in moments of extreme danger, a Pendragon, or Dictator, was
elected by the general consent of the Britons.'
These pastoral cares, 80 worthy of the episcopal character, were interrupted, however, by
zeal anel superstition; and t~e British clergy
incessantly laboured to eradicate the Pelagian
heresy, which they abhorred, as the peculiar
disgrace of their native country..
.
It is somewhat remarkable, or ratller it is ex~ A b
tremely natural, that the revolt of Britain and o''::!
Armorica should have introduced an appear- ~e:c:'":';
.anc£ of liberty into the ohedient provinces ~f ~a:~,41~
Gaul. .In a sOlemn edict,' filled with the strongest assurances of that paternal atl'ection which
princes so often express, and so seldom fecI,
the emp~ror Honorius promulgated his inten~.
tion of convening an annual assembly of the
,even province.: a name peculiarly appropriatt:d to Aquitain, and .the ancient Narbonnese,
which had long since exchanged their Celtic.
rudeness for the useful and elegant arts of
• Conlult Usher, de Alltiq. Eccles. Britanllicar. c. 8-11.
, Sole tbe correct text of this edict, as published by Sirmond, Not.
ad SidoD. Apolliu. p. 147). Hincmar, of Rheiml, who usigul a place
to the bWlop., had probably leen (ill tbe ninth ceotury)a more perfect
cOl'y. Dahol, Hist. Critique de Ia Monarchic Frau90iae, tom. i, p.
141-155.
866
THE DECLIRE AND FALL'
CHAP. Italy.' • Aries, the seat of guvernment and com~~~:.ll1erce, was appointed for the place of the. assembly; which regularly continued twentyeight days, from the fifteenth of August to the
thirteenth of September, of every year. It consisted of the pretorian prefect of the .Gauls; of
seven provincial governors, one consular and .ix
presidents; of the magistrates, and perhaps the
bishops, of about sixty cities; and of a competent, though indefinite, number of the most honourable and opulent poslesSO'1" of land, who
might justly be considered as the representatives
of their country. They were empowered to
interpret and communicate the laws of their sovereign; to expose the grievances' and wishes
'oftheir constituents; to moderate the excessive
or unequal weight of taxes; and to deliberate
on every subject oflocalor national importance,
that could tend to the r~storation of the peace
and prosperity of the seven provinces. If snch
an institution" which gave the people an interest
in their own government, had been universally
established by Trajan or the Antooines, the
seeds of public wisdom and virtue might hue
been cherished and propagated in the empire of
Rome. The privileges of the 'Subject lVould
have secured the throne of the, monarch; the
abuses of an arbitraryadn;rlnistratioD might have
been prevented, in some degree, or corrected,
by the interposition of these representative as• It i. evidept from the NoIitia, tbat the .even provincea were the
VienDenliJ, the maritime AI,., the first and second Narbonnese, No.
nmpopplania, and the fint aDd lecond Aqultain. In thc room oftha
fir.t Aqaitain, the Abbe Ullbol, on the authority of fIincmar. dt.il'8 Ie
IDtroduce the fint LugdunenaU, or Lyonnese.
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367
01' TIlE ROMAN EMPIllE.
aembliel!l; and the country would have been de- CHAP.
f(:;nded against a foreign enemy by the arms of ..~~:.
natives and freemen. Under the mild and generous in1luence of liberty, the Roman empire
might have remained invincible and immortal;
or ifiu excessive magnitude, and the instability
of human affairs, had opposed such perpetual
continuance, its vital and constituent members
might have separately presened their vigour
and independence. But in the decline of the
e~pire, when every principle of health and life
had been exhausted, the tardy application of
this partial remedy was incapable of producing
any important or salutary effects. The emperor
Honorius expresses his surprise, that he must
compel the reluctant provinces to accept a privilege which they should ardently have solicited. A fine of three, or even five, pounds of
gold, was imposed on the absent representati ves; who seem to have declined this imagiBary gift of a free constitution, as the last and
most cruel insult of their oppressors.
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168
TID DBCLDfE AND FAIL.'
CHAP. XXXII.
,A"cadia emperor qf 'Ae East-AdministraliOJl
and disgrace of Eut"opia-Revolt of GaiMl ,
-PerseculiOft of St. Jo". Okry'OIlom-TII8Ddona II. emperor of tAB East-His sisler Pul- ,
cllena-His wife Eudocia-Tile Pet·si_ war,
and diviliOft of Armer&ia.
THE division of the Roman world between the
::.':,'!;, Ions of Theodosius, marks the final establish~be, __ ment of the empire of the .East, which, from
£:~fuae the reign of Arcadius to the taking of Con:"~: I " stantinople by the Turks, subsisted one thouReign. of sand and fifty-eight years, in a sta.te of premaAreadlu,
Th
.
A, D. 1u6. ture and perpetual decay.
e sovereIgn of
408.
that empire assumed, and obstinately retained,
the vain, and at length fictitious, title of Emperor of the ROMANS; and the hereditary appellations of CmsAR and AUUUSTUS continued
to declare that he was the legitimate successor
of the first of men, who had reigned over the
first ef nations. The palace of Constantinople
rivalled, and perhaps excelled, the magnificence
of Persia; and the eloquent sermons of St.
Chrysostom' celebrate, while they condemn,
CRAP.
• Father Hontfaacon, wbo, by tbe command of hiI Benedictiae ...
perion, wu compelled (are Longoeraana, tom. i, p. 206) to eKeeote Ibe
laborious edition of St. ChtylOltom, in thirteen yolames in folio, (Paria
1738), amBled himself with utracting from that iDunenae .colleetiOll of
morall, lome curioal antiqvitie., which illustrate the mannen of the
Tbeod~ian age, (He ChrYI~tom. Opera, tom. xiii, p.192-196),andlUl
Frencb Diuertatiou, jD the Memoire. de l'A.tad. de. IDICriptioa.. t-.
lIiii, P.:, 414-tlo.
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369
01' TIlE ItO.AN EHPIIl&"
the pompous luxury of the reign of Arcadius~ i~~ri
"The emperor," says he, "wears on his head ...••,..,.,
" either a diadem, or a crown of gold, decorat" ed with precious stones of inestimable value.
c.' These ornaments, and his purple garments,
., are reserved for his sacred person ~lone; and
" his robes of silk are embroidered with the
" .figures of golden dragons. His" throne is of
" massy gold. Whenever he appears in" pub"lie, he is surrounded by his courtiers, his
", guards, and his attendants. Their spears,
" their shields, their cuirasses, the bridles and
" trappings of their horses, have either the subec stance, or the appearance, of gold; and the
"large splendid boss in the midst of their
" shield, is encircled with smaller bosses, which
CI represent !he shape of the human eye.
The
CI two mules that draw the chariot of the mo"narch, are perfectly white, and shining all
" over with gold. .The chariot itself,· of pure·
" and solid gold, attracts the admiration of the"
e. loIpectators, who contemplate the purple cur" tains, the snowy carpet, the size of tbe pre"cious stones, and the resplendent plates of
"gold, that glitter as they are agitated by the
" motion of the carriage. The imperial pictures
" are white, un a blue ground; the emperor
" appears seated on his throne, with his arms,
" his horses, and his guards beside hjm; and his
"vanquished enemies in chains at his feet."
The scccessors of Constantine establh,hed their
perpetuall'esidence in the royal city, which he
VOL. V.
B b····
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370
THE DECLINE AN)) FALL
had" erected on the verge of Europe and Asia.
Inaccessible to the menaces of their enemies,
m"....., and perhaps to the complaint. of their people,
they received, with each wind, the tributary
productions of every climate; while the impregnable strength of their capital continued for
ages to defy the hostile attempts of the barbarians. Their domiuions were bounded by the
Hadriatic and the Tigris; and the whole inter·
val of twenty-five days navigation, which sepa;.
rated the extrem.e cold of Scythia from the torrid. zone of lEthiopia,' was comprehended
within the limits of the empire of the· East
The populous countries of that empire were the
SEiat of. art and learning, of luxury and wealth;
and tbe inbabita.nts, who had assumed t'helapguage and manners of Greeks, styled themselv~s, with some appearance of truth, the most
enlightened and civilized portion of the human
species. The form of government was a pure
and simple monarchy; the name of the ROKAN
REPUBLIC, whi<:h so long preserved a faint tradition of free4()Pl, was confined to the Latin
provinces; and the princes of Constantinople
measured their greatness by the servile obedience o(their people. They were ignorant how
CRAP.
XXXII.
.- Accerding to the loole reckoning, that a Ihip could sail, wida a fUr
wia\f. 1* .iadia. or 125 miles, in tbe rev.olation of a day aDd DiP' j
Di8doros Sic~tlu8 1l8mplltel ten dlty. from tbe PalUI Mceotis to Rbodel;
and four day. from Rhodel to Alexandria. The Daviption of the
Nile. from Alexandria to Syrene, UDder the tropic of Cancer, reqaired, al it WIIS againlt the stream, ten days more. Diodor. ·Sic:vl. t _
i, I. iii. p. 200, edit. Welleliog. He might, without mucb impropri•.'ty,
meuore tbe extreme beat from tbe verge of the torrid lODe; bat lie
.pealta of the M.otis in the 47da decree of oorthem latitllde, as if it
lay widaio the polar circle
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'371
01' THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
much this passive disposItion enervates and CHAP.
degrades every faculty of the mind~ The sub- #~~:
jects, who had resigned their will to the absolute commands of a master, were equally incapable of guarding their lives and fortunes a-:
gainst toe assaults of tbe barbarians, or of defending their 'reason from the terrors of superstition.
The first events of the reign of Arcadius and Admini..
Honoi-ius are so intimately connected, that the, !~Ji~ha
rebellion of the Goths, and the faU of Rufinus, E-:t:' of
have already claimed a place in the history of pius,
the West. It has already been observed, that ~g:,' 31)5.
Eutropius: one of the principal eunuchs of the
palace of Constantinople, succeeded'the haugh..,
ty minister whose ruin he had accomplished,
and whose vices he soon imitated. E~eI'Y order
of the state bowed to the new favourite; and
their tame and' obsequious submission encouraged him to insult the laws! and, what is still
more difficult and dangerous, the manners of
his country. 'Under the weakest of the predecessors of Arcadius, the reign of the eunuchs
had been secret and almost invisible. They
insinuated themselves into the confidence of
the prince; but'their ostensible fu.nctions were
confined to the menial service of the wardrobe
and imperial bed-chamber. They might direct,
in a whisper, the public counsels, and blast, by
.
C Barthiu&, who adored his anthot with the blind 8opt'rslitioD of a
commentator, gi ..ea the prtftfrnce to tile two book~ "'hich ClIllldian
compolrd against Eutropills, above all his othu prodllclioDll, (Baillet,
Jngemenl del SanDs, tom. iv, p. 221). They are ind"ed a very .. Iegant and .pirited satire; aDd would be more valuable in au historical
licht, ilthe ill\'ective wc:n I.... valut', and more temperat••
I
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S7i
THE DECLINE AND FALL
their malicibus suggestions, the fame' a~d for.~~~!:~ tunes of the most illustrious citizens; but they
never presuined to stand forward in the front
of empire,· 'or to prophane the public honours'
of the state. Eutropius was th~ first of his
artificial sex, who dared to assume the character of a Roman magistrate and general.- Some-times, in the presence of the blushing senate.
b~ ascended the tribunal, to pro~ounce judgment, .or to repeat elaborate harangues; and
sometimes appeared on horseback, at the head
of his troops, in the dress and armour of a hero.
The disregard of custom and decency always
betrays a weak and ill-regulated mind; llor
does Eutropius seem to have compensated for
the folly of the design, by any superior merit
or ability in the execution. His former habits
of life had not introduced him to the study of.
the laws, or the exercises of the field; his awkward and unsuccessful attempts provoked the
CR4P.
• After Iamentiag the progress of the eunuchs in.the Romaa paJa«,
aod definiDg their proper functioal, ClaadiaD adds,
- - A fioonte reccdaDt
Imperii.
lit
In Entrop, i, 422.
Yet it does,Dot appellr that tbe eunuch had assuml'd any of the efti.
cient offices of the empire, and be is styled only Pl'lIlp06itua sacri Clio
bicnll,., in the edict of his banishUient. See Cod. Tbeod. 1. is, tit. sI,
Itg.17.
.
• Jamqne oblita ani, Dec sobria di.itiil meD.
In miseras legl's bomiuumque uegolia luwt;
Judicat eunnebus • • • • •
4rma etiam violare parat. • •
Claudian (i, 229-210), with that mixture of indignation aod lI_r,
wbich alwaYI pleuCI in a satiric port, describes the insolnt foil,. of ....
. "nach, the disgrace of the empire aad tbe joy of the Gotlu.
-Gaudet, cum vidprit hostil.
Et sentit jam deeue "irol.
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373
01' THE ROMAN EMPIRL
lecret contempt or the spectators; the Goths CHAP.
· WIS
. h, t h
I .a 'generalImg
' ht, ._
XXXII.
expressed t hell
at &tiC"
••,.._
always command the armies of Rome; 'and the
Dame of the minister was branded with ridicule,
more pernicious perhaps than hatred, to a public character. The subjects of Arcadius were
exasperated by the recollection, that this deformed and decrepid eunuch,' who so perversely mimicked the actions of a man, was born in
the most abject condition of servitude; that,
before he entered the'imperial palace, he had
been successively sold, and purchased, .by an
hundred masters, who had exhausted his youthful strength in every mean and infamous office,
and at length dismissed him, in his old age, to
freedom and poverty.' While these disgraceful stories were circulated, and perhaps exaggerated, in private conversations, the vanity of
the favourite was Hattered with the most E:xtraordinary honours. In the senate, in the capital, in the provinces, the statues of Eutropiu8
'were erected, in brass, or marble, decorated
, The pflet'.linly dtleription ofbU deformity, (i, Uo.IU), i. eon.
firmed by the authentic ttltimony of Chry'OItom, (tom. iii, p. 884, edit.
Montfaucon); who obaervtl, that when' the paint waa waahed away,
the face of Eutropina app"red more agly and wrinkled than that of
aD old wom~n. Clandian remarb, (it 469), and the relllark mUit have
been foanded on experience, that there waa .careely any intenal betweea the youth and the decrepid ace of an eunuch.
'
& Eutropiul appean to have been a natin of Armenia or A..yna.
Hi. three len ice., which Claudiau more particularly describe., were
thrae. I. He apent many yearl a. tbe catamite of Ptolemy, a Kroom
or loldier of the imperial .tabltl. 2. Ptolemy gaye him, to the old
reneral ArintheuI, for whom he very .kilfdlly exerciaed the pror...
lion of a pimp. S. He waa given, oa her marriage, to til" daughter.of
Arlntheos j and the future conslIl was employed to comb ht"r hair, to
present the lilver ewer, to wasb .Ild to IDn hi. miltre.. ill hot weather.
Jlee I. i.31·111.
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374
'I'D DECl..lXB ANDFAI.L
CHAP.
with the symbols of his ciril and -*tar, ...
and inscribed with the
title .the third fouDder ·of COIlsttntinOpae. He
promoted to the nok of patricia., 'Wliida hepa
to signify, in a popular, and eveD legal, aOe8p"
tation, the father of the emperor; and. ·the last
year of the fourth centUl'Y was pollRted fly 1:be
cOfllV1skip of an eunucb, ad a slave. Tbi.
strange aild iDexpiable prodig Ii awakened,
bowever~ tbe prejudices of the RolBana. The
effeminate consul was rejected b, tile 1Vest,a.
an indelible st_ to the IllDala ()fthe republic;
and, without invoking the shades of Brutus and
Camillul, the colleague of Eutropiul, a IearneJI
and respectablem.trate,· sufficiently represented tlle different maxims of the two admi-
"::'!I.~, tues,
poDIpOllB
w"
atstratiOItII.
HI. Yenality and
injaatice'
The bold and. rigorous mind of Rufinus seems
to have 1..
-t...4-,.d b ya more sangwnary
.
--.I
m:t:Il ac UaI_
iWU
, revengeful spirit.; but the :avarice of dIe eunuch
was not wss jpsatja.te dian that of the pretect. II
As long as he despoHed JiAe oppmeSIlOt"S, who had
enriched themselves with tbe plunder of the
h Claudian (I. i, ill Entrop. l-~) aAu enllmellltin, the varioaa pro.digil:1 of mon8trolJ• .birth.,ap_i~ aui.mala, ahowera of blood or ..CIIIa,
doubl!! InDS, &c. addt, with .IODle l:xageration,
Omnia eel.erUnt ennw:bo ·conlole mODitra.
Tb fint book conclade. with Il nobJe .peech of tbe ,0dt;l~1S of Rome
to b~r fuoarite Honorias, de,Precatin, ijJe . . JlDomiDY to wbicla silt
was exposed.
I Fl. Mallia. Tb/lodol'JlsJ who.. t:,i,ij h"noIJrl, and ,hilolophic:;al wor~
have been celebrated by C\;~lIdian in a ve.ry l'lepnt paul',yric
k M18.- h .h '1"" tr)..,.,.", dzIWk with rieh~, ia the fomble e.xpreaaiOll
or Zosimns (I. " p. 301); aDd the avari~e of Eatropiul i. eqllall, esrc:rated in tbe Lexicon of Suidas, aDd the Cbrollil'le of Marcellinlli.
Cbry'ostom IUld oft('n admonisb(·d the favourite, of the vMit1 and daDlEU or immoderate wealtb, (tom. iii,p. 381.
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37:>
, OF THE l;lOMAN EMPIRE.
~ople,
Eutropius might gratify his co'Vetol.ls . CHAP
disposition without much envy or injustice: :,~:,I,~~
but the progress of' his rapine soon invaded the
w~alth which had been acquired by lawful inheritance, or laqdable industry. The usual
methods of extortion were practised and improved; and Claudian has sketched a lively
and original picture of thepuhlic auction of the
state. "The impotence of the eunuch" (says
that agreeable satirist) "has se"ed only to
'C atimulate his avarice:, the same hand which,
" in his servile condition, was exercised in petty
u theft~, to unlock the coffers of bis master"
•• now grasps the riches of the world; and this
" infamous broker of the empire appretiates amI
"divides the Roman provinces, from m,ount
" Hmmus to the Tigris. One man, at the ex" pence of his villa, is made proconsul of Asia;
" a second purchases Syria with his wife's jew" els; and a third laments, that he has ex~
, " changed his paternal, estate for the govern:" ment of Bithynia. In the anti-chamber of
" Eutropius, a large tablet is exposed to public
U view, which marks the respective prices of
" the provinces. The different value of Pon"tus, of Galatia, of Lydia, is accurately dis" tinguished.Lycia may be obtained for so
IC many thousand pieces of gold; but the opuIC lence of Phrygia will require a more consider.. able sum. The eunuch wishes to obliterate,
U by the general disgrace', his personal ignominy;.
" and as he has been sold himself, he is desirous.
If of sellin&, the rest of mankind.
In the eager'
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376
THB DECLINE AND FALL
.. "
"contention, the balance, wbich contains the
~=. .fate and fortunes of the provinces, often trem" bles on the beam; and till one of the scales is
" inclined, by a superior weight, the mind of the
U impartial judge remains in anxious suspense!
" Such" (continues the indignant poet) cc are the
" fruits of Roman valour, of.the defeat of An"tiochus, and of the triumph of Pompey.to
This venal proatitution of public honours secur~d the impunity of full,re crimes; but the
riches, which Eutropius derived from confiscation, were a1read9 stained with injustice; 'since
it was decent to accuse, and to condemn, the
proprietors ofthe wealth which he was itDpatienl
to confiscate. Some noble blood was shed by
the hand 'of the' executioner; and the most
inhospitable extremities of the empire were fil~:~~d!... led with innocent and illustrious exiles. Among
tiUl;
the generals and consuls of the East, Abundantius Dl had reason to dread the first effects
of the resentm~nt of Eutropius. He had been
guilty of the unpardonable crime of introducing that abject slave to the palace of
Constantinople: and some degree of praise
must be allowed,to a powerful and ungrateful
CHAP.
,
.
--certaDtam .pe duomm
Dinnum luapendit onul: cum pondere jadex
Vergit, l"t in gemiaaa nutat provincia lancel.
Claudian (i, 192-209) 10 curiouily distinguiahea the circamatIDcea o(the
we, that they all seem ro allude to particular lIIIecdotea.
. • Claudian (i, 164-170) mentionl tbe pill aDd nile of Abuudanti_
Bor could be fail to quote the eumple of the artilt, wbo made tile
fint trial of tbe brazen ball, which hI' presented to Phalaria. See ZoaimUI, I. v, p. 302. Jerom. tom. i, p. 26. The difference of place it
easily reconciled; hot the decisive authority of Asterio~ ('t I\ma~
(Orat. iv, p. 16, apud TiUemout, Hist. des Emper.cun, tom. v, p. 436)
IDUit tum tbe scale io fuour of PiI,)'UI •
.
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377
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
(ayourite, who was satisfied with the disgrace f"!" A".
of his benefactor. Abundantius was stripped '~~I~~~"
of his ample fortunes by an imperial rescript,
and banisbed to Pity us, on the Euxine, the
last frontier of the Roman world; where he
subsisted by the precarious mercy of the barbarians, ·till he could obtain, after the faU of
Eutropius,. a milder exile at Sidon in Phamicia.
The destruction of Timasius D required a more o~Th...
serious and regular mode of attack. That great '1111. ,
officer, t~e master-general of the armies of Theadosius, had signalized his valour by a decisive
victory, which he obtained over the Goths of
Thessaly; but he was too prone, after the example of his sovereign, to enjoy the luxury of peace;
and to abandon his confidence to wicked and
designing lIatterers. Timasius had despised
the public clamour, by promoting an infamous
dependant to the command of a cohort; and he
deserved to feel the ingratitude of Bargus, who
was secretly instigated by the favourite to accuse his patron of a treasonable conspiracy.
The ·general was arraigned before the tribunal
of Arcadius himself; and the pl'incipal eunuch
stood by the side of the throne to suggest the
questions, and answers of his sovereign. But
as this form of trial might be. deemed partial and
D
Solda. (molt probably from the history ofEunapius) ba. giveu a
ftry unfavourable picture of Timaain8. Tbe account of his al'l'nser,
the judges, trial, ate. is perfectly agreeable to the praetiee of ancient
aad modrrD eourts. (See ZOlimuI, I. v, p. 298, 299, 300). I Baa
almost tempted to quote the romance of a great master, (FieidinR"
Wurk," vol. iv, p. 49, &c. 8vo. fdit.) wbicb Dlay be con_id~red as tbe
IIi_tor)' of human nature.
.
....
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378
~H.~ DEC1L1T~~ AND
CHAP: arbitralY, the further inquiry into the crimes of
XX~EL Tim~£5n,s waL
to S;LtLminu£5
Pf£5=
copius; the former of consular rank, the latter
still respected as the father-in-law of the emperOL Valen£5. The
of
legal proceeding were maintained' by
blunt
honesty of Procopius; and he yielded with reluct"n£5" to tl.&£5 "bsehlr®.ili4:&US d"ntnrity ins
league, who pronounced a sentence of condem
nation against the unfortunate Timasius. His
were
In
of the emperor, andfo£5 the
of
ite; and he was doomed to perpetual exile at
Oasi£5([
spot the
of
sanhh
hum1TiI%
deserts of Lihya.o S1K:duded fhom
converse, the master-general of the
81'm1L£5 was
for
to
circZEfRLtanc£5£5 his
ID
various and contradictory manner•• It is insinuat£5h s that
dessntnhed privabs
orde£5
his LL1K:ret eL(%LutioEL±s It WfF£5 repmtc
ed, that, in attempting to escape from Oasis, he
In
deserts of
anS bunge£5
his
bodb Lfas
on
sanh£5
m'c",CC::
c
£5rrat Ouis WU ODe of the spots in the saDds of Libya, wa·
%pringss
capablii £5roduchs£5 =feat, ha%Riilr iiOO
trees,
Las abOii% %1sc&.·e days jsm%siliey frmiliS %ili%ili%th to
about
• day io breadtb, aDd at the di,tance of about five days march to the
we.t of Abydu., 00 tbe Nile. See d' Aoville, Descriptioo de l'Egy",
p. 186
188.
£5arreo
wbicb FiiemnpaaS%i% B:#mis, (Zen:
..ns, I.
1100), hili li% %i£5gesteilki
idea of iliiiliiiliiliilifarativiliili fiiFtility,
even tbe epithet of the happy Ulallll, (Herodot. III, 26).
• Tbe line of Claudian, in Eutrop. I. it 180,
Milimnaricu8 c\aris violatur cOildibul Hammon,
e"lden%Rf Llude. tF £5cnuu£lflf tbe dFFZL FfTimiliilis%Em
• The
tered
0
0
379
f»' TH,E ltOlfA-'W 1WP11tB.:-
of Libya." Itilafl bOOl\ asserted, with more con· CH)\ ....
fidence, that his son Syagritts, after .su~ess- ~~~~~~
ndly elu4ing the {mrsnit bCthe ag.eBts and' emissaries of tbe -court, coUeered'll. band CDf Am-can
robbers; that be r~ued 'fime.siu8 from the
place of his exile; and that 00th the father and
son disappeared· from the knowledge of man·
kind." But the \lngTateful Hargus, instead of
being suffered to possess the Ile-ward of guilt,
was soon afterwards circumvented and destroyed, by the more powerful viUany of the minister
himself; who retained seIll!!e a.nd spjrit ~nough
to abhor the instrument of his own crimes.· ,
The public hatred, and the despair of indi- A cruel
viduals ooDtinually threatened or seemed to aud unjult
.
'
'Iawof
threaten, the personal safety of Eutropiu8; as treason,
well as of the numerous adherents, who were :;p~ ~~7,
attached to his fortune, and had been promoted
by his venal Cavour. For their mutual defence, ,
he contrived the safeguard of a law, which violated eyery principle of humanity and justice.'
I. It is enacted, in the name and by the authority, of Arcadius, that all those who shall conspire, either with subjects, or with strangers,
against the lives of any of the persons whom the
• Sozomo"l,. .,iii, c. 7. He .peaks from report, lOr .,.me .l1'li.....,.
r Zo.imua, I. y, p. sou. Yet he seema to luspect that this rnmour
vas .preall bJ the fri~ad. of E,tropiua.
• See the Tlu:odosiau Code, I. ix, tit. 14, ad legem Corneliam de
Sicarii., leg. " and the Code of JlIStiDian~ I. ix, tit. viii, ad legem
.T IlliaDl de H.jj!llatr, leg. 6. The ,Iteration of tbe title, from murdef
to treason, wal an improvement or tbe subtle TriboDian. GodefrQY,
in a (ormal dis'ertation, which be haa inaerted iu bis Commentary,
iUa.tratea thm law of Arcadia., aDd explaillJ all the di1lic:ult plyage.
which had been penerted by the jurilCODIUlb oftbc darhragc5. See .
..... iii, p. 1&-111.
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\ 380
THE DECLINE AND FALL
,"<:!!A~.
emperor considers. as the members of his own
..:~:~.. bx}dy,
be pueished with
eon~
fhxeaticnF,l. This species of fictitious and metaphorical treason is extended to protect not only
the illw'Ftriti'llS
of t,he
and anny,
are admitted into the sacred consistory, but
likewise the principal domestics of the palace,
the seeal4:lls
Ccmstenthwplc::,
commanders, and the civil magistrates of the
provinces; a vague and indefinite list, which,
un¥.ler
ltiCeeSSe l s h n c l e h e d
an obscure and numerous train of subordinate
ministers. II. This extreme severity might perhaps be juntified,
it been
dinected to
secure the representatives of the sovereign from
any actrial, violen~e ill the e~e~c,:utiq:?~ Eef
oflke. Bet the wTnle
of Bmperlal de}?eudants claimed a privilege, or rather impunity.
wPich screened th?§ft:q:B,
the
lCB:hOments
of
fmm the
pei'heps
jR2Stifiable, resentment of their fellow-citIzens': and,
by stsange pesversioe of the laws, the seme
depree C:nfgeilt
hunirhm¥:lltrsas :::~pplied a
private quarrel, and to a deliberate couspiracy
agfc:inst
emperOi' and the empire, The ehict
of
mert
and mf0st ebs:::,rdly declares, that in such cases of treason,
tlwKcghtr
OUf:ht he pueishf:d ffitb
eqrrl seeerity; that the kno'FEJledpe rfa i%Kischie~
TOUS intention, unless it be instantly revealed,
criminal
thcz int.ention
itsdf;t ~md that there raah rnen y WhC:i shHIl pret
B .. rtolus understands a simple and naked consciousnessy 1I'itheat
an,
.sst
OF THE ROMAN DlPIRR.
snme to solicit the pardon or traitors, shall CHAP.
themselves be branded with· public and perpe. .~~~,l,~.
tual infamy. III." With regard to the sons of
" the traitors," (continues the emperor), "al.
,~ though they· ought to share the punishment,
" since they·wiIJ probably imitate the guilt, of
" their parents; yet, by the special effect of our
· " imperial lenity, we grant them their lives; but,
" at the same time, we declare them incapable
" of inheriting, either on the father's or on the
" mother's side, or of receiving any gift or leu gacy, from the testament either of kinsmen or
" of strangers.' Stigmatized with hereditary
" infamy, excluded from the hopes of honours
.' or fortune, let them endurE:: the pangs of po" verty and contempt, till they shaH consider
· " life as a calamity, and death as a comfort and
"relief." In such words, so weJl adapted to
insult the feelings of mankind, did the emperor, or rather his favourite eunuch, applaud the
moderation of a law, which transferred the same
unjust and inhuman penalties to the children
of all those who had seconded, or who had not
disclosed, these fictitious conspiracies. Some
of the noblest regulations of Roman jurisprudence have been suffered to expire; but this
edict, a convenient and forcible engine of ministerial tyranny, was carefully inserted in the
.DIU,.. of approbation or eoncarrC!Dce. For this opinion, say. Baldu.,
he I, DOW routiDI in hell. For my own part, continues the discreet
HeiDllcciul, (Elt'meat. Jur. Civil. I. iv, p. 411), I must appro ..e the
tbeory of Bartolaa; but iD practice I should incline to tbe sentiment ot
Baldu.. Yet Bartolus was graYely qlloted by the lawyen of Cardinal
· lUchelieu; and £utropiu. Will indirectly gllilty of the murder of the
virtuous de Thou.
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381
'I'R:&E: ::&E:ECl&:&E:E A:&E::&E: PAL:&E:
CHAP. codes olTheodosios and Justinian ~ and thesaHR4: ma:&E:i~s
be:&E::&E: reviH:&E:d in. ][Hodem age::?
~-~~~~ to protect the electors of German.y, and u.e
cardinals 4bf the ?::hur?::h of RORle~"
d
SaHK1lbina::K laWH,
spr:&E::&E:d ter~
Reb.m&Fr
of Tribi- ror among a disarmed and dispirited people,
ri1d,
&F.D.
we:::&E: of
wel"iK a t:&E:ldure rest:::&E:in tLH bold
enterprise of Tribigild x the Ostragoth. The
col£:gy oL
H£::&E:rlik:&E:
Whi:&E:h
beeHR
planted by Theodosius in one of the most fertil:&E: distridH of PhrYKi:&E:/ i~h:&E:tientld compareh
th:&E: :dow n:turri:: of
hu::handi'Y
the successful rapine and liberal rewards of
Ahrjc ;
th4:H~
as tlierS4:&E:
nal affront, his own ungracious reception in the
pahH~:e
sod ;md g:&E:althy
province, in the heart of the empire, was astonish:&E:d b~t the Hmmd
w:;~r
the
vaHHrl,
had heen disregarded o,r oppressed,
was again respected, as soou as, he res timed the
hortile
of
btU"b;bbrian.
vin1l~~
yards and fruitful fields, between the, rapid
XXXII.
• b~,1l,TIefroy, i"m. iii, p. 89. is, however, suspected, that this I.",
repugnant to the maxims of Germanic freedom, has beeD sDrrepti.
tiClu¥Xr &Fdde&F the S&FIr¥n buRL
" 4~opion &Fnd Ciili!:gmstaDii¥I DarrgX,¥g (whi!:H be miHht hgssi
reaened for more important events) is bestowed by Zosinms (I. Y,
p. ,104-812) on the revolt of Tribigild ggd Ggiiliiliiliili¥. SiS? Rike";'i
SOCe&Iiliiliili, I.
6,
SOZOmi&F, I. vIii, '. 4. nhe seciliilinTI book
ClaDdhm apinst Eutropilll, is a fine, thongh imperfect, piece of hiatory.
Y CEindian
EutrnF!, ii, n5t&F.h50)
accUili'nii,Ey obiii,e!,
the i&FiEent nimn aDd
of tii Chrygi,¥ss, extemTIeh vrry far on eVerJ
lide, till their limits were contracted by the colonies of the Bithynianl
of Th'Size, of GreiRili¥, and ISist of
GassE" His £:¥ilit'ript¥mili
ii, ii{?5t~212)
xfe feitiIixy of Phlgia,
of thi
rivni ;bat pnheed ,old, is just and picturesqu('.
lei
r 0.
o
'383
THE ROMAN EMPl1tI'..
Marsyas and the winding Mmander/ were con- i HAP•
• umed with fire; the decayed walls of the city .••~:.
crumbled into dust, at the first stroke of an
enemy; the trembling inhabitants escaped from
a bloody massacre to the shores of the Hellespont; and a considerable part of Asia Minor
was desolated by the rebellion of Tribigild.
Hi. rapid progreSs was checked by the resistance of the peasants of Pamphylia; and the,
.Ostrogoths, attacked in a narrow pass, between
the city of Selgre: a deep. morass, and the craggy cliffs of Mount Tarus, were defeated with
the loss of their bravest troops. But the spirit,
of their chief was not daunted by misfortune;
and his army was continually recruited by
swarms of barbarians and outlaws, who were
desirous of exercising the profession of robbery,
under the more honourable names of war and
conquest. The rumours of the success of Tribigild might for some time be suppressed by
fear, or disguised by flattery; yet they gradually alarmed both the court and the capital.
Every misfortune was exaggerated in dark and
doubtful hints; and the future designs of the
rebels became the subject of anxious conjecture. Whenever Tribigild advanced into the
inland country, the Romans were inclined to
• XenophoD. Anabasi., L i, p. 11, 12, edit. Hutchinson. Strabo, I.
Q. Curt. I. iii, c. 1. Claud ian compares the
JDllc:tion of the Manyu and MlUllder to that of the Saone and the
Rh6ne; with this difl"erence, however, that the Imaller of the Phrygian
rinn i. Dot aC,celerated, but retarded, by the larger.
• Selpe a colony of the LacedlBmoniana, had formerly numbert'd
twenty thousand citizen.; but in the age of ZOIimus it waa reduced
a .,.".~. or Imall toWD. Sec Cellarins, Geograph.Antiq. tom. ii.
Po 117'.
.n, p. 866, edit. Amatel.
'0
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· S8&
11Il bB(!LfNI AND FALL'
8uppose tbat he meditated the passage of Moml!
.~~~~~~. Tauru's, and the invasion of Syria. If he de·
scended towards the sea, they imputed, and
perhaps suggested, to the Gothic chief, the more
dangerolls, project of arming a fleet in the har.·
bours ofIonia, and of extending hisdepradations
along the maritime coast, from the mouth of the
Nile to the port of Constantinople. The ap.
proach of danger, and the ,obstinacy of Tribi.
gild, who refused all terms of accommodation,
compeUed Eutropius to summon a council of
war.' After claiming for himself the privilege
of a veteran soldier, the eunuch intrusted the
guard of Thrace and the Hellespont to Gainas
the Goth; and the command of the Asiatic army
to his favourite Leo; two generals, who differ·
ently, but effectua)]y, promoted the cause of the.
rebels. Leo, who, from the bulk of his body,
and the dulness of his mind, was surnamed the
Ajax of the East, had deserted his original trade,
of a woo]comber, to exercise, with much less
skill and success, the military pl'ofessioD; and
his uncertain operations were capriciously framed and executed, with an ignorance of real
difficu1ties, and a timorous neglect of every favourable opportunity. The rashness of the
CHAP.
C
• The cODncil of Entropios, ID Claadian, may be compared to fIIat
or DomitiaD in fbe fonrth aatire of JUYenai. 'J'be principal memben
of tbe former were, jUyenel protefYi Jalciriqae leDes; one of them hall
breD a cook, a accond a woolcomher. The JaDluale of their orisi..l
profeliioD ('liposes tbeir aSlumed dimity; and their triSiDI eODYenation abollt traltl'diel, dancer., &c. ia made Itill more ridicaJoUi bJ die
importance of the debate.
e Claudiaa (I. ii, 876.(61) haa branded him with iDfamJ; aD.
zglimuI, in more temperate lanillale, CODtrma Iiu reproaches, (I. Y.
p. loa).
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OF
386
THE ROMAN E)lPIRF.."
Ostrogoths had drawn tliem into a disadvanta- CHAP.
geoul position between the rivers Me]as al1d#~:.~!~:..
Eurymedon, where they were almost besieged
by the peasants of Pamphylia;' but the arrival
of an imperial arm'y, instead of completing their
destruction, afforded the' means' of safeiy and
victory. Tribigild surprised the unguarded
camp of the Romans, in the darkness of the
night; seduced the faith of the greater part of
the barbarian auxiliaries, and dissipated, with- '
out mu(.h effort, the troops, which had been
corrupted by the relaxation of discipline, and
the luxury of the capital. The discontent of .
Gainas, who had so boldly' contrived and executed the death of Rufinus, was irritated by
the fortune of his unworthy successor; he accused his own dishonourable patience under
the servile reign 'of ail eunuch; and the ambitious Goth was convicted; at least in the public
opinion, of secretly fomenting the'revolt of Tribigild,.· with whom he was connected by a domestic, as well as by a national, alliance.· When
Gainas passed the Hellespont, to unite under
his standard the remains of the Asiatic troops,
he skilfully adapted' his motions to the wishes
of the Ostrogoths; abandoning, by his retreat,
the country which they desired to invade; or
facilitating, by his approach, the desertion of
the barbarian auxiliaries. To ·the imperial
• The COIIIpinrcp of Gai~u aDd Tribiaild, which i. attested by tbe
Greek hiatoriaD, had Dotrellched the ('an of Clalldian, who atlribllt...
the revoit of the O.troJOthI to hia own -'iallpirit, and the ad"ic:e,of
Ilia wife.
VOL. V.
C C
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THE DECLINE AND FALL
CHAP•. court
he repeatedly magnified the valour, the
~.I..~.. genius, the inexhaustible resoUl'cesof Tribi~
gild ; confessed his own inability to prosecute
the war; and extorted the permis.sion of negotiating with his invincible adversary. The
conditions or peace were dictated by the
haughty rebel; and the per~mptory de~and of
the bead of Eutropius, revealed the author
and the design of this hostile conspiracy.
JI'aIJ~f£I6.. The bold satirist, who has indulged his dis~r.a:w. content by the partial (lndpa~sionate censure
of the Christian em'perors, violates the dignity,
rather than tbe truth, of history, by comp~ring
the son of Theodosius to one of thQse harmless
and simple anillUlls, who s~arcely feel tb~t they
are tbe property of t.heir shepherd. Two pas.
sions, however, fear and conjuga) a~e~tion,
awakened the languid soul of Arcadius; he
was terrified by the threats of a victQrious barbarian; and he yielded to the tender eloquence
of his wife Eudoxia, whQ, with a 1l00.d of artiicial tears, presenting he.r inial)t children to
their father, implored his justiee for some real
or imaginary insult: which $he imputed to the
audacious eunuch. The emperor's hand was
directed to sign the condemnation of Eutrapius; the magic speU, which during four years
had bound the prince and the people, was instantly dissolved; and the acclamations, that
so lately bailed the merit and fortune of the favourite, were converted into the clamours Qf
• Thla anecdote, wbich Pbiloatorcina alone hal preHrftd. (I. zit e.
I, aDd Gothof'red. Dillrrtat. p. 451-436), ia carioul and impOrtaDt.
IiDce it cODDecti the revolt of' the Goths with the aeoret batripa ., ...
paI_.
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j
381'
OP THE ROHAN EMPlU.
the soldiers and people, who reproat:h~ his ~~~i
crimes, and pl'essed his immediate execution. ~"".,,;..
In this hour of distxess a~d despair, his only refuge was in the sanctuary of the chu.rch, whose
priv.ileges he had wisely, or profanely,.attempted
to ~ircumscribe ;' anei the mQste1cJq;oeat of the
saints, JohD,Clu-ysostom,eJJjo~ed·the tr.iumph
of pr.otecting a prostr~e minister, whose choice
11&4 raised. him to ~e .ecclesiastica,l throne, of
Constantinople. 'The B!chl)ishop, ascending
dIe pulpit of the cathedral, that he might be
distinctly seen and heard by an innumerable
crowd of eitber sex and of ev.e~ age, pronounced a seasonable and patheti£ discourse on the
forgiveness of i~juri!3S, and the instability of
human greatness. Th~agODies of the pale and'
alfrighted wretchw~o lay grovelling under the
table of the altar, exhibited a solemn and instructive spectiLcle; and the orator, who was
after.wards accused of insulting the misfortunes
of Eutropius, laboured to excite the contempt,
that he might assuage the fury, of the people/
The powers of humanity, of superstition, and
of eloquence, prevailed. The eropress Eudoxia
was restrained, by her own prejudices, or by
those of her.subjects, from violating the sanctu-,
ary of t~e church; and Eutropius was tempted
See the Homily of ChrysostolU, tom. iii, p. 381.38G, of which the
exordiulD is particularly beautiful. Socrates, I. vi, c. Ii; Sozomen, I.
"iii, c. 7. Montfaucon (in bislife. O(Chrys08tom, tom. xiii, p.13Ii) tqo
h~tily supposes that Tribi"ild was tlt:lxallll in Constantinople; and that
he commanded th.e soldiers wbo were ordered to siue Elltropius. EnD
Clalldiau, a pagan Pllet, (Pnefat. ad 1. ii, in Eutrop. 21), IUli lDention,d
the fligbt of tbe eunuch to the .anctuary.
Suppliciterque pias hllmiJia prostratua ad aras
lIIitigat iRltas voce tremlnte numa.
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THE .DECLINE AND FALL
to capitulate, by the milder arts of persnasion~
~~~!;.and by an oath, that his life should be spared.Careless of the dignity of their sovereign, the
new ministers of the palace immediately published an edict, to declare, that his late favour
ite had disgraced the' names of consul and patrician, to abolish his statues, to confiscate his
wealth, and to .inflict a perpetual exile in the
island of Cyprus.' A despicable and decrepid
eunuch could no longer alarm .the fears of his
enemies; nor was he capable of enjoying what
yet remained, the comforts of peace, of solitude,
and ora happy climate. But their implacable
reveJlge still envied him the last moments of a
miserable life, -and Eutropius had no sooner
touched the shores of Cyprus, than he was hastily reealled. The vain hope of ,eluding, by a
change of place, the obligation of- ali oath, engaged the empress to transfer the scene of his
trial and execution, from Constantinople to the
adjacent su.burb of Chalcedon. The consul
Aurelianpronounced the sentence; . anj the
motives of that 'sentence expose the jurisprudence of a despotic government. The crimes
CHAP.
• Cbrysoltom, in another homily, (tom. iii, p .. 386), afl'ects to declare,
tbat Eutropiu. woold not have. been taken, had he Dot deserted the
church. ZOlimus, (I. v, p. 313), on the contrary. pretenell, that IIis
enemiel forced him (&£.."............c II"...") from the lauctuary. Yet the
promise is all evidence of some treaty; aud the Itrong UlUraDce of
Claudian, (PJ'll!fat. ad I. ii, 46),
. Sed tamen exemplo non fcriere tno,
may he considered as an evidence of lome promise.
It Cod. Tbeod. I. ix, tit. xi,leg••4. The date of tilat law (Jan. 11,
A. D. 399) i. erroneous and corrnpt; .ince the faU of Entropiul conY
Dot happen till the autllmn of the same ,ear. See Tillemont. Biit. des
Bmperenn, tom. Y. Po 7'80.
'
.
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01' THE ROMAN EMPIRL'
which Eutropius had committed against the .CHAP.
people, might have just~fied his death ; hut be ..~~.~!~~
was found guilty of harnessing to his' chariot
the,acred, animals, who, from their breed, or
.colour, were ,reserved for the use of the emperor
alone!
While this domestic revolution was transact- Conlpiraed , , Gainask openly revolted from his aUeo-i
cJan~faU
,,-.. of
GalDal,
ance; unite_l his forces, at .l'hyatira in Lydia, .... D. 4W.
with those of Tnbigild; and still maintained
his superior ascendant over the rebellious leader
of the Ostrogoths. The' confederate armies
advanced, withou~ resistance, to the ~traits of
the Hellespont, and the Bosphorus; and Arca~
dius was instructed to prevent the loss of his
Asiatic dominions, by resigning his authority
and his per~on to the faith of the barbarians.
The church of the holy martyr Eup1;temia, situ~'
ate on a lofty eminence near Chalcedon,l was
chosen for the place of the interView. Gainas
bowed, with reverence, at the feet of the e~
peror, whilst he required the sacrifice of Aurelian and Satuminus, two ministers of consular
rank; and their naked necks were exposed, by
the haughty r~bel, to the edge of the sword,
.
ZOIimnl, I. v, p. 3n. PhiloltorciBl, I. xi, c. I.
• Zoaimus, (I; v, p. SIS-SIIS); Socratel, (I. YI, c. 4); Sozoinen,
(I. viii. c. 4), and Theodoret, (I. v, c. SII, II), repreaeDt, though with,
lome ...riOIlI circumltancel, the coDlpirac:1, defeat, ad death of
I
GUDBI.
I
J '
\
0,,,,, I .....~"" 1"f"'Uf''', iI the expreuioD of ZoaimBl himaelf, (I. v,
p. aI4), who iDadYerteDtl, Dlel the fashioDable Jugaap of the CbD
tianl. Engriul delcribel (I. ii, c. S) the liluatioD, architecture, rena,
ad m,iraclel of that celehrated cb.ucb., iD wldcb. the·paeraI OOIIIICiIfII'
ClaucedoD was afterwarda held.
'
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390
'I'IU! DEcl.INE AND FALt
till he condescended to grant them a preearious
~~!~; and disgraceful respite. The Goths, according
to the terms of the agreement, were imm~dilitely
transported trom Asia into Europe; and their
victorious chief, 1Vho accepted the title Of toas..
ter-general of the Roman armies, soori fined
Constantinople with his troops, and disminited
among hili dependants, the honours an.d r'eward~
of the eoipire. In his early youth, Gaibas bail
passed the Danube as a suppliant, and a fugi.
tive: his el~yation had been tbe Work of Valour
and fortune ; and his indiscreet, or perfidious,
conduct;wa.s the cause of his rapid downthl.
Not*ithstandtng the Vigorous ()ppositio~ of
the archbi8ho~, htl importlillate1y claiiJied, .for
hiS Ann sectaries, the possessioti (jf a peculiar
ohurch; ahd the pride of tlie catholics waS
oftijndea by tile public toleration of heresy.Every qdarter ofCon.tantmopl~ was lilled with
tumult and disorder; aritl ike barbarfiUis gazed
with sucb ardour ub tbe rich Ihops of the j~wel~
lers, and the: tables 01 the bankers, whibh :Were
covered with gold and silt-et, th~t It was judged
prudent to remote 1lioee dangerous temptations
from their sight. They i'esebted the injurious
precaution; and some alarming attempts were
ma~e, during the night, to attack and destroy
.with fire the imperial palace.· In this state of
CRAP.
.
• The piolll remonatnncee 01 Chl'JlOItom, wbieh do Dot .ppear iD
~oWliwritiB~.it .&0IlgI10......11 bt Tti'todot~i; btit hli iiaaiDoatioa,
tht ther were IUCIl...tdI~ It lIt~prdyed bt facti. TiUemoDt (But. dfll
E • .,.~~ tolD. ¥r IU)II.· dlieo~ered, lh_t die ~p~tor, to
tile
rap.cio... dellWlClt III' ~ '4i.. clBlftecl tv "~t lb.
01 Ibe
.areh olthe Apoatla.
• The eectaiutieal hlatOI'iaDI, wlao lometimel ,Dide, and
."-11
.-t.li!
_p, __
IoUow
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391
OF THE ROMAN KMPIlU'..
mutual and suspicious hostility, the guards, and ~~~ri.
the people of Constantinople, shut the gates, ._" .....:..
and rose in arms to prevent, or to punish, the July 20.
conspiracy ofthe Goths. During the absence of
Gainas, his. troops were surprised and oppres.
I Bed; seven thousand barbarians perished in this
'bloody massacre. In the fury of the pursuit,
the catholics uncovered the roof, and continued
to throw down flaming logs of ,wood, till they
oyer-whelmed their adversaries, who had retreated to the church or conventicle of the
Arians. Gainas was either innocent of the de..
sign, or too confident of his success: he was
astonished by the intelligence, that the Hower
of his army had been ingloriously destroye~;
that he himself was declared a public enemy;
and that his countryman, Fravitta, a brave and
loyal confederate, had assumed the management of the war by sea and land. The enterprises of the rebel, against the cities of Thrace,
were encountered by a firm and well-ordered
defence: his hungry soldiers were soon reduced
to the grass that grew on the margin of the fortifications; and Gainas, who vainly regretted
the wealth and luxury of Asia, embraced a
desperate resolution of, forcing the passage of
thellellespont. He was destituteofvessels; but
the woods of the Chersonesus afforded materials
for rafts, and his intrepid barbarians did not
refuse to trust themselves to the waves. But Dee. II.
Fravitta attentively watched the progress of
their undertaking. As soon as they had gained
1011o". the public opinion, mOit confidently assert that the palace 01
CflIutaatiDople wa. ,uuded by leponl of aucell.
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THE DECLINE AND FALL
the middle of the stream, the ROlDan galleys:
::~~!;. impened by the full force, of oars, of the current, and ofa favourable wind, rush~d forward.
in compact order,and .with irresistible weight;
and the Hellespont was covered witp. the' frag.
ments of the Gothic shipwreck. After the destruction of his hopes, and the loss of many
thousands of his b.ravest soldiers, Gainas, who
could no longer aspire, to gover~, or to subdue,
the Romans, determined,.19 res~me ·the independence of a savage life. A l.ight .and active
body of barbarian horse, disengaged from their
infantry and baggage, might perform, in eight
or ten days, a march of three hundred miles
from the Hellespont to the Danube;P the garrisons, of that important frontier had been graduaHy annihilated; the river, in the month of
December, .would b~ de~ply frozen; aud the
unbounded prospect of Scythia was opened to
the ambition' of Gainas. This design was secretly communicated, to . the nation~l tl'OOpS,
who devoted themselves to the fortunes of their
leader; and before the sigilal of departure was
CHAP.
• ZOIlmul (I. v, p. Bl9) mention. the.. ralley. by the Dame of
LibuntillfU, and observe., that tbey were u .wift (wltbont expJaiuin,
tbe difference between them) u tbe natel. with fifty oan; but that
tbey were far inferior in .peed to tbe trir_, wbich bad been 10111
dilll.ed. Yet be reuonably concludu, from tbe talimony of ~oIJ
biu., tbat galley • .lf a still largu aize had been conltructl'd in the
Punlo-wan. Since the eltablishment of the Romlln l'mpire 09U tbe
Mediterranean, the usel ..11 art of buildinllarge .hips of war bad p...
babl, bl'en neglected, and at Il'ngtb forgotten.
• Chishull (Travels, p. 61.63, 111 76) proceeded from Gallipoli, tbroq.
Hadrianople, to the Danube, in about fiftrl'n day.. Ht' was in tbe tnoia
of an English Imblsudor, "hose bllggagf' eon.i.ted of .",enty·one
wagrona. That Il'arnt'd trnellrr bas tbe mrrit o( traeing I cUl'ioila and
.nfft1l1entt'd ronte.
I
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OF T.,E ROMAN EMPlllE.
given, a great number of provincial auxiliaries, CHAP.
whom he suspected of an attachment to their .~~.~!!:#
native' country, were perfidiously massacred.
The Goths advanced, by tapid marches,
through the plains of Thrace; and they were
soon delivered from the fear of a pursuit, by the
vanity of Fravitta, who, instead of extinguishiog the war, .hastened to enjoy the popular applause, and to assume the peaceful honours of
the consulship. But a formidable ally appeared in arms to vindicate the majesty of the empire, and to guard the pe~c.e and liberty of
Scythia.q The superior forces of Uldin, king
of the Huns, opposed the progress of. Gainas;
an hostile and ruined country prohibited his
retreat; he disdained to capitulate; and after
repeatedly attenlpting to cut his way through
the ranks of the enemy, he was slain, with his
. desperate followers, in the field of battle.
Eleven days after the naval victory of the Hel- A. D. 4111,
lespont, the head of Gainas, the inestimable J.ouary 3
gift of the conqueror, was received at Constantinople, with the most liberal expressions of
gratitude; and the public deliverance was celebrated by festivals .and illuminations. The
triwnphs of Arcadius became the subject of
• The narratiYe of ZOliml1s, who actually lead. Gaina. beyond tbe
Danube, mUlt be corrt'eted by the teatimony of Socrates, aud SOlliomen,
tbat he wal killed in ThrtUl/l; and by the preeiae alld authentic datu of
the "Inandrian, or Puchal Chronicle, p. 307. The Daval Yi,:tury of
the Hellespont i. fixed to the month Apellens, tbe tenth of the calends
of January, (Decemb~r 23) ; the head of Gainu wu brought to Con.tantinople the third of tbe nones of January. (January 3), in the montlt
Audynlleul.
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TID DELDlB AND P.\U.
epic poems;r and the -monarch, no long~r op_~~.~~~ pressed by any hostile terroril, re~igned himself
to the mild and absolute dominion of his wife,
the fair and artful Eudoxia, who has sullied
her Came by the persecution of St. John Chry..
sostom.
Eleetl_
After the death of the indolent N ectarius, the
:;~~~t successor of Gregory ~azianzen, the churc:~ or
loatom.
Constantinople wa.s dIstracted by the ambItion
F~:::a~ of rival candidateB, who were not ashamed ~
solicit, with gold or Battery, the suffrage of
the people, Or oC the fa.ourite. On this occasion, Eutropiul seem. to have deviated
Crom his ordinary maxims; and his uncor·
rupted judgment wu detenniDed only by
the superior merit of II. stranger. In a late
journey into the East, be had admired the
sermons oC John, a native and presbyter of Antioch, whose name has been distinguished by the
epithet oC Chrysostom, or the Golden Mouth.'
CHAP.
r EuaebiUl 8cholutlcu acquired much fame by hie poem on the
Gothic war, in which he had IelTed. Near forty yean afmwards.
Ammoniu recited auotler poem on tlte lame IIIbjeet, ia tbe preaeuce
of the emperor Theodolinl. See Socrate., I. "i. c. 6.
I The listh book of SOcrat... the eightb of SOJ:omeu, aud tbe tftb of
Theodoret, dord curlou IIlId autheatic mlltenab for the lire of JGIul
Cbr,.ottom. Beeidea thOle general hillori..., I have taken for . ,
pides the four principal biograpber. of the saint. 1. The anthor oh
partial and pUlionate Viadieation of tbe Archbisbop of Constantinople, compOied in the form of a dialogue, and und..r the name of hie
Ralonl partian, Paltadint, lHahop oi Helenopolia, (TiilemODt, Mea.
Ecelee. tom. D, p. 1500·1131). It i. inserted amonr; the worlll of CbryIOItom, tolD. xlii, p. l.uo. edit. MontfllucOll. I. The moderate Eru_ , (tom. iii. epilt. MeL, p. If11l·IU" edit. La",. Bat). 11"11 Yifteit7
IUId pod lense were his own; hie erton, ia the llllcuitiftted ltate of
eceleliaatical antiquity, were a!meat inentable. S. Tbe learned TiIIeo
BlOnt, (Meaa. "Eccleaaaatiqael, tom. D, p. 1-406, 6"0616, &c.. &c.) wile
the Ii"ee of the aaintl with iRcredibie patieaee, IUlCI reJici-
_,ila
8Geuacy.
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A private mrder was despatched to tbe gbvemol" cHAP.
or Syria.; and as the peOple might be unwilling!!~
to resign their favourite preacher, he was transported with speed a.nd secrecy, in a post-chariot,
from Antioch to Constantinople. The unanimous and unsolicited consent of the court, the
Clergy, and the people, ratified the choice of the
minister; and, both as a saint and as an oratot,
the new archbishop surpassed tbe sanguine e~"
pectations or the public. Born ot a noble alid
opulent family, in the capital of Syria, Chrysostom had been educated, by the care of a tender
mother, under the tuitiob of the most skilful
masters. He studied the art of thetbric .in the
school ofLibatiiu~: and that celebrated sophist.
"ho soon discovered tlie talehts of hfs disciple,
ingenuously confessed, that John wuttld have
deserved to succe~d him~ had h~ tiot ~eI1 stolen
away by the Christians. His piety soon disposed
him to receive the sacrament of baptiHm; to renounce the lucrative and h01l0lirl1ble profession
Of the law, and to bury himself' in the adjacent
desert; where he subdued the lusts fJf the 1Iesh
by an austere penance of six yeaM!. His iIifirmities compelled him to return to ihe society ot
mankind; and the authority o/Meletius devoted
his talents to the s~r'Vice of the church * but in
the midst of his family, and afterwards on the
archiepiscopal throne, Chrysostom still perseaccuracy. He has minutely learched the yolnmiDolll works of ChryIoatom bimself. .4. Fatber MontfaDCOD; who has perlllCd then worb
with the curiOlll cUliaeDce of aD editOl', discovered aevera! Dew bOlDi1ieJ;
...11 .aca~ rey.,nrect aDd compoaed the life of ChrpoatOID, (Opera Cb.,.o
10110... tom. lilli, .. 91-17'1).
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S96
THE DECLI~E AND PALL
Tered in the practice of the monastic Tirtues.
~~~ The ample revenues, which his predecessors
had.consumed,in pomp and luxury; he diligently applied to the, establishment of 'hospitals;
and the ml1lti~des', who were supported by hischarity, preferred. the eloquent and edifying
discourses of their archbishop, to the amusements of the Jheatre, or the circus.' The monuments of that eloquence, which was admired
near twenty years at Antioch and Constantinople, h~ve, been care(uUy preserved; and the
poss~ssion of near one.thousand sermons, or
homilies, has authorized the critics t of succeeding ti.,nes to appretiate the genuine merit of
Chrysostom. They unanimously attribute to
the Christian orator, the free command of au
elegant and copious language; the judgment to
conceal the advantagei which he derived from
the knowledge of rhetoric and philosophy; an
inexhaustible fund of metaphors 'and similitudes, of ide",s and images, to vary and illu8~ate the most familiar topics-;' the happy ad
of engaging the passions iIi the service· of virtue; and of exposing the folly, as well as the
turpitude, of vice, almost with the truth and
spirit of a dramatic representation.
The pastoral labours of the archbishop of
Constantinople provoked, and gradually united
CHAP.
Aa I am allllO&f a atranger to the l'oluminon. sermons of Chrysoso
tom, I bue ginn my confidence to tbe two most judicioul and mod'"
nte oftbe ecele.ia.tical critit'., Erasmus, (tom. iii, p. 1344) and Dupin, (Bibliotbeque Ecclesiastique, tom. iii, p. 88): yet tbe good tute
of the former i5 lometimt:. vitiated by an txctlsive Ion of antiquity;
and the good aen.e of tbe fl,tter il alway. re.traiued by prudential a. .
aideratlolllo
.
.. t
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. 3.sr7 .
OF THE .ROMAN EMPIRE.
against him, two sorts of enemies; the 'aspiring CHAP.
clergy, who envied his success: and, the obsti- .~~~#~~#
nate sinners, who were offended by his reproofs. ~il ad!D1o
W hen ChrysostoQl' thundered, from the 'pu'1'
pIt 0 f . nlatratloD
and deSt. Sophia, against .the degeneracy of the Chris- ~~c:'a98tians,his shafts were spent among the crowd, 403.•
without wounding, or even marking, the character of any individual. When he declaimed
agains,t the peculiar vices of the ri,ch, poverty
might obtain a transient consolation from his,
invectives: but the guilty were still sheltered
by th~ir numbers; and the reproach itself was
dignified by some ideas of superiority, and en,.
joyment. But as the pyramid rose towards.
the summit, it insensibly diminisJIed to a point;
and the magistrates, the ministers, the favourite
eunuchs, the ladies of the ,court,U the '~mpress
Eudoxia herself, had a much larger share of
guilt, to divide among a smaller proportion of
criminals. The personal applications of, the
audience were anticipated, or confirmed, by the _
testimony of'their own conscience; and the in;' .
trepid preacher assumed the dangerous right of
exposing both the offence, and the offender, to
the public abhorrence. The secret resent~nt
of the court encouraged the discontent of the _
clergy and monks of Constantinople, who were• Th~ (~males of Conltantinople diatingnilhedtbemselvel by their
enmity or their attachment to Chrysostom. Three .noble and opn.
J~nt widowl, Mana, Caatricia, and Eugraphia, Were tbe leaden of tbe
penecutiOD, (Pallad. Dialog. tom. xiii, p, 14). It was impossible that
tbey sbould forgive a preacber, wbo reproacbed tbeir aft"ectation to
eonceal, by tbe ornaments of dre.s, tbeir age !lnd ugliness, (Palla4.
p. 27). Olympiu., by equal Ileal, displayed in a more pioul caule,
.... obtaiDed the title of .aiDt. See TilIemoDt, Mem. -Eccles. tOIll. xi,
416440.
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u.
..
THE DacLIID AlfD .....
too hastily reformed by the ferv~u.t z.eal ()ftheir
#~~I:~ archbishop. He had condemned, from tAle
pulpit, the -domestic felJlQ.les of the clergy Qf
Conltantjnople, who, under the naJJleS of lieJ;vants, or sisters. afforded a ~petuaJ occuiQ.
either of sin, or of scandal. The sileat ancJ 80:litary ascetics, who had secluded thelIJlelreB..
from the world, were elltitled to th.e wannest
approbation of' Chrysos~m;. but he des(lised
and stigmatized, as the disgrace Df their holy
profession, the crowd of d~Mrate 8lonb, who,
fr.om some unworthy motives of pleasure or
pi'ofit, so Cr.equently infested the streets of the
capital. T.o the vDice of persllasion, the arch~
bjshop was obliged to a4d tbeterror~ of authority; and bis QZd01lr, in the exercise of e.cclesiastiqal j orisdjctioD, was Dot always ex.empt
from pasMiMlj Dor was it alway;s guided by
pr.tlcieDce. ChrYSDstom was' naturally of a
choleric dispositi.Qp." AltRoog~ he struggled,.a.c. cor.cii{)g ~. the pr.e.cepts of the gospel, to lo.ve.
his' private eI;lemies, he indulged himseU iD the
pri~e of hating the enemies..of God, I¥Id 01
tlle church; and his sentiments w.ere 8O~etimes
deliv.sed with too much energy of .cono.t.en8¥ce
and,ex·pression. He still maintained, from some
couideratioDB of health, or abstinence, bis former habits of taking his repasts alone; and this
CHAP.
" SOlomea, aud more e.peciaUy SOcrates, have d~fiDed the real
c:h.Iracter of Chry,oltom with a temperate aDd impartial freedom, verr
ofFeD.i.e to hit blind admiren. Thole hi.torian. liyed in the Dext generation, when party yiolence wu abatc:d, and had con\ ened l'(ith maD,
perlolll intim,tel, u'InaiDted with the virtue. and imperfectioDa of the
..at.
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.01' THE
399'
RGMAN £lIIPlItB.
inhGspitablecustGm,:t which hisenetnies imputed CHAP.
- t n'bu
ted, at I
t ', to'
. h the ",_
XXXII
t .0, pJ."1'de,- CGn
eas
nGUrlS
........•,
infirmity .of a mGrGse and unsocial humGur. S~
parated frGm that familiar intercGurse, which
facilitates the k~.owledge and the deEtpatch .of
business, he repQsed an umnu~pectjng cGnfidence
in his deac.on SeJ'$pipD.; an~ aeldorn applied his
speculative knowledge .of hQ.lDan nature to the
particulu.r' clJ~racters. either of his dependants,
.or .o(his equals. C.onsci.ous .of the purity .of his,
intenti.ons, and perhaps .of th~ s~peri.ority .of his
genius, the archbishop .of CGnstantinople ext~nded the jurisdIction .of the imp.erial city, that
he might enlarge the sphere .of his past.oral
lab.ours; and tJIe cGnduct which the pr.ofane
i~puted t.o anambitiGus m.otive, appeared t.o
Chrysost.om himself in the light .of a sacred' and
indispensible duty. In his. visitati.on thrGugh.
the Asiatic provinces, he d ep.osed thirteen hish.oPs .of Lydia and Phrygia; and indiscreetly
d~clared, that a deep c.orruption .of simGpy and
licentiousness had iofecttld the whole episcopal
'G.rder.- If those bishops were inn.ocen~ such
a .l1lS-. 8AcJ unj~st condemnation must elCcite a
well-gr.ounded disc.onteDt. If they were guilty,
the numer.ous ass.ociates .of tbeir guilt w.ould
r Palladia (tom. xiii, p. 40, &c.) very sel'ioosly defends the areh.
Iriahop. 1. He never tuted wine. 2. Tbe weakness of bia stomacb re,dired a peculiar diet. 3. Business, or study, or devotion, often kept
him rutin, till Iun-set. 4. He detested the noile and levity of great
dinn.n. S. He land the expence for tbe as., of tbe poor. 6. He WII
appreheasive, in a capital like Conltantinople, of tbe euvy and reproach
of partial invitatioRs.
a Cbry.o.tom declarl!l his free opinion, (tom. ix, bom. iii, in Act
Apoltol. p. 29), that the number of bishops,. wbo migbt be IlIVed. bON
• very .maD proportioa to those wbo would bt! damned.
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400
THE DECUNE AND FALL
CHAP. soon discover, that their own safety ·depended .
~~~..~ on the ruin of the archbishop; whom they
studied to represent as the tyrant of the eastern
church.
Cb~This ecclesiastical conspiracy was manaared
t
MClIteci b, by Theophilus: archbishop of Alexandria, an
active and ambitious prelate, who displayed the
:~~~. fruits of rapine in monuments of ostentation
His national dislike to the rising greatness of a
city, which degraded him from the second, to
the third, rank, in the Christian world, was exasperated by some personal disputes with ChryBOStom himself.'
By the private" invitation of
the empress, Theophilus landed at Constantinople, with a stout body of Egyptian mariners, to
encounter the populace; and a train of dependant bishops, to secure, by their voices, the
majority of a synod. The synod was convened in the suburb of Chalcedon, surnamed the
Oak, where Rufinus had erected a stately
church and monastery; and their proceedings
were continued during fourteen days, oro sessions. oA bishop and a deacon accused the archbishop of Constantinople; but the frivolous or
improbable nature of the forty-seven articles
~U~~
=.a-E"
0
C
• Sre Tillt'moDt, Mem. Ecclel. tom. xi, p. '410400.
I have pnrpoaely omitted the CODtfOVeray which arote allloD, the
monks of Egypt, couceminJ OrigeDiam aDd ADtropomorphilm. the
diuimulatioD aDd violence of Theophillll; hia artfnl management .f the
aimplicity oCEpiphanius; the peraecution aDd flight of the ,.",., or tall,
brothrors; tbe ambiguous support which they received at CoDitaDtinOo
pIt' from Chrysostom, &e. &cc.
C Pholins (p. 53·60) baA preserved tbe original facta of the I)'aod of
the Oak; wbicb deltroy the false a'lertioD, tbat Cbrysostom wu eo..
demned by no more thaD tlJirt),-aix biahop., of wbom tweaty.nine W"1e
£r1Ptiaaa • Forty-five bi,bopa aublc:ribed hilaeate.ac.. Ie'TiIIemNt,
Kem. Ecclel. tom. xl, p. 1911.
to
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.
401
01<' THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
which they presented against him, may j1l:st1 y ~~m
be considered as a fair and unexceptionable .._ ..... .;"
panegyric. Four successive summons were
signified to Chrysostom; but he still refused to
trust either his person, or his reputation, in the
hands of his implacable enemies, who, pru~ently declining the examination of any particular
charges, condemned his contumacious disobe.:dience, and hastily prol\ounced a sentence of
deposition. The synod of the .Oak immediate.
ly addressed the emperor to ratify and execute
their judgment, and charitably insinuated, that
the penalties oftreason might be inflicted on the
audacious preach~, who had reviled, under
the name of Je~bel, the-empress Eudoxia herself.. The archbishop was'rud~ly arrested, and
conducted through the city, by one of t,he imperial messengers,who landed him, after a short
navigation, near the entrance of the Euxine;
from wpence, before the expiration of two days,
he was gloriously recalled.
.,
.The first astonishment of his faithful people Poplliar
had been mute and passive: they suddenly ~:~~:~~~
rose with unanimous and irresistible fury. tinople.
Theophilus escaped;. but t~e p,romiscuou8.
crowd of monks and Egyptian mariners were
slaughtered without pity in the streets of Con~tantinople" A seasonable earthquake justi.. Palladiu. OWDS, (p. SO), that if the people of Constantinople had
found Tbeophilus, they would certainly have tbrown him ioto the sea •.
Socrates mentions (1. vi, c. 17) a battle between the mob and the sailprs
of Alexandria, ia wlaich lOany wouDd, weu pven. and sOlOe livel,
were
VOL. V.
Dd
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401
THE DBCUllB AND "ALL
CHAP. led the iDterpolitimlof heaveR; the torrent td
~~~: sedition polled forwards to the gates of the
palace; and the empress, agitated by {ear or
remorse, threw herself at the feet of Arcadius,
and confessed., that the public safety could be
purchased only by the restoration of Chryso8tom. The Bosphorus was covered with inDomerablevesselR; the shores of Europe and Asia
were profusely illuminated; and the acclamations of a victorious people accompanied, from
the port to the cathedral, the triu~ph of the
archbishop; who, too easily, consented to r~
sume the exercise of his functions, before hi,
sentence had been, legally reversed by the authority of an ecclesiastical synod. Ignorant,
or careless, of the impeuding danger, Chrysostom indulged his zeal, or perhaps bis leseDt"
ment; declaimed with peculiar asperity against
• female vices; and condemned. t~e profane honouu which we:re addressed, almost in the
precincts of St. Sophia, to.:tlle statue of the empress. His imprudenee tempted his .enemies
to inflame the haughty spi.,it of Eudoxia, by
reporting, or perhaps inftntiag, the famous ex. ordium of a sermon, U Herodias'is again furi" OUS; Herodias again daDCes: she OBce more
I I requires the head of John;" an insolent anusion, which as a·WOUlan anda sovereign, it wu
impossible for her to forgive: The short interwere .Iod. The mauaere of the monb It obaeryed ooly by the papa
ZoaimuI, (I. y, p. 824), who acknowledge. that CbrYIOItom had a ....
,alar talE'ot to lead the Uliterate maltitude, '" 7"'C • -'c-ec .,..,.. WXa.
JI"'~.
'
• lee Socratea, I. vi; c. 18; SOIOIllftl I. YiiI, c. 20. Zo_o., (l. y...
1M,
_,...,..,e.,
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... T_
IlOIUJ(
403
EMPIRE.
_I' Cjf a perfidious traee was employed to c(;n-
ClH".
and tUin o(the ar,chbishop. A numerous counof tile eastern prelates, who were guided from
.. flistUilce by tile advice of Theopbilus;. con-·
AHned the validity; witholitoxaminiilg the justi~, of the fbrmer sentence; and a detachment
or ba.fba:ri1ul tr90ps was introduced into the
tit)" to suPlJtefts the ·emotions of the people.
On the vigil of Easter, the solemn administratiem of bsfrtism was rudely interrupted by the
nldiers, who alarmed the modesty of tile naked
eatecb1!tbeos, and violated, by their presence,
ilJe sMa' mysteries' of the Christian worship,
A-rsach'ls e.ccupied the church of St. Sophia;
and the arcbiepisc0J.1al throne. . The catbdlies
retreated to the baths 6f CtnrstanbMi andaf;.
ferwards to -the fields: where tile}' were still
pnrned and insulted by the guards, thebi~
shops, and the magistrates. The fatal flayoftke
seeend and tinal e~1e tJt Cwrysoe1!om ws8niar.
ed by tbe cOllfiag.ratioll of the cathedral, of the
senate-house, aifd of the adjacent kiklings ~
and this calamity was i:IBputed,. Without proof,
but not without probability, to the despair of
a persecated faction.'
Cicero might clailli some merit, if Iris veJuatary banishment· pt:eserved the peace of the re-
.
eert tngre effectual measures for the disgrace ,~~,~!~;. .
~n
aM, 11'1) mmtioDS, in general terms, hi. invectinl a,ainlt EudolUL
'!'be homil>i~ which begin. with thOle famoul words, i. rejected .a.
'pariou.. Moatfaacon, tom •. xiii, p. i5l. Tillemont, Mem. Ecclte.
tom. zi, p. 601.
"
.
; We mi,ht naturally expect lueb a charge (rom Zosimu~, (I. Y, Pat;); but it i. remarkable enough, fhat it should be comirDle4- b) lie.~t~J I. yi, t. IS, aDd the· Pa.chal Cbronicle, p. 307.
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404
THE DECLINE AND FALL
public;' but the submission of Chrysostom wu
indispensable duty of a Christian and a
Ellile of subject. Instead of listening to his humble
prayer, that he might be permitted to reside at
j~':' :004, Cyzicus, or Nicomedia, the inflexible empres~
. assigned for his exile the remote and desolate
town of Cucusus, among the ridges of Mount
Taurus, in the Lesser Armenia. A secret }:tope
was entertained, that the archbishop might
perish in a difficult and dangerous march of
seventy day!ll, in the heat of summer, throug~
the provinces of Asia Minor, where he was
continually thl'eatened by the hostile attacks oi
the Isaurians, and the JDore implacable fury of
the monks. Yet Chrysostom arrived in safety.
at the place of his confinement; and the thre..,
years, which he spent at Cucusus, and t~~
neighbouring town of Arabissus, were the last
and most glorious of his life. His character
was consecrated by absence and persecution;,
the faults of his administration were not longremembered; but every tongue repeated. the,
praises of his genius and virtue: and the reo;
spectful attenti'on. of the Christian world was;
fixed ~n ,a desert spot among the mountains of
Taurus. From that solitude, the'"a.rchbishop,
whose active mind was invigorated by misfor·tunes,maintained a strict and frequent corres-:
pond~nceh . with the most distant provinces;
CHAP.
..~~#~~;# the
:0;--
• He display. those Ipfcionl motiYea (Post Reditnm, ~.ll. 14)' ia the '
, JuJUale of an orator lind a politician.
11 Two hUDdrfd and forty. two of the .pllnea of Chryloltom are ,tin'
ntant, (Opera, t~m. iii, p. 528:786)., They are, addreued to a peat,
,
YUietJ
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•
'406
GP'THE ROHAN EMPIRE;
exhorted the separate cong~egati~n of hi~ faith~ ~~~ri;
luI adherents to persevere m theIr allegIance; ...~.,~,."
urged the' destruction of'the temples of Ph amicia, and the extirpation of heresy in the isle of
Cyprus; extended his pastoral' care to the missions of-Persia and Scythia; negotiated.; by his
ambassadors, w~th the Roman pontiff; 'and the
emperor Honorius; and boldly appealed, from
a partial synod; to the' supreme tribunal of a
free and general council. The mind of the il,Iustrious exile was still independent; but his
captive body.was exposed to the revenge of the,
oppressors; ',who continued to abuse'the name
and' authority of Areadius.i An o,rder was
despatched for the instant removal of Chrysostom to' the extreme desert of Pityu8: and his
guards so faithfully obeyed their cruel instructions, that, before he reached the sea-coast of
the Euxine, he expired at Com ami, In Pontns, Hi. dell~
in the sixtieth year of his age., The succeed- ~~;: ~~t
ing generation acknowledged his innocence and
merii. The archbishops of the' East, who might
blush that their predecessors had be~n the ene-:
mies of Chrysostom, were gradually disposeu,
variety ofpenilns, and shew,a firmness of mind, much snperior to that
of Cicero in hi. exile. The fonrteenth epi.tle contam. a CuriOUI narra.
tive of the danger. of his journey.
J After the exile of CbrYlostom, Tbeophilus published an eII/lnIIOIII and
luwrible volume againat him, in which be perpetually repeatl tbe polite
expressioDl of hOltem hum8l!itatis, sacrilegorum principem, immundum '
daemonem; he affirms, tbat John ChrY50stom bad delivered his loul to
be adulterated by the devil i and wishes tbat,aome farther punisbment.
adequate (if possible) to the magnitude of bia crimes, may be ,infticted
on him. St. Jerom, at 'the request of hi. friend Theophilll8, translated
thil edifying performance from Greek into Latin. See Facundus He....
..ian. Defena. pro iii, Capitulo I. vi, c:6, pgblliihed b'y Sil'moud. Opera.
tom. ii, p. 596. 6116, 6111.
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•
406
T8B PBCLINE AND FA\.J"
~R~~. by
tlae ArMna. ef the Roman pOftt~ to ",I~'"
the hOQeuF8 of ti"iat fl!lQM-a},!e na~.~ At tb,.
..--,.-"..
.c~ioi.tii$)8 tif t~ cle@lJY~.l pc.pl~
C1()@~~intiPtmw,
thirty yec'lJ!
.hwt
HI, reliea death, "tVere tranaportf!d fl'QIlt theil" <WEtQU!'ft ~
!d~;bor:: plilchre to tile royal eil,. el1be etnP"'O' Tbeo.}§XyHi.
~~~1::. ~:;:: ti::~~:lftiti r;:;;~te' ~:~:' til Cb~~
plored, in the name of his gaiH, parenta. AJOa«
diu. and Eudoxia, the forwivene$. 0{ tlte ~
§aint. 1II
TIe d'ililtb
Y tet rteasf&l¥IaYle douYt l%'~y 'be tetttttertaiMd"
:f,,~ca- whether aDY staiil of b.eredit~tery pilt te6.Q.ld
ii D. 408, derived from Arcaw118 ~ hilt S~o.eMQ', Eq·
a1 1,
dOtiia. tiiaS young aDQYealltifut wQman,.
pstetew?:1&te, tend ~tetp~tted
hul'
band:· ComltJoh?:;n e?:ij~yted, ctlt~@lftp tQef¥4Ci~"
confidence of the empffitS~ aad th~ pqWjc Q~
~d him as the real li).th~, o.f The~", *Qt,
pf " ~ Wd.f f!tK~li;epted,
It HAl o,.TIF.e "'Fa ,;;eerte", b" bis ,"cc4',~or Attic" in 2he A2:9ptiCi
of the chureb of Ccmataotiuople, .... D. 418. Ten
af'4'f._
W4', re"""ed ". a ,aiTIFt. Cr'il.er~ \'EI)~ri~d ~. IIf,_l:f,
t_o
passions, of II!!! nncle, Tbeoy:.hilul, yielded ",itb §uch rel""tan""
"ee y:.~CU'SFy:.. Hf'rml,?&C. }. hSF, Co
cL'iUeI&iiilf, "?:flR. Eccles. tGm.
277-283,
I ",,'2ra,f", I. vii, c. 45. Theodoret, I. v, c. 86. This enot reeoneiled the J"an,,£tea, reho h"d hl,?erf" ref,,§,d
aC?:SF,wlSFdge dil
ceuon. :Wiuring his lifetime, the JoanDitea were respected by tIte cat.Oo
tht tn,SF and orti.,.doSF eommnni,,, of zZonaZ,2DtiaSFpie, nd,
liea,
obsti~acy gr~t1ual1y drove thrm to ~e b~nk o~'atblam. "
at "ceonung
8"sse 8",'OUSF,e, <er?&Coo,SF" _TIF,;oal, ~1"rr. 4,
4.H..
No.9, 10), the emperor was forced to aeDd a lettel' of iayitatioa ...
"sCII''-. b,,?:rrre t:We b.-,±y ,,&, the e"re}§"oio". nh.t ce~d &,,,, mo"",d ",,""
Comaoa.
• ~"8i§.-s,
". p,2H5, Td" cb2fdlr, "fo r1Dp_ fl.ouM ...t
Impeached, without produciog a wi Delli bat it i, astOniabiDg, tltat"
gg,fieer,toc2, .h2f"lid }§,'3te s§d
III. ,fr "rifF,TIF, wd,.. ~ditim"e1
,,""'!L
"II,
iii",
Ii""
...
4()1
0' 'l'IIB ItOIlAN EIIPI1t&
Jaoweyer, by the pious husband, as an.event the ~~~ri
mOlt fortunate and honourable to hImself, to ._,....#_
his family, and to tbeeastem world: and the
royal infant, by an unprecedented favour, was
Inyested with the titles ofCmsar and Augustus.
In lea. than four years afterwards., Eudoxia, in
the bloom of youth~ was destroyed by the consequences of a miscarriage; Bnd this untimely
death confollDded the prophecyo:f a holy bishop: who, amrdst the universal joy, had ven.
tured to foretel, that ue should behold the long
and auspicious reign of her glorious son. The
catholics applau.ded the justice of heaven.
which avenged tbe persecution of St. Chrysostom; and perhaps the emperor was the only
person who sincerely bewailed the loss of the
haughty and rapacioU8 Eudoxia. Such a do.
.mestic misfortune Il,ftlicted Ajm more deeply
than the public calamities of the East ;'. the
licentious excursions from PdntU8 to Palestine,
ofthe !saurian robbers, whose impunity accused
the weakness of the government; and the earthquakes, the conflagrations, the famine, and the
flights of locusts,q which the popular discontent
dared to attacl. We mUit suppose that hi' hiIItory wu a party libel,
priyately read aud circulated by the papill. TillemoDt (Hilt. dea
Emperean, tom. "', p. 182) is Dot anne to brand the reputatioD of
Eudollia.
.
• Pwplayl'J of. Qua. . His zeal wu transported by thl! order whiela
he had obtained for the deatrDetioD of eight pagan temples of that city.
s.e the. carious detaill of his life, (BarouiUl, A. D. 401, No. 11-111),
oficiaally writteu in Greek, or perhapi in Syriac, by a moitk. OD6 ~
his favourite deacons.
• PhilOIterr. I. si, e. 8, and Godefroy, DiuertaL p. 461:
• Jerom (tom. ...1, p. 11, 16) dClCribea, ID linly coloun, the rep.
Ju aud destracti,e march of the IOCllltl, which .pread a dark cloud
.I.e..
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:f08
THB DECLINE AND PALL
<?HAP. was equally disposed to attribute to. the incapa;.
.~~.~;.. city of the monarch. At length, in the thigyfirst year of his age, after a reign (if we may
abuse that word) of thirteen years three months
and fifteen days, Arcadills expired in the palace
of Constantinople. It is impossible to delineate
his character, since, in a period very copiously
furnished with historical materials, it has not
been possible to remark one action that properthe son of the great Theodosius. :
ly belongs
HillapThe historian Procopius r bas indeed ilIuminpOledte
..
. d 0 f t he d'
'h a ray
tamlat.
ated" t he mm
ymg emperor. WIt
of human prudence~ or celestial wisdom. Arcadius considered, with anxious foresight, the
helpless condition of his son Theodosius, who
was no more than seven years of age, the .dangerous factions of a minority, and the aspiring
spirit of Jezdegerd, the Persian monarch. Instead of tempting the allegiance of an ambitious
subject, by the participation of supreme power,
he boldly appealed to the niagnanimity of a
king; 'and placed, by a solemn testament,.. the
sceptre of the Ea~t in t~e hands of Jezdegerd
himself. The royal guardian accepted and dis- .
charged this honourable trust with unexampled
fidelity; and .the infancy of Theodosius was
protected by the arms and councils of Persia.
Such is the singular narrative of Procopius;
to
between heaven and earth, over the land of Palestine. Spaaoaah1e
"(lids scattered them, partly into the I>ead Sea, and partly into tile
Mediterranean.
, Proeopiul, de Bell. Persico i. I, c. 2, p. lI, edit. Louvre•.
---
"09
Of'THE ROMAN EMPiRE.
and hi! veracity is ~oi disputed by Agathias,'· CHAP.
while he presumes to dil!!sent froID his judgment, ..~':~~!:..
and to arraign the wisdom of a Christian emperor, who so rashly, though so fortunately,
committed his son and his dominions to the unknown faith of a stranger, a rival, and a heath~n.. At the distance of one hundred and fifty
years, this political question might be debated
in the court of Justinian; but a prudent historian will refu~e to examine the propriety, till he
has ascertained' the trutlt, of the testament of
Arcadius. As it stands without a parallel in
the history of the world, we may justly require,.
that it should be attested' by the positive and
unanimous evidence of contemporaries. The
stra~ge novelty of the event, which excites our
distrust, must have attracted their notice; and
their universal silence annihilates the vain tradition of the succeeding age.
The maxims of Roman j.urisprudence, if they Admini••
could be fairly transferred from private property ~~!i~; o(
to public dominion, would have adjudged to the ~i,:' 401:1emperor Honorius the guardianship of his n~ 416.'
phew, till he had attained, at least, the fourteenth year of his age. But the weakness of
Honorius, and the calamities of his reign, disqualified hini froID prosecuting this natural
claim; and such was the absolute separation of .
• Apthia., I. \". p. 1S6, 11'1. Although he confeuea the prevalence
of the tradition, he _erta that Prllcopioa tvU the fint who had committtd it to writiug. Tillemoot, (Hiat. de. Emperean, tom. v, p. 691)
.rguea very se.. :ibly on the merita o(this (able. Hiacriticism tvU not
warped by any eccleaiutical authority.: both Procopio. aod Agathia.
lie half paeaol. .
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410
TRB DECUNK AND FALL
the two monarchies, both in interest and affee.
_~.: tion, that Constantinople would have obeyed.
with less reluctance, the orders of the Persian.
than tl10se ofthe Italian, court. Under a prince"
whose weakness is disguised by the external
aigns of manhood and discretion, tlle most
worthless fa'Yourites may secretly d~pute the
empire of the palace; and dictate to submissive
provinces the commands of a master, whom
they di.red and despise. But the ministers. of
a child, who is incapable of arming them with
the sanction of the royal name, must acquire
and exercise an independent authorill. The
great officers of the state and army, whQ had
been appointed before the .death of Arcadius.
formed an a.ristocracy, which might have inspired them with the idea of a free republic;
and the government of the eastern empire was
fortunately ·assumed by the prefect Anthemius,t
who obtained" by his superior abilities" a last.
ing ascendant over the minds of his equals.
The ~afety. of the young emper()f. proved the
merit and integrity of Anthemius: and his prudent firmness sustained the force and repntation of an infant reign. Uldin, with a formidable
host of barbarians, was encamped in the heart
of Thrace: he proudly rejected all terms of accommodation; and pointing to the asing SUD.
declared to the Roman ambassadors, that
• Socratel, 1. .ii, c. I. Aotbemiaa _ the ",Woe of Pbilip, p. .
CHAP.
01 the ministl'n.of C08ltaatial, aDd the graildfadter ·of the .......
.lotbelllias. After bis· retum from the Peniu rJJlbua),. b. _ .,.
polDwd COUIUJ and prl'aoriao prc.HIlt. of the East, in tbe year '05 .....
heJd tbe pnfecture about tea yean. See hia hoooun. aDd praiMI ..
Go.lefroy, Cod. Theod.· tODl yi, p. 3110. TiJJemoat, Hilt. do . . .
IIODl. wi, p. 1, ~c.
•
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41\
the ~ourse 01 that planet should alone tenni· CHAP.
.
XXXIL
Date the conquests
of the Huns. But the de- _,_,,_
sartion of his confederates, who were privately
convinced of the justice and liberality of the
i:nperial ministers, obliged Uldin to repass the
Danube: the tribe' of the Scyrri, whieh composed his rear-guard,. was almolt extirpated ;
and many thousand captives were dilpersed
to cultivate, with servile labour, the fields 01
Asia.- In the midst of the public triumph Constantinople was protected by a strong inclosure
of new and mwe extensive walls; the same vigilant care was applied to restore the fortifications of the IIlymn cities; and a pla:n was judiciously conceived, which, in the space of .even
years, would bave secured the command of
the Danube, by establicshing on that river a perp6tual iteet of two hundred and fifty armed
Tessels.1I
But tlle Romans lIad so long been accustom- Character
1..._ •
Indadmie d tf) t he' autnonty
01 a monaFCh,that the first, ni.t~tioD
even amoDgl the fetnaJes, or the imperial family, :t~:':
whodilplayed anycoura.ge or capacity, was per- ~t
mitted to ascend the vacant throae of Theodo- .
8i~s. His '8ist~r Pulcheria,'I who was only two
years older than himself, received, at the age of
sixteeD, the title of A.guM; and though her
,,'-
II . .1IOIIl...... ill. o. If. B. laW 1081. Se,1')'I at 'Work ..... Moant
(\I,.po,. ia Bilb)!Qia. . . clleriJbecl tlte Yaia IIope that ~ eaptivte
....,e the ... of tile ..d_
.
z Cod. Th~od. I. vii. tit. lIYil; l. 1Iv. tit. i.
e.
, SQzolllee b.... filh'd thfte obaptcra. wil.h • mlcnifice.nt putl.,ric of
Pnklvri.. (I. ~. c. I., ~. 8); aDd TiUemont (MCIIDOir•• Bee.... to.... "y.
p. 111·18.&' baa dl:di('atcd a aeparate article to tbe bOUQur oUt.......
cheriD) 'irein and clllprcu.
Ie,.
412
THE DECLINE AND PALL
CHAP. favoui-might be sometimes clouded by caprice or'
.
th e east ern
",XXXII...
.." ........ mtrlgue, 8 he con t'mued . t 0 govern
empire near f01'ty years; during the long minority °of her brother, and, after his death, in her
own name, abd in the name of Marcian, her nominal husband. From a motive, either of prudence, or religion, she embraced a life of cele-o
bacy; and notwithstanding some aspersions on°
the chastity of Pulcheria: this resolution~ which
she communicated to her sisters Arcadia and
Marina, was celebrated by the t;hristian world,.
~ the sublime effort of heroic piety.. In the presence of the clergy and people, the three daugh-o
ters of Arcadius· dedicated their virginity to
God; and the obligation of their solemn vow
was inscribed on a tablet of gold and gems;
which they publicly offered in the great church
of Constantinople. Their palacze was converted into a monastery; and all males, except the
guides of their conscience; the saints who had
~ forgotten the distinction of sexes, were scrupulously excluded from the holy threshold. Pulcheria, her two sisters, and a chosen train of
favourite damsels, formed a religious community: they renounced the vanity_ of dress,; interrupted, by frequent fasts, their simple and
frugal diet.; allotted °a portion of their time to
• Soidu (Ellocerpta, p. 68, in Script. Byant., pretenda ou the cffilit
of the Neatorian., that Pulcheria wu esasperated against their foander,
because he ceuIlIred her connectipn with the beaatiful Paalin.., and
ber incest with her brother 'l'beodosial.
• See Durange, Famil. Byaantin. p. 10. FlacciDa, the eJdt:.t daughter, either died before A.rcadiuI, or, if lAen,ed till tbe year 411, (Marcellin. Chroil.) lome defect of mind or body mult bave excloded Mr
from the bonoor. of her rank.
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41;1...
OP THE ROMAN EMPIU..
'Works. of 'embroidery; and devoted -several. ~~rJ.
hours of the day and night to the exercises of....,...,..;..
prayer and psalmody. The piety of a Christian virgin was adornecl by the zeal and libera-.
lity of an empress.' Ecclesiastical history ,de-,
scribes the splendid churches, which were built
at the expence of'Pulcheria, in all the provinces
of the East; her charitable foundations for the
benefit of strangers and the poor; the ample.
donations which sh~ assigned for the perpetual.
maintenl:1nce of monastic.societies; .and the active severity with which she laboured to suppress the opposite heresies of Nestorius and
Eutyches. Such virtues-'were supposed to de-.
serve the peculiar favour of the Deity: and the.
relics of martyr&, as well as the knowledge of.
future events, were communicated in visions
and revelations to the 'imperial saint.. Yet the
devotion of Pulcheria never diverted her inde-·
fatigable attention from temporal affairs; and.
she alone, among all the' descendants of the.
great Theodosius;appears to have inherited any
sbare of his manly spirit and abilities. The ele-gant and familiar· use wtich she had acquired, .
both of the Greek and Latin languages, was·
readily appl.ied to the various occasions of speak-·
b She was admoniahed, by repeated dreams, of the place where the .
relics of the forty lIlartyn had been buried. The ground' had IlIe- .
cellivHy belonged to the. Irouse and garden of a woman of Constanti- ,
Dople, to a monastery of Macedonian monks, and to a church of St.
Thynus, ereetea by Cmsarins, who was c.onsul A. D. 397; and the
memoty of the relies was almost obliterated. Notwithatandi~ the .
charitable wishes of Dr· Jortin, (Remarks, tom. iv, p. 234). it i. Dot.
e\lJIy to acquit Pulcberia of lome .hare in the pioua fraud; which must
lIave been (l1Iusacteo! when abe was more tJian -five: lind thirty yean .
• fal'.
.
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".,
. , . DBCLIJI& UD .AUo
CRAP. ing, Gr writmg, on public busineel-; her delilJe.
_~:X:, ration. were maturely weighed; her act. . .
were prompt aad decisive; -aad, while .sbe
moved without noise or oBtentatioil the wheel
of go.,ernment, she discr.eetly attrih1lted to the
genius of tbe emperor, tile Ing traaquiUity of
hi. reign. . In the last yean of lriltpeacefullife,
Eur. waa iDcIeed aftlicted by the atm8 of
AttHa; but the m&te -exte.five- proviDoea 6f
Asia stUl conbDUed to enjoy a ptofOUDd and
permanent -repese. 'I'huGo_s tee ~
was n"er reduCdl to t1le ..tisgr8lCtlul necessity
rJf eacounuring .d pmKshing & rebellioUs subject: and since W6 C&lfDOt applaud the Yigour,
some praise may be due- to tbe inihlnes8, and
prosperity, of the- administration of Pulcheria.
Edn"atioD
The Roman world was deeply interested in
udc-.hath
. 0 f"Its master. A reguIar course
rac~r of
e ed ucatJOn
~.:.-::~ of study and exercise was judiciously institu,.oalller. ted;; of the military exercises of riding, and
shooting with the bow; of the liberal -studies
of gJ'amtnar, rhetoric, and philosophy: the most
skilful masters of the East atnbitieusly solicited the attention of their royal pupil; and several .noble youths were introduced into the
paJaee, to animate his diligence by the emul...
t~oP: of friendship~ Pulcheria alone discharged
the important task or instructing her brother in
the arts of government; but het precepts may
countenance some suspicion of the extent of
her capacity, Or of the purity of ber intentions•.
Sbe taught him to maintain a grave and majestic deportment; to walk, to hold bis robes, to
seat himself on his throne, in a manner worthy
416
01' THE 1l0llttlf DIPIRR.
of a great prince; to abstain from laugbter; to CHAP.
. ble ••XXXII.
· t en WI·th COil'd escens•.~
IJS
,.; to return sUlta
,..,...~
answers; to- assume, b.y turns, a serious or a
placi(1 countenance; in a w()rd, to represent
with grace and dignity .the extemal figure of a
R.oman emperor. But Theodosinsc was never,
excited to support the weight and glOl·y of all
illustrious name; and instead of aspiring to imitate his ancestors, he degenerated (if we may
presllme to measure tbe degrees of incapacity)
below the weakness of bis father and his unde.
Arcadius and HonOl·ius had been assisted by the
guardian care of a parent, whose lessons were
enforced by his authority, and example. But the
uufortunate prince, who is born in the purple,
must remain a stranger to the voice of truth;
and the SOil of Arcadius was condemned to pass
bis perpetual infancy, enc~mpassed only by a
sel·vile train of women and eunuchs. Tbe ample
leisure, whicb be acquired by neglecting tbe eslrentialdnties 'of his bigh office, was filled by idle
amusemetrts,and unprofitable studies. Hunting
was the only active pursuit that could tempt him
beyond the limits of the palace; but he most
assiduously laboured, sometimes by the light ot
• There i•• remarkable dift'erence between the two ecclesiutical
lalstoriana, who in leneral bear 10 dole. reaemblance. SoZODlell (I. i~
c. 1) ueriba to Pnleheria the pvernment of the empire, ad the
~dlleation of her brother; whom he acareely condescends to pralle.
Socrates, tholllh he at'eetedly dilclaima all hopes of favour or
compOiel a elaborate pUleuric oa the _peror, anel ea.tiouly 11Ippreues the lIIerita of his .ister, (I. vii, c. 22, -12). Phlloaturgin. (L Kii,
Co 7) expretlea the inftuence of Pulcheria in I('DUe and cOllrtly I _
JUle,94IC S...1l1II4IC ....,.~ ........"""' ... -.fu..... Suld.. (EKcerpt.
p. 51) ,inl • true character of TbeodoaiuI; Ind I han followed tbe
~lUUIIple of Tillemont (to... vi, p. ~) ia borrowin,lOme .troke. (roM
dae mocIem. Greeks.
f_.
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· "16
THE DECLIlIE AND J'ALL
a midnight lamp, in the mechanic occupationso(
••
.
.
'an
d the e Iegance
'
. h.
pamtmg
and .carvmg.;
Wit
which he transcribed religious books, entitled
the Roman emperor to the singular epithet of
Calligrapkes, or a fair writer; Separated from
the world by an impenetrable veil, Theodosius
trusted the persons whom he loved; he loved
those who were accustomed to amuse and flatter
his indolence; and as he never perused the pa:pers that were presented for the royal signature,
the acts of injustice the most repugnant to his
'character, were frequently perpetrated in his
name. The emperor himself was chaste, temperate, liberal, and merciful; but these qllalities, which can only deserve the name of virtues, when they a~e supported by courage, and
regulated hy discretion, were seldom beneficial,
and they 80metimes proved mischievous, to
mankind. His mind, enervated 'by a royal education, was oppressed and degraded by abject
superstition: he fasted, he sung psalms, he
blindly accepted the miracles and doctrines,
, with which his faith was continually nourished;
Tlteodosius devoutly worshipped the dead and
living saints of the c~tholic church; and he once
'refused to eat, till an insolent monk, who had
cast an excommunication on his sovereign, condescended to heal the spiritual wound which he
had inflicted."
The story of a fair and virtuous maiden, exalted from a private condition to the imverial
CHAP.
XXXIL
"~"~I~ ... ,.
« Tlleodoret, I. v, c. ST. Tile bishop of Cyrrhus, ODe oftbe Ilrstml'll
ef his ap for his learning aDd piety, applauds the obediellce of'fheodosiu. to the diviDe lawi.
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417
m' 'nit ROMAN EMl'14!.
th~ne, might
be deemed an incredible romance, CJlAtt.
it such a romance had not been verified in the
XXX1~
maniage of-Theodosius. The celebrated Athe. '~;~:
nais· was educated by her father Leontius iIi
the religion and sciences of the Greeks; and so 'ofthe;.m~dvantageous was the opinion which the Atlie.. ~::i:, u, nian philosopher entertained of his contempo- :OO~'. 421.'
'aries, that he divided his patrimony between
Iris two sons, beq ueathing to his daughter a
Birrell legacy of one hundred pieces of gold, in
the: liveiy conti~nce that her beauty and merit
"'Otild be a sufficient portion. The jealousy and
avarice of hel" brothers Boon compelled Athena's 'to s'eek a refuge at Constantinople; and,
with some hopes, either of justice' or lavour, to
throw herself at
feet of Pulcheria. That
lagctcious princess listened to her eloquent comp)amt; and secretly desthied the daughter of
the philosopher Leontius for the future wife of
the emperor of the East, who had now attainoo
the twentieth year of his age. She easily excited the curiosity of her brother, by an interestillg picture of the charms or,4thenais; large
eyest a well-propo:rtioned nose, a fair complex.
::!t::;.
the
• Soeratea, (I. Yii, c. ~l) meDtioDi ber Dame, (AtheDais the daughter ., Leo.tiul, aD AtileD.... sophlat), her .pa.m, marriage, aud
pOftical ,eWuI. ~e mut ancieat accotUlt of' her blatory i. in Jou
~alala, (part ii, p. 20, :tI, edit. Vmet. 1'1(1), aDd ill the Paachal
CftrlMticle, (p. au, Ill). 'l1IOR a.tlaon IiatI prebally IMIl origiDal
piclurea ,of tile empreli ElldOcia. The mo4era Greek., Zonaras, ~
drenu8. &c. han displayed, the love" rather than the talent, of fictieu. From NiC:l'pboml, indeed, I haVe veDtured to a88iJme her age.
Th" writ!'r of' a i'omance would not han imo;wd.lhllt Athenaili WBI
near twenty-eight yeara old when abe inflamed the heart of a youn,
emperor.
'
'
VOL~
v.
E
e
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'lrB& :'lr'lr'lrLlN'lr 'lrJAD 'lr,J%;LL
ion, golden lock8, a slender person, a graceful
.::,,=~# PiCme'lr:'lr,J%;ur, iCn
impiCovep by
8tudy, and a virtue tried by distress.
iC<J'lrceal%::d biChind curtain in the apart.
his JllJter, llJaS
to
the
Athenian virgin: the modest youth immediatedecIJJed hi%:: pUJJ and hono'lr%::abIJ IJve iCud
the royal nuptials were celebrated amidst the
iCJclamJtion%:: fpf
~apital amI thiC
Athenai8, who was easily persuaded to renounce
en4)fS ot pagaJifm,
at
baptism
the Christian~name ofEuPocia; hut
Pulcheria withheld the:title of Augusta, till the
mife
Th);'lrPoshif haP 'lrppJf:G'lred
frPitfulness by the birth of a daughter, who espoused,
th~; iCmpiCJ'lrr
the
West. The brothers of Eudocia obeyed, with
%::'lrme
heJ impJJial %::m:G:llmi~im;
as
she could easily forgive their fortunate unindidged the te'lrdern'lrJ%::, OJ perhaps
vaHPY,
sistiCiC, by proHll(Dting them
to the rank of consuls and· prefects. In the
hrrXUfh of
paliCJiC,
stiU iCulti'lriCted those
ingenious arts,' which had contributed to hel:
CCl.t.H%::RRtI;
Wi%::2£;ly
taleiitf to
the honour of religion, and of her husband.
.
a ps:.¥JticaJ h%::raph%::ase the
first eight books of the bild Testament, and of
the
Rff Daniel and Zachariah; a
;:~:nto
JiCrSef RJf H'lr:G:ner, ffBplied to
life
. and miracles of Christ, the legend of St. CyIjf~ian, %::nd
panehhric
the Persis:.m vict.'lrriea
of Theodosius: and her writings, which were
CHAP.
419.
OP TIm'ROIIAN"DIPIRL:'
al'P)auded by a servile and superstitious age. ~~~~r.:,
have 110t been disdained by the candour of·im- ;..n".... : ..
partial criticislD.f . The fondness of the emperor·
was not abated by time and possession; and.
Eudocia, after the marriage of her daughter"
'Was permitted ·to discharge her grateful vows.
by a solemn pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Her os-·
tentatious progress through the East may seem:
inconsistent with the spillit of Christian humiJi-,
ty: she pronounced, from a thron~ of gold and
gems, an eloquent oration to the senate of Antioch, declared her royal intention of enlarging·
the walls of the city, bestowed a donative of two'
hundred 'pounds of gold to restore the. public.
baths, and accepted the statues, which were decreed by the gratitude of Antioch. In the Holyr
Land, her alms and pious foundations exceeded.
the munificence of the great Helena; and though
the public treasure might be impoverished by .
this excessive liberality, she enjoyed the con-',
scious satisfaction of returning to ConstantinopIe, with the chains of St. Peter, the rightarm
of St. Stephen, and an undoubted picture of.
the Virgin, painted by St. Luke.- But this
pilgrimage was the fatal term of the glories of
Eudocia. . Satiated witheoipty pomp, and un- .
I
0
I
, Soeratel. I. yii. e. 21.
Photiu•• p. 413-420. The Homeric ceoto'
II .tiIl utaDt, ad hu been repeatedly printed. but the claim of Eudocia to that iDlipid performaDce is disputed by. the critic•• See FabriciDi.
1_.
a milcellaneouli dictionary'
BibDoth. GlIl'lc. tom. i. p. 361. The
of w.tory and (able. wu compiled by aoother emprea. of the Dame of
Eudocia, who Dyed iD the elevenlh century j and the work I. atill ex....t in manuleript.
o • Baroaiul (Annal. Ecelel. A. D. 438, 439) is copious a!ld florid; but
lie is acc~ of plaCiD, thllivel of dif'ereDt a,eI on tbe _ e Ic:vel of
. . tlaenticlty.
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pethap" other obliptions.t~ Pulchoria, she ambitiously aspired to thQ government
of the ea.sterll empire; the palace was dilJ~cttd .
by female discOFd; but tbe victory W,"S at last
decided, by the superior aaeendant Qf tbe sister
of Theodolius. The execution of pa.ulinus•.
master ef the offices, and tbe di."ce of Cyr~uJ,
·CRAP. . . . .dfal,
.:r:.
~~
pretoria.n prefect of the East, conviaced the
pN.lie that the fayour of Etldo~ ,ras insuBi~
ciMt to protect her mOBt f~itbpd friends; a~d
the ullcommon benty of PauliPWl, ~mc~u
r.d the secret rumour, th_* hi. ~i)t was
that of a successful lover." As ~on 8S. thQ
empress pereeived tIlat Ute aW~tion of Th~
doiiDS was irietrievalal, last, .he reqq~ted ~
perridslion of retiring to the _~t ·lfOlitude of
Jerusalem. She obtained her "E!qu~t i but the
jealousy of Theodosiu, or the viA"ictivft .pirit
of Puleheria, parsued hQr in bQr last r~tr~ ~
and SatuminuI, count of the dOJMstic82 was
directed to punish with death_," ~«:J~iastics,
her most, favoured sefYallia. &doei.. i"'~tl,
revenged them by tile BlsalsiaatiQu ofthttCQU1It;
the furious palaidna, whicb she in~ul~~(1 on
this suspicious oecasicD, leemed to justify. the
severity ofTheodo,iul; and the emprefilili ipominiously stript of the honours ofherrank,t was
II 10 this Ihort .iew of the cIiIgrace of Eudocia, I haft iIrlitaUcl die
cantlon of Evagrilll, (I. i, c. 21), and count MareelUlIIIII, (ip eaar... A. a.
440 and 444). The two anthelltie datea Illlip.eI by the latter, ......
turn a great part of the Greek fictionl; 'aBd the celebrated ~ til
tile epple, &c. is fit only for the Arabian Nichta, where IOme&bial DG&
very unlike it may be foulld ••
, Pri.cuI, (in Jb:cerpt. ugat. p. 69), a contemporary, alld a HlII'tier,
dryly ml'ntioDs ber pagan anel Chri,tian li8liiii, wi~out
title of honour or relpeet.
14-''',
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"S'"
OP'DI£ a61fAN.......,. . '
,
diMiraced, perb.atts-UQjllstly~ 10 the 'eyes· of the ~~~rj
world. The remeinder of the life of Eudocia, ",ron.':. aboftt sixteen years, was spent in exile and devotion; atld the approach of age, the death of
Theodosius, the misfortunes of her only daughter, who was led a captive from Rome to Carthage, and the society of the hoI y monks of Paleatine, insensibly confirmed the religious tewper of bel' mind. M~ a. (ull experience of the
vicissitudes of human life, the daughter of the
pbilosopber Leontiua expired. at Jerusalem, in
the sixty-aetenth year of ber age; protesting.
with bu dyift§ breath, that she had Qever trans- .
greased tke bound$ of iBoooence and. friendship}"
The gentle-wind of Thctodoaius was never in- ~e Perftamed by the aotbitiQU of CQIlqueBt, or military ~~~~:L
reDown; and the slight alarm af a Persian war
searcelyinterrupted the tranquillityoftbeEae;t.,
The motiv.. of this war were just and honourable. In the laat year of the Feign of Jezdegerd, .be suppoaed guardian of 1'heodosius,a
bieb$p, who aspi.-ed to the crown of martyr-'
dOQ), destreyed ~ of th, fi.r&-tQU)ples of Susa.1
Ii Por the hH pUpilll8let of Radoela, ad her loDe 1'e41'" at
...'dnQtioJr, ....., Int. ieeS...... (L .0, Co '1), IWIE,.
(l, i, c. JO. 11, lit). The Paac:hal CbroDicle ~a1 lometime. de·Ilene reprd; IDd, ID the domestic blatory of ADtloeIIi, Jolla Maida'
1IecQa. a writer of pOd authority. 'ft. AbW G~t ia allle8llli&'
011 tile fertility of PaiestiDe, of which I have only BeeD ID estraet, calculate. the aifta of Eudocia at 10,488 ponG of gold, abo.. 800,-'
poaa• •terllar.
I Theocloret, I. Y, e. '9.
'1'iIICIIlODt, Hem. Eccles. tom. D, po
S50-lM. AHeiDlDDi, Bibliot. Orieotal. tom. Iii, p. 198; tom. iy. p
Gl. Thecaoret blames the raaluaenof AWa,.ut extotathe CGllltImq
.f hi. martyrdom. Yet I do Dot clearly uudentaDd the caui.try
.laieb prohibita our repalriDc the, d~ wbicb
.ye ualawfully
MlllllJit.....
~
pi.,
-
,
-
.e
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4't
THE D20LINE AJO)'I'ALL' ,
CHAP. His zeal and obstinacy were' reven~edon hie:;
"'~~~!;.. brethren: the Magi excited a cruel persecu.
tion; and the intolerant zeal of Jezdegerd was '
imitated by his son Vararanes, or Bahram, who
800n afterwards ascended the throne. Some
Christian fugitives, who escaped to the Roman
frontier, were sternly demanded, and generously refused; and the refusal, aggravated by CQm. t
mercial disputes, soon kindled a war 'between
the rival monarchies. The mountains of Armenia, and the plains of Mesopotamia,wl"re filled
with hostile armies; but the operations of two
successive campaigns
not' productive of!
any decisive or memorable events.· Some en- ' '
gagements were fought, some towns were ~
sieged, with various and doubtful success; and,
if the Romans failed in their attempt to recover;
the long-lost possession of· Nisibis, the Per-'
sians were repulsed'from the walls of a Mesopotamian city, by the valour of a martial bishop, who pointed his thundering engine, in the
name of St~ Thomas the apostle. Yet the.splendid victories, which the incredible speed of the'
messenrer Palladius repeatedly announced to
the palace of Constantinople, were celebrated,
with festivals and panegyrics. From these
panegyrics the historians· of the .age might
borrow. their extraordinary, and, perhaps, fabu-'
lous, tales; of the proud challenge of a Persian,
hero, who was entangled by the net, and despatched by the sword, of Areobindus the Goth;
were·
• Socratel '(I. Yii t e. 18; 19, 20, 11) is the beat author (or the PaN_
war. We may likewile eODsult the th~ChrODiela, the PuoIW,thOle of MaroelliDu. aDd Halala.
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or
THE KOMAN DlPIIt&
of the ten thousand Immortals, who were slain i~~
in the attack of the Roman camp; and of the •__,.~
hundred thousand Arabs, or Saracens, who
were impelled by a panic terror to throw themselves headlong into the' Euphrates. Such
.events may be disbelieved, or disrelarded; but
the, charity of a bishop, Acacius of Amida,
whose name might have dignified, the saintly
calendar, shall not be lost in oblivion. Boldly
declaring that vases of gold and silver are useless to a' god who neither eats nor drinks, the
generous prelate sold the plate of the church of
Amida; employed the price in the redemption
of seven thousand Persian. captives; liIupplied
their wants with affectionate liberality.;. and
dismissed them to their native country, to infQrm
the 'king of the true spirit of the religion which
he persecuted. The practice of benevolence in
the .midst of war must always tend to, assuage
the animosity of contending nations; and I wish
to persuade .myself, that Acacius _contributed
to the'restoration of 'peace•. In the conference
which was held on the limits of the two empires, the Roman ambassadors degraded the
personal character of their sovereign, by a vain
attempt to magnify the extent of his power;
when they seriously advised the Persians to
prevent, by a timely accommodation, the wrath
of a monarch, who was yet ignorant of this distant war. A truce of one hundred years was
solemnly ratified; and, although the revolutions
of Armenia might threaten the public tranquillity, the essential conditions of this treaty were .
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4...
TIIB 'nlCLlNK AND FALL
respected near fourscore years by the SlIcces.
iors of Constantine and Artaxerxes.
;::;.... Binee the Roman and Parthian standards first
:~~::D encountered on the banks of the Euphrates, .the
=::::cl kingdom ofAnnenia- was ctlternately oppressed
the Ro. by its formidable protectors; . and, in the course
~.a:·4Jl. of·this History, several events, which inclined
MO.
the balance of peace and war, have been al...
ready related. A disgraceful' treaty had resigned Armenia to the ambition of Sapor; and the
ftCale of Persia appeared to preponderate. But
the royal race of Ars8ces impatiently submitted
to the bouse of SasaH; the turb1dent Bobles
asserted, or betrayed, their hereditary iJuHpen. deBCe; and the nation was. still attached to the
Clristi_ princes of· CoostsntiAOpier In the
begiltlliog of the ,fifth centllry, Awmenia was iiiYided by the progress mway and..fadioa;" ._
the ·unnatural division precipitated t.lae downfal
of that aBCient meDatChy. €bo.....;, the.Pe..
Man. vassal, ~ over ahe -s:tem and, IIIOIC
eX-'8ive
of tile. country; .trite the
CRAP.
,XXXII,
·pom.
• Thi. account of the roin and divilion of the kingdom.of Annel\ia
it takes fnnD the tlrircl hook .f. die A_nlan idltory oflloaea,ef a...
i'eIIe. J)e&ien& u he ia ia avery .qbalificWD of .. 100cl biatoriaa. laia
local infol'llJation, his pauions, and bia prejlldicea, are strongly espresai.e of a native and eoatemporary. Procopia. (de Edi8eiM, 1. :aiti, c.
i. _).Nla. the .lDle r.eU ia a MrI dit'er••t.lDlIIIlNlf; bot I haft 0-
tracted the circ1llDltancea the most probable in theDRelvea, and the
least incon.idem with Mosea'of OJoreae.
. • Tba ".sb!m .Annean- DIed the Greek IaJ!cuaIe aa. daarac&en
in their religion. offices; bot the nae of that hostile t(mpe was prohibited by the PersiaDs in the ea. tern provinces, which were obligt'd •
••e the SyriltC, till the m,enUon of the Aormeulan lette" Ity JI-Ites.
ia tbe beginning of the fifth. century, and the su baeqllent nrsion of 11M
. bible into the Armenian luguage; an enllt wlaleb reluecl the eaDeCtioD ~.the ClalllClL and aaticl.,witll Oelllta.lltillople.
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OF T~ ROlrf~N.~:eJAlE.
,~~P
_1f~ste~ proviDcea~kn~wl~~gecl thej,uril\<lic~9.p .~;~rj.
of Arsaces., and tl;te s~v.r~,ma,~y, of th,e ~~pe!9,r u,...,.,..
Arcadiu~.
4(~er the. de.~th of l\.-saces, ,t.qe
.
,Ro~an8 su.ppreE!sed tl;te, r~gal government, an~
impose,d 9n their aIJ~e~ t4~ con<lition of ~ubjec;:ts.
,The inilitary c~m~aDdw~s delegated to the
count of tl;te .Armeni~n .' (r9n~ier; th~ City of
.1'heodosiopolis P .w~s }l~~t and fortified in a
.strong situation,. on a. (~riile and lof~y ground,
near fi,le sour~es. of the Eup~r~tes, Urnd the/de. . ,pen4~n~ ~err~tOlies w'er~ rule4 by five satraps,
.wl;tose ~ignitY'was marlt~d l?! a p~culiar habit
.()f gold a~cl purple. . Th~ 'lesl\ gQft~~a~e no'~les,
.who la~e~te<l the .Qs~: 9:{ ~p~i~ ~.ipg, Ur~4 e~yied
·th~ ,honQuJ,'& pf their eqq~!~, W~~~ P.TPf9.ked to
.p~oti~te ~9~jr p~ac;:e :~Q4 p.~r.4pp ,\1t ~~e :rer~
~i~ cQ\lJ:t; and ret~rnil.lg.:wij:hJ~~i~·foHowerl!!,
to t.he .palar.e of A~tax3:ta, acIql~wl~g~q Chos.rq~s fQr'thElir JawfuJ sOY~I:~lgn. Jj\bo~t thir~y
fears after~~l'ds, Ar~aliires, t~~'Dephew and
•$~ccessor of Chosroes, fell under the displeasure
.of the 4aughty and capricious nobles of Armenia; and ~ey un~njmpus'y de~4'ed a Persian
goveI:nor in the rQom of aD unwortJty king. The
answer of the archbishop Isaac, whose sanction
they ear~estly soljcited, is expressive of' the
character of a superstitious people. He deplored the manifejJt and inexcusable vices, of ArtalIiref!!; and declared, that he shotlld not hesitate
• MOtel ChoreD. L iii, Co 69, p. BOO ud p. 368. Proeopiu, de
Ed1ficii., I. iii, c. II. TheodOliopolia atucla, or rather atood, .....t
thirty.fiye mUea to the eut of Arzeroum, the modena capital ef
Turkish Armew.. See d'Auville, Geo....phie ADcieDUe, tom. ii, p.
00,100•
. VOL. V. -
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••
THB DRCLIlQ AKD PALL
CIIAP. to accuse him before the tribunal of a Chri..
XXXII..
' hWit
' hout de_.
__ tian emperor, W h0 'Would PUntS
stroying, the sinner. "Our king," 'continued
Isaac, "is too much addicted to licentious
"pleasures, but he has been purified in' the
" holy waters of baptism. He is a 'lover' of :
" women, but he does not adore the fire or the
"elements. He may deserve the reproach of
" lewdness, but he is an undoubted catholic;
" and his faith is pure, though his manners are
"ftagiti~us. I will never consent to abandon
" my sheep to the rage of de~ouring~olves; and
" you would soon repent your rash exchange of
" the infirmities of a believer, for the specious
" virtues of an heathen."q Exasperated by the
firmness of Isaac, the factious nobles accused
both the, king and the archbishop as th~
adherents oftheemperor: and absurdly rejoiced
in the sentence of condemnation, which, aftera
partial hearing, 'Was solemnly pronounced by
Bahram himself. The descendants of Arsaces
were degraded from the l'oyal dignity,r which
they had possessed above five hundred and sixty
years;' and the dominions of the unfortunate
-secret
• MOleS Choren. I. ill, c. 63, .p. a16. According to the iutitutiaa
of St. Gregory the apOitie of Armenia, the archbishop ...
01
tbe royal family; a circamatance whicb, in aome degree. cerreeted tile
inSuence of the aacerdotal cbaracter, and united tbe mitre witb tile
crown.
• A brancb of tbe royal bOllle of Anacea ,tiD lablistecl with tile nDk
and po_iolll (ult aboald,'~m) of Armen~ aatrapa. See _ _
Cborea. I. iii, c. 66, p. 01•
. • Valanacel wu appointed kiag of Armenia byhia brotherthel'lrthian moaarch, immediately after the defeat of Antioellu Sideia (K_
Choren. I~ ii, c. 2, p. 86), one hundred and thirty yean before QuilL
Witbout depeDdinc on the ,.riou aDd contradictory periodl of ...
aI_,.
'ftiP.'
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417
01' TBa BOIWI DPIU.
Artasires, under the·new and signiacant appel- CRAP.
lation of Persarmenia, were reduced into the XXXII.
form of a province. This usurpation excited
the jealousy of the Roman government; but
the rising disputes were soon terminated by an
amicable, though unequal, partition of the ancient kirigdom of Armenia; and a territorial
. acquisition, which Augustus might have despiled, reSected some lustre on the declining
empire of the younger Theodosius.
-,.
reiJIII....of the Jut kia" we _y he . .aretl, that tile raiD of the Anaeaa,dom happeaed . r the aaacia 0( Chalcecloa, &. D. ai, O.
iii, c. 61, p. II,; ad aader Venmaa, or Bahram, kia, of Pen1&, (L
~ c. CI4, po Ily), who reiped from A. D. GO to 440. See All.....,
•••bliot. OritD.... tom. W, po no. .
DiaD
&ND OF THE FIlTH VOLUIU:I
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